FASHION Magazine

See the Joe Fresh Fall 2013 collection photos »

Punk, Paris and affordable price points: Hello, Joe Fresh Fall 2013. For the first time in as long as we can remember, the label’s signature bright hues were kicked to the curb in favour of an almost all black collection of highly trendy, ultra tough clothes inspired by the French captial during the early 1990s. “That chic French girl whose style was so effortless and cool. The early days of street style” said creative director Joe Mimran of the collection. Dressed in all black himself backstage, he waxed poetic about Fall 2013’s many artistic inspirations, which included the text work of artist Ed Rushcha (it made for two epically lettered sweaters that closed the show) and the words of Malcolm McLaren, which very literally set the show’s impetus with the lyrics “I wore black, you were black, Jazz is Paris and Paris is jazz.”

See the street style photos from Toronto Fashion Week »

Day two of World MasterCard Fashion Week Fall 2013 is all about the transition. With the weather teetering between winter and a chilly spring, those attending shows at David Pecault Square turned to leather and fur yet again for the answer to the question, “will I be warm enough in this?” (Chances are, those only in leather jackets were still cold.)

Faux fur collars were seen on multiple attendees including I Want, I Got’s, Anita Clarke, who had her thinking face on as she stared into her iPhone on day two. Gotta send those tweets, y’all! Our Style Panel‘s Krystin Lee took serious inspiration from Marc Jacobs’ spring collection in a well, Marc Jacobs T-shirt and a stark black and white striped floor-length skirt. This look was accented with a red bag and statement necklace so we think it’s safe to say she’s been keeping up with our Spring 2013 trends guide.

See the DUY Fall 2013 collection »

Edgy but elegant—it’s a difficult line to walk, even for the most seasoned designers.

But Duy Nguyen proved he was up to the challenge in his World MasterCard Fashion Week presentation. The solo show was an award received along with industry mentorship (including face-time with yours truly) from the Mercedes Benz Start-Up program after a cross-country search and runway showdown last fall.

The Vietnam-born, Montreal-based designer proved his mettle (or metal), if you count the silvery embroidered lace gowns, twinkling wool trousers and shimmery tweed pencil skirts showcased in the DUY Fall 2013 collection.

A pale, frosty palette and fox-trimmed leathers fit with the Canadian Arctic theme. Materials were all rich, warm, and begging to be touched, with mohair trousers cut to pleated perfection, and a “hairy” top that looked like a fine shag carpet. Nguyen also spent weeks slicing tulle for his swishy evening skirts, basketweaving wool jersey for tops and handcrafting hundreds of flowers from left over scraps. “I wanted them to look like they were decomposing,” he said of the appliques that wound around shoulders and necks.

See the Laura Siegel Fall 2013 collection »

In fashion, it’s hard not to quickly condense designer Laura Siegel into a category like “eco-luxe,” or the much-maligned “tribal.” So I’ll fight that impulse and say this: Siegel’s work does transport you to another land. Her colours for Fall 2013 include warm-weather ivory, a blue-green reminiscent of the Andaman Sea by night and rusty red, like grains of sand you might find in Southern Africa. Laura Siegel’s style can be accessible at times (harem pants, roomy, belted dresses), and at other times a little out there. It’s clear she draws her greatest inspiration from global experience. The Toronto-born graduate of Parsons The New School for Design in New York City has travelled and observed extensively the techniques of artisans in India, Bali and Hong Kong. Her Spring 2013 collection leaned heavily on bright, voluminous layers in wood-block prints. If that seemed bohemian, it also made her a new wave designer whose vision included ethically gathered materials.

Fall 2013 sees Siegel build on her signature aesthetic. The harem pants and stretchy mixed-material bottoms are wearable enough, but it’s Siegel’s accessories and outer pieces—her capes, knits and leathers—that show her handiwork and ingenuity. Patchworks of heavy embroidery, tapestry folded over into bags and a blue-green leather jacket are fit for a rock ’n’ roll nomad (there it is: a category!), while the chunky knits are complex, multi-purpose pieces that beg to be held up for closer inspection. For Laura Siegel, the journey continues.

Check out our latest street style gallery Toronto Fashion Week »

World MasterCard Fashion Week Fall 2013 has begun in Toronto, but let’s be honest, Mother Nature is definitely the fiercest force taking over the city. Show goers were greeted on day one with an unexpected snowstorm making our first batch of street style photos—shot by photographer Stefania Yarhi—all about the layers.

Leathers, wools, and a whole lot of toques graced the wet pavement outside of David Pecault square and we won’t even try to deny how happy we are to spot three different mini backpacks which fills our hearts with 1990s nostalgia.

See the Chloé Comme Parris Fall 2013 collection »

The dreamy, artsy girl we usually see on Chloé Comme Parris runways showed her tougher, ennui-filled side for Fall 2013 at World Mastercard Fashion Week, slouching aggressively out to the sounds of Nirvana’s “All Apologies.” Nineties grunge reappeared in international Spring 2013 collections and continues to fly its flag into fall with Hedi Slimane’s all too faithful interpretation for Saint Laurent Paris (most of the fashion media wasn’t having it but it gave Courtney Love “gasms” and reminded her of Value Village).

