IIDEX WELCOME RECEPTION
Thursday at IIDEX/NeoCon, between 5 p.m. and the start of the ARIDO Awards dinner, visitors and exhibitors enjoy a drink at the floor-wide Welcome Reception.
1–In Teknion’s booth, president and CEO David Feldberg confers with New York-based designer Carl Magnusson, who designed the new Marketplace worktable with Teknion’s in-house team.
2–At the Dietiker Switzerland booth: Beatrix Nienkmper, artist Charles Pachter, Amsterdam-based art dealer Susanna Vorst, and journalist Aviva Felber, wife of Dietiker Chairman Urs Felber.
3–At the Liss Gallery booth’s exhibit of Joe Lasker oil paintings: president Brian Liss; Tracy Bowie, VP Sales, Merchandise Mart Properties (Canada), which runs IIDEX/NeoCon; and Vicky and Glyn King, Willow Hill Designs, Oshawa, Ont.
TEKNION IIDEX PARTY
Teknion’s annual IIDEX/NeoCon Fridaynight party, held this past September at the Berkeley Church, always draws a big, boisterous crowd.
1–Teknion’s Blues Brothers clones David Feldberg, president and CEO, and Frank Delfino, president, Canadian and International Markets.
2–At the t-shirt counter: Liss Gallery owner Brian Liss and Teknion’s Georgia Tannis.
WINDSOR ARMS HOTEL
The tony Windsor Arms Hotel launched its updated, smarter Tea Room, Twenty-Two cocktail lounge and Prime steakhouse.
1–In the new Tea Room, Toronto Star and Hamilton Spectator celebrity columnist Kathryn Kates, her assistant Chris Kay, food and wine writer Margaret Swaine, and design writer Gerald Levitch.
KARIM RASHID AT UMBRA, ULTRA
The Umbra Concept Store and Ultra Supperclub (the nearby Queen Street West eatery), held back-to-back parties honouring famed designer and Toronto native son Karim Rashid.
1–Karim Rashid and Umbra VP of Design Paul Rowan.
2–Roland Rom Colthoff, who as a partner at Quadrangle Architects created BMW Toronto overlooking the Don Valley Parkway, has gone solo as Raw Design; John Shnier of Kohn Shnier, architects of the Umbra Concept Store; education researcher Patricia Gaviria; architect and OCAD assistant dean Jeremy Bowes; and Susan Lewin, architect at CS&P Architects and wife of Colthoff.
3–Rona Arato, who is writing a kid’s book for Tundra Press on industrial design, with her industrial designer husband, Paul, who recently created a bus shelter for Creative Outdoor Advertising in Stouffville, Ont.
SCOT RICHLER AT JOAN EILEY
First they made handbags in Milan that made a splash on the fashion circuit. Now Jennifer Scott, the Montreal-based design and manufacturing company partnered by Jennifer Kakon and Scott Richler, creates fine tables, chairs, casegoods and lighting. The Joan Eiley showroom launched the collection’s arrival in Toronto.
1–Scott Richler (yes, his grandfather was first cousin to famous scribe Mordecai), sitting with Joan Eiley on his Carlotta sofa, in front of his Sofia side table.
2–Stephen Taylor of Taylor Made Interior Design, and Bruce Wilson, general manager at fabric showroom Primavera.
THERMADOR AT POWELL & BONNELL
Interior design firm Powell & Bonnell unveiled its futuristic kitchen concept for Thermador, the luxury appliance brand, in its Toronto showroom at Av and Dav (Avenue Road and Davenport Road).
1–Kiyoshi Sakurai, designer, Powell & Bonnell, who created the concept kitchen, and Mathieu Sabbagh, marketing director, Bosch and Siemens Home Appliance Group.
2–Robert and Karen King of Norman King Design; interior designer Rafaell Cabrera; Malcolm Cooper, Creative Director, Blue Mountain Wallcoverings; and Gerard Bueche, GBMC Design.