'The Room' is coming to The Hudson's Bay Company in Vancouver British Columbia

It has been confirmed that The Room, a luxury women's designer department including clothing, shoes and accessories, will be opening September 2011 on the second floor of The Hudson's Bay Company (aka 'The Bay') in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It will be about 23,000 square feet and will include a 'Platinum VIP Suite' and a concierge service. 

The Room at The Bay, Toronto

The Room opened at The Bay in Downtown Toronto, Queen Street, in October of 2009. Here is its website: http://www2.thebay.com/theroom  It has been met with both praise and criticism. Some have praised Nicholas Mellamphy, its creative director, for stocking boldly glamorous clothing designs, unique fashion designers, and hard-to-find couture pieces often only found in Paris or Moscow. Others have criticised Mellamphy and The Bay, saying that some clothing stocked in The Room are Too bold, too expensive, and that the designers are irrelevant castaways that Holt Renfrew does not want.  One example pricey garment was a $21,000 Balmain dress, though I note that Holt Renfrew in Toronto has since started selling Balmain clothing themselves. Although Bay management claims that The Room is both profitable and popular, insiders have told this blogger that The Room in Toronto has been a loss-leader, and that Holt Renfrew's designer floor, up on more fashionable Bloor Street (closer to affluent neighbourhoods like Rosedale, Forest Hill, and The Bridle Path), is still taking in the vast majority of Toronto's vacuous socialite dollars.

Expect Parties: The Room has become known as a place for fashion-related parties. Big ones. And fun ones. In October 2010, The Room held a massive two-day event called 'God Save The Queen', where various British fashion designers and their collections were profiled at the Queen Street store. The public got to meet the designers and see their wares. Time will tell if Vancouver gets similar party-treatment.

'God Save The Queen' fashion event at The Room, Toronto. October 2010.

Expect New Designers: The Room in Toronto carries over 70 fashion labels, and insiders have informed me that Vancouver will be getting many of the same designers, and some designers not available in Toronto. Look for:

-Alaia

-Ungaro

-Balmain

-Jason Wu

-Roland Mouret
-DSquared2

-Proenza Schouler

-Nina Ricci

-Martin Margiela

-Halston

-Barbara Bui

-Rochas

-Thakoon

-L'Wren Scott

-Giles Deacon (Who also designs for Ungaro)

-Doo.Ri

And others.

Shoes and Accessories will include: 
-Christian Louboutin

-Brian Atwood

-Pierre Hardy

-Repetto

-Nicholas Kirkwood

-Charlotte Olympia

And handbags by such designers as:

-Pauric Sweeny (swoon!)

-Be&D

-Jamin Puech

-Corto Moltedo (Seriously, check them out: (PDF): http://www.corto.com/CORTOMOLTEDO_FW1011.pdf

-Olympia Le Tan

The Room at The Bay, Toronto

There is no question that these efforts have made The Bay, at least in Toronto and soon, Vancouver, a major high-fashion designer-floor destination.