These Criss Cross Sandal by Marais USA are my new favourite summertime flat. They are super comfortable and not expensive. I love the discussion and stares these shoes bring. They are so bright and neon. I love it. I picked these up at Chasse Gardee. They carry Marais USA in Toronto and they range in the $85 – $120.
The Chanel Fall 2010 Haute Couture was a suit lovers paradise. Only a few pieces caught my eye but the main star was the Lion. Coco Chanel was a Leo so Karl when with it. images: style.com, daylife.com
It’s hard to comment on something so perfect. What words can express the tear enducing beauty of the collection. Some of the garments took 1600 hours to produce. Can you imagine the furiously busy women and men in the atilier creating these garments? They must be extremely proud they must be of their work. A documentary NEEDS to be made about the House of Givenchy’s couture division. Riccardo Tisci and his team are 21st century couture gods. There was no runway show this season and I have to admit I liked it better. The photos that are out their already are amazing. There are photos with the clothing on models and on judys. I like the differences the human form and judy show off in pictures. Nowfashion.com has some great shots of the shoes and boots. They go from the fairly simple sandal to crazy ornate open toed boot. I can’t wait to see more of this collection in the wild. You really need to see the high resolution shots available on style.com and vogue.uk.com. …
These Lanvin Resort 2011 group shots make me happy. Who wouldn’t be overjoyed frolicking around in Lanvin. I’m loving the platform wedges, especially in animal skin. A friend of mine who is a buyer listed the Lanvin Resort 2011 collection as one of his favourites. Stunning and gorgeous he says. images: style.com and wwd.com
The Red Door provides foot massages for men and women. It operates out of the Che Bella Spa every Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 7 and 11 p.m. I missed the opening launch party for Red Door so rock-it promo provided me with a complementary couples treatment. I brought Danielle from Final Fashion and I learned that this was her first trip to a spa. Massage therapists provide the treatment. It’s 45 minutes long and includes a hot foot soak and massage of feet and legs. Prices are $55 per person, $100 per couple and $185 for a group of four. Che Bella Spa is in an old Victorian home. The space definitely has that homey and welcoming feeling. There are three treatment rooms available. Danielle and I had the attic like room upstairs that is totally private. It’s perfect for couples with the shared couch and quite tranquil. Â Televisions are available for watching but we kept it off. When I’m at the spa I like to relax and focus on myself and the …
Alejandro Ingelmo is an American shoe designer who studied at Parsons. Shoe making is in his blood and he expanded his great grandfather’s brand, Ingelmo Shoes. Criss Cross Ankle Boots Laminated Metal Pony Boot Wedges I covet these shoes mostly because of the towering platform. They both have an 1.5 inch internal platform. I’m always looking to get higher. They are sleek and sexy though too. images: luisaviaroma
I can’t remember the last time I was excited for a Christian Dior Haute Couture collection. The fall 2010 collection has made me a believer in John Galliano again. It helps that he’s influence is a favourite of mine too, flowers. I have a bit of a flower photo taking fetish and I was delighted as soon as I saw the first look. The collection is saturated in colour and the resemblance of the clothing to flowers is undeniable. Everything is just perfect about this collection. It has enough spectacle to be interesting and the construction details are to die for. The gowns are just beautiful, however some of the models were way too thin in them. It’s especially apparent in any back shots you see. I tracked down some footage of the show so you can get a look at the clothing moving. Hopefully the full show will be available soon. View the whole collection at style.com, it’s really worth it. images: vogue.uk.com
This is Sarah Burton’s first kick at the Alexander McQueen womenswear line since Alexander has died. I have to admit, I’m liking this Resort 2011 collection. It’s a safe collection and you can see the difference a woman’s touch makes. It’s a much softer collection that manages to keep a lot of traditional McQueen elements. images: style.com
Oh my god, I better not miss this flight. I’m standing in line for security checks; it’s 7:30am. It’s Monday morning and I’m hoping to catch my 8am flight to New York. I’m impatient and freaking out. I clear security without much time to spare and I’m running to gate 151, hoping that boarding hasn’t closed yet. I didn’t even close the clasp on my bright pink sandals. Amazingly they don’t fly off my feet. I slow down a bit when I see a lineup of people at the gate. Thank god, still time. I laugh to myself. This is the start of an amazing day. I love my life. I’m going to New York City for the day. I leave Toronto at 8am and I the return flight is at 7:30pm. This trip is the product of a fucked up week, to put it mildly. The day after the earthquake I receive an email from Foujan at Matchstick. There may be the potential for a blogger to be sent out to NYC to join …
