FASHION Magazine

Since the explosion of street style back in ’09, there’s been much talk of the fashion industry’s climate change. Bloggers in front row, socialites in head-to-toe runway looks—it’s been a transformation to say the least. Lately there’s been another shift with bloggers and street style stars are throwing it back to the runway, harnessing their fame in full fledged collections and labels all their own.

Here are 9 of our favourite bloggers and street style stars turned designers, including a talented few who are on our Style Panel!

See the street style from outside Toronto Fashion Week »

Just when the international Fashion Weeks wind down, Canada revs its engines. Last night, the unofficial pre-cursor to Toronto Fashion Week, The ShOws, kicked off with presentations from Bellevance and Steven Tai. As the city’s industry insiders rejoiced in the 24-hour teaser of warm weather, light spring jackets in mostly neutral palette of blues, beiges and greys were spotted on the street outside the shows. Not wanting to tempt fate however, others layered up, ready for whatever Mother Nature decided to dish out. (Cue today’s blizzard.)

Canadian model Liisa Winkler brought a little bit of rural chic to the city, donning a mid-length lightweight black jacket, paired with a denim ruffled midi skirt and black Chelsea boots with socks. This is how you country in the big city, folks. Holt Renfrew’s Brittany Barkwell and Blaire Borins looked perfectly chic. Barkwell opted for a matching patterned top and trousers finished with lace up heels and a wide collared camel coat, while Borins looked cozy a fuzzy knee-length coat finished with big buttons, adding a raspberry red bag for a well placed pop of colour.

See street style from Toronto Fashion Week »

On day two of World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto, leopard prints, bubblegum pink and highlighter yellows found their way onto the stylish set outside the shows. As were furs, which if you were in the city yesterday, were quite the necessity.

Montreal-based blogger and Style Panel member, Elodie Parthenay channeled rockstar chic with a touch of girly via a vibrant 3.1 Phillip Lim pink overcoat, studded leather skirt, and scenic t-shirt. Fellow Style Panel member and current FASHION intern Mo Handahu, walked on the wild side in a roaring leopard printed sweater, soft golden skirt, and African printed jacket as her staples.

See the street style from Toronto Fashion Week »

The Spring 2014 show season has made its stop in Toronto, and while the spotlights are shining on our designers for World MasterCard Fashion Week, we’re doing a little spotlighting of our own outside the shows.

Local bloggers were out in full force on the first day of shows, with StyleBlog’s Nelia Belkova embracing the popular black and white trend in a snowy Chanel monogram jacket with black trim, race stripped leather pants and jeweled satin pumps. Kastor and Pollux’s Bianca Venerayan opted for another of this season’s It trends, grunge, with black combat boots, a pearl printed V-neck dress and grey speckled overcoat. Her look was softened with cherry hued lips, side swept hair and and oh so Canadian toque.

If there were ever an example of dress code done well, it’d be last Thursday’s launch event for Marc Jacobs’ latest fragrance, Dot. The light and fruity fragrance came to life with its ladybug covered petal flacon inspiring a roomful of dot-wearing partygoers, dotted champagne cocktails (read: blueberries) and a dot manicure station from the team at Tips Nail Bar. With so many dotty ensembles in the mix, it was nearly impossible to pick a favourite. Nearly. In a green polka dot blouse, black polka dot shorts, and oversized bib costume necklace, Style Panel’s Danielle Roche, who sat tweeting the night away alongside her Kastor & Pollux co-conspirator Bianca Venerayan, got our vote.

See the photos »