Report by Katia Ostapets and Julia Eskins

Joining in the new trend of designer label holiday pop-up shops is Bustle, a leading Canadian sportswear label that has become well-known for its cheeky and well-tailored aesthetic.

Located at 162 Cumberland in Toronto, the shop was open for only one weekend and offered a great variety of menswear pieces from the fall/winter 2011 collection, also seen at LG Fashion Week.

Designers Ruth Promislow and Shawn Hewson are behind Bustle.

As part of the company’s Priceless Toronto program, anyone who purchased the items with a MasterCard was offered a 20 per cent discount. “MasterCard has become increasingly involved in fashion week and we’re happy to be working with them as their partners,” said the designers Shaw Hewson and Ruth Promislow. The sale ran from Dec. 16 to Dec.19.

Bustle was created in 2002 by husband-and-wife team (Hewson and Promislow), who are both originally Bay Street lawyers. Bustle has become one of the most popular Canadian brands and a favourite amongst celebrities, such as Samuel L. Jackson, Stacey McKenzie and Nicole Richie.

Plaid is a strong trend in this collection.

Every season, the collection adheres to a different theme. The fall/winter 2011 collection that was available for purchase at the shop had a “Canadiana” feel. Red plaid was sparingly used in a way that kept the pieces fresh and original.

Many garments focused on comfort, with a variety of fabrics being used for blazers. A new Bustle logo with a moose image was created for this collection, and incorporated into most of the pieces, displayed on the top right side of the chest or as a fabric pattern.

To celebrate the opening of the store, a VIP event was held on Dec.15. White wine, beer and an assortment of appetizers were provided. The guests particularly enjoyed the sliders and bite-sized pork chops. A DJ was spinning all evening, sporting a Bustle blazer and golden headphones.

Guests mingled happily throughout the night. In attendance were Chris Howson, the Pride FM Morning Show host and producer, fashion blogger Nolan Bryant and Laura Gatsos from Michael Kors.

“It’s nice to do retail events. [Often] people say: ‘Oh, I really want those pants!’ but we can’t get them for another six months.

“Here, people can see something they like and put it on their backs [right away],” said Hewson.

When asked to name their favourite pieces, Hewson chose a black tuxedo jacket with a hot pink under-collar. “It’s a party suit – I love that! It’s great to wear out at night. I’m hoping it’s left here at the end [so that I can keep it], “he laughed.

Promislow chose the DJ’s red plaid blazer. “I just love the fabric; we used it in a few other pieces. We looked at a lot of plaid. A lot!” Her husband agreed that plaid is one of the big emerging trends. They chose it because it looked so Canadian.

On the topic of working with their spouse, the duo said, “It’s been fun to work together over the years. We fight over some details, but at the core we’ve always had similar ideas. It’s great!”

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