Month: January 2010

(untitled) by Maison Martin Margiela

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(untitled) is the first perfume by Maison Martin Margiela which was three years in the making. The scent itself doesn’t appeal to me but I’m very interested in its presentation. The scent is, as Martin wished, a ‘green flash’ – an olfactory equivalent and translation of the blank canvas and cleansing visual signature ‘white’ of Margiela. It is at once, clean, fresh and astringent, eschewing the floral hallmarks of contemporary perfumes and harking back to 1970’s trends, such as Chanel’s Nº19. The final chosen scent for (untitled) was selected by Martin himself, and went directly into production by L’Oreal (without market testing) after only three samples were created at Givaudan by Perfumer Daniela Andrier, who muses: “I know that perfume must not follow a fashion or a trend, but an instinct. This first perfume expresses a femininity which does not fit into formal categories. I am grateful to Maison Martin Margiela for whispering the formula for this perfume into my ear.” I love the idea of a scent with cedar in it, but musky perfumes …

Motionball’s Cloud Nine Gala

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Motionball’s Cloud Nine Gala Friday February 5th, 2010, 9:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. In celebration of Motionball’s ninth year in support of Special Olympics Canada, Torontonians are invited to mingle with young professionals and Special Olympic athletes over cocktails, live music, fashion and dancing at one of the city’s most coveted annual parties. Like all Motionball events, the Cloud Nine Gala aims to educate attendees about the importance of the Special Olympics and create an atmosphere where athletes and supporters can celebrate the great cause together. Motionball is the brainchild of three best friends, who also happen to be brothers. Mark, Sean and Paul Etherington have been aligned with Special Olympics Canada since childhood when they volunteered at fundraising events organized by their parents, who co-founded the Sports Celebrities Festival, which has raised in excess of $25,000,000 for Special Olympics Canada since 1983. Noticing a lack of integration between supporters and the athletes they support, Mark, Sean and Paul Etherington brought Motionball to life. The Cloud Nine Gala will feature live music by Escalate, a …

Spring Summer 2010 Runway Fashion Trends

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I have some trend forecasting posts for Spring 2010, but I realize that doesn’t help anyone looking for what is going on after the shows have happened. Here is a post to help those who are getting directed to the Fashion Trends Forecasting Spring Summer 2010 post. These are the trends that are hitting the streets for spring and summer 2010. Lingerie on the outside – Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier The blazer. See Junya Watanabe, Yohji Yamamoto, Isabel Marant, Balmain Legs in shorts or skirts. See Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs, Versace Leather. See Celine, Ann Demeulemeester, YSL, Rick Owens, Greta Constantine Sport. See Rag and Bone, Alexander Wang, Prada, Balenciaga, Gucci, Hermès On the Farm. See Chanel, D&G, Ralph Laure, Christopher Kane Knotting and draping. See Burberry, Donna Karen, Lanvin Prints. See Versace, Givenchy, Dries Van Noten, Alexander McQueen Kitten Heels.  See Marni, Louis Viutton, Missoni Sheer – Donna Karen, Alexander Wang, Calvin Klein, Jeremy Laing Cutouts. See Phi, Mark Fast, Viktor & Rolf, Michael Kors, Gucci Military – Balmain, Celine, Jean …

Andy Thê-Anh Gets a New Look

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Lots of changes are going down at Andy Thê-Anh. He’s moving his Yorkville store from 83 Yorkville Avenue 27 Bellair Street. He’s also heading north and Bayview Village location has been added at 2901 Bayview Avenue. In addition to the new stores, Andy had re-branded. Why Andy Thê-Anh is launching a new visual identity? For the brand, it will mark a new milestone: we want to embrace our past, but look to the future.  Our new identity will enable us to continue positioning ourselves in the high-end market and have a visual look that matches our growth ambitions. It is also important for us to have a logo that doesn’t necessarily need our brand name to identify our collection and our accessories in the eye of the public. What is the image you want to convey with that new identity? Our new identity will mirror the high-end, sophisticated image of Andy Thê-Anh’s creations. It is important at this stage in our development to have symbols and colors that identify us clearly and that people can …

Adidas x Star Wars Spring 2010 Video

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I’m a bitter Star Wars fan. I loved episodes 4 – 6. I felt insulted by episodes 1 – 3. I wasn’t a fan at all. I tried and now I’m a bitter Star Wars fan. I don’t take much joy in the Star Wars universe. However, I blogged about the Adidas x Star Wars collection. I thought it was well executed and I would totally love the Tie Fighter sneakers. This new promo video brought back that love I had before episodes 1 -3. It was the scene where Dark Vader walks out that got me. Magic.

geekiviews: Lancome Absolue Precious Cells Advanced Regenerating and Replenishing Cream and Genifique Eye Youth Activating Eye Concentrate

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I’ve been using the two Lancome skincare products I received from L’Oreal Canada religiously since I returned from India. The products have ridiculously long names, Absolue Precious Cells Advanced Regenerating and Replenishing Cream and Genifique Eye Youth Activating Eye Concentrate. I wonder about the names of products are created at beauty companies. not only do these products have ridiculously long names, they have big media kits also. The Absolue Precious Cells media kit was the largest I’ve seen for one product. Absolue Precious Cells is a skincare product geared for the woman in her 50s which uses a proprietary formula to “restore the stem cell environment and re-trigger the skin’s self-regenerative potential.” The media kit talks provides background information on epidermal stem cells. Lancome uses adult skin stem cells for anyone that is concerned. The results of Lancome’s quest to find the perfect combination of ingredients that create an atmosphere that allows epidermal skin stem cells to regenerate is detailed in the media kit. It’s fairly scientific for a media kit, I was a bit …

Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2010

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Looks a little preppy for the Balenciaga Pre-Fall 2010. I’m loving the bursts of green, red and yellow. I’m usually a fan of Balenciaga pant but there are some jodhpurs style ones in the collection that I just don’t like. I am loving the gloves though. images: style.com

Dandi Maestre Spring 2010 Lookbook

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Toronto based, Dandi Maestre’s colourful Spring 2010 jewellery caught my eye at the Holt Renfrew Pop up shop. I loved seeing this burst of colour in her designs. She recently send me her new lookbook and it’s stunning. The line is branching from jewellery to include more accessories that still fit with her signature style. I love it. There are a lot of photos but I can’t help but share this with you all. Dandi Maestre can be found at Holt Renfrew, the AGO, Thieves Boutique and Ziliotto Designs in Toronto. Check out the website to find other locations across Canada and the US. images: courtesy of Dandi Maestre

Inside The Maison Martin Margiela Workshop

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Maison Martin Margiela : Atelier Artisanal from Materialiste Paris on Vimeo. This video gives you a peek into the atelier of Maison Martin Margiela. The fashion is very time consuming, you’ll see the amount of detail that goes into production. via Racked NY EDIT (May 2, 2010): Looks like someone deleted the video on Vimeo. Boo