I do believe I discovered Toronto’s best-kept fashion design secret today.

Rosemarie Umetsu invited me to her elegant Avenue Road studio, where I was treated like the queen I was born to be. We wined, dined, discussed design, and determined my next wardrobe necessities.

Ms. Umetsu outfits the Canadian arts and culture A-list, so it was only natural that I was to be outfitted by the best. I adored her signature black and white pieces, all sophisticated, with a hint of whimsy.

What is exceptional about Rosemarie’s designs is she only makes a few pieces in each size, keeps her business ultra-exclusive, and notes who buys what. She is so on the pulse of her clientele, that she knows who will wear what to certain functions, eliminating the worry of anyone else stealing your style.

Her studio was my idea of a Parisian salon; a space breathing music, art, literature, and - of course - fashion. The sitting room itself was an exhibition of collaborative photography and paint. It was a project called Iconic Beauty, produced for the CONTACT Photography Festival. Photographs and painted portraits of twenty-four Canadian female artists wearing the designer’s best wrapped the walls. There I was, surrounded by the likes of opera singer Measha Brueggergosman, actress Wendy Crewson, dancer Veronica Tennant, singers Alannah Myles and Emilie-Claire Barlow, and director Deepa Mehta. Rosemarie informed me there would be another installment of Iconic Beauty for this year’s CONTACT festival, with a new roster of artists. The photographer behind the new circle of portraits? None other than up-and-comer Caitlin Cronenberg. I look forward to not only seeing the final work, but I do hope they think to include me in the project, for I am an elegant wordsmith and I do look smashing in Rosemarie’s clothing, if I do say so myself.

Oh, how I loved this shopping day! If only all retailers treated clients as well as Rosemarie Umetsu does.