Author: Rajat Jindal

Not-so-Basic Backpacks

The backpack is the staple back-to-school accessory. Since it’s the one thing you’ll be carrying every day, you want to make sure it will not only complement your daily ensembles but is also comfortable and durable enough for day-to-day use. Fortunately, there are plenty of options that don’t sacrifice fashion for function—from colourful classics to understated, yet versatile neutrals and even tech-friendly backpacks with built-in USB charging ports so you can always stay connected.

Roots

H&M

Fjallraven at SoftMoc

Best in Class ‘Fits

Calm those first day of school jitters with a confidence-boosting outfit that will make you look and feel your best. Whether it’s a new pair of jeans, graphic tee or an outfit-making accessory, a little something fresh will help make the start of the school year extra special.

Levi’s at Aritzia

H&M

American Eagle

Stand-Out Shoes

Much like backpacks, when it comes to footwear, comfort and style should go hand in hand. Sneakers are a timeless choice for the back-to-school season, from a classic white pair, bold colourful kicks, or chunky dad shoes. Aiming for a little extra (style) credit? Try a pair of loafers (bonus marks for a platform version with lug soles) or a pair of cool boots.

Aldo

adidas at Sport Chek

Clarks at SoftMoc

Eco-Friendly Lunch Picks

This school year, ditch the plastic sandwich bags and water bottles and opt for sustainable alternatives. From eco-friendly lunch bags to reusable cutlery, containers and water bottles, there is no shortage of options to make litter-free lunches a breeze.

Stasher at Sport Chek

S’Well at Hudson’s Bay

Fluf at Indigo

A+ Supplies

No back-to-school season would be complete without some must-have supplies. From personalized planners, to pens and highlighters and, of course, fun notebooks, these picks will have you ready for the year ahead.

Indigo

The Source

Small Gestures, Big Heart

Little Valentine’s surprises can mean a lot. These affordable, easy gift ideas are perfect for friends, classmates, coworkers, and family members.

Finding simple, meaningful gifts is quick and easy at Hillcrest.

Sephora | Diffuser

Lovisa | Earrings

Sephora | Lip trio

Blossom Moments | Bouquet

Pandora | Heart charm

Trend-Setter Picks

Shopping for someone who loves the latest looks and must-have brands? These stylish gift ideas are sure to impress.

These picks feel fresh, fashionable, and perfectly on point for the season at Hillcrest.

Aritzia | Slip dress

Indigo Spirit | Jellycat bouquet

Sephora | Perfume Set

La Vie En Rose | Sleep shorts

Michael Hill | Ring

Feel-Good Favourites

Valentine’s Day is also a chance to slow down and enjoy a little self-care. These gifts are all about comfort, relaxation, and everyday indulgence.

Show you care with gifts that encourage rest, comfort, and a little extra love at Hillcrest.

Lululemon | Joggers

Marshalls | Bath mat

Saje | Diffuser

Sephora | Eye masks

H&M | Slippers

Valentine’s Gifts for the Whole Family

Valentine’s Day is not just for couples. It is also a fun chance to celebrate kids, parents, grandparents, and friends. At Hillcrest, you will find easy, thoughtful ideas that help everyone feel a little extra love.

From sweet treats to playful surprises, there are plenty of simple ways to make February 14 feel special for the whole family at Hillcrest.

Sephora | Fragrance sampler

Danish Pastry House | Cookies

Aldo | Bag charm

Aritzia | Hoodie

Gap | Baby sleeper

Make It Personal with a Gift Card

Not sure what to choose? A Hillcrest Gift Card lets them pick exactly what they love.

Perfect for fashion, beauty, dining, and more, it is a simple and thoughtful way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

One gift card. Every brand they love.

Available at Guest Experience or buy online at HillcrestMall.ca.

Something Sparkly

Adorn your loved one with a piece of jewelry that will stand the test of time. A delicate necklace, a sparkling bracelet or a pair of elegant earrings can add a touch of sophistication to any outfit and serve as a constant reminder of your affection.

Pandora

Michael Hill

Something Sweet

They say the way to the heart is through the stomach, so why not treat your Valentine to a delectable assortment of gourmet goodies? Some delicious Danish treats from Danish Pastry House or mouthwatering Japanese cream buns from Hattendo can add a dash of sweetness to your celebration.

