The opening of a Toronto location of the trendy British fast-fashion giant
Topshop has been long anticipated. It's location was also the subject of speculation -- as far back as last fall, some were speculating that it would be hosted by
The Bay. When it finally arrived
with an opening last week, it was in somewhat hipper, cozier quarters, residing in an expanded
Jonathan + Olivia on Ossington, a coup for what many consider to be one of Toronto's best fashion retail outlets.
Jonathan + Olivia proprietor Jackie O'Brien originally opened the store on Vancouver's Main Street in 2005 -- the store is named after her niece and nephew -- in response to a quest to control her own destiny. "After 10 years of working in the fashion industry ... I decided it was time to be my own boss," she
told blogger Marcus Troy. In 2008, she moved to Toronto to open her location at 49 Ossington, helping to define one of the trendiest strips in Toronto and drawing accolades from the local fashion press.
With the introduction of Topshop to her wares, and the buzz that has accompanied it, O'Brein seems poised for explosive growth this summer. Fittingly, Jonathan + Olivia is
currently hiring a store manager and a stylist.
Writer: Edward Keenan
Sources: Jonathan + Olivia, Marcus Troy, torontolife.com, The National Post
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