We know there are a gazillion shopping guides on the web, but truthfully, none of them give us what we want. So instead of looking to others, we’ve decided to launch a series of city guides ourselves. First up? Toronto. Which city would you like to see profiled next? Email us on tips@fashionista.com.

In the 1920s, New Yorkers (and Chicagoans and Detroiters) came to Canada to get their supply of booze. Gangsters like Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano and Al Capone made their names, and their millions, with whiskey from the Great White North.

A century later, the flow has reversed, and it’s no longer barrels of Canadian Club, but bundles of clothing, making its way across the border. Canadian shops are importing the very best of fashion, and not just from their Southern neighbor, but from the most progressive houses that France, Italy, Scandinavia and Japan have on offer. And they’re looking inwards as well—farming local talent, and curating one of North America’s finest and most eclectic vintage bazaars.

Toronto natives Hayley Phelan and John Ortved give us the most from North America’s least known fashion capital.

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