The Loft Toronto
The Lofties at work
Finding a great hairstylist is like finding your soulmate. They know what you mean when you say “like this, but not too like this” and can somehow translate that. They have a vision for you, and respect when you’re not fully ready for that change...even when you need it. A great haircut can make you feel brand new. It can give you a new perspective. A great hairstylist can change your life. This is how I felt when I first met Bruno Racine and Sylvie Prud’homme.
As co-owner of
and
, Bruno was selected to be one of the hairstylists on the L’Oreal Hair and Beauty Team for Project Runway Canada, season 2. Working under him, Sylvie was also selected. I didn’t get to spend much time with the hair and makeup team, and when they did see me I was usually stressed out and running around trying to complete my runway looks. That being said, I always felt like they had my back, making my models look amazing each time. Bruno was my guy on set. He did my hair for our opening credits and cast profile pictures. He would always make sure that my bangs were perfect (I hate when a blunt fringe separates). It was safe to say I had fallen in love.
Bruno Racine and Sylvie Prud'Homme in front of The Loft Toronto
After PRC, I was honoured to join Bruno and his teams for Ottawa Fashion Week and a few other fashion events in the city. I got a chance to build a friendship with Bruno, Sylvie and Bree Powell, a talented makeup artist, who I also met on the set of PRC. (Bree did my make up on the show and we’ve been working together since). In February of 2010, Sylvie made her big move to Toronto, to work under top celebrity hairstylist Eric Del Monaco. Sylvie saw me through so many hair colours and cuts those first few years. She was also my creative partner, behind a few of my lookbooks and campaigns. She was the first and only person I ever trusted to chop off all my hair. Sylvie is a powerhouse stylist, and I always knew she had big things under her fashionable sleeves (over her tattooed arms, of course).
On Queen West, in April 2013, as a joint venture with her husband Oz and an expansion of The Loft Ottawa, Sylvie opened the doors to
. The boutique salon being her brainchild, Sylvie teamed up with Zoë Racovalis, a young interior designer and a personal friend of ours. (Funny what can happen when you recommend your stylist to a friend!) Out of Sylvie’s love for “grandma chic”, kitschy collections and Zoë’s design aesthetic for a cleaner more simple vibe that Sylvie and her team could grow into, The Loft Toronto was created. I love this space! The dark wood floors, the French fixtures, the chalkboard key wall, Oz’s handmade reception desk made from up-cycling old wooden doors and the growing wall of vintage plates all give you a sense of a homey atmosphere. That’s exactly what Zoë had in mind with what she calls “chiclectic”, her interpretation of Sylvie, a mix of chic and eclectic. Everywhere you look there is a bit of charm waiting for you to notice, something that I think sets The Loft Toronto apart from other salons in the area.
Reception desk and plate wall
Chalkboard key wall, with paper cutting by Zo
ë Racovalis
Sylvie built her talented group by hand selecting everyone from Ottawa and more locally herself. The Master Stylist and her band of Lofties specialize in Sassoon techniques, creative colour and styling. They also offer makeup services and Bree, joins the crew on occasion as well. The Loft Toronto is a new salon yes, but the combined talents, unique yet very comfortable vibe and expert skills have made it a very popular spot. Creating a name for itself, The Loft Toronto is a salon like no other, as chiclectic as it’s co-owner, my stylist and friend, Sylvie Prud’Homme.
