FASHION Magazine

See the photos from Holt Renfrew’s Uncrate India party »

We gave you a behind-the-scenes peek at how Alexandra Weston and Waris Ahluwalia curated the Holt Renfrew H Project Uncrate India collection. We shared 50+ artisanal items from the collection. And now it’s time to take a look at the incredible bash that Holt Renfrew threw last night in celebration of it all. The Bloor Street store was transformed into a vibrant Indian market, welcoming hundreds of guests adorned in sari-inspired attire. Rooms were tented with pink and orange fabric for an intimate feel, gilded bird cages stuffed with flowers hung from the ceilings and guests were greeted upon arrival with a shower of rose petals. But the lavish extravaganza didn’t stop there.

Go inside the Express Times Square store opening »

When you’re opening your largest store to date, it only makes sense to go big or go home. Express, the retail apparel chain that offers a mix of sleek work basics and sexy-meets-stylish casualwear did just that last week. To officially celebrate the launch of their Times Square, New York City location, the store hosted a massive party complete with models, mayhem and a performance by Robin Thicke.

While the bustling Times Square strip became even more busy (fans were lined up hours before the event began, hoping to sneak in for the VIP pre-party mingle) Thicke conducted media interviews on the second floor of the three-story Express. Guests sipped on cocktails and glass straw-adorned bottles of Fiji water, while not-so-subtly sneaking a peek at the singer, who was without his signature shades. (Don’t worry: once the performance started they were back on!) Those less inclined to participate in some light celebrity stalking indulged in shopping, as New York’s almost-spring weather was a perfect match for the breezy dresses, embellished tops and statement accessories on display in the store.

See the Mackage after-party pictures »

A sparse wintertime social calendar will do things to a person. Namely, make them want to party. On Wednesday night, spring fever was certainly in the air and Toronto’s most stylish were out for a good time. After the Joe Fresh and Pink Tartan co-hosted party over at Lee restaurant, the gang headed over to The Citizen (formerly Brant House) for a hip-hop throwdown courtesy of Mackage, Maybelline and Redken.

DJ Brendan Fallis a.k.a. 21^st century Paul Newman set the stage for one helluva sweaty dance party, swiftly (maybe a little swiftly) blending A$AP Rocky into Lynyrd Skynyrd like woah. (Important note: Beyoncé’s “Drunk in Love” was the only track played in full which kept everything right in the world). Leading the dance pack was Cary Tauben who flitted from group to group with his signature flair. Honourable mentions go to designer Mikhael Kale, Chatelaine editor Tyler Franch and Narrative PR’s Laura Serra for fashionably beating up the beat till the wee hours.

See the Joe Fresh/Pink Tartan after party pics »  

Without a doubt, Wednesday night is the biggest of Toronto Fashion Week. The show schedule is stacked with the city’s—the country’s!—greatest hits and the after party scene is getting just as competitive. To keep things interesting, Joe Fresh and Pink Tartan combined forces this season, hosting a smash of a party just down the street from the tents, at Lee Restaurant. Considering that the Pink Tartan crowd has always been a a big part of the Joe Fresh after party tradition, it just makes sense for Joe Mimran and Kimberley Newport-Mimran to make it official.

Also becoming a part of the Joe Fresh/Pink Tartan after party tradition is DJ Mad Marj, the unassuming New York-based heiress who kept the tightly packed crowd dancing, be it to 2 Chainz, Pharrell or… Nora Jones. (Seriously.) Lee’s two-room layout allowed for a bit of a divide between social sets, with fresh-from-the-runway models, stylists and party-hopping editors taking over the back room, while Mimran family friends (including the horn-blowing Bruce C. Bailey) and backstage stars filled up front of house.

