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A must-see directorial debut, a bag for all of your heart's desires, new music for your playlists and more.

Weekend Max Mara

Didn’t get your invite to Hyannis Port this summer? Indulge your inner Kennedy with Weekend Max Mara’s new Nantucket signature collection. Interior designer Anthony Baratta lends his East Coast-chic aesthetic to 12 vacay wardrobe essentials—think ginghams and chinoiserie prints. (From $230, at Holt Renfrew, holtrenfrew.com)

The ELLE Canada team just found our new after-workout hangout spot: Japanese-Peruvian resto Chotto Matte is coming to Toronto’s Financial District. This is the famed eatery’s first Canadian location, and with its mouth-watering Tokyo-inspired dishes (we reco the lamb chops marinated for 96 hours), we might never make another meal at home again.

If you need a nudge to get started on spring cleaning—if only to empty out your closet for more goodies—check out London-based designer Rejina Pyo. Her whimsically sculpturesque shoes balance on geometric wooden blocks and curvy metallic heels for a futuristic but not fussy feel. Out with the old, in with the cool, we say. (From $620, at Hudson’s Bay, thebay.com)

Atlantic Records

Run, don’t walk, to see singer-rapper (and clas- sically trained flautist) Lizzo when she brings her North American tour to Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on May 16. You’ll be able to say “I saw her when…” because the next time the “Boys” singer brings her electro-funk anthems back to this side of the border, she’ll have blown up big.

To help kick off every Canadian’s favourite season (we may be projecting here), we suggest the summer-inspired Les Colognes by Louis Vuitton (from $290, louisvuitton.com). The house’s first-ever line of unisex fragrances boasts three delicious scents: the citrusy Afternoon Swim; Cactus Garden, which smells of tropical yerba maté tea; and the orange-blossom-rich Sun Song.

Paul McGrath

This isn’t your typical ballet: The Alberta Ballet’s post-apocalyptic All of Us follows two gangs as they battle to recreate society, all of which unfolds against a soundtrack by The Tragically Hip. The show heads out across Canada this month— wear your best denim jacket and bring tissues.

Escada

The heart wants what the heart wants, and ours really wants Escada’s new ticker-inspired bag designed with Rita Ora. With its chunky chain strap and heart-shaped clasp redone in poppy red (Ora’s fave colour), it’s meant to symbolize passion and strength. A portion of the sales will go to a charity that helps female survivors of war. ($1,295, escada.com)

François Duhamel/Entertainment One

How did Olivia Wilde prep for her big screen directorial debut Booksmart, a coming-of-age comedy about two brainy BFFs who cram four years of partying into the night before they graduate from high school? “Working for great directors made me want to direct too,” she told us at the Toronto International Film Festival, pointing to her Life Itself director Dan Fogelman as inspo. “His set had such positive energy.”

Typically, eating a Michelin- starred meal in your own kitchen would seriously run up your credit card. Luckily for our wallets (and stomachs), acclaimed restaurateur Josh Emett has collected 314 must-try recipes from some of the world’s most famous chefs—from David Chang to Ruth Rogers—in The Recipe ($55). Next up? Your own cooking show.

Armani’s new Power Fabric Balm compact foundation ($85, armani-beauty.ca) is basically magic: It transforms from balm to cream to powder when applied. The star ingredient? Perlite—a moisture-absorbing mineral extracted from volcanic rock—which keeps the skin looking matte but not dry all day. We’re ready for our close-up.

Yung Yemi

"I'm a dark-skinned, Black female in North America and I can often feel marginalized [because of that]. But I champion my differences and recognize that without my DNA, I wouldn't be the person I am—I'm proud to be Black, I'm proud to be a woman and I'm excited to be me," Brampton, Ont.,-based rapper/producer Haviah Mighty tells us about the inspiration behind some of the songs on her upcoming album 13th Floor (out May 10). "I try to put positive messages in my songs to reaffirm a belief in yourself, like maybe you have to internalize it through this really dope song that you like.”

CBC is getting into the streaming game. The network's first-ever original digital drama, The 410 (named after the Ontario highway), drops on streaming service CBC Gem on May 2. Created by and starring Torontonian Supinder Wraich (The Good Doctor, Copper) the three-episode series follows aspiring influencer Suri as she turns to a life of crime to bail her truck driver father out of prison. 

 

Kick off iced coffee season with a bit of chew. Sugarfina has teamed up with L.A.-based Alfred Coffee for a new line of candy bears. Each flavour (Cold Brew, Bourbon Cold Brew and Iced Vanilla Latte) are infused with actual coffee (or espresso) to give you a little extra dose of caffeine. (From $9.95 for one mini-cup, sugarfina.com)

British comedy-drama Fleabag returns to Amazon Prime Video—finally—for its second and final (insert crying emoji here) May 17. Written by and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge (a.k.a. the brains behind Killing Eve), the new batch of episodes promises the same hilarious, dark and trademark fourth-wall breaks as the titular Fleabag finds herself attracted to…a priest?