TORONTO — To mark its one-year anniversary, as well as the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival, the Shangri-La Hotel unveiled its new Lobby Lounge wardrobe. The lounge wardrobe was created in collaboration with luxury women’s wear label Vawk, by Toronto designer Sunny Fong.

Service associates in the Lobby Lounge revealed the custom designed wardrobe by Fong, Vawk’s creative director, during a cocktail reception this week. Live music and a signature Vawktail — an Asian-infused cocktail made with prosecco, brandy and yuzu and garnished with a single sugar cube — were featured. The Vawktail, which will remain on the bar menu through the fall, was created in honour of the collaboration between Asian Canadian luxury design and Asian luxury hospitality.

“The energy in the Lobby Lounge was palpable last night,” said Richard Cooke, GM, Shangri La. “Seeing and hearing everyone’s enthusiastic reaction to our new look truly felt celebratory.“

The new Lobby Lounge attire design draws inspiration from the hotel lobby decor, the cultural heritage of the designer himself and that of the hotel’s luxury Asian hospitality. “I wanted the design to reflect a hybrid of my brand and what I feel Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto represents. I was inspired by the artwork in the lobby, the Ming vase tea library and the ornithological theme that is prevalent in the hotel and the Zhang Huan ‘Rising’ sculpture,” said Fong of his inspiration. “When I met with Richard Cooke, we wanted something that seemed almost theatrical, so naturally I knew the silhouette had to be both sophisticated and sexy. I felt my desire to custom create a bold graphic print inspired by the Ming vase would make a dramatic statement.”

The design of the dress borrows from traditional Asian design and architecture with shoulders reminiscent of pagodas found in Chinese gardens: whilst the silhouette is a sleeker version of the traditional qipao with a mandarin collar.

Vawk designs have been showcased on red carpets worldwide, including the Cannes International Film Festival, the Grammy Awards and the People’s Choice Awards.

Photography by Christian Stoyanov

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