FASHION Magazine

See the street style from Vancouver »

While it’s safe to say that we’re nearing the end of fall, temperatures (and the fashion choices that go along with them) have been all over the place. Mixed weather conditions call for fairly magpie-esque outfit choices to get the look just right. In Vancouver, the city’s most stylish have been finding ways to pair summer-inspired pieces with cold-weather essentials while still looking cool. Case in point: the humour-infused Canadian tuxedo emblazoned with Bart Simpson’s face, the Adidas logo hoodie paired with a thrifted leather vest and the ultra-colourful green hair/turquoise toque. Woo to See You boutique owner Hans Woo toyed with texture by pairing her tribal-inspired dress with a 3/4-length sleeve jacket, her husband Justin played with multi-patterns in one varsity style zip. Here, we’ve culled our favourite looks of the season so far on the street in Vancouver.

See the backstage beauty report for Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013 »

For Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013, the divine beauty look complemented the religious iconography that inspired the collection. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana blessed their designs with elaborate motifs from the mosaics in Sicily’s Cathedral of Monreale. “We love the contrast it creates with the sensuality and the passion of the Dolce & Gabbana woman,” says Gabbana. Hair was backcombed for extra volume volume and gathered at the nape of the neck for what Guido Palau described as “natural Italian allure.”

The allure continued with the makeup, inspired by the country’s iconic screen siren, Sophia Loren. Pat McGrath paid homage with a classic cat eye and bold brow. As for the ultra-rich red lips, two shades of lipstick were mixed to create a custom hue and applied overtop a base of ruby-red pencil. Finally, the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013 beauty look became a complete sensory experience with a few spritzes of the label’s latest scent, Intense. “Every time we go to Sicily, we are overwhelmed by the smell of the land,” says Dolce. “Flowers of every kind mix with the notes of the sea to create a unique bouquet.”

Continuing on with this year’s ever-popular 1990s craze, the Fall 2013 runways went boudoir happy with a look back at one of the decade’s most popular items: the lingerie dress. Part Courtney Love shout out (that’s our cover girl!), part Hitchcockian ode, sexy slinky spaghetti straps made their way onto the runways at Marc Jacobs, […]

The post How to wear the boudoir trend: 4 Style Panel tips for rocking this season’s oh so trendy lingerie dress appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See our product picks for mastering the big hair trend »

Achieving voluminous, shampoo-commercial hair is an aspiration common to many of us—and with big hair being a big beauty trend on the Fall 2013 runways, now’s the time to embrace it. From ’40s-inspired curls at Bottega Veneta to frizzed-out styles at L’Wren Scott and Rick Owens, the big hair trend is excellent news for anyone with thick, curly hair. But if your hair tends to fall flat just minutes after a blow out and you don’t have a crew of hair pros working their magic, it can be hard to get the look at home.

Thankfully, new technology is making it easier than ever to pump up the volume on your own and get a Marc by Marc Jacobs-worthy style. Here are some of the latest gravity-defying products hitting the market and our tips on how to use them. Bring on the big hair!

Sentaler
“They don’t make ’em like that anymore.” Belgrade-born, Toronto-based designer Bojana Sentaler Nikolic could be referring to her own line of luxury coats, which are individually made and hand-finished, but in this case she’s talking about the inimitable Karl Lagerfeld. She crossed the Kaiser’s path five years ago while working in media in Dubai. During a meeting with him about the villas he was designing, she snuck in a few career questions of her own. “I said, ‘Listen, Karl, I went to business school, but my passion is fashion, can I do it?’” she recalls. “He said, ‘What do you mean? I didn’t go to fashion school, look at me.’ He was so blunt and nonchalant. That was 2008, and I launched Sentaler in 2009.”

Karl’s predictably eloquent advice aside, another driver in Sentaler’s decision to pursue a life of design was the dearth of winter outerwear that satisfied both her function and fashion requirements. “Wool coats weren’t warm enough, and puffy down jackets weren’t as elegant,” she says. “I remember not liking winters because of those jackets.” It took a six-month stint researching fabrics in South America to solve her conundrum. While in Peru, she zeroed in on alpaca fibres, which she praises for being warmer, lighter and more durable than wool.

See the photo shoot images »

Covering up for the cold has never been more exciting or provided more options. Just take a cue from our October 2013 issue which explores Fall 2013’s many coat translations from big and boxy to textured, mannish and beyond. There’s a coat for everyone this season, just pick your poison.

Call It Spring is aiming to make you feel nostalgic with its Fall 2013 campaign. The footwear and accessories brand is launching a series of videos that are focused on those simple high school days when you were anywhere and everywhere on campus. (Or, given the high school-age demo of the average Call It Spring customer, the collegiate craze theme is channeling actual IRL back -to-school fever.)

The videos—which have quirky Wes Anderson undertones—follow a group of friends experiencing idiosyncratic moments in various high school scenarios, be it talent show rehearsals, cheering on the home team or cutting class. Of course, all this happens while striving for collegiate cool status in Call It Spring’s latest offerings. No campus-inspired campaign would be complete without varsity jackets, bleachers, pom-poms, plaid and at least one Cambridge satchel bag, right?

