Style

A top street style photographer's top pics from Toronto

Adam Katz Sinding was in TO — and he was seriously impressed.

Adam Katz Sinding was in TO — and he was seriously impressed

(Photos: Adam Katz Sinding)

If you follow the top street style photographers on Instagram, Adam Katz Sinding, or @aks, needs no introduction; he travels the world shooting head-turning looks and uploads his images for his nearly half million followers as he goes. So when the New York-based photographer came to Toronto for the first time to shoot a group of style-savvy locals for the launch of a new store, WDLT117 in Yorkville, it was a big deal. The photographer was equally impressed with Toronto.

"It's a cosmopolitan city," said Katz Sinding "...a million different types of people being pushed into the same place." In addition to the designs worn and featured from WDLT117, Katz Sinding was pleasantly surprised to see stores like Off-White, CNTRBND and HAVEN as well. "The shopping here might even better than [in] New York," he remarks. "World class …  which breeds the ability for better style."

Ahead, Katz Sinding shares some of his favourites from his one-and-only shoot in Toronto. "Basically, they all are wearing things I would personally aspire to wear, would try on in the fitting room, and shyly swap back to my own clothes knowing it's just not for me, but wishing it were."

Cailli and Sam Beckerman (@beckermanblog)

(Photo: Adam Katz Sinding)

"The Beckermans are amazing. Their style is very colourful and playful. They're always smiling like wild. That's just a look I would only expect to see at Fashion Week, but they wear that daily, which is kind of cool. I always wonder what do these people dress like when they're just going to get coffee."

Dre Ngozi (@drengozi)

(Photo: Adam Katz Sinding)

"She's incredibly beautiful. Flawless skin and hair, which is probably the best accessory you can have. It's just a simple monochromatic look, so it's very wearable. I don't know if it's any brand. It doesn't even really matter. I think she looks awesome. If I saw that girl walk down the street, I would probably look back over my shoulder three times."

Yvetta Wan (@yvetta.wan)

(Photo: Adam Katz Sinding)

"She's wearing stuff from the store, but her style is amazing. You can see she's got great personal style. That would be a look I wouldn't be surprised to see on the streets in Tokyo, [a great] compliment, because Japanese street style is some of the most incredible and far-out stuff you've ever seen."

Porus Vimadalal (@porus.vimadalal)

(Photo: Adam Katz Sinding)

"He has a kind of Dries Van Noten vibe. Obviously, the colour looks good with the brick wall. He's a handsome dude with great style. If I saw that in New York, I would double take for sure. That's very cool."

Prayag Menon (@prayag.menon)

(Photo: Adam Katz Sinding)

"There are very few people who can pull of this colour palette. It's very Haider Ackermann in a way, which … cannot be realized by everyone. I wish I could dress like Prayag, but I stay safe with black."

Joe Amio (@joeisthenewblack)

(Photo: Adam Katz Sinding)

"I mean, tabi boots on a guy is hard to do. He does it and it looks unreal. Then there's that shirt, which is like Fear and Loathing without all the contraband."

Shayne Stephens (@shaynestephens)

(Photo: Adam Katz Sinding)

"His style is pretty wild. This look reminds me of when Ska was cool, but modernized. Shayne looks like he'd be standing behind Gwen playing the bass or a bartender at a beach bar in Malibu. I don't know. Either way, it's a look I'm envious of being able to pull off."

Want to hear more from @aks? Check out our rapid-fire Q&A with him below.

Adam Katz Sinding shooting in Toronto (Photo: Shayne Stephens)

Fave restaurant:  Kadeau in Copenhagen

Fave TO city view: Walking home at night from just below Kensington Market. I want to go to the top of the tower too. I think that would be the best view.

Go-to candy:  Sour Patch Kids. I take that back, Reese's Fast Break.

Best place to shoot street style: Every day, Copenhagan. During Fashion Week, probably Paris during Men's Fashion Week.

Most unexpected follow:  Jessica Alba started following me, which I thought was really weird. I was like 'Why is Jessica Alba following me?'.

Favourite account to follow: The Posternaks (@zposternak and @tanyaposternak), any cat with a squish face, Jerry Saltz (@jerrysaltz).

Fave photographer: In general, Viviane Sassen, and in street style, Jonathan Daniel Pryce.

Most influential artist:  Joseph Beuys

Book on your bedside: I haven't read a book for 8 years. I have had The Picture of Dorian Gray on my bedside since September 15, 2018, and I'm about 15 pages in. I travel with it everywhere. I get a paragraph in and then I fall asleep.

Music on repeat:  James Blake's album is on constant repeat. It's the greatest album of this generation, the past generation and the next generation.

Favourite place to be: Tacoma, Washington, where I'm from, or Copenhagen.

Drink of choice: Beer.

Internet obsession: Refreshing my Gmail box over and over again.


Carly Ostroff is a Toronto-based fashion and beauty writer, content creator and TV expert. Follow along with her @carlyostroff.