FASHION Magazine

View all of our Christmas
gift ideas for women »

Somehow, shopping for the leading ladies in our lives often proves to be the hardest. The challenge for Christmas gift ideas is to be creative, on trend, and meaningful—not the easiest task, but a necessary one. If you’re shopping for your girlfriend, wife, sister or mother, it’s essential to make the gift matter and worth every penny spent.

For Christmas 2012, we’ve dreamt of all things lavish and luxe that can double as a satisfaction to a women’s fashion craving as well as functional piece in her every day life and they are anything but traditional. We know that diamonds have been declared a girl’s best friend, but this year we’re thinking outside of the little blue box and selecting gifts that show creativity. We’ve opted for lush fur pieces that will keep her warm all winter, geometric shaped cuffs that will reinvent the arm party, and even a onsesie that just begs to be taken to a ski resort. These are the pieces that will win a woman’s heart.

See all the Christmas gifts
for best friends »

Buying a Christmas gift for your best friend should come as one easy task. You know your best friend inside and out, and chances are that you have similar tastes and shopping habits. But for those out there that don’t have a clue where to start, we have many ideas for Christmas gifts for best friends (and sisters and girlfriends too!) included here in our 2012 gift guide.

Christmas is a season of giving, and why not choose a Christmas gift idea for your best friend who you’ll likely be spending some of the holidays with? The affordable gift ideas for best friends featured here are all under $100, so even if the Christmas season is draining your wallet there are still cute, but cheap options out there for your best friend.

As if Yorkdale hadn’t spoiled us enough by ushering in Topshop and J.Crew’s first Canadian locations last year, now they’ll be welcoming other first-timer brands into the fold later this year. Kate Spade New York, Ann Taylor and Ted Baker London are among a group of retailers that will find new homes in the massive […]

The post The scoop on Yorkdale’s latest expansion plans, including new stores from Kate Spade, Ann Taylor, Ted Baker and more! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Last night, Toronto’s favourite wunderkind-turned-blogger-turned-photographer-turned-designer returned home for the celebration of his latest venture. Said venture? The much-talked-about limited-edition bag collection designed by Tommy Ton in collaboration with Club Monaco (also one of Toronto’s proudest exports, if we may say so). But you knew that, didn’t you? In fact, you must be on the already-at capacity waiting list for one of the two models, which will apparently sell out as soon as they hit stores. That didn’t stop the city’s finest—including our editor-in-chief Bernadette Morra, blogger Anita Clarke, Jeremy Laing and the recently eye-operated-on Frank Griggs (so you can forgive the indoor sunglasses, just this once) —from stopping by the brand’s Bloor Street flagship to take a peek. We didn’t leave with the bags, but we were lucky enough to snag mini flipbooks created at the event.

View the photo gallery »

Today, we’re going inside the bag not only belonging to, but designed by one of FASHION’s main men, George Antonopoulos! This stylist-come-designer and all around awesome gent has been responsible for some of our most genius fashion spreads to date, including our recent cover shoot with Andrej Pejic. It’s only natural that we’d want to get reeeeal close.

Let’s explore! »

Boxing Day: It strikes fear in the hearts of retail workers, and trumps Christmas celebrations for all bargain addicts. For the rest of us, it’s an opportunity to pick up what our well-meaning significant others didn’t end up buying us for the holidays. If you are willing to brave the cold, the lineups (like the one pictured above at Toronto’s Eaton Centre), and the inevitable Christmas hangover, here are some shops that you should check out.

Westons, Mimrans, Budman and Green. There are some Canadian fashion families that are so well documented, their faces are as familiar as Brad’s and Angelina’s. It’s not that we don’t revere these brilliant style mavericks for putting Holt Renfrew, Club Monaco, Joe Fresh and Roots on the map, but in this issue, we wanted to turn the spotlight on some Canadian fashion families you may not be as familiar with. We always assumed there was a Laura, for whom the chain is named, but we didn’t realize she opened shop in 1930. The story of how 100 Jacob stores were born out of a dream is an inspiration. And how marvellous that the Cherry family passed their knowledge of retail down like a precious heirloom to Barry and Deena Weinberg, who run the Max Mara flagship in Toronto.

From the upcoming Versace for H&M collaboration to Danier’s ongoing Canadian-on-Canadian capsule collections with the likes of Mark Fast, Greta Constantine and FASHION contributor George Antonopoulos, high-low team ups are continuing to bring luxury designs to the masses. We haven’t had enough. In fact, we vote for more! Here are four mega-designers and Canadian stores that we think should get together and jump on the bandwagon post-haste.

Here are the 4 team ups we’re dreaming of »

Michelle Obama defends her international taste in designers on the Today Show. Who are we kidding? We’d whip out a McQueen once in a while (or every day) too! [Nymag]

You know you’ve made it when… Katie Couric sits down with 14-year-old Tavi Gevinson to chat pre-fashion week [Glamour]

The Row is growing: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have announced that they will be launching handbags in Fall 2011. [The Cut]

Donatella Versace is going to be on The View tomorrow. [WWD]

British supermodel Twiggy dances her way through the Marks & Spencer holiday campaign–which spoofs Chicago, Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” and Madonna’s “Vogue” among others–along with Ana Beatriz Barros and Dannii Minogue. [StyleList]

It’s the end of an era for Brad Goreski and Rachel Zoe. Goreski has announced the he will be leaving Zoe’s company as of October 1. [Styleite]

Industry veteran Pierre Cardin will be celebrating his 60th anniversary with a return to the catwalk today at Paris Fashion Week. [WWD]

…And Pierre Cardin is ashamed of the designs that appear under his name. “Unfortunately, they [my licensees] produce very classic outfits for men. I wish they picked up my designs. Instead, they produce this fusty, bourgeois stuff.” [Vogue UK]

Gen Art, an organization that supported and showcased up-and-coming fashion, art and music talent–including Zac Posen and Vena Cava–has closed its doors. A statement on their website points to the sudden end of a corporate partnership, which Gen Art had been counting on for revenue. [Gen Art]

Anna Wintour danced–danced–with Diddy at the Met Ball. [Jezebel]

Jean Paul Gaultier is designing a line for the haute, modern furniture company Roche Bobois, whose Missoni-covered modular sofas we have long coveted. The line hasn’t been released yet, but we hope it won’t look like the creepy bedspread above, which Gaultier designed for a show in Paris.  [WWD, sub req]