FASHION Magazine

Essie Weingarten steps off the elevator on the penthouse level of New York’s Mondrian SoHo hotel and is greeted by a wall covered floor to ceiling with framed photos of the most iconic nail polish shades she’s created over the past 30 years. “Oh my God, this is amazing!” she says, marvelling at the tributes to colours like “Mademoiselle,” “Wicked” and “Chinchilly” that her team has surprised her with as part of a dinner in her honour. As the founder of one of the most well-known brands in the category—seriously, walk into any nail bar, particularly in Manhattan, and you’ll see that her bottles dominate the shelves—Weingarten, originally from Queens, has much to celebrate. Not only did L’Oréal acquire her company in 2010, providing distribution of Essie to even more countries, but her colours are worn by everyone from the Queen (Her Majesty is fond of “Ballet Slippers”) to Lady Gaga (she paired “Merino Cool” with her infamous meat dress).

ALWAYS IN FASHION
THE AGE ISSUE
38 Fashionmagazine.com What’s going on online.
42 Letter from the Editor
44 Contributors
46 Behind the Scenes
48 Letters from our readers

FASHION FILE
56 NEWS Dr. Martens hooks up with Liberty of London, Gucci’s new ready-to-wear royal, paisley prints swirl onto the scene, the most buzz-worthy fashion books, and more.
60 FLASHPOINT Stylish women across Canada play peekaboo in sheer fabrics, power up in primary colours and get graphic in black and white.

Models generally don’t like to disclose their age. Sometimes it’s because they don’t want to be perceived as over the hill, other times it’s because they are working the runways sooner than they should be, given that some fashion councils have set a minimum age guideline of 16.

This makes it difficult to tell you who the youngest person in this issue is. But we know for certain who the oldest is: Iris Apfel, at 90, followed by China Machado at 82.

The fact that both of these women have recently appeared in ad campaigns and fashion spreads is wonderfully ironic. Especially since they are modelling not in spite of their advanced age but because of it. The courage to wear their wrinkles with pride has paid off in both reverence and renown. And they cleverly use fashion to ensure they aren’t any less alluring for it.

Not that there is anything wrong with a little tweak here and there, especially if, as Lynn Crosbie writes in “Audio Visual” (page 140), there is a body part you’ve come to detest.

2012 marks FASHION Magazine’s 35th Anniversary! To celebrate, each issue, we’re pairing up with a different Canadian who is also celebrating a milestone. We invite our readers to enter for their chance to WIN the designers’ featured show pieces. Good luck!

Enter to win this dress by Philip Sparks »
Watch our behind the scenes video with Philip Sparks »
Read our interview with the designer »

“This photo captures the essence of spring: everything is vibrant and new,” says Maarten Sluyter, FASHION’s current art director. “You can almost smell the fresh air. The model featured, Liisa Winkler, studied ballet, and she brings an air of elegance and spontaneity to this shot. Her pose evokes a sense of playfulness and highlights the voluminous skirt. I love that her hair isn’t perfectly in place; it goes with the natural setting and seems to mirror the leafy trees. This is what living in the moment looks like.”

ALWAYS IN FASHION
42 Fashionmagazine.com What’s going on online.
46 Letter from the editor
48 Contributors
50 Behind the scenes
52 Letters from our readers

FASHION FILE
56 NEWS The return of the flapper girl, Roger Vivier’s 3-D new style, Maidenform celebrates a milestone, the model of the moment, and more.

When I was a newspaper reporter, the water-cooler chat often turned to “how we got the story.”

Investigative reporters would describe months spent wooing reluctant sources. Photographers would detail how they wound up in the right place at the right time. And foreign correspondents told tales of bribery and squalor.

Things aren’t quite so dramatic on the fashion beat, but we have our moments.

Runway photographer Peter Stigter, whose images you see throughout every issue of FASHION, often finds himself crammed onto a riser in show venues that are so stifling, the sweat from other shooters rains down on his head.

“There’s a sense of anticipation and excitement that leaps out of this photograph. I almost feel nervous for them waiting backstage,” says art director Maarten Sluyter, who joined FASHION in February 2011. “Part of the mystery of this scene is you don’t know which fashion show this could be or where it might be held. It gives the reader a glimpse into this world and allows them to dream. The black and white works extremely well because of the way the light comes into the shot from the stage. I love the models’ hair—the updos highlight their necklines beautifully. The clothes are simple. They will never lose their appeal, similar to a little black dress.”

ALWAYS IN FASHION
44 Fashionmagazine.com What’s going on online.
48 Letter from the editor
50 Contributors
52 Behind the scenes
54 Letters from our readers

FASHIONFILE
60 NEWS Tiffany & Co.’s hot new metal, the coat to covet now, Karl Lagerfeld’s latest muse, Diane von Furstenberg goes pint-sized, and more.
64 ESSAY Soft pastels and frothy silhouettes are on the menu this spring. David Livingstone sinks his teeth into these sugary confections.
70 TREND REPORT From brights to black and white, and prints to peplums: your cheat sheet for the hottest Spring 2012 runway trends.
84 PROFILE Montreal’s Martin Lim takes first prize at the Mercedes-Benz Start Up Competition.
86 FLASHPOINT From Vancouver to Montreal, party-goers opt for knockout neutrals, metallics and
fruity brights.
91 THE LIST Our dream shopping list, the latest H&M designer collab, and market editor Jordan Porter’s personal spring picks.

Just last week, I was rumbling toward a Mexican beach in a golf cart with two friends, debating an article on trends that appeared in the January issue of Vanity Fair.

Now back home, shivering despite a turtleneck and boots, I am writing about FASHION’s Spring 2012 Trend Issue and I can’t get that conversation out of my mind.

In the VF piece, writer Kurt Andersen asserts, among other things, that not much has changed style-wise over the past 20 years. That 2012 looks much like 1992. That jeans and sneakers remain a standard uniform for people of all ages. And that the proliferation of mid-priced retailers like Gap, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie means practically anyone who wants to can shop stylishly, and this has resulted in an “all the same, all kind of cool” look on city streets.

Well, yes and no. Yes, there are fashion themes that now seem to endure from year to year. Once again spring is on the horizon and with it comes the annual crop of florals, crisp white cottons and tropical themes.

“There’s something extremely appealing about Jessica Stam’s red hair, electric blue eyes and red lips; they stand out against the white background,” says art director Maarten Sluyter, who joined FASHION in February 2011. “The lighting is so soft and fresh, like a Sunday morning when you’re just waking up and there’s no rush to get out of bed. It makes me think of Marilyn Monroe’s last photo shoot; Stam has captured that same feeling of desire and vulnerability. Because there’s very little fashion in this shot, it has a timeless quality. I could see this photo a hundred times and never get tired of it.”

FASHION’s 35th Anniversary
FASHION Magazine is turning 35! To mark this milestone, we have a year of unforgettable anniversary celebrations ahead. To kick-off the party in style, we’re giving you the chance to WIN a holiday, valued at $8,500.