FASHION Magazine

From the West Coast to the Atlantic Ocean, Beauty Director Adriana Ermter scours the nation for must-try rejuvenating, relaxing and beautifying spas.

Riverside Spa, Calgary

110 Point McKay Crescent NW, 403-270-7500, riversidespa.ca

I’ve got too much on the go and I’m feeling the stress. A more informal spa experience is what I’m after. As I make my way to the change rooms, pick a locker and slip on a robe, I am grateful to not have someone hovering over me—it would only add to the pressure. And right now, sitting in a pre-reclined chair in the spa’s informal environment, while sipping a glass of lemonade and listening to the twangy sounds of an Asian-inspired CD are all I need. At least that’s what I think until I’m face down on a table in Nadine’s treatment room for an hour long Chocolate Bliss Mud Wrap ($140).

When NSCAD University’s fashion students return to their Seeds Building studio in the fall, the art college will have become a little bit greener: the latest muslin cotton available in the fashion department will be certified organic.

The decision reflects the department’s desire to put into practice its long-standing eco-conscious mindset, one that is shared by many members of its student body, its only full-time faculty member, Parsons alumnus Gary Markle, and Anne Pickard, the department’s technician and an instructor within the university’s School of Extended Studies.

But the department’s green approach, urges Pickard, is more than just in vogue.

“We’re not focusing on this because it’s a hot thing,” says Pickard. “This is not for any other reason than that it should just be part of every consciousness.”

Fashion isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of bamboo. Pandas love it, but more and more designers do too. With the sheen and softness of luxurious silk, bamboo fabrics feel like a million bucks (only better–it’s washable!).