Ferragamo, Gucci and Bulgari now open at Pearson International Airport

There’s good news and not-so-good news for jet-setting Torontonians. First, the positive: after languishing behind other travel hubs for decades, Pearson International’s extreme makeover is nearly complete. The once-dowdy airport is now flush with high-end amenities, including a massive fitness centre, a raft of top-tier restaurants and, most recently, a 6,000-square-foot retail pavilion to replace Terminal 1’s sterile duty-free emporium.

The huge new shopping zone, which is set up like a chic department store, gained its most opulent occupants in late December, when swank Italian brands Ferragamo, Gucci and Bulgari joined existing retailers like Burberry and Coach.

The not-so-good news? If current weather patterns are an indication, this winter’s would-be passengers will have more time than expected to browse the boutiques’ luxe leather goods and premium timepieces. Here, a photographic preview of Pearson’s newer, posher duty-free.