Natasha Koifman, one of the most recognizable faces on the Toronto International Film Festival social circuit, greets me at the door of her Toronto home, which is tucked down a cobblestone lane in quiet uptown Toronto. She’s barefoot and morning relaxed but still clad in her signature hue: black high-tech cotton trousers from The Row, a butter-soft James Perse tee, and a slouchy Gucci cardi. Warm and welcoming, she leads the way through a curved skylit hallway into her bright, white kitchen with its floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a leafy but tailored yard with kidney-shaped pool and black-and-white chaises. Just days before the festival kicks into gear, Koifman — president of her eponymous NKPR agency — is quietly refuelling and getting her high-style ducks in a row.
We walk room to room with her husband, Eric Hendrikx, a journalist from California who’s written for titles such as Rolling Stone and Men’s Journal and whose new book, “Echoes from Eden: A Daring Voyage to Protect Earth’s Last Wild Places” is days from launching.
The two met just before the pandemic and moved in together when lockdowns forced the end to their bicoastal relationship. They now share the home with their two sleek black Labradors, Poe and Indy. Hendrikx, who also serves as creative director at NKPR, is the easygoing extrovert to Koifman, a self-described introvert. Together, they are a perfect match, Koifman says, who describes him as “the missing piece to the puzzle of her life. He’s just a really good human,” she adds.
The sense of intimacy and sanctuary that defines Koifman and Hendrikx’s home is achieved, in no small part, with Koifman’s aforementioned devotion to the colour black. That approach is everywhere on display in the 3,000-square-foot home: black-on-black acoustic wallpaper in the dining room, black alpaca-upholstered chairs, black baby grand piano and inky-stained wood floors. Even the couple’s velvet sofa is unapologetically noir.
“To me, home is my sanctuary,” Koifman says of her space. “It’s where I recharge. And so, when you walk in here, I’m sure you can feel that sense of peace and calm. My niece always says it feels like a hotel resort. That’s not by accident.”
While Koifman’s home is where she finds peace, it’s also where she has thrown an annual TIFF kickoff party for Toronto’s who’s who for 15 years. NKPR also hosts IT House annually, an invite-only gifting lounge and portrait studio that has been attracting TIFF celebs for almost 20 years and raising funds for causes such as Project Paws, helping to raise awareness around pet adoption, and Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ), focused on improving education opportunities for youth in Haiti. Koifman has raised $36 million over the past 17 years for APJ.
As TIFF revs into gear this week, Koifman leads me downstairs to her all-white, climate-controlled closet, where she’ll select her multiple looks for the season. Packed with Chanel, Saint Laurent, Givenchy and the Row, the space is a gallery devoted to black beauties from the runway. Black wool, leather, black beads, sequins, feathers, silk. Rows of black mules, slingbacks and slides fill the large-scale island cabinet. Only a lone pair of sky-high fuchsia Aquazzura stiletto sandals breaks the monochrome. “For me, I feel like my most powerful self when I wear black,” Koifman says.
Like her walk-in, the home’s white walls showcase a wide array of carefully curated objects: sculptural scent diffusers, Hendrickx’s guitars from his musician days, plus photographs that include everyone from Bowie and Springsteen to Stella McCartney and Bert Stern’s Marilyn. Colour and sparkle enter intentionally and romantically into the mix: mint and indigo Ginori porcelain, a crystal chandelier by renowned French crystal manufacturer Cristallerie Saint-Louis, plus plush bouquets of brightly coloured blooms. “I don’t wear colour, but I love colour,” says Koifman, “I just like it in different ways.”
For TIFF, Koifman’s all-black gala look is set: a simple, midi-length, long-sleeved black sheath from The Row with a crystal neckline — think Peter Pan-like in structure, but glittering Schlumberger in attitude.
Near the end of our visit, the PR pro catches a glimpse of her entryway and pauses. “It’s interesting about things that are timeless,” she muses, motioning to the handsome walnut-hued console table in the front hall with its cut crystal candlesticks and coral and pink roses reflected in a glamorous, oversized mirror. “I really appreciate that I bought that in 2010, and 15 years later, I never get tired of it. It just looks so cool; I love it. In the end, I just think that you have to know yourself and know what you like.”
Natasha Koifman’s TIFF
“I’m a huge fan of John Candy, so it’s the ’John Candy: I Like Me’ biopic that’s opening the festival.”
Go-to restaurant/bar during TIFF
“I have a couple, because Eric’s son and girlfriend are coming into town from L.A. and they love Adrak. It’s their favourite. And then I love The Chase, because it’s Cory Vitiello; and it’s one of those places where you go in and … you feel at home. It feels cool; elegant.”
“Getting organized, but also taking enough time to recharge, because I know what the next eight days will be like, so it’s just like I organize all my clothes. For each thing, it’s labelled, so I don’t have to think about it. Everything is preplanned. Of course, I’ll get my nails done and hair done, but that’s more functional, as opposed to a ritual in advance. It’s working out. It’s getting some rest. It’s probably not doing too much. I’ll kind of keep it very low-key that weekend.”
“It’s always the same,” Natasha says, flashing her all-white nails. The hue, for the record, is Essie Gel Couture Long Wear Nail Polish in Pre-Show Jitters.
Go-to skin care to help get through the jam-packed schedule?
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair twice daily, morning and night. And Dr. Barbara Sturm Everything Eye Patches: “Honestly, they’re a game changer for undereye. And these spritzes, (she mists her face with La Mer Revitalizing) are pretty great, too, when I just need a boost.”
