FASHION Magazine

See all the looks from Sid Neigum’s Fall 2013 collection »

The king of colourless cool, Sid Neigum, had a couple of surprises up his sleeves last night for his Fall 2013 show at World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto. Known for collections that leave hues and prints out of the equation, Neigum tossed inverse florals and mossy emerald green prints into the mix to re-imagine his motto for fall.

As a cellist played live, models walked slowly, while sporting sky-high warrior-meets-Whoville hairdos and oversized knit dresses, geometric boxy pantsuits and printed trousers. The collection kept viewers guessing as the colour scheme and prints slowly shifted from white to black to emerald green.

On the first night of World MasterCard Fashion Week, we caught up with Pink Tartan designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran and chatted about the dark and mysterious inspiration behind her ladylike Fall 2013 collection. Visit our Fashion Week page for complete coverage » See the full Pink Tartan Fall 2013 collection »

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

See the Line Knitwear Fall 2013 collection »

Fall 2013, as envisioned by the thick knits and layers and layers of texture from Line Knitwear, is going to be a cozy, sleek season. Line may be known for loose cardigans and shawl-style sweaters, but it was the structured toppers, slender leather pieces and patterned knits that really made the Fall 2013 collection stand out. Additionally, an abundance of bare legs confirmed that the long sweater and circle skirt silhouette is the look to follow this fall.

Inspired by “the idea of a gilded urban city,” the collection was heavy on black and rich shades of charcoal, green and plum—but highlighted with touches of gold and silver shimmer. An impressive black crocheted sweater was styled overtop a sheer gold blouse with an asymmetrical hem that left a holographic trail behind as the model walked down the runway. Metallic splashes on one sweater looked so accurately placed it was easy to mistake the gold overprint for actual woven fibres, while oversized sequins on a black turtleneck looked positively mermaid-ish. Skinny gold belts added a metallic touch to cream coloured knits, while also making chunky sweaters and jackets look much more svelte. And when pants did make an appearance, they too were embellished with texture and hits of gold or silver.

See the street style photos from Toronto Fashion Week »

Day two of World MasterCard Fashion Week Fall 2013 is all about the transition. With the weather teetering between winter and a chilly spring, those attending shows at David Pecault Square turned to leather and fur yet again for the answer to the question, “will I be warm enough in this?” (Chances are, those only in leather jackets were still cold.)

Faux fur collars were seen on multiple attendees including I Want, I Got’s, Anita Clarke, who had her thinking face on as she stared into her iPhone on day two. Gotta send those tweets, y’all! Our Style Panel‘s Krystin Lee took serious inspiration from Marc Jacobs’ spring collection in a well, Marc Jacobs T-shirt and a stark black and white striped floor-length skirt. This look was accented with a red bag and statement necklace so we think it’s safe to say she’s been keeping up with our Spring 2013 trends guide.

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.

See the Laura Siegel Fall 2013 collection »

In fashion, it’s hard not to quickly condense designer Laura Siegel into a category like “eco-luxe,” or the much-maligned “tribal.” So I’ll fight that impulse and say this: Siegel’s work does transport you to another land. Her colours for Fall 2013 include warm-weather ivory, a blue-green reminiscent of the Andaman Sea by night and rusty red, like grains of sand you might find in Southern Africa. Laura Siegel’s style can be accessible at times (harem pants, roomy, belted dresses), and at other times a little out there. It’s clear she draws her greatest inspiration from global experience. The Toronto-born graduate of Parsons The New School for Design in New York City has travelled and observed extensively the techniques of artisans in India, Bali and Hong Kong. Her Spring 2013 collection leaned heavily on bright, voluminous layers in wood-block prints. If that seemed bohemian, it also made her a new wave designer whose vision included ethically gathered materials.

Fall 2013 sees Siegel build on her signature aesthetic. The harem pants and stretchy mixed-material bottoms are wearable enough, but it’s Siegel’s accessories and outer pieces—her capes, knits and leathers—that show her handiwork and ingenuity. Patchworks of heavy embroidery, tapestry folded over into bags and a blue-green leather jacket are fit for a rock ’n’ roll nomad (there it is: a category!), while the chunky knits are complex, multi-purpose pieces that beg to be held up for closer inspection. For Laura Siegel, the journey continues.

