FASHION Magazine

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As Raf Simons continues to define Dior‘s 21st century aesthetic, celebrities are becoming more and more receptive to his streamlined designs. Case in point: A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston. Both actresses both wore Dior at different events on Tuesday. Brad history aside, we couldn’t help comparing the two.

Gwyneth Paltrow wore Dior Tuesday while she was in London to promote her new film Iron Man 3 at a photo-call. She chose a more classic Dior look, wearing a black and white Dior wool dress with silk velvet details. With co-star Robert Downey Jr. at her side, Paltrow showed off her gorgeous legs in the elegant dress that she paired with two-tone Manolo Blahnik heels. Paltrow is currently on a press tour for the film, and we have to say that this may be one of her best looks yet.

Jennifer Aniston was at the premiere of Lifetime’s Call Me Crazy: A Five Film in Los Angeles, where she wore a Dior black silk bustier and matching black shorts. The look was accessorized with a Tom Fold clutch, Jimmy Choo heels and a tousled updo with side swept bangs. Reaction to this look has been mixed. While some appreciate Aniston’s willingness to take a risk, others feel that the short shorts were a bit over-the-top and the look was too far outside of her comfort zone. But we were happy to see her try something different from the little black dresses she often wears.

See all 36 must-have Spring 2013 accessories »

If you’re looking to round out your Spring 2013 wardrobe before the thermometer hits a favourable temperature, we have some easy fixes and it’s all about accessories. From peekaboo panels on red leather purses to woven wedges, these on-trend pieces can complete any look.

For Spring 2013 we saw festival style take its place on the runways of Altuzarra and Band of Ousiders, so why not complete your Coachella packing with a woven bangle and wicker clutch? Sun-drenched raffia, wicker and straw are woven into wedges, stacked heels and shopping totes, signalling laid-back summer style. And if you’re not flocking to one of the many summer festivals and want to keep it basic, the new see-through trend is one that will keep you in the clear. Basic accessories have been redefined by giving oxford shoes plastic inserts and chunky heels on strappy sandals have been made see-through. These peekaboo plastic panels lend lightness to polished metallics and patent leathers.

Check out our top picks at Barneys Warehouse »

Bargain hunters and designer addicts rejoice! Today marks the launch barneyswarehouse.com, the long-lauded online hub for Barneys New York’s semi-annual designer blowout outlet sale. With big-named duds (think Manolo Blahnik, Alexander Wang, Rag & Bone, Yves Saint Laurent, Marni and more) discounted up to 75% off and easy shipping to Canada worked in, there’s no doubt the website will be as huge a hit for the company as it is us shoppers.

View some of Manolo Blahnik’s iconic sketches »

After an almost 40-year career in fashion, Manolo Blahnik is set to receive a special award from the British Fashion Council next week.

The highly influential footwear designer will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award at this year’s British Fashion Awards to be held next Tuesday, November 27. The award, which is the most significant of the evening, recognizes a designer who throughout their career has made an important impact on the fashion industry around the world. In the past, the award— voted for by a panel of leading industry journalists and retailers—has previously been given to the likes of Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Vivienne Westwood.

About receiving the award Blahnik said, “To be recognized for doing something I love is really wonderful.”

Manolo Blahnik is definitely no stranger to award and acclaim. At the British Fashion Awards, he has been named Accessory Designer of the Year three times throughout his career, and in 2007 was awarded the prestigious title of Commander of the British Empire for his work in the British fashion industry. His work was also recognized by the Design Museum in London with a 2003 retrospective of his work and numerous sketches that he uses to begin his design process.

His influence and signature aesthetic have made his shoes one of the most sought after brands in the world, and have been worn by everyone from Michelle Obama to Rihanna, and were of course famously favoured by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City. Blahnik’s shoes have been commonly recognized in the fashion world by first name only—“Manolos”—which has made his name synonymous with high-end footwear and luxury around the world for decades.

