FASHION Magazine

Check out the shots from last night’s AP cocktail party » When luxury lingerie brand Agent Provocateur calls your name, you answer. We were lucky enough to spend our Wednesday night sipping on champagne while surrounded by models in lingerie (are we officially Drake yet?) and it was just as sexy and glam as we […]

The post Toronto just got a lot sexier: 19 shots from the Agent Provocateur store launch party appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See all the pics from the Variety Studio at Holt Renfrew » You’d think that with four days of TIFF behind us, we’d already be tired of talking about who went where, who saw what, and who wore that dress we want. But nope! Wrong. Not after a day at the Variety Studio at Holt […]

The post TIFF 2014: Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield and more hang at the Variety Studio at Holt Renfrew appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the pictures from Smythe’s anniversary party at Holt Renfrew » In the teeny landscape of Canadian fashion labels, ones that make it beyond the Great White North are a point of national pride. One such label is Toronto-based Smythe, which has gotten its jackets on the backs of Kate Middleton, Blake Lively and Charlize […]

The post Smythe celebrates 10 years at Holt Renfrew with a special capsule collection appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

While most of the female population breathes heavy during episodes of Say Yes to the Dress, us fashion folk have, shall we say, finer taste. For those who a layer cake of taffeta doesn’t exactly scream “fantasy,” look no further than the summer weddings of these seven Canadian stylemakers. From a larger than life ceremony at the Art Gallery of Ontario to a City Hall visit in Doc Martens and dark jeans, these inspiring gals prove that thinking outside of the box pays off.

What’s in your bag, Edie Parker? » If you haven’t heard of Edie Parker, chances are that you’ve probably already seen Edie Parker. From the streets outside fashion week to the Instagram accounts of style makers like Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine, Edie Parker’s hella-vibrant acrylic minaudieres have been catching flashbulb lights like woah since the […]

The post What’s in your bag, Edie Parker? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

View the photo shoot »

From digitized foliage to hand beaded blooms, this spring offers a garden of earthly delights. In this vibrant photo shoot from our May 2014 issue, florals take a spin for yet another season and proof less ordinary than ever.

In the world of charitable fashion, Holt Renfrew‘s philanthropic arm has established itself as a constant with its now-nine designer collaborations to benefit some of the world’s most important organizations. Today, it launches the latest, a limited-edition collection of totes designed by New York contempo master brand, Rag & Bone to benefit Right To Play. […]

The post Afternoon Delight: We’re obsessed with Rag & Bone’s new charitable bag for Holt Renfrew and Right To Play appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the Prada made to order pumps »

Ever dreamed of having your very own custom-made designer shoe? Well, Prada is here to grant your wish. Exclusive to its boutiques across Canada (including Holt Renfrew), the Italian fashion house is hosting a Made To Order Pumps shopping service for the first time ever.

See the photos from Holt Renfrew’s Uncrate India party »

We gave you a behind-the-scenes peek at how Alexandra Weston and Waris Ahluwalia curated the Holt Renfrew H Project Uncrate India collection. We shared 50+ artisanal items from the collection. And now it’s time to take a look at the incredible bash that Holt Renfrew threw last night in celebration of it all. The Bloor Street store was transformed into a vibrant Indian market, welcoming hundreds of guests adorned in sari-inspired attire. Rooms were tented with pink and orange fabric for an intimate feel, gilded bird cages stuffed with flowers hung from the ceilings and guests were greeted upon arrival with a shower of rose petals. But the lavish extravaganza didn’t stop there.

See the complete H Project Uncrate India collection »

A few months ago our editor-in-chief, Bernadette Morra, joined Waris Ahluwalia and Alexandra Weston, Holt Renfrew’s director of brand strategy, on a tour of India. The focus of the trip was to curate a selection of one-of-a-kind items for H Project’s Uncrate India collection and, now that it’s hit Holt Renfrew stores across Canada, we’re sharing all 50+ items with you!

The H Project Uncrate India collection includes block-print textiles, printed notebooks with playful designs, batik silk scarves and leather goods. The items come from more than 16 designers who were scouted in Delhi, Jaipur, Udaipur and Mandawa by Ahluwalia and Weston.

In the age of the selfie, Waris Ahluwalia is the world’s most reluctant subject. In Gap ads and New York social diaries, the actor/jewellery designer appears deadpan and remote. But travelling with him in his native India, I discover a cheerful, easygoing guy with a deep appreciation for handmade things. It’s a passion he shares with Alexandra Weston, Holt Renfrew’s director of brand strategy, who asked Ahluwalia to help curate an “Uncrate India” collection for H Project (available April 1), a section within Holt Renfrew stores offering “extraordinary products with extraordinary stories.” I was invited to tag along on their treasure hunt. Journeying through Rajasthan, seeing expert hands bringing jewellery, scarves and wooden boxes to life was heart-warming for us all. As Weston puts it, “Supporting craft in any way you can is the most important thing you can do, because craft is the way out of poverty.”

Read on to discover our journey through India:

See the vintage Yorkdale images »

Photography courtesty of Yorkdale Archive

Photography courtesty of Yorkdale Archive

Photography courtesty of Yorkdale Archive

Photography courtesty of Yorkdale Archive

Photography courtesty of Yorkdale Archive

Photography courtesty of Yorkdale Archive

Photography courtesty of Yorkdale Archive

Photography courtesty of Yorkdale Archive

Photography courtesty of Yorkdale Archive

Photography courtesty of Yorkdale Archive

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Yorkdale 50th Anniversary

Model wears a white shift dress during the “Adventures in Fashion” fashion show, 1965

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Yorkdale 50th Anniversary

Children’s fashion show, 1969

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Yorkdale 50th Anniversary

Spring fashion week windows, 1967

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Yorkdale 50th Anniversary

Spring fashion show, 1970

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Yorkdale 50th Anniversary 1973 Yorkdale Fashion Show

Israeli fashion show, 1971

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Yorkdale 50th Anniversary

Courtyard view, undated

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Yorkdale 50th Anniversary

Spring fashion show, 1972

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Yorkdale 50th Anniversary

Main hall view, undated

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Yorkdale 50th Anniversary

Models during the “Business Report” fashion show, 1985

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Yorkdale 50th Anniversary

“Spring New at Yorkdale” fashion show, 1988

Within Toronto’s ever-changing retail landscape (hello Saks, goodbye Sears!), one shopping titan reigns supreme. Yorkdale Shopping Centre has been at the forefront, launching first-in-Canada boutiques by brands such as Mulberry, David Yurman, Kate Spade and soon, Nordstrom. But did you know that the mall was also the city’s first? Toronto’s purveyor of fancy duds to the north is turning 50 this week. Fun fact: it even predates the CN Tower and the Eaton Centre.

Built in 1964, Yorkdale was, at the time, the largest indoor shopping centre in the world. Going through something of a renaissance recently, thanks to a hefty facelift, Yorkdale has become the destination for designer labels and American retailers. Despite the cosmetic changes over the years, there are a few things that remain—Holt Renfrew and Fairweather have been at Yorkdale since the opening fifty years ago.