All posts tagged: Spring 2011

LGFW SS11: Jessica Jensen + Alexander Berardi Spring Summer 2011

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Handbag designer Jessica Jensen collaborated with a young New York designer named Alexander Berardi on a collection of limited edition handbags that complements his Spring Summer 2011 collection. The collaboration debuted during NYFW but Jessica and Alexander decided to show at LG Fashion Week in Toronto. Alexander Berardi was the youngest person to show at the new Lincoln Center tents this season. The inspiration for the collections was the movie Breathless by Godard. It was a nautical inspired collection with lots of Breton stripes and preppy influences. I had never seen Breathless so after the show I decided to watch the movie. I got through about 30 mins mostly focusing on the styles of the female protagonist. I thought the handbags and clothing did a very good job of conveying the style featured in the movie. I really liked the looks with the stripes.  While I’m not loving the camel colour trend it works well with the blue, white and grey colour palette. This was a well presented collaboration. Both designers complemented each other perfectly …

LGFW SS11: Joe Fresh

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I swore I would skip the spectacle that is Joe Fresh last season. I wasn’t going to battle the crowds and be all irritated with everything. I guess I forgot my words last season because I found myself only attending the Joe Fresh show on Wednesday. Curiosity got to me and I couldn’t tear myself away. Friends in high places made it much easier to enter the runway room so it was already an improvement over last year.  My seating assignment wasn’t any different from last season but the configuration of the runway room is a lot better and the view was very much improved. There wasn’t the rabid model talk that normally precedes a Joe Fresh show. I heard a rumor that Tao would be walking. It made sense to me since she’s all over the ad campaigns. Unfortunately that didn’t come to pass. There were models walking the show just not the big names we usually expect. Arlenis Sosa and Tiiu Kuik made appearances alongside many of our own famous Canadian girls. So …

LGFW SS11 Fashion Press

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It’s been press crazy for my this LG Fashion Week. I love it. I was on the radio. CBC Radio One Metro Morning had me over on Monday to chat up LG Fashion Week and the industry. Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with Anita Clarke. She writes a fashion blog called ” I want, I got”. They are amazing and have made a podcast so you can listen to it. CBC Radio One Metro Morning Fashion Week SS11. I took part in a video for FASHION at Holt Renfrew’s all-Canadian show that was posted on The Globe and Mail’s website. Finally I was interviewed for a story in 24Hours Dress to impress at Toronto Fashion Week. t’s propagated over the Sun Media network and can be found on a bunch of their websites.

LGFW SS11: Dare to Wear Love Preview

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The last Dare to Wear Love show was so much fun that I’ve been anxiously anticipating the next time. The time is now with the spring summer 2011 season and I have a sneak peek at some sketches. More than 25 designers are given 6 yard of fabric sourced from Africa to create a one of a kind garment. These garments will be auctioned off online and all proceeds going to the Steven Lewis Foundation. People can always donate online at DareToWearLove.com. This year’s show takes place on Friday, October 22, 2010 at 8pm. Tickets are open to the public and can be bought online for $59.99 each or $300 for a VIP package (includes one front or second row seat and a special gift bag). “We are thrilled to return to LG Fashion Week beauty by L’Oréal Paris to host the Dare to Wear Love runway show in support of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. In 2009, the fashion and entertainment communities came out in droves to support the cause, and we hope they will …

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. 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. I loved the leopard …

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. 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 …

What does Barbara think? Spring Summer 2011 Edition

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I love it when the WWD asks the buyers their opinions of the collections. I’m always interested in what the buyers/retailers think of the collections. For the last few seasons I’ve been posting about Barbara Atkin’s feelings on the show. Spring Summer 2011 is no exception. New York “The consumer is still celebrity-obsessed. The designer is becoming that celebrity as well. We’ve got to move away from turning [fashion week] into a circus.” – Barbara Atkin, vice president and fashion director, Holt Renfrew Trendspotting: “The big story was American sportswear and the whole idea of the timeless classics, easy toppers, trenches and beautiful, easy pants. In a way, another trend is New York producing a whole new wave of young designers with more democratic price points, such as Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim and Theyskens’ Theory.” Sound off: “Everyone’s taking pictures of everyone else. Everybody has a blog and some site they wanted to drive you to. We’re being swallowed up by social media. People are adapting a look and seeing how to wear it immediately …

Complexgeometries Spring Summer 2011

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My fashion favourite Complexgeometries was in New York showing off the Spring Summer 2011 collection. I’m still very excited about this and I’m glad Clayton is moving on up as they say. The show got a lot of pre and post press from sites like Nymag.com, WWD and Fashionologie. Yay Clayton! Diane, A Shaded View on Fashion has some more photos of the collection. There are men’s looks that I didn’t include here as I focused on the women’s looks I liked.  Yup, I’m planning my Spring Summer 2011 Complexgeometries purchase. Jason Last was around with his trusty camera to grab a bit of video of the presentation. images: zimbio.com, nymag.com

Calla Spring Summer 2011

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Toronto native and Paris resident Calla Haynes held a presentation for her Spring Summer 2011 collection under her namesake label Calla. She created Kaleidoscope prints for Jeremy Laing’s fall 2008 – 2009 collection (video). For spring summer 2011 she produced a video invitation instead of a traditional one. Calla is a print genius. Spring summer 2011 is really beautiful.  I like the geometric aspect to some prints and the others that are more liquid. Barb at Phreshly Squeezed checked out the CALLA Spring-Summer 2011 presentation in Paris. Vogue Italy also has some other photos. Calla is found in Canada at: The Room The Hudson’s Bay 176 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario Reborn 231 rue Saint Paul Ouest Montreal, Quebec

Celine Spring Summer 2011

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Celine is another designer line that didn’t have my undying love right from the photos.  I had to see some video evidence first.  The videos brought me back to the Celine reality: beautiful clothing that I want to wear. It’s a looser fitting collection that is missing some of the Celine sleekness from previous seasons.  There are rich colours and vibrant prints to keep the collection from being completely white or ivory.  This season I’m loving the tunics (even the japanese denim one) and white shirts. I’m usually all over the shoes but the ones from the collection are pretty but boring. I’ll have to wait until the website is up to see what else is out there. I love Vogue.it. It lists the fabrics used in the show: denim, canvas, cotton poplin, silk, silk cady, parachute silk, nappa and silk crêpe. This is the Celine bag that I will be talking about till fall 2011. Love the shape and colour. This video features Tim Blanks from style.com talking about the collection. This is a …

Luc Kieffer in Toronto

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Luc Kieffer, a jewellery designer from Paris, visited Toronto for the first time during TIFF. A press preview party was held in his honour and I got a closer look at some of his fall winter 2010 – 2011 and spring summer 2011 collections. Luc has worked with many fashion houses like YSL, Balenciaga, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Sonia Rykiel. It was interesting to her Luc talk about the time he met Yves Saint Laurent in person in 1996. Luc collaborated with Yves on his final collection. The Luc Kieffer line was launched in 2006. Luc Kieffer jewellery specializes in high-polished resin with Swarovski crystals. Luc is a chemist by trade and that totally attracted the geek in me. That’s right people chemist = swoon in my books. Chemist turned jewellery maker is off the charts. I was told that Luc was a charmer. I wished I could speak french, it would have been nice to chat in his mother tongue. He worked with Yves Saint Laurent on his final collection in 1996, and has …

Proenza Schouler Spring Summer 2011

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Proenza Schouler used a lot of shibori techniques in the Spring Summer 2011 collection. Shibori is several methods of dyeing cloth to create a pattern by binding, stitching, folding, twisting, compressing it, or capping the fabric. “We wanted it to be a little more polished,” Jack McCollough said backstage, before Lazaro Hernandez jumped in: “So we took all these feminine codes—the embroideries, the flowers—and mixed them up in our own way. We wanted to do something without any obvious references.”(Source). I was very happy to see that Proenza Schouler was using neon this spring summer 2011 season.  The prints are beautiful. You’ll want to check out Tommy Ton’s behind the scenes at Proenza Schouler Spring Summer 2011 photo post on Jak & Jil. He’s got some really great shots. Watch the full Proenza Schouler Spring Summer 2011 fashion show images: style.com

