FASHION Magazine

See the Greta Constantine summer party photos »

A half naked male model, a midtown mansion and one stellar Spring 2014 collection reveal—what else could you ask for on a late summer’s eve? Last night, Greta Constantine hosted its annual summer party at the beautiful home of Krystal Koo and Michael Cooper. Taking place around the couple’s stunning aqua blue pool, the fashion show-meets-party had lanky models parading in the duo’s latest wares—a sailor inspired wideleg and boatneck combo, a juicy orange bodysuit, a bronze figure-hugging evening gown and the piece de resistance, an itty bitty men’s speedo. (Whether or not that last one can accurately be referred to as a collection piece though is beside the point, right?) As the night progressed, Greta devouts including Anita Clarke, Natalie Lecomte and Stacey McKenzie toasted with Stoli cocktails while Chatelaine’s Tyler Franch and Redken’s Sean Godard posed for selfies by the tiled cabana. All the makings of a perfect summer sendoff, even though we really don’t want to send it off at all.

See the Mad Hot Ballet: Dangerous Love photos »

On Wednesday night, Canada’s best ballet dancers and their most glamorous fans filled the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts to bask in the sultry Spanish glow of Mat Hot Ballet: Dangerous Love. The National Ballet of Canada’s annual benefit gala took its theme from the current production of Carmen, showcasing a few highlights within a dazzling gala performance. Featuring four showy snippets from various pieces, it included Summer Pas de Deux, an excerpt from The Four Seasons, Enketi, choreographed by principal dancer Guillaume Côté and the astoundingly fouette-filled Grand Pas de Deux from Don Quixote performed by Piotr Stanczyk and guest artist Svetlana Lunkina.

See the party photos »

Heels may always take top fashion honours, but sneakers are most definitely the shoes of the last century. On Thursday night, they were officially inducted into shoe history with the opening of Bata Shoe Museum’s Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture, the first exhibit of its kind in North America. Beginning with ultimate function’s first pair made in 1873 (they were called plimsoles at the time), the exhibit features everything from the iconic— Nike Dunk Supremes—to the hyper fashionable—Pierre Hardy’s Poworama sneakers.

Matching the exhibit’s out of the box theme, the museum had Toronto-born and internationally lauded industrial designer Karim Rashid, who is known to collect a sneaker or two himself, design the exhibit. In signature monochrome (this time it was head-to-toe white) Rashid kicked off the exhibit alongside the museum’s iconic founder, Sonja Bata and FASHION’s editor in chief, Bernadette Morra. After taking in a break dancing performance from Unity Charity, the crowd, which included persistent girl about town, Jen Kirsch and recent Come Date With Me Canada bachelorette Gail McInnes, hiked up three flights of stairs to take in the exhibit. To those who hiked in heels, we salute you.

See The Room’s Viktor & Rolf party photos »

Viktor & Rolf’s love affair with Toronto began last night with a fittingly springy fête at Toronto’s Hudson’s Bay Queen Street flagship. In town to celebrate their recent collections as well as to do press spots for their upcoming Dolls retrospective exhibit with Luminato this summer, designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren sported matching embroidered jeans (Horsting’s featured sunglasses while Snoeren’s featured moustaches) and matching thick rimmed frames, making them the ideal models for Toronto’s new eyewear-specific blog, The Spectacled.

In keeping with the Dutch duo’s eccentricities, The Room was transformed with newly papered walls featuring the Fall 2013 runway room’s eerie black and white floral print, a string quartet playing instrumental takes on pop music and strapping waiters, who passed many a prettily-decorated Perrier-Jouët champagne flute while wearing V&R-esque (and maybe even a little Denis Gagnon) glasses.

We went backstage after DUY‘s Fall 2013 fashion show at World MasterCard Fashion Week and caught up with Montreal-based designer Duy Nguyen as well as our own editor-in-chief, Bernadette Morra. Visit our Fashion Week page for complete coverage » See the full DUY Fall 2013 collection »

The post Video: Behind the scenes with DUY at Toronto Fashion Week Fall 2013 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Attention aspiring designers: 2013’s Mercedes-Benz Start Up cycle has officially begun! For the third year in a row, Canada’s premiere mentorship program will be on the countrywide hunt for one lucky up and coming designer who will win a year of industry mentorship and a showcase at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto. “Mercedes-Benz Start […]

The post Mercedes-Benz Start Up 2013: Now accepting submissions! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See all 25 party pictures from the CFC Gala! »

It’s a strange feeling to arrive at a party in Toronto in the middle of the winter and see a paparazzi scrum positioned outside the doors, but when you’re attending an event hosted by the Canadian Film Centre, such is the case. Last week the CFC celebrated its 25th anniversary with an extravagant gala and silent auction at the Carlu. It was likely the rumours of Ryan Reynolds showing up—perhaps with his new bride Blake Lively!—that caused the tabloid interest. (However, the pair was content to stay in Sudbury, sorry paps!) So who were the 500-plus guests celebrating 25 years of the CFC? Both talent and behind-the-scenes players from Canada’s film and television industry were in attendance, including stars from Murdoch Mysteries, The Listener and Republic of Doyle. While the dress code called for black tie, the majority of guests opted for a Justin Timberlake-approved suit and tie over a tuxedo.

