Small town Ont. designer creates custom suit for Ryan Reynolds at TIFF

Muskoka designer Judy Carter custom-made Ryan Reynolds suit for the red carpet at TIFF.

Ryan Reynolds made a stylist statement at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Thursday night, wearing a custom-made suit made by local designer Judy Carter from Port Carling.

“A woman named Judy did this, she lives in Port Carling,” Reynolds said from the TIFF red carpet. “Judy Carter is her name, and I was like, Judy, my suit didn’t make it, which is true and she made this happen.”

The suit, which was reworked from one of the Vancouver-born movie star’s old suits - a Brunello Cucinelli - features intricate details and nods to the classic film ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles.’

The breast pocket boasts an embroidered design of planes, trains, and automobiles, and inside the jacket, a hand-painted image of Canadian icon John Candy, who starred in the 1987 comedy alongside Steve Martin.

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The inside right jacket features a replica of the book Candy’s character reads in the film, “The Canadian Mounted.” A small white label with the name “Del Griffith” and the release date of the film adds another layer of detail.

The back of the jacket features a silk velvet heart with a maple leaf, along with the coordinates for Newmarket, Ontario, Candy’s hometown.

“We went all out,” Reynolds said from the red carpet.

“I’ve worked with a lot of clients on custom pieces, and he was amazing,” Carter said of the Hollywood star.

The collaboration between Reynolds and the Ontario designer began when Blake Lively, Reynolds’ wife, visited the Port Carling store, L’eau Muskoka, in mid-August. Carter said Lively was browsing the store and struck up a conversation with her, mentioning how Reynolds would love her designs. Lively purchased several items, including mugs and shirts, and told Carter her husband would likely be in touch.

And soon enough, he was.

Carter said the ‘Deadpool’ star visited her store on his wife’s birthday, wearing one of Carter’s shirts, which he also wore to press conferences this week.

Carter said she got to work, with Reynolds helping to bring the design to life, saying he wanted the suit to “be like an Easter egg hunt for John Candy,” adding the movie star really wanted something Canadian and offered “unbelievable” direction.

The Muskoka creator worked tirelessly to transform the suit into a homage to the late Candy, saying she was “surprised and flattered” Reynolds trusted her with the project.

The two met on the red carpet at the movie’s opening night at TIFF, with Reynolds, who co-produced the film ‘John Candy: I Like Me,’ taking time to pose for pictures alongside Carter and vowing to collaborate with her in the future.

“It was definitely just an incredible opporunity to work with him, and I think this is not the last jacket that we’re going to do together, which is all I wanted to hear,” Carter said.

Carter’s Port Carling boutique, nestled along Muskoka’s lakes, is open seasonally and will reopen in May. She will open another store in Toronto this month.