FASHION Magazine

See Jodie and Danielle’s tips »

Over the past few years, statement jewellery has gone from runway-only to fashion mainstay. Necklaces-over-necklaces, arm parties and stacked rings are everywhere, which can in part be attributed to Dannijo designers Danielle and Jodie Snyder who’ve made colourful statement after colourful statement with their bejewelled creations. Though these purveyors of the more is more philosophy have made many of us comfortable with wearing more bling, there are still plenty of jewellery newbies who still find the piled on look intimidating. While in town at Holt Renfrew last week, the duo doled out tips for wearing statement jewellery while modeling some of their latest pieces for our holiday how-to.

Go inside Jane Aldridge’s bag »

Jane Aldridge has the designer shoe game on lock. Her wildly popular blog, Sea of Shoes, has documented her favourite purchases and pairs since 2008, landing her on the pages of Vanity Fair and at dinner tables with Karl Lagerfeld. So it’s fitting that we caught up with the red-headed blogger at Holt Renfrew Yorkdale, to celebrate the launch of the newly-revamped shoe hall. Naturally, she was advising fellow footwear lovers on pre-Christmas purchases and posing for photo opps with fans. (As for Aldridge’s own shoes, open toe Jerome C. Rousseau cage booties are a new favourite. “I’ve been wearing these tons, actually, ever since I got them,” she said.)

See the holiday windows 2013 »

With less than a month left until Christmas, the grand showdown that is holiday windows 2013 is in high gear. And while the weather outside might be frightful, these intricate displays are way delightful. Continuing in our tradition, we’re taking a virtual stroll through the streets of London, Paris, New York and right at home in Toronto to see which department store has the freshest displays this year.

This year, Liberty London showcased an opulent scene of Christmas crackers gone snap and bang. Each of the storied windows features a colour-themed display of Kenzo clutches, Fornasetti candles and more surrounded by an explosion of lights and sparkles. Across Oxford Street, Selfridges commissioned French foodies Bompas and Parr to construct an edible version of London’s lost architecture entirely out of gingerbread and frosting.

Meanwhile in Paris, Printemps collaborated with Prada to transform the store into an obsessional classic event: surrealist re-interpretation of the advent calendar with animated mannequins and gift boxes made of the label’s iconic saffiano leather.

Blame it on cross border Thanksgiving sluggishness, but two days have passed since a pretty major Canadian retail announcement and the buzz seems yet to hit. Saks Fifth Avenue is not only confirmed as coming to Canada, but its first location has been revealed as the current Hudson’s Bay megastore on Bloor Street in Toronto. Amidst an influx of US retail entry to Canada including Target and Nordstrom, Saks is just the latest giant to tango with the existing landscape, one that has recently seen Sears tumble and cause Holt Renfrew to ramp up store expansions by 40%. The news also comes as a natural follow to the Hudson’s Bay Co. purchase of Saks for $2.4 billion earlier this year.

According to a Globe and Mail profile published on Wednesday, the shakeup is due to Richard Baker, the 48-year old majority owner of HBC, whose private equity firm NRDC (National Realty & Development Corp) also owns US chain Lord & Taylor. The magnate was the brain behind the Zellers location selloff to Target in 2011, just one of the company’s brainiac moves which also include launching in-store partnerships with Topshop and Kleinfeld Bridal.

Earlier this month, Leandra Medine aka. The Man Repeller was at Holt Renfrew in Toronto to promote the release of her first book, Man Repeller: Seeking Love, Finding Overalls. In typically self-deprecating form, Medine charts the story of her life’s course thusfar alongside several fashion items, including the Canadian tuxedo she helped transform from early ought disaster a la Justin and Britney to the height of fashion. The items, set up as life lessons (harem pants = the way to suss out if a guy loves you for you, Bermuda shorts = how to sort out your body issues) prove why fashion isn’t just simply a fact of life, but life itself, at least for fashion freaks like us.