Our first stop was at The Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District. This is where Charles and Alessandro were staying. They enjoy The Standard and mentioned how busy the hotel usually is. The dinning rooms are packed and the patio is pretty busy. It’s the kind of hotel that attracts locals as well as tourists. I’m always hearing about this and that party at The Standard on the blogs. Charles took me on a little tour of the hotel, showing me the patio and restaurants. The hotel room had the most incredible view of Hudson and the very cool High Line Park. The High Line was originally constructed in the 1930s, to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan’s streets. Section 1 of the High Line is open as a public park, owned by the City of New York and operated under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Friends of the High Line is the conservancy charged with raising private funds for the park and overseeing its maintenance and operations, …
R 20th Century Design showroom was the first stop of the day. R 20th Century represents a distinguished group of historical and contemporary designers whose work is among the most innovative and finely crafted of their time. Zesty Meyers and Evan Snyderman founded R 20th Century in 1997 to realize their combined goal of promoting a closer study, appreciation and preservation of 20th and 21st century design. R is currently developing exhibitions and publications on the designers it represents — a diverse program that includes work from North America, South America, Europe and Asia produced between 1945 and today.(source) Evan walked us through the store and talked about some of the artists they represent. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and cute. I was really intrigued by artists Hugo França, Jeff Zimmerman and David Wiseman. Hugo França creates functional and sculptural work from discarded wood found in Brasil. Finding wood left behind by deforestation requires constant scouting in the Trancoso, Bahia, area. Finding his way on foot, by donkey or canoe, he relies on the Pataxo …
The second stop was Craig Van Den Brulle. Craig Van Den Brulle is the owner of the upscale Craig Van Den Brulle furniture store in the Nolita section of Manhattan, which opened in October 2007. Van Den Brulle has been in the home furnishings industry for over 10 years. In 1997 he opened Capitol Furnishings; the celebrated boutique featuring 20th Century home furnishings and his own “urban classic†designs. Capitol quickly became an essential shopping destination for the city’s most influential architects, interior designers and collectors. Van Den Brulle has now expanded from the original Capitol Furnishings to a 3,000 square foot flagship store which is just one block away on Elizabeth Street. He is the designer of the VAN DEN BRULLE signature collection, a line of upscale furniture and home essentials inspired by clean lines and modern simplicity. In addition to selling home furnishings, Craig Van Den Brulle buys modern designer pieces from the 1930’s to the 1980’s. They also have a rental service for the film, television, and magazine industries. To complete this …
The Crosby Street Hotel is an eclectic and quiet place with tucked away patios. During the day it’s cheerful and bright but I could see it being quite romantic in the evenings, especially on the huge back patio. CROSBY STREET HOTEL is situated on a quiet cobbled street in the heart of New York’s vibrant SoHo neighbourhood. There are 86 bedrooms and suites over 11 floors. Each has high ceilings and full length windows. Interior design by Kit Kemp reflects a fresh, contemporary style. There is The Crosby Bar, a private leafy garden, guest drawing room, several stylish private event and meeting rooms, a luxurious 99 seat screening room and fully equipped gym(source). A short film by Jean Roman Seyfried called The Reconstruction Of My Views was made that chronicles the building of the Crosby Street Hotel over a 2.5 year period. I learned the Crosby also has a state-of-the-art screening room with 99 seats. The setup uses the most advanced technologies with 3D capabilities. Of course there is a Sunday night film club too. …
Todd Merrill is located in a building with beautiful stone carvings. It was another store that was packed to the gills with furnishings.  You always were discovering something new that was missed in this store. Todd Merrill Antiques features American and European vintage furniture, antiques and lighting from the 1920’s to the 2000’s. Including rare and unique furniture by Paul Evans, Karl Springer, James Mont, Gio Ponti, Adnet, Fornasetti, Venini, Tommi Parzinger, LaVerne, Vladimir Kagan and many more. Todd Merrill Antiques has opened a new 4000 square foot shop focusing on American and European designer furniture and lighting from the 1920s through the 1980s, at 65 Bleecker Street in New York City. The new showroom is on the ground floor of the Bayard-Condict Building, New York’s only building by esteemed architect Louis Sullivan. The historic landmark space is located at the top of Crosby Street at the intersection of Bleecker Street, and looks directly down into the heart of Soho.(source) It was at Todd Merrill that I finally began to understand how important Paul Evans …
Moss is one part of a space that holds three stores. The other two are Flos and Moroso. This trio of stores were my favourites on this trip. In 1994, former fashion entrepreneur Murray Moss opened Moss in a small gallery space in Soho, with a determination to transform the public perception of industrial product design. The store quickly became internationally known for its product selection and presentation, with clients ranging from highly informed design professionals, to celebrities, students, and tourists with maps. The shop grew and evolved — expanding to nearly 7000 square feet in late 1999 when Moss’s partner Franklin Getchell joined the company. Together they expanded the product base to include furniture, especially from Italian manufacturers, lighting, watches and jewelry, books, tabletop and a significantly increased focus on the studio work of the designers we offered(source). Moss also has a small section of unusual jewellery and watches. It’s just as eclectic as the other offerings in the store. They aim to have more than just home furnishings for sale which attracts a …