We went backstage after the stellar grunge-meets-Rococo Chloé Comme Parris Fall 2013 show at World MasterCard Fashion Week to chat with the talented sisters, Parris and Chloé Gordon, about the collection’s attitude, inspiration and accessories. Visit our Fashion Week page for complete coverage » See the full Chloé Comme Parris collection »

The post Video: Behind the scenes of Chloé Comme Parris at Toronto Fashion Week Fall 2013 appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See all the Holt Renfrew party pictures »

Not even a micro-blizzard can stop Toronto from celebrating the start of World MasterCard Fashion Week in style. Open-toed shoes and floor-grazing hemlines were spotted on many of the attendees at Holt Renfrew’s cocktail kickoff party, with barely a salt stain or goose-bump in sight.

The party, which started after the last of Monday’s shows, transplanted the front row set—that is, a mix of editors, designers, photographers and buyers—onto the third floor of Holt Renfrew. Ambient music (courtesy a Bellosound DJ in a white Jeremy Laing dress) mixed well with on-brand magenta lighting, making for quite the party den far away from the tents at David Pecaut square. And magenta wasn’t just everywhere thanks to the lighting: from Ashley Rowe’s dip-dyed hair and bright caftan to Lisa Tant’s magenta bolero jacket to a pocket square (that may have actually been a pair of panties, according to one onlooker) worn by a crafty male guest, the evening was filled with shades of pink, purple and red.

See the Pink Tartan Fall 2013 Collection »

Marnie Edgar meets Betty Draper meets American Horror Story’s Constance Langdon—a troika of off kilter blondes make the perfect heroines for Pink Tartan’s Fall 2013 collection. “There’s something a bit off about these girls but they are really put together,” said designer Kimberley Newport Mimran backstage after the show. A bit off? Maybe. Perked to perfection? That’s more like it. Newport-Mimran’s signature sunny approach shines through in any collection, and this season, particularly so—even despite its influence. Below the blond bob wigs and wide black headbands, the label’s latest wears proved ladylike once again while hitting all the Fall 2013 trend marks. Faux fur was one, which stood out as a bright cobalt blue coat. The winter floral was another, which renewed the label’s requisite shirtdresses for another season. And because faux fur may not satiate the luxists of the city, real fur appeared as well, most notably as thin black trim on a long, backless evening gown.

See the full backstage gallery from Pink Tartan Fall 2013 »

The makeup: “When I talked to [Kim Newport-Mimran], it was really Alfred Hitchcock meets Tippi Hedren. She’s a little bit off, she could be a little bit crazy, but she’s beautifully dressed. She wanted beautiful skin, but really it’s about that big, dramatic brow.” – Grace Lee, Maybelline New York lead makeup artist

– With a focus on “big and bold brows, with an element of naturalness,” Lee layered multiple products in a variety of colors to ensure the the brows didn’t come across as one dimensional and flat. First she filled in the brows by brushing through a shade of ashy-brown. Then she lightly went over the hairs with and almost-black shade to achieve “3D effect.” Finally. Lee finished them off by combing a gel through to keep all the hairs in place.

Check out our latest street style gallery Toronto Fashion Week »

World MasterCard Fashion Week Fall 2013 has begun in Toronto, but let’s be honest, Mother Nature is definitely the fiercest force taking over the city. Show goers were greeted on day one with an unexpected snowstorm making our first batch of street style photos—shot by photographer Stefania Yarhi—all about the layers.

Leathers, wools, and a whole lot of toques graced the wet pavement outside of David Pecault square and we won’t even try to deny how happy we are to spot three different mini backpacks which fills our hearts with 1990s nostalgia.

See the Chloé Comme Parris Fall 2013 collection »

The dreamy, artsy girl we usually see on Chloé Comme Parris runways showed her tougher, ennui-filled side for Fall 2013 at World Mastercard Fashion Week, slouching aggressively out to the sounds of Nirvana’s “All Apologies.” Nineties grunge reappeared in international Spring 2013 collections and continues to fly its flag into fall with Hedi Slimane’s all too faithful interpretation for Saint Laurent Paris (most of the fashion media wasn’t having it but it gave Courtney Love “gasms” and reminded her of Value Village).

Here, under-25 Toronto sisters Chloé and Parris Gordon applied their own richly detailed aesthetic to classic signifiers like check shirts wrapped around the waists of slips: their dresses are beautifully cut in silk and feature custom 19th century Arts & Crafts-influenced prints (the Gordons’ mom is an enthusiast of the era). Adding to the feeling of rebellious, seething youth were crop tops, patterned thigh-highs, tough leather, army overcoats, vests layered over sheer tunics layered over cropped pants, and dresses slashed across the chest and held together with what looked like metal body piercings.