Before an intimate dinner at Rose and Sons, Medine sat for a live Q&A at Holts hosted by yours truly. We both sat in director’s chairs amidst racks of Helmut Lang and 3.1 Phillip Lim. There were many cute gals in attendance. It was a thrill.

Here are some of the best quips from our interview:

Holt Renfrew’s Toronto Fashion Week party photos »

Who said Monday wasn’t the time to party? Holt Renfrew’s now regular fashion week kick off started things with so many bangs last night, it was hard to keep track of the night’s best.

One of them would surely have been the Cary Tauben-led walk off that took to the store’s mezzanine a little shy of midnight. The Montreal-based stylist and part time go go dancer is known for his fierce moves (typically in six inch heels), and last night’s showcase of his talents was no exception. Ugh, fierce is too light a word.

Another might have been the wall-to-wall gab fest willed by many an eager partygoer, including Holts-stocked designers Jeremy Laing, Tanya Taylor and Smythe’s Christie Smythe and Andrea Lenczner.

Another ongoing highlight took place over the course of the night, as a New York-based phenomenon known as The Bumbys aka. a masked duo who sit at matching typewriters produced “fair and honest appraisals” of guests’ outfits. Fair, honest and quite honestly genius, case in point, mine:

We’ve said our farewells to summer, and now doing our hellos for the fall. The weather is getting cooler but you can turn up the heat with some hot fragrances. Not only do these scents smell fantastic but they’re also newly released! Read: bragging rights.

Clean scents with warmth are welcomed. They should be assertive but not assault our nostrils. A lingering finish with some delicate floral notes is the perfect balance in helping us carry some sunshine into the chillier days.

We recommend three fragrances that will help put a spring in your step even when you’re deep in chunky knits and cable sweaters.

See a sneak peek of Holt Renfrew’s Fall 2013 » Holt Renfrew has a brand new bag! Err, mag. Canada’s chicest retailer has returned to the world of high-class glossies with its stunning Fall 2013 catalogue, the first this luxe since Fall 2010. After a few seasons hiatus, photographers Max Abadian and Chris Nichols hit […]

The post Sneak peek: We want everything from Holt Renfrew’s stunning fall glossy appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Last Friday, we got down (and by that, we mean sat in the same room) with the legend that is Christian Louboutin. With arguably the most rhymed-about named in footwear, Louboutin built his red soled empire from the ground up to where it is now: worth $85 million. Like any designer worth his salt, Louboutin […]

The post Christian Louboutin on shoes, time travel and his iPhone addiction appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See our 28 gifts for dad »

And just like that, it’s June! Father’s Day is just around the corner, which means its time to start looking for that special something to show pops you love him.

If your mind is drawing a blank on what to give your dad this year, you’re in luck because we’ve put together the ultimate shopping guide with a selection of 28 gifts for dad to help you get started on that shopping this upcoming weekend.

Summer is fast approaching and that can only mean one thing—the start of the season’s hottest events. With multiple can’t-miss functions occurring around the globe, we want to make sure your wardrobe is ready. From music festivals like Glastonbury to the U.S. Open to the Cannes Film Festival, we have your guide to arriving in style.

FESTIVAL STYLE

U.S. OPEN

CANNES

See Holt Renfrew hr2 Vaughan Mills in photos »

Holt Renfrew’s got a brand new bag. Well, lots of ‘em. And they’re real affordable, too. hr2, Holt Renfrew’s new budget-friendly kid sister opened its doors at Toronto’s Vaughan Mills megamall today and is sure to make designer diehards on a budget jump for joy.

Boasting 25,000 square feet of off-price (translation: cheaper) designer womenswear, menswear, footwear, accessories and jewellery, hr2 carries over 150 covet-worthy brands including Diane von Furstenberg, Michael Michael Kors, Alice + Olivia, Burberry, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Prada and Mulberry. And while most brands are already being carried at Holt Renfrew, hr2’s product range is wholly unique.