Darcel at the Spring Summer 2011 Fashion Weeks

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I came across these wonderful cartoons of famous fashion personalities and fixtures on nowness.com. Freaking too adorable for words. Darcel at New York Fashion Week Craig Redman’s Cult Character Turns Style-Savvy Reporter for NOWNESS. Following his hazy, rather drunken night at the grand opening of Louis Vuitton’s London Maison this summer, Darcel—the one-eyed, bespectacled egg-person who is daily overcome by the modern world on Craig Redman’s hugely popular blog, Darcel Disappoints—has got the fashion bug. Yes, Darcel sets off today on an intercontinental trip to cover the spring 2011 catwalks exclusively for NOWNESS.(source) You can see the complete set of Darcel posts on Nowness.com. Darcel at London Fashion Week Darcel at Milan Fashion Week Darcel at Paris Fashion Week

Chanel Spring Summer 2011

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The Chanel Spring Summer 2011 fashion show blew me away. I watched the video late Wednesday night and it almost brought a tear to my eye. There was an 80-piece orchestra who played a mix of music from Björk, the Verve and John “007” Barry. Take said orchestra and put them in the Grand Palais with a set inspired by the movie, Last Year at Marienbad. Chanel usually shows at the Grand Palais but this season they made use of the entire space for this incredibly expansive set. Karl tops himself again and again. Amazingly enough the clothes lived up to the set. This is a season of Chanel I approve of. Can we talk about the boots? I’m dying over them. Things I didn’t like: the sandals and the makeup. I’ve embedded the fashion show video for you all to see. It’s a spectacle, a wonderful fashion spectacle. It makes me giddy. With the talk of the fashion show going the way of the dodo, I’m glad to see that Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel’s …

Balenciaga Spring Summer 2011

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I’m usually a solid Balenciaga fan but the spring summer 2011 collection made me think. There was no immediate reaction of adoration for the clothing. I wasn’t a big fan of the first half of the collection but liked the second. It’s taken me a bit of time to absorb what I’ve seen. This rockabilly version of Balenciaga has me loving classic things like pants and that printed denim.  They look so roomy and comfortable. There are also some sweet little jackets in the collection.  I’ll take a red leather Balenciaga coat please. Balenciaga also introduced watches this season which were inspired by an antique clock in the atelier. I did have an immediate reaction to the shoes and that was love. It’s apparently the first time Ghesquière has show flats at Balenciaga. Shoes like this remind me of my first pair of Dr. Martens. They were low cut, pointy toe, black patent leather creeper like shoes. I loved them to pieces. I love the visual of the shoes and that crazy floral denim. The …

Jeremy Laing Spring Summer 2011

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I watched the Jeremy Laing Spring Summer 2011 fashion show as it happened at work. I didn’t have any sound but it really didn’t matter.  The effect was the same, I wanted everything. This season Jeremy teamed up with Jaime Sin, who created the jewellery and soundtrack for the show. The pictures do a really crap job of relaying how good this collection is. I can’t wait for my showroom visit so that I can play dress up in Spring 2011 and document it. So, I’ve included the full Jeremy Laing Spring Summer 2011 fashion show images: elle.com

3.1 Phillip Lim Spring Summer 2011

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3.1 Philip Lim surprised me a lot this Spring summer 2011 season. The line is one that I ignore during the show season and then revisit when it’s in the stores. The 3.1 Philip Lim Spring Summer 2011 collection is amazing. It’s definitely one of my top shows of the season.  Nice use of sheer, sporty looking and easy to wear. I wasn’t a big fan of the shoes though. The handbags are amazing too. Give me a satchel bag and I’m set. 3.1 Philip Lim has a variety of sizes to choose from. We have full length video for the 3.1 Philip Lim Spring Summer 2011 fashion show. The set is gorgeous. images: style.com

