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.
Tag: Spring 2011
Hermes Spring Summer 2011 Shoes
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
Hermes Spring Summer 2011 Bracelets
Hermès enamel bracelets are an obsession of mine. The sample sale allowed me to purchase one of my own. These editorial images I scanned from the Le monde d`Hermès magazine are total bracelet porn for me. I want them all.
I dream of adding more bracelets to my jewellery box and doing the collector thing. Perhaps even acquire a bracelet per season.
images: scanned by me
i got: Black Perforated Leather Sandals by Givenchy
Trolling the racks of Holt Renfrew’s now or never sales is always a Saturday afternoon pastime. I have this uncanny ability to find great designer pieces at great prices. There is one sales associate at Holts that is always amazed at my finds over the years like Dries Van Noten pants, Rick Owens Jacket and Alexander McQueen Shoes for example.
This season’s find are these sandals by Givenchy. They were featured in a post back in January called i want: Perforated leather sandals by Givenchy. I liked the white and tan colourway at that time but the black and brown is much more comfortable.
I’m not a strappy sandal type of girl but these are Givenchy and the heel isn’t towering. It’s always good to have some versatility in the shoe closet to combat the clunky and platform heavy options.
SHOWstudio does Spring Summer 2011 Haute Couture
The guys from SHOWstudio shoot model, Ming Xi in various iconic pieces from the Spring Summer 2011 Haute Couture collections. Designers featured include Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, and John Galliano for Christian Dior. I’ve embedded the fashion film featuring Ming Xi here on the site but I urge you to check out the SHOWstudio site because each Haute Couture look get an in depth video treatment like the Givenchy one I posted a couple weeks ago. These videos give you an up close look at the dresses and talks about significant design details. Plus, there is an interesting interview with Ming.
i want: Neff Zub ZenV 20 by Nooka
There is something about the Neff Zub ZenV20 by Nooka x Neff collaboration watch that I just love. I think it’s the little smiley face. Nooka has gotten love from I want – I got back in the early days. They are an innovative watch company that has an interesting take on the digital timepiece. Neff is a California based headwear company focusing on the skate/snow/surf industries.
The watch retails for $150US and can be found online at Nooka.com. Toronto retailers for Nooka include the AGO.
images: courtesy of Nooka
Anatomy of a Dress – Givenchy Spring Summer 2011 Haute Couture
I found this great little video that tzlks about 1 dress in detail from the Givenchy Spring Summer 2011 Haute Couture collection. I hope Tisci never leaves Givenchy.
Kirk Originals
I don’t know what it is about men that work in the eyewear industry that I find so fascinating. They always end up charming the pants of me (Well, not literally). Jason Kirk of Kirk Originals fits that mould to a T. He was so welcoming and pleasant when I met him at Karir Eyewear for the Kirk Originals media day.
Kirk Originals are known for their glittery frames and bright, saturated colours in materials like acetate and acrylic. Jason has a family history in the eyewear business so it made sense that he would follow in their footsteps. British based, Kirk Originals started in 1992. Currently, Jason and his wife Karen run the company from their home near Bordeaux, France. All frames are handmade in France also. Frames are architectural in shape and retro in design. Jason tells me that Kirk Originals isn’t for everyone and they really focus on their typical client.”The Kirk Originals wearer is creative, confident, irreverent and independent in their style choices,†says co-designer Jason Kirk. “We make glasses you can’t wait to put on in the morning.” I love that Jason understands that his product isn’t for everyone and doesn’t try to change that.
There are five lines in the Kirk Originals line up:
Kinetic – This line has lenticular images on each temple that produces a moving image effect
Kirk Heroes NG – This line takes a fun look at the Kirk’s family tree. The design is asymmetrical an inspired by a Kirk Hero.
Saturn – The Saturn line is one of my favourites. The surface has coloured crystals and the interior is covered in glitter. They aren’t for the faint of heart or wallflower.”
Sculpture – This line combines acetate and acrylic and the result is a large and varied colour palette
Sunglasses – The sunglasses collection takes design features from the Kinetic, Kirk Heroes and Saturn lines.
The first thing I noticed about Kirk Originals were the wide variety of colours. The Kirk Originals customer definitely isn’t looking for your classic black or tortoise shell frames. Jason pulled out trays and trays of brightly coloured frames for eyeglasses and sunglasses. The second thing I noticed was the glitter on the inside of the frames. It’s such a small feature but something that makes the frames stand out in a subtle way. Of course, I had to play dress up.
I’ve been on a crazy sunglasses kick this summer but I’m already planning my purchase. I love the Nymphette style in Ochre and gold glitter. Kirk Originals are available at Karir Eyewear boutiques. The price range is from $300 to $500. If you ever are in London, you should check out the Kirk Originals store. It’s has a great eyewear presenation wall design feature that looks really cool in photos. Jason was very proud of this and showed me photos on his laptop.
See all the photos from Jason Kirk Media Day at Karir Fashion Eyewear.
Dazed & Confused July 2011
The colours in this editorial for Dazed & Confused’s July 2011 issue are so rich.  The flowers are a perfect backdrop for the colourful clothing worn by model Lisanne de Jong. The editorial was shot by Viviane Sassen.
Some people in The Fashion Spot forums were complaining that Lisanne’s face was covered in most shots. I thought it was refreshing that her face wasn’t the focus of the shots. Â It brought the clothing details to the forefront.
images: fashiongonerogue.com
i want: Spring Summer 2011 Shoes by Viktor & Rolf
I’m in love with these spring summer 2011 Viktor & Rolf shoes. It’s the colour.
images: tooklookbook.com
i got: Alexandre Herchcovitch x MYKITA Sunglasses
I talked about ordering a pair of Alexandre Herchcovitch x MYKITA sunglasses at the MYKITA media day at Josephson Opticians. A few weeks after ordering they came in. I finally got to take advantage of the gift certificate I received in exchange for posing in the Josephson Opticians 75th anniversary ad.
I’m very, very happy with my purchase. The MYKITA’s shape is understated but it’s necessary to offset the insanely bright blue colour. The blue lens casts a beautiful light on everything. It makes me happy. I get a lot of stares with these sunglasses. Hmm, that seems to happen with all my sunglasses these days. I’m getting a MYKITA bug now and I really want the Bernhard Willhelm red metal ones.
images: me, Gary Campbell
MYKITA Spring Summer 2011
MYKITA‘s popularity is built on the snobbery of engineers. I laugh at this statement as Moritz Krueger and Philipp Haffmans describe their eyewear company’s rise in popularity. I met them at Josephson Opticians for MYKITA media day. They were in Toronto for a personal appearance and trunk show at the store. It’s rare to hear something that honest. So that kind of candor combined with the unstoppable ooze of cool the duo resonated made me like them immediately. How can you hate on a guy who can wear knickers and not look stupid? I thought it was physically impossible. I was wrong.
MYKITA is a Berlin based eyewear company. Moritz and Philipp are two of the four co-founders with Daniel Haffmans and Harald Gottschling rounding out the quartet. The Berlin headquarters serves as homebase for all steps of the business from design, production and marketing. HQ is called the Workshop. MYKITA’s snob factor is based on their patented hinge design that removes the need for screws and soldering. Individual frame elements are cut from thin sheets of stainless steel. They are then manually shaped into a functional hinge. The result is an ultralight weight hinge with a number of fitting options for comfortable wearing. The hinge is the stuff of dreams for engineers and they took to bragging.
MYKITA produces a number of collections per season. The N01 collection debuted in 2004 and features all metal frames. Sport casual influences like 70s style skiers and oversize frames dominate the spring summer 2001 offerings. They also incorporate some elements of the 60s Nylor frame.
The Decades collection looks to women’s eyewear from the 1950s and 60s in the butterfly Nylor style. I really like this spring summer 2011 style called Holly pictured above.
The N02 collection incorporates the patented MYKITA hinge and acetate. Spring summer 2011 influences include the 30s and the feminine with cat eye shapes. Â This style called Elsa is really nice too.
The Lite collection features the lightest frames MYKITA produces. The frames are made from only three pieces. Spring summer 2011 influences include cycling, 1980s and recreational diving. Â Luxe is Mykita’s highest quality line that incorporates naturally sourced buffalo horn, platinum, white gold and other high-end material coatings.
2010 saw Mykita give birth to Mylon.  It’s a patented polyamide that is moulded into any shape desired via a process called Selective Laser Sintering. Form related limitations that conventional injection moulding tools face are non existent with Mylon.  The lightness of Mylon and its unlimited design potential leads to new frontiers in size and comfort.  The science nerd in me loved listening Moritz and Philipe talk all about the technical nature of their designs.  Science and fashion combined gets me every time so it’s not surprising that I love MYKITA.
