Two years after Joe Fresh Style’s kids’ line hit Superstores across Canada—the latest addition to his apparel line for men and women—back-to-school shopping is no longer a battle between big style and big money.

Thanks to Joseph Mimran, the sleek, subtle, runway-worthy cuts that brought him design stardom with Club Monaco and Caban are now accessible to fashion-conscious shoppers who also need to worry about keeping the refrigerator stocked for the week. This fall, his line focuses on nature-inspired dark greens, deep purples and golds, paired with charcoal and black.

When the 50-something fashion designer with movie-star good looks isn’t struttin’ the streets of Toronto, his favourite place to hang out and look for fresh ideas is New York City.
 
“I think for me, New York represents a city with incredible verve. There are very few cities in the world that have that kind of energy to them, and when you’re there, you just feel it and it really courses through you. It’s also the fashion capital of North America, so it has particular significance for me. In New York, you will see more fashion on the street in half a day than you might see in a full season here in Toronto. They’re really into their fashion in New York. They strut their stuff because it’s such a visible city. I think you’re seeing style.

“I have an apartment on the Upper East Side. It’s a Peter Marino-designed condo. It’s great because there’s a park and the Gracie Mansion (212-639-9675) right across the street. There’s a view of the river, which is really beautiful and it allows me a little bit of respite from the intensity and heat of the city.

"New York is a place where there’s a plethora of amazing restaurants. I think you go not just for the food, but for the people that you see and the décor—and again to get a sense of the beat of the city. It keeps you fresh in terms of what’s happening.

“Having dinner at the Four Seasons Restaurant (212-754-9494) that was built in 1959 still holds up today. It looks every bit as fresh today as it did when it was built. That international style has kept current. When it’s perfection like that, it just works. Even a little place like Lucky Strike (212-941-0772), a little greasy spoon sort of place, but has got so much character.

“The amazing thing about New York is just the number of galleries that are there. And the art scene, which is amazing. Gagosian (gagosian.com) is a blue chip sort of gallery that handles a lot of the great modern masters and modern art. There’s a collection of galleries that I go to that I really, really enjoy.

“The retail scene is amazing, whether you go to Bergdorf’s (800-558-1855) or Barneys (212-826-8900) or Saks (877-551-7257), or whether it’s incredible little independents, or the Belgian Shoes (212-755-7372) store that’s off the beaten track that sells nothing but Belgian slippers and shoes. These are little jewels that you can find in New York.”