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Set to a remix of my current song obsession, Flight Facilities’ “Crave You,” last night’s Arthur Mendonça show had me in great spirits before the first model even took to the runway. My