FASHION Magazine

See the Design Exchange party photos » The fierce factor was turned up to 11 at Toronto’s Design Exchange last Friday for DX Intersection, the museum’s annual fundraising bash. This year, the theme of the party was “Rise Up,” celebrating creative activism in the fashion and beauty worlds. The vibe of the night was mock […]

The post Inside the Design Exchange gala: A vogue off, a fashion protest and more turn up this year’s event appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See all the Toronto Life Most Influential 2013 party pics »

At first glance, a party where every guest is nose-deep in a magazine may seem like the least social event ever. However, when it’s the launch party for Toronto Life’s annual Most Influential issue, a quick read-through is totally necessary: while everyone who made the list was invited, none of the Most Influential guests knew how they ranked. Hence the frantic-yet-totally-casual flipping of pages upon entry by guests like Robert Deluce and Charles Khabouth. Held in the ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton, deep red lighting and a swanky live band made the space feel like a Swing Era soiree.

While Toronto Life’s editor-in-chief Sarah Fulford was quick to make a few drunken stupor jokes, neither of the issue’s cover subjects—that is, Bill Blair and Rob Ford—joined in for the festivities. Sure, it would have been good for gossip, but they wouldn’t have added to the impressive style that permeated the event.

See Christian Louboutin Design Exchange opening party photos »

Last night, lovers of the greatest name in footwear came to meet the man himself at the opening of Christian Louboutin’s retrospective exhibit at Toronto’s Design Exchange. The designer, who graced the crowd for a moment in the VIP room on the third floor said but a few words, the most important ones being “French and Canadians, we get along ok.” We’ll take it! With that ceremonious kick-off, the party, which had been on for an hour at that point, really revved up. Amidst three floors of Louboutin goodness, the crowd, which included actress Sarah Gadon, Jeanne Beker, socialite Krystal Koo, and Design Exchange president Shauna Levy, got down to the hip hop stylings of New York-based It girl/DJ Hannah Bronfman.

The exhibit itself is a fantastical treat for anyone who not only loves shoes but the naughty likes of Dita Von Teese as well. Brought to town by the London’s Design Museum curator Donna Loveday, the exhibit is comprised of a mini carousel, a garden and a hologram of Von Teese which set the quirky stage for 250 pairs of Louboutin’s most iconic and outlandish shoes since he opened his first boutique in 1991.

See our Design Exchange gala photos »

Toronto’s creative elite was treated to a veritable feast for the eyes at last Friday’s annual Design Exchange gala, this year revamped and restyled under the theme of “Intersection.” Surely meant to rival the glittering reputation held by the Power Plant’s annual Power Ball gala for being the art party of the year, the event succeeded in being everything it wanted to be—part art exhibit, part auction, party VIP hobnob and part knockout bash—complete with guest of honour Douglas Coupland posing for pictures, making speeches and even imitating a Canada goose.

Various phases of the night stretched across parts of the DX I didn’t even know existed. Case in point: a pop up mystery dinner put on by Matty Matheson of Parts + Labour catering, which took place in a dimly lit library overlooking King Street. There was trout roe, but where were the books?