Grafic debuts new lifestyle concept store for guys
features include North America’s first Sand shop-in-shop

Since opening in 2003, Grafic has emerged as one of the go-to destinations for contemporary and cutting-edge fashion for guys across the GTA. The store has gained considerable notoriety and is widely acknowledged as being among the best of Canada’s new crop of specialty stores. Today, the concept has evolved with the opening of Grafic Man, directly adjacent to its original outpost. Now encompassing more than 3,000 square feet of combined retail space, owners Doriano DiCarlo and Fabio Sardellitti are building on their trend-driven premium denim collections with the addition of an impressive array of finely tailored suits and accessories. This new lifestyle shopping experience prominently features the first North American shop-in-shop for Scandinavian luxury brand, Sand. “Our customer has grown-up on premium denim and is now looking to step into a more sophisticated style that mirrors the coolness of his casual attire,” explains Doriano. “When we saw the remarkable breadth and scope of Sand, the vision to compliment our original concept shop was complete. Sand is a premium lifestyle collection that is both sophisticated and sexy. It presents a unique twist on sartorial style and blends the best of old world tailoring and luxury fabrications with modern cuts and exceptional value.”

New to North America
Sand is more than a Scandinavian success story. The designer brand, headed by the husband and wife team of Lene and Soren Sand, originated in the early ‘80s and has since grown its reach to more than 23 countries, now including Canada and the USA. Around the world, the company operates 15 free-standing concept stores, 18 airport travel stores, numerous shop-in-shops and is featured at more than 1,500 retail clients including some of Scandinavia and Europe’s finest stores: Illum, Magasin, N.K., Harrods, Luisa Via Roma and Harvey Nichols. The Sand’s recently hand-picked the Triluxe Fashion Group to lead their brand’s North American launch. Triluxe is a highly-regarded fashion distributor and brand-builder best known for its success introducing J.Lindeberg, another Scandinavian fashion phenom available at Grafic, and growing it into a powerhouse brand across North America. “Today’s consumers are looking for newness. They want modern brands they can call their own,” says Al Israel, Triluxe CEO and fashion-business visionary who’s credited with first developing the prestigious Giorgio Armani and Valentino labels in Canada. “Sand is that brand and, in the near future, will undoubtedly be counted among the cornerstone of designer brands in both Canada and the United States.”

In-store Experience
Grafic Man, like the original Grafic Concept, was designed by award-winning architect Johnson Chou (TNT, Blowfish, Hollace Cluny) and is modeled after the International Sand concept stores. It incorporates a number of remarkable design elements such as the striking stone wall that gently curves behind the cash desk. Stainless steel fixtures, glass, concrete and black lacquer combine to give the space a modern and luxurious feel. The Grafic experience comes complete with an Italian espresso bar, on-site tailoring, by-appointment wardrobe consultations, a hi-fi wireless lounge and more, all in an environment that is contemporary and cool. As a result, the store is fast gaining the reputation as an unofficial men’s den. For Doriano and Fabio the emphasis has always been on the next big thing. The brands they choose to showcase directly reflect their own personal tastes. “We’ve expanded our offering of hand-picked, exclusive lifestyle brands to include a unique spectrum of the finest tailored suits, crisp shirts, luxe ties and everything else you need to look your best,” says Fabio. “With our expansion in place, we can now service guys with their entire wardrobe needs from Monday to Sunday, including weddings and other special events.”

Destination: Grafic
The shop, which exudes a downtown attitude, is happy in its suburban setting. The City of Vaughn ranks in the top five fastest growing Canadian municipalities, and was also selected as one of the Five Best Cities in Canada for Business. This translates into a growing influx of consumers working, living and shopping in the region. True to its word, Grafic is a complete lifestyle shop for men. The store is located at 3883 Rutherford Road (in Woodbridge just North of Toronto at the Southwest corner of Rutherford Road and Weston Road).