Simons Opens First Urban Toronto Location at Yorkdale Shopping Centre
TORONTO, Aug. 14, 2025 /CNW/ – Simons—Canada's oldest private, family-owned business—proudly opens its doors today at Yorkdale Shopping Centre, marking the company's first urban Toronto store and its 18th location nationally. The two-storey, 118,000-square-foot space reinforces Simons' nation-wide presence as a premier fashion retailer with a unique offering of thoughtfully curated shopping experiences and exceptional customer service.
The first of two new locations opening in Toronto in 2025, the Yorkdale store is part of a broader investment of nearly $100M and 400 new employment opportunities in the Greater Toronto Area, contributing to the company's steady and consistent growth in the region and across the country.
'What a pleasure it is to open our doors in Toronto and become part of such a vibrant, creative, and diverse community,' said Bernard Leblanc, President and CEO of Simons. 'This milestone represents many years in the making. Our Yorkdale store reflects our commitment to creativity, design, esteemed service, purpose, community and connection. Because, at Simons, we believe our spaces are more than just places to shop—they are places to discover, to be inspired, and to engage with fashion, Canadian art, and design. We're excited to build meaningful relationships in this dynamic city and welcome both Torontonians and visitors to experience Simons' exceptional customer service.'
Oxford Properties has been an important partner in Simons' expansion into the Ontario market, with the family company opening its first store at Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga in 2016.
'Our entire Oxford team is so proud to welcome this renowned Canadian retailer to Yorkdale as we continue to build on the mix of destination brands available at the shopping centre and delivering a best-in-class retail experience for our shoppers,' said Daniel Fournier, Executive Chair at Oxford Properties. 'We're proud to partner with Simons to open its doors for the first time in Toronto. This is an important milestone for both our businesses, and we congratulate the entire team at Simons on their ongoing success and expansion. Simons is a true Canadian success story, and its fresh and dynamic retailing approach will add even more to our already high-quality offering at Yorkdale and will undoubtedly resonate with our customers.'
Design grounded in nature and movement
Simons takes a purposeful approach to store design, with every decision aimed at creating a welcoming atmosphere and exceptional customer experience rooted in outstanding service, a strong sense of community, and immersive sensory engagement.
Created in collaboration with Gensler Design, Lemay Michaud Architecture and Reliance Construction, the Yorkdale store is guided by the design theme 'Perennial Ephemera,' a concept inspired by natural cycles of light, growth, and transformation. From layout to lighting, every detail was considered with the customer in mind, designed to feel open, warm and welcoming while supporting shoppers' journeys through curated style environments.
Art as the connector
'As with all Simons locations, art plays a vital role in shaping the in-store experience,' said Bernard Leblanc, President and CEO of Simons. 'Fashion is art, and we see art as the ultimate connector, enabling our customers to meaningfully engage with one another and their surroundings. The design and construction of our stores are often influenced by the local works we feature, and Yorkdale is no exception.'
At Yorkdale, that focus comes to life through the 'Walk of Frames,' an interactive art path that weaves the beauty of art into customers' everyday shopping experiences. Featuring 40 works by 24 artists, the Walk of Frames is designed to spark connection, foster community and create a sensory experience. Each art station is numbered and paired with a QR code, offering shoppers the opportunity to learn about each artist and explore the stories behind their work. The art curated and commissioned for the Yorkdale store reflects a strong commitment to Canadian and local artists. Select international works are also featured, offering a thoughtful nod to the company's European heritage and roots, creating a dialogue between past and future through art. At the heart of the Yorkdale art collection is CIEL, a monumental ceiling mural by French artist Nelio, whose geometric abstractions and intuitive, buffing technique creates an atmospheric and sensory landscape. Painted with a roller in sweeping gestures of acrylic, CIEL evokes a luminous, cloudy sunset above the store's central staircase, a sun-like focal point that mirrors the vertical flow of the space and extends the surrounding tones and textures into a meditative chromatic composition.
Simons has collaborated with the renowned Montreal-based visual effects creative company Rodeo FX. Known for its international acclaim and a team of nearly 800 artists—with standout credits including Game of Thrones and Stranger Things—Rodeo FX brings its signature cinematic artistry to Yorkdale through a trio of immersive digital installations that enliven both the store's exterior and interior.
Solarium: A scenographic, exterior installation visible from Yorkdale Road, where animated fabric gently moves through air and light. Inspired by sunrooms, it evokes stillness and warmth, exploring the interplay of nature and architecture in a quiet, meditative gesture.
Forest Diorama: Positioned above the store's main entrance, this layered, transparent LED art piece places mannequins in a shifting seasonal forest. Animated trees, branches, and forest life create the illusion of depth and movement, evoking the sensation of looking through a living landscape.
Fabric of Life: Just inside the entrance, a dynamic LED animation weaves blooming botanicals into a visual metaphor for growth and transformation. Inspired by the inner life of plants, it fuses the organic with fashion, as if nature itself were being woven into fabric.
Together, these installations embody Simons' belief that retail can be a platform for creativity and culture.
An experience led by product and purpose
Simons at Yorkdale Shopping Centre offers an unparalleled and uniquely Canadian shopping experience, welcoming customers with the personalized service and curated specialty shopping opportunities they have come to expect from Simons across the country—including Canadian-designed exclusive collections for men, women, and home. Each collection is presented and organized in separate, boutique-style zones, in addition to a range of well-known brands and designer pieces that complement Canadian labels and art to inspire an exceptional shopping experience.
Yorkdale showcases Simons' exclusive private brands including Twik, Icône, Contemporaine, Miiyu, Le 31, Djab, i.FiV5, and Simons Maison spanning trend-forward streetwear to elegant modern classics, offering style at multiple price points for women, men, and home. The store also features the Édito department, a boutique-style selection of nationally recognized brands and top designer names. This curated collection underscores Simons' investment in high-end fashion and is supported by an exceptional team of more than 175 designers, creators, and specialists working across the international fashion landscape.
In addition to a curated selection of national and international brands available in store, Simons also highlights pieces from Canadian artisans through Fabrique 1840, its online platform dedicated to celebrating and supporting creativity, culture, community, and craftsmanship. The platform features works from over 400 talented creators and craftspeople—including several based in the Toronto area—across a range of artistic disciplines, including home décor, fashion, stationery, and leatherwork.
Simons' Vision program is also a central part of the company's ethos, spotlighting garments made with lower-impact or recycled materials. The program reflects Simons' broader goal: to make responsible fashion more accessible while supporting customers in making choices that align with their values.
Additional photos of the store are available here.
About Simons
Simons was founded in 1840 by John Simons in Quebec City. Originally a dry goods store, the family company is known today for accessible and inspired fashion. It is committed to cultivating creativity and building meaningful relationships with its staff, partners, and clientele. The company cares about the environment and about the communities in which it does business.
Simons is recognized as a fashion authority with an original shopping concept. The company offers an extensive array of avant-garde fashions and exclusive private collections for men and women, complemented by a selection of nationally recognized brands and top designer names. Simons also carries home fashions for the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.
The current 18 Simons stores are compelling, original environments that inspire customers with their fashion as well as their art and architecture. Locations: ten in Quebec, including the company's head office in Quebec City; three in Alberta; one in British Columbia; one in Nova Scotia; and soon four in Ontario.
Media Contact: NATIONAL Public Relations, Samantha Krupa-Carbone, skrupa-carbone@national.ca, +1 416-848-1634
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