Explore more dining options

Hattendo

Danish Pastry House

Something Stylish

Surprise your beloved with a timeless staple they can style for years to come. Consider a fun accessory like a colourful scarf, a pair of statement sunglasses, a classic handbag, or a sleek watch that complements their personal style.

Sunglass Hut

Roots

Something Fragrant

Spritz some love in the air with a fragrance that they can enjoy year-round. Whether it’s a gift set in their signature scent, a sample set of minis, or even some home fragrance goodies like candles and room sprays, these gifts will have your loved one feeling scent-sational.

Sephora

Saje Natural Wellness

Something Tasty

Make this Valentine’s Day extra special with a meal that will make their tastebuds swoon. Whether you’re dining in or taking out, Hillcrest has plenty of delicious dining options, including Ramona’s Kitchen and Kibo Sushi.

Discovery takeout and delivery options

Ramona’s Kitchen

Kibo Sushi House

Inspiring Tablescapes

Transform your dining table by elevating your everyday items to show off your entertaining style. A table runner or tablecloth will help set the tone, while elegant tableware will add a sophisticated touch. Create a focal point for your tablescape with a unique vase or tapered candles as a statement centerpiece.

Indigo

Embracing Autumn Décor

From the entrance to your dining room, create a warm and cozy atmosphere with fall décor accents. Choose a colour palette to carry throughout your home as a theme or go the minimalist route with shades of white to keep it crisp and clean. Lean into fall foliage with bold wreaths, and rich jewel toned accent items.

Wyrth

Marshalls/Homesense

Delicious Eats Await

If you’re skipping the turkey in favour of a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal, check out our various food and dessert offerings instead. The options are endless for a delectable Thanksgiving feast here.

Ramona’s Kitchen

Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving

The trick to a more eco-friendly and sustainable Thanksgiving is to plan your menu mindfully and repurpose where possible. Reduce single-use disposable items by opting for cloth napkins and quality food storage containers. Bring reusable totes to your local market which now come in various styles and prints.

Hudson’s Bay

Hudson’s Bay

The Addams Family

The Addams are an iconic Halloween family and a classic pick for a spooky costume. There is no shortage of characters in the Addams world making this a great option for a larger group of people. Opt for black tights, black clothing, and even black lipstick to tie in the whole look.

Aritzia

Hudson’s Bay

Sephora

Risky Business

If your goal is comfort this Halloween, Tom Cruise in Risky Business is your answer. Both recognizable and comfortable, all you need is an oversized white button-down, boxer shorts, and some tube socks. Slide around all night looking just like Tom Cruise!

Tip Top Tailors

Old Navy

Old Navy

Curious George

For some family friendly fun, Curious George is cute and easy to put together. Pick up a yellow rain coat, black rain boots, and a red baseball cap. To complete the look, draw some brown spots on their cheeks with face paint, and give them a small stuffed animal monkey to carry around. The best part? It’s perfect for those chilly Halloween nights with all the layers.

SportChek

SoftMoc

Roots

Rosie the Riveter

Flex your biceps with a Rosie the Riveter costume. All you need is a denim shirt, red bandana, and high-waisted jeans to channel your inner icon. Bonus points if you include a sign that says “We can do it!”.

Gap

American Eagle

Hudson’s Bay

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

If you’re looking for a Halloween costume that screams sophisticated and classic, Holly Golightly aka Audrey Hepburn’s character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is for you. Get into character by wearing a black dress, gloves, and some pearls. For extra glam, add oversized sunglasses and a tiara.

Aritzia

Hudson’s Bay

Pandora

Marty McFly

Calling all Back to the Future fans! Grab a red puffer vest, a plaid shirt, and some jeans to turn yourself into Marty McFly. Don’t forget the white high tops to complete his iconic look.

H&M

Gap

Mark’s

Eleven

Lean into a spooky Halloween by dressing up as Eleven from Stranger Things. Pair a pink dress with a blue bomber jacket and high socks for a scary but cute costume. Add a blonde wig and fake blood to your nose to really sell it.

H&M

Honey

SportChek

Sweet Stocking Stuffers

Little presents, big impact. Our ideal stocking stuffers strike this beautiful balance: something cozy, something practical and something that smells delicious.

