FASHION Magazine

See our picks for what to wear to the Queen’s Plate »

Whether you’re equestrian obsessed, enjoy the excitement of racing or just want a reason to wear a Kate Middleton-worthy hat, the Queen’s Plate is where you should be this Sunday. Not only is it Canada’s oldest annual Thoroughbred race, it’s one with royal blessing. Queen Elizabeth has attended a number of times, as part of a tradition started by her father, King George IV. (Considering that you’ll never see the Queen look as happy as she does when she’s at a horse race, you know you’ll be in for a good time at Woodbine on Sunday!)

The other reason the Queen’s Plate is such a big deal is due to it being the first race in Canada’s Triple Crown—putting it on par with the biggest racing event in the United States, the Kentucky Derby. To celebrate, Woodbine is hosting a red carpet Hats & Horseshoes party at the Walking Ring, which is sure to draw Toronto’s most stylish set in their horse racing best. For the Queen’s Plate, this means big hats and fascinators, garden party dresses and prim shoes. To add even further style incentive to Sunday’s event, FashionMagazine.com will be there to crown the best dressed Hats & Horseshoes attendee. If you need some inspiration or are simply wondering what to wear to a horse race, read on to see our top picks for Queen’s Plate style.

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.

See the premiere looks up close »

Given all the high fashion hype surrounding The Great Gatsby, there was no doubt that the celebs that showed up to the film’s premiere last night in New York would look their very best. With an A-list that included not only Hollywood heavyweights (Jennifer Lawrence snuck in after the red carpet), but high-powered moguls as well (think Anna Wintour at one end, and Martha Stewart at the other), there were some serious looks, to say the least.

At the centre, was the film’s star, Carey Mulligan, who channeled none of her alter ego Daisy Buchanan in a sculpted strapless red midi dress by Lanvin and sky-high black Brian Atwood platform sandals. She completed the look with simple, but exquisite jewellery by Tiffany & Co., who, if you need a reminder, are heavily interwoven with the film.

Playing off her feminine side, current FASHION cover girl Isla Fisher stepped out in a floor-length floral gown by Dolce & Gabbana and a Roger Vivier clutch. Bringing a little bit old Hollywood to the carpet, Fisher finished off her look with her signature red hair swept to one side with red lipstick and cat eyeliner.

See the “High Contrast” photo shoot »

Welcome a punch of black-and-white graphics to your spring wardrobe with zig zags, checkers and Op art inspiration. Like a page out of Diana Vreeland’s mid-sixties book, photographer Chris Nicholls and stylist Zeina Esmail proved that a relative absence of colour doesn’t mean you can’t make a statement, combining some of Spring 2013’s greatest standouts from Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana and Michael Kors with Twilight Zone style backdrops in this May 2013 issue photo shoot. And that hair? Eat your heart out, Vidal Sassoon.

See our 25 gifts for mom »

As you may be able to tell from the cards, candy and chocolate already filling store shelves, Mother’s Day is fast approaching. The yearly challenge of finding the perfect gift before May 12 is officially upon us. This year, instead of getting your mother the standard scented candle (this one smells like coffee!), take a peek at our selection of thoughtful gifts for mom.

For the mother with a passion for style, jewellery always does the trick, and it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you may think. The ultimate statement necklace for under $100? Done. We’ve thought beyond the little blue box and selected unique clutches, sunglasses that match mom’s unique style.

See our sneaker shopping picks »
See sneaker style on the street »

A designer’s runway bow rarely generates buzz—that is, unless it’s Phoebe Philo’s. Since the 39-year-old British fashion phenom took the reins at French luxury house Céline in 2008, she has been popping out post-show in Paris to thunderous applause for her stunning minimalist-driven collections. But lately it seems all eyes have been focused on her feet. Adidas Stan Smith trainers, Nike Air Max 90s in pink—when it comes to game-day dressing, Philo prefers to rock a pair of runners rather than a haute pair of heels. So does Kristen Stewart. At the Toronto International Film Festival in 2012, she appeared on the red carpet in a body-skimming, floral-embellished Zuhair Murad dress paired with black stilettos, which she quickly ditched in favour of her Barbara Bui leather high-tops. First Lady Michelle Obama has slipped into metallic cap-toe Lanvin sneakers to carry out her White House duties. Even fashion’s favourite street-style star, Italian clotheshorse and editor-at-large of Vogue Japan Anna Dello Russo, who is never spotted without her five-inch spikes, was photographed wearing sky-blue New Balance trainers in Milan in January.

This spring, kicks are taking a walk on the wild side on runways, including Junya Watanabe, Moschino Cheap & Chic, Ruffian, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Ashish, and at luxury footwear labels like Christian Louboutin, Giuseppe Zanotti, Jimmy Choo and Pierre Hardy. At $500 and up, these new sartorial stars won’t be clocking any time at the gym, but they might give your wallet a workout. Surprised? Don’t be—this shift toward high-end sneakers hasn’t exactly snuck up on us. Running shoes first emerged as status symbols during the 1970s. “They were worn not just in the gym or to do athletics but for shopping and on your leisure time,” says Elizabeth Semmelhack, senior curator at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto and for its latest exhibition, Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture (April 25, 2013 to April 22, 2014). Mixed-media and graphic designer Karim Rashid, famous for colourful, eclectic designs that range from furniture to footwear, also knows a thing or two about retro sneakers. As the creative vision behind this exhibition, and an avid runner, he believes that “the running shoe [conjures up] nostalgia” and that currently, “there’s a big revival going on.”

