FASHION Magazine

By James Grainger

All the world may be a stage, but there are few players with as much panache and multi-genre presence as Justin Timberlake. Actor, musician, fashion insider (with his William Rast line) and Saturday Night Live favourite, Timberlake’s most endearing role may be that of good sport. Aptly, the 31-year-old is the face of Givenchy’s Play fragrance portfolio, which grows this spring with the introduction of the woody, gingery Play Sport.

What makes a good fragrance?
“A scent shouldn’t be like an attack. It’s weird how a strong fragrance homogenizes personality instead of adding to it.  [Play Sport] was attractive to me because it was clean, fresh and unobtrusive. When you get close up, that’s when you should notice a scent.”

See all of the trends for spring »

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VARSITY JACKETS | CUFFLINKS | PATTERNED PANTS | FOOTWEAR

Amidst the mass hysteria (how else could one describe it?) that was the Dior succession saga of 2011/2012, you may have heard the name of a little-known French couturier, Maxime Simoëns, thrown around. And while those rumours may have been totally unfounded, today’s announcement that LVMH would be investing in his eponymous line has made it crystal clear that his is one name to remember.

In a surprising turn of events, LVMH head honcho Bernard Arnault has invested a significant but undisclosed amount in the 27-year-old’s two-years-young label. And while Arnault is famous for treating the global luxury market as one gigantic game of Hungry Hungry Hippos (hint: LVMH=the hippo, everyone else=the balls), the mogul almost never invests in new labels.

Despite his young age, Simoëns is no stranger to the fashion world. He studied fashion at the famed École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture and then apprenticed at Elie Saab, Jean Paul Gaultier, Balenciaga and—get this—Dior under Galliano. Not to mention his Maxime Simoëns line that shows during Paris Couture Week and his bevy of celebrity clients (mostly French) including Canadian Rachel McAdams.

Arnault must think the wunderkind has got some serious talent—and with his track record, can you blame him? This has people wondering if Simoëns is being readied to take the reins at one of LVMH’s more established labels. Could we see Simoëns at Givenchy post-Tisci? Or at Fendi post-Karl? Given this year’s intense, never-ending game of fashion musical chairs (Jil! Raf! Stefano! Hedi!), we can’t help but applaud Arnault’s foresight.

Find out how to get the look! »

Introducing Runway to Real Life, a new weekly feature that takes the best runway beauty looks and shows you how to make them work them for real-life wear. We’ll cover everything from the extreme (red eyeshadow?) to the classic (hello, cat eye!) while providing tips and products so you can recreate each at home. First up: Salvatore Ferragamo Spring 2012.

Miss Universe Canada has disqualified a “real girl” on the grounds of…well…not being a “real girl.” In a circular, confusing and seriously offensive series of events, Miss Universe Canada pulled transgender finalist Jenna Talackova from the competition on the basis that she didn’t meet competition rules.

CTV is reporting that though the application states contestants must be between the ages of 18-27 and Canadian, it says nothing about cosmetic surgery. Not according to Miss Universe Canada’s national director, Denis Davila, who said that the rules state each contestant must be a “naturally born female” and that Talackova lied about that on her registration form.

Though beauty pageants have never been known for their progressive thinking (or even thinking for that matter), this seems especially antiquated; we’re in an age of Andrej Pejic acting as the new Cindy Crawford and Lea T starring in Givenchy campaigns. We will say though, that it’s somewhat heartening to consider how strongly the mainstream media has rallied around Talackova and her cause.

See our editor’s 50+ shopping picks for spring »

View by inspiration:

MOLTO ITALIANO
Treat yourself to la dolce vita with glamorous retro classics.

BEDTIME
STORY
Silky pyjama-inspired separates make their way out of the boudoir this spring.

STRAIGHT
FLUSH
Start gazing through rose-tinted lenses: Blush is spring’s freshest neutral.

DARK
DELIGHTS
Boost the cool factor of sugary-sweet confections with tough black accents.

View the sleeve and shoulder trend in action »

We need to talk about sleeves. Shoulders too, but first sleeves.

