FASHION Magazine

With all this cold and wet weather, it’s nice to have something to look forward to. Enter resort wear, with its decidedly beachy, nautical feel. This season’s collections were chock full of brights, scuba wear, and ‘50s-inspired pieces. We’ve pulled our favourite cruise-ready pieces to show you the best ways to wear tropical colour for your upcoming getaway.

Let’s get stylin! »

In the New Testament world of Project Runway All Stars, losers from seasons past are being judged anew. Eleven of the contestants will be deemed unworthy for a second time*, and one will claw his or her way to redemption—and a brand new technology suite from HP! Is it worth it? I can’t tell. Now, into the tense and cosseted world of Project Runway All Stars!

*Technically, Anthony has already lost twice, bless his heart.

We chart our feelings throughout the entire first episode »

Escape the chill and head to heavenly Hawaii in resort brights, surfer prints and dive-inspired details. For our very first resort collections shoot, we couldn’t imagine a more fitting setting than the swaying palms and long stretches of white sandy beach on Oahu—especially since Givenchy, Stella McCartney, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Marni resort were blooming with wild botanical prints and scuba-inspired silhouettes in a tropical paradise palette. Armed with a salt water–filled spray bottle and a boatload of bronzer, our hair and makeup artist Greg Wencel created a sun-kissed, unfussy beach beauty look for model Natalia Bogdanova. A short drive along the coast from Waikiki, we scaled the sloping cliffscape to the crashing waves below to shoot on sparkling black rocks at Lana’i Lookout (or Rifle Range, as the locals call it) and Halona Cove. We spent the day flinging ourselves into the pounding surf to cool off between frames. Our story was completed with a professional surfer as handsome accessory—and on the last day of the trip, we mustered the courage to take a lesson and catch a few waves of our own.

View the photo shoot »
Go behind the scenes »

By Leah Semple

The holidays are officially here, as are the many parties and events the season brings. Instead of stressing out over your wardrobe choices, we’ve put together the best ways to incorporate this season’s trends—including colour blocking and metallics—into your all of your soireé outfits, whether you have a holiday brunch with the fam, cocktail party after work, or ringing in the New Year with your besties.

View all the looks »
Jump to: HOLIDAY BRUNCH | HOLIDAY COCKTAILS | NEW YEAR’S EVE

Fur coat not enough? You can now own a piece of Michael Kors in ways other than clothing, (or for that matter, accessories, or fragrances, or jewellery, or shoes…) It was announced Friday that the label is going public, and planning to sell up to 48 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange. Now it’s being reported that the company’s value is around $3.62 billion, giving the designer a cool $111 million as part of an initial public offering.

While Kors will begin a road show, starting at the Pierre Hotel in New York this week to try to win over potential investors, his business partners Silas Chou and Lawrence Stroll are apparently interested in Vera Wang’s bridal empire and plan to wine and dine Wang’s husband Arthur Becker into coming on board. Wang has many successful license partnerships with American retailers including Kohls and David’s Bridal, but her main collection only makes up a small part of her profits and Chou and Stroll are looking to invest in its growth.

If Wang wants to make some serious dough, the designer and her husband should look no further. Chou and Stroll’s part in transforming Kors’ company after it went bankrupt in the nineties is proof these guys are the ones you want on your team if you’re a designer who wants to dominate the fashion world.

Whether it’s between shows or between castings, top models are often snapped in laid-back outfits that include lots of leather, a good pair of boots and of course, an It bag. We wish we knew their secret on how to make dressing on-trend look effortless. Here’s our guide of cool-girl essentials that will have you looking like you are a model off duty.

Shop the guide now! »

They’re just like us! Hollywood’s and fashion’s best were out over the weekend and last night celebrating Halloween in Marvel, Disney, and trash TV style. Despite some lacklustre outings from the likes of Lindsay Lohan (what else is new?) and Paris Hilton, who all gave it the ole “I just want to be sexy” college try, we picked our 6 favourites. So, who takes the cake?

Vote after the jump! »
View the photo gallery »

We’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about Miss Piggy lately, and we couldn’t be happier. This is the pig that taught us to love fashion, to go after what we want, and that self-confidence is everything. Her fashion tastes have always been a little dramatic for our tastes, but with a new movie coming out next month—in which she plays Vogue Paris’s editor in chief wearing Zac Posen and Christian Louboutin—Miss P. is being given a modern makeover.

Our favourite little diva has been busy recently: she’s collabed with M.A.C and Opening Ceremony—she even appeared at the brand’s Soho store during Fashion Night Out, agreed to be a judge on the much-anticipated Project Runway All Stars (will she be sassier than Michael Kors?), and inspired OPI to create a Muppet-themed nail polish collection. Most exciting, however, is the news that several of fashions biggest names have designed outfits for her—Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Suno, Opening Ceremony, Brian Atwood, and Giles & Brother—and that an editorial of her in the wears will appear in the November issue of InStyle mag. We’ve got to admit: we are very excited.

Michael Kors on celebrating his 30th anniversary, staying plugged in and becoming an adjective.

All-American. Spirited. Jetsetter. You can spot Michael Kors from a mile away. Over the course of his 30 years in the fashion industry, the man and the brand have become one and the same, morphing into a mega-empire that, as rumour has it, hit a billion dollars in sales this year. Not bad for a boy from Long Island, New York. Adored by Hollywood A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez, soccer moms and First Ladies alike (Michelle Obama wore Kors for her first official White House portrait), his rise to fashion royalty took off in 1981, when he launched his eponymous womenswear line.

“It’s Michael’s default bronze position,” said Dick Page of the tawny faces he was creating backstage at Kors to underscore the designer’s safari-themed collection. His team paired the glowing umber with a strong signature Page brow, little bits of gold highlights around the eyes, a touch of brown mascara, and lip colour provided by Shiseido Perfect Rouge in “Caramel” to “unify the tone across the board.” Each girl was brought to Page for any additional bronzing, which he called “the final toast.”

The chunky, matted thick braid created by Orlando Pita had a bit more of a narrative. “These people are on a trip through Africa,” he said. “They have nothing with them to groom themselves with so they take their shoelaces and tie their hair up in braids in the back. Then they try to neaten themselves up, so in the front, they scrape their hair back.” Using a combination of Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray, T3 Refresh Volumizing Dry Shampoo, and American Crew Defining Paste to build piece-y texture, he wove hair into two fishtail braids, intertwining leather strings into the plaits, and then joined them together to look like one. “It’s not easy to achieve at home but that’s always my goal, always,” he said. “I don’t want somebody to do these hairdos at home and then I’m out of job.”

View the photo gallery »

Michael Kors must have been mourning the end of LOST, designing his spring collection for a sexy-, dishevelled-haired hunter-gatherer. Suede utility shorts, tasselled macramé, jagged leather satchels, and caftans in beautiful shades of amber, sienna, and khaki green were accented with coloured python and animal print; it was fitting for a far-off safari but just as relevant for the wilds of the concrete jungle.

Red rocked the fall runways—from Michael Kors’ long, lean jumpsuits to Victoria Beckham’s tailored coats. Fire up your autumn wardrobe with a dashing red topper, like this military-inspired jacket by Old Navy ($120, oldnavy.com). The double-breasted chill-chaser is an affordable way to tap into two key fall trends: the colour red and the statement coat. And should you want something a little more understated, it also comes in a rich camel colour.