Quo Beauty Blending Sponge Trio

Roots Adult Wilderness Boot Sock

Anko Rose Quartz Candle

Love & Lore Teddy Mittens

Indigo Mug & Sock Gift Set

Gorgeous Gift Sets

With curated gift sets, you get so much present in one covetable package. For the wellness enthusiast, consider a lineup of essential oil roll-ons, while the beauty lover will feel the joy unwrapping a viral lipstick duo.

Saje Well Wishes Advent Calendar

Saje Pocket Farmacy

Charlotte Tilbury Mini Pillow Talk Lip Duo

Merit The Dress Code Lipstick Set

Laline Warm Vanilla Hand & Body Gift Box

Everything Under $50

Turn a smaller budget into a wow-worthy present with these picks that really pay off. Some stellar ideas: a winter-ready accessory they’ll wear all season long, a trending belt bag that’ll accompany them every day or holiday morning pajamas for an Insta-perfect snap.

Old Navy Cozy Scarf

Gap Adult Pajama Pants

Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag

Aritzia Brock Beanie

Kid-Approved Picks

From the cozy sets for the littles in the family to full-blown Lego sets and future-favourite stuffies, these gifts get the youngster stamp of approval every single time—no gift receipt required.

Buddyphones PlayEars+ Headphones

LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant

Gap Baby Fair Isle Cozy Cardigan Sweater SetEverywhere Belt Bag

GUND Plush Baby Lamb Rocker

Something Sparkly

A piece of jewelry—specially chosen just for them— shows just how much you know your loved one. Pick out a pair of everyday earrings, an architecturally shaped ring or a stacking bracelet to elevate their collection.

Pandora Polished Waved Ring

Michael Hill Station Bracelet

Peoples Black Lava and Green Chalcedony Bead Half-and-Half Strand Bracelet

Sustainable Fashion Brands

When it comes to eco-friendly clothing, consider shopping for brands that use sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester and natural fibres like linen and bamboo. These materials are better for the environment and often have a lower carbon footprint than sustainable materials (plus, they feel like a cloud on your skin!). Additionally, look for brands that use as few natural resources as possible throughout their products’ life cycle, as well as companies that support ethical labour practices.

Canadian brand Matt and Nat (available at Hudson’s Bay) produces high-quality, timeless products made from different recycled materials such as nylons, cardboard, rubber, cork and windshield resins. Additionally, their linings are made solely of 100% recycled plastic bottles. Sustainable activewear brand Girlfriend Collective (available at Hudson’s Bay) is another pick you can feel good about, thanks to its ethically-made activewear with recycled materials in sizes XXS-6XL. Finally, American Eagle’s Real Good collection not only uses sustainably produced and sourced materials, but also has reduced the amount of water used per pair of jeans by 14%.

Matt and Nat

Girlfriend Collective

Clean Beauty

If you’re wanting to incorporate sustainability practices into your beauty routine, there are a few things to look out for. You’ll want to find brands that use sustainable beauty ingredients (that is, those formulated without harmful ingredients) and sustainable packaging that has as little waste as possible (think: reusable glass jars and compostable cardboard). And just like we mentioned, look for companies that take steps to lower their impact throughout their entire supply chain and that create products with the well-being of animals, people and the planet in mind.

A great place to start is by checking out Sephora’s “Clean at Sephora” program which features products that are free from over 50 harmful ingredients, including sulfates, parabens and phthalates. Our top picks include Biossance, Tata Harper and Rose Inc.

Other sustainable beauty brands we love include L’Occitane en Provence (available at Hudson’s Bay), The Body Shop and Salt & Stone (available at Hudson’s Bay).

Rose Inc.

Biossance

Recycle and Repurpose

Another way to incorporate more sustainability practices into your everyday life is to recycle and repurpose items you already own.

Sephora, The Body Shop and MAC Cosmetics have beauty recycling programs which allow you to recycle beauty items such as compacts, lipsticks and concealer, foundation and mascara tubes. From there, the items are sorted, separated and used to create new products. Additionally, H&M has a Garment Collecting program that collects any brand’s unwanted clothes or textiles in any condition (bonus: you receive a thank-you voucher to use towards your next purchase).

