FASHION Magazine

See the Massive Party 2014 party pics »

As we predicted, last night’s tenth annual Massive Party at the Art Gallery of Ontario was sexy, stylish and the perfect start to spring party season. Sprawling much of the gallery’s 480,000 square foot space, it was one big ole Warholian ode to modern day pop art complete with larger than life dice, donuts and ironic hashtag banners. Guests were encouraged to bring their sartorial best, and awarded as such by a troika of hipster Joan Rivers who flashed everyone 10s as they entered past the red carpet.

Further inside, we were treated to a performance by the permanently moto jacket-clad Joseph of Mercury, who swapped his signature white mid-performance for a gold version designed by stylist Sarah Jay. Also in gold was The Collections’ Mel Ashcroft, who wore a lamé vest designed by Toronto designer Sid Neigum. And while many went wedding apropos (go big or go home, we s’pose), others kept it streetwise in X-ray imprinted fingerless gloves that were given out by scantily clad cigarette boys. A surrealistic post script: Mayoral candidate John Tory was there.

See the JNBY party pictures »

Amidst the homegrown talent, one very cool and far away brand will be making its Canadian runway debut next week during World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto. JNBY (Just Naturally Be Yourself) is big in Japan…and Thailand and Singapore and France as well as China, where it hails from. A week before its reveal at fashion week (and we’ll save the oohs and aahs till then), JNBY previewed its Spring 2014 collection to an ultra trendy crowd at a pre-fashion week party hosted by The Collections. The stellar clothes were shown alongside a large photo print by Cory VanderPloeg of a model wearing Laura Siegel‘s spring collection..

Regular scenesters like Amina Said, Sarah Magwood, Parris Gordon, Jay Strut and The Collections threesome Dwayne Kennedy, Mel Ashcroft and Brian Richards lined the walls as well as fresh faced models in Miley buns and off duty sweaters. As with any cool kid party, there were plenty of new faces to creep in true Cinderella form. We’d like to crown a new style princess, but we don’t know her name. You! Got the other glass slipper?

See the photos from the Toronto Life Most Stylish party »

Toronto Life has officially claimed TIFF’s opening night as their own. Last night the magazine toasted the city’s best dressed with the launch of the Toronto Life Fall Stylebook and the reveal of their second annual Most Stylish list. And what a celebration it was: from the moment the elevator doors opened into the ballroom at the Shangri-La Hotel, the party was in full swing.

Leather was the texture of choice for most partygoers. From moto jackets to mini skirts to body-hugging dresses, fall’s influence was certainly in the air. Of course, summer’s influence was still in effect, with floral prints and neon brights being popular style choices, from Jenna Bitove’s flowing Hawaiian-inspired gown to Amanda Brugel’s punchy minidress. However, the guests who took risks stood out the most: Anna Abbruzzo’s pink hair caught our eye—but it was her Roland Mouret eyeball skirt that stole our hearts. And a trio of very stylish twenty-somethings in fur coats, meshback hats and logo tees circled the room with a larger-than-life presence. Lesson learned: when in doubt, go all out.

See what’s inside the bags of the brains involved with fashion week »

Packing a bag for Toronto Fashion Week should be considered some sort of art. The contents of the bag must be able to transport the owner from work, to shows, to more shows, and to after-parties, therefore having the essentials on hand is, well, essential. This week, we’ve taken a look inside some of the organizers of rogue fashion week, including The ShOws mastermind Paola Fullerton, and three-member team spearheading The Collections: Dwayne Kennedy, Brian A. Richards and Mel Ashcroft. We’ve also snuck a look into Caitlin Power’s bag—the Calgary-born designer showed her collection as a part of the Mercedes-Benz Start Up competition at World MasterCard Fashion Week last night. The contents of these It bags (which range from Chloé to Chloé Comme Parris!) have one thing in common: they all serve as fashion week survival kits.