carte blanche
758 queen st.
416.532.0347

Carte Blanche is a Toronto local secret. It’s the kind of hot place that I would most definitely bring a friend from New York or Montreal, but I wouldn’t just be all giving the info out to anyone. It’s too exclusive to share with the world.

On the north side of Queen St. at Niagara is a tiny store front that is so easy to miss, I sometimes blink and it’s gone. It was formerly called Pink Cobra and under the sole ownership of Dan Augustino, now Pink Cobra is a line of clothing that Augustino and sex on wheels partner, Tania Martins co-design and produce, and the store is called Carte Blanche.

They carry select pieces from lines like Jeremy Scott, April 77, Ksubi, Avenue Shoe Repair, and even though it doesn’t look like much, Carte Blanche has all the good stuff.

I always send women here who need to stand out, but want to invest in well constructed pieces that are versatile, like a fantastic high-waisted Pink Cobra skirt I picked up a few years ago. Martins took it in a bit for me, free of charge to make sure it fit perfect. The Pencil skirt is so comfortable that i could wear it all night no problem. It also has deep front pockets for cell phones and wallets and a cleaver band in front allows the wearer to eat a full meal without having to suck in post-meal bloat. Plus, the patent leather lined zipper from waist to calf at the back gives the illusion that I have Beyonce’s ass without the rest of her girth. I send all the pro event planner types there for their work wear.

As far as layout, it’s tiny. Clothes on the left wall, cash and dressing rooms on the right. In the middle of the room there’s an island jewelery case that also contains some colorful bikini’s and bathing suits. But Carte Blanche is not about being the flashiest kid in the playground, they’re about being the best. They’re the Jackie O in a sea of Pam Anderson’s. But shhhh, you can’t just start advertising it all over.