• Everyone’s a Critic - New York Times
  THERE are only so many ways you can say ‘Voilà,’ ” Lloyd Boston groaned a few days after his umpteenth appearance on the “Today” show, this time to critique the red carpet fashions at the Emmys, which left him feeling a little empty.
  (tags: fashion+news critics style)
• NOW Magazine - The Goods in Toronto, SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 3, 2007
  Fashion Week’s opening-night extravaganza is the taping of Project Runway Canada ’s finale. Signed confidentiality agreements keep the outcome top secret, but Slice has just released the lineup of designer competitors in time for the series’ October 8 pre
  (tags: fashion+news project+runway canada fashion+week toronto)
• OK! Magazine - First for Celebrity News - OK! Exclusive: Angelina Fired
  Though reps for the fashion label say that no decision has been reached, OK! has exclusively learned that Angelina Jolie has been replaced as the face of St. John, for whom she’d been modeling since September 2005.
  (tags: fashion+news st-john)

Gwendolyn Carrié Shoes

I’ve gushed about Gwendolyn’s shoes before, the Fall season brings these 2 beauties.

Hats by Claudia Schulz
I love the shapes of these hats made by Vancouver based Claudia Schulz. I’m not too sure if these would work with my short hair, but I’m willing to chance it.

You can purchase Claudia’s hats online through her website.

Maria Serrano Shoes Strut into Fall & Vacation in Style
October 3, 2007

Maria Serrano Shoes & Ra Sun Spa are welcoming the Fall with a fun-tastic Shoe & Swimwear Sale. Staying in Toronto? Can’t wait to wear boots? Strut into Fall with the hottest styles…Walk tall in high boots and wedge shoes; funk it up in ankle boots or keep it casual in flat boots. Going south in the fall? Didn’t get enough of our warm weather? Then, take advantage of our Blowout swimwear & summer shoes Sale and vacation in style! Also, be the first to check out the preview of our brand new silver and semi-precious stones jewellery line. Customers will receive a free tan card or 50% off any aesthetic service when they purchase shoes from the Fall Collection.

RSVP to info@mariaserranoshoes.com

Ra Sun Spa
388 Richmond St. West

5:00pm to 10:00pm

Cash, cheques or credit cards

• Armani and Bottega Veneta, Expanding in the Wrong Directions - washingtonpost.com
  MILAN, Sept. 25 — Giorgio Armani is looking for a good pair of shoes. And Bottega Veneta designer Tomas Maier has his sights set on a memorable frock or two. Each is trying to expand his business, from opposite ends of the spectrum.
  (tags: fashion+news robin+givhan)

Jewelery by Samantha Nemiroff

Toronto based Samantha Nemiroff creates one of a kind jewelery using vintage treasures and oddball souvenirs.
Read the rest of this entry »

The nice people from Harper Collins Canada send me the Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia to review. I gladly accepted as I love free books, and she gave me something to blog about. Nina Garcia is the Fashion Director at Elle Magazine and is one of the judges on Project Runway.

The first thing I noticed about the book is the fantastic illustrations by Ruben Toledo. They make the book worth buying alone. The book has a well rounded focus and adds some historical context that is normally found in other offerings of the same genre. I’ll give you a little breakdown of each chapter

1. Be Your Own Muse - basic intro to the book basically telling people that how you present yourself is important, blah, blah

2. The Basics - Great list of items that should be in everyones closet. The items that are the basis of a great wardrobe. It emphasizes wearing what is looks good on you, buying your size and purging your closet.

3. Inspirations - Describes the influences of the following areas: Film, Music, Travel and Art on fashion and the major players

4. What to Wear When - I found this section particularly funny, but I guess some people need guidance. Some of the funny guides included: How to dress on a plane, How to dress for a summer weekend and how to dress for winter.

5. Insider Tips and Tricks - Here Nina has picked the brain some of major players in fashion.

6. Fashion Cliff’s notes, decade by decade - great reference to fashion trends and major designers for each decade.

I’ve read a few style book and I really like this one because it’s not done in a bubble. Historical references and trends need to be considered and many style books avoid this topic.

