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 all the Christmas gift ideas for best friend »

When it comes to besties, Christmas shopping ought to be a cakewalk. But sometimes finding the perfect gift isn’t that simple. If your girl is anything like us, she’s mega discerning. A scented candle just won’t do and neither will mall crowds, so here we present 60 perfect Christmas gift ideas for your best friend, purchasable directly online.

Perfectly timed for the holiday season, two of fashion’s definitive It girls released books this season. If your best friend is a Man Repeller disciple, snag her the blogger turned writer’s first book, Man Repeller: Seeking Love, Finding Overalls. If the Brit scene’s more her thing, pick up It, a lovely collaged lesson in cool by Alexa Chung.

As per the season, the ultimate infinity scarf also makes the perfect gift, with Vocado’s thick knit version ranking high on our cozy scale. Another goodie: The Drake General Store’s Shared onesie makes the cutest accoutrement for modern day slumber parties. And because sharing is caring, CB2’s rocking iPhone speaker splitter allows you to both listen through the same device.

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By the time Style Panel‘s Mo Handahu hit her sweet sixteen in 1998, she knew two things: she couldn’t live without colour and she would grow up to be great. Last month, with the launch of her Summer 2012 Clutch Culture collection at Halifax’s chic FRED, the young designer made darn certain the packed house would agree with her.

Handahu started the evening with a collection that more than nodded to that pivotal year in the 29-year-old designer’s life. As Lauryn Hill’s “That Thing” filled the white, airy venue, models flooded the runway in printed mini dresses, neon-armed wayfarers, punchy shoulder-slung blazers and bright pumps—all second to Handahu’s bold (and beautiful) clutches. The “1998” collection, made up of oversized pieces in streamlined shapes and unapologetic patterns, aren’t for the meek: if you have to ask, “what could I wear that with?” Handahu admits her clutches just aren’t for you. Her second shown collection (because a quest for greatness might as well involve two home runs) made a different connection to the designer’s past. With “Wild Hearts,” the Zimbabwe-born designer’s heritage was pulled to centre stage with a series of elegant handbags in deep and intricate African prints.