There is a majorly mannish tailoring trend forming at the Fall 2012 shows in Paris, but what keeps it from being dull is that the designers are having fun with sleeves.

Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci cut his sleeves short and wide for boxy jackets and colour-blocked furs. We’ll surely be seeing these goods on Alicia Keys and the other stars who were in his front row.

There were striped knit sleeves on wool coats at Kenzo (made ultra-cool thanks to designers and Opening Ceremony co-founders Humberto Leon and Carol Lim).

It’s not every day that you get to play host to a living, breathing masterpiece! The Canadian Art Foundation was lucky enough to showcase Yugoslavian performance artist Marina Abramovic, who was in Toronto for the Canadian premiere of The Artist is Present at the Reel Artists Film Festival. The new documentary film chronicles her prolific and often painful career and follows the preparation for her 2010 retrospective show at the MoMA—she spent more than 700 hours over the course of three months staring into the eyes of museum visitors. Beyond her lifelong love affair with performance art, Abramovic is a designer devotee (having discovered fashion after a particularly nasty breakup); in the film, she’s shown shopping at Givenchy with none other than Riccardo Tisci. It’s no surprise then that the 65-year-old wore head-to-toe Costume National to the premiere, or that she counts Fashion Television’s Jeanne Beker as a fan. At the a swank soiree, held at the TIFF Bell Lightbox and bookended by not one but two cocktail parties, we spotted a smattering of guests from Canada’s creative set including Luminato’s Jörn Weisbrodt (who also made an appearance in the film), the Beckerman clan, and gallery owner Daniel Faria.

View the photo gallery »

By Lesa Hannah and Sarah Daniel

Hair accessories have been elevated beyond the basic bobby pin or pedestrian ponytail fastener. At Jason Wu, Odile Gilbert decorated updos with skinny black feathers for a punk touch. “We don’t want them to look romantic,” she says. At Chanel, pearls were pinned into wet-looking chignons; at Yves Saint Laurent, buns were encased in gold cage barrettes. Embellishment didn’t end there, though; faces were fully decorated too. To characterize “giant living dolls” at Viktor & Rolf, makeup artist Pat McGrath used thick, pink false eyelashes. At Givenchy, she responded to the designer’s request for “metallic flashes of light” by cutting sequins in two and placing one half above the eyes and one half below. When “[models] walked and blinked, it would capture the light,” says McGrath. But makeup maven Peter Philips wins the award for best showmanship: At Fendi, he affixed bits of gold and silver leaf from lash to brow. The look blew our minds.

See the backstage beauty »
See our editors’ product picks »

It may only be February, but spring is certainly in the air. And you know what else is in the air this time of year? Love! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, there’s no better a time to treat yourself and change up your beauty routine. We’ve plucked two of our favourite looks from the Spring 2012 runways that are sure to spark your interest: bright-purple eyes at Peter Som and Cacharel, and Anna Sui’s very romantic pink cheeks and eyes. Read on to learn more about each one and see the products that will help you duplicate the looks at home!

Add a little va-va-voom to your Valentine’s beauty! »

Liv Tyler has worked with Givenchy since 2003, but late last year it was announced that her role as spokesperson was evolving: she would be the voice of a new perfume. And when we say voice, we really mean it: Tyler recorded a cover of the INXS hit “Need You Tonight” as the official song of Givenchy’s forthcoming fragrance Very Irrésistible Givenchy Electric Rose. While the scent isn’t scheduled to hit counters until April, the song is ready for your listening pleasure. However, consider this a sneak peek—there’s a music video in the works and it’s sure to be a sensory overload!

From ladylike lace to colourful clashing prints, we present your complete guide to Spring 2012’s freshest new runway looks.

Start the slideshow »

VIEW BY TREND: SUGAR HIGH | WATER WORLD | GOOD SPORT | FULL BLOOM | CONCRETE JUNGLE | MIX MASTER | GRAPHIC CONTENT | ORANGE CRUSH | WAISTLAND | FINISHING TOUCHES