FASHION Magazine

If you were to close your eyes and imagine the clothing of the future, you’d likely picture severe, angular cuts in synthetic fabrics, like something out of Blade Runner. Set in 2019, Ridley Scott’s ’80s version of the future still seems very far away. In all likelihood, it was Spike Jonze who got it right […]

The post Will Fashion Automation Mark the End of Seamstresses and Retail? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See all the photos from The Libertine launch party »

In the grand tradition of secret bars and speakeasies, The Libertine may have one of the best locations out there. Hidden behind a tarot card reader’s business, the basement entrance to Toronto’s newest restaurant is sure to prompt many double takes. However, thanks to the crowd that gathered for last night’s launch party, the secretive snack bar is destined to become quite well known in the months to come.

A mix of fashion and foodie guests mingled while hand-crafted cocktails and bites of fried chicken made the rounds. Anita Clarke, wearing a custom plaid Philip Sparks jacket, looked just as dapped as her well-suited table mates, including the designer himself and NOW’s Andrew Sardone. Holt Renfew’s Blaire Borins matched the mysterious mood of the decor in a slate-grey Greta Constantine dress while ornamental necklaces and bright lipsticks were accessory of choice for other guests.

December is here and with it comes the inevitable wind chills and flurries. Brace yourself against such unpleasantries with a warehouse full of tights, a Russian love affair and a mug of Glühwein. From Montreal to Edmonton, here’s what we’re up to this weekend.

See what we’re doing this weekend »

It’s here! The streets of Toronto will be taken over on Saturday night for the city’s annual all-night art party. Given just how much there is to see during the 12+ hours of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, we’re dedicating the entire Weekend To-Do to the most stylish exhibits and goings-on—from the festival’s kick off at 7:03pm and well into sunrise. On our list? A photo exhibit at the Philip Sparks boutique, an all night-dance party and a fancy mug of hot chocolate. (With some great art and live music thrown into the mix!)

Start planning your Nuit Blanche itinerary! »

Record-breaking temperatures got you feeling like a wilted flower? Down some H2O and resist the urge to camp out next to an A/C vent, because the weekend is finally here. Shop for vintage and designer summer wares, contemplate the Wild West as interpreted by painters and photographers and watch worlds collide when Serena van der Woodsen meets Tim Riggins in SoCal. XOXO.

Read our list »

View the photo gallery »

Lauded as the hottest art party of the year, the Power Plant’s annual Power Ball fundraiser certainly lived up to expectations last night. Complete with wall-projected animations, Kobos hanging on trees, an old fashioned swing and a pre-party hosted by the much-hyped Soho House, almost 2,000 partygoers danced into the wee hours while carving off pieces of Marc Thuet’s bison on a spit. Some of our favourite duos—The Society’s Ashleigh Dempster and Amanda Blakely, designer Philip Sparks and NOW’s Andrew Sardone, Knot PR’s Amy Burstyn-Fritz and Tatiana Read, designer Jeremy Laing and Frank Griggs, and eTalk’s Tanya Kim and CP24’s Melissa Grelo—flitted around the scene. There was a mock television talk show (which we took part in) with a dancing robot sharing hosting duties. There was a performance by Dragonette. There were ladies dressed as sailors and men dressed as women. There were, always, many types of cocktails a-flowing (shout-out to Grey Goose, who created a timely Diamond Jubilee mix at the pre-party). Surely, more highlights will come to us throughout the day, but we can’t be asked to recount them all, given how late we were up.

We all may have our proclivities, but we all certainly don’t fit into stereotypes based on the things we like. Sure, that makes us unique, but also makes so many of us so darned hard to buy for! Since we think most would agree that buying gifts for Father’s Day reaches the top of the difficulty scale, we’ve put together 20 refreshing gift ideas that would please many a difficult daddy.

View the gift guide »

Or jump to: The Sport Hound | The Foodie | The Dapper Gent | The Culture Connoisseur

View the photo gallery »

For those of you (and we hope it was all of you) who were wondering why Fashion Week favourite Philip Sparks wasn’t anywhere to be found on the official or unofficial schedules, rest assured, it wasn’t because he closed up shop. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Freshly launched for spring, the tailor extraordinaire has opened his first freestanding store just off of the über-hip Ossington Avenue strip in Toronto. With its large and brightly lit arrow outside, its antique typewriters and its raw wood displays framing the designer’s wears, the shop is as sweet as one might assume. And it’s chockfull of his delightful spring collections for men and women to boot. Haven’t got any plans this weekend? Well, now you do!

2012 marks FASHION Magazine’s 35th Anniversary! To celebrate, each issue, we’re pairing up with a different Canadian who is also celebrating a milestone. We invite our readers to enter for their chance to WIN the designers’ featured show pieces. Good luck!

Enter to win this dress by Philip Sparks »
Watch our behind the scenes video with Philip Sparks »
Read our interview with the designer »

View the photo gallery »

Last night the Metro Toronto Convention Centre was brimming with the who’s who of Canada’s design scene, there for the opening night party of the country’s largest contemporary design fair, the Interior Design Show. Dashing gents­, like fashion designer Philip Sparks and veteran FASHION photographer George Whiteside, and sophisticated design ladies—Sarah Richardson, Dee Dee Taylor Hannah (in Christopher Kane, no less), Love It or List It’s Hilary Farr—sipped flutes of Veuve and paraded along the rows upon rows of out-of-this-world design.

View our winter essentials »

As the spring 2013 fashion ad campaigns continue to be released, images of road trips, yachts, and beaches have us longing for warmer weather. Unfortunately, Canadians still have a few more months left until we can dust off our spring wardrobes. January is typically the coldest month of the year, and all of this snow and ice has given us a serious case of the winter blues. After all, it’s difficult to maintain a sense of style when we’re wrapped head to toe in thick winter clothing.

To help, we’ve compiled a list of little extras that are sure to be major cold-weather helpers. You probably can’t get through winter without them, yet you might not even know they exist!

We know the holiday season has begun once the winter issue comes out, and once our inboxes fill up with emails inviting us to holiday parties, pop-ups, and sales. We’ve gone through them all (and checked the list twice!) to give you a collection of December’s best holiday sales. Put on your mittens and make the trek out to your favourite shops and markets, Canadian gals—you’ll save a bundle on gift buying, so you can buy yourself an early holiday treat.