FASHION Magazine

See all the backpack styles here »

No longer just for high schoolers, the backpack has undergone full fashion resurgence over the past few seasons. Its appeal is quite simple: it leaves you hands-free and perfectly in-line with fashion’s ongoing nineties fascination. Whether you need to schlep around your groceries or double fist two coffees, the backpack is a must-have for gals and guys on the go.

This season, everyone from Proenza Schouler to 3.1 Phillip Lim have created luxe versions of the style. And while the backpack has been making runway appearances since 2011 (lest we forget The Row’s alligator skin $34,000 take), some skeptics still deem it too junior. Haters would be directed to Chanel’s Spring 2014 collection, which featured a graffiti style canvas number already holding a waitlist demand.

See some of the Balenciaga dresses »

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Photography by Mike Marsland/WireImage

Photography by Barry King/FilmMagic

Photography by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Photography by Ian Gavan/Getty Images

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Cate Blanchett Van Cleef Set in Style Balenciaga

Cate Blanchett wears Balenciaga to the opening of Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels in 2011.

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Kristen Stewart On The Road-premiere Cannes Balenciaga

Kristen Stewart wears Balenciaga to the Cannes premiere of On The Road in 2012.

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Jessica Chastain PGA 2012 Balenciaga

Jessica Chastain wears Balenciaga to the Producers Guild Awards in 2012.

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Salma Hayek Amfar 2008 Balenciaga

Salma Hayek wears Balenciaga to the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Dubai Gala in 2008.

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Jodie Foster Melancholia Premiere Balenciaga

Jodie Foster wears Balenciaga to the Cannes premiere of Melancholia in 2011.

If you’re looking to be schooled in the myriad of ways you can make celebrity red carpet looks work for you, “Get the look” style posts are a dime dozen this time of year. If you’re looking for the real thing however, Holt Renfrew is going the distance with an upcoming trunk show that will feature twelve exclusive Balenciaga dresses that have been worn by some of the biggest and best over the past few years ready for IRL order for those with pockets deep enough. If you’ve got the funds, you can cop Kristen Stewart’s On The Road Cannes premiere gown, this dress Kate Moss wore in Vogue and others worn by Jessica Chastain, Cate Blanchett, Jodie Foster and more. To boot, each style will be offered in an array of colours and fabrics as well, making a total of 37 ways to look like a celeb.

See the Barneys spring ads »

As calls for diversity increasingly infiltrate the fashion industry, it seems like major brands are finally starting to take note. So far, this season has seen a wheelchair-bound model front at Diesel and an increased racial mix at Prada.

The latest to break the mould for Spring 2014 is luxury retailer Barneys New York, whom debuted its “Brothers, Sisters, Sons & Daughters” campaign today, which features 17 transgendered people from all walks of life. Shot by legendary boundary-pusher Bruce Weber in New York City, the subjects, often posing with their loved ones, are confident and stylish in the high-end likes of Ann Demeulemeester, Saint Laurent outfits and more.

In one of the first four photos released, we meet Arin Andrews and Katie Hill, transgendered friends and a former couple both raised in the conservative Bible Belt of America. In another, Ahya Taylor is pictured with fellow model Dezjorn Gauthier on a Central Park bench, both wearing Balenciaga.

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

I like rose scents, but they seem a little old fashioned when I wear them. Any tips?
Rose-based fragrances are very traditional and quite classic, but don’t let that deter you from this beautiful floral note. Luckily, rose-based fragrances have had quite the resurgence lately, and there are several new varieties of rose scents to choose from. If modernity is the goal, Balenciaga Rosabotanica ($100, sephora.ca) is a unique fragrance to experience. The fragrance opens with bright notes of citrusy petitgrain and fig leaf, leading into middle notes of cardamom, pink pepper and rose, grounded with vetiver, cedar and white amber. The fragrance is anything but traditional, making it a contemporary take on a rose for lovers of the timeless flower.

See more of the campaign images »

Moody, botanical and a little bit Canadian: welcome to Balenciaga for Spring 2014. Toronto supermodel Daria Werbowy fronts the Steven Klein-shot ad campaign and it’s safe to say the images are A+.

Slated to debut in print next month, the campaign’s first image shows Werbowy at peace, leaning against a white wall engulfed in botanical vines. The others showcase the supermodel sporting the brand’s crop-driven Spring 2014 collection pieces. “I wanted to convey a sense of strength and knowingness,” said Balenciaga creative director Alexander Wang. “Daria is definitely not naïve.” With a gaze as powerful as hers, these ads will surely stop onlookers dead in their tracks.

Kristen Stewart is making use of that signature haunting gaze in the ad for Balenciaga’s latest fragrance, Rosabotanica. The scent is a variation of Florobotanica, which Stewart has been the face of since 2012.

