Tucked away behind the preserved facades of a Victorian townhouse in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood is WDLT 117, a three-storey designer concept store that blurs the line between retail and lifestyle.
Founded by Chloe Ma and Darryl Ding, WDLT 117 brings together fashion, design, coffee, home goods, and flowers under one roof at 7 St. Thomas Street. The store came about after the founders, who often travelled around the world, noticed a lack of representation of emerging brands and more fashion-forward pieces.
The hybrid shop is located in a building that’s the “first of its kind” office condo in Toronto to offer exclusive commercial ownership, and seamlessly blends Victorian townhomes with a contemporary fritted glass tower.
2022 exterior of the Victorian townhome exteriors incorporated into the base of 7 St. Thomas. Photo: Jack Landau.
WDLT comes from the word “wanderlust,” and the numbers that follow also reflect the evolution of the streetscape.
“Since the previous building number was 11, and it has now changed to 7, we have kept both 11 and 7 as a reflection of the history and continuity,” Ma told blogTO.
The first floor of the store features a café and flower bar, alongside lifestyle goods and a unisex fashion selection. Head upstairs, and you’ll find unisex accessories and women’s fashion. The third floor currently functions as an inventory and office space, although Ma says renovations are in the works to open that level up to the public next year.
“Most designer concept stores focus on ready-to-wear and accessories. But in our store, it is more like a whole lifestyle concept,” she added. In addition to over 30 designer labels, including ISSEY MIYAKE HOMME PLISSÉ, Guidi, Marine Serre, Undercover, Maison Margiela MM6, Nina Ricci, and Y-3, WDLT117 also carries furniture, personal care items, home goods, and rare scents.
The selection, Ma says, leans heavily into forward-thinking design, from Japanese minimalism and upcycling to avant-garde tailoring and utilitarian elements.
The store has also become home to a high-end coffee and flower bar, which officially opened up to the public last January. “Both of us (the founders) are coffee lovers. We have a very elegant limited edition Slayer coffee machine in store,” Ma told blogTO.
The bar, which initially served friends and staff only, now offers a full matcha and hojicha menu, developed over months using high-grade tea sourced directly from Japan.
The flower bar, launched alongside the café, focuses on rare imports from the Netherlands, South Africa, and South America. Here, you can choose from weekly fresh bouquets or choose individual flowers by the single stem.
“We are not only a retail store to let customers purchase. We are also a place that they can discover,” Ma said. “We deliver products, services, and also do brand and product knowledge, and fashion and fabric communication. I try to build a platform to share inspirations, stories, and all the beautiful things from the world.”
While the shop is open Monday through Saturday, Sundays are reserved for private appointments, and occasional RSVP-only workshops, ranging from pottery and flower arranging to yoga, wine tasting, and fabric workshops.
WDLT 117 is located at 7 St. Thomas Street.
