Tadrissi, who calls himself an "interior architect," is responsible for the look of their various businesses. He uses an industrial design approach to his work and sites Karim Rashid as an inspiration. Building his designs in digital form, at his Prototype Design Lab (a multi-faceted facility that uses advanced CAD-CAM technology for its engineering processes), Tadrissi spends at least an hour of each day researching and testing out new materials — crucial, he says, to learning how to push boundaries and become an industry leader. BMW, Fashion Cares, Benson & Hedges, Toyota and the NYC District School Board have all emerged a lot spiffier after Tadrissi's expert touches.
Housed in a 100-year-old building, Fatah's nightclub, Century Room, is home to the best entertainment industry parties and showbiz events in town. The club's burnished pink lighting, well-coiffed aluminum bathrooms and tree-lined patio are signature PD Lab. Tadrissi has a knack for creating a luxurious intimacy out of hard, stark spaces. His clear love of minimal opulence is emblazoned across everything he touches. This month, Umbrella opens an intimate, members-only club in the area called L'Atelier. Tadrissi promises a sexy, lavish interior for the more discerning 30-year-plus market. In this case, size does matter. "Most entrepreneurs want to go big," Fatah says of their decision to keep the club small in scale and numbers. "The allure for us with this project is the level of service and quality of product we can offer that doesn't currently exist in Toronto."
Just down the street is Hammam, the city's most talked about co-ed spa. It's a stunning haven of brick, dark woods and a truly breathtaking entrance over flower-filled water. Further east, off of King, Doku15, an Asian-themed resto-lounge in the Cosmopolitan hotel, houses an inspiring combination of concrete walls and candlelit tea tables. Its all-glass facade makes it a breeze for celeb-hunters to get a look inside. It's not just in the "T-dot" that Umbrella is making waves. Fatah is a well-respected, fully paid-up member of the jet-setting party scene worldwide, and has decided to open a branch of Hammam in Bal Harbour by year's end. PD Lab will be building fully operational modular pods that function as treatment rooms when the units arrive, you just plug in and go. A line of beauty products to go with the spa is in the works as well.
Is there any area of lifestyle they won't work with?
Other than shopping, fashion is off the to-do list. "We love to buy it, not design it," laughs Tadrissi. Slaves to their designer wardrobes, Fatah and Tadrissi have a personal style that is confident, up-to-the minute and expensive tying in well with the Umbrella brand image. Fatah made the Toronto Star's Top Ten Best Dressed List this year, and neither man has any qualms about admitting his addiction to fashion. The only sweats you'll catch them in at the gym are Prada. "Having an impeccable look is key to business," says Fatah. "It's the nature of our work."