I never did get those YSL Tribute Boots but I’m glad the shape of the boot is trickling down so that I can get another chance to snag that shape. These Luxury Rebel boots remind me of the YSL Tribute Boot style. I’m pretty smitten with them. I actually prefer the brown studded pair to the basic black. These will be available at Holt Renfrew at the end of June.
Greta Constantine Trunk Show Roundup Greta Constantine held a Trunk Show in Toronto on Friday and Saturday. I stopped by Saturday and grabbed some snaps of the crew. Kirk and Stephen were on hand to meet with customers and fans. I’m told the event was successful. Greta Constantine is available in Canada at Holt Renfrew. Holt’s is also carrying the Anita Dress in Navy Blue and Red Belt.
I was treated to belated birthday gift, A Marni Bracelet. I’m in love. You could imagine how excited when I saw this box. I’m convinced that half the retail cost of luxury goods are for packaging. The packaging was pretty cool. Not only was the box wrapped in grey ribbon, there was a pouch for the bracelet inside. I’ve always liked Marni’s jewellery. It’s clunky and colourful. Definitely statement making and it will wear you if you don’t have the personality to match. This bracelet is more subdued than others, I love it’s simplicity and colour scheme.
Balenciaga Resort 2010 was a mixed bag, linen, short party dresses, slim pants, volume, ruffles and prints . Like most of the resort collections I loved, there was a great pant selection. I loved the linen pieces. The fabric was substantial and raw. The collection as a whole didn’t really mesh with me like last seasons. There were pieces that felt completely out of place like this beautiful grey dress. The pattern in the fabric wasn’t recreated in any other pieces. It was still a great collection, just not as cohesive and directional as past efforts. Definitely not as futuristic as past collections. The super short tiered party dresses are super cute. The shoes, my god, the shoes. images: Style.com
Holt Renfrew Fall 2009 – 2010 Menswear Media Preview You have read about my adventures at the Holt Renfrew Fall 2009 – 2010 Womenswear Media Preview. I took a lot of pictures of things that appealed to me. Well the Men get the same treatment because I attended the Fall 2009 – 2010 Menswear Media Preview. That was a treat. I love menswear and wish I could include more of it in my coverage. It’s just impossible to be able to incorporate anything but the stray menswear post like this. The preview was a smaller affair when compared to the Womens. You realize the lack of true menswear media in Toronto. There was some overlap in the attendees but there were a lot of people I wasn’t familiar with. Barbara Atkin, Vice President, Fashion Direction for Holt Renfrew spoke briefly before Lanita Layton, Vice President, GMM Menswear took the podium. She spoke about menswear trends and how the economy has changed men’s style. The banker look is out and men are trying to distance themselves …
Salvatore Ferragamo xYohji Yamamoto. My Fall 2009 drool pile also includes these Salvatore Ferragamo x Yohji Yamamoto shoes. They will be dropping at Holt Renfrew in September. I even love the pink pair, that’s how hard I’ve falling.
I love a Jonathan Saunders print. I know I should be shunning the neon like the plague, but I can’t help but love it’s comeback in small doses. images: Style.com
Phoebe Philo is back. Fashion fans have been waiting for her first collection for Celine to hit the streets and here it is. This is another collection that is all about the pants for me. Perfection. And Hello, this is the PERFECT leather short, drool. The angular jackets with dead straight lines have me drooling more images: Style.com.
There is nothing I love more than getting a sneak preview of anything fashion related. I was pretty pumped for the Holt Renfrew Fall 2009 – 2010 Womenswear Media preview. What new goodies did the buyers bring back for us interested fashion folk. Special bonus was an appearance by Joseph Altuzarra. He is being touted as the one to watch by many. His stuff is pretty hot, I have to admit. He was an intern at Marc Jacobs and freelanced for Proenza Schouler. Riccardo Tisci also recruited him to be a design assistant at Givenchy. His first collection was Spring 2008. He was absolutely adorable. How can you not love a guy whose primary muse is his Mom. The event was held in the 3rd floor Contemporary area. Select samples from the season where on display for everyone to get a look at. Barbara Atkin, Vice President, Fashion Direction for Holt Renfrew talked about their trend research for the season and the direction for buyers. She talked about the new economy. Less, but better the …
Klaus by Nienkämper brought Tom Dixon to The Spoke Club last month to talk about his Utility 2009 collection. I was hoping to see some of his pieces up close but that wasn’t the case. Tom got up and spoke for about 20 minutes. He’s funny and very self deprecating. Accompanying his talk was a slide presentation that showed images that included pieces from the Utility collection and his influences. He even had a cartoon created for himself, how cool is that. Tom Dixon says: “I have always been inspired by the no nonsense approach of industrial artifacts and military engineering, science and mathematics, alongside materials and processes for manufacture. So this season, nothing has changed! Our theme for 2009 of Utility talks of usefulness and longevity, which feels appropriate right now.†As you can tell I’m a big fan of the light fixtures. I’ve been told that I gravitate to round things. That might explain my love of these light fixtures. Paul didn’t get any photos of Tom’s work but they were very good …
Ibis Bracelet by Harakiri Daikoku Pendant by Harakiri Harakiri are a Montreal based company. I first heard of them because of their work with Denis Gagnon. They produced some absolutely stunning jewellery for his many of his runway shows including Spring 2009. The themes run a little dark in their jewellery as you can tell by the mouse skull.