MYKITA like to collaborate and their partners are in the world of fashion, beauty and art. Â Avant-guard designers like Bernhard Willhelm, Rad Hourani, Romain Kremer and Alexandre Herchcovitch regularly feature MYKITA sunglasses in their collections.
Bernhard Willhelm’s spring summer 2011 collaboration with MYKITA make use of the newly developed Mylon material.  Sausages and vintage scuba masks were the inspiration.  Moritz explained that Bernhard had a thing for the sausage shape and he really wanted to see that influence in the designs.  The result is some crazy oversized and super light sunglasses.  The scuba influnce on the collection continues right down to the model names. The three models in this collaboration are named after the famous french trio of divers, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Frederic Dumas and Philippe Tailliez. They aren’t my style but I kinda like the black ones.
Bernhard Willhelm and MYKITA also created metal based models. You might remember the gold aviators worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the Sex and the City 2 movie. Well that’s Bernhard Willhelm x MYKITA . I initially thought they were kinda tacky, then I saw them in person and tried them on. Oh amazing. I love the totally not street legal red pair.
The MYKITA x Rad Hourani sunglasses were fun. They looked so much better on than I expected.
I got Andrew Sardone of Now Magazine to try on the Romain Kremer sunglasses. They looked great on him. I love the boxy shape of these and Rad’s.
I really loved the Alexandre Herchcovitch x MYKITA collection. They had the snob worthy metal hinge and bright colours. I ended ordering a pair at media day. They were too good to resist.
MYKITA and cosmetic company Uslu Airlines started collaborating in 2006 with their style of choice being the aviator. The names of the models are based on airport codes. The travel theme continues with the small suitcase packaging. The collection has three colour options: grey-brown, neon yellow and lilac. The Uslu Airlines x MYKITA collection also includes matching nail polish.
The Agathe Snow x MYKITA collaboration is really special. They are items that accompany her “All Access World” exhibit for the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin which recently ended.
The sunglasses use the theme of iconic monuments. She used a fine line of gold paint to either draw the skyline of New York or pyramids of Giza horizontally across the lens. The collection is limited to 200 pairs. I really, really considered getting these but I felt the line would eventually drive me crazy.
MYKITA is available at Josephson Opticians and Gafas Optical Shop in Toronto.
See all my photos from the MYKITA Media Day
See photos of the Spring Summer 2011 MYKITA collection courtesy of Brill Communications.
images: mine, courtesy of Brill Communications
i want: Rado r5.5 Chronograph in White
Rado has introduced a new r5.5 Chronograph watch in a white ceramic finish. I’m a sucker for a chronograph watch and I like the simplity of the Rado.  The watch is part of the limited edition Rene Liu, Rado Global Ambassador collection.  Rene is a Taiwanese actress, singer and writer.  Of course, the watch is too rich for my blood at $3,100 but you can find Rado at Holt Renfrew and Birks.
image: Â Courtesy of RADO
The Return of Chip And Pepper Wet Wear
Chip And Pepper Wet Wear brings back high school memories. It was very popular during those days to be sporting the two bulldogs and celebrating beach culture in Richmond Hill. The return of Chip And Pepper Wet Wear for Spring Summer 2011 season is at the perfect time for me to feel nostalgic about the line.
Chip and Pepper came to town for a preview that was held at the close to completion Templar Hotel. The 27 room hotel is going to ultra luxury with a Chef that will make you whatever you want whenever you want. I’ll probably never see the inside of the place after the preview because it will only be open to hotel guests. It looks like it will be pretty damn swank looking, so maybe I’ll be able to arrange a tour for I want – I got and report back my findings :).
Chip gave me the warmest welcome I’ve ever experienced at a press preview. How can you not love a man who offers you a beer right after shaking your hand. Chip is crazy in a totally good way. So full of positive energy. Pepper seemed the calmer of the duo but the stories floating around that day make me think they might be equally crazy, in a totally good way. I watched my friend Paul Aguirre-Livingston interview Chip and Pepper in amazement. They were finishing each other sentences, segueing into stories about designers and finally answering some questions.
The Chip and Pepper Wet Wear collection today is a total throwback. Vibrant colours and prints created by their designer Elliot. Board shorts, hoodies, t-shirts and denim is the collections standard fair. It’s a unisex collection that is availabe online at www.chipandpepper.com or at S3, a lifestyle shop by Sport Chek. Sport Chek have an exclusive on sales in Canada of Chip and Pepper Wet Wear until next summer. Prices range from $24.99-$67.50. I have to admit, I need a bulldog hoodie in my life badly.
