Month: October 2009

The Holt Renfrew Bloggers Windows lives on in Google Street View

View Larger Map I found out that the Holt Renfrew Bloggers Windows are on Google Street View. It was such fun to have the window for the month of July and I was a little sad when it came down. Then I went to India and the window seemed like such a lifetime ago. The trip changed me a little. All the feeling from July have rushed back with this Google Street View discovery and it’s like experiencing it all over again.

Peter Kent Handbags

I went to the Canadian launch of Peter Kent Handbags at the Hazelton Hotel this week. Peter Kent is a leather accessories line out of Buenos Aires, Argentina.  Hector Neer founded the company in 1972 and it continues to this day as a family run business. His three children joined him in the business using their skills in different areas of the company.  Hector still is the head designer. Hector and his son Alejandro made their way from Argentina to Toronto for the launch. They had a hell of a trip up here; missed connection flight due to customs in Washington and lost luggage. This resulted in a 25 hour trip, much longer than normal. Despite this Hector and Alejandro were so incredibly nice and personable when I got a chance to meet and chat with them about their business. They are so passionate about the business and their enthusiasm really shows in the handbags. Peter Kent Handbags doesn’t produce in large volumes and the result is well crafted merchandise. They use local craftsmen who …

Shared now has a Storefront

Shared is a Toronto based fashion company that makes incredible locally made basics. They decided to open their first storefront and I went to the opening launch. All their clothing produced in Toronto and is made from organic cotton. I learned that they weave their own fabric in Toronto. The yarn is sourced from many different places but basically the shirts are made from scratch in Toronto. To top this off, they donate 50% of their profits to charity. The store is one of the cutest I’ve seen in Toronto. The designers are big collectors of antiques and they have cleverly decorated the space with their finds. The store isn’t big, only 350 sq ft but the layout is very well done. I’m a fan of Shared. I own a black cardigan that I got at The Drake Hotel General Store. I really am enamored with these two tshirts though. They both have a story. I suggest you goto the store and find out about it. The running shoes are very cute and affordable ($99). …

Alexander McQueen Ready to Wear – Spring 2010

The Alexander McQueen Ready to Wear Spring 2010 collection was an alien spectacle. A snake and Geiger influenced fashion moment of the finest degree. The show was the fashion jolt I needed. Yes, there is creativity still kicking around this season. McQueen delivered it and then some. I’m still in awe over this out of this world collection. What do you say but wow, wow, wow! I missed seeing the video live, but I wasn’t the only. It seems they didn’t anticipate the demand for the live stream and servers went down. I send my friend, who was sitting in 3rd row at the show, a message asking how the show was. He replied back with “STUNNING”. I knew he was serious because he doesn’t throw those words around much. The shoes were like nothing I’ve seen a fashion show but had a fetish feel to them. I thought they were great for the runway presentation but I really can’t see these shoes going into production. You must, must see the Alexander McQueen Ready to …

Magnolia

I finally visited Magnolia store at Avenue and Eglinton. The store itself is beautiful. Super high ceilings, great window, large mirrors, eye catching store displays and the best changerooms in the city. Magnolia carries Izzy Camilleri, Lucian Matis, Hoss Intropia, Designers Remix Collection, Love Moschino handbags and Tara Jarmon. Owner Juan Carlos does a wonderful job of curating the clothing in the store. Magnolia 333 Eglinton Ave W, Unit 2B info@magnoliaonline.ca 416-488-9893

Balenciaga Ready to Wear – Spring 2010

Balenciaga went sporty this season, with a touch of futurism. I was talking to a friend who mentioned that Nicholas Ghesquiere tends to work in cycles and we are back on the futurism loop. I don’t mind I have to admit, as long as Nicholas keep turning out collections like this. Be sure to look at the high resolution images on Nytimes.com to see the incredible detail that has gone into this collection. There is an interview with Nicolas Ghesquiere with Cathy Horn talking about the collection. You get some more information on the fabrics that are incorporated in the clothing, it’s pretty amazing. You can also check out this video by style.com images: style.com and coutorture.com