Suffice it to say that Canadian fashion owes a lot to Joe Mimran and his wife, Kimberley Newport-Mimran.
The powerhouse design duo – Joe, who co-founded Club Monaco, is the creative director behind Joe Fresh; and Kim is the president and creative director of Pink Tartan – kick off Toronto’s World Mastercard Fashion Week on Oct. 20 with their respective 2015 Spring/Summer collections.
In an exclusive shoot with Hello! Canada, the power couple invited us into their gorgeous, midtown-Toronto home, which they built together from the ground up. When it comes to design, says Joe, “Kim and I usually agree on everything.”
Dressed in their finest eveningwear – a custom tux and vintage Oscar de la Renta gown, respectively – Joe and Kim almost look like newlyweds. In reality, they’re celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary next year.
How do they keep the spark alive? “I have no idea,” Joe tells us. “We just look at each other and go, ‘We’re just so lucky.’”
We caught up with the Canadian style icons in their urban oasis and talked about family, fashion and the only part of their life where they are competitive.
What a beautiful home. What vibe were you going for when you and Kim designed it, Joe?The whole idea of the house was to keep it small and to make the main floor like a luxury hotel. The idea was you’d get up in the morning, the music would be flowing, you could go out for a little dip. We’re really fortunate to be this close to the downtown core and have this kind of an environment. People always say when they come here, particularly the garden, they feel transported; it doesn’t feel like you’re in Toronto. The dead giveaway is the CN Tower.
What is your favourite room, Kim?The kitchen. I love to cook. [My dream day] is sitting by the pool because it’s so calming. What I do is I get my cookbooks out and I get my fashion magazines out and I sit and absorb and get inspired. I decide what I’m going to make for dinner; I’ll spend two hours just deciding how am I going to make that pesto tonight. When you’re on the go, a quiet night is really quite glamorous.
Joe: Kim is an amazing cook. She’s unbelievable! You know that show Chopped? She would win every single time, hands down. She can take whatever’s in the fridge and just cook up a storm.
What about your closets? You are both fashion designers so you must have quite the wardrobes!Joe: Kim has her own closet area and I have my own closet area. She has her own bathroom; I have my own bathroom. She sequesters herself for whatever time she needs and I do as well. Then we both make our debuts. Then I go, “Black and white? Oh God, I’m in all navy.” Then I go back and I’ll have to change. [Laughs]
Kim: The recipe for a happy marriage is two separate bathrooms, two separate closets!
What do you do to keep the romance in your busy lives?Joe: We get to go to a lot of events, we get to travel for work together and then we find moments along the way. It usually revolves around a wonderful dinner and a bottle of wine.
Kim: We go to fabulous restaurants when we travel! I always love to do my research and get the itinerary ready and it’s always something to look forward to. We just got back from Morocco and that was an amazing, magical trip. Paris is always so romantic, so I try to get there with my husband at least once a year. We play Scrabble together every day, too. That’s one of our favourite things to do. On our iPad. We used to have to keep score and carry it around; iPad was the best invention for us for this and we do play every single day.
Who comes out on top, Kim?He does! He beats me probably 2-1. But I’m not bad! I’ll get on a good roll, too, but he does beat me.
Joe, you have such an amazing life. Do you ever pinch yourself?Oh, yes! I thank my lucky stars every day. We’re so fortunate.
Photos: Yvonne Duivenvoorden Hair and Makeup: Robert Weir