The Narwhal

When Sydney Berchtold and Marisa Buchkowsky, co-owners of the Toronto fashion boutique The Narwhal, met at a party, it felt like fate. “I was working in interior design and Marisa was an assistant buyer at the time,” says Sydney, who just happened to be looking for a partner to open a new clothing store. The women immediately bonded over fashion. “We liked the same designers and had the same aesthetic. We both love dressing outside the box.”

A few meetings later, the deal was sealed. Sydney had grown up in the Rosedale neighbourhood and had walked down the alleyway next to Terroni on Price Street countless times. In 2010, when a space came up in the back of the building, she knew it was the perfect location for an upscale boutique with personalized service.

After a renovation, including replacing the back wall with bright windows and a cool door, and adding clean built-in racks and shelves to showcase designer fashions, The Narwhal was open for business.