Lorenzo Antinori

The Toronto International Film Festival is known as the kickoff of the film industry’s awards season and has introduced countless movies that went on to earn global acclaim, including American Beauty, Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech. But this year, the buzz was about a different kind of premiere: the first-ever Four Seasons Pop Down, a new global series of immersive experiences that will bring the […]

A Toronto Premiere: The First-Ever
Four Seasons Pop Down

Celebrity florists, Michelin-starred chefs and other global masters of craft are pushing signature Four Seasons experiences beyond hotel walls.

The Toronto International Film Festival is known as the kickoff of the film industry’s awards season and has introduced countless movies that went on to earn global acclaim, including American Beauty, Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech. But this year, the buzz was about a different kind of premiere: the first-ever Four Seasons Pop Down, a new global series of immersive experiences that will bring the brand’s legendary service to unexpected places.

Give our people a blank canvas, and they will create something truly extraordinary. – J. Allen Smith, President and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Upon their arrival, visitors entered through an archway of draping orchids created by celebrity florist Jeff Leatham (Artistic Director, Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris). Inside, they discovered an empty concrete retail space had become a downtown Toronto refuge blooming with lush floral installations and a floor-to-ceiling herb garden, assembled by the production team.

Witness the transformation here.

Guests were then spirited away with dramatic cocktails – Step into the Green, for example, literally set aflame a combination of gin, pine cone, manuka, honey and fresh herbs from the garden wall – by award-winning mixologists Mica Rousseau (Fifty Mils, Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City), Lorenzo Antinori (Charles H., Four Seasons Hotel Seoul) and Michal Maziarz (Rotunda, Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square).

Joining everyone to show off our skills together really spoke to what Four Seasons is all about – the people. It showcased the power of Four Seasons to transform any space and any moment – large or small – into something unique and unforgettable. – Pastry Chef Chris Ford

With top Four Seasons chefs visiting from around the world, culinary treats showcased a range of global influences. Michelin-starred Chef Vito Mollica’s (Il Palagio, Four Seasons Hotel Firenze and La Veranda, Four Seasons Hotel Milano) star dish was smoked aubergine cream with tomato coulis and scampi, while Sylvain Assié (Café Boulud,
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto) provided an impressive spread of house-crafted charcuterie and cheeses.

The end of the culinary journey was a sweet send-off in the Cherry Blossom Dessert Forest. Guests plucked their choice of desserts – including chocolate orbs filled with rose and lychee mousse, by Joaquin Grimaldi (Elena, Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires), and freshly spun floral beehive cotton candy, by Chris Ford (THE Blvd, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel) – from birdcages and other whimsical décor elements.

Stay tuned for information about the next Four Seasons Pop Down.