Name: Marika Brose
Who she is: Toronto-based fashion designer who launched her eponymous women’s label, Brose, last spring after returning home from 10 years in Europe, where she worked in Paris and Milan for such top designers as Chloe and Prada.
Her car: A 1998 silver limited edition Jeep Cherokee with a V8 engine.
Why the Cherokee: I’ve had that car for 12 years. It’s almost like an army tank because of its engine. And it’s super practical because I’m constantly lugging around fabric rolls and patterns and samples to all my contractors and freelance people. So it’s super practical. And it’s also so safe in our winter weather on the highways.
Any road trips? I go to Montreal frequently for business and I’ve taken it once to New York. I also go to my cottage frequently in the summer, so it’s been all over the place.
What kind of driver are you? Aggressive. I used to drive in Europe and over there, they’re a little more aggressive. I think you have to be aggressive over there, especially if you drive in the cities because their roads are all twisty and turny and you have to be on the ball. I get very impatient here. I don’t have road rage, but I definitely don’t like to sit in the car. Because I do spend a lot of time travelling in my car, I like to make it as fast as possible.
When in Europe … I drove a minivan. Not cool. I know (laughs). But we had a Vespa too, so I guess that balanced the minivan. Over there, we were also running a little antique silver business on the side, so we needed to transport a lot of stuff.
If money was no object, what car would you be driving? You know, I’m not really a car person, but I guess it would be an AMG. I’ve always wanted one. Or a vintage Mercedes. I like Mercedes.
– Heather Buchan is a Toronto-based journalist whohas worked at Homemakers,Canadian Living, Canadian House & Homeand, most recently,Hello! Canada, where she cut her teeth in the world of celebrities.
