For its first brick-and-mortar location, the women’s fashion brand SMYTHE has taken over a heritage storefront in north Toronto’s trendy Summerhill district and infused it with a palette rich in raw textures and natural finishes. Its elegant reserve provides an ideal backdrop for highlighting the label’s preference for bold patterns, saturated colors, and meticulous tailoring. (Kate Middleton’s love for SMYTHE’s original ultra-feminine double-breasted jacket, now called the duchess blazer, remains a bestseller).

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The 1,250-square-foot space is reimagined by designers Ashley Botten and Tommy Smythe with a lens on creating a sensory atmosphere that changes the pace of customers the moment they leave the busy shopping street and step inside. Interior distractions are kept to a minimum, allowing the clothes hanging from four blackened steel racks to remain the primary focus. In place of mannequins, two wall-mounted feature boxes near the foyer provide solitary hooks for a garment to be displayed as though a piece of art and for sales staff to style outfits throughout the day.

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At the shop’s center, four boxes covered in marble and onyx offcut slabs add spatial dimension and a surface sheen to complement the dusty rose terracotta flooring.

It takes a moment to notice there is no visible cash desk. Instead, it is contained within a narrow all-white interspace that is noticeable only when clients make their way to the change rooms and lounge area in the back. Special attention is paid to the dressing room experience. Full-height doors reach to the ground for complete privacy, and an inviting quadrant-shaped sofa encourages shoppers to spend time just hanging out. With walls clad in the warm embrace of darkened wood, the mood is set not to rush but to get lost in the myriad sensations when trying new clothing for the first time.

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A life-long friendship is behind the new store. SMYTHE’s co-founders, Andrea Lenczner and Christie Smythe turned to Botten and Tommy Smythe to translate their high-end brand into a complete shopping experience. All four designers have known each other since childhood. However, while pursuing similar career paths and staying in touch through the occasional dinner party, the chance to work together had never come up until now. “The chance to work together was a bit of a dream,” says Botten. “It was a reminder that good design comes from great collaborations.”

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An arched and narrow passageway leads to a lounge area and dressing rooms at the back of the shop. Photo credit: Patrick Biller

Stone and onyx off-cuts were used to clad four display islands, each of different proportions.

Rectangular volumes at each clothing rack's base help frame to the garments.

The interior's understated mood allows the fashion label's preference for brilliant colours to stand out.

Soft edges and round corners in the fixtures and furniture add a feminine warmth.

Bleached oak pedestal table and blackened steel vases are custom designed by Ashley Botten.

Wall-mounted feature boxes allow the sales team to easily style an outfit or show off a single garment.

The feature boxes are positioned on either side of the foyer to be easily seen from the street.

The boxes frame garments as though works of art.

A narrow cash area is hidden between the front of the shop and the change rooms at the back.

One rack is reserved for SMYTHE's bestselling duchess blazer, famously favoured by Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge.

All of the blackened-metal custom detailing in the store was designed by Ashley Botten.

Designed by Ashley Botten, the Moment Box provides an intimate cubby for showcasing SMYTHE's signature room and textile spray.

Moment Box is part of Ashley Botten's collection of blackened-steel household objects sold at her online shop.

A generous custom sofa fills the dressing area, inviting clients to spend time trying on clothes and hanging out with friends.

Butler hooks along the wooden mirror frames are pulled out to hang outfits during a try-on session.

Full-length wooden doors provide privacy and a dramatic door-opening moment when revealing a new outfit for the first time.

Indirect lighting and a full-height mirror enhance the experience of trying on new clothes.

A curved floating stool in the change room is mounted to one wall.

Technical sheet 

• Materials: darkened wood, terracotta, marble, onyx, blackened metal, and brass detailing
• Project Name: SMYTHE flagship store
• Completion: March 2022
• Project Address: 1116 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M4W 2L6
• Project Type: Women’s fashion retail
• Surface area: 116 m2 (1,250 sq. ft.)
• Construction: GV&Co
• Design: Ashley Botten Design and Tommy Smythe
• Lead designers: Ashley Botten and Tommy Smythe
• Team: Susana Angel 
• Photographer: Patrick Biller