One of my favorite things about working in Manhattan was a store called Anthropologie. I remember rushing from a job with various stages of makeup removal going on in the back of a taxi while listening to a curious driver talk incessantly about his brother’s six-year-old daughter who wants to be a model, why all other taxi drivers should have their licenses taken away and why he hates wonton soup.
I arrived at the Soho store with literally 10 minutes to power shop since my flight home was just two hours away — but it was Air Canada and LaGuardia Airport and almost always (with my luck travelling ) either delayed or even cancelled.
I always managed to find that special something that I just could not resist importing. I once brought back a very fragile and heavy lamp that I carried with me all swaddled in bubble wrap — it was just one of those "must haves."
Another time I was terribly distracted by an Orlando Bloom sighting and spent my whole ten minutes "shopping" at the front of the store where he sat waiting for some lucky person. With all these happy memories, you can imagine how happy I was to hear that "my store" would be coming to Toronto.
The baby comes with me as I head to the Don Mills location. It is everything I love in a store. Colorful and quirky dishes and tablewear. Unique eclectic looking quilts of such appeal that I just could not decide with which one to bless my lucky bed (so I walk away from the temptresses with lust in my heart and a burning urge to buy something).
I could live in this store. I pick up a creamer shaped like a yellow bird and a butter dish that I dont need but feel rather strongly about.
And then there is still the clothing. Although I could shop here and never even look at the clothing, it’s also pretty great.
There’s some cool bags with colorful prints, beautiful jewelery and a nice selection of casual yet a bit "where did you find that top?!" type stuff. They even have a small kids section… but until the little one can ask for it, I will save this store for just me. And the rest of Toronto.
I have to wonder, will my lust for this store decrease now that it is sitting right there in my backyard and not a New York indulgence? Is my lust a tad obsessive and strange? Looking around at all the lovely merchandise, I must conclude no. Anthro (as I so lovingly call it) will always be my first "shop affair" and as it is with that first love, will always have a special place in my heart.
Liisa Winkler is one of Canada’s biggest supermodels and mother of two beautiful children. Her blog appears bi-monthly at Postcity.com.