The best part about TIFF isn’t the star sightings in our hometown or the wild after-parties. It’s not the red carpet glamour or even the actual movies themselves, which we’re pretty sure most “journalists” forgot to see, anyway… It’s the gifting lounges! This year, we had the chance to preview some of the hottest swag destinations for celebrities and media alike. Click on the links below to check out all of our behind-the-scenes footage of all the cool stuff that the Hollywood and media elite got to go home with at TIFF 2013…
The Essentials Lounge
One of our absolute favourite lounges is the Essentials Lounge by EGPR, which really went above and beyond the call this year. The lounge, now in its fourth year, featured everything from consultations by Aveda’s National Creative Director and celeb stylist Kristjan Hayden, on to keep hair looking fierce and healthy throughout the festival; to Calvin Klein sizing people up for comfy underwear (nothing worse than ill-fitting bloomers when you’re running around like a mad man, am I right?); to Micro-Pedi and Sorel with the key ingredients to happy, soft feet… even after hours of walking and standing.
IT Lounge By NKPR
Where do the celebrities get their swag? The IT Lounge, obvee. We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to check out the TIFF 2013 edition and it was fabulous as ever. NKPR launched this year’s event with a Modern Vintage theme that features brands that pay homage to tradition, heritage, and classics. They also did the IT Lounge Portrait Studio again, with celebrated photographer Caitlin Cronenberg and in partnership with W Magazine. Cronenberg was taking editorial and one-of-a-kind celebrity shots featuring multiple sets and vignettes that marry old Hollywood glamour with a quirky, ’50s-style home.
George Strombo’s Made in Canada Lounge
We were psyched to stop by George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight‘s Made In Canada Lounge to get a preview of all the things the stars got to choose from. In the past, celebs like Javier Bardem, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Wilde, Clive Owen and Michael Douglas have all stopped by the lounge to pick up goodies from awesome Canadian brands. This year’s stars got a very, very cool swag score: Canada Goose coats. Yeah, we know. We’re insanely jealous, too. Over 75 brands made up this year’s lounge, which included everything from fashionista favourites like Cake Beauty and Preloved to Mill Street Brewery and Slava Ultra Premium Vodka.
Bask-It-Style Lounge
We headed to the 54th floor penthouse of 16 Harbour Street for the 5th Annual Bask-It-Style event for TIFF 2013. The views of the city and the products were fabulous enough that even the most celebrated of celebrities coming into town would have felt totally at home there. The open, bright space was given a modern-meets-rustic feel by Designs by the Yard and Chique and Unique Home Staging. Among the goodies on-hand were a much appreciated glass of Wolf Blass Yellow Label, which released an exclusive bottle of Shiraz Grenache Mourvèdre for TIFF 2013. Also around was an exciting re-launch of Mary Kay cosmetics (not just for mummy anymore!) and some super yummy gluten-free treats from All But Gluten.
Express Lounge at Brill Communications
The last pampering lounge we hit up during TIFF 2013 was the Express Lounge in the Brill Building, aka the home of all-star PR firm Brill Communications. With glasses of bubbly in hand, we wandered through the stylish space, checking out Express’s latest clothing offerings, getting hair and make-up touch-ups (or, rather, just getting our hair and make-up did), and just generally feeling like total stars thanks to this impressive set-up.