As evidenced in her selects from the October 2012 issue, our fashion market editor Caitlan Moneta loves a fancy frill. Here she describes her picks: “My style veers in a clean, classic direction, but when the mercury dips, I can’t help but want to pepper in feminine details like fur trim, delicate lace and dainty heels. Somehow it just feels right.”

View our editor’s luxe picks for fall »

See all the anniversary pieces! »

We might as well pitch a tent and set up camp outside Holt Renfrew’s sleek Bloor Street entrance, because come September, it will be the place to be. Not only is Holt’s taking part in Fashion’s Night Out festivities September 6 (stay tuned for details!), but the store is also ringing in it’s monumental 175th birthday. In true Holt’s fashion, the Hot @175 anniversary will be rung in in style, with a slew of designer collaborations for sale in (what else?) signature magenta.

From its start in 1837 as a hat and cap shop in Quebec City to the go-to luxury mecca it is today, Holt’s has undeniably had a starring role in Canada’s retail legacy. To fête the occasion, everything from high-fashion designs like Christian Louboutin’s magenta-platform sling backs to fun finds like Pantone’s “Holt Renfrew Magenta” notebook will prove that even at 175, Holt’s still has it.

Even if you only glanced at a picture in passing, the image of Anna Piaggi would have undoubtedly left an imprint in your memory: her blue marcel curls, rouge-dotted cheeks, flamboyant hats and colourful, pattern-clashing clothes were an unmistakable fixture on the front row, one that will be sorely missed as the fashion world learns today of the 81-year-old’s passing.

Piaggi was born in Milan in 1931, and broke into the editorial world as a translator at the Mondadori publishing house. She moved into fashion journalism as the fashion editor of Italy’s first women’s magazine Arianna in the ‘60s, and began contributing to Vogue Italia in the ‘70s. She’s began writing for everything from Vanity Fair to L’Espresso, and as her editorial page count grew, so did her eccentric wardrobe. Her 2865 dresses and 265 pairs of shoes were celebrated in a Topshop-sponsored, Victoria & Albert Museum exhibit entitled “Fashion-ology” in 2006, while friend and admirer Karl Lagerfeld documented over 250 sketches of her many looks in Lagerfeld’s Sketchbook.

Years upon years of watching Sex and the City have etched Manolo Blahnik’s eponymous shoe line into our female collective unconscious, largely thanks to Carrie’s fanatical obsession with the Spanish designer’s heels, which gave his designs an almost myth-like status. Given all this adulation, Blahnik’s opinions about shoemaking and fashion fanatics are a bit surprising. […]

The post Quotable: This shoemaker thinks women who wear uncomfortable shoes are stupid appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Legendary model China Machado reclaims her throne at 82 years-old in resplendent blooms and bold jewels fit for a modern-day queen.

View the photo shoot now »

See our editor’s 50+ shopping picks for spring »

View by inspiration:

MOLTO ITALIANO
Treat yourself to la dolce vita with glamorous retro classics.

BEDTIME
STORY
Silky pyjama-inspired separates make their way out of the boudoir this spring.

STRAIGHT
FLUSH
Start gazing through rose-tinted lenses: Blush is spring’s freshest neutral.

DARK
DELIGHTS
Boost the cool factor of sugary-sweet confections with tough black accents.

Early yesterday at the jam-packed J.Crew Fall presentation, I got a peek at what the mega brand was planning. In and amongst the delicious layered, multicoloured looks, I found out some little newsy nuggets that I’m sure you will be thrilled about:

1. J.Crew will open three new Canadian locations in 2012: Vancouver, Edmonton, and Toronto Eaton Centre, all three of which will carry both womenswear and menswear. There will also be a specialty menswear shop coming down the pipe.

Brassieres, briefs and other mid-century-style unmentionables help turn a chore-filled afternoon into a retro fashion affair.

View the photo shoot »
Go behind the scenes »