TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan

TFW Spring Summer 2013 - Pink Tartan
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan

Pink Tartan brought out the a list fashion folk. She enlisted Maybelline New York Spokesmodel Charlotte Free and Irina Lazareanu to model. Annabel Tollman, celebrity stylist lent a hand to pull the runway looks together.

“This collection has been inspired by geometric shapes, sharp lines and defined angles. I have incorporated an intricate geometric cut or detail into each piece of the collection in a non-traditional manner. The end result is a collection that dynamic, exciting and ultimately Pink Tartan this season.” – says President and Head Designer, Kim Newport-Mimran (source: Press Release)

TFW Spring Summer 2013 - Pink Tartan
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan

The collection looked influenced by the 50s and Greaser culture. There were plenty of full skirts, sweetheart necklines and high-waisted bottoms. There were a lot of classic shapes featured but the details were in the fabric and colour choices. I enjoyed the contrast of the show. There was the first, lighter half with the delicate mint, pink, white and silver. The brocade details add some texture and uniqueness classic looks.

TFW Spring Summer 2013 - Pink Tartan
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan

The second, darker half of the collection featured black and gold. It reminded me of when Sandy gets into her hot leather gear at the end of Grease. When Sandy isn’t wearing leather, I picture her wearing these Pink Tartan pieces.

TFW Spring Summer 2013 - Pink Tartan
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan

I like the daily dispatches at fashion week. Maybelline sends out makeup updates. Here is what Maybelline New York’s Lead Makeup Artist Grace Lee came up with for Pink Tartan. You can view Pink Tartan Spring Summer 2013 beauty shots on the Maybelline Flickr Page.

Maybelline New York makeup artist Grace Lee created a natural, soft look. The delicate makeup was a mix of gorgeous dewy skin and feminine pink lips – complimenting the clean, architectural lines of the collection. Kim Newport-Mimran, President and Head Designer of Pink Tartan, is always on the lookout for what is fresh, new and inspiring – so having Maybelline New York muse Charlotte Free open and close the show ensured that these three elements were brought to the runway.(source: Press Release)

TFW Spring Summer 2013 - Pink Tartan
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan

This was also the debut of the Pink Tartan x Aldo Rise shoes. Glad to see another Canadian in the program.

Kimberley Newport-Mimran, President and Head Designer of Pink Tartan, teamed up with ALDO to design footwear as part of the ALDO RISE program. Working in collaboration with the ALDO footwear design team, the result is a timeless yet contemporary single soled pump that hits key trends for the season. Presented in graphic black and white, the block trapeze-shaped, metallic electroplated heel adds a chic modernity to the classic leather upper and almond toe. Equally luxurious is Pink Tartan’s signature quilted clover with repeating pattern on the leather insock and lining, offering the ultimate in comfort and sophistication.

“We’ve been fans of Pink Tartan from the get-go. They’re a proudly Canadian brand that continues to raise the bar while delivering right on target. Working with Kimberly has been a genuine pleasure – she’s a class act. Her elegant taste and timeless aesthetic pushed our design team to develop a style that feels like an instant classic.” – Douglas Bensadoun, Creative Director – VP Marketing, ALDO Group.

TFW Spring Summer 2013 - Pink Tartan
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan

I enjoyed this collection. I thought the mint and pink would turn me off but I’m getting softer in my old age. It’s pretty easy to buy my love with full skirts in most absolute favourite length, the Tea Length. You can see the rest of the looks from the Spring Summer 2013 Pink Tartan show at World Master Card Fashion Week after the jump.

Seventy Seven by Kim Newport-Mimran

Seventy Seven Boutique

Seventy Seven is the flagship store for Pink Tartan by Kimberley Newport-Mimran. The shop featured the Pink Tartan collection and a selection of items that complement the line and represent the Pink Tartan lifestyle. The store is located in Yorkville and has taken over a historic Georgian building.

