FASHION Magazine

The snow hasn’t even started falling yet and the news of Danier’s new Canadian designer collaborations for Spring 2012 has us wishing for warmer temperatures. Philip Sparks will add his vintage-inspired aesthetic to an accessory line for men that will include backpacks and iPad cases in addition to classic carryalls (but who says us girls can’t get in on the action?) For women, following the success of the fall collaboration, OBJECT by George Antonopoulos will return for spring with a bright modern mod collection including colour blocking and pastels, as well as an expanded accessory selection. Both collections will be sure to sell out fast. We know where we’ll be headed when we’re looking to update our wardrobes this spring.

Romantic florals get a lesson in tough love when paired with black leather.

View our editors’ picks now »

From footwear to outerwear, these engaging Canadian fashion ventures are keeping it in the family.

By Laura deCarufel

THE WEINBERGS | ALDO | CANADA GOOSE | BROWNS | DANIER | JACOB | LAURA CANADA | THE ASSARAFS | LA CANADIENNE

The ladies have spoken, and it’s leather they’re after to fill their closets this fall. Not just for biker babes anymore, the season has us swimming in feminine options that are equal parts naughty and nice. From body-con dresses to pencil skirts, the new way to wear leather is all about ladylike silhouettes, mixing fabrics, and layering luxe textures like cashmere and fur.

Let’s get leather-d! »

Our annual giveaway begins on Monday, September 12th! You’ll find lots of great prizes throughout our October issue, on newsstands September 6th.

Click here for a sneak peak at all the prizes now »

Click here to go to the contest »

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 »

Hot off the heels of sexy collaborations with Mark Fast and FASHION‘s own George Antonopoulos, Danier continues to prove its star status with SKIN, a capsule collection created in collaboration with Greta Constantine. Landing mid-August in Danier stores nationwide and on danier.com, Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong’s take on leather goes way beyond the basic bomber.

By Randi Bergman and Jordan Porter

In the world of icons, it truly doesn’t get any better than Patti Smith. We’d confess our undying devotion to the singer’s lyrics, voice, style, heart, poems and just about anything else she is responsible for (and let us tell you, there’s a lot). The recently released book of never-before-seen images, Patti Smith 1969-1976 by Judy Linn, breathes new life into her everlasting stylistic impact by showing her just before she hit the big time. We channeled Smith’s impact in the best way we know how, shopping in the name of!

Shop the guide now! »

Hot on the heels of their mass-market collabs with both Danier and Aldo, Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong of Greta Constantine, bring us Primer⎯a capsule collection that aims to be just that, the accessibly priced “base coat for a woman’s wardrobe,” with price points ranging from $95 to $275.

Every year, we get a new “future of fashion.” Some fifty students—the hopeful designers of next year’s womenswear, menswear, swimwear, whatever-you-can-wear—graduate from Ryerson‘s School of Fashion. It’s the best in the country they say, and we believe.

Their annual show-off, Mass Exodus, is a bigger deal every year. From the fifty, twenty final collections are selected for runway staging. The theatre fills with fellow students and parents, yes, but also people who don’t have to be there: stylists, buyers, and media peeps like us. Plus, an eternal favourite sighting: beloved alum Jeremy Laing.

This year’s titular theme was Zenith & Nadir. Glossy show notes (plus, for the first time ever, a pretty impressive magazine—should we be watching our backs?) explained that Zenith and Nadir is up for exploration, for you to define. Sorry to be all English-y here, but that’s not quite true. Zenith and Nadir are opposite celestial poles, so zenith is used to mean “the highest point,” and nadir, the lowest.

So, we present the highest points of this year’s Mass Ex. But first, claps to all those who showed.

I knew the David Koma show would be black and white and dotty all over when Daphne Guinness ⎯beer heiress, patron saint of designers and stranger to colour ⎯arrived. Sure enough, the first look was a super-minimal cream sheath with black leather dots, in rows of varying size, appliqued on sleeves and skirt. Then came a black wool capelet and a swingy leather midi-skirt, both perforated with great big polka dots. The circle motif spiralled into delightful madness: swirling patterns; leather and wool mashups; screenprinted, polka-dotted faces. I hated only the blog-rave soundtrack and, in that spirit, the balls of fun fur Koma tacked onto otherwise great pieces. He’d have been better off leaving black and white alone. Would Daphne wear a kool-aid blue fur peplum or a sun-yellow stole? I don’t think so.

I just can’t seem to get enough of animal prints. (And thank goodness, because designers can’t seem to either.) Tap into the trend–and keep your jingles under control–with this adorable Danier leopard-print change purse ($10, danier.ca).

The post The daily steal: Leopard-print coin purse, $10 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.