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Last night’s social schedule was jam-packed. Puddle jumping from Tiffany & Co.’s Lambertson Truex leather collab fete to the new Joe Fresh store opening at Queen and Portland (sadly missing the SPiN ping-pong club opening with investor and celeb guest Susan Sarandon—so many parties, so little time), we caught up with the fashion crowd for the second night of this pre-fashion week. Last on the list was Lucian Matis. Despite the rain, 99 Gallery was packed and the standing crowd was elbowing for a prime spot. The designer stood by his signature embellished aesthetic, decorating everything from watercolour nails to over-the-top drop earrings and copper paillette–encrusted bodysuits. Matis’s skill lies in stretching his technical muscles, employing those abilities to further his creative vision, resulting in bright woven bodices, tufted tulle, and sheer panels. Sometimes it worked, and sometimes it had us flashing back to last week’s episode of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. With an awe-inspired audience, however, he’s clearly garnered a devoted following on the Canadian scene.

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“I was sent a picture of Kate Lanphear for inspiration,” says M.A.C Cosmetics senior artist Melissa Gibson of Greta Constantine’s no-makeup makeup for their Spring 2012 show. She describes the look as “worn-in wholesome”—the effect of sun-blanched skin after a day of walking the streets of New York City. “It’s blown out; you want to see the natural contours of the face.” This means monochromatic with a velvety texture, and no mascara or nail lacquer. On top of a base of M.A.C. Studio Sculpt concealer Gibson used just two shades of M.A.C. cream colour base: “Root” and “Shell.” For the eye, “Root” was applied all over, with “Shell” providing frosted highlights. Gibson also applied “Shell” to the lips—but after she used concealer to leave only a hint of the lip line visible.

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Pre–Toronto Fashion Week or “Rogue Fashion Week,”as some like to call it, kicked off last night with Greta Constantine’s Spring 2012 show. Swapping their usual venue, the Don Valley–neighbouring BMW dealership, for King Street West’s Century Room, but changing little else, designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong sent 51 looks that mainly consisted of the draped jersey and asymmetrical edge for which the duo are best known. Beginning with juicy-hued dresses in tangerine, cranberry, violet, and teal, the collection switched gears 15 looks in, morphing into a biker gang of sorts. (Those sorts being the same sorts you’ve seen time and time again.) Done well? Of course. Redone? Well, that too.

Ah Paris, its finally time that we bid you adieu. As we part ways (seas), we look back at the last day of shows, when we caught some of our biggest stars. Look out for another model extravaganza featuring Kate Moss and Natalia Vodianova, as well as celebs like Nicole Ritchie and Joel Madden. We also spotted one piece from Prada’s spring collection, which begs the question: when can we order?

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In our second last batch of Paris photos, we spotted top models Karlie Kloss, Joan Smalls, and Eniko Mihalik leaving the Chanel show, as well as these curiously veiled ladies kicking it outside the Tuileries. Check em out.

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With the rumour mill still churning about Marc Jacobs’ impending new home (or house, actually) at Christian Dior, the Louis Vuitton show was one of the hottest tickets in town. Starting promptly at 10 a.m., glam front-row guests like Olivia Wilde, Natalia Vodianova, and Delphine Arnault (daughter of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault) quickly took their seats as a giant round curtain went up to reveal the most magical sight: a whitewashed carousel packed with the show’s models atop moving horses. One by one they stepped off the carousel and walked the circular runway in gorgeous confections that looked like they came straight from Ladurée: organza-wrapped dresses, pastel-coloured laser-cut lace skirts, powdered crocodile bags, flower appliqués, diamond wishbone necklaces, mirrored woven metallic bags, and Mary Jane mules. As for that famous name who closed the show? Wearing a sequined and feathered minidress and tiara, Princess Kate (as in Moss) was the final fairy to grace this fashion fairytale.

If you thought we’d somehow run out of ways to wow with our Parisian style snaps, you thought wrong. Today, we present 54 wows in the form of Alexa Chung, Jessica Biel, Salma Hayek, and a bunch of stunning accessory shots. Go ahead, wow it up.

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Sculpted bags that mimic pearly seashells at Chanel; a cross-sectional view of a jacket’s shoulder pads at Lanvin; treated silk so slick you’d swear it was leather at Balenciaga; and intricately embroidered ruffles at Yves Saint Laurent. When it comes to decadent details in a collection these French heavyweight houses win hands down.

As the heat rages on in Paris, we snap another group of multi-braceleted, heel-wearing models exiting the shows. This time around, we caught Arizona Muse (she is killing us in this photo), Kasia Struss, Alana Zimmer, and more!

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With a thriving ready-to-wear brand, several collaboration projects on the go, four kids, a dashing hubby (publisher Alasdhair Willis) and an icon for a Dad (Sir Paul!) it’s little wonder we bow down to Stella McCartney. Who doesn’t want to be a Stella girl? She’s effortlessly chic but not perfectly turned out; she is a minimalist but has a playful side; she is confident and a great confidante. In the modeling world a Stella girl looks like Miranda Kerr, Natasha Poly, Natalia Vodianova, or Anja Rubik, fitting given that they all walked in McCartney’s Spring 2012 show. And what a show it was: crisp white jackets with mesh inserts, Baroque-inspired embellishment, a shockwave of royal blue, tunics with side slits (a big theme this week), casual pieces in a graphic wave motif reminiscent of silk pajamas, paisley (welcome back!), one-shouldered dresses, onyx-white clutches, sporty flatforms, and quilted shoulder bags tied in a bow.

Another hot day in Paris, another hot batch of photos including snaps of all the models leaving Saturday’s Viktor & Rolf show. Look out for one after another in a long line of beauties, including Magdalena Frackowiak, Miranda Kerr, Daphne Groeneveld, and more.

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Paris Fashion Week is a fairytale, though my battered and blistered feet might indicate otherwise. From the characters to the costumes to the sets, every sunrise here marks the beginning of another magical chapter. So, it wasn’t all that surprising when a bona fide Princess (Charlene Wittstock, Prince Albert of Monaco’s new bride) walked into […]

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