FASHION Magazine

Peek inside these closets »

Photography by Jake Rosenberg/The Coveteur

Photography by Jake Rosenberg/The Coveteur

Photography by Matthew Williams

Photography by Matthew Williams

Photography by l.A. Closet Design

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Sylvia Mantella’s Closet

Sylvia Mantella’s Closet

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Sylvia Mantella’s Closet

Sylvia Mantella’s Closet

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Veronica Swanson Beard’s Closet

Veronica Swanson Beard’s Closet

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Veronica Miele Beard’s Closet

Veronica Miele Beard’s Closet

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Guliana Rancic’s Closet

Guliana Rancic’s Closet

By Shawna Cohen

What do Rachel Zoe, Tory Burch, Kim Kardashian and Mariah Carey have in common? They’re all household names, sure, but they happen to share something far more intimate: walk-in closets that could easily rival some of the world’s chicest high-end boutiques. Forget slick chef’s kitchens or luxurious, spa-like bathrooms—these days, it’s all about the closet. Once reserved as out-of-sight spaces for storing clothes, closets are quickly becoming the main attraction of multi-million-dollar homes. And they’re boasting everything from custom-designed couches and crystal chandeliers to wine bars, massage tables, oceanfront views and, in at least one instance, an escalator (how else to move around a two-storey walk-in?). Some closet connoisseurs are even incorporating “virtual styling tools” into the space, where they can be outfitted remotely by stylist via iPad or computer screen.

“It’s the last frontier of the home,” says Melanie Charlton, CEO and creative director of Clos-ette, a New York-based company that builds luxury closets for clients such as Kate Hudson and Jay Z. “Why would you put your All-Clad in a $250,000 kitchen but not outfit your closet that way? Let’s face it: Your Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermès [clothing] and your jewellery are often more expensive than the art and furniture in an entire home.”

That helps explain why people are dishing out hundreds of thousands of dollars—sometimes millions—to create spectacular closets that double as offices, dens or just quiet spaces in which to read a book, take a call or enjoy a glass of bubbly. “It’s becoming a sanctuary,” says Charlton. Consider it the female equivalent of the man cave.

Thanks to the popularity of websites like The Coveteur and reality shows such as Million Dollar Closets, we’re now more obsessed with peeking inside the closets of the rich, famous and fashionable than ever before. “We’re living in an age of fashion voyeurism,” says Erin Kleinberg, president and creative director of The Coveteur. “Because of social media—Twitter and Instagram, not to mention all those street-style fashion blogs—we’re used to it. In fact, we’ve come to expect it.” Since it launched in 2011, the site has featured more than 350 closets, showcasing the stylish wares of everyone from Anna Dello Russo to Margherita Missoni, but for Kleinberg the one that sticks out most belongs to Toronto philanthropist Sylvia Mantella. “She has this glass cabinet where she houses her Birkins—it almost acts as art,” Kleinberg says. “She also has a rotating closet, just like Cher Horowitz in Clueless!”

See all the photos from the TIFF 2013 amfAR gala »

“I have Spanx on top of pantyhose and I’m about to have a hose stroke,” Beth Ditto winced as she took the stage at the TIFF 2013 amfAR gala on Sunday night.

Still the Gossip singer and M.A.C Cosmetics collaborator blew the roof off The Carlu, first with her own set, then in a duet of Dolly Parton’s “Here You Come Again” with emcee Alan Cumming.

Adrien Brody, Maria Bello and Paul Haggis were among those in the crowd which was also treated to a showing of menswear by Marc Jacobs and a rousing auction. Okay, so it may not have been quite as exciting as the amfAR benefit in Cannes in May, when Brody took the Cartier watch off his wrist and auctioned it off for $100,000. Still, two Toronto ladies pushed the bidding up to $22,000 for a night of New York bar-hopping with Cumming.

American retailer Target has made its aim clear; it’s poised for a Canadian fashion industry takeover.

The bullseye brand announced today that it is partnering with the Toronto Fashion Incubator for the annual TFI New Labels Fashion Design competition next year. For the first time ever, the winning designer will have the chance to create an exclusive collection to be sold in Canadian Target stores, in addition to the cash prize given yearly by Suzanne Rogers.

View FASHION’s 35th anniversary party photos »
Check out our archive of every FASHION cover since 1977 »

What’s better than a birthday party? Your own birthday party! On Wednesday night, the FASHION team (well, that’d be us) celebrated the magazine’s 35^th anniversary, and as you might expect, Toronto’s most stylish guys and gals were out in full force. 700 of our closest friends packed into the Distillery’s Fermenting Cellar to toast us with Skyy Vodka cocktails, mini burgers and musical performances by Divine Brown and The Parallels.