FASHION Magazine

See all the Kleinfeld Hudson’s Bay party pics »

Is there a bigger bridal brand than Kleinfeld? Last night, to celebrate the Say Yes To The Dress juggernaut’s debut at Hudson’s Bay in Toronto, a lavish cocktail party took over all 20,000 square feet of the just-opened bridal salon. The space, with white-washed floors and vaulted ceiling could easily pass as a wedding venue itself (there’s even a small patio space for post-saying-yes cocktails!)—save for the dozens of dresses lining the walls. But what’s on display is just a sample of how much Kleinfeld has to offer: behind the scenes, there’s over 600 gowns to choose from, with more than 50 brands on the roster.

See the Mackage after-party pictures »

A sparse wintertime social calendar will do things to a person. Namely, make them want to party. On Wednesday night, spring fever was certainly in the air and Toronto’s most stylish were out for a good time. After the Joe Fresh and Pink Tartan co-hosted party over at Lee restaurant, the gang headed over to The Citizen (formerly Brant House) for a hip-hop throwdown courtesy of Mackage, Maybelline and Redken.

DJ Brendan Fallis a.k.a. 21^st century Paul Newman set the stage for one helluva sweaty dance party, swiftly (maybe a little swiftly) blending A$AP Rocky into Lynyrd Skynyrd like woah. (Important note: Beyoncé’s “Drunk in Love” was the only track played in full which kept everything right in the world). Leading the dance pack was Cary Tauben who flitted from group to group with his signature flair. Honourable mentions go to designer Mikhael Kale, Chatelaine editor Tyler Franch and Narrative PR’s Laura Serra for fashionably beating up the beat till the wee hours.

See the final street looks from Toronto »

Can it be? Is this really the final day of Toronto Fashion Week? Say it ain’t so! The week has flown by in a blur of models, outrageous outfits and one or two parties. So to celebrate the week that was we have an extra-large extra-stylish batch of street style pics for you.

The looks on the streets seemed to be a resounding chorus of leather and patterns. Leather baseball hats, one particularly fierce glossy leather skirt, black leather moto jackets, and more than a fair share of leather handbags in a variety of colours and textures. And did you see those waxed cotton overalls? The look of leather minus the sweat factor. Genius.

See the Joe Fresh/Pink Tartan after party pics »  

Without a doubt, Wednesday night is the biggest of Toronto Fashion Week. The show schedule is stacked with the city’s—the country’s!—greatest hits and the after party scene is getting just as competitive. To keep things interesting, Joe Fresh and Pink Tartan combined forces this season, hosting a smash of a party just down the street from the tents, at Lee Restaurant. Considering that the Pink Tartan crowd has always been a a big part of the Joe Fresh after party tradition, it just makes sense for Joe Mimran and Kimberley Newport-Mimran to make it official.

Also becoming a part of the Joe Fresh/Pink Tartan after party tradition is DJ Mad Marj, the unassuming New York-based heiress who kept the tightly packed crowd dancing, be it to 2 Chainz, Pharrell or… Nora Jones. (Seriously.) Lee’s two-room layout allowed for a bit of a divide between social sets, with fresh-from-the-runway models, stylists and party-hopping editors taking over the back room, while Mimran family friends (including the horn-blowing Bruce C. Bailey) and backstage stars filled up front of house.

See all the Toronto Life Most Influential 2013 party pics »

At first glance, a party where every guest is nose-deep in a magazine may seem like the least social event ever. However, when it’s the launch party for Toronto Life’s annual Most Influential issue, a quick read-through is totally necessary: while everyone who made the list was invited, none of the Most Influential guests knew how they ranked. Hence the frantic-yet-totally-casual flipping of pages upon entry by guests like Robert Deluce and Charles Khabouth. Held in the ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton, deep red lighting and a swanky live band made the space feel like a Swing Era soiree.

While Toronto Life’s editor-in-chief Sarah Fulford was quick to make a few drunken stupor jokes, neither of the issue’s cover subjects—that is, Bill Blair and Rob Ford—joined in for the festivities. Sure, it would have been good for gossip, but they wouldn’t have added to the impressive style that permeated the event.

See all the Operanation 2013 party pics »

On Thursday night the Four Seasons Centre was decidedly catering to just one season, with the expansive performance hall transformed into a luscious garden of evil. Filled with party goers and potted plants alike, the green-tinged space was all for the Candian Opera Company’s Operanation fundraising gala, themed as “A Night of Temptation” for its tenth iteration.

