As The Toronto International Film Festival ® 2014 comes to a close, Julio & I have been hard at work to round up some of our favourite behind the scenes experiences. From celebrities to screenings, events to gifting lounges, it’s now time to tell you all about some of our favourites for #TIFF14. The first gifting lounge I attended was Rock-It Promotions, Inc‘s Tastemakers Lounge Presented by Brita. Come & see why this star studded gifting lounge was a favourite for celebrities and amazing brands alike in my #DoTheDaniel feature of #Tastemakers10.
As the first of many gifting lounges that I had the honour of attending, the #Tastemakers10 lounge certainly set the bar high for this season. Amid our intensive schedule to cover the must see events and meet the stars, I attended the 10th embodiment of this TIFF icon at The InterContinental Toronto Centre.
“Founded in 2005 by Debra Goldblatt-Sadowski (president and founder of Tastemakers and rock-it promotions) and Leesa Butler (VP of Operations of Tastemakers and president and founder of Divine Lab), the Tastemakers Lounge presented by Brita® invites guests to take a break from the hustle and bustle of TIFF to enjoy unique brand experiences and innovative gifting opportunities from the hottest Canadian and international brands.”
Introducing coast to coast Canadian brands to the international attendees, this lounge was one that was sure to draw in many of this season’s A-listers. Gifting was provided by so many amazing brands and I was lucky enough to experience them all first hand.
This year’s shinning star in my books? LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics as this years charitable partner supporting two local charities and making a difference for both Girls Rock Camp Toronto and the Children’s Peace Theatre. “LUSH’s Charitable Giving Program is an initiative that donates 100 per cent of the sale price of Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion to grassroots organizations locally and around the world.”
Lead sponsor Brita® helped to “hydrate and energize guests at their refreshing water bar” and guests received a Brita® Filtering Bottle. SOREL was the classic Canadian partner for footwear this season and introduced this year’s attendees to the next season of the iconic brand. Danier Leather, as many of you know Julio & I adore, presented some of their staple fashion leather pieces and I personally fell in love with The Aviator Jacket as seen on my Twitter account. Make sure to follow @DoTheDaniel on Twitter and the #Tastemakers10 hashtag for my behind the scenes during the lounge!
Following suit with many other amazing brands, Piloti brought its iconic race heritage with an interactive driving video game to help showcase beautiful bags and shoes. You’ll remember that I told you about this brand at the beginning of the year and have basically decided I need two of everything they make in my life, Canadian designer Tonia DeBellis introduced me to their Canadian made brand for women of all ages. I have a feeling you’ll be seeing more of them from Catherine & I very soon. I was also introduced to Toronto-based RISE Gear with their ingenious travel bags to keep your life organized on the go. I know that my personal bag will be put to use with Julio time and time again. A great addition to our personal collection of bags and accessories.
Vancouver based olive + piper brought their affordable and approachable jewellery to the mix and caught my eye with their beautiful pieces. Adding some spice to the experience, my new favourite hot sauce is now Papa D’s Tropical Hot Sawce. For those of you needing a great cup of coffee without the caffeine, Counting Sheep Coffee was also present and part of the gifting lounge. Consonant Skincare provided guests with their amazing products and lastly Calvin Klein REVEAL for her made sure the ladies of #Tastemakers10 were smelling beautiful for the rest of their #TIFF14 adventures.
For more behind the scenes, make sure to follow the #Tastemakers10 & #rockitTIFF hashtags on Twitter & Instagram for your favourite celebrities and personalities “Behind The Scenes” moments. And ofcourse, it wouldn’t be TIFF without some celebrity sightings.
“Talent that visited or were gifted by the Tastemakers Lounge presented by Brita® this year include Ethan Hawke, Harvey Weinstein, Rene Russo, Ellie Goulding, Elisha Cuthbert, Tom Green, Clara Pasieka, Morten Tyldum, TIFF Rising Stars Julia Sarah Stone, Alexandre Landry and Sophie Desmarais and Shannon Kook, Shemar Moore, Rachel Skarsten, Spenny, Lauren Collins, Ruba Nadda, Kari Matchett, Jully Black, Melinda Shankar, Natalie Brown, Emily Hampshire, Katie Boland, Kristin Booth, Jennifer Podemski, Tara Spencer-Nairn, Gabrielle Miller, Lauren Lee Smith, Kardinal Offishall, Jian Ghomeshi, Arlene Dickinson, Ben Mulroney, Cheryl Hickey, Tracy Moore, Rick Campanelli, Brad Smith, Drew and Jonathan Scott and reality stars from The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise including Graham Bunn, Michael Stagliano, Chris Bukowski, and many more…”
Photos: Rock-It Promotions & Central Imaging
Cheers!