Shot by Craig McDean, the latest photo showcases Stewart in a soft beauty portrait with vibrant orchids cascading across her shoulder—not a far stretch from the most recent Florobotanica ad (hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it).

See the biggest Spring 2014 fashion trends »
See all our fashion month coverage »

With the end of fashion week in Toronto marking the close of Spring 2014 show season, it’s time we looked back at all the trends that emerged. As much as the runway sets the pace for what’s to come for the top Spring 2014 trends, the streets play a major role as show-going trendsetters give us the relatable breakdown of how to wear what’s hot next season. Prints take two spots on our top Spring 2014 trends list through those with a painterly quality and those influenced by international cultures. At Hérmes, Rousseau-inspired water lily florals were printed on luxurious fabrics while at Diane Von Furstenberg, dresses and skirts depicting an African wilderness roared. As for fashionable time travel, prepare to keep reminiscing about the youthful 1990s, which haven’t ceased to get reincarnated season after season. Designers like Rodarte, Balmain and Jason Wu have reinvented the decade’s essentials yet again. To help with your daydreaming of long sunny spring days we’ve compiled the ultimate gallery of top Spring 2014 trends as dictated by the runways and our favourite street style stars in New York, London, Milan, Paris and Toronto! Feel free to let this be your guide to budgeting and creating closet space for next season’s must have pieces.

View by trend: 1. 1990s | 2. Art-Inspired | 3. Athletic | 4. Blue | 5. Crop Tops | 6. Embellishment | 7. Metallic | 8. Pleats | 9. Sheer | 10. Worldly

See our favourite Spring 2014 shoes »

With Paris Fashion Week ending our month long preview of all things Spring 2014, it’s time we gushed over the shoes that accompanied all that we are dying to wear in the coming season.

Femininity reigned supreme on the runway through Balenciaga, Dior and Roland Mouret’s take on the stiletto. Dior’s complexly inter woven straps would make any shoe addict salivate. At Balmain, our impending full coverage boots will shed a few layers and appear as heeled boots with varying dotted sheer and embellished cage finishes. While we saw Saint Laurent’s fall styles embrace the studded and spiked appeal of punk’s aesthetic, Junya Watanabe clung onto the trend for his Spring 2014 shoes with a menacing ankle boot. Enviable green snakeskin heels and platform chunky heels were seen at Gucci and Michael Kors respectively. Spring is incomplete without feather embellished flats as seen at Rochas.

Balenciaga and Carven for Spring 2014 »

Photography by Peter Stigter

Photography by Peter Stigter

Photography by Peter Stigter

Photography by Peter Stigter

Photography by Peter Stigter

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Balenciaga Spring 2014

Balenciaga Spring 2014

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Balenciaga Spring 2014

Balenciaga Spring 2014

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Balenciaga Spring 2014

Balenciaga Spring 2014

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Carven Spring 2014

Carven Spring 2014

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Carven Spring 2014

Photography by Peter StigterCarven Spring 2014

“I wish I had these on my feet right now,” one journalist lamented, inspecting a pair of Nicholas Kirkwood sport sandals at the designer’s Spring 2014 preview. Yes you heard that right. The same designers who brought heels to new heights have discovered rubber soles and flats.

It’s all part of the sportif trend which has a grip on Europe. On day two of the Paris Fashion Week Spring 2014, the backdrop at Carven was a half-pipe and the opening soundtrack was of skateboard wheels rolling up and down. The boarding spirit appeared in colourful camouflage prints with insets of camo lace. But Carven designer Guillaume Henry’s boxy jean jackets, A-line dresses and long stiff coats didn’t look made for motion.

He’s not alone. This is Paris, after all. Not the land of Lycra.

What a wonderful Friday morning surprise: Balenciaga has just released a new Kristen Stewart for Florabotanica campaign image and we’re totally in love.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since K Stew’s initial Balenciaga perfume campaign came out. Since then, a new creative director has stepped in, causing many to question whether or not the actress (who has a close working relationship with Nicolas Ghesquière) would continue to act as the face of Florabotanica. While there were no such talks of her terminating the contract, we needed to see it to believe it—and it was worth the wait.

It doesn’t take being a Twihard to be a fan of Kristen Stewart’s style. Since starring in her breakout role as Bella Swan in the first Twilight installment back in 2008, Stewart has gone from awkward late teen to high fashion mainstay. Known for her decidedly anti-glam approach, the actress has been known to turn […]

The post Kristen Stewart Style: A Chronological Guide to the Star’s Best Fashion Moments appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See all of Lady Gaga’s looks »

Lady Gaga may have been laying low for the past two years, but don’t let her down time fool you. The popstar’s wisely planned comeback is in full swing and boy is she dressing the part. In a mere 24 hours, Gaga’s released a new video for her song “Applause,” landed a spot on iTunes’ Top 10 chart and made television and radio appearances- all in killer high fashion looks (were most excited about the latter).