Seventy Seven Boutique

The historic Georgian gem was built in 1837, and since 1926 it housed the antique treasure trove The Paisley Shop. The space has been redesigned by inter-nationally acclaimed designer Diego Burdi of Burdifilek (W hotels Atlanta, The Thompson residences presentation centre Toronto, the Club Monaco flagship in New York City). “It is beautiful and white, with light herringbone floors and modern panelling,” says Newport-Mimran, who wanted the shop to reflect the homes she shares in Toronto and New York with her husband, Joe Mimran, and family. “We have mixed modern classics with vintage pieces.” Context was the point for her first foray into retail under her own label, an opportunity to showcase the full Pink Tartan lifestyle.

Seventy Seven Boutique

I went to the media preview a few days before the official opening. I chatted with Kim for a bit and got a look around her gorgeous store. I’m really impressed with the execution.  The store is very minimal and the stark decor is a great contrast to the interesting products for sale.

Seventy Seven Boutique

There are range of luxury gift items, clothing and accessories that were chosen to complement the Pink Tartan collection.   The additional clothing lines range from contemporary to ultra luxury furs.  They are a good complement to the Pink Tartan line.  It’s a good gifting store with books, candles, skin care products, footwear and eyewear.  It’s very much a lifestyle store and doesn’t focus strictly on clothing.  The store is meticulous in a good way.  I’m impressed.

Seventy Seven Boutique

I took these photos with the Olympus 9-18mm f4.0-5.6 Zuiko ED Micro Four Thirds Lens. It’s a wide angle lens and it really allowed me to get photos of most of the room compared to a regular lens.  The top two photos are good examples.

Seventy Seven
77 Yorkville
Toronto, ON

LGFW SS11: Pink Tartan Spring Summer 2011

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Kimberley Newport-Mimran had the 70s on the brain while designing the Pink Tartan spring summer 2011 collection. The 70s is a major trend that appeared on the runways of high fashion capitals. It resulted in a looser fit, shiny fabrics and lots of colour.   Pink Tartan used colour blocking, stripes and sheers with a 70s touch.  This is my favourite Pink Tartan collection.  It was a joy to watch.  The presentation was cute with the models taking positions on risers beside the runway after their pose.

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I enjoyed so many elements of this show.  The batik style prints worked well on the jacket and the maxi dress.  Jewel tone strapless jumpsuits make me very happy.  Great looks featuring shorts with cute blazers.  Amanda Laine’s outfit was my favourite on Monday at the Holt Renfrew show.  The green and black print reminds me of Proenza Schouler.  It’s amazing that the ethereal sheer tiered maxidress came in neon yellow.  I dig the neon and I’m glad Kim is too.  I want it all.

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I loved the leopard print.  The spots are just the right size.  A leopard print jumpsuit rounds out the great collection of jumpsuits from Pink Tartan. In a sea of wide leg pants there were a few slim choices and I loved the orange pair.  The colours in this collection gave off some serious wattage on the runway.  They are so bright.  George Antonopoulos the stylist who put the looks together did an amazing job. The boater hats were cute choice.

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The collection is so vibrant and inviting but I’m not a fan of  the shiny black fabric used in some looks.  From a collection cohesion perspective they worked but I didn’t particularly enjoy them.  I can’t wait to see that neon in the stores come 2011.

Sponsored Post – This is a series of posts on LG Fashion Week that are sponsored by Shick. Bloggers can explore the Chick Advisor Flickr feed and freely use LG Fashion Week photos provided by Shick and Chick Advisor on their blogs.

LGFW SS11: Holt Renfrew Presents Spring Summer 2011

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So it’s LG Fashion Week once again. Toronto now has its own kick at the Spring Summer 2011 collections. The venue has changed to Heritage Court at Exhibition Place. It’s a lot roomier and there are lots of bathrooms. Getting into the runway room is alway a chore and that hasn’t changed. I love the exposed brick but I wish it was on both sides of the building. The non brick side could have used some extended curtains but I’m getting a little nitpicky here. Overall, decent except for the bad sun glare at the end of the night.

