FASHION Magazine

Spring’s glistening skin and accentuated eyes pair with bold earrings for a lasting impression on our March cover star Anaïs Pouliot. Check out our stunning beauty shoot and read up on the brightest young homegrown thing.

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When it comes to accessories, Isabelle Fish, owner of Rue Pigalle (ruepigalle.ca), swims against the current. Her charming Yorkville boutique is stocked with avant-garde international labels, many of which are exclusive to her store, including Noritamy (jewellery), Martine Boissy (scarves) and Lena Erziak (bags). Here, this lawyer–turned–fashion entrepreneur talks bright colour, the art of buying, and bold evening bags.

When did your love of accessories begin?
“I grew up in a family that revered craftsmen and craftsmanship, so I knew I wanted to be in the business of beautiful objets. My mother was extremely elegant and taught me about managing a small wardrobe of simple garments, and giving it flair with beautifully crafted accessories.”

What is the significance behind your boutique’s name?
“Rue Pigalle used to be the main street in Paris’s red-light district. I liked the contrast between the elegance of the collections I carry and the naughtiness [of this] forbidden place.”

Like Helen of Troy and those ships, model-turned-designer Brian Atwood’s (brianatwood.com) handsomeness alone could move shoe units at The Room. Yet his super-stylish stilettos sell themselves. Thankfully, there’s now more Atwood than ever to go around, with last year’s launch of a second line, B Brian Atwood, and a haute handbag collection.

Who is the Brian Atwood woman?
“Always the most beautiful, sexy woman in the room. I’m not tooting my own horn. That’s just how it happens to go. [The heels] make you feel that—the power of the shoe.”

Is your B Brian Atwood woman any different?
“The B girl is jetset, but she’s funkier, more urban, and there’s ease to it. She doesn’t have $800 for a pump, but why shouldn’t she have a sexy pump?”

Fresh off her Spring 2012 exclusive for Givenchy in Paris, jetsetting New York–based supermodel Heather Marks (a Calgary native) took a few moments to chat with us backstage at Edmonton’s Fashion with Compassion breast cancer fundraiser and fashion show. Despite insider access to fashion for nearly a decade, this 23-year-old beauty with rockstar style still has an appreciation for the simpler things in life.

Where do you shop when you’re back in Alberta?
“I always stop by Aritzia and I like going to Gravitypope on 17th Avenue [in Calgary] for shoes. Holt Renfrew is also a favourite.”

What’s your favourite accessory at the moment?
“I got a new Chanel bag that I’m currently obsessing over. It’s not your classic shape. It’s a little bit more round, a little bit more funky.”

Before completing a Master of Arts in womenswear at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, this Canadian-born U.K. expat cut his design chops at Montreal’s LaSalle College. Now Thomas Tait (thomastait.com) is a ready-to-wear whiz kid on the international fashion scene, churning out strong, tailored pieces in mostly soft silhouettes.

What was the most valuable thing you learned at LaSalle?
“How to make clothes. I had no idea how technical the course would be. I was literally scared of the sewing machine for quite a while.”
 
Your graduate project was a beautiful exploration of human angles: collarbones, hip bones, shoulders.
“There was definitely an elaboration on silhouette in my Fall 2011 collection. It was insanely hard to do, but I loved it in the end.”

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He’s no lady. Boy wonder Andrej Pejic brings his dry wit and supermodel moves to the top Canadian designs for spring.

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Montreal’s Queen of Fashion has a one-of-a-kind style that’s recognizable from coast to coast. Since starting her eponymous collection nearly 25 years ago, Marie Saint Pierre (mariesaintpierre.com) has opened two boutiques and caught the attention of countless fashion lovers. Here, she talks about her latest project: a holiday capsule collection for Reitmans, the tried-and-true Canadian retailer.

With his distinct talent and penchant for performance art, it comes as no surprise that small-town Alberta designer Sid Neigum (sidneigum.com) once created a 300-pound dress from old tires and screws. He’s currently studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York as well as producing full collections for women and men, which he’s shown at Toronto’s LG Fashion Week for the past two seasons. Neigum is lighting up Canadian runways, but with an exceptionally dark appeal.

Surf, sand and the soft stuff. When it comes to Australian designer Belynda Macpherson’s cashmere line, Banjo & Matilda (banjoandmatilda.com), it’s all about mixing luxury yarns with Down Under design twists. Launched in 2008, this sumptuous collection is now available exclusively at Holt Renfrew stores across Canada. Here, the designer talks knitwear essentials and working with her famous sister-in-law.

Ottawa-born, Montreal-based designer Clayton Evans is the creative mind behind Complexgeometries (complexgeometries.com). When he presented his playful, gender-bending Fall 2011 collection in a gentlemen’s club, it was obvious that Evans’ talent knows no bounds.

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. 

Michael Kors on celebrating his 30th anniversary, staying plugged in and becoming an adjective.

All-American. Spirited. Jetsetter. You can spot Michael Kors from a mile away. Over the course of his 30 years in the fashion industry, the man and the brand have become one and the same, morphing into a mega-empire that, as rumour has it, hit a billion dollars in sales this year. Not bad for a boy from Long Island, New York. Adored by Hollywood A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez, soccer moms and First Ladies alike (Michelle Obama wore Kors for her first official White House portrait), his rise to fashion royalty took off in 1981, when he launched his eponymous womenswear line.