I’m a nail polish junkie. Here are some of the latest polishes I’ve been playing with. American Apparel Neon Deborah Lippmann – Bad Romance American Apparel Neon Deborah Lippmann – I Know What Boys Like and Today Was A FairyTail Chanel – Peridot Words cannot describe how in love I am with Peridot! It really is my favourite polish right now. Mermaid’s Tears by OPI
These flats from the fall winter 2011 – 2012 Rupert Sanderson collection are pretty cute alternatives to black or brown. images: tooklookbook.com
So, its been a funny year for me. I was one of the city’s most stylish people according to Derick Chetty of The Toronto Star and I helped choose Toronto Life’s 12 stylish people. It was weird being judged and then to flip the coin and do the judging. My partners in judging crime included Fashion editor-in-chief Bernadette Morra, The Bay’s Christopher Sherman and torontolife.com’s Kevin Naulls. It was a really interesting process to be a part of. I’m pretty proud of our selections. Get over to the Toronto’s 12 most stylish people post on torontolife.com and check them out. Just don’t read the comments, I haven’t. It’s pretty cool that our stylish Torontonian list was featured in the first print edition of the Toronto Life Stylebook which features fall fashion finds, Toronto’s Top 200 stores, street style and fall fashion trends. It can be found on newsstands or purchased online. The only thing that rubs me a little wrong is the illustration of me used. I’m gonna be blunt, it’s a distorted, ugly version …
Leah Barrett, Jabberdust designer, emailed me to let me know that a little project she worked on with Danielle Meder of Final Fashion is available for sale. Last year, Leah approached Danielle about illustrating some design concepts for the company. Danielle explains the whole process in this snippet here from her blog. Designer, entrepreneur, professor and blog reader Leah Barrett approached me with a project. Leah’s label, Jabberdust, is a line of scarves and accessories that features incredible handwork. Leah works closely with factories in India to showcase the possibilities of embellishment. Her background is in production management, and she surprised me with a rare proposal. I’m paraphrasing here – Leah said: “I’m very comfortable with the production aspect of the business, however I find the conceptual aspect of design more challenging. Would you be interested in designing a number of concepts and illustrating them – it can be anything you wish – and I will take those ideas to the factories and handle the technical development of the samples, and if they’re successful, the …
The whirlwind that is the Toronto International Film Festival has come and gone. This year TIFF was very quiet for I want – I got. I wasn’t on vacation like last year and client deadlines at the day job resulted in a low-key festival. I did send my friend and photographer Paul Baik to hit the red carpet at the most hyped TIFF party hosted by Alliance Films celebrating the 21 films they submitted to this year’s festival. Huge celebrities were invited and expected to walk the red carpet for this event. It didn’t turn out that way and the major celebs didn’t walk the red carpet. That’s the way things go sometimes. Paul stuck it out for a few hours and he said he had a good time (it was his first TIFF!). Here are some of his shots. See all of Paul’s photos in the slideshow. Thank you Paul for braving the TIFF scrum! images: paulbaik.com
Je Suis TV creates some cute little style videos. I’m featured in this one at the 1:30 mark wearing Primer by Greta Constantine.
WORN Journal Presents: Diversity and Fashion Magazines Panel Discussion – September 25, 2011. Sunday, September 25 · 5:00pm – 6:00pm Word On The Street @ Queens Park Diversity isn’t just a buzz word: it’s a commitment to showing equal representations across culture, subculture, gender identification, sexuality, size, race, and age. On Sunday, September 25th, join WORN Fashion Journal at the Word on the Street Canadian Magazines Tent. Editors Serah-Marie McMahon and Gwen Stegelmann will discuss the responsibility of fashion magazines to provide a comprehensive overview of the world outside of… mainstream fashion with a panel of industry insiders. PANEL GUESTS: Anita Clarke is the founder and EIC of the popular Toronto fashion blog, I Want – I Got. She’s been called one of Toronto’s most stylish people in 2011, a Toronto Fashion Hero by Now Magazine, Woman of the Year by She Takes on the World and one of the Worthy 30 by Shinan Govani. She has spoken on the topics of fashion, marketing, public relations and social media for various television and radio programs …
Daniela, owner of Chasse Gardee, is an accessories pusher. I was in the store one day and she showed me samples from the Beau Coops x Karen Walker Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection. They are now my newest obsession and I can’t wait till the shipment comes in so I can get myself a pair of the white leather brogues. Shush now, I know I already own a pair of white derby shoes by Rokin. Hmm, the Rokin’s were from Chasse Gardee too. Beau Coops is a London based footwear label designed by Carrie Cooper. Cooper’s designs are influenced by unisex dressing, menswear and androgyny. The label produces sculptural platform wedges, lace-up brogues and contrast toe ankle boots. I’ve always known Karen Walker for sunglasses. I’m going to own my first pair thanks to Moda Operandi sometime this fall. Karen is more than just sunglasses as she produces a ready to wear line and accessories. images: stylebistro.com
This editorial for the Hermès Spring Summer 2011 collection is wonderful. I scanned the images from the Le monde d`Hermès magazine. Normally, the only Hermès shoe I obsess over is the riding boot.  However, the last few seasons have been pretty fun for shoes and these are very colourful ones. images: scanned by me