Moroso is another store that makes up my favourite trio with Flos and Moss. This was the first store that had a lot of textiles on display that we visited. The standout fixture was the huge white couch with the large, intricate black and white drawing behind it. The drawing’s historical style contrasts with the modern furnishings around it. It’s really interesting to see how each store is incorporated invisual displays. Items from Moss, Flos and Moroso are together throughout the three separate spaces. That collaborative sales pitch isn’t something I see often and very effective considering the niche placements of each store. The best way to introduce ourselves? Just telling you what we do. Since 1952 MOROSO has been designing its sofas, armchairs and accessories with wellknown designers such as Ron Arad, Carlo Colombo, Enrico Franzolini, Marc Newson, Toshiyuki Kita and Patricia Urquiola. MOROSO has been constructing its sofas and armchairs aiming at top quality. For its quality, the company was the first producer of upholstered furniture in Italy to receive on 24 June …
Flos occupies the corner of the shared building with Moss and Moroso. It’s home to some seriously hot looking light fixtures. You can find designers like Philippe Starck, Jasper Morrison and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni here. Today Flos is an international organization that offers a complete range of residential, commercial and even custom-made lighting products that can be seamlessly integrated in any office, hotel, or store, together with a specifically designed line of informative materials, among which a corporate manual. Flos contract division assists architects with the know-how it acquired over its forty years of experience not only as a manufacturer, but also as a specialty lighting systems designer for a wide-range of challenging environments, such as museums, stores, and theatres.(source) The store itself is quite minimal with a few tables. Most pieces are displayed on shelving built into the walls. The standout item in the store is the oversized Kelvin LED lamp design by Antonio Citterio with Toan Nguyen in 2009. The Hooo!!! & Haaa!!! Lamp By Philippe Starck, Jenny Holzer, Moritz Waldemeyer and Baccarat …
I just got my beloved Chloé booties from the Spring Summer 2008 collection fixed at Kaner. They have been out of my shoe rotation for at least a year because I’m that lazy. It inspired me to share my shoes on the blog. I really loved Chloé with Paulo Melim Andersson at the helm. I wish I was able to get a few more pieces by him before he was kicked out of the house. These were a Holt Renfrew Now or Never buy.
The Venomous Villains collection from MAC Cosmetics sounds like a lot of fun. I can’t wait to see the colour palette for the villians. Four of Disney’s nastiest characters — Cruella De Vil of “101 Dalmations†fame, the Evil Queen from “Snow White,†Maleficient from “Sleeping Beauty†and Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog — are getting their own color lineups come Sept. 30. The bold hues in the lineup — 40 in all, ranging in price from $12 to $29.50 and divided into four collections emblazoned with the characters’ images — were inspired by Pantone reproductions of Disney’s original drawings. “Disney gave us the colors used when these characters were drawn throughout their history,†said Balbier, noting that Cruella and the Evil Queen share more “real woman†shades, such as red lips and peachy blush. Maleficent is “pure fantasy,†said Balbier, noting that offbeat purples, blackened shades and pearlized nails were used. Dr. Facilier headlines the new Magically Cool Liquid Powders. “This is a featherlight powder that goes on like a mist …
I drooled over the crazy shearling boots from Burberry for Fall Winter 2010 – 2011. Luisaviaroma finally has the short style for sale. Shearling Low Boots by Burberry Prosum They look pretty comfortable with the rubble sole. However, they do have a 5 inch heel. It looks like there is a bit of a platform too. I’m hoping the Burberry store or Holt’s carries these shoes so I can get a closer look at them. images: luisaviaroma.com
Proenza Schouler accessories have been totally amazing for the last few seasons. (See Proenza Schouler Pre-Fall 2010 Accessories). I’m loving the Resort handbags. Dying for a PS1 handbag. images: wwd.com
Tavan & Mitto is Payam Tavan and Mike Mitto from Montréal. They have been designing together since 1995 where they first catered to private clients with their made to measure business. In spring 2001 they started a ready to wear collection due to the demand they were seeing. Payam Tavan has a Master’s degree from Domus Academy in Milan and worked with the head stylist at Gianfranco Ferré. Mike Mitto studied in Paris at La Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and worked for Chanel for several seasons. This was my first exposure to the brand in person. I had heard the name before in passing but never did do any follow-up to learn more. I think they make beautiful clothing. As an office worker, I could see myself in a lot of these pieces. I love the draping and contrast of the structured pieces with sheer chiffon. All garments are made in Montreal (yes, even the beaded pieces). The construction is impeccable. They manage to keep their prices very reasonable even though there are …
I’m just loving the Dolce & Gabbana menswear ad campaign for fall winter 2010 – 2011. Hot images: thefashionspot.com