All posts filed under: Designers

Proenza Schouler at The Room

The Proenza Schouler duo of Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough came to Toronto for very short day trip and The Room celebrated their arrival. Unlike the Anna Dello Russo party, this was a small affair. It was a welcome change from the madness of Anna. I brought a long time blogging friend Zoë Hong with me. She’s a designer from San Fransisco that happened to be vacationing in Toronto for the weekend. Her Asymmetrical black leather corselet belt made my I want list. I still think about it. It was hilarious that Zoë visits Toronto and Danielle isn’t in the country.  Zoë did tell me stories of her adventures with Danielle in NYC to fill the void. It was pretty surprising that Jennifer Campbell of Flare recognized Zoë from the Internet. Oh, old school fash blogging days. Some media got interview time with Jack and Lazaro at the beginning of the event. I met them, super quickly made small talk and then photos. It’s like a factory floor when all the guests want to meet the guests. The guys were really …

Sacai Fall Winter 2011 – 2012

I love Chitose Abe and Sacai.  The Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection is fun as always.  Season after season Chitose has be combining and reworking clothing in wonderful ways.  She blends knitwear, parkas, dresses and lingerie together with incredibly wearable and cool results.   This is definitely a line I always check out on sale because it needs to be part of my collection.  Sadly, I’m not there yet but hopefully soon. Sacai is available at Holt Renfrew in Canada. images: vogue.com

Nella Bella Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 Preview

Nella Bella held their Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 preview at the Design Exchange a little over a month ago. The space was perfect for the launch. The Nella Bella team did a great job of presenting the collection to visitors. Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 season is the debut of the menswear collection NB man which is influenced by the 50s. Nella Bella paired up with Suzy Shier who provided looks for the mannequins to accompany the handbags.  I liked the addition of a complete look to highlight the handbags in each theme grouping. I really liked NB Man collection. It’s a smart expansion for the brand. The leather like handbag finishes include pebble and patent. The gallery contains my favourite women’s bags from the Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection. See all my photos from the event.

i want: Chanel J12 Chromatic Watches

So, Chanel PR has started to email me about all things Chanel. I’m not going to lie, my nerdy blogger self thinks this is pretty cool. The latest release was for the new Chanel J12 Chromatic watches. I normally go for bright colourful watches but it’s always good to have something that is a bit classic.  The J12 Chromatic watches are made from titanium ceramic which is a new highly scratch-resistant material almost that is almost hard as sapphire.  I really like the silvery grey finish on these watches.  It looks like liquid metal.  The perfect alternative to your standard black or silver.  There are a number of styles with varying amounts of diamonds or 18-karat white gold bezel, crown and hands. There are two size options, 33mm (top photo) and 38mm. I’ve only posted the women’s options but there is a men’s collection also. The Chanel J12 Chromatic commercial plays on that liquid metal look. Loading the player… images and video: courtesy of Chanel EDIT: Forgot the http://j12-chromatic.chanel.com link.  Enjoy the close up looks at the watches.  So …

i want: Miriam Salat Earrings

Jewellery designer Miriam Salat uses resin, sterling silver, 18kt gold vermeil and cubic zirconias for her hand crafted namesake jewellery line.  The collection has bracelets, necklaces and rings but the earrings are what grabbed my attention.  I love dangling statement earrings. Miriam Salat jewellery can be purchased online at miriamsalat.com. There aren’t any Canadian retailers at the moment. images: miriamsalat.com

Fitz & Fur by Roslyn Griffith Hall

Fitz & Fur is a jewelry collection created by Toronto based stylist, Roslyn Griffith Hall. Reclaimed is Fitz & Fur’s style. Throughout her travels, Roslyn attended vintage markets and estate sales and like many antiquing junkies she acquired a lot of things. There are so many objects used in the jewellery like watches, thimbles, skulls, heart-shaped lockets, lockets, keys, coins, letters, rings, pendants, spoons and guitar picks. Fitz & Fur uses those vintage finds for bracelets, necklaces and earrings. I had some vacation time recently and went to Roz’s cool little studio in my neighbourhood to check out the collection in person. Fitz & Fur uses religious imagery as inspiration. The cross is a comment element found in many pieces and makes rosaries using skull shaped bone beads from Thailand. She has recast the beads in silver because it’s becoming hard to find the bone ones in Thailand. The charm bracelets and everything but the kitchen sink necklaces are my favourites from Fitz & Fur. There is so much detail in the necklaces that you never …

Yohji Yamamoto through the SHOWstudio Lens

SHOWstudio has two brilliant videos about Yohji Yamamoto. The first video is called In Conversation with Yohji Yamamoto. It’s a one and one interview with SHOWstudio.com fashion director Alexander Fury. This interview has me excited for the upcoming documentary, Yohji Yamamoto: This is my Dream. The next video is called In Conversation, About Yohji Yamamoto. Photographer Nick Knight, art director Marc Ascoli and graphic designer Peter Saville discuss their work on Yamamoto’s seminal 1980s catalogues in a one-off conversation chaired by Madga Keaney, captured on film and edited by Ruth Hogben.(source)

Primary Fall Winter 2011 – 2012

While I was in Vancouver, I learned about a New York based fashion line called Primary which has a Canadian connection.  Vancouver native, Cleo Schroeder worked in the film industy in costume and styling before branching into design. She moved to New York to attend Parsons School of Design in 2007 as part of that transition. Primary was created in 2010 by Cleo and Steven Ahn. The first thing you notice about Primary is this incredibly striking model staring back at you. Christina Caradona serves at model/muse for Cleo. Leather, silk and wool are fabrics of choice for Primary luxe casual looks. I love the whole collection with the skirts, dresses and jackets being my favourites. Primary is available online at primaryny.com and in Vancouver at Charlie & Lee. images: primaryny.com

DANIER x Greta Constantine SKIN Launch Party

DANIER x Greta Constantine collection is so good. I had no inside access to these designs this time around.  So, the debut of the collection at the Neubacher Shor Contemporary gallery was a complete surprise. The gallery is a beautiful space with adjustable white walls, a huge window and exposed brick. It’s a great space for hanging artwork with the high ceilings. The six look collection ranges in price from $399 for a sleeveless bolero with exaggerated lapel to $999 for an asymmetrical, draped coat with rounded back. Key colour motifs include black, slate, eggplant, walnut, and lava, in a variety of fabrics ranging from Italian lamb leather to silky suede. As part of the capsule, Kirk and Stephen designed a contemporary take on the obi belt, a welcome addition to each look. “We sought to find a happy medium between fashion and function; to offer silhouettes that were appealing to the eye and still flattering on a variety of different body types,” explain Kirk and Stephen. The collection features several jacket types in leather …