Tastemakers Celebrity Gift Lounge Goes Green

Amidst a whirlwind of red carpets and black-tie events at the Toronto International Film Festival, celebrities were spotted resting in their natural habitat at the Tastemakers Celebrity Gift Lounge. Each year during the festival, celebrities are invited to visit the lounge, located in the InterContinental Toronto Yorkville hotel, to escape the madness and take their pick of gifts from a wide array of free merchandise. In keeping with the strong pro-environment sentiment shared by many celebrities, this year’s lounge featured an eco-friendly decor theme and World Wildlife Fund-Canada as its official charitable partner. Debra Goldblatt, president of Rock-it Promotions and founder of the lounge, said she was glad to be able to play a role in promoting awareness of environmental issues. “There has never been a better trend than everybody attempting to go green. We not only wanted to continue providing a great Canadian lounge to visit, but to use this opportunity during a week of frivolity and fun to support a charity and continue educating others.”Goldblatt tapped the hosts of HGTV’s Designer Guys—Allen Chan, Anwar Mukhayesh, and Matt Davis—to decorate the 1,250-square-foot space. The trio chose products and materials based on their green quotient and natural feel. A key design element was a wall in the centre of the room, from Elevated Landscape Technologies, made of live shrubs and flowers, and the occasional spider. Other green elements included cork floors from Carpet One, recycled chairs from Felt, a red salvaged-branch chandelier courtesy of Atelier, and giant art installations made of insulated concrete forms from Greenblock. Eurolite chipped in designer light fixtures, with Bullfrog Power, an electricity company specializing in renewable power, supplying the hydro. Furnishing providers included Klaus by Nienkämper, which re-uses aluminum in its products, and Brothers Dressler, which employs eco-friendly manufacturing techniques to produce custom-made items.

The free gifts also supported the pro-environment theme. Among the giveaways were Dermaglow natural and organic skin care products, Domo green tea, Joe Fresh Kids Organic clothing, Otazu handcrafted jewelry, and Adria Vasil’s popular book EcoHolic.