This winter, Toronto’s bespoke menswear house King & Bay is doing more than dressing well—it’s helping set the stage for meaningful storytelling. As the official location and style partner for CBC’s The Legacy Lounge, the brand’s Brookfield Place showroom becomes a refined backdrop for powerful conversations celebrating Black excellence in Canada. We sat down with founder Hozefa Hararwala to talk about craftsmanship, cultural legacy, and what it means to lend both space and style to a series that honours impact, creativity, and community. —Noa Nichol
King & Bay isn’t just featured in The Legacy Lounge—it’s the setting. What did it mean to open your showroom as a physical and symbolic space for conversations about Black excellence in Canada?
We were honoured to welcome Shamier, Stephan, and the entire team from The Legacy Lounge into our space. The series, which celebrates Black Canadians and amplifies their voices, was a perfect fit for what we’ve built here at King & Bay. We designed our lounge with intention, and our custom suits tell the story of each individual we work with, so it felt like the right environment for the conversations they wanted to capture. King & Bay has always been a place where people feel seen, valued, and celebrated — so welcoming a series that honours Black excellence felt incredibly natural. To watch our space become a home for these conversations was powerful. If the lounge helped create even a little more room for these stories to shine, then we’re grateful to have played a part in it.
The showroom itself feels intentional—refined, intimate, and powerful. How does the environment shape storytelling, and why was King & Bay the right backdrop for this series?
King & Bay was the right backdrop because it reflects the same values that the series celebrates – craftsmanship, culture, and the power of personal narrative. The environment shapes how stories are told, and our lounge was designed to make clients feel grounded, respected, and open.
You outfitted Shamier Anderson and Stephan James in bespoke looks for the show. How did you approach designing suits that honoured their individuality while matching the elevated tone of the series?
Shamier & Stephan both have very distinctive presences, so we designed suits that reflected their individuality while still matching the elevated, intimate tone of The Legacy Lounge. The goal was simple: create looks that felt authentically them, to complement the conversations happening on screen.
Menswear has always been a form of quiet storytelling. How do you see tailoring as a tool for confidence, presence, and legacy—especially for Black men in public-facing roles?
A well-tailored suit reinforces how you choose to show up in the world. In a world where Black men are often defined by narratives they can’t control, a well-tailored suit becomes more than style; it lets you walk into a room with quiet certainty, with a presence that does not need to be explained.
The Legacy Lounge celebrates impact across culture, community, and creativity. As a founder, how do you define legacy—and how does King & Bay’s work fit into that larger conversation?
Legacy is about what you leave behind in people. It’s the feeling you create, and the sense of belonging you help someone step into. At King & Bay, every garment we create is a moment of transformation for someone. When a client puts on a suit we have crafted, they’re not just wearing a suit – they are stepping into their own narrative. Our work fits into the larger conversation by reminding people of how they show up, how they carry themselves, and how they make others feel.
King & Bay has long been rooted in craftsmanship and experience, not trend-chasing. Why do you think bespoke menswear is having such a meaningful moment right now?
There is a real desire for pieces that are personal and intentional. A bespoke suit gives you that; it’s your story, your body, your confidence. People are rediscovering the value of craftsmanship over fast-fashion trends.
Looking ahead, what role do you hope King & Bay continues to play—not just in fashion, but in creating space for culture, dialogue, and representation in Canada?
I think it’s less about the garments but more about the space we have created. At King & Bay, we want to remain a space where people and stories come together. Culture feels honoured, dialogue is natural, and people recognize themselves in the room.
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