“Dress warmly. Wear flat shoes.” The lead up to the Chanel Pre-Fall 2013 Métier d’Arts show in Scotland on Tuesday had a foreboding tone. The setting was Lin Lithgow, a crumbling 15th century palace that was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. Whiskey toddies, blazing fires and wool lap blankets ensured none of the […]

The post Chanel Pre-Fall 2013: The dispatch from inside Karl Lagerfeld’s Scottish spectacular appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

View the Lunch with Margaret and George photos »

Designer Derek Lam was stuck in New York thanks to a Nor’easter that grounded many flights. But he was there in spirit at Toronto’s Shangri-La Hotel for the Lunch with Margaret and George fundraiser for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Some of the city’s most stylish donned the designer’s sleek white leathers for the occasion and hostess Lisa Corbo sparkled in Lam’s sequined deco shift. Models in 20 looks from the Spring 2013 Derek Lam collection wove through the tables, making for a yummy feast of boxy T-shirts in geometric guipure lace, a gold leather skirt whose panels seemed to be held together with black macramé and a silvery sweatshirt over a skirt of  burgundy plastic curls. A cool $120,000 was raised for the cause, bolstered by another 15% of sales from the Derek Lam trunk show at George C later in the day. Adding more to the coffers? A gold-flecked lipgloss named “Believe,” conceived by Lisa Corbo.

See all the pictures from the Toronto Life Most Influential party »

Last night Toronto Life celebrated the reveal of their Most Influential list by toasting Toronto’s 50 most influential people at The Ritz-Carlton. The lucky heavyweights—ranging from politicians to bankers to TV personalities—were profiled in the magazine’s December issue and, as the evening’s emcee Amanda Lang was eager to point out, also given a definitive rank. (Her 41st place spot obviously not affecting said eagerness.) Upon our arrival it was clear how those on the list have become so successful: they’re certainly not the familiar faces of Toronto’s late-night party circuit. The mood was much more about networking than clamouring for a cocktail, despite the impressive array of Ketel One and Tanqueray creations. Tailored suits and black dresses dominated—though oxblood items and fur accessories proved to be just as popular, including many a lush stole and a pair of furry booties on Leesa Butler.

See all the looks from the Mercedes Benz Start Up finals! »

And the winner is: DUY! Last night, the search for the Spring 2013 winner of the Mercedes Benz Start Up competition came to a close and Montreal designer Duy Nguyen was crowned the victor.

Pitted against seven other designers from across Canada, Nguyen’s dreamy pieces impressed the judges (including our editor-in-chief, Bernadette Morra) and secured his spot at the top of the podium. The DUY Spring 2013 collection was California girl meets New York, pairing structured suits with flowing chiffons and short-shorts with strong, collarless blazers. Nguyen was inspired by the French who are “very easy going” yet the collection was not necessarily reflective of Canadians—but worry not, as he told us that “fashion is about dreaming.” There was also a tinge of nostalgia, as silhouettes were very ’80s with crocheted knit tops and a modern version of the mom jean. The palette was simple and airy with seafoam greens, crèmes and baby blues but was punched up with a bright red-orange dress and short suit that featured cutouts. These pieces were winners in their own right.

See the Versailles ’73 party photos »

Though it marked a monumental shift in fashion history, November 28, 1973 has passed through history with none of the mythological treatment as 1962’s Black and White ball or even a single Met ball. Until now that is. Brought to life by director Deborah Riley Draper, Versailles ’73 tells the story of a fashion show of French and American designs which was originally meant to simply fund the palace’s much needed repairs but became the moment that brought American fashion into the forefront. With legendary fresh-makers Liza Minelli, Kay Thompson and Pat Cleveland at the forefront of the American presentation, the show of designs by Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Stephen Burrows and Anne Klein rocked a guestlist of Princess Grace of Monaco, CZ Guest, Andy Warhol, Lee Radziwell and Baroness Marie-Hélène de Rothschild and more to its feet with simplistic and impactful presentation and lively African American models (spearheaded by Pat Cleveland, who literally spun from one end of the stage to the next).