When Michael Kors arrives at his Bloor Street West boutique for a cocktail party in his honour, he looks every bit the billionaire he’s on the brink of becoming. Aviators on, entourage in tow, tanned and looking like he’s just flown in from Saint-Tropez or some other exotic locale, he’s immediately swallowed up in a swarm of Kors-clad clients and a frenzy of iPhone flashes. For most of the night, he’s ushered along on a dizzying circuit of hand-shaking, air-kissing and picture-posing, but he is at all times classic Kors, delighting those around him with the occasional quip, never losing that signature smile. And, given the year he’s been having, it’s no wonder he’s smiling.

Since taking his company public in the biggest IPO in U.S. fashion history, Kors has been raking in the accolades right along with the cash, including being named to Time Magazine’s list of the most influential people in the world, topping The Wall Street Journal’s NYIndex of powerful New Yorkers and landing the prestigious Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion from the Fashion Institute of Technology (not bad for a kid who dropped out of FIT after nine months). His company has 400 stores worldwide, has enjoyed record-breaking growth and, with 2013 profits forecast at more than double last year’s, it’s no wonder his is the most Googled name in American fashion—a name that, by the way, he chose for himself at the age of five (he was born Carl Anderson Jr.).

The morning after the party, I meet with Kors (sans aviators and entourage) to find out what has him smiling so much these days.

See the Reitmans 9.5.7. collection »

While the back to school hype may be centred around the younger generation, working women can get into the “I need new outfits” spin courtesy of Canadian retailer Reitmans and its first line of professional wear.

Largely inspired by current runway trends, the brand’s 9.5.7 collection aims to dress busy women from home to the office and beyond. “With the 9.5.7 collection, we’re trying to make life a little simpler by allowing women to shop the looks and suggest matches they may not have thought of before. We want to make sure they feel both on trend and confident in the boardroom,’’ says Sanda Léveillé, merchandising manager for the brand.

Specially curated for a career woman, the collection features 15 pieces that play off classic office pieces like a simple white shirt and dress pants. Offering stylish pieces fit for any office dress code, the 9.5.7 collection is complete with clean feminine lines laced with inspirations from the menswear section as well as a mix of prints and textures to help keep the black, white and grey colour code interesting. To add a tasteful accent to your fall outfit, burgundy coloured handbags and heels will sure make chic statement pieces. With the collection allowing you to mix and match pieces, you can create up to 30 different looks for the office!

See the street style photos from New York Fashion Week »

And we’re back! New York Fashion Week Spring 2014 has officially kicked off, and with it a whole new season of street style photos are en route. While designers like BCBG, Tadashi Shoji, Richard Chai and Toronto-born, New York-based Tanya Taylor were busy yesterday showing us what to expect for the Spring 2014 season, photographer Stefani Yarhi had her eyes on the attendees outside the tents.

The beauty of September is that the weather allows for us to play with both spring and fall trends. While temperatures may be getting cooler, fashion die-hards were definitely keen to get more use out of their spring pieces—mini dresses, graphic tees and gladiator sandals were definitely favourites outside the shows. Sport jersey dresses also made appearances on some of the ladies—perhaps a nod to NYFW’s recent kickoff with the NFL?

However, there was no doubt that fashion enthusiasts were eager to include fall trends to spice up their outfits: Plaid and prints popped everywhere from jackets to skirts to bags. But the two ladies who pulled out hot pink to brighten up the scene were the ones who really caught our eyes.

See the Fall 2013 must-have shopping picks »

Or jump to: ’40s GLAM | BOYS’ CLUB | FUN FUR | PUNK ROCK | SURVIVAL KIT

Along with the crisp fall breeze that assures us summer is winding down comes new fashion possibilities—and what better to fill the void in your closet? With fall comes a tendency for darker attire, the bold textures, edgy colours and metallic hardware—of course, these are just a few of things to look forward to this season, and don’t feel restricted to just one!

We’ve combined this season’s boldest looks to love and layer, and they’re sure to spice up your wardrobe of neutrals and remind you that more is more. We may not be shedding skin as the temperatures drop, but we sure are showing new skins, like wine-stained leathers for trenches and tops and multi-hued furs for coats. Classic camouflage prints were all over pants and pumps that came stomping down the runways for everyone from Jean Paul Gaultier to Carolina Herrera. These pieces are not for the faint of heart or the timid to trends—but keeping warm doesn’t mean letting your style go cold.

See the photo shoot images »

Weather the winds of change in grey, fashion’s truest neutral, or show them who’s boss in a sexy skirt suit. Photographed at Georgian Bay’s Flower Pot Island, we explore one of Fall 2013’s most definitive colour palette with a sprawling photo shoot starring Canadian superstar model, Herieth Paul. From dove to charcoal and tweeds to knits, grey rocks this fall.