With Paris Fashion Week ending our month long preview of all things Spring 2014, it’s time we gushed over the shoes that accompanied all that we are dying to wear in the coming season.
Femininity reigned supreme on the runway through Balenciaga, Dior and Roland Mouret’s take on the stiletto. Dior’s complexly inter woven straps would make any shoe addict salivate. At Balmain, our impending full coverage boots will shed a few layers and appear as heeled boots with varying dotted sheer and embellished cage finishes. While we saw Saint Laurent’s fall styles embrace the studded and spiked appeal of punk’s aesthetic, Junya Watanabe clung onto the trend for his Spring 2014 shoes with a menacing ankle boot. Enviable green snakeskin heels and platform chunky heels were seen at Gucci and Michael Kors respectively. Spring is incomplete without feather embellished flats as seen at Rochas.
Coats on coats on coats. Fall’s necessary evil has turned especially trendy with Fall 2013’s many very cool takes on the must-have weather protector. Whether pink and girlish is your thing (and this season it most definitely should be) or borrowed from the boys items run rampant in your closet, we’ve got 43 coats and their essential accoutrements.
Dries Van Noten did a very smart thing here on day one of Paris Fashion Week Spring 2014. At the end of his show, the models lined up across the hall, facing the bleachers like a firing squad. After the music died down, guests climbed down and rushed toward the girls, so they could snap, tweet and gram them, of course.
It must have felt a bit creepy to be standing with your back to a wall as a stampede of phone-wielding fashion fiends came running toward you for a close-up. But no one said modeling was easy on the nerves.
Dries loves florals. These have a vague Asian whiff and came in shapes that still seem bedroom-y. Another theme were passementerie tassels that swung from tunics that looked homespun. But it was Dries’ perma-pleated ruffles that stole the show: gold foil ones snaked over hips, or were coiled into giant hip corsages.
Metal and high gloss shine, proved to be the story of the day. The sparkles at Rochas were blinding, even without the opera-length crystal necklaces. Shapes were relatively simple—polos, short-sleeved toppers, cropped pants—but the fabrics, wow. Silver jacquard florals, reflective nude lame, crystal embroidery, and what looked like helium-filled organza ruffles. Tassels showed up here from the ankles down, with ostrich feathers sweeping away the dust bunnies in style.
Photographed by Gabor Jurina. Styled by George Antonopoulos. Hair by Cody Alain for Tresemmé Hair Care/p1m.ca. Makeup by Jackie Shawn for M.A.C cosmetics/judyinc.com. Manicure by Melissa Forrest for Sally Hansen/p1m.ca. Fashion assistant, Eliza Grossman.
In a workplace fraught with foes, a stylish skirt suit is your new best friend. In this vibrant photo shoot from our September 2013 issue, we take a page from one of Fall 2013’s most impactful runway trends and flock to the mean streets of Toronto’s financial disctrict in power looks from Rochas, Carven, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and more. See our models in action but fear not, fashion rivalry this intense only exists in fantasy.
Whether you’re equestrian obsessed, enjoy the excitement of racing or just want a reason to wear a Kate Middleton-worthy hat, the Queen’s Plate is where you should be this Sunday. Not only is it Canada’s oldest annual Thoroughbred race, it’s one with royal blessing. Queen Elizabeth has attended a number of times, as part of a tradition started by her father, King George IV. (Considering that you’ll never see the Queen look as happy as she does when she’s at a horse race, you know you’ll be in for a good time at Woodbine on Sunday!)
The other reason the Queen’s Plate is such a big deal is due to it being the first race in Canada’s Triple Crown—putting it on par with the biggest racing event in the United States, the Kentucky Derby. To celebrate, Woodbine is hosting a red carpet Hats & Horseshoes party at the Walking Ring, which is sure to draw Toronto’s most stylish set in their horse racing best. For the Queen’s Plate, this means big hats and fascinators, garden party dresses and prim shoes. To add even further style incentive to Sunday’s event, FashionMagazine.com will be there to crown the best dressed Hats & Horseshoes attendee. If you need some inspiration or are simply wondering what to wear to a horse race, read on to see our top picks for Queen’s Plate style.
It’s almost swim season, which means it is time to flip through endless shopping guides to find your perfect bikni, tankini, monokini and so on.
Summer is the perfect time to try out new swimsuit shapes and styles that work best with your body, and with a wide selection of suits out there—from one piece to two-piece swimsuits in every colour in the rainbow—you’re bound to have options. If you’re thinking about straying away from the simple one piece at your first pool party of 2013, why not look to Mara Hoffman’s colourful tie-dyed swimsuit for inspiration with cutout panels to add a bit of sultriness to your look? If you don’t feel comfortable showing too much skin, take notes from Rochas’ floral two-piece. Showing only a bit of your midriff, this swimsuit style will definitely add a retro yet feminine touch to your poolside outfit.
Finally, summer is just around the corner and surf, sand and sunscreen are words we’re thrilled to bring back into our vocabulary. We’ve got four glorious months of swimsuit potential just around the corner and to help you prep, we’ve got 30 must-have new styles for the swim 2013 season. While we can’t promise to make the changeroom experience any easier, we can take the guesswork out of choosing a suit that will make the biggest splash poolside.
Look to the runway for inspiration and test the waters in a brand-new bather. From bright shades to solid stripes, we are drawing inspiration from Rochas’ dainty outing to Burberry’s metallics.
On the runway, Michael Kors showed us a sporty take on stripes with a lake-ready colour-blocked style. At Moschino Cheap and Chic, the theme was floral, with hints of Hawaii. And if colour ain’t your thing, Jason Wu made us want to buy a one-way ticket to Saint Tropez when he sent a glammed up little-black-one-piece down the runway with an ultra-feminine cover up worn over top.
