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Jem and the Holograms are Coming to Holt Renfrew

Jem and the Holograms are Coming to Holt Renfrew

Jem and the Holograms are Coming to Holt Renfrew

The best news came across my computer yesterday. Integrity Toys Inc is releasing a new set of collectable dolls based on Jem and the Holograms. I’m super psyched as I really liked the show when I was growing up but was really a bit too old to play with the dolls (even though I really wanted them). Now in 2012, it’s acceptable if an adult has dolls, so yay for me.

On November 17th Holt Renfrew stores across Canada will carry the first four characters from the original JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS collection.

Following the sold-out release of the Special Edition: HOLLYWOOD JEM doll in San Diego this summer, Integrity Toys Inc. (under license by Hasbro) released the newest collectables in the series, which extends to CLASSIC JEM, her alter ego JERRICA BENTON, magical holographic computer SYNERGY and RIO PACHECO, JEM’s road manager and love interest. Each exciting character comes dressed in a “truly outrageous” and authentic look, which includes a set of rockin’ miniature accessories.

“JEM fans will be thrilled when they see the episode specific references that have been added to the design of these characters,” said Vaughn Sawyers, head designer of Integrity Toys, Inc.

“All stops were pulled to create the ultimate JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS collectible dolls for both past and present fans of the 1980s hit TV series,” – Alain Tremblay, Marketing Director of Integrity Toys, Inc.

Jem and the Holograms are Coming to Holt Renfrew

Jem and the Holograms are Coming to Holt Renfrew

The only thing missing from this reissue is THE MISFITS!!!! Like honestly, who really liked Jem and the Holograms. The Misfits made the show and their music was better. I’m not jazzed about the Jerrica, Jem and Rio dolls but man do I like the looks of Synergy.

All four Jem and the Holograms dolls will be available at Holt Renfrew stores across Canada for $125 starting on November 17, 2012. Quantities are limited and people will only be able to purchase 1 character per customer

images: courtesy of Holt Renfrew

i want: A Biker Jacket by Sacai

A Biker Jacket by Sacai

A Biker Jacket by Sacai

Sacai by Chitose Abe is a favourite in I want – I got land. She has such a fantastic eye and uncanny ability to merge polar opposite styles together. These are dream clothes and she’s created my dream Biker Jacket.

Cowhide biker jacket, long zips sleeves, three zip pockets, one flap pocket, belt with adjustable buckle, button tab on shoulders, closure by asymmetric zip. Taupe and black lining in cupro, wool and polyester fixed thanks to snap buttons, long sleeves, frill on front and bottom.

I love the convertable nature of this jacket. Remove the frill if you want something simple and add it when the time is right. You can see it here on the runway in stunning white. The price however is the downside at $4500 from Colette. Holt Renfrew Bloor Street carries some Sacai pieces but I haven’t looked around lately to see if this was one of them.

images: colette.fr

Battle Pink aka Nail Art for Rethink Breast Cancer

Battle Pink aka Nail Art for Rethink Breast Cancer

Battle Pink aka Nail Art for Rethink Breast Cancer

Rethink Breast Cancer asked me to participate in Battle Pink this October.

What happens when you pit a radio host against a style blogger, or stage a battle with a beauty editor vs. a newspaper columnist? Rethink Breast Cancer presents BATTLE PINK! The charity has gathered writers, on-­‐air talent, stylists and bloggers to compete in a FIRST EVER creative battle royale during the month of October to raise awareness and funds for Rethink Breast Cancer.

On October 1st, 2012, Rethink will post images taken by the 24 contest participants showcasing 12 PINK products, and the public will be asked to vote for their favorite photos. Penguin Books Canada has pledged to match each vote cast with $1! Some of the face-­‐offs include: Taylor Kaye (KISS 92.5) vs. Anita Clarke (IwantIgot.com), Sarah Kelsey (Huffington Post Canada) vs. Tiyana Grulovic (The Globe and Mail), Afiya Francisco (TheStyleHouse.ca) vs. Sharon and Tara of the Backseat Stylers (BackseatStylers.com), and Jen McNeely (SheDoesTheCity.com) vs. Chenessa Lam (StyleEmpire.ca), amongst others.

My Pink Product was the Root watch pictured. I wasn’t really sure how I was going to style this watch and in the last hour I decided that nail art would be the way to go. I took the Rethink and watch colours as inspiration and went to town. I even did nail art pink ribbons. It took me about a hour to complete my nail art journey. Everything turned out good except for the ring fingers. I was trying to do a fishtail braid mani but I messed it up a bit.

Battle Pink Voting is open right now and it’s free. Vote for me, vote for others, it doesn’t matter because each vote is $1 donated to Rethink courtesy of Penguin Books Canada. Keep voting until October 14, 2012.

i want: Herringbone Biker Jacket by Mr. Gentleman

One of my twitter friends let me know about these amazing Herringbone Biker Jacket by Japanese brand, Mr. Gentleman. It’s menswear and I’m in love.

Herringbone Biker Jacket by Mr. Gentleman

Herringbone Biker Jacket by Mr. Gentleman

Mr. Gentleman is a menswear line based out of Japan. Designers, Takeshi Osumi (PHENOMENON) and Yuichi Yoshii (THE CONTEMPORARY FIX) teamed up to create the brand whose concept is basic menswear.

Herringbone Biker Jacket by Mr. Gentleman

Herringbone Biker Jacket by Mr. Gentleman

The jacket retails for Â¥68,250 or about $900CDN. It’s sold out on The Contemporaryfix.com site which doesn’t really matter much to anyone outside of Japan because they don’t deliver internationally. I have to find my hands on some kind of reasonable facsimile or get it done custom.

images: Contemporaryfix.com

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead is a Toronto based label that creates unisex sportswear using natural and organic fabrics manufactured in Toronto. I think the Muttonhead fall winter 2012 – 2013 lookbook and video are very clever this season.