See all my photos from the Chip And Pepper Wet Wear Preview
The Chip and Pepper facebook page has some other photos from the Press Preview and Toronto Launch Party. I love this one of Chip and I from the preview.
i want: Zoran Dobric Spring Summer 2011 Dresses
Toronto based designer, Zoran Dobric has some lovely print dresses for spring summer 2011. He’s always been a master with prints and creates some stunning pieces.
Zoran Dobric can be found at Rac Boutique, Model Citizen, Homegrown Boutique and Magnolia in Toronto and online at Ukamaku.com.
images: zorandobric.com
i got: White Derby Shoes by Rokin
I was looking for a great menswear inspired shoe like an oxford or brogue. Originally, I bought some lovely cork oxfords by Dieppa Restrepo at Chasse Gardee. Unfortunately, they didn’t fit very well and I had to return them. I was distraught as the shoes were made of cork and looked amazing.
Shoes need to fit no matter how special the shoe is and how much it breaks your heart to return them. My alternative choice was the white derby by ROKIN Footwear also carried at Chasse Gardee. They aren’t the cork Dieppa Restrepo but they are pretty exciting in their own right and super comfortable. During my shoe search I finally discovered the difference between an oxford, brogue and derby.
Oxford: a style of laced shoe characterized by shoelace eyelet tabs that are stitched underneath the vamp
Brogue: a style of low-heeled shoe or boot traditionally characterized by multiple-piece, sturdy leather uppers with decorative perforations (or “brogueing”) and serration along the pieces’ visible edges.
Derby: a style of shoe characterized by shoelace eyelet tabs that are sewn on top of the vamp.(source: wikipedia.com)
Now you know the difference.
i want: Prada “Made in India” Dress
Prada PR are lovely people who keep me in the loop. I get a lot of updates about celebrities wearing the clothing that I enjoy receiving but don’t post about usually. However, Jennifer Garner in the Prada “Made in India” dress changed my mind.
Last year, I wrote about the Prada “Made in …†Project. A limited edition collection that partners with artisans from across the world. The ‘Made in India’ collection dress is handmade in workshops dedicated to Chikan. It’s an ancient type of Indian embroidery noted for its light textiles and floral motifs in delicate cotton thread.  The green dress is lovely but I had to include the celebrity photo for the other colourway. It’s beautiful.
images: courtesy of Prada
i got: Minimal Baroque Sunglasses by Prada
The Prada Minimal Baroque sunglasses have been my obsession since the spring summer 2011 collections hit the Milan runways last September. I originally wanted the crazy blue and white ones. They’d make a great addition to my crazy sunglasses collection.
It didn’t look like the blue ones would be coming up to Canada in any major quantities so I decided on the tortoise shell Minimal Baroque sunglasses instead.
My favourite Prada SA John helped The Oracle and I decide between the two offerings, black and tortoise. I liked the lens shade better in the tortoise and they were a bit more exciting than basic black.
Like most of my sunglasses these Prada’s get as many stares as my neon green Prada Postcards.
Check out this short commercial for the Prada Minimal Baroque Sunglasses.
images: prada.com, me
i got: Moncler S ‘Shihoko’ Trench
Moncler and Chitose Abe of Sacai came together to create the Moncler S capsule collection. Think Sacai sensibility and Moncler quality and functionality. I’m in love with the line. I was lusting over the Moncler S ‘Shihoko’ trench coat. It has this beautiful cape detail that gives it a lot of volume. You can wear it in a number of different ways. I needed a proper trench coat and I didn’t want to get Burberry. I loved the army green colour. It’s not khaki.
I stared at the jacket while it sat on the rack at full price. I contemplated the purchase but never followed through. This past weekend I noticed it on sale at Holt Renfrew and decided I would buy myself a birthday present. Toronto is getting some sub 20 days coming up so I plan on taking this jacket out for a proper workout.
images: www.farfetch.com
I want – I got loves Camilla Skovgaard
I talk about shoe designer, Camilla Skovgaard often on the blog. Last year, I received a pair of Camilla Skovgaard Drop Cut Out Sandal for my birthday. They were the perfect black shoe, I loved them. You can imagine my sadness when I discovered the hell of my sandals snapped. The only thing holding it together was leather. This happened before the Tommy and Anna event at The Room. I mentioned my dilemma in the post and my new shoe purchase to compensate.  It was just a casual mention.  Okay, it was more like a howl of sadness.  The new shoes were quite nice but they weren’t my Camilla’s.