The CND Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 LookBook was a neat little take away from my Shellac manicure experience. It talks about CND trends on the runways, designer partners and even step by step instructions to recreate a few styles. I’ve included a few pages of the lookbook here but you can download the full thing on the CND website.  Jen Kao’s nails (1st photo and below) are amazing. So much work and layers of polish were needed. Our cover concept plunges into the moody, trippy twilight-world of Jen Kao, embellished underwater-Avatar fantasy swirls and dominatrix swagger. Our team created cloisonné-like, decidedly decadent nails edged in golden dagger-tips. The designer’s new collection spins a psychedelic head-rush of peacock tones in silhouettes cut for strutting: cinched, fringed corsets and the pure funk of purple satin platform boots. Flyness overload! Ziggy Stardust era references, like sharp-shouldered jackets in acid-bright prints and lurex leggings, call for nails that can’t wait to boogie down the dance floor. (source Lookbook) CND also created a video for the fall winter …
Last year, I reviewed some boots on the site. I made a flippant comment about not caring about Cougar because the don’t make my childhood pillow boot anymore. I was completely wrong. I learned at a preview that the classic boot was coming back for Fall 2011. The anticipation for the Cougar Pillow Boot has been building for months. I’m a such a sucker for some of these retro trends and thankfully Matchstick send a pair over to me. In 1976, a Canadian classic was born. A tan leather, calf-high lace up with its famous red lining took an entire generation by storm. This fashion icon is the inspiration behind the new Cougar Pillow Boot. Made with soft, supple leather this next generation Pillow melds a decidedly vintage look with a modern twist, while still giving you the option to romp through the deepest Canadian snow.(source: Press release) The weather isn’t conductive to a functional review but I’ve been wearing them around the house and they are very comfortable boots. I like the updated design. …
Hi I’m changing it up and playing around with different themes. It will be wonky here for a bit. Thanks Anita
I love PR pitches that are for interesting companies like Erstwhile Jewelry Co. They specialize in rare, one of a kind jewellery items. There finds include antique and vintage engagement rings as well as jewellery from the 19th century Victorian, turn of the century Edwardian, french art nouveau, art deco, and retro 40’s eras. Rare jewellery from Cartier, Boucheron, Tiffany & Co., Bakelite, Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels and Bulgari are some of the designers that Erstwhile Jewelry Co. seek out. Jewellery from Erstwhile Jewelry Co. isn’t cheap as you can imagine. The three pieces pictured (Victorian Gold & Turquoise Bangle, Gold Kieselstein-Cord Crocodile Ring and Gold and Diamond Ibex Ring) range from $2,400 – $4,900. I’ve never been an engagement ring person but their selection of vintage engagement rings are so very beautiful. images: erstwhilejewelry.com
I decided to put aside my fears of gel manicures as a TIFF experiment. High View Communications and CND invited me to Shellac SpaManicure Day where guests would be treated to a Shellac manicure and meet CND president and founder, Jan Arnold. The event was just in time for TIFF and I liked the idea of CND reps doing my nails. There are a couple of things that make me wary of these types of manicures. I like to change my nail polish up a lot. I worry about being bored with the one colour. The colour palettes aren’t as extensive as regular polish I’m pretty good at doing my nails myself. I don’t get a lot of manicures during the year I have a large amount of nail polish colours Hmm, I need to return to the salon to remove this stuff. UV lamps, pure acetone and protective masks Nail recovery horror stories The CND team setup their manicure pop-up in the Hazelton Hotel. I browsed the CND lookbooks while waiting for my nail …
I’m liking the new H&M Conscious Collection Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection. I picked up a few pieces from the Spring Summer 2011 collection and I see a few fall pieces that I like. This season the H&M Conscious Collection takes influences from romanticism and Swedish folklore. The collection features recycled wool and organic fabrics like cotton , linen and hemp. The Conscious Collection collection uses embroidery and lace this season and I’m hoping they look good in person too. I’m never into H&M shoes but I love, love, love these booties. The Conscious collection will be available staring October 6, 2011 at the Eaton Centre, Yorkdale and Bloor Street locations in Toronto. Other Canadian locations are Downtown Montreal, The Pacific Centre and Metropolis at Metrotown. images: courtesy of H&M
Alex & Eli is an American based brand created by two Parsons graduates, Aja Singer (who is Canadian) and Anne Zeman. Their focus is suiting for women with tailored silhouettes and unusual detailing. I knew Aja and Anne were after my heart when I started to read the style names. As an unapologetic Star Trek fan, I was delighted to see things like The Vulcan Blazer, Enterprise Pant, the Voyager Blazer, the Kirk (it’s a jacket), Transporter Skirt and the Replicator Jacket. It was doubly delightful that the clothing looked really good. Womenswear influenced by menswear with a modern twist, how could I not love this. I finally saw a few pieces of the collection at the newly opened Intermix on Bloor Street. Great quality and looks just as good in pictures as real life. images: courtesy of Alex & Eli
I usually delete all hair related emails that come to me. I don’t have hair and because of that I never cover hair products on I want – I got. Emails that provide me offers of free haircuts and styling services often receive a snide remark on twitter. Sassoon Salon has been on the receiving end of one of my twitter rants but the press release I received about the MINIMUM collection got my attention. The MINIMUM collection’s latest colouring techniques, developed exclusively for Sassoon Salon by European Colour Director Peter Dawson, precise placement of ‘accents’ of colours add tone and contrast, working in tandem with the shape and cut of the hair to create sweeping accent lines that bring the look to life. I love the colour and shape of this haircut. It has a very futuristic mod feel and I love hunter green. If there was some way to transport this blonde woman’s hair to my head I might consider returning to team hair. Until then I’m a loyal member of team bald. …
This is fashion gold. The video is perfect awkward companion to the Lanvin Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 print ad campaign.