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Monday night saw Holt Renfrew bring its traditional media cocktail party to the runway. We saw some of the best of Canadian fashion in one runway show. Denis Gagnon, Jeremy Laing, Lida Baday, Line RUNWAY, Mikhael Kale, Pink Tartan, Smythe, Wayne Clark and Wings + Horns all presented several looks from their spring summer 2011 collections. This show was also a sneak peek at the upcoming Pink Tartan and Line Knitwear shows. The runway show didn’t have champers and nibbies, so it was a bit bittersweet. I stopped attending when they moved to the breakfast format started, work was beckoning at that time. Coco Rocha even attending wearing Spring Summer 2011 Greta Constantine and looking wonderful. She also gave a little speech at the beginning.

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I loved Jeremy Laing. His clothing is just so effortlessly cool on everyone I see. Now I’m even more excited to see the stuff in the studio. I knew I would see the entire collection from Pink Tartan and Line Knitwear the next day so I didn’t read anything into the looks shown. I would make judgments on the whole show. I liked what I did see though. I’m pretty bang on with my CBC Radio One trend predictions of colour blocking and stripes. Pink Tartan knocked that prediction out of the park.

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I was glad it wasn’t the real Line Knitwear show because all I could focus on was the models and the shoes. It wasn’t pretty even though the knits and printed silks were. I’m usually the biggest Mikhael Kale fangirl and it really pains me to say that I only liked the finale dress and the tan cropped leather jacket. The dress was so sparkly and beautiful. It memorized me as it shimmered under the lights down the runway. There is little left to the imagination because of the plastic which makes it a bit scandalous. 🙂 Lida Biday and Wings + Horns were both well made lines but didn’t grab me at all.

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I really like the styling for Smythe. It made me smile and it looked like fun. Plus I’m a huge fangirl. I also liked the styling for Pink Tartan. You work it George.

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I was gaga for Denis Gagnon again. I cannot wait for his show on Friday. Cannot freaking wait! He’s continuing the string thing which I love and doing something very cool things with stripes. It was my first Wayne Clark runway experience and he opened with Rose. I love Rose she’s cool. He did a series of long red gowns with bows, ruffles and roses.

So, my LG Fashion Week posts are sponsored this week. This doesn’t affect my editorial point of view and I get awesome pit pictures out of the deal (ya and money). Bloggers can also use these photos for free on their sites. Follow the Chick Advisor Flickr Feed to see the latest shows. Next up for me is Pink Tartan, Jessica Jensen + Alexander Berardi and Line Knitwear.

Sponsored Post – This is a series of posts on LG Fashion Week that are sponsored by Shick. Bloggers can explore the Chick Advisor Flickr feed and freely use LG Fashion Week photos provided by Shick and Chick Advisor on their blogs.

LGFW – Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010

LGFW – Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010
LGFW – Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010 Favourite Looks

The Olympus PEN died just before the Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010 fashion show. I have no pictures and I wasn’t happy. Just another headache to deal with on Wednesday which was painful. Battling crowds and terrible entrance points into the runway room has a way of turning one into a bitch very quickly. I remembered how I spent the Spring 2010 Pink Tartan show, drinking a Peroni in the VIP area watching the show on the LG tvs. I wished for a return to those simple days.

The show opened with an electric Violinist. I really don’t know what he had to do with the collection. The theme of the Pink Tartan show is aviation. The models wore aviator style hats. Winged shoes and harnesses made of fur and feathers evoked winged gods like Icarus or Mercury. There were bomber jackets of the puffy variety and ones made of leather and trimmed with fur or Mongolian fur. Shapes were generally body conscious with legging like pants and dresses. Some dresses broke from their body con counterparts at the waist with full skirts. There were a lot of details: shoulders were high and rounded or pearl encrusted, ruffles gathered at the centre of the body on dresses and tops, zipper tops and bows.

LGFW – Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010
LGFW – Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010 Favourite Looks

I’m really sick of seeing fur on the runway. So many designers are using it because it’s trendy and not a product of their theme for Fall. Pink Tartan’s fur usage had been harmless enough until this horrible, ill fitted fur skirt came down the runway. All I thought was, “They actually sent this monstrosity out on the runway.” It looked terrible and stiff on the model and when it doesn’t look good on them you are in trouble. It was a completely out-of-place piece that should have stayed backstage. The lone jodhpur look could have stayed too, the theme is aviation not equestrian.

