High Art Meets Haute Couture in Yorkville 

Located in the heart of Yorkville, Atelier Rosemarie Umetsu offers design with a difference. 

Opened since 2005 and with a client list including Chantal Krevizuk, Sook Yin-Lee
and Karen Kain, owner/designer Rosemarie Umetsu positions her studio as more than just another chic boutique. Atelier Rosemarie Umetsu is an art gallery, an exhibition space and a social hub where artists come to meet, exchange ideas and try on some spectacular clothes along the way.

Upon entering the studio, I was greeted not with racks of clothes but immense black and white portraits of Canadian female artists such as Jill Barber and Sarah Slean. These portraits are part of Iconic Beauty, an ongoing project founded by Umetsu to celebrate Canadian female artists through fashion photography. This year, Umetsu collaborated with photographer Caitlin Cronenberg to style and snap 25 of the nation's hottest art stars for the CONTACT photography festival, with the show's launch attracting some of Umetsu's A-list pals, including David Cronenberg, Donald Sutherland and Adam Egoyan. All prints, plus one-off canvas dresses and limited-edition t-shirts are available for sale with proceeds going to Learning Through The Arts, a fund promoting arts in Canadian schools. 

With the philosphy, "individuality is the heart of style," Umetsu works closely with her clients to produce clothes that reflect the wearer's sensibilities. When I went to visit, she was working on a piece for jazz singer Terra Hazelton, listening to Hazelton's music as she prepared a dress that would compliment both the art and music of the singer's soon to be released CD. In the window hung a gown Kristin Booth wore at the Genie Awards and was named best dressed in. Whoever she's designing for, Umetsu tries to capture the essence of the woman in the clothes.

Going backstage to the altier, I got to see where Umetsu and her dedicated staff make the magic happen. Using fabrics with strong structure and interesting textures, I was struck by the intricacy of the work as Umetsu told me how she learned to sew from her couterier grandmother and showed me a stunning gown worn by Melanie Conly when she performed at Carnegie Hall.

With a style more European than North American, Umetsu prefers black and white color schemes, and her designs are often dominated by straight lines and a 1930s aesthetic, giving them a timeless, classic quality. All dresses are one-offs, and smaller garments like tops and skirts are limited-edition.

With her passion for Canadian arts and talent for uniquely tailored design, Rosemarie Umetsu makes Atelier Rosemarie Umetsu a breath of fashionably fresh air.     

Atelier Rosemarie Umetsu is open 11- 5pm Saturday, or by appointment.
96 Avenue Rd, Yorkville
416 924 7575

Daniel Kuseta
		About the author:
		Originally from Australia and now based in Toronto, Dan’s on a one-man mission to try (and hopefully taste) the best this city has to offer. Whether it's the latest launch, must-see show or a new take on tamales, follow Dan as he shares his experiences of Toronto with you.
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