FASHION Magazine

This week’s DIY comes courtesy of our crafty intern extraordinaire, Erin Summer-Kibblewhite, who joined us for a week after she won H&M’s Conscious Couture Contest with her eco-friendly beaded collar. Erin’s DIY skills continued to wow us when she created the perfect summer to fall transition pumps inspired by the bold jewel tones that paraded down Miu Miu’s Fall 2012 runway. Erin added a little bling to a gorgeous pair of ruby red pumps, showing us that it’s possible to get a designer footwear look without shelling out for designer footwear prices. Kudos Erin!

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We love arm candy (and arm parties!), and this week we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and DIY us some of the oldest decorations in the book: the high-end friendship bracelet. We’ve seen these amped-up beauties on the runways (think Isabel Marant) and on the street (think blogger-approved Dannijo and Venessa Arigaza), with quite a hefty price tag attached, and so we decided to create some that ring in a little closer to what they used to cost back at summer camp: less than $10!

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There were so many fabulous details in Karl Lagerfeld’s India-inspired Pre-Fall collection, especially considering that the couture mastermind has never even been to India. The crystal-heavy tikkas that dangled from the centre-parted hair of the models were beautiful, as were the luxe silks and tweeds dripping in pearls. We can’t think of anything that is more quintessentially Chanel than pearls, so we decided to recreate the heavily embellished necklines we spotted on so many covet-worthy pieces. With supplies that can be found at any craft store, you too can get a Chanel-inspired look without the couture ticket price.

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This spring, Miu Miu stuck to the formula that has kept the label in the closets of fashion aficionados around the globe, with a barrage of playful prints that paraded down the runway. We loved the fun florals in primary colours, so we decided to create our own Miu Miu–inspired print for this week’s DIY installment.  With art supplies that can be found in most arts and crafts stores, you too can create your own Miu Miu hand-printed skirt.

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Muy caliente was the theme of Dolce and Gabbana’s Spring 2012 collection. Vibrant fruity fabrics and chili pepper prints paraded down the runway, but what really got our attention were the chunky earrings adorned with chilies, bulbs of garlic and bowtie pastas. They were totally adorable, and with a price tag of $350, we thought they’d be the perfect addition to the Fashion DIY feature. With inexpensive supplies that can be found at any bead or craft store, we recreated the Dolce and Gabbana chili and garlic gold hoop earrings.

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There were so many things that we loved about Chanel‘s Cruise 2013 show, not least of which being its royal presentation on the Versailles grounds, but one thing we can’t seem to stop thinking about were the ombré sunhats that were toted alongside the Rococo-style confections. While the hats won’t land in-store until January of next year (and will arguably exceed our sunhat budget), we came up with a super simple and inexpensive DIY version.

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Granny-chic is quite a feat and we adore the girlish reflective flower motifs, flower-appliquéd organza and shimmery pastels of Christopher Kane’s spring collection. And here’s the secret added bonus: they’re comfortable too. To emulate the style, we picked a pair of sport sandals over at Sport Chek and transformed them in four simple steps.

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In honour of Miuccia Prada‘s birthday (it’s today!) and her retrospective at the Met, we’re getting into our second Prada DIY of the season (check out our flower earring DIY). This time around, we’re fashioning our own fiery accessory inspired by the stylized fifties flames that were shown throughout her Spring 2012 collection.

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Just about every designer seemed to have the London Olympics in mind, as athletic-gone-couture was a reoccurring trend in many spring collections. From Kenzo’s colour-block anoraks to Vera Wang’s pristine sporty dresses, athletic chic certainly made the finals for one of the must-have looks of the season. Alexander Wang, perhaps the star player of the trend, showed perforated materials and mesh galore in the form of jackets and dresses. But the collection’s statement-worthy oversized mesh pockets had us inspiration-struck. We add a bit of florescent flash to the look in 7 simple steps.

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The statement collar has become, for spring, what the necklace has been for years before. No longer just the functional counterpart to the button-down shirt, the collar (attached or removable) has taken centre stage this season—studded at Balmain, detached and printed at Carven and lacy at Preen. We love them, and the ultra-feminine look of Louis Vuitton’s lace numbers had us thinking DIY at first sight. Follow our simple steps to create your own version of the dream-like bib; all you need is a few inexpensive items and a bit of creativity!

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It’s all about the waist this spring with croptops, drop-waists and our favourite look of the moment, the peplum. One particular Cushnie et Ochs look, complete with a slick patent peplum, caught our eye. So we decided to make it, natch (and for a meager $17, too).

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From bags appliquéd with retro car motifs to regal adornments fit for a queen, Prada’s Spring 2012 accessories were certainly drool-worthy. Within the covet-worthy collection, these exquisite floral embellished crystal drop-earrings made our must-have list at first sight. But we opted out of the $540 price tag, and instead decided to make our own wallet-happy version. Learn how to replicate these stunners in three simple steps (easy enough for even the very amateurish of crafters). All you need is 20 minutes and a few inexpensive items.

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