FASHION Magazine

Burberry (burberry.com) opens their second Canadian store, at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, today. A third location has been announced and will open on Bloor Street in October. (Those lucky duck Vancouverites got the first one late last year.)

With its decorative curios, ceramic and wrought-iron housewares and eclectic print clothing, Anthropologie (anthropologie.com) feels like a delicate homage to the Victorian era. The official opening of its Yorkville outpost, its second store opening in Toronto in the past six months, felt like a tea party straight out of the Victorian favourite Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

If you’ve been counting your fashionable pennies these days, you’re not alone.  I too have been weighing purchases before taking the plunge, neatly stowing away my impulsive self until this ghastly recession comes to a screeching halt. Ummm…when is that going to happen again? For me, going low budget doesn’t mean shunning designer wear altogether.  In fact, I’ve decided to take a long-term view and avoid the bargain that never gets worn and invest in some workhorse pieces.

So, no better time for Calgary’s latest fashion duo, Leon Kang and Aly Velji to transform their cutting-edge boutique Smyth & Kang (610 1st St. S.W., 403-617-2406, smythandkang.com). And we’re not talking a simple facelift.

My latest find is a new store that has opened up on Broadway, my favourite shopping district. The Better Good Store Ltd. (640 Broadway Ave, 306-242-4663, thebettergood.com) is a one-stop eco-friendly shop for products that support sustainable living–carrying everything from clothing and home decor, to cleaners and body care products, to delectable treats and kids toys. All their stock is either organic, fair trade, natural, local, handmade or crafted from reused, recycled or renewable materials.

I stumbled upon the cutest boutique ever on my way to a vegan treat at Aux Vivres (you have to try it!) last week. Lustre (4429 St-Laurent Blvd., 514-288-7661, lustreboutique.blogspot.com) has the charm of a high school crush and the look of a modern hip girl. As with many other stores I’ve mentioned in this blog, the owner, Yasmine Wasfy, is also the designer of the boutique’s eponymous house label.

A modern twist on global style has taken the fashion world by storm, making strong statements on the fall runways of big players like John Galliano and Diane von Furstenberg. And, thanks to local designer Jessica Redditt, Calgarians can also dabble in some exotic looks this summer. 

Tight on budget? A hat makes the perfect shopping splurge for the summer–it’s a fashion statement that can double as a bit of extra sun protection. A favourite stop for unique toppers is Karyn Gingras’ Little Italy institution, Lilliput Hats (462 College St., 416-536-5933, lilliputhats.com).

I am feeling a little faint, my heart is pounding inside my chest, my hands have started to tremble and I am using every ounce of will power I have to prevent myself from jumping up and down and screaming.  No, I have not just won the lottery, it’s something even better: I just finished a phone call with Claire Salaysay, Southgate Centre’s (780-435-3721, southgate.shopping.ca) marketing director, where she rhymed off the shops that will be part of Southgate’s 155,000-square foot expansion. 

Cult followers of Teatro Verde, Yorkville’s chic home-and-garden lifestyle store, have a new and improved flagship shrine to worship (100 Yorkville Ave., 416-966-2227, teatroverde.com). After 12 years in the biz, owners Shawn Gibson and Michael Pellegrino have moved their digs into a two-floor Georgian mansion that houses an impressive six themed rooms, including textiles, a […]

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I grew up with two older brothers and with that came the art of making throwing stars out of soup cans lids and learning to withstand the torture of a good old fashioned snake bite (the arm-twisting kind).  As much as I love my big bros, I was like every little girl in my position–I longed for a sister.  Someone to braid my hair, puffy paint my clothes and a sibling who would appreciate my deep-seated crush on Uncle Jessie.  But, above all, I wanted a sister to share my shoe fetish.

When sisters Jennifer and Laura Ripley open Luna Blue (2611 14 St. SW, 403-244-1644, lunablueshoes.com) this past September, it came together organically.  With thriving careers—Jennifer working for the Military Family Resource Centre and Laura as a nurse–they both felt the need to shake things up and pursue their common passion for shoes. 

Just in time for the start of sandal season, Cole Haan (101 Bloor St. W., 416-926-7575) has re-opened its doors to showoff its new reno  (think sleek ’n’ chic Californian modernist).

When it comes to fashion in the prairies, Henry Singer is king.  So, it should come as no surprise that Jordan Singer (president of the Henry Singer Fashion Group and the late Mr Singer’s grandson) is the indisputable crown prince of suits, denim and all things menswear.  As the legend goes, Henry Singer launched an eponymous clothing shop, specializing in contemporary men’s apparel, in 1938 with only $300 in his pocket.  Since then the Henry Singer retail empire has continued to flourish and now encompasses three distinct clothing stores.