FASHION Magazine

By Megan McChesney (@meganmcchesney)

Those in a position to hire you for your dream job are closer than you think, but you’ll need the right tools to find them.

Back in February, Marc Jacobs International was looking for a social media staffer. The company eschewed the standard job boards and headhunters and went straight to the medium itself, sending out a rallying cry from its Twitter account (@MarcJacobsIntl): “We are interviewing only people who are tweeting us. Be clever. Smart. Understand our DNA. Say it in one tweet! That is your interview!” One hundred and forty characters isn’t exactly a lot of space in which to shine, but this one tweet sums up the new world order if you’re hunting for your dream job. Never mind mixers and events and cold calls—if you want to be proactive about landing a plum gig, you need to take the party to social media.

Surf, sand and the soft stuff. When it comes to Australian designer Belynda Macpherson’s cashmere line, Banjo & Matilda (banjoandmatilda.com), it’s all about mixing luxury yarns with Down Under design twists. Launched in 2008, this sumptuous collection is now available exclusively at Holt Renfrew stores across Canada. Here, the designer talks knitwear essentials and working with her famous sister-in-law.

See photos of Jenna’s style picks »

What was your first job at J.Crew?
“I started 20 years ago. I was an assistant to an assistant.”

Are you bringing back company loyalty?
[Laughs] “I never in a million years dreamed that I would be at the same [place]. I spend more time at my job than I do with my family, so my job does feel like a family.”

What’s your secret to becoming a fashion powerhouse? What advice would you give to someone starting out?
“Love what you do. The people who I see as successful [are those who] stay in the moment and try and do the best they can. Those are the people you want to promote. They’re the ones who are thinking about new ideas and trying to do their job better.”

Twist and pout for Vancouver beauty brand Ilia (iliabeauty.com). Silky smooth with a touch of sheen, its tinted lip conditioners contain ultra-moisturizing jojoba oil, cocoa butter and vitamin E, and clock in at 85 per cent organic. I love Bang Bang, an on-trend red shade named after the classic Cher tune. It’s perfect for adding a high-powered punch to your office look ($24, at BeautyMark, 1268 Pacific Blvd., 604-642-2294, beautymark.ca).

By Ghita Loebenstein

See our documentary picks »

Last month, a documentary opened the Toronto International Film Festival for the first time in its history: Davis Guggenheim’s U2 profile From the Sky Down. Soon, the Bloor Cinema in Toronto will reopen its doors under the stewardship of Hot Docs, and will almost exclusively screen documentary films.

Fall weekends in the country call for a Kate Middleton–inspired wardrobe, complete with all the horse-and-hound extras, like these Gap wellington boots ($40, gapcanada.ca). Their waterproof rubber exterior makes puddle jumping a splashy affair.

Ottawa-born, Montreal-based designer Clayton Evans is the creative mind behind Complexgeometries (complexgeometries.com). When he presented his playful, gender-bending Fall 2011 collection in a gentlemen’s club, it was obvious that Evans’ talent knows no bounds.

Ever since their invention, cellphones and computer hard drives have been shedding their clunky forms as if mimicking Bill Gates’s eyewear evolution from giant geek frames to rimless spectacles. But it took a diy movement to kick-start the same downsizing in the beauty world, allowing popular in-office technology to come home with us. We were able to take matters such as hair removal and wrinkle fighting into our own hands when IPL (intense pulsed light) and led (light-emitting diodes) were incorporated into handheld devices we could use ourselves. That meant zero downtime for us and our bank accounts. Here, a look at 2.0 versions of trusted favourites, as well as some new tools to add to your workbench.

View our editors’ picks »

From Salvatore Ferragamo’s spotted frocks to Rebecca Minkoff’s fierce jumpsuits, animal prints prowled the runways this season. Heed the call of the wild with a traffic-stopping leopard-print tote by Christian Siriano for Payless ($40, canada.payless.com). Who’s the power player now?

Add Vancouver’s Allison Wonderland to the growing list of Earth-loving labels. This fall, designer Allison Smith launches a sister collection, Pillar (pillarclothing.com). With a name inspired by Lewis Carroll’s hookah-smoking caterpillar, the line features five easy-to-wear pieces in eco-friendly fabrics, such as the hemp-blend Soda Dress (shown, $190). Weekend casual just got cuter—and you can feel good about buying it.

A dose of fall’s most powerful pieces to inspire your wild side and prep you for fashion battle.

View our editors’ picks now »