A few hours after the Tommy Met Anna post went up I received submission via my contact form. I had to do a double take when I read the sender’s name. It was Camilla Skovgaard. I shook my head a little and opened the message. I checked the address and sure enough it was from the Camilla Skovgaard domain. That’s when I started to do a little fangirl freak out. Then reality hit, why the hell is she emailing me? I read the message in shock. Camilla read my blog post today. She wanted to make sure that I didn’t fall and hurt myself in the shoes and she wanted to replace the shoes so I could continue wearing the brand. It took a few minutes to register what was happening and how quickly it unfolded. What an extraordinary customer service story! Camilla Skovgaard has forever won a place in my heart and good books. I’m astonished she took the time to email me and offer to resolve my problem.
Camilla put me in touch with her assistant and we worked out the details of getting a new pair of shoes. She sent me the options that were available in my size. I reluctantly selected the Camilla Skovgaard Open Toe Saw Tooth Booties. Â It wasn’t about the shape of the shoe, that I loved. It was the colour. Â It’s a tan/vanilla/buttermilk type colour and I wasn’t sure if I really could pull it off. I’ve grown to love the colour of the booties now. Â It just took a little time and outfit matching. It helped that friends kept telling me they were hot too. They fit much like my old sandals. The platform is 3/4 inch and the heel is 5″. The clear sole adds another unique element to the shoe and compliments the colour.
You can buy Camilla Skovgaard shoes in Toronto at Carte Blanche and Holt Renfrew.
Edit: Changed up the photos to ones provided by Camilla Skovgaard and added one of my own.
images: courtesy of Camilla Skovgaard
i want: Maison Martin Margiela Peep Toe Ankle Boots
There is an unhealthy obsession with Margiela footwear here on I want – I got. I love these suede Maison Martin Margiela Peep Toe Ankle Boots.
images: ssense.com
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 sweet and they took pictures with everyone and chatted. Very gracefully I might add. I have one question I wish I remembered to ask them. I’m curious how their Moda Operandi experience went? I think it’s a pretty neat idea. It’s your typical membership based online shopping site with a twist: designer trunk shows. Moda Operandi gives shoppers a chance to purchase items from designers before production has started. It’s full access to the entire collection instead of the buyers selections when it hits the stores. Like a trunk show, you pay 50% up front. A few months later, at the start of the seaason’s deliveries,  you receive your purchase and you pay the remaining 50%. People can now order that crazy finale statement dress that will never see retail because of its low sell through rate or budget constraints. I’m pretty impressed with the site (great images and video) and it’s damn tempting, let me tell you.
Of course, men and women were swooning over Jack and Lazaro. Jack’s blue eyes are so striking. You can tell I’m just swooning like crazy in this photo. They are so cute, look at those smiles.
Now I loved swooning over the boys and everything but my main concern was the clothing. This is why I love these pre-trunk show parties. It’s all about up close access to the clothing. To see it and touch it. Racks and racks of Proenza Schouler filled the space. I’ve seen a few pieces here and there but never this much. I successfully didn’t drool on any PS1 handbags.
The clothing is so phenomenal, I want to wear it all. I wish I could afford it all.
See all my photos from Proenza Schouler at The Room.
If you are interested in checking out what everyone was wearing (including yours truly) please check out these wonderful sites:
1. These Roving Eyes – Jason Hudson is a wizard with the camera. He’s also a complete doll and included 3 photos of me in his event roundup.
2. B-Insider – The Bay’s blog is pretty impressive. Christopher Sherman took Polaroid photos and then scanned them. Really cute.
i want: NARS Summer 2011 Nail Polish
NARS has two new nail polish colours for Summer 2011 that I’m liking. NARS makes great, long lasting nail polish and I really enjoy my Spring 2011 colour, Desperado.
Kismet is described as “Fate, destiny, a predetermined course of events. This metallic sunflower nail polish was simply meant to be.”
Ecume is described as “An opaque white nail enamel that is at once vintage-inspired and avant-garde in sensibility.”
The entire Summer 2011 NARS collection is quite pretty too. There is lots of bold colour.
images: courtesy of NARS.
Lanvin Dolls Spring Summer 2011
The Spring Summer 2011 edition of the Lanvin Dolls collection is now available atLuisaviaroma. I don’t collect porcelain figures but I think the Lanvin stuff is fun.
The snowglobe is my favourite.
images: www.luisaviaroma.com
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. Â The collection has bracelets, necklaces and rings but the earrings are what grabbed my attention. Â 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