I participated in a Mimi + You Celebrate Courage workshop at The Spoke Club in late May. Celebrate Courage gives women an opportunity to express their hopes and plans for the future through art, creativity and collaboration. The “Creative Workshop†held at women’s shelters are a place where women can move away from their worries and come together to focus on a new way of expressing themselves. Necklaces made by the women in these workshops represent the celebration of their courage and accomplishment. They can choose to keep their pieces or donate them to be showcased on the MiMi + You website, Proceeds are given to the shelters, thereby giving these brave women in need the chance to further support other women in need. Our Corporate and Community “Creative Workshops†give employees and members of our community the opportunity to learn about the important services women’s shelters provide. And in these workshops you will learn how to create “One of a Kind†necklaces that are as much about fashion and art as they are an …
Resort was pretty ho hum until Christopher Kane. Thank god someone got me to scream their name at the computer. That name was KANE!!!!! “I wanted something natural, but I’m so fed up with florals,” he explained in his London studio. “And then I came across these images of nuclear test explosions from the fifties to the seventies on the Internet. I like the crazy-bright chemical colors. The way they’re sinister—but beautiful.”(Source) What can I say, I have a twisted sense of what is beautiful. I’m speechless. I can’t articulate for you how much I love this collection. Amazing. See the complete collection Christopher Kane Resort 2010 Collection on Style.com images: style.com
An Oversized Spiral Handbag by Fullum & Holt. These are the beautiful bags designed by Denis Gagnon for Fullum & Holt. I’ve been drooling over them since seeing them on the runway. Available at Browns on Bloor or online.
This collection reminds me of the wonderful vision that was the Spring 2008 collection. I think the fact I saw this show in person in New York had something to do with my feelings for it. Regardless of my bias, this collection brings about those same feelings I had that fall in New York. See the full collection at Thakoon Resort 2010 Collection on Style.com: Runway Review. images: wwd.com
A Bobly Necklace By Malene Birger Chunky turquoise jewellery. I’m not sure how you can go wrong with this piece image: billieboutique.com
Phantasmagoria is an exhibit featuring work by Sophie DeFrancesca. It will be featured at the Lausberg Contemporary Gallery from June 11 – July 19, 2009. Inspired by the icon dresses of the twentieth century Sophie De Francesca’s figurative sculptures are crafted in such a way that implies the production of ornament and fabric at the same time. Sheathes of galvanized wire mesh are transformed into ethereal confections that transcend the hard, commonplace materials they are made from. A provocative evocation of the female subject, De Franscesca’s work locates a maternal and sexual female identity by probing the conventional understanding of gender and sexuality. I was able to see a preview of some of Sophie’s work at the Brose Fall Winter 2009 – 2010 preview. Her work is just phenomenal. Phantasmagoria – June 11 – July 19, 2009 Lausberg Contemporary Gallery 880 Queen Street West Toronto 416 516 44 40 toronto@galerie-lausberg.com
Complex Geometries and Tommy Ton have teamed up to present The White Tee Project and it’s stunning! See the rest of The White Tee Project at jakandjil.com. These shots make me want to go out and buy the Bag Dress and Split Square Dress. Complex Geometries is available online and at Fawn Boutique and UPC in Toronto and Reborn in Montreal.
This is the ultimate shoe porn. This lookbook by Peter Lippmann for Christian Louboutin is ridiculously good. images: PeterLippmann.com
Jeeves & Wooster Pendant Lights by Jake Phipps THIS. THIS. THIS. What else is there to say about these amazing pendant lights. They would make a great addition to any sartorially inspired home. Love. The Jeeves & Wooster pendant lights were designed as a playful take on lighting with a real sense of cultural identity. The hat is an object that often associates its wearer with a particular society, heritage or race. The bowler and top hat are classic British cultural icons reflecting a bygone era of imperialism, class divide, and eccentricity. via Iconique Magazine
It was all about the pants for me at Burberry Prorsum Resort 2010. I want them all. You can also see the strong shoulder is permeating through all designers. I really liked new style of trench dress that Christopher Bailey presented this season. There is just enough minimal use of trench details for the idea of a trench in the dress to come across. See the whole collection: Burberry Prorsum Resort 2010 Collection on Style.com. images: wwd.com
Calvin Klein is usually a minimalist’s dream and that didn’t change with Resort 2010. There was a lot of sheer in this collection, pants, skirts, tops. It was endless. It was quiet lovely even if it has to be worn in layers. images: wwd.com
Greta Constantine put out a separate lookbook for their staple jersey dresses for Fall 2009 – 2010. The Anita Dress is part of this collection.
About a month and a half ago I was asked to speak at Fashion Weekly Fashion Camp. I had just come off of the Building Relationships with Word of Mouth and PR Practitioners While Maintaining Credibility with Your Audience panel at PodCamp Toronto and I thought I should take the opportunity to continue to work on my public speaking. I don’t have a problem speaking in front of people as many who know me can attest. I enjoy it and I don’t feel any anxiety about speaking to an audience staring back at you. My only worry is that people take away something from my blatherings and that there is a little bit of value there. 🙂 Then again, maybe I just like to hear myself talk. Fashion Weekly Fashion Camp A jam packed day seminar event hosted by special guest speakers from our very own fashion and entertainment industry! Be sure to meet and greet with industry’s top fashion designers, specialists, photographers, accessory designers, entrepreneurs and many more! FW’s main focus for the event …
I wasn’t a fan of the Fall 2009 – 2010 collection. It wasn’t for me with the waders and boxy cuts. For Resort, it’s a much softer Prada. Miuccia showed a collection influenced by the beach. It was a much simpler collection, relying more on colour combination and prints for the wow factor. The shoes look walkable, also in contrast to the disaster that was Spring Summer 2009. I loved the print work from the Spring 2009 collection, so it was nice to see prints making a comeback. See the whole collection at style.com. images: Prada Resort 2010 – Fashion News – WWD.com.