A few months ago, a new yet familiar face joined the Summerhill retail landscape permanently: outerwear brand Luxton. The womenswear label caught the eye of savvy shoppers in 2021, when it popped up in the neighbourhood, filled with head-to-toe ski jumpsuits that were a fashion innovation at the time. But the pop-up came to an end, and founder Dinah Luxton says she’s been dreaming of a permanent shop in the same area since then — she just never anticipated that it would come together in 24 hours.
“I had an agreement with an American retailer in Yorkville to do a pop-up there, and then three weeks before, they cancelled it,” she says. “We had already made all the product, and I was like, ‘I need to find a store tomorrow.’”
Luxton stumbled upon the space at 1160 Yonge St. in Summerhill, a second-floor storefront that she says hadn’t been used in 25 years. “My biggest lesson from that is when a door closes, another door opens — as long as you can get over the first door closing quickly.”
Although the new store may have come about in less than ideal circumstances, Luxton says she couldn’t be happier with both the space and the location. “The neighbourhood feels lucky to me. I feel like the customers here are willing to take a risk,” she says. “They’re global shoppers, and if you’re doing something a little bit edgy, you need an adventurous customer.”
That edginess began with Luxton’s signature cinchable, multi-pocket puffer jumpsuit and has continued into her first spring line in 2025, which features a raincoat design that was inspired by a gap in the designer’s own closet.
“I didn’t see a raincoat out there that answered all the pain points I had. Why do I have to be sweaty and clammy?”
Her answer was the cinch raincoat and the boomerang trench. Made of fabric sourced from a premium mill in South Korea that specializes in waterproofing, both designs are built to be breathable.
“We launched the collection in spring, and we held some private events and people freaked out over the raincoat,” Luxton says. “Everything sold out!”
The launch of the womenswear brand’s permanent home in Summerhill is just the latest store opening that indicates a shift happening in the city. The neighbourhood is fast becoming a competitor to Yorkville and Ossington, transforming from a quieter residential corner of Toronto to a trendy shopping and nightlife destination. Restaurants and bars have popped up all over the neighbourhood, from cocktail lounge Le Tigre to Seahorse and, soon enough, the second location of Ossington’s popular Greek destination Mamakas.
For Luxton, the area was always going to be her dream destination. “One of my clients came in today with her three girls, and she moved to Peterborough a few years ago. She told me this is the neighbourhood she comes to visit,” Luxton says. “They’re strolling down the street and they’re going to do the whole afternoon here, and I love that. There’s just something for everyone here — all these special places for food and shopping.”
The new store is open seven days a week, but Luxton is quick to note that it isn’t perfect — and she likes it that way. “It’s really cool to see a place that just is what it is,” she says. “The garments are perfect; to me, that’s the important part.”
