FASHION Magazine

When Toronto Fashion Week closed down in the summer, Canadian designers were set adrift. It didn’t take long for another initiative to take charge and results, after the first day of FashionCAN, added a clever twist to the runway format. Organized by CAFA, the brains behind the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards, the FashionCAN showcase […]

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While some may associate the Calgary Stampede with rodeos and fried delicacies, “the greatest outdoor show on earth” is also a great showcase for the city’s best local design talent. And as the West continues to inspire everything from pop culture (ahem, Nashville) to designers like Isabel Marant and Ralph Lauren, what better time for […]

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See the PARKLUXE 2014 show and party photos » Like what you see on the runway? Why not buy it right after the show? For PARK, it’s less Moda Operandi with its deposits and pre-orders, and more about making in-season purchases directly from the designers at post-runway popup shops. On October 4th the concept came […]

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See the Paul Hardy 10th anniversary party photos »

Party Hardy! Finally—I’ve been waiting to say that ever since FASHION received an invite to Canadian design star Paul Hardy’s 10^th anniversary bash in Calgary on Saturday. It was an exclusive guest list, after all, (including Dragon’s Den billionaire W. Brett Wilson and his date, the Real Housewives of Vancouver’s Mary Zilba as well as Vancouver’s blonde and bubbly country singing sisters, Carly and Britt McKillip of One More Girl), and might have been the biggest, brightest, boldest birthday party to ever hit the Alberta fashion scene.

Mr. Hardy, Tourism Calgary and Travel Alberta flew in fashion’s top editors, bloggers and VIP’s from Vancouver to Toronto, including the Globe & Mail’s Tiyana Grulovic, Hello! Canada’s Tara Henley, FASHION’s resident street style photographer Stefania Yarhi, and Style Panel’s Gracie Carroll. After waking up in the swanky Hyatt Regency Calgary and chic-boutique Hotel Arts, the first snowfall of the season made our trek to the island River Café feel like some kind of wonderland—or as Hardy perfectly positioned it, “Narnia”.

See photos from Fashion with Compassion »

Last week one of the biggest fashion fundraisers in Canada hit Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre with flutes of pink champagne and Old Hollywood panache. Luncheon and dinnertime gala fashion shows for more than 1,400 people at the 16th annual Syncrude Presents Fashion with Compassion benefit the $5-million expansion of the Sorrentino’s Compassion House, a home away from home for women traveling to Edmonton for breast cancer treatment.

While we think last year’s fashion highlight was watching superstar model Heather Marks (a Calgary native) open and close the shows, this year we can’t decide between all the cozy, grey velvet layering from Calgary-based designer Paul Hardy’s Fall 2012 collection, a lunchtime-only appearance from Mode Models Edmonton’s Kayley Chabot (I saw her last on the runway at Jill Stuart S/S ’13 during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week), or the uncensored and moving speech from former Compassion House guest and breast cancer survivor Brenda Kissel.

This year marks the centennial for the Calgary Stampede, and after last year’s Royal visit, you can be sure this southern Alberta city will see a record number of tourists passing through Cowtown—or the New West, rather, from July 6 to 15. Apart from the nightly parties taking place at a majority of restaurants, bars […]

The post Calgary Stampede To-Do: Pancake breakfast fashion shows, Kate Middleton–approved wears, a Carly Rae Jepsen concert and other ways to say “yee-haw!” to the Stampede’s centennial celebrations appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Nothing says Calgary like its signature Smithbilt white hat, so in a fitting tribute to the city’s 100^th Stampede, Calgary native Paul Hardy has been commissioned with creating a commemorative topper. The $900 hat, which is entirely made of soft white rabbit fur and adorned with a hand-woven Italian leather belt, will be presented to 40 famous Canadians, including Steve Nash, Rick Mercer, George Stroumboulopoulos and Karen Kain.

Here’s a little history lesson for those of you not familiar with Calgary’s long history of white hats: after the first-ever Calgary white hat was created in 1946 by Smithbilt Hats’ artisan Morris Shumiatcher, a Calgary mayor began presenting the hats to notables who came to the city, beginning a now 60-year-long tradition of “white hatting.” Essentially, it’s Calgary’s equivalent to presenting keys of the city.

Fashion for a cause—be it Livia Firth’s Green Carpet Challenge or the Marc Jacobs Protect the Skin You’re In Tees—always gets us going. Toronto is also doing its philanthropic bit with the third annual Dare to Wear Love fashion show on March 16, to close out (the official) Toronto Fashion Week. The Stephen Lewis Foundation […]

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The word “designer” permeates Kara Chomistek’s world from head to heels. This cool 24-year-old biomedical engineer designs orthopedic equipment and her own namesake clothing line. In her spare time, she dances with a semi-professional salsa troupe, in addition to teaching cha-cha, tango and jive. She is also the co-founder and president of PARK (Promoting Artists, Redefining Kulture), a non-profit organization launched in 2008 that promotes local designers and artists through designer forums, industry mixers, and fashion and art shows. When attending evening affairs, this glam go-getter slips into spotlight-stealing labels, including Lanvin, Miu Miu, Valentino and local designer Paul Hardy. “Fashion allows me to achieve balance in my life,” she says. “It’s another medium for me to use my creativity. Similar to art, I like to wear unique or unusual pieces that can spark a conversation.”

See her shopping picks »

Judging from his stunning collection of sterling silver, 18-karat gold and semi-precious gemstone pieces, it’s no surprise that former Calgarian, Toronto-based jewellery designer Dean Davidson (deandavidson.ca) has found fans in editors, stylists and Hollywood A-listers like Jennifer Hudson. His clean, sophisticated style and trademark brushed finish have continued to dazzle customers since his brand’s 2007 launch. 

This spring, Calgary designer Paul Hardy hit the barre. Known for his ultra-feminine, unstructured looks, Hardy is designing the costumes for the Alberta Ballet’s Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, a performance inspired by and set to the music of Canadian songstress Sarah McLachlan.

In sharp contrast to his ethereal spring collection, Paul Hardy brought a masculine touch to fall 2011, sending silk camouflage prints, a must-have grey flannel tux pant and menswear-inspired suiting down last night’s runway. While we weren’t fans of Hardy’s footwear choices⎯the bowling shoes were more “strike out” than strike⎯or of the many oddly placed embellishments, we did find ourselves fancying many a shearling vest and Hardy’s sequin bomber jacket had us giddy. Held at the National Ballet Company’s Currie Hall, it would have been a shame if there wasn’t at least one dance number, and Hardy didn’t disappoint, pivoting once again to produce a finale series of floor length ostrich feather skirts fit for a prima ballerina.

View the Paul Hardy photo gallery »