FASHION Magazine

It must be a year of anniversaries: besides Blo Blow Dry Bar turning one year old, 2008 is the 20th anniversary of not one, but three fashion editors: Anna Wintour (of Vogue, duh), Franca Sozzani (of Italian Vogue) and Suzy Menkes (of tall hair fame and the International Herald Tribune). Closer to home, it’s also the 30th birthday of Banana Republic (bananarepublic.com).

As fall draws near, Calgarians tend to hold their breath, bracing themselves for a quick and abrupt end to summer. While savouring every last moment of warm weather can be disheartening to some, for others it means an opportunity to check out the latest in fall fashion. In autumn, the air is crisp and leaves are a riot of colours. For me, it’s a perfect recipe for handholding and a warm embrace.

It’s that time of the year again. I feel the need to go out and buy new crayons, sharpeners and markers, and make a fresh start. Although I don’t need all the new school supplies I once did, I still find justification to go out and buy a few new outfits and some little extras to go with them.

By Stephanie Trendocher

Being the fashionista I am, I eagerly peruse store websites for previews of upcoming styles that haven’t yet hit the sales floor. If you’re like me and you’re seeking an online style fix, look no further. Today, homegrown purveyors of chic, RK (rkstores.com), launched their new e-boutique, which carries a well-edited selection of sleek looks. With their easy-to-navigate web site, you can shop the season’s most coveted pieces on your lunch break.

There is something so easy and effortless about summer dressing. Throw on a cute floral dress, stack a few bangles, slip into a fabulous sandal and out the door you go.

Last week, as I was driving to our downtown office early in the morning, I spotted a flock of hipsters sitting on the sidewalk with their oversized shades or standing with their friends, all of them waiting for the new Ste-Catherine H&M to open. The line was so long I couldn’t see the end of it.

By Natalia Ksiazek

Since diamonds are a bit out of my price range, when it comes to sparkling accessories, crystals are it for now. But with Swarovski’s (swarovski.com) new fall collection, Passages of Night, I’ll happily wait for the higher-priced ice.

By Jennifer Campbell

Around here, I am sometimes known, style wise, as the sexy secretary. I assume this is because of my predilection for pencil skirts as opposed to my filing skills, which are nil. Happily, the fall runways (to say nothing of Mad Men) were full of strict, administratively-inspired outfits.

Lovely in…Girly classics

Spotted: Bellair Street

When you think of Geox shoes, stylish, swanky footwear isn’t what normally comes to mind—try granny-variety loafers and not-so-chic driving shoes as images that pop up instead.

I woke up this morning to the sound of urban construction at about 6:45 a.m.—my loft is conveniently located between the sites of two new high-rise condos. As I began checking my phone for messages, I realized my memory card was almost full and I needed to purge some useless crap I have collected over the year. I began deleting unrecognizable phone numbers, dated memos and files, only to realize that just wasn’t cutting it. It then dawned on me to check my media file. Wow! I had everything: over 200 photos, music I’ve never listened to, and a number of episodes of Jpod. As I began looking through my photos, I came across ones I took at the Fall 2008 Chanel show back in late February. There were photos of the models parading around a carousel in a very beige collection of tweeds, bouclé and tulle (original). Then I came across a series of photos I took of the Olsen twins, who were sitting next to me in the front row. Worse, I took these photos while the show was unfolding. What was I doing taking photos of these alabaster white, enigmatic twins in the middle of one of the most important collections of the season?

Last year, there was the grand opening of the new Vancouver Holt Renfrew flagship—where, along with plenty of other fawning fans, I caught a glimpse of Marcia Cross, Zooey Deschanel and 90210’s Kathleen Robertson (who, 12 months ago, was already rocking a crown of braids).

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