See the biggest Fall 2013 fashion trends »
See all our fashion month coverage »

Fashion month may have finally wrapped, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to forget about the trends that emerged for Fall 2013 on the many runways of New York, London, Milan, Paris and Toronto—In fact, it’s time for them to take front and centre. While shoppers everywhere are snapping up the best of the selling floor’s offerings for spring and summer, designers, buyers and editors alike are busy prepping ahead. And since we know y’all like to keep ahead of the curve, we’ve sorted through hundreds of photos and selected 10 of the top Fall 2013 trends so that you can mentally prep (and save) too!

Next season, it’s all about fur, which landed in both faux and real on runways including Marni, JW Anderson, and most strikingly at Fendi, where it was combined in a dizzying multitude of punky ways. The 1990s were back for another resurgence, continuing Spring 2013’s grunge trend at Saint Laurent in Paris and Chloé Comme Parris right here at home. On the street, the look was easily created by many fashion week attendees who layered plaids on waists, under jackets and even on tights. And while practically speaking, it may be no major surprise that outerwear was one of the top Fall 2013 trends, this show season we saw jackets take on new forms with quilting, oversized shapes and bold colours which were mirrored outside the shows, with equally interesting choices hitting the pavement

Here are 100 images to help jog your memory of the top Fall 2013 trends spotted inside and outside of the fashion week stents, so sit back, click through, and relive the fashion month in all its street style and runway glory.

View by trend: 1. 1990s |2. SKIRT SUITS|3. FUR | 4. HATS | 5. OUTERWEAR | 6. PINK | 7. PLAID | 8. STATEMENT ACCESSORIES | 9. CRAZY COMBOS | 10. UNIQUE PRINTS

Shop our 13 ankle strap heels and sandals »

Ah, the ankle strap. For many shoe styles, it is just a necessity—a thin piece of leather that keeps your foot from stepping out of your shoe—but this season, it’s become trendy. Why? For starters, let’s look back to the Spring 2013 runways, where ankle strap heels and sandals were seen in a multitude of variations.

At Bottega Veneta, chunky platforms in dark textured leathers were made feminine with the addition of the ankle strap. At Burberry Prorsum, wedges in bright colours were showcased in different materials with a very thin ankle strap and high back to cover the heel. Almost the entire cast of models at Nina Ricci were seen in beautiful single soled high heels with two thin straps-one across the toes and one around the ankle.

See the fur at Fall 2013 fashion week »

Fur was everywhere at Paris Fashion Week for Fall 2013. The French translation, la fourrure, features a purring intervocalic R; it’s almost a meow. At one show, four editors in a row, each wearing a mammoth animal coat, resulted in an awkwardly comical seating arrangement. We also noticed that fur didn’t just mean coats; we saw it as pocket detailing, handbags, collars and evening gown trim. And the good news, if you’ve made that hair-raising investment, is that fur will be back in full swing for Fall 2013 and into winter.

Here are our fabulous fur picks:

See the Paris Fashion Week Fall 2013 photos up-close »

There’s no city that the expression “the beauty is in the details” relates to more than Paris. In the city of lights, you don’t have to look too far to find exquisite minaudière-like jewels on an evening coat, a brightly festooned cashmere sweater or tight origami pleats on a day skirt. Paris’s claim on couture and the couture-like shines bright again with the Fall 2013 shows. From the delicate additions of Andy Warhol’s early fashion sketches seen earlier today at Christian Dior to the aforementioned feathers at Dries Van Noten, Paris proves once again, Fall 2013 is a visual feast.

See our favourite shoes from Fall 2013 »

Forget diamonds, everybody knows that shoes are a girl’s best friend. As the Fall 2013 trends begin to emerge, so too do the must-have heels, boots and flats of the season. This round of fashion week has brought with it oodles of new shoe trends to look out for. From strappy suede booties to architectural high heels, the New York, London, Milan and soon-to-be Paris runways are filled with quirky designs that can certainly be the finishing touch on any outfit.

So far, many designers are reinventing old classics and updating them with modern details. Case in point: high-heeled loafers, seen at Mulberry, Rag & Bone and Moschino, which gave a new feminine twist to menswear’s most classic shoe by using fresh yellows, and unexpected patterns. Speaking of unexpected combinations, one of the most unusual footwear trends is the emerging sandal-boot. Open-toe booties are nothing new, but this time designers such as Prada have created a boot customized with cutouts around the sides and front of the shoe.

See Pantone Colour of the Year on the Spring 2013 runways »

Farewell Tangerine Tango! Emerald has officially been announced as Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2013. In a press release published this morning, Pantone said of their new favourite hue:

“Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions. Also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity, no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity.”