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

The corresponding video for the fall winter 2012 – 2013 collection is a very twisted in a fun way.

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 - 2013

Muttonhead Fall Winter 2012 – 2013

geekiviews: Shoe Innovations: A Visual Celebration of 60 Styles

Shoe Innovations: A Visual Celebration of 60 Styles - Caroline Cox

Shoe Innovations: A Visual Celebration of 60 Styles – Caroline Cox

Firefly Books contacted me about a new fashion book called Shoe Innovations: A Visual Celebration of 60 Styles: by Caroline Cox. They also provided me with a copy for this review. Shoe Innovations is visual guide to the 60 most iconic shoe designs from the 20th and 21th centuries. Caroline Cox adds important social, historical and cultural context to the shoes in addition to the stunning photography and sketches.

This is not just a picture book, Caroline provides meaty descriptions of each design. It’s a perfect reference to modern shoe design that can be read from cover to cover or picked up for reference. There are numerous photos of the shoes from the historical to modern. Shoe Innovations was published in August 2012 so it’s pretty current.

I am very impressed with this book. It’s a great reference and guide that provides historical, designer, celebrity and cultural background to each style. It’s also a perfect size for a reference book. You can view some sample pages on the Firefly Books website. It can fit into a handbag as well as look good on a coffee table. I think it would make a perfect addition to anyone’s fashion library, especially the shoeaholic.

Caroline Cox is a London based Fashion historian and writer.

Shoe Innovations: A Visual Celebration of 60 Styles is 29.95CDN and available from Amazon.ca and Chapters Indigo.

I want – I got Does TIFF – Tastemakers Lounge

I want - I got Does TIFF - Tastemakers Lounge

I want – I got Does TIFF – Tastemakers Lounge

I participated in a little bit of  TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) events this year. First stop on my journey for 2012 started at the eight annual Tastemakers Lounge at the InterContinental Toronto Centre hotel. They had a number of brands including Yorkdale Mall, La Senza, Indeed Laboratories, The Tea Emporium, Kiss, Popchips, John Allan, Demeter Fragrance Library, Kimberley’s Own All Natural Granola, Bobble, Le Dolci, Viviscal Maximum Strength, Me + You… and Emjoi MICRO Pedi in the lounge and all ready to give free stuff to celebrities coming through.

I want - I got Does TIFF - Tastemakers Lounge

I want – I got Does TIFF – Tastemakers Lounge

Media types got a smaller selection of goods with big-ticket items going to talent.

I want - I got Does TIFF - Tastemakers Lounge

I want – I got Does TIFF – Tastemakers Lounge

I want - I got Does TIFF - Tastemakers Lounge

I want – I got Does TIFF – Tastemakers Lounge

Here are my top swag picks

  • Kimberley’s Own All Natural Granola is wheat- and gluten-free, oat-based granola. I had the Just Seeds flavour and I’ve already finished off the bag I was given. It was delicious.
  • I love Microsoft mice. Every mouse I’ve loved to death has been an MS product. So, I was delighted to get the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse “Year of the Dragon” from Yorkdale, who will be welcoming a Microsoft store as part of their expansion.
  • La Senza is the only store I shop at for underwear for many years now. The reason is simple, variety of styles in my size. Other shops I’ve visited don’t stock very many styles in 32A and it gets frustrating when you find out you have four styles to choose from in a stores with dozens of styles available. I received a bra from their latest “Beyond Sexy” collection which I love and is different from the standard neutral colour I would normally choose. I took home a $75 gift card too which I promptly spend on underwear.
  • I haven’t made my mind up about Indeed Labs‘s eysilix, the 5 in 1 eye contour treatment. It claims to do it all so I’m going to see how it stands up to my favourite StriVectin-SD Eye Concentrate.
  • My favourite tea shop, The Tea Emporium was there and I got a little pack of Garden of Eden/Crimson Sunset tea mix to take home.
  • I’ve tried the imPRESS Press-On Manicure product and was pretty impressed. People thought they were real. They were showing off some fun new colours like neon pink and navy blue. I’m still not convinced about the Nail Dress products which are stickers. I tried some Sally Hansen nail stickers the weekend before and got two nails in before I quit. At the lounge they had manicurists apply the stickers. That didn’t go well either, it was a bit rushed and I ended up removing the stickers before I got on the elevator to head back to the office.
  • Demeter Fragrance Library had their fragrance bar setup and I got to learn a lot about the company and their scents from the CEO. I’m kinda obsessed with them now as the scents are so pure.
  • My number one product from the Tastemakers lounge is Emjoi’s MICRO Pedi. This portable, hand-held pedicure product is the best thing ever. It’s a micro mineral roller that gently and effortlessly buff away the dead skin on soles and heels. It’s the best beauty product I’ve tried this year.
I want - I got Does TIFF - Tastemakers Lounge

I want – I got Does TIFF – Tastemakers Lounge

Many celebrities passed through the Tastemakers Lounge over TIFF and you can check out the photos of their adventures courtesy of Rock-it Promo’s flickr site.

images: courtesy of Rock-it promo

Smythe Fall 2012 – 2013 Videos

Smythe celebrates the fall 2012 collection with these great campaign videos. I love the rough and tumble outdoorsy women contrasted with the feminine outfits and beautiful silhouettes of the Smythe jackets.

Smythe celebrates Fall 2012 with this film created by Toronto creative agency Open, directed by Christina Hodnet (Sons & Daughters) and with music by Apollo.