FASHION Magazine

After travelling the globe for seven years in search of a coveted Birkin to add to her 200-plus bag collection, Jenniffer Proskiw finally tracked one down in San Diego. “I went to boutiques in Paris, New York, Capri, Venice, Saint Maarten, St. Barth’s, Argentina—they all said no,” recalls the Calgary-based realtor. “I called the Hermès store in San Diego and the salesperson said, ‘If you can be here in person, I may have something.’ I know it sounds silly, but I was so excited to get my hands on one, I was shaking. When you open it up and smell that leather, when you see the handiwork—it’s something you want to look after and love.”

Fashion collectors like Proskiw—who obsessively collect a specific type of clothing or accessory—are a rare but growing breed. You probably know a shopping addict or two, but serious collectors are interested in more than the high a spree provides; a deeper passion fuels their spending. Many don’t even wear their purchases, instead displaying them like precious works of art.

Proskiw has built an entire closet and library in her new home around that premise. She plans to display her favourite handbags, including a Judith Leiber pearl- and crystal-encrusted peacock clutch that’s never left its dust bag and a Christian Dior evening bag that once belonged to Elizabeth Taylor (she woke up at 6 a.m. to bid on it the day Taylor’s estate was auctioned off at Christie’s in New York). Proskiw also collects eyewear—nearly 200 pairs, including prescription Dolce & Gabbana ski goggles.

See the Greta Constantine Spring 2014 collection »

In the off-season manner that has become their signature, Greta Constantine designers Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill put the social spin on the Spring 2014 collection, which they revealed at Malaparte above TIFF Bell Lightbox last night in Toronto. For an intimate crowd of editors and socialites, the 23 looks first took to a makeshift runway in-between two outstretched dinner tables set with inspirational artworks at each place (“Give your undivided attention to the feeling of your creations, not the creations themselves,” said mine). Then later, in presentation style groupings for after-partygoers.

The collection itself was an exercise in what Greta Constantine does best, but renewed for the season in cool microfiber knits (my favourite: an off-shoulder magenta knee length cocktail number) and silk faille. A dripping copper-covered group of smouldering floor-length gowns had red carpet written all over it. Meanwhile, the duo pushed retakes of their well-known classics such as cobalt and tangerine ruffled power dresses and the one-shouldered cocktail. With a healthy dose of Rogers, Florida, Kimmel and Koo in the crowd, all 23 are sure to be snapped up faster than you can say fierce.

See the Drake One Fifty party photos »

The Drake Hotel can easily be credited with introducing Bay Street types to Queen West, and now, with the launch of Drake One Fifty, they’re reversing the flow. Nested between Toronto’s tallest skyscrapers and expense account-funded bars, the Drake has transplanted its signature sense of (dare we say hipster?) style into a standalone restaurant that will change the scene of the downtown core.

While the space has been on the radar of Toronto’s style set for months, doors officially opened earlier this week with a jam-packed party. From Holt Renfrew’s Moira Wright and Jennifer Daubney to artists Tommy Matejka and Niall McLelland, the guest list was a perfectly curated uptown/downtown mix. In typical Drake Hotel fashion, Drake One Fifty is as much about art and interior design as it is the food. Most of the dining room sits under a huge wooden pergola, designed by Brothers Dressler, book-ended with artwork by Douglas Coupland and Micah Lexier. (You’ll also be sure to see the extremely photogenic emerald-green leather bar stools and banquettes in the background of Instagrams for years to come.)

See the full gallery of Operanation party pictures »

Last Thursday opera lovers, patrons of the arts and faces who frequent Toronto’s party circuit came together to support the Canadian Opera Company for Operanation 9: Sweet Revenge. Attendees reflected the event’s theme of high-brow-opera-meets-pop-culture-concert well: Women in floor-length evening gowns navigated the many staircases of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts with ease—proving there’s no architectural challenge a mermaid dress can’t master—while others used the Centre’s sprawling steps as seating throughout the night.

Actress Gabrille Miller looked stunning in a peplum’d dress from Lucian Matis Fall 2012 while Nelly Furtado had two costume changes throughout the night, starting with a gown by Denis Gagnon and later switching into a Holy Tee dress. On the third floor a group of Argo players attracted many eligible ladies—perhaps the popularity of The Bachelor Canada has given the CFL a new social standing?