FASHION Magazine

See the backstage beauty report for Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013 »

For Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013, the divine beauty look complemented the religious iconography that inspired the collection. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana blessed their designs with elaborate motifs from the mosaics in Sicily’s Cathedral of Monreale. “We love the contrast it creates with the sensuality and the passion of the Dolce & Gabbana woman,” says Gabbana. Hair was backcombed for extra volume volume and gathered at the nape of the neck for what Guido Palau described as “natural Italian allure.”

The allure continued with the makeup, inspired by the country’s iconic screen siren, Sophia Loren. Pat McGrath paid homage with a classic cat eye and bold brow. As for the ultra-rich red lips, two shades of lipstick were mixed to create a custom hue and applied overtop a base of ruby-red pencil. Finally, the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013 beauty look became a complete sensory experience with a few spritzes of the label’s latest scent, Intense. “Every time we go to Sicily, we are overwhelmed by the smell of the land,” says Dolce. “Flowers of every kind mix with the notes of the sea to create a unique bouquet.”

Now in its 12th year, Art Basel Miami is regarded as the biggest art event in North America. Beyond attracting star couples like Jay Z and Beyoncé, the 250-plus international galleries participating bring more than 50,000 art lovers to Miami. To help navigate this gigantic affair, which runs from Dec. 5 to 8, we’ve highlighted key names from Canada’s art scene who will be in attendance, and asked them about past memories and future itineraries.

See our top picks from the Nars Guy Bourdin holiday collection »

Long inspired by Guy Bourdin’s luscious, glossy work, François Nars pays homage to the photographer with a high-wattage holiday collection.

Growing up, François Nars didn’t waste his affection on teen idols and pop stars. While others were tearing pages from Tiger Beat magazine to make Donny Osmond-themed collages, Nars’s bedroom walls were papered with the cinematic pictures of fashion photographer Guy Bourdin, ripped from Vogue Paris and Harper’s Bazaar. “I was such a fan when I was a kid,” recalls the makeup artist. “I woke up to the fashion world through his images.”

Since launching his namesake collection in 1994, Nars has honoured the late photographer through palette colours, shade names and advertising campaigns, but now he’s paying a bigger tribute to his hero with a holiday collection inspired by some of his favourite shots. “I was really inspired directly by the makeup in those photographs,” says Nars, who translated it into intensely pigmented lipsticks, nail polishes and eyeshadows (from $21, narscosmetics.com).

It’s a fitting homage, given Bourdin’s reputation for being heavily invested in the beauty looks for his pictures: He would inspect the hair and makeup before he even began shooting. “It was a big production, and it always started with the model and the makeup,” said Bourdin’s son Samuel at a preview of the collection in Paris.

Consider us your official advisers on where to wisely spend your beauty dollars (and time).

HAIRBRUSH | FACIAL OIL | RED LIPSTICK | RETINOL | COLOUR-PROTECTING MASK | SIGNATURE SCENT | CONCEALER | CLEANSING BRUSH | LASH & BROW SERUM | MASCARA | NAIL POLISH | HAIR DRYER

View the photo shoot »

Shaved, carved, mixed and modern, the furs of today are at home with the past. In this luxe photo shoot from our November 2013 issue, we explore this season’s take on the age-old warmer.

Canadian wonder boy Tommy Ton reflects on his street style photographs in a new monthly column. “I always make the trek to the J.Crew presentation in New York, because there’s a whole mix of people coming to the show. I especially love seeing people who work for the companies—whether it’s J.Crew or Stella or another […]

The post Snapped by Tommy Ton: “It was definitely one of the highlights of my week” appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See Natalie Portman’s Dior lipstick shade picks »

Although Christian Dior the brand is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its Rouge Dior line this year, the truth is that Christian Dior the man made his first lipstick four years earlier. He conceived it in 1949 as a sort of limited-edition gift with purchase, sending it to the most loyal clients of his Colifichet boutique on Avenue Montaigne in Paris as a Christmas present. No doubt those ladies treasured their new makeup staple, as would Marlene Dietrich, Josephine Baker and Grace Kelly some years later.

Since then, Rouge Dior has encompassed 1,500 shades—from the first eight colours designed to match different couture outfits to the lurid ’70s brights dreamed up by former cosmetic artistic director Serge Lutens to the two newest additions: Darling (a vibrant pink) and Trafalgar (a punchy coral). The latter takes its name from Monsieur Dior’s old “Coup de Trafalgar” trick of throwing a notice-me bright red dress into a long runway presentation to make sure his audience wasn’t dozing.

“It just started today. Everything’s an additional 50 per cent off,” I overhear our fashion editor-at-large, Zeina Esmail, telling a visiting New York publicist about a nearby end-of-season sell-off. “You can score a pair of Manolos for 200 bucks.” I make a note of this (I could use some new pumps) and share a knowing glance with my FASHION editor colleagues. Lunch plans have just been made. Esmail, meanwhile, is on to discussing another fashion find: a $2,000 Proenza Schouler sweater she scored online for $89. By now, the shopping tips are coming fast and furious, and a small crowd has formed around our resident style sage. This is Esmail in her element.

At the FASHION offices, Esmail is known for her cool style, impeccable taste and complete and utter obsession with shopping—an occupational hazard of being a stylist and professional shopper. “It’s definitely part of my job. I shop for work all the time, so I stumble on sales, but I’m a constant hunter,” she says. “I’m always looking for things to buy and watching for when I can score a major deal. It’s kind of a weird mental illness in a way, because I can’t stop.” Case in point: At a recent designer shoe sale (where styles by Nicholas Kirkwood, Alaïa and Balmain were marked down to a frenzy-inducing $99), while the rest of us were splurging on two or three pairs, Esmail went home with 22. “I couldn’t just buy three. I went back and I went back,” she says. “I have an addictive personality, so if I get an idea in my head I don’t know how to let it go. I got home and my husband was like, ‘What did you do?’ I get carried away in the moment. It’s my biggest enemy and my best friend.”

There’s a certain mystery involved in the making of a hit, a kind of magic that’s as unpredictable and inexplicable as it is intangible. In music, it’s known as the sweet spot. Nile Rodgers (the legendary music producer behind such earworms as David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance,” Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”) summed it up thusly: “It just has to be cool. I can’t explain it but I know it when I arrive there.” If the same can be said of a fashion It item, then the Nile Rodgers of designers would be Isabel Marant. The reigning queen of effortless chic, the French fashion designer has je-ne-sais-quoi’d her way to the top of the fashion charts with such stylish hits as her slouchy football tee, Navajo print jeans and ubiquitous wedge sneaker, which has spawned more knockoffs than Madonna has copycats. One might be tempted to chalk Marant’s runaway success up to her inspired formula of boho meets rock ’n’ roll meets Parisian insouciance, but there’s something else x-factor-y at play here. “I have an innate feel for what people like,” Marant says. “I cannot put it into words and am constantly surprised by it, but the pieces I really like are usually those that sell best.” Whether you call it a sweet spot, instinct or just plain genius, Marant is bringing her magic touch to the masses in a new collaboration with H&M, launching Nov. 14, that brims with flirty boho frocks, zippered leather pants and a fresh take on her famous fringe-y pirate boots. Consider it a wallet-friendly compilation of her greatest hits.

See the photo shoot »

For this black and white photo shoot from our November 2013 issue, we pull from our own talent pool and prove that Canadian models in Canadian designs make perfect pairings this fall. Check out the best from homegrown talents like Rad Hourani, Sid Neigum, Duy and Travis Taddeo and more as worn by standout models hailing from right here in the Great White North.

Go behind the scenes and see the outtakes »
See the cover and read our sneak peek here »

Our November 2013 issue starring cover girl Miley Cyrus hits stands nationwide today (get the digital edition here!) and what better way to celebrate than with a peek behind the scenes of our Los Angeles cover shoot. Amidst a rack full of Kenzo, Emilio Pucci and Saint Laurent looks, Cyrus poses, twerks and cracks smiles with photographer Chris Nicholls and fashion director Zeina Esmail. Check out these snaps from our photo shoot as well as 5 outtakes exclusive to our site.

We were supposed to shoot Miley Cyrus in Berlin. But the day before our team was due to leave, we got a call: Cyrus suddenly had to fly home to L.A. to deal with a family matter. Reservations and shoot plans were untangled (thank you, photo editor Erin Seaman!), and clothes and accessories were couriered […]

The post November 2013: Letter from the editor appeared first on FASHION Magazine.