We hung out with Fashion Santa this weekend

by Renée Tse December 14, 2015

It’s kind of a given that Santa is the most popular guy around during this time of year. However, if you’ve been scrolling through your newsfeed as of late, you’d see that a certain Jolly Old Saint Nick has been generating quite some international buzz and its all thanks to his wardrobe A-game and smouldering selfies. World, meet Fashion Santa.

A concept realized by Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Toronto model Paul Mason, the two came up with this idea of having this well-loved icon ditch the traditional polyester red suit and give him a much-needed makeover. We’re talking head-to-toe luxe designer pieces (think Burberry, Carven, Dolce & Gabbana to name a few). The result? One of the most successful viral holiday campaigns ever. But dapper outfits aside, like Saint Nick, Fashion Santa is big on giving back. Turning selfies into a charitable initiative, for every selfie you take and share on social media, Yorkdale’s very own Fashion Santa will donate $1 to SickKids Foundation. With a cause this great, no wonder it’s become a blowout success.

“It’s been overwhelming. We always hoped it would get media attention so we could reach our goal for SickKids, but this surpassed all expectations,” Mason says. “The fact that it’s gone global and people are driving long distances to see me at Yorkdale is very exciting. This weekend we had a family drive in from Buffalo and a 97-year-old woman from Peterborough come to take selfies with me. It’s all very humbling.”

We paid the fashionable Saint Nick a little visit this weekend and captured his selfie game in action. Want to get in on it? Head to Yorkdale.com to see the complete schedule of his appearances. But hurry, he’s only around till December 23. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.