The Eaton Center is doing a promotion, if you buy $200 of merchandise from any fashion retailers you will receive a copy of the book for free. Little black book of style promotion information

• At £330, the surreal shoes whose heels will keep you on your toes | the Daily Mail
  They’re ankle-threatening, ludicrous, impractical and overpriced. But these shoes will be a huge hit.
  (tags: fashion+news spring 2008 marc+jacobs shoes)
• The Power Eye! The Stylists With The Influence | The Imagist
  The talk this week? Rachel Zoe’s bold claim about possibly being more influential than Anna Wintour. The cabal is in a frenzy at this sacrilege. Its the best fashion sound byte since “We don’t get out of bed for less than 10,000 a day” But given the h
  (tags: fashion+news stylists)
• Annals of Technology: Solar Chic: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker
  ANNALS OF TECHNOLOGY about the writer testing a solar-powered jacket. For a three-week period, the writer wore the Solar-Powered Jacket, a new item that the Italian firm Ermenegildo Zegna is launching later this year. Christian Lorey, one of the company
  (tags: fashion+news ermenegildo+zegna solar+power)
• Standing Toe to Toe: More Female Designers Take Control in Fashion
  Could fashion design, long dominated by men, be entering a golden age for women? Absolutely, say designers, headhunters, retailers and historians, who point to the fact that two more women just landed top jobs at major Italian fashion houses — Alessandr
  (tags: fashion+news trends women)
• Lynn Yaeger: Anna Sui, Others Sue Forever 21: How Original Are You? by Lynn Yaeger
  Did the prisoners at Leavenworth consider suing Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel for ripping off the saggy belt-less trousers they wear in the prison yard? Did hundreds of anonymous graffiti artists sue Stephen Sprouse for printing tags on Louis Vuitton satchels?
  (tags: fashion+news copyright)
• Top fashion designers go down-market - USATODAY.com
  Boldfaced names in fashion are turning up at a mass-market retailer near you — and you don’t have to be rich, famous or skinny to buy. Vera Wang has hooked up with Kohl’s; Lela Rose is stepping out with Payless. Premium jeans kings Chip & Pepper and Ral
  (tags: fashion+news trends)
• ‘People must stop buying and buying’ - Telegraph
  It seems a funny thing for a fashion designer to assert, but Dame Vivienne Westwood thinks we should all stop shopping for clothes. “If you ask me what I think people should be getting next season,” she says in that softly bossy northern accent of hers. “
  (tags: fashion+news vivienne+westwood)

Embroidered Mini Skirt by Chloé

There are some shopping secrets that I will never give up. This story is about one of them.

The Saturday after New York I was wandering downtown with my friend MJ. Usually when we are out he takes me to his favourite consignment shop to troll for designer duds. We hit the motherload on this visit. MJ is the best person to go shopping with. He has this uncanny ability to identify the crap and zoom in on the good just from looking at the rack. What really baffles me with him is that 99.9% of his choices are so spot on. This guy knows what works and what doesn’t.

The most perfect skirt black knife pleated skirt with yoke by Chanel.

It’s unfortunate that my picture is really shitty. You can’t see any of the pleat details, quite a shame. I fell in love after I twirled around. It fits and drapes like a dream. It’s easily the best skirt I’ve ever owned.

Can you guess how much I paid?

There were two things that really stuck out for me in New York.

1. Men carried Manbags. All kinds of guys with all kinds of bags, not just the fashion insiders. I liked the look actually and I hope it spreads. Hell, I even liked the guy rocking the clutch at Phi.

Find your Man bag here.

2. Goyard is king. I didn’t see a lot of Louis Vuitton, but I saw a lot of Goyard, fake and real. You could get Goyard fakes on every street corner. At night, every street corner had a bunch of guys selling handbags out of garbage bags and boxes. Fucking hilarious.

For those that don’t know, Goyard is an old french company that makes very expensive luggage and handbags.

images: balenciaga.com and businessweek.com

• Tightening credit, jittery markets — is it 2003 all over again? - International Herald Tribune
  PARIS: If purveyors of the fine things in life need evidence of how fast sentiment in their industry can turn, they do not need to look too far back. Between the 2002 and 2004 financial years, revenue at the Swiss luxury company Richemont fell by about 12
  (tags: fashion+news industry trends)
• Athens emerges from the pack - International Herald Tribune
  ATHENS: As recently as two years ago, the Greek fashion equation added up to just a handful of names. But since the country entered the international fashion week arena in 2005, the local industry has gained a new impetus: More than 40 catwalk presentatio
  (tags: fashion+news fashion+week athens greece)
• Fashion designer Cavalli courts Richemont, but does not rule out IPO - Forbes.com
  LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Roberto Cavalli, founder of the fashion group of the same name, said he is open to selling a majority stake in his company to Swiss luxury-jewelry conglomerate Cie Financiere Richemont SA.
  (tags: fashion+news roberto+cavalli ipo)
• Is the Fashion Industry Racist? Supermodel Says Yes
  New York’s Fashion Week showcased more than just spring 2008’s designers and their upcoming fashion lines. Amidst a swarm of blond, blue-eyed runway models, only a handful of black, Latina and Asian models graced the catwalk this season.
  (tags: fashion+news models racism)
• AFP: Doctors, fashion world divided over Italian anorexia ad
  ROME (AFP) — An Italian advertising campaign featuring photos of an emaciated girl won praise Tuesday from designers and the government for targeting anorexia, but campaigners warned it could encourage the disease.
  (tags: fashion+news models health)