Stunning Toronto Art Deco theatre reborn with new tenant after years on market

An expansive retail space that remained stubbornly vacant for years despite being on Toronto's coveted Mink Mile is now home to the Canadian flagship of a bougie French jewellery brand beloved by celebrities, along with another old favourite that is moving up the street.

Though Van Cleef & Arpels (VCA) falls out of the price range of most people in the city, those who have the desire (and the budget) to accessorize like the stars can now shop the designer at its newest storefront, which is the first of its kind in Canada.

The location at Bay and Bloor Streets also has a rich history, once home to the University Theatre, which opened back in 1949. The Art Deco façade that made the theatre a landmark has stayed with it through multiple iterations, albeit in reproduction form. 

The Bloor Street storefront. Photo credit: Van Cleef & Arpels.

On September 27, VCA opened its boutique at 100 Bloor St. W, becoming, the first to grace the property since a Pottery Barn outpost closed in 2017. (The Burberry flagship on Bloor will also be relocating to the larger space next door at the same address.)

The esteemed brand is known for the iconic clover shapes that decorate its bracelets and necklaces, which have adorned celebrities ranging from Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow to Grace Kelly and Queen Camilla.

The interior of Van Cleef & Arpel's Bloor Street flagship. Photo credit: Van Cleef & Arpels.

Up until now, Van Cleef has only had Toronto storefronts in Yorkdale and inside Birks at Bay and Bloor. But the 2,500-square-foot flagship on the other side of the intersection marks a new milestone for the company — as well as anyone wanting to nab a $2,080 to $235,000 piece.