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Ex-Fugee Wyclef Jean poses for photographers with Mary Pompili, Vice President of Marketing for Holt Renfrew, as she greets arriving celebrities. — Photo djc Features |
TORONTO (djc Features) — With the combination of celebs, fashionistas and booze galore, it didn’t take long for one of the biggest Canadian parties of the year to swing into full-out mayhem — a requisite when fashion and music collide.
Hosted by billionaire and Holt Renfrew chairman, Galen Weston, and his wife Hilary, the Vanity Fair Holt Renfrew “Vinyl” bash kicked off with a star-crazed public surrounding Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street in Toronto. In a city more shameless than ever before when it comes to star worship, Vinyl was packed with a hefty supply of celebs in town for the Toronto International Film Festival.
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Fashion Television‘s Jeanne Beker stands with designer, Arthur Mendonca. — Photo djc Features |
Other invited non-celeb guests hung around outside the luxurious fashion mecca (whose entire frontage was draped in pink), hoping to find out what stars would be heading inside to party. After all, a star-free Holt’s bash is a Holt’s bash that has yet to begin — why head in?
And who was spied by thousands of eyes watching? Meg Tilly, Cuba Gooding Jr., Carla Collins, Dean and Dan Caten, John Varvados, Arthur Mendonca, and ex-Fugee Wyclef Jean were among the many met by screaming fans. The stars were escorted in by limos and sent straight down the pink carpet (red carpets, it seems, are passé) for Q & A with Fashion Television’s Jeanne Beker.
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The Vanity Fair Holt Renfrew “Vinyl” bash hosted by billionaire and Holt Renfrew chairman, Galen Weston (left), and his wife Hilary (inside right), was packed with a hefty supply of celebs in town for the Toronto International Film Festival. — Photo djc Features |
It was Wyclef who helped take the party from zero-to-sixty once he got inside, taking to one of the many stages for an energetic and lively set. Singing with his younger sister on backup vocals, the mixed crowd was up and dancing in no time.
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Canadian designers Dean and Dan Caten (DSquared) and their guest and model pose for a photograph with as they walk down the pink carpet. — Photo djc Features |
Each floor featured unique discoveries for both celebrities and invited A-list guests alike.JoJo Flores spun on the concourse level, where candy and sweets were littered across tables. Surrounding the candy, many other specialty stations were placed throughout the entire store to offer partiers a nosh on inventive snacks while schmoozing, and cruising the eye-popping Holt Renfrew merchandise. The event was catered by Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, who served more than 10,000 hors d’oeuvres to guests and celebrities.
Up on the first level, the Stephen Shore photography exhibit called “The Velvet years 1965–67: Warhol’s Factory” from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland featured fascinating pop-culture history and candy for the eyes.
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After Wyclef took to the stage for an energetic and lively set at “Vinyl”, the mixed crowd was up and dancing in no time. — Photo djc Features |
In the front window Allanah Weston saw her pal Alison Jackson’s celebrity look-a-like book Private fêted via ‘Christina’, ‘Elton’, ‘Posh’ and ‘Becks’ look-a-likes enjoying the party.
Upstairs on the second floor bids were taken on all things fashion and rock and roll, including a B.B. King autographed guitar, backstage passes to meet Elton John in Las Vegas, and a trip to Milan to see a Giorgio Armani runway show. The silent bid was hot and heavy for the multitude of menswear and womenswear outfits up for grabs.
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Each floor of Holt Renfrew in Toronto featured unique discoveries for both celebrities and invited A-list guests alike. — Photo djc Features |
Bling-Bling Flashers, Polaroid Girls, and Estée Lauder’s Ford Models were the mandatory sexy glam finishing touches of the party, and while technically the party was supposed to end at midnight, it showed no sign of letting up after the clock struck 12.
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From left to right: Canadian Idol Star, Ryan Malcolm; Judging Amy‘s Kristin Lehman; Academy Award Winner, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Toronto rapper, K-OS. — Photo djc Features |
Coupled with the many film fest parties happening across the city, and the Team Canada hockey win, Toronto was no doubt city of hangovers when alarm clocks everywhere began to sound just hours later.