Edit, edit, edit. I say this all the time. I guess people feel the need to have long shows. I say Celine has shown us you can have a 4 minute show and no one will care, some will even rave about it. There were a lot of repetition of looks in different colours. I don’t think it’s necessary to see the dress with fur bottom in all three colour choices. Especially when your audience is already losing focus.

LGFW – Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010
LGFW – Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010 Favourite Looks

Garment construction is never an issue with Pink Tartan but I was a bit bored by the collection. Remove the obvious show pieces and you’re left with some strong but standard looks. I did have a few favourites though.

See more photos from the Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010 collection on Lgfashionweek.ca.

images: George Pimentel

The Blanket Statement by The Hudson’s Bay Company

The Blanket Statement by The Bay

I was invited to the preview of  The Blanket Statement in the Hudson’s Bay Company Shop on Queen Street.  The Blanket Statement is a collaboration that saw 10 Canadian designers rework the traditional Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket into coat. In addition to unveiling the 10 one of a kind coats, the event also showcased new items created for the Hudson’s Bay Company Shop.

The Blanket Statement by The Bay - Erdem

The Blanket Statement by The Bay - Harricana par Mariouche
Harricana par Mariouche

Specialty items from fashion to home to collectibles have been created by several Canadian fashion designers and artisans — encompassing everything from organic T-shirts to artisanal maple syrup cubes to women’s recycled fur accessories.

The Blanket Statement by The Bay - Todd Lynn
Todd Lynn

The Blanket Statement by The Bay - Lida Baday

The Blanket Statement by The Bay - Jeremy Laing
Jeremy Laing

My favourite coats are a toss up between Comrags and Smythe.

The Blanket Statement by The Bay - Comrags

The Blanket Statement by The Bay - Smythe

It wasn’t just womenswear designers, Krane and Klaxon Howl created something for the guys.

The Blanket Statement by The Bay - Krane
Krane

IMGThe Blanket Statement by The Bay - Klaxon Howl

The new collection at the Hudson’s Bay Company Shop included custom made canoes, canoe paddles, Pink Tartan Hudson’s Bay Point cardigans, $75 pure maple sugar cube (I was astonished at this item to be honest. I even had to twitpic it.), specially made tshirts from Shared, chocolates, chunky sweaters, Virgina Johnson printed scarfs, Point blankets, fur hats and stoles.

The Blanket Statement by The Bay - Pink Tartan

TEFW – Holt Renfrew Media Cocktail

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I always enjoy the Holt Renfrew Media Cocktail and I think they might have put the best one on yet. The 3rd floor Contemporary space was more open. No more talking through the racks of clothing. The runway was nice and high so everyone could get good pictures.

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Random celebrities showed up too. I was so angry that I missed Sam Neill in the flesh. I’ve been in love with that man since Jurassic Park. I was too busy running around talking to people and getting my picture taken. The Jeremy Laing dress I was wearing caused quiet the stir. Even Lisa Tant said she liked it. It was the first time she’s talked to me. I think of it as a personal fashion milestone. Yes, I am quite silly.

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This season we saw designs from Jeremy Laing, Greta Constantine, Erza Constantine, Pink Tartan, Lida Baday, Smythe, Denis Gagnon and Mikhael Kale. They are some of our best designer talent in Canada. They are all available at Holt Renfrew. Yes, Canadian designers are available at Holt’s.

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Denis Gagnon and his stylist did some DIY madness on Aldo shoes. They are so covetable. I’ve heard the rest of Denis’ collection is to die for. I need to find pictures stat. If you know of good ones, please leave a comment.

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I’d love to step into Mikhael Kale’s brain. He comes up with some crazy stuff. He’s very inventive with the fabrication. Loved the bright blue and pink shoes.

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This is one of my favourite dresses from the Jeremy Laing Spring 2010 collection. I love how the print converges to a point on the hip. Jeremy is so damn adorable. I knew I would see him at the cocktail and that’s why I decided to make sure I was representing him by wearing one of his dresses. I couldn’t believe that many people couldn’t figure out who I was wearing. I guess I’m just a little obsessed.

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