Several months before her 38th birthday, Gwyneth Paltrow took a pair for a spin on the red carpet. Forty-four-year-old Jennifer Aniston practically lives in them. And at 53, Sharon Stone was snapped wearing hers with a slouchy sweater and knee-high boots. As fashion statements go, shorts aren’t new: Sexy, sporty hot pants will forever be associated with the 1970s, while countless girls who came of age in the ’80s emulated Baby’s Dirty Dancing denim cut-offs. In the ’90s, shorts teamed with tights were a seasonless staple—a look that has since become an off-duty model classic.
On the ready-to-wear runways, shorts are also a familiar sight. Miuccia Prada opened her Spring 2000 show with a body-hugging pair, and has been experimenting with variations on the theme ever since. Marni designer Consuelo Castiglioni has been peppering her collections with them for years, in every length, fabric and pattern imaginable. This spring, tailored shorts have taken the spotlight. Chloé, Prabal Gurung and Fendi showed them in lush leathers; Carolina Herrera and Cacharel favoured light, shiny fabrics; Dolce & Gabbana, Hermès and Chalayan experimented with trippy prints; and Emporio Armani femme’d them up with sweet ruffles. Clearly, fashion’s cyclicality is what makes this trend so right, right now.
“Everything old is new again,” says Barbara Atkin, vice-president of fashion direction at Holt Renfrew. “Designers keep bringing back shorts, over and over again, in different ways. It’s the right time. We’ve had so many short miniskirts—it was time to evolve from that.”
Canadian designer Arthur Mendonça, whose Spring 2013 collection included sequin-effect black tuxedo shorts and a raspberry-hued silk sheen version, agrees. “I’ve always liked [them] as a skirt substitute,” he says. “I like the whole sporty look of a tailored short, especially for spring and summer. It looks modern. The shorts we did were all high-waisted; they almost look like A-line skirts.”
At Cacharel, designers Ling Liu and Dawei Sun consider tailored shorts to be the new trousers. “They’ve become a basic, whether in winter or in summer,” says Sun. “They’re modern and easy to mix. Different lengths and materials allow you to create really diverse outfits.” Considering that spring’s new crop of longer shorts were trotted out on the runways paired with blazers, button-downs and (relatively) sensible heels, it seems these onetime vacation-wear must-haves have morphed into perfectly acceptable office attire. Depending on your office, that is. “What we in the fashion world see as office-appropriate is really much more of a fashion take on your office wardrobe,” says Atkin. “If you’re working for a traditional law firm on [Toronto’s] Bay Street, shorts of any kind are a no-no. It would be frowned upon, and you’d probably be asked to leave.”
Fashion month may have finally wrapped, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to forget about the trends that emerged for Fall 2013 on the many runways of New York, London, Milan, Paris and Toronto—In fact, it’s time for them to take front and centre. While shoppers everywhere are snapping up the best of the selling floor’s offerings for spring and summer, designers, buyers and editors alike are busy prepping ahead. And since we know y’all like to keep ahead of the curve, we’ve sorted through hundreds of photos and selected 10 of the top Fall 2013 trends so that you can mentally prep (and save) too!
Next season, it’s all about fur, which landed in both faux and real on runways including Marni, JW Anderson, and most strikingly at Fendi, where it was combined in a dizzying multitude of punky ways. The 1990s were back for another resurgence, continuing Spring 2013’s grunge trend at Saint Laurent in Paris and Chloé Comme Parris right here at home. On the street, the look was easily created by many fashion week attendees who layered plaids on waists, under jackets and even on tights. And while practically speaking, it may be no major surprise that outerwear was one of the top Fall 2013 trends, this show season we saw jackets take on new forms with quilting, oversized shapes and bold colours which were mirrored outside the shows, with equally interesting choices hitting the pavement
Here are 100 images to help jog your memory of the top Fall 2013 trends spotted inside and outside of the fashion week stents, so sit back, click through, and relive the fashion month in all its street style and runway glory.
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.
From left: Dries Van Noten, Rick Owens and Rochas Fall 2013; Photography by Peter Stigter
Silver screen beauties at Dries Van Noten
First, we saw them at Rodarte Spring 2013. Then they returned at Thakoon this season, and here they are again at Dries Van Noten. Ear jewelry! Makeup artist Peter Philips is all about appliques (he’s behind those the crystal brows at Chanel and the glued on neoprene under eyeliner seen at Fendi Spring 2013) so it didn’t surprise us that he was the one to adhere rock crystal formations on nine Dries Van Noten models’ ears. His make up was kept simple—black liner, matte skin and filled in brows—so as not to compete with the many twinkling elements in the collection. Hairstylist Paul Hanlon did marcel waves, with Old Hollywood as a reference. Think: A magical dance scene featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, aka what Channing and Charlize were trying to achieve at the Oscars.
As our Spring 2013 fashion and beauty trend reports show, 1990s style is experiencing quite the resurgence right now. Plaids, slip dresses, grown-out roots and faded florals all mark this return to grunge—and where fashion leads, pop culture follows. (Also, the fact that online editor Randi Bergman has been live-tweeting her way through every original 90210 episode on Netflix may have something to do with it…) It’s nearly impossible to visit your favourite website without coming across a ’90s reference, and as such we’ve rounded up 16 of the the best links to prove 1990s style is here to stay—for a season or two, at least.
Images courtesy Refinery 2916. Because we want to try these ’90s cool-girl beauty tutorials immediately [Refinery 29]