Here, under-25 Toronto sisters Chloé and Parris Gordon applied their own richly detailed aesthetic to classic signifiers like check shirts wrapped around the waists of slips: their dresses are beautifully cut in silk and feature custom 19th century Arts & Crafts-influenced prints (the Gordons’ mom is an enthusiast of the era). Adding to the feeling of rebellious, seething youth were crop tops, patterned thigh-highs, tough leather, army overcoats, vests layered over sheer tunics layered over cropped pants, and dresses slashed across the chest and held together with what looked like metal body piercings.

See the Opening Ceremony Fall 2013 look book »

Images of Opening Ceremony’s Fall 2013 collection have just been released and if you’re like me, you’re like “haaaaay!” For fellow OC enthusiasts, a new collection is just a preview into what your closet is going to look like in a few months, so it’s exciting to say the least.

This season, the brand has taken its muse to Las Vegas, where “she explores the ever-sparkling City of Sin” (this, according to the press release) in luxe textures, eye catching graphic prints and even richer jewel tones of crimson, bordeaux, indigo, plum and crystal blue.

Admittedly, the collection takes a bit of inspiration from two recent collections—Christopher Kane Fall 2012 and Alexander Wang’s Fall 2013 debut at Balenciaga—but where Opening Ceremony Fall 2013 really breaks new ground at a contemporary level is its fabric and pattern experimentation. Bringing together furs, moiré wood-grain patterns, stretch lurex jersey, Mongolian shearling and velvet, the Fall 2013 collection breathes new life into fashion staples of late such as the motocross jacket and the recently-classic Galaxy print.

With a month long of Fall 2013 fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris coming to a close and Toronto Fashion Week just revving up, our mental shopping notes are already full with all the new things we want added to our closet. Heeled oxfords! Mini globes! Next level grunge! Most mere mortals will have to wait at least six months for Fall 2013’s newness to hit the ground floor, but we’ve found a few ways to get in on the trends you’re drooling over right now. The best part? You won’t be spending a dime. From Prada’s ever-clever fur and gingham combo to Chanel’s necklace-over-hair combo, our very own editors are showing you 5 chic and easy ways to get on your favourite Fall 2013 trends ASAP.

See our 15 street style shots from Paris Fashion Week »

With each new edition of Paris Fashion Week, we’re reminded why the City of Lights remains the fashion capital of the world. Beyond the runway’s innovative designs and endless variations on classic Parisien chic, Paris street style never seems to disappoint. And as Fall 2013 fashion month comes to an end, Paris street style stars seemed to have saved their best looks for last.

Here we present to you 15 street style images from Paris Fashion Week, photographed by street style photographer Jaewon Lee. Tommy Ton recommended Lee to us, and from these photos it’s easy to see why. Lee documents street style from London, Milan, and Paris for his blog, Street Peacocks. With an eye for detail, Lee captures the personality of his subjects through their own unique style. His stunning photographs are ripe with vivid fashion inspiration.

See the fur at Fall 2013 fashion week »

Fur was everywhere at Paris Fashion Week for Fall 2013. The French translation, la fourrure, features a purring intervocalic R; it’s almost a meow. At one show, four editors in a row, each wearing a mammoth animal coat, resulted in an awkwardly comical seating arrangement. We also noticed that fur didn’t just mean coats; we saw it as pocket detailing, handbags, collars and evening gown trim. And the good news, if you’ve made that hair-raising investment, is that fur will be back in full swing for Fall 2013 and into winter.

Here are our fabulous fur picks:

View the Fall 2013 colour moments »

Fall 2013 is on the agenda, but here at Paris Fashion Week, spring is in the air. It’s been deliciously sunny over the past few days with fashion warriors shedding winter for bright spring outfits. If Carine Roitfeld can do head-to-toe cream and caramel, bare legs and open-toe shoes (as seen at Hôtel de Crillon), then the rest of us can too. Black, however, is still a dominant hue on the catwalk and the sidewalk, but every now and again a flash of brightness taps you on the shoulder and says, “regarde-moi.”

Here are Paris Fashion Week’s top four colour moments for Fall 2013.

See the coats at Paris Fashion Week Fall 2013 »

Sensory overload! From the wispy feathers at Dries Van Noten to the rock ‘n’ roll studded mini-wrap skirt at Isabel Marant, Paris Fashion Week is an adrenalin-charged sartorial dream. (Seeing Catherine Deneuve munching on popcorn at Lanvin was très surreal.) Ping-ponging from one sensational venue to the next—Palais de Tokyo to Grand Palais to Jardin des Tuileries—is a test of endurance and high-heeled ankle strength. Now at its halfway point, this marathon de la mode has unraveled several key trends. One in particular: I’m seeing much runway love for slouchy XL tailoring. It’s a woman’s world, in a man’s coat. 8 designers (and counting) have rocked relaxed dropped shoulders with wide wrap-me-up lapels and massive boxy silhouettes. Got a little bit of room to spare under that woolen cover-up? All the better for layering winter’s equally large and cozy knits.