FASHION Magazine

See the Holt Renfrew designer showcase photos »

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to see a entire fashion season’s most important moments capsulized, last night’s Holt Renfrew opening showcase at World Mastercard Fashion Week last night was your dream come true. Set to a soundtrack by real-life DJ couple Brendan Fallis and Hannah Bronfman (who both donned Holt Renfrew’s “Girls” sweater designed in collaboration with Justin Broadbent), models including Amanda Laine walked in 67 looks of Fall 2012’s best internationally and Canadian-made wears.

It’s a nail art–filled world, but Jin Soon Choi isn’t buying it. Manhattan’s favourite manicurist launches her own lacquer line, and Celia Ellenberg makes an appointment.

See Jin Soon Choi’s nail polish collection »

“I hate filing,” says Jin Soon Choi, seated for a pedicure. The nail industry veteran with nearly 25 years of polishing experience winces as an aesthetician at her Upper East Side salon drags an emery board across her well-maintained toes. It was her first bombshell of the day; the second followed shortly thereafter. “High fashion doesn’t go with nail art,” she deadpans, thus denouncing the abstract expressionist movement that has taken over the backstage nail game for the past four-plus seasons (never mind the pink, silver-trimmed manicures at Chanel’s Fall couture presentation in July).

See all the party photos from the Fame launch in New York! »

Masks, tattoos and Mother Monster asleep on a couch. The party for Lady Gaga’s new fragrance, Fame ($59, thebay.com), was indeed unlike any other perfume launch. But hours before she hosted a masquerade ball at New York’s Guggenheim that brought out the A-list (Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang) and the WTF List (Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton), Lady Gaga was wide awake to talk to FASHION about her post-sex rituals (pizza and a movie!), what the colour black means to her and why being a New Yorker makes her pop star perfume better than other celeb scents.

For someone who hasn’t yet smelled Fame, can you describe your fragrance?
“It’s very sexual, it’s very addictive, but it is very chic. The metaphor of the bottle is that when you spray this product, all the good things about fame come out, and all the bad things stay inside. So when you buy this perfume, you can have the lovely smell of it, [while] I’ll be dealing with all the bullshit inside.”

Remember when makeup artist Francois Nars created 65 different looks for the Marc Jacobs Fall 2009 show? Well, that didn’t happen this time around at New York Fashion Week Spring 2013 but some designers did decide to deviate from a uniform beauty statement, creating a few different looks for one show. Here’s our rundown of the best double takes from backstage:

Alexander Wang
Though Guido Palau gave every girl at Alexander Wang a tight, low ponytail, the accessory that ran down the centre part differed—a glow-in-the-dark adhesive strip on blondes and a black one for brunettes. The fair-haired set also had a different experience in the makeup chair: Diane Kendal bleached brows and created luminous skin, while their dark-haired counterparts had strong brows and matte skin.

Read on for multiple looks from Anna Sui, Michael Kors and more! »

Even though New York Fashion Week’s Spring 2013 show season is only just winding down (and there are still three fashion capitals left to visit!), it’s never too early to predict trends. Here’s my breakdown of the top 10 trends from the runways this week:

See the top 10 Spring 2013 trends at New York Fashion Week »

View the New York Fashion Week Spring 2013 Street Style photos »

Today’s batch of fashion week street style photos is a doozy of a style star spotter. Shot in New York (duh), our street style photographer Stefania Yarhi captured the biggest and best outside Saturday’s various shows. Outside Prabal Gurung’s Pier 57 Spring 2013 showing, Yarhi caught none other than former FASHION cover girl, Allison Williams. Looking perfectly-Prabal Gurung in a satin origami-print and pleated white dress from the designer’s Resort 2013 collection, the Girls star looked as if to be fitting into the fashion flock quite nicely. True Grit star Hailee Steinfeld was there too, in a frilly Western-inspired silk blouse and geometric-printed shorts from Prabal Gurung’s Spring 2013 collection. The actresses, however, proved no match for the giddy set of street style star editors including Anna Dello Russo, Giovana Battaglia, Miroslava Duma, Anya Ziourova and Michelle Harper, who burst into one big jump upon being photographed. Could they get any cuter?

Well friends, it might be time to admit that we’re into the last lazy hazy crazy days of summer. Fashion is totally focused on fall trends and summer sales are everywhere. But if you can’t decide which of your favourite Spring 2012 pieces are worth an end-of-season splurge, why not test them out on your nails? This week Nail Corner does a medley manicure that takes inspiration from iconic items by Marc by Marc Jacobs, Jeremy Scott, Alexander Wang and Proenza Schouler. Bring on the bows and cactus prints!

Find out how to do this manicure! »

See our accessories A-list now »

JUMP TO: BROOCHES | BRIEFCASES | POINTED PUMPS | CHOKERS | TOP-HANDLE BAGS | KNEE-HIGH BOOTS | LOAFERS

Read ahead to see all three festival looks! » Festival style has become such a sartorial staple that even mega retailers like H&M have jumped on the festival style wagon, creating entire collections inspired by the motley crew of Aztec print wielding, face-paint dabbing festival goers that make the trek to far-away locales every year. […]

The post Osheaga here we come! We style 3 looks that will keep you looking festival-approved from the folk shows to the dance parties appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Go inside her bag! »

You better get excited, because today’s bag snoop subject is major! Majorly major. Presenting the Alexander Wang box bag (and its contents) belonging to Naya Rivera, one of the über talented stars of Glee! As the queen bee of the cheerleaders, Rivera’s character Santana Lopez doesn’t always display the…kindest tendencies, but judging by the reason she visited Toronto yesterday, Rivera IRL couldn’t be more different if she tried. In town to support the Sunshine Foundation, which in partnership with Winners and Homesense makes dreams come true for children with severe physical disabilities and life-threatening illnesses, the actress was meeting with a little girl who’s dream it was to meet her. “She loves the show and I thought what better way than to just come over and say hello,” said Rivera.

It comes as no surprise that rap-loving cool kid Alexander Wang has nabbed everyone’s favourite rapper du jour Azealia Banks as the face of his latest T campaign.

Editor: Sarah Casselman

Prairie belle Jacqueline Conway is the owner of Trend Blazer Marketing and a jazz, tap and lyrical dance teacher. But that’s not all this 27-year-old mover and shaker choreographs; she’s also the brains behind the Saskatoon Fashion and Design Festival (she’s the executive director) and Mix & Match Marketplace, a designer trade show for Regina and Saskatoon artists that targets the province’s nouveau fashion crowd. Conway relies on labels like Club Monaco and Rachel Roy for classic everyday staples and Zac Posen and BCBG Max Azria when she’s looking to create a little after-hours sizzle. Local labels Rebecca King and Laurie Brown—among those Conway has selected for pop-up shops and fashion shows—have found their way into her closet amongst her Joe Fresh and H&M finds. “Retail therapy is the best solution to a stressful workweek,” she says.

View Jacqueline’s shopping picks »