Holt Renfrew and Elton John, candles for a cause

Venerable high-style retailer Holt Renfrew has a busy autumn planned, in part because it is marking its 175^th birthday and has invited some big names to help celebrate the occasion.

Of the many designer collaborations rolling out in and around its Toronto flagship store on Bloor Street in September is the public appearance of Elton John and his husband David Furnish.

The PA marks the launch of Holt Renfrew and the couple’s partnership in creating a limited-edition candle that will be sold to benefit the work of the Elton John AIDS Foundation. A portion of the sales of the candles will be directed to the foundation, which is celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year. Holt Renfrew’s goal is to raise $100,000 for the life-saving work of the Foundation, which was founded in 1992, and has raised $275 million to date for HIV prevention, stigma reduction, treatment, care and service programs in 55 countries worldwide.

The $50 candles, designed as striking décor objects in milky white or burnt orange with the musician’s signature gold-crown logo, come in two lovely but distinctly different scents. The jumbo-sized candles were made by New York-based Nest Fragrances, the go-to candle-maker for designer votives. (FYI: It also makes candles for the likes of Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior, Nars and Jonathan Adler.)

Jardin de Fleurs (housed in the chunky white glass vessel) boasts a floral blend, while L’Orangerie is a citrus-scented candle.

The voluptuously sized three-wick votives are currently available for online purchase at Holt Renfrew, and will land in stores in time for John and Furnish’s arrival on September 8.

Sir Elton John & David Furnish Nest candles, $50 each, www.holtrenfrew.com