FASHION Magazine

Royal weddings have been fascinating the public for generations, ever since a young Queen Victoria kicked off the now-centuries long trend of wearing white wedding dresses. Society loves to witness fairy-tale romances turn happily ever after with the real-life fantasy of golden gilded carriages, sparkling tiaras, and larger than life pomp & circumstance. The lead up to […]

The post A Look Back at the Frilliest, Frothiest Royal Wedding Dresses Ever Worn appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Last year I signed my son up for a “kinderdance” class thinking it would be the perfect place to stretch his little limbs. But when we got there all I saw was a sea of tiny dancers, small little girls dressed in ballerina slippers and short pink tutus, while their parents beamed through a two-way […]

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By David Livingstone

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Louis Vuitton show for Spring 2012 opened with the tinkling of a music box and the rising of a scrim to reveal a carousel carrying girls in pale dresses on cream-coloured ponies. It might have seemed a saccharine set-up, but such a response could just be a bad case of not getting it. The news of the season is gentle news. That’s what Marc Jacobs got so right at Louis Vuitton. All the white and those whitened pastels—a key colour trend, favoured by both traditionalists such as Ralph Lauren and more experimental types such as Christopher Kane and Hussein Chalayan—might have appeared to be borrowed from a bag of miniature marshmallows. But the candied palette was not there simply to satisfy a sweet tooth. It also appeals to a Bluetooth appetite when dished out in fabrics that are marvels of modern technology—things like foam organza, silk cellophane and laser-cut leatherette. For the theory-minded, it’s tempting to conclude from the fact that we live in times when you see toddlers dressed in skull patterns and infants swaddled in camo-print blankets that it’s only logical their moms should start playing with pink and baby blue.

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While Toronto might not have had a stop on the royal visit earlier this summer, we were certainly treated to a princely presence at Wednesday night’s opening of TIFF Bell Lightbox’s ode to the original Hollywood royal, Grace Kelly. Their serene highnesses (and that’s a real salutation) Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco were in town to unveil the exhibit. While Albert addressed the crowd, speaking of things like his late mother’s “constant quest for perfection,” Charlene, in a knee-length ruffled black cocktail dress looked on in the shadows as she, well, tends to do. After a bit of bubbly and breathing royal air, we headed down for a peek of the exhibit, a mix of Kelly’s outfits, accessories, scrapbooks, posters, as well as a the pièce de résistance, a replica of her legendary (and Kate Middleton–referenced) wedding gown. Perhaps the most special though, affectionate correspondence from a one Alfred Hitchcock in which he inquires as to whether insects had infested Kelly’s hair. “Lysol, please.”

By Randi Bergman and Jordan Porter

Who epitomizes old Hollywood style more than Grace Kelly? The silken blonde bob, the pearls, the notorious namesake Kelly bag… we’re still mesmerized by the actress-turned-princess years after her heyday. To celebrate her legacy, TIFF Bell Lightbox is showcasing pieces from Kelly’s wardrobe in the exhibition Grace Kelly: From Movie Star To Princess, opening November 4. They’ll have her iconic pieces on hand, but we’ve rounded up all the essentials you need to look the part of the royal Hollywood star.

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Royalty is coming! Announced this morning, the Monegasque Princely Family will be in Toronto on November 2, 2011, for the grand opening of the TIFF’s Grace Kelly: From Movie Star to Princess exhibit. Kelly’s son, Prince Albert II, and his new wife Princess Charlène will officially open the exhibition, which features many of the former […]

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In a nod to longstanding couture tradition, both Jil Sander and Emilio Pucci sent out finale brides at their shows on Saturday—but that’s where the similarities ended.

It’s no secret that we’re all a little fixated with the styles of the past. Each season, a reference (or many) to full skirts, bellbottoms, or drop waists pops up on the runway, and we embrace it with a fresh new take on how to dress it up. Riffing on the past without looking like you came out of a time machine though—therein lies the rub. Before you delve into your old gems, take a look at how the style icons of today have interpreted the icons of days gone by.

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Before Kate—and even Diana—there was Grace Kelly, the original royal celebrity. And before she was royal, she was one of the most beloved movie stars in Hollywood. Known for her unparalleled style sense, serious acting chops (Kelly won an Oscar for her performance in The Country Girl), distinctly sophisticated accent, and, yes, her grace, Kelly is way up there in the ranks of legendary style icons. The TIFF Bell Lightbox has just announced their upcoming exhibit, Grace Kelly: From Movie Star to Princess, which will celebrate the actress by showcasing some of her most legendary belongings, including a replica of her iconic wedding dress from her wedding to Prince Ranier of Monaco, her signature Hermès “Kelly Bag,” and many of her most famous dresses designed by the likes of Edith Head, Oleg Cassini, Madame Grès and Balenciaga. Running from November 4 through January 12, 2012, the exhibit will be accompanied by Icy Fire: The Hitchcock Blonde, a film showcase of some of Kelly’s most notable roles in films including To Catch a Thief, Dial M for Murder and Rear Window as well as those of Tippi Hedren and Kim Novack.

Our minds, hearts and eyes were proverbially blown this morning by the dizzying spectacle that was the royal wedding. Cementing her place amongst fashion royalty as well as the real kind, Kate showed real foresight by choosing Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen to design her dress and sending the fashion folk along with the rest of 3 billion viewers worldwide into an equally spellbinding tizzy! Recalling a little Grace Kelly (hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace bodice) and a little Queen Elizabeth II (nipped waist, full skirt and train), Kate’s dress just radiated regal romanticism. Simply put, there was nothing negative you could possibly say about that dress! We’ll have more coverage a little later today direct from London, but in the meantime, lets digest some of the details surrounding Kate’s (or should we say Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s) wedding day outfit: