FASHION Magazine

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For its latest cool kid party, Ossington designer den Jonathan + Olivia threw down for Christmas at Wrongbar on Queen Street West. With DJ tunes from Toronto allstars like Brendan Canning, Frank Griggs and Members Only (plus one relative newbie a.k.a. me), the crowd grooved as hard as one might imagine a bunch of west enders to do on a cold winter’s night. Guests including Clint Roenisch, Chanel Croker, Kealan Anne Sullivan, Jeremy Laing, Paria Shirvani and Misshapes DJ Geordon Nicol kept the party going till way past midnight. And while the mood may have been festive, attendees clung to their black on black on black staples cause what says happy holidays more than a biker jacket and a beard? That was a trick question.

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 the party photos from “This is Queen Street West” »

Already a favourite spot with the fashion set, add a worthy cause to a party at Toronto’s Jonathan + Olivia boutique and you’ve got a full house. Last night, J+O owners Nic Jones and Jackie O’Brien Jones (and their cherubic son, Phoenix) hosted “This is Queen Street West,” a clothing drive in support of CAMH‘s the Suits Me Fine Boutique alongside Queen Street West mainstays Jeremy Laing, Frank Griggs, Derrick Hodgson, Jesse Girard, Richard Lambert, Brendan Canning and Alison Milne. Suits Me Fine, which provides clothing for patients of the treatment centre, received stylish donations from everyone in attendance, as each party-goer was required to bring an office-appropriate article of clothing upon entry. As Canning and Laing hit the turn tables, the hip crowd snacked on M&Ms and basked in their hipness. Much like a typical night out on Ossington Avenue, I spose, but this time it was for a cause.

See our full gallery from The Perks of Being a Wallflower party! »

If TIFF parties were award shows, most would be like the Golden Globes—totally fun, but you’ll never really get to sit with the A-listers. However, for a film like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the night is more like the MTV VMAs: from up-and-coming stars to fully-certified teen heartthrobs, everyone’s in on the party. (Which, when you think about it, is actually what The Perks of Being a Wallflower is all about.) Despite all eyes being on Nina Dobrev and Emma Watson, they both circled the room throughout the night, stopping to mingle with guests (or Degrassi-era Toronto friends, in Nina Dobrev’s case) and pose for pictures with fans. Both were also dressed in white, frothy florals: a peplum’d Erdem dress for Emma Watson and a intricately beaded Monique Lhuillier gown for Nina Dobrev.

In what’s sure to be one of the biggest shopping events of the season, Rac Boutique is curating a one-stop pop-up shop (say that 10 times fast), The Bazaar at 580 King St. W. The four-day shopping collaboration will feature men’s and women’s items—everything from vintage to designer consignment to sample sales—from some of our favourite Toronto retailers including Dalston Grey, Robber, Jacflash and Rita Liefhebber. It all kicks off with a (totally free) launch party on April 5. With DJ Brendan Canning (of Broken Social Scene fame) and enough cocktails to keep Carrie Bradshaw happy, we’re definitely marking this one on our calendar.