A few weeks ago, Notched + Tied took a vacation up to Toronto- and what’s a vacation without a little scouting? We decided to scope out Toronto’s best and brightest fashion designers, perusing the Queens West and Kensington districts. After stumbling upon some incredible items on our own, we capped off our trip with an extended shoot at the studio of bespoke men’s brand, 18 Waits. Here’s a rundown of what stood out over the course of the trip.

First, we checked out Ironhead, a sports and streetwear company established in 1991, which recently began the transition from a brick and mortar store to an exclusively online business. Lucky for us, we were able to choose from the last of their in-stock collection, including embroidered work shirts, old-school boxing tees, and trucker hats made with fine, organic material with minimalistic, vintage-inspired designs. You’ll see their wares in our upcoming posts. Another gem was the quiet, well-curated store, Coal Miner’s Daughter, which specializes in Canadian-designed jewelry and clothing for women. Notched purchased some amazing brass and mineral pieces, and we had a lot of fun bantering with the sales staff.

We were thrilled to arrive at the 18 Waits studio, which is nestled inside an airy, industrial building with lots of light and gorgeous wood accents. We had been extremely impressed by their style, diversity, and collaboration with local artists and designers in Toronto. We coordinated a shoot with Daniel, the founder of the company, and his phenomenal marketing manager, David, and made the warehouse our runway for an afternoon.

18 Waits utilizes deadstock fabric, old-school designs, and contemporary accents to create truly unique clothing, accessories, and jewelry. In this shoot, we checked out some of their newest designs, hitting the shelves this year, as well as some old favorites. (We also peeked at a number of designs which we can’t show you yet, but we’re psyched for when they’re released later this year. Think modern lines, sturdy construction and effortless style.) To give our readers the N/T perspective on 18 Waits, we assembled four outfits to show you. These feature original 18 Waits items, their affiliate artisans’ products, and some of our own gear.

Tied starts with the Ashcat, a railroad-inspired look with comfort and versatility at the forefront with a splash of panache. The quality of the fabric is evident in the textural variation here. The base is set with 18 Waits’ own Bob Dylan, a soft button-down with rounded cuffs in a dusty olive hue. The shirt offers a broken-in feel without sacrificing a modern, refined fit.

On top, a charcoal, herringbone vest adds pattern to the shirt while still providing a neutral background for 18 Waits’ signature bracelet. It features a brass plate emblazoned with their motto, “Enjoy, Love, Destroy,” riveted to a tough leather band. A soft, grey bandana finishes off the look.

Notched follows up with variations on the Hunter, inspired by the sea and forest. A rich, warm hunting sweater with contrasting elbow patches is just right for March’s lion and lamb dynamic as spring sneaks in. This sweater is truly where luxury and utility meet - it’s built to last a lifetime and is deliciously thick and enveloping.

A navy floral button-down bridges the gap between winter and spring, looking smart whether you’re outdoors or in. But to truly be ready for anything, one must carry the right tools. Notched wields a custom horn and brass knife with a leather sheath, perfect for all purposes from whittling to filleting steak on the go, with a handy loop on the back to attach to a belt. Accent pieces like a concrete diamond necklace by local sculptor Joel Tellier, and a tomahawk necklace, are suitable foils for the floral shirt.

Next, Tied goes for a formally casual- or is it casually formal? outfit. Framed by a dapper suit jacket, the outfit features comfort staples like long john-style joggers and an asymmetrical v-neck tee. A dotted skinny necktie takes the outfit from relaxed to emboldened. The Joel Tellier concrete necklace brings more structure and modernism to the outfit, contrasting gently with the patterned tie.

We called this outfit the Jerk because like its Steve Martin namesake, it combines comfort and whipsmart sartorial nuances with ease. A skull bracelet from Toronto artist Alana Ka’Kia balances out the graceful layered hammered rings on the other hand. A wolf-embossed black and gold lighter provides a practical component, easy to take out of the breast pocket for wherever the evening takes you.

Notched finishes off our shoot with the Starboard, a blue-centric outfit with a floral printed short sleeved top underneath a waxed, flannel-lined jacket (so comfortable and durable that she took it home!) for warmth and rugged beauty outdoors. A custom Ebbets Field cap, designed by artist Justin Broadbent, completes the outfit along with geometric quartz drop earrings from Coal Miner’s Daughter.