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Last Thursday, the unthinkable happened: A brand born in the aisles of the grocery store became part of the glorious gloss of New York’s Fifth Avenue. But if you know anything about Joe Fresh and its founder Joe Mimran, you know that well, it’s not really that unthinkable at all. Since launching the brand five years ago (and after years of style-propagation via his previous ventures, Club Monaco and Caban), Mimran has brought affordable chicness to the forefront of the Canadian fashion industry. South of the border was the natural next step, and since the brand’s U.S. launch late last summer, its bright and sunny hues have been infiltrating the pages of Teen Vogue, New York Magazine and the like. To boot, the brand has been making its mark on the arts community as well, sponsoring an event during Miami’s Art Basel, and the New Museum’s second triennial exhibit, The Ungovernables.

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We’re back to the style-spotting game with Lewis Mirrett’s first batch of shots from outside Toronto Fashion Week. Taken outside of two of last night’s biggest shows, Lucian Matis and Holt Renfrew’s Canadian showcase. As luck would have it, the skies opened for the night, leaving attendees to shield themselves from the elements in various ways. From headscarves to uncomfortable glances, see the best cover-ups (and outfits) here.

Oh Canada! Today was a day of amazing Canadian talent on the New York scene with Kimberley Newport-Mimran showing a Brigitte Bardot on the Riviera–inspired collection filled with a mix of jumbo and petite polka-dot pieces, drop-waist, ruffled tank dresses, and bright hits of tangerine. The room stayed at capacity for most of the presentation, forcing nightclub bouncer-like behavior from the security, counting guests in as the same numbers left the space. And across town, Kaelen Farncombe from Oakville, Ontario, showed a relaxed collection of pale blue, blush, and nude crinkled cottons, crepe de Chine, and macramé knits that all looked too cozy to leave the house but too fabulous not to. Ink blot prints, designed in collaboration with another Canadian, Sarah Dobson, on maxi dresses and short suits were a standout.

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For the initiated, Harry Potter is a big deal, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, the film franchise’s finale, is the denouement of many years of adoration. At the post-screening party for the Toronto premiere, Matthew Lewis, who plays Harry’s classmate Neville Longbottom, drew the crowds. Fans were screaming, “We want Matthew!” en masse from behind Casa Loma’s stone walls. (It was like seeing peasants with blowouts dressed in Urban Outfitters chanting the king’s name; such was the effect of the scene outside the Toronto castle.) Lewis happily indulged, breaking away from the black carpet (no red carpet will do for something as darkly magical as Harry Potter) to walk across the castle’s manicured lawn—being chased by scrambling photogs and cameramen—to sign autographs.

The adoration is understandable. Lewis has much of the British charisma and crooked smile of a Clive Owen, and for the occasion he wore a custom-tailored black suit and an Armani shirt and pocket square purchased that day from Harry Rosen. We asked, did he manage to take a keepsake from the set, fully expecting a Hogwarts school tie or that cute blue sweater vest he wore in Order of the Phoenix. “It’s rubbish,” he replied shaking his head. “I took my false teeth.” Okay, do tell? “I didn’t want them, Tom [Felton] got a ring with a snake on it—Slytherin, and they said, ‘Hey, do you want your false teeth?’ and I said ‘No,’ and my mother stepped in said, ‘Yes, we do, we definitely want them.’ So my mom has them at home in this sort of shrine. It’s a bit weird.”

Despite the grey fall skies, it seems things are looking bright for Pink Tartan. With a flagship store (their first!) set to open this November and a Spring 2011 collection filled with electric hues (hot pink! acid yellow! royal blue!), PT is living the life in Technicolor. Known for her ladylike looks, designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran chose to take a different direction this season–one leading back to the ’70s with a Bianca Jagger–inspired lineup of wide-leg trousers, tux-bf jacket hybrids, metallic sheen blazers and sexy sheer billowy blouses. While the horse bit accents felt a little been-there-bought-that-at-Gucci, the diaphanous tiered prairie skirts felt as fresh as a summer’s day. The item to update your spring wardrobe: the sleeveless military trench coat.

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Judging from the biker jackets, boat loads of black, military toppers and slick leather dresses, the Fall 2010 Pink Tartan girl is one tough cookie. Designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran (who took her runway bow in skinny camo pants and matching peep-toe heels) struck the ideal balance of strong and soft with pieces, such as the rhinestone-encrusted […]

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After last season‘s combat boot clad models stomped down the Pink Tartan runway, we wondered if PT really stood for Pretty Tough.  This season, it seems that designer Kimberley Newport-Mimran decided to take a turn in another direction: back to the ’80s.  But rather than looking like just another runway rewind, PT’s spring 2010 collection delivered on the fresh factor. Bold shoulder pads and sequin-sprayed vests, cropped jackets and dresses drove home the opulent ’80s theme, while the spandex workout gear and anorak jackets lent a “Let’s Get Physical” feel.  It was all very Sporty Spice and it worked, big time.  Mixed in amongst all of this shimmer and shine were the tried and true PT touches: exposed zippers, nautical stripes, wide-leg sailor trousers and classic button-down shirts (which played the role of a sexy dress this time around).  Trenches morphed from cropped to maxi to coat dress in a range of go-with-everything hues like light grey,
midnight blue and tan. FASHION‘s final thought:  When can we get our hands on this hot collection?

See a gallery of the collection after the jump.

Last night, Toronto’s fashion crowd gathered for the first official party of LG Fashion Week: the Holt Renfrew Media Cocktail. The bash is always a hot ticket, and in recent seasons, Holts has offered up a mini runway show to showcase the Canadian talent they’re featuring in their World Design Lab. This season, the group was, what the company’s VP of fashion direction, Barbara Atkin, referred to as “our own group of seven.” The presentation was a chance to take a peek at looks from designers who show in other cities, as with Jeremy Laing and Denis Gagnon, or who don’t do shows at all, as is the case with Mikhael Kale, Lida Baday and Smythe. Kale’s pieces were a space-age pastiche of skins, prints and fringe, while Baday showed a trio of simple, well-crafted pieces in black and white. And we never get tired of seeing what Denis Gagnon can do with leather. Also on the ticket were a handful of looks from Greta Constantine, who showed their full collection last week, and Pink Tartan, who’s up tomorrow night.

Check out the gallery of looks after the jump.

The Bay opened the doors of their transformed home of high fashion, The Room, on Wednesday night for a party at their Queen Street location in Toronto. Models Daria Werbowy and Jessica Stam, designers Erdem, Jeremy Laing, Kimberley Newport-Mimran, Lida Baday (it goes on), socials Stacy Kimel and Victoria Webster all packed the massive third floor space to check out one of the most highly-anticipated retail unveiling in recent memory.

Since moving to the ‘hood just over 6 months ago, this fashionable girl has been loving the fashionable events that take place on this side of Yonge Street. Even more so this week with soirees on back-to-back nights. Tuesday we were headed to the recently opened Jezebel on the hip Ossington strip where Joe Fresh and Rethink Breast Cancer were launching the latest incarnation of the cute bullseye tee.

On Monday night, Holt Renfrew hosted their media/VIP cocktail party, always the kickoff to Toronto Fashion Week. The gotta-get-an-invite party has long been held in the first floor handbag section, but this season, they moved the festivities up to the new third-floor contemporary space. The other change was a mini runway presentation featuring five Canadian […]

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