While all-black ensembles were by far the most popular fashion statement, texture allowed for individuality. From mesh cut-outs and ruffled pleats to velvet and sequin add-ons, the little black dress (or gown, for that matter) certainly stood out at Operanation. Darker colours, such as navy-blue and deep jade-green—as seen on soprano Leigh Anne-Allen and The Hudson Bay Company’s Megan Loach—provided a different take the all-black trend and should make inky gowns a gala must. And on the opposite end of the colour spectrum, bright primary colours stood out in the sea of dark shades, including Tatiana Read in red, FASHION’s editor-in-chief Bernadette Morra in blue Viktor and Rolf, and a hit of yellow, courtesy Odessa Paloma Parker’s Jeremy Laing number.

See all the pictures from Boobyball 2013 »

After all the effort that partygoers put into picking outfits for last Friday’s Boobyball, Halloween is going to have some tough costume competition. The annual fundraiser for Rethink Breast Cancer once again outdid itself with an inventive theme, Booby U, which encouraged guests to show off their best “varsity vogue” looks. And oh, was the alma mater nostalgia ever flowing! From togas and football gear to cheerleader poms and geek chic getups, Toronto’s Sound Academy turned into a virtual university campus—made all the more real thanks to dorm room decor, sorority lounges and an Animal House party zone, perfectly primed for flip cup battles.

Among those spotted in their frosh week-worthy finest were Boobyball’s stylish co-chairs, Whitney Pizale, Lisa Kruger and Rachelle Saevil. Honorary co-chair Ainsley Kerr pirouetted around the venue in a ballerina-worthy tutu while Aliya-Jasmine Sovani breezed into the party at the eleventh hour, arriving directly from the airport but still sporting football style at its best. The letterman jacket dominated most outfits, with school insignia and team numbers being a definite Boobyball go-to. And it’s not just for costume parties: take a look at the black and white outfits on Jill Shaver and Hilary Mymin to see how the varsity trend can work for everyday wear.

See what’s inside Aliya-Jasmine Sovani’s bag »

Sure, you’ve probably seen Aliya-Jasmine Sovani splashed all over your TV—from anchoring on MTV to being an entertainment correspondent for CTV—but we bet you’ve never had a chance to creep through her bag. Until now that is. Aside from juggling hosting duties, the 30-year old Sovani is also known for her involvement with various causes including Rethink Breast Cancer, for which she played co-host at last week’s Booby Ball. Have a peek inside the busy life of this stylish philanthropist. Hint: we’re not the only ones that are obsessed with Will and Kate!

See the Booby Ball party photos »

Last Friday night, Toronto’s most nostalgic celebrated the latest edition of Booby Ball, this time themed in ode to the days of campfires and tuck shops. The 11^th annual party-for-a-cause run by Rethink Breast Cancer proved an even bigger blowout success with the massive Sound Academy virtually packed with thousands of partygoers accessorizing with everything from tennis socks to Girl Guides badge sashes to feather headdresses for “Camp Booby.” Just like a scene out of Troop Beverley Hills, the venue was decked out with camp-themed activity stations including mini golf, s’mores-making, warm-ups and more. Of course, there was plenty of breast-friendly messaging strewn throughout the room, including T-shirts emblazoned with the tongue-and-cheek Booby Ball phrase “Save the boobies!” which appeared on volunteer T-shirts.

See the photos! »

It’s no small feat to stay stylish and festival-ready when Mother Nature decides to cram lightning, torrential rain and paralyzing heat into the space of three short days, but as a whole, Osheaga’s festivalgoers managed to take the unpredictable weather this past weekend fashionably in stride.

Though typical festival garb showed up in full force (think flower crowns, ratty shorts and boho fringe), there was a decidedly more feminine and ‘50s-inspired sartorial lean. From a mint gingham halter dress to a bralette-and-circle-skirt combo, Osheaga’s female attendees somehow managed to strike a Betty-Draper-meets-Pocahontas golden mean, adding in unexpected elements to their femme pieces like an oversized pewter shark tooth or Montauk moccasins.

View the photo gallery »

Lauded as the hottest art party of the year, the Power Plant’s annual Power Ball fundraiser certainly lived up to expectations last night. Complete with wall-projected animations, Kobos hanging on trees, an old fashioned swing and a pre-party hosted by the much-hyped Soho House, almost 2,000 partygoers danced into the wee hours while carving off pieces of Marc Thuet’s bison on a spit. Some of our favourite duos—The Society’s Ashleigh Dempster and Amanda Blakely, designer Philip Sparks and NOW’s Andrew Sardone, Knot PR’s Amy Burstyn-Fritz and Tatiana Read, designer Jeremy Laing and Frank Griggs, and eTalk’s Tanya Kim and CP24’s Melissa Grelo—flitted around the scene. There was a mock television talk show (which we took part in) with a dancing robot sharing hosting duties. There was a performance by Dragonette. There were ladies dressed as sailors and men dressed as women. There were, always, many types of cocktails a-flowing (shout-out to Grey Goose, who created a timely Diamond Jubilee mix at the pre-party). Surely, more highlights will come to us throughout the day, but we can’t be asked to recount them all, given how late we were up.