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Apple Champs-Élysées, 114 avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris.Apple

Silicon Valley may be worlds away from the Champs-Élysées, but the desire to stay connected is universal. In November, Apple unveiled a new store on the Parisian avenue, transforming a Haussmann-era apartment building into a temple of tech. “There’s this real emotion that overcomes when you walk in the store because you see this incredible respect of the past and how it feels so accessible," Wendy Beckman, senior director for Apple Retail, says. “It is breathtaking.”

Working within a historic property involved a considered combination of restoration and adaptation. The Burgundy exterior stone has been incorporated into the interior, which features French oak parquet flooring that evokes the spirit of a classic Parisian apartment. “That thought process, that really measured and intentional approach, brings out the best,” Beckman says. Forward-thinking environmental considerations at the store, which is powered by renewable energy, include a rainwater collection system, which provides water for the restrooms and in-store greenery, and a roof light that generates renewable energy through photovoltaic panels.

The inner courtyard has been transformed into a forum dedicated to Today at Apple programming, which consists of free in-store courses that focus on creative endeavours such as photography, music, coding and design. Today at Apple is held more than 18,000 times each week around the world, including at Apple’s Canadian locations.

Apple MacBook Air, from $1,499.

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Apple iPhone XR, from $1,029.

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Apple Watch Series 4, from $519.

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Style news

Gwyneth Paltrow’s famous lifestyle website Goop is continuing its real-world expansion. Goop’s second permanent retail space recently opened in New York, following the Los Angeles location, which opened in 2017. Known as Goop Lab, it was conceptualized as a 1930s Hollywood home with a series of rooms designed to evoke the feeling of a residence and featuring such design elements as oak flooring, Farrow & Ball paint and a Bauer chandelier. The 2,100-square-foot New York space stocks skin care and fashion products, and boasts a fully functioning kitchen for demos and events.

The Toronto Design Offsite festival is returning for its ninth edition with a new look. Now known as DesignTO, the festival will continue its programming of more than 100 free events, exhibitions and window installations across Toronto over the course of 10 days, this year running from Jan. 18 to 27. “We have changed our name to reflect what we’ve become: an organization that realizes its mandate through an annual design festival, but also fosters community through its programs and advocacy year-round," explained artistic director Deborah Wang in a news release from the festival. For more information, visit designto.org.

Hot Docs is screening the Toronto premiere of a new American film dedicated to the discovery of a Danish tradition. Finding Hygge takes viewers to Denmark to learn about this cultural phenomenon, which is sometimes considered part of the reason Danes are consistently ranked some of the happiest people on Earth. Finding Hygge will be presented Jan. 9 as part of the Doc Soup series, where hit films are premiered monthly in Toronto and Calgary, and will be followed by a Q&A with director Rocky Walls and producer Grant Michael. For more information, visit hotdocs.ca.

Chef Mark McEwan is opening his third McEwan’s this month. Located at 1 Bloor St. E. in Toronto, the gourmet grocery store will sit at 17,000 square feet. In addition to the fresh produce and unique grocery items McEwan’s is known for, it will feature a McEwan’s Café, serving Lavazza coffee and cold-pressed juice by Refuel. Also on offer will be Fabbrica pizza, a carving station and rotisserie, sushi bar, hot-and-cold table, a salad bar and sandwich station and a dry-aging room. For more information, visit mcewangroup.ca.

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