FASHION Magazine

Every year, there’s an unofficial competition of which department store has the most dazzling display and it’s always tough. And with November marking the beginning of the festive season, we’ve rounded up some of the best from around the world. First up, Paris. This year, Printemps tapped the likes of Burberry and Christian Louboutin to bring the […]

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Who has the best window display? The countdown to Christmas is on, and we can hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling too. And although winter is coming (thank you for that reference, Game of Thrones) so is our annual tradition of picking out the best holiday windows in department stores across the globe. From London […]

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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.

Well, it looks like being at the forefront of cool is no longer enough. Earlier today, the CFDA, Barney’s New York and Opening Ceremony announced simultaneous collaborations with Intel to produce and market wearable technology. The first matter of business: a co-designed “smart bracelet” created by Intel and Opening Ceremony to be carried exclusively by Barney’s. Having these multiple stamps of approval will no doubt speed up technology’s fashion factor.

See the holiday windows 2013 »

With less than a month left until Christmas, the grand showdown that is holiday windows 2013 is in high gear. And while the weather outside might be frightful, these intricate displays are way delightful. Continuing in our tradition, we’re taking a virtual stroll through the streets of London, Paris, New York and right at home in Toronto to see which department store has the freshest displays this year.

This year, Liberty London showcased an opulent scene of Christmas crackers gone snap and bang. Each of the storied windows features a colour-themed display of Kenzo clutches, Fornasetti candles and more surrounded by an explosion of lights and sparkles. Across Oxford Street, Selfridges commissioned French foodies Bompas and Parr to construct an edible version of London’s lost architecture entirely out of gingerbread and frosting.

Meanwhile in Paris, Printemps collaborated with Prada to transform the store into an obsessional classic event: surrealist re-interpretation of the advent calendar with animated mannequins and gift boxes made of the label’s iconic saffiano leather.

See the Fashion Smurfs images » When photos surfaced of Karl Lagerfeld sporting the now famous “Karl Who” tote by French label Naco Paris, we knew the fashion parody trend was one that was here to stay. It wasn’t long before fashion’s fresh young things were spotted lingering outside NYFW shows in “Ballinciaga” tees by […]

The post Smurfashion! Illustrator Alexsandro Palombo transforms Karl, Anna and Marc into our favourite cartoon forest dwellers appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Check out our top picks at Barneys Warehouse »

Bargain hunters and designer addicts rejoice! Today marks the launch barneyswarehouse.com, the long-lauded online hub for Barneys New York’s semi-annual designer blowout outlet sale. With big-named duds (think Manolo Blahnik, Alexander Wang, Rag & Bone, Yves Saint Laurent, Marni and more) discounted up to 75% off and easy shipping to Canada worked in, there’s no doubt the website will be as huge a hit for the company as it is us shoppers.

Check out holiday window displays from around the world»

Or jump to: HOLT RENFREW, TORONTO | THE BAY, TORONTO | BARNEY’S, NEW YORK | HENRI BENDEL, NEW YORK | | BERGDORF GOODMAN, NEW YORK | BLOOMINGDALE’S, NEW YORK | SELFRIDGES, LONDON | PRINTEMPS, PARIS

In theory, winter-time window-shopping might be unappealing—cold temperatures, snow banks and people running towards warm spaces adds up to a treacherous adventure. But, when combined with lavish holiday displays, suddenly window-shopping feels less like a chore and more like a Christmas treat.

Last year, our window poll caused a voting frenzy so we’re doing it again and taking a virtual stroll through New York, London, Paris and Toronto to see which of the department stores comes out on top in 2012.

See Christmas hostess gift ideas »

Christmas is often the most stressful time of the year for many people. Even more so for those who decide to host the cocktail parties, the dinners, and the new years bashes (hats off to them). Because it’s a party faux pas to show up empty handed—especially when someone has spent hours preparing—we’ve thought of creative Christmas hostess gift ideas for those who bare the grunt of the work.

The bonus of shopping for a friend or family member who is constantly having people over, is that a gift that works as a thank you for planning a holiday party is also useful to their everyday life. Give them gifts that will help them relax after the fete dies down like a red wine and chocolate set or a scented candle that will make the rest of post-party worries melt away. From Cooking with Siracha to the now-classic Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty coffee table book, these items will look beautiful in a new apartment or well lived in home.

When Katie Holmes first announced her divorce, we were all shocked by the move: up until a month ago, she seemed every part the dutiful wife, playing a supporting role to Tom Cruise’s megawatt presence. What we didn’t realize at the time was just how much Holmes would shatter that old image in the weeks to come.

Since that announcement, Elle’s oddly prophetic and impossibly well-timed feature on Holmes went viral across the web, Holmes’ legal team managed to pull off what must be one of the fastest settlements in celebrity divorce history (two weeks…two weeks!), Holmes snagged sole custody of Suri, taped an appearance on Project Runway and managed to make a series of almost daily public appearances around her home in New York City, looking impeccably put-together and serene each time (in other words, not acting or looking like someone who was going through a painful divorce).

What’s particularly admirable about these appearances though is the discrete marketing tactic implicit in them: with hoards of paparazzo clamoring for a picture outside her door every day post-scandal, Holmes very wisely chose to almost exclusively don none other than Holmes & Yang, her own line with former Cruise stylist Jeanna Yang, for her jaunts about town. As the New York Times puts it, the paparazzo shots have become “a stealth ad campaign,” one that’s been put into motion right before the brand’s first-ever showing at New York Fashion Week come September.

“The way she’s getting photographed today, she’s in a position to get more exposure than ever before,” Robert Burke, a former Bergdorf Goodman executive and fashion consultant, told the New York Times. “She’s not waiting for fashion editors and stylists to come and pull her clothes.”

Whether it’s a strategy or not, it’s worked: Holmes & Yang sales have skyrocketed at retailers like Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys. Whatever your feelings about the former Mrs. Cruise are now, you have to give it to her: she’s not the brainwashed sidekick we once thought she was.

Here’s something sure to perk you up out of your afternoon slump: for the first time ever, the treasured New York institution known as Barneys Warehouse Sale will finally be available to all of us out-of-towners. The up-to-75-per-cent-off merch will still be for sale in its traditional New York locale, but this August, shoppers outside […]

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With less than a month to Christmas, glitzy shopping meccas north and south of the border are pulling out all the stops while unveiling their eagerly anticipated holiday windows. From Lady Gaga’s poptastic takeover at Barneys New York, to the Bay’s old fashioned ode to holiday cheer, there’s lots to feast the eyes on before engaging in some major gift hunting.

While we don’t think that such creativity should be measured, we’ll just ask: which is your favourite?

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