FASHION Magazine

Old-school fashion rules are generally to our benefit. In a world of muffin tops and visible panty lines, they give us some Emily Post–like structure on how to flatter our bodies and look put together in the currently “anything goes” state of sartorial modernism. That being said there are some rules that just aren’t relevant anymore, limiting your wardrobe instead of making the most of it. Here, we learn from Hollywood’s finest that rules really are made to be broken.

Turn don’ts into dos! »

By Randi Bergman and Jordan Porter

This summer, who says the bride is the only one who can be labelled best-dressed? Pull a Pippa and have fellow guests clamouring at your feet. Whether it’s a city affair or a party in the countryside, we’ve put together foolproof outfits for each occasion. Floral prints, strappy heels and embellished handbags will have you looking like a million bucks—let’s hope the bride keeps her jealousy well hidden.

Shop the guide now! »

Last week we found out about the nationwide renovations that are to take place at 80 of The Bay stores. Today, the company’s move towards a more luxurious market was further confirmed with a press release stating the expansion of The Bay’s luxury boutique, The Room, into Vancouver. The 23,000 square foot Yabu Pushelberg-designed space will be housed in the Granville Bay Store and will stock ready-to-wear and runway pieces, as well as footwear from thirty-five coveted designers.

While some seem doubtful, we feel that Kate has the chops to one day become a style icon rivaling her late great mother-in-law. Kate, if you’re reading this (Hi!!!), we think all it would really take is branching out from your jersey dresses and pea coats and embracing the incredible talent that London fashion has to offer. For the couple’s impending honeymoon (rumoured to be taking place in either Australia or Africa), we picked a slightly more daring designer honeymoon wardrobe that we think would be sure to help Katie that secure her a spot in royal fashion history.

View our honeymoon picks! »

Should you ever find yourself in a similar predicament, the most appropriate way to fête an international fashion superstar in the hometown of her photog paramour would be to roll out the leopard carpet, send in the trannies and keep the bubbly flowing until a dance party ensues amidst racks of designer duds.

By Randi Bergman and Meagan Wilson

Bonnie Brooks’ reinvigoration of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and the flagship’s St. Regis Room in particular (now simply called The Room), has brought hot design names like Proenza Schouler, Thakoon and Erdem well south of Bloor Street. Factor in buzzy in-store appearances—with the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, virtually every British designer worth mentioning, and Anna Dello Russo (who will descend with street-style phenom Tommy Ton on April 20)—and Toronto officially has a new nexus of chic.

Who doesn’t love playing dress-up? With the royal wedding being the ultimate fantasy occasion, we decided to let our imaginations run wild and pick out some ensembles for if we were rich, famous and… invited.

Check out our London fall 2011 fashion week photo gallery »

Fashion week hazard: Getting caught up in the moment, suddenly realizing you have no idea what’s going on with Libya. Insiders say fashion week looks glamorous but the reality is: there is no reality here.

So it was strange, in a good way, to read Peter Pilotto‘s show notes on revolts past (the Russian Revolution, the Paris Riots of ’68) and present (Egypt). Pilotto and partner Christopher De Vos promised to translate these into “seditious shirting details.” Forgive my skepticism.

Everyone loves a Canadian designer in London. From Erdem to Mark Fast to Thomas Tait, it’s a whole new boys’ club over there. But they better make room for one serious creative force of a girl: Kat Marks.

The Calgary native graduated from the Ryerson School of Fashion in 2008. I’ve never forgotten her work at the grad show. While most of her peers were fussily reinventing the cocktail dress, Marks was making balloon-shouldered bodysuits and plastic torsos with jutting hips. Think Margiela, but at a sex shop. Soon after leaving Ryerson, off Marks went to the London College of Fashion, where she got her Masters in Fashion Artefact and all the right kinds of attention.

Today, Marks’ fashion film, The Karass, premieres at SHOWStudio.com. No big deal: it’s just the major-est, most respected avant-garde fashion force in the whole UK. And yes, the short is shot by the site’s mastermind and genius image-maker, Nick Knight himself!

Experience the video for yourself, but be sure to keep in mind that every interchangeable piece of these hyper real tuxedo-like breastplates was made by Marks’ own hands: the vegetable-dyed, heat-moulded leathers, the manipulated bits of brass and the Perspex, which was hand-etched (“tattooed,” she says) with ink.

How did Marks and this bizarre, wearable-but-just-barely work get such a spectacular break? She didn’t. She sent an email. Alexander Fury, fashion director of SHOWStudio, “got it” right away. “It is rare to see pieces as distinctive and strong as Kat Marks’ work,” he says in a press release for the film. “Rare on the catwalks, and certainly rare in a designer so young.”

And so here’s the mega-talented Ms. Marks in her own words, typed over Skype and delivered straight to you.

The Bay’s full-tilt foray into high fashion continues apace. This Thursday and Friday, the Toronto Queen Street store is hosting a two-day extravaganza of British fashion, dubbed God Save the Queen. The Room will be transformed with installations and the opening night soiree will let the guest list-only crowd mingle with the cool kids of London fashion–Mark Fast, Marios Schwab, Erdem, Jonathan Saunders, Charlotte Olympia Dellal, Nicholas Kirkwood and Giles Deacon, who will be demonstrating his DJ prowess.

I love London. I haven’t spent much time here–a day in transit here, a week or two there–so what’s been particularly brilliant (to borrow a very British descriptor) is when designers host their fashion shows off-venue. The Topshop space, which has hosted the Topshop Unique, Richard Nicoll, and Peter Pilotto shows, is an old EuroStar […]

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