FASHION Magazine

It looks as though 2013 is gearing up to be a big year for Mariah Carey and her little lambs. First the five-octave diva inked a deal with American Idol—making her the highest paid judge on reality television—and now OPI has announced that Mimi will serve as the inspiration for a line of limited-edition polishes that will launch in January 2013.

Whether you’re a devout James Bond fan or simply appreciate the series’ commitment to swoon-worthy male leads and great fashion, OPI’s latest 007-inspired offering will undoubtedly be a must-have for any polish fan. While it’s not due on shelves till October, rumours about the 18 karat gold leaf-laden top coat have been flying for weeks.

Created by arts organization No.9 and Toronto-based artists Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins, Art Train Conductor No.9 is more than just a wrapped GO train—and it’s also the first time I’ve felt envious of commuters! (If you are a Toronto-area commuter, the train is currently running on the Lakeshore line, but is moving to Barrie as of July 31.) The whole design is beyond visually stunning: from blown-out multi-coloured pixels to bold zig-zags of black and white, there’s a lot going on. So when translating the train into nail art, the biggest obstacle was figuring out which elements to use and which to ignore. After drafting a few different ideas, I decided the best route was to focus on using similar colours and mimicking just a few repeating shapes. The result is a graphic set of striped nails that could serve as a great distraction during any commute home.

Love this look? Here’s how to do it »

Check out all the Olympic-themed fashion! »

We’ve officially reached the one-week countdown to the London Olympics, which can only mean one thing: the Olympics have hit their peak, leaving no one (not even the fashion industry) untouched in their wake. From the Canadiana-themed the Bay collection to one of Opening Ceremony’s covetable collaborations at its temporary pop-up OC London store, there is so much amazing Olympic-themed fashion at our fingertips that even the least athletic of us can confidently get their sportif chic on. We’ve got a lineup of the most stylish Olympic-inspired collections for your viewing pleasure, as well as a few staple sportswear pieces should you be inspired to get a sweat going yourself!

Sometimes a collection is full of items that seem to be just begging to be turned into a manicure. Case in point: Marc Jacobs Resort 2013. The endless colour blocking and pattern mixing makes quite the mood board for anyone with a super-saturated nail polish collection. From sequined stripes that could be mimicked with metallic polishes to micro-gingham prints that are full of DIY transfer potential, it was hard to choose just one look for this week’s Nail Corner. But in the end, bright, layered florals won out—and all you need to duplicate this design are a few dotting tools and your favourite punchy-coloured polishes.

Read on and see the Marc Jacobs floral dot mani! »

Daisy, daisy… doesn’t this manicure make you want a bicycle built for two? Or at the very least, a pair of Red Valentino shoes? The pretty floral pattern, which is rather neutral except for a burst of bright yellow, served as inspiration for this week’s Nail Corner. The result is a modified moon manicure, with added dimension thanks to the pearlescent background which contrasts—yet also camouflages–the taupe petals. Ready to daisy up your own fingers? Read on!

Check out the daisy petal moon manicure! »

Considering how long it’s been popular, can black nail polish now be considered classic? Lauren Conrad brought it to the masses on many an episode of The Hills, it’s a common colour for starlets to wear on the red carpet, and almost every polish brand has one—or more!—black shades. While a dark manicure still stands out, a graphic design can give it even more power. This week, inspiration came from Chloé‘s Spring 2012 collection. I mixed stripes of black and white polish to create a slim design and left a sliver bare in the middle—just like the deep V-neck of the Chloé button-down.

Check out the black and white manicure! »

Our spring trend guide continues to be a source of inspiration for Nail Corner, and this week Burberry Prorsum’s tribal prints have been transformed into a manicure. For this design, mushroom-grey and deep-blue stripes are brought to life with alternating rows of neon orange, creating a zigzag pattern that almost pulses off the nail. And just like Burberry’s pattern, this manicure is asymmetrical—which adds even more movement and fun to the design.

Grab some nail art brushes and find out how to do this mani! »

This week’s Nail Corner steals inspiration straight from the pages of our Spring trend report: a delightful mixed-prints look from Carven’s Spring 2012 collection. The bright-pink and lime-meets-chartreuse chevron pattern has a hand-woven quality to it, with soft lines and organic shapes. When translated to a manicure, the prints vary on each nail, allowing them to mix across each finger.

Check out the mixed prints mani! »

Floral prints were in full bloom in our spring trend report and given that we seem to be experiencing the balmiest March weather on record, a floral manicure was a natural choice for this week’s Nail Corner. From Marni and Mary Katrantzou to Erdem and Prabal Gurung, flowers were bright and best done in matchy-matchy all-over arrangements. And, because we’re right in the middle of Toronto Fashion Week, it seemed appropriate to seek inspiration from one of our favourite TFW Spring 2012 shows: Denis Gagnon.

Read on and feel the flower power! »

While the abundance of brightly dyed furs on almost every runway was tempting inspiration for Nail Corner, the colour blocking at Céline’s Fall 2012 presentation made for a much better manicure. Mixing horizontal and diagonal stripes, this design matches the asymmetrical pattern of an undeniably stunning Céline overcoat.

See the Céline colour-block mani! »

Without a doubt, one of the most inventive beauty looks from Milan was at Prada. Those eyes! Style.com called it a “tricolour layering effort on lids”—shades of deep blue, shimmering purple, electric orange, and greasy black all stacked together. Despite how exciting the Prada look is, it’s extremely editorial and not so much a “try this at home!” style. So rather than toning it down for the face, I took the vibrant makeup to my nails. After all, six colours in one manicure? Totally doable.

See the Prada Fall 2012 makeup mani »