H&M

The Body Shop

Our Commitment to Sustainability

At Hillcrest, we take pride in our growing sustainability program. We are proud to share that from 2017-2020, we received a BOMA Best Gold Certification, which recognizes excellence in energy and environmental management and performance in commercial real estate.

We have a fully integrated recycling program and offer bicycle racks and car charging for those using more sustainable methods of transportation to visit our centre.

Finally, our rooftop is the proud home of honeybees. Thanks to the wonderful, lush gardens of Richmond Hill residents, our bee population has thrived and swelled close to 70,000.

To learn more about sustainability at Hillcrest, click here.

By supporting these brands and others like them, we can make a positive impact on the planet while still enjoying the latest fashion and beauty trends. This Earth Month and beyond, let’s make a conscious effort to shop sustainably and support brands that are working towards a greener future. For our top sustainable style picks, click here.

Self-Care Essentials

Treat mom to some pampering so she can unwind, rejuvenate and look and feel her absolute best. Whether it’s a mani-pedi at The Ten Spot, a blowout at Eh Voila!, or a facial at Laser Clinics, there are plenty of opportunities for you and mom to indulge in some TLC.

Want to recreate the spa experience at home? Grab some beauty and wellness essentials from Saje, Sephora, kiokii and…, Shoppers Drug Mart so mom can continue her self-care in her own space.

Saje

The Body Shop

Sweet Treats and Savoury Delights

While spending Mother’s Day at Hillcrest, don’t forget to refuel with some food and drink! From a morning coffee and pastry at Danish Pastry House to an afternoon pick-me-up at Hattendo or lunch at Ramona’s Kitchen, Hillcrest has plenty of options to suit every palette.

Saint Germain Bakery

Ramona’s Kitchen

Heirloom-Worthy Jewels

Jewelry is a timeless symbol of mom’s love and appreciation. Opt for an heirloom-worthy keepsake, a personalized piece or simply a fun accessory that matches mom’s personal style. We recommend checking out Swarovski, Pandora, Rainbow Jade and Peoples Jewellers.

Pandora

Swarovski

Home

They say home is where the heart is, so why not gift mom all the things she needs to create a space that truly feels like hers? Find homewares, dishwares, decor and more at Indigo and WYRTH.

Indigo

WYRTH

A Little Something Special

Give mom a little something special by gifting her a stunning arrangement from Blossom Moments. This one-stop shop for gorgeous bouquets has a variety of beautiful, lush flowers that mom is sure to love. Treat mom to a perfect mid-day coffee at Blossom Moments’ gorgeous café.

Blossom Moments

Blossom Moments

Gift Local Love

For the person who loves to give back, consider a gift from a local retailer. Check out these locally-owned retailers at Hillcrest for some great holiday gifting picks:

• Funsty for stylish home décor picks
• Blossom Moments for stunning floral arrangements and bouquets

Funsty

Blossom Moments

For the Cozy Enthusiast

It’s #cozyszn! Help make the transition to winter a little smoother by giving the gift of cozy. From oversized scarves to flannel pajamas and plush robes, these picks are the next best thing to receiving a warm embrace.

Hudson’s Bay

Aritzia

For the One Who Deserves Relaxation

Self-care gifts are the perfect way to remind a loved one to prioritize themselves and indulge in some extra TLC. From luxe bath essentials to aromatherapy diffusers and beautifully crafted candles, the gift of self-care will let the important people in your life know they’re loved.

Saje Natural Wellness

WYRTH

For the Foodie

Admittedly, those with advanced palettes can be difficult to shop for, but luckily there are some foolproof picks any foodie will be sure to love. From charcuterie boards to a new coffee maker, these food gifts are perfect for any food connoisseur.

Hattendo

Chatime / Bake Code

For the Tech Savvy

Tech gifts are universally loved by all and are a great option for those who are particularly hard to shop for. Big ticket items include Apple Airpods Max and the Apple Watch, while smart rings, Air Tags, and aesthetically pleasing wireless chargers make for perfect stocking stuffers. And don’t forget those high-tech beauty gifts including the Dyson Airwrap, Theragun massager and an LED face mask!

The Source

Sephora