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Hermès masculine spirit party, Toronto

Hermès, the French luxury-goods company renowned for its handbags and scarves, threw a party on Oct. 7 to celebrate everything male. Masculine Spirit was the theme of the night, which promised a theatrical look at the fall 2014 collection, at the Fermenting Cellar in Toronto’s Distillery District. The space was transformed via the Argentinian conceptual artist Leandro Erlich’s clever interactive installations, including a never-ending dressing room and a tall pile of cashmere sweaters sporting a display tag reading “Please Touch Me.” Among the female guests, fans of Birkin bags (and a few Kellys) were well represented; their style-savvy husbands and partners seemed equally pleased to be there, despite the rainy fall weather outside. Hermès’s artistic director for men, Véronique Nichanian, was in attendance, as were Charles and Persia Dime, sisters Samantha and Caillianne Beckerman, investmant banker and style blogger Amy Patel, designer Amanda Lew Kee (who transformed one of the house’s famed silk squares into a barely there halter top), Simona Snaider (toting a glossy red crocodile Birkin) and Dr. Ernie Lam (who turned heads in a crocodile trench).

Plastic surgeon Trevor Born. Photo courtesy of Trevor Born

From left, Hermès Canada president and CEO Jennifer Carter, the company’s men’s artistic director Véronique Nichanian and DJ Prince Charles. Photos courtesy of Hermès

Sepideh Moazzani and Nima Talebi.

Amy Patel and Kona Shio.

Cyrille Girard and Christian Vermast.

Archives grand opening, Toronto

The following evening, Archives, a treasure trove of superb jewels by a who’s who of international designers, opened officially with a Perrier-Jouëtpowered gathering. The light-filled Bay Street space adjacent to the Four Seasons Toronto is ideal for trying on (or simply admiring) creative director Jaleh Farhadpour’s thoughtful mix of baubles by the likes of Milan-based Cristina Ortiz (who has done time at Prada, Ferragamo and Lanvin) and Delfina Delettrez (a member of the famed Fendi family who is slated to visit in early 2015). New York-based designer Iradj Moini made an appearance, having brought his colourful, larger-than-life creations (fans include Beyoncé and Iris Apfel) with him. Many of the jewellery enthusiasts on hand were also delighted with the opportunity to get up close and personal with Farhadpour’s personal archive of JAR pieces; JAR, or Joel Arthur Rosenthal, is the legendary Paris-based jeweller whose work was the subject of a recent exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Among those oohing and ahing were one-time Glitter Girl Carole Grafstein and her senator husband Jerry, dermatologist Sandy Skotnicki, model Madison Schill, music manager Jake Gold and philanthropist Vonna Bitove. After taking in the glittering wares, hairdresser Robert Gage, Hudson’s Bay Company vice-chairwoman Bonnie Brooks and socialite Catherine Nugent (another ex-GG) decamped to dbar for a post-party nightcap hosted by Farhadpour and partner Tom Phillips.

Photographer Laird Kay (left) and husband Raymond Girard of Spafax. Photos by Nolan Bryant for The Globe and Mail

Archives’s Jaleh Farhadpour.

Tom Phillips.

Vonna Bitove.

Jenna Bitove.

Dermatologist Sandy Skotnicki.