Mary Katrantzou Spring Summer 2011

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Mary Katrantzou said, “With this collection, I wanted to put the room on the woman, rather than the woman in the room.” She used images from old Architectural Digest and World of Interiors issues for her surreal-like prints. To finish off the look she added trompe l’oeil details to fool the eye even more. The collection just makes me giddy. It’s so inventive and fun. I can’t help but smile. I want to be the person to walk into a room wearing a Mary Katrantzou. You become a walking piece of art. The shoes are cute too. The full Mary Katrantzou Spring 2011 fashion show video is up. Everything looks so good in motion. images: style.com

Lanvin Spring Summer 2011

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It seems almost impossible to dislike anything Alber Elbaz touches. The Lanvin woman is a bit softer from spring 2011. The Klingon warrior women from fall 2010 is taking the season off. I’m not salivating over the shoes and jewellery like I normally do. I guess I’m not feeling the butterfly theme. I really like the bags though. They are those small to medium structured handbags that are all over the runways right now. I’m pretty much a sucker for full skirts that billow when you walk. I’m all over anything with movement. It’s dramatic and explains my love of this collection. There isn’t any full fashion show videos out yet, but here are a couple to give you a taste images: style.com

Christopher Kane Spring Summer 2011

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Christopher Kane created totally obnoxious dresses. Not because of cut or design as those were rather plain. He used bright neon fabrics and I will forever love him for that. I have a bit of an obsession with neon. I know what you are thinking. Would I really wear a neon dress from Christopher Kane? Take a look at the Christopher Kane archives on this site. That will give you the answer if you don’t already know. Here is some video from the collection from Elle. It’s not the full show but gives you a good look at the exits. images: style.com

Haider Ackermann Spring Summer 2011

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Haider Ackermann Spring Summer 2011 was japanese meets le smoking paired with Ackermann leather. He expanded on the silk pajama theme of the 2011 resort collection. There is lot of exposed flesh in the collection. I love the off the shoulder and bare back looks the most. I love the Obi style belts.  Everything in this collection seems so opulent. I guess that’s what being draped in silk and leather does. images: style.com

Junya Watanabe Spring Summer 2011

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Stripes are turning into a big trend for spring 2011. I really enjoyed Junya Watanabe’s spring summer 2011 collection. It was an explosion of Breton stripes and nautical imagery. Some clothing shapes resembled early swimwear from the 1920s. There is also a vintage tennis vibe happening. The trench coats that incorporated sheer fabrics were my favourite pieces.  I also love the two billowing white dresses that uses a twists fabric together to give added dimension. The boots do look a bit clunky and kinda clown-like. However, the brogues are perfect . images: style.com

Prada Spring Summer 2011

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I haven’t talked about the Spring Summer 20111 collections much yet. TIFF really threw me off and a lot of shows haven’t wowed me. Things started to pick up in Milan and I got a bit more interested. Expect some more posts about the collections I enjoyed for Spring Summer 2011. Miuccia Prada described the Prada Spring Summer 2011 collection as “minimal Baroque” and “exaggerated simplicity.” Tim Blanks saw references from hospital scrubs and Josephine Baker. I liked a lot of the bold colour, stripes and prints. The shoes were a little suspect, but another indicator of the 90s revival in fashion. The sunglasses are growing on me. My initial reaction was WTF but now I’m thinking I need a pair of sunglasses that make my neon yellow Prada Postcard look tame. I like the two looks: nerdy and girly. I’m loving the handbags.  The satchel shape is great for bright colour and bold stripes. The full video is out. It’s the same location as the men’s show. images: style.com

i want: Complex Geometries Fall 2010 – 2011

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Fall 2010 – 2011 is now available on complexgeometries.com. I’m really loving the sheer pieces this season. Fawn (my favourite store) has also seen some fall delivers, I wonder if Kasha bought any of the sheer pieces this season. Complex Geometries is getting big. Finally Style.com has decided to mention Clayton’s line in their Spring 2011 preview. Congrats Clayton, I’m so glad to see my favourite designers getting recognition by the top players in the fashion industry. Good luck with your show in NYC. images: complexgeometries.com