See fashion week party pics »

It was a busy start to World Mastercard Fashion Week in Toronto on Monday. Not to be outdone by a show-packed schedule, the trio behind promo team The Collections threw an opening night party at Soho House. Drawing their usual west end crowd, cool kids in toques, cornrows and dark lips filled the elegant space with attitude to spare. The company’s troupe of represented designers including Beaufille’s Chloe and Parris Gordon, Sid Neigum and Thomas Balint’s Michael Thomas all came by to toast the week ahead. Photographer Renata Kaveh went for early spring megawatt, opting for head-to-toe white. Meanwhile, several fresh-off-the-runway models infiltrated with glass cutting cheekbones.

See all the photos from the Canadian Stage Theatre Ball »

If you’re going to celebrate an innovative theatre company, you better put on quite the show. Such was the case last week the Canadian Stage’s annual Theatre Ball, which brought together over 400 guests at The Carlu for dinner, drinks, a live auction and—most importantly—dancing! (Ask anyone on the fundraising gala circuit and they’ll be quick to admit that of all the parties, Canadian Stage guarantees the biggest dance floor. There’s something about musical theatre…)

While last year’s Theatre Ball was birthday party themed, for 2014 “Shatter: Provoke Your Curiosity” was the name of the game. From floor-to-ceiling panels that looked like artfully arranged pieces of a smashed mirror to shards of translucent sugar candy serving as centrepieces, the party felt like a journey inside Alice’s looking glass. When it came to what attendees were wearing, the shine factor was just as important.

See our RAFF opening night gallery »

Did you know that Toronto is home to the world’s only art on film festival? Or that it is in its 11^th year? Probably not. For the past few years, the Reel Artists Film Festival has blown us away with its A-list roster of films, talent and frankly, how underrated it is. This year, RAFF upped the ante yet again by premiering An Economy of Grace, a film about artist Kehinde Wiley and his unique brand of hood-meets-highbrow in pieces that portray African Americans in heroic poses.

At Wednesday night’s opening, the who’s who of Toronto’s art scene fêted the film, hobnobbing with the artist and taking in an onstage Q&A with him and Zoomer editor-in-chief Suzanne Boyd, which focused on the sociological impact his pieces have on his subjects as well as his work with Givenchy.

An Economy of Grace follows Wiley as he creates his first women-only painting series, casting them on the street in Harlem, dressing them in couture gowns and transforming them into large-scale re-imaginations of classic works of art. It also documents the artist’s collaboration with Givenchy creative director Riccardo Tisci, who created the dresses exclusively for the paintings. “When I thought about the absolute favourite of favourites or what stood for the best of haute couture, it was Givenchy,” said Wiley of the partnership. As current fashion plays so comfortably in the arena of high low, Wiley’s work touches on how once impossible that kind of combination would have been. In the days of great master portraiture (Wiley’s work often draws directly from Titian, Ingres, John Singer Sargent and Napoleon painter Jacques Louis David), subjects would have been those with money, wealth and social stature. They certainly would never have been of colour, something Wiley’s work flips on its head.

Read our interview with Kehinde Wiley »

See the J.Crew Collection store party pics »

Toronto Fashion Week may be more than a month away, but street style trends were top of mind for the city’s fashion lovers last week. And with good reason: J. Crew held a sleek party to celebrate the opening of its first Collection store on Bloor Street, making it the brand’s fifth Toronto location and first standalone store. Unlike other locations, the J.Crew Collection store features a curated selection of limited edition women’s and menswear pieces, including accessories (hello, statement jewellery!) cashmere and more.

Despite its 6,000+ square foot size, the store was tightly packed with eager party guests, many of whom were likely hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman who makes print mixing look as natural as wearing neutrals. Alas, it was not to be: a blizzard in New York meant Jenna Lyons was stranded and we had to settle for an Instagram stand-in—which did indeed complemented the party’s Canadian-ified photo booth. (Complete with stuffed moose and a Pharrell-meets-Mountie hat.)

See photos from inside the CAFA Awards »

Toronto had its first-ever dose of fashion Oscars this past weekend, as the best in Canadian talent gathered for the inaugural Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards at the Fairmont Royal York. Aiming to shine a light on often politely under-appreciated homegrown talent, awards were given out to the best in design, styling, photography, modelling and to one person who stands in a category all by herself: Jeanne Beker. The television host/journo of 30+ years was awarded the CAFAs first Vanguard Award for well, everything.

Looking around the glittering ballroom, there was a real sense of “everyone who’s anyone is here,” which is quite the feat on a blustery night in the middle of winter. Topping that A-list was be model Coco Rocha, who stunned as no one else (in the room) could in a one-shouldered white gown by Dsquared while accepting the award for Model of the Year. Also in town, designing wonder boys Dean and Dan Caten, who scored the Best International Designer award. Taking a page out of the CFDA’s book, the CAFAs partnered with Swarovski to fund the Emerging Talent Award, which gave $10,000 and a mentorship by Joe Fresh founder Joe Mimran to Sarah Stevenson, the floral-happy designer who also won TFI New Labels last spring. With so much pegged on her impending success, it seems sure that her name will rise to the rank of fellow winner Jeremy Laing, who picked up the much-deserved award for Womenswear Designer of the Year.

See all the IDS 2014 Opening Night party photos »

Alright, Toronto. Your post-holiday hibernation is officially over and it’s time to get back into the social swing of things. Given the record-breaking low temperatures of late, The Interior Design Show’s Opening Night Party served as an ideal transition: the normally drafty Metro Toronto Convention Centre turned into a cozy hub of design last night, welcoming hundreds of stylish guests eager to get a sneak peek at the show’s wears. After all, where else can you browse luxe fireplaces, decadent rugs and overstuffed sofas with a cocktail in hand?

Lest you think the crop top trend was so 2013, IDS partygoers proved that it’s still going strong. Midriff-baring shirts were paired with structured jackets and sheer layers—a necessary addition on a chilly winter night. Fur hats and leather leggings were also just as popular with the ladies, while the men were all about suit jackets in various textures and fabrics (perhaps inspired by the opulent upholstery on display throughout?) the from blue velvet to camo-print.

See the party photos »

Rob Ford mingling with the arts set? Must be election season! This past Saturday, west-enders were treated to a troupe of Fords (make that brother Doug, wife Renata and kidlets Doug and Stephanie) at the pre-opening celebration of The Theatre Centre’s new home on Queen Street. Formerly the defunct Carnegie Library turned public health office, the restored Edwardian will act as a live hub for the arts incubator as well as a café, gallery and event space and a community garden. Saturday’s gala helped raise a final $130,000 for the $6.2 million renovation.

Theatrics were out in full force at the Baroque-themed gala, which featured pop up choral flash mob, a midnight blindfold dance and a custom-made poem to go with your coat check retrieval. Guests including host and actor Don McKellar, nightlife impresario Richard Lambert, counselor Ana Bailo and The Theatre Centre artistic director Franco Boni took in some seriously amazing appetizers and crazy cloud drinks that flowed out of glass contraptions, the mayor posed for photos with more than a few partygoers. We were about to throw shade at their eagerness, but then we saw this and figured it could have been worse.

See the party pictures »

For its latest cool kid party, Ossington designer den Jonathan + Olivia threw down for Christmas at Wrongbar on Queen Street West. With DJ tunes from Toronto allstars like Brendan Canning, Frank Griggs and Members Only (plus one relative newbie a.k.a. me), the crowd grooved as hard as one might imagine a bunch of west enders to do on a cold winter’s night. Guests including Clint Roenisch, Chanel Croker, Kealan Anne Sullivan, Jeremy Laing, Paria Shirvani and Misshapes DJ Geordon Nicol kept the party going till way past midnight. And while the mood may have been festive, attendees clung to their black on black on black staples cause what says happy holidays more than a biker jacket and a beard? That was a trick question.