FASHION Magazine

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For this black and white photo shoot from our November 2013 issue, we pull from our own talent pool and prove that Canadian models in Canadian designs make perfect pairings this fall. Check out the best from homegrown talents like Rad Hourani, Sid Neigum, Duy and Travis Taddeo and more as worn by standout models hailing from right here in the Great White North.

See the top 10 moments from Montreal Fashion Week Spring 2014 »

Montreal Fashion Week has wrapped its 25^th season with Spring 2014. On the heels of an official statement announcing major structural changes (read: budget cuts) to the biannual event as soon as February 2014, there was a wistful “end of an era” wind in the air. Will we say goodbye to Arsenal as our MFW headquarters? Will there be runway presentations next year? Only time will tell. But before we look ahead and contemplate the future, let’s look back at spring 2014 top 10 moments. Be ready for the return of black and white and sheer fabrics next spring and summer.

See the biggest Fall 2013 fashion trends »
See all our fashion month coverage »

Fashion month may have finally wrapped, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to forget about the trends that emerged for Fall 2013 on the many runways of New York, London, Milan, Paris and Toronto—In fact, it’s time for them to take front and centre. While shoppers everywhere are snapping up the best of the selling floor’s offerings for spring and summer, designers, buyers and editors alike are busy prepping ahead. And since we know y’all like to keep ahead of the curve, we’ve sorted through hundreds of photos and selected 10 of the top Fall 2013 trends so that you can mentally prep (and save) too!

Next season, it’s all about fur, which landed in both faux and real on runways including Marni, JW Anderson, and most strikingly at Fendi, where it was combined in a dizzying multitude of punky ways. The 1990s were back for another resurgence, continuing Spring 2013’s grunge trend at Saint Laurent in Paris and Chloé Comme Parris right here at home. On the street, the look was easily created by many fashion week attendees who layered plaids on waists, under jackets and even on tights. And while practically speaking, it may be no major surprise that outerwear was one of the top Fall 2013 trends, this show season we saw jackets take on new forms with quilting, oversized shapes and bold colours which were mirrored outside the shows, with equally interesting choices hitting the pavement

Here are 100 images to help jog your memory of the top Fall 2013 trends spotted inside and outside of the fashion week stents, so sit back, click through, and relive the fashion month in all its street style and runway glory.

View by trend: 1. 1990s |2. SKIRT SUITS|3. FUR | 4. HATS | 5. OUTERWEAR | 6. PINK | 7. PLAID | 8. STATEMENT ACCESSORIES | 9. CRAZY COMBOS | 10. UNIQUE PRINTS

We went backstage after DUY‘s Fall 2013 fashion show at World MasterCard Fashion Week and caught up with Montreal-based designer Duy Nguyen as well as our own editor-in-chief, Bernadette Morra. Visit our Fashion Week page for complete coverage » See the full DUY Fall 2013 collection »

The post Video: Behind the scenes with DUY at Toronto Fashion Week Fall 2013 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the DUY Fall 2013 collection »

Edgy but elegant—it’s a difficult line to walk, even for the most seasoned designers.

But Duy Nguyen proved he was up to the challenge in his World MasterCard Fashion Week presentation. The solo show was an award received along with industry mentorship (including face-time with yours truly) from the Mercedes Benz Start-Up program after a cross-country search and runway showdown last fall.

The Vietnam-born, Montreal-based designer proved his mettle (or metal), if you count the silvery embroidered lace gowns, twinkling wool trousers and shimmery tweed pencil skirts showcased in the DUY Fall 2013 collection.

A pale, frosty palette and fox-trimmed leathers fit with the Canadian Arctic theme. Materials were all rich, warm, and begging to be touched, with mohair trousers cut to pleated perfection, and a “hairy” top that looked like a fine shag carpet. Nguyen also spent weeks slicing tulle for his swishy evening skirts, basketweaving wool jersey for tops and handcrafting hundreds of flowers from left over scraps. “I wanted them to look like they were decomposing,” he said of the appliques that wound around shoulders and necks.

Attention aspiring designers: 2013’s Mercedes-Benz Start Up cycle has officially begun! For the third year in a row, Canada’s premiere mentorship program will be on the countrywide hunt for one lucky up and coming designer who will win a year of industry mentorship and a showcase at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto. “Mercedes-Benz Start […]

The post Mercedes-Benz Start Up 2013: Now accepting submissions! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the biggest Spring 2013 fashion trends »
See all of our fashion month coverage »

It’s official, Spring 2013 fashion month is over. And after receiving a daily dose of street style photos and runway updates, it would be silly for us to ignore the trends that we saw day after day (after day, after day). It’s hard not to fall victim to sensory overload, but thankfully our street style photographer, Stefania Yarhi, made it easy for us to pick and choose which trends we know we’ll be seeing all spring long. With hundreds of photos from Paris, Milan, London, New York, and Toronto at our disposal, we just couldn’t ignore the countless graphic tops (a day without a Balenciaga sci-fi sweater sighting was a total shocker), exposed bellies, suits, and mixed prints—so we didn’t because we’re positive they will be huge come Spring 2013. We’ve selected 10 of the biggest fashion trends from the streets and the runways and put them together in one place, so gets to clickin’. The leaves may just be starting to fall, but it’s never too early to plan for spring, right? (RIGHT!)

View by trend: 1. CARTOON GRAPHICS | 2. BARE MIDRIFF | 3. FILING SUIT | 4. MIXED PRINTS | 5. MONOCHROMATIC | 6. OUT THERE ACCESSORIES | 7. PEEK A BOO | 8. SEEING RED | 9. SIXTIES | 10. STRUCTURE

See all the looks from the Mercedes Benz Start Up finals! »

And the winner is: DUY! Last night, the search for the Spring 2013 winner of the Mercedes Benz Start Up competition came to a close and Montreal designer Duy Nguyen was crowned the victor.

Pitted against seven other designers from across Canada, Nguyen’s dreamy pieces impressed the judges (including our editor-in-chief, Bernadette Morra) and secured his spot at the top of the podium. The DUY Spring 2013 collection was California girl meets New York, pairing structured suits with flowing chiffons and short-shorts with strong, collarless blazers. Nguyen was inspired by the French who are “very easy going” yet the collection was not necessarily reflective of Canadians—but worry not, as he told us that “fashion is about dreaming.” There was also a tinge of nostalgia, as silhouettes were very ’80s with crocheted knit tops and a modern version of the mom jean. The palette was simple and airy with seafoam greens, crèmes and baby blues but was punched up with a bright red-orange dress and short suit that featured cutouts. These pieces were winners in their own right.

View our Montreal Fashion Week Spring 2013 photo gallery! »

It sure wasn’t easy getting into the groove of fashion week the day after Labour Day weekend, but this season’s Semaine de la mode was a success on many levels. A brand new venue, the return of practically all of Montreal’s cult fave designers and the city’s first ever participation in the global event of Fashion’s Night Out made for four fabulous days that will be hard to forget—and difficult to outdo next year. Here’s our round up of the top moments from Montreal Fashion Week Spring 2013:

Summertime in Montreal is festival season. The city is one party after another with jazz, comedy, French music and, just in time for back-to-school, the Montreal Fashion & Design Festival. Now in its 11th instalment, the MFDF once again takes over McGill College Avenue. From August 1 to 4, the downtown artery will be blocked off to traffic from de Maisonneuve Boulevard to Ste-Catherine Street. Here are five reasons the fashion fest rocks:

See the winning collection! »

After last year’s impressive show in Montreal, 2012 saw the Mercedes-Benz Start Up semi-finals set up shop in Quebec City. And so it was at the fairy tale-esque Château Frontenac where I was reunited with the permanent panel from last year’s inaugural edition, plus two new local fashion experts.

JoAnne Caza, the captain of Mercedes-Benz Canada, wowed me with her perfect bilingualism (she’s from the West Island). Local Twitter fashion fans were ecstatic about photogenic Aussie-native Jarrad Clark who heads IMG Fashion—and who was also a judge on Project Runway Australia. Then, of course, there was Hans Koechling, president of The Image Is (who just got back from working on Next Top Model in Britain), and, the Simon Cowell of the group, Robin Kay, president of the FDCC. Joining me in guest judge duties were Christiane Garant of Myco Anna and Louise Maheux from Simons.

View the collections »

I started Montreal Fashion Week with a major misstep; I missed the Tavãn & Mitto show. But Dressed to Kill’s EIC, Stéphane Le Duc, raved about T&M’s expert cuts and the luxurious repositioning of the brand—also how they’re going to sell exclusively from their boutique. It’s an interesting move that seems in line with the city’s growing niche market of quality and made-to-measure garments. As for the clothes, I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

Hours before, I had received an early-bird Tweet from stylist Cary Tauben that he’d be styling DUY’s runway. “Get ready for a couture show,” he wrote, dropping a few crumbs about a “surprise.” Indeed, Duy Nguyen delivered a very haute-lifting experience. The Parisienne Madame focus was clear; the rich urban palette was solid. The “surprise” was Tauben himself, who—in an obvious Andrej Pejic–inspired move—strut his bare, model-esque legs beneath a fur-collared coat down the stage to rippling applause.