Canadian designer and Toronto Film School Instructor Farley Chatto has harkened back to the classic Father Christmas and given Santa an amazing makeover for the Bayview Village Shopping Centre.

When the North York, Toronto shopping centre decided their in-house Santa deserved new duds, they asked Canadian designer Frank Mirabelli, but Mirabelli referred them to Chatto, who in addition to being the designer behind Farely Chatto Design, is an instructor in the Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing and Merchandising diploma programs at the Toronto Film School.

“It was an honour that they asked me and I am always flattered when other designers recommend me,” Chatto said.

This wasn’t Chatto’s first turn as designing a Santa costume, having been enlisted to design a “sexy Santa” costume for Virgin Mobile in the past, but he was curious to see what direction the elite shopping centre wanted to take the iconic outfit.

“You are dealing with a classic image that everyone knows, but you are also dealing with a lot of sentimentality and the religious and commercial aspects,” Chatto said. “So I was curious to see how all of that would roll into their vision for the suit.”

However, Chatto said, the directive from Bayview Village was pretty open to what he wanted to do.

“They wanted it to be classic but couture, because Bayview Village is all about couture and promoting higher end fashion,” Chatto said. “So they wanted my take of what a couture Santa would look like.”

“I decided to go back to the origins of Santa Claus and go with Father Christmas and appeal to not only the kids who would recognize him as Santa Claus, but the parents and grandparents and, in some cases, great grand parents and their memories and their nostalgia of what Christmas meant to them.”

The luxurious suit was 200 hours in the making, and takes inspiration from the traditional icon Father Christmas. His glimmering garments are made of silk and wool, 1960’s vintage golden trim, brass buttons and ethical Canadian rabbit fur.

“I tried to keep it as classic and authentic and real as possible,” Chatto said.

You have just a few days left to see Santa at Bayview Village Shopping Centre, 2901 Bayview Avenue, Toronto. Santa will be on site:

Monday to Thursday: noon to 5 p.m.
Friday: noon to 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Christmas Eve, December 24th: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Read the Toronto Star’s coverage of Chatto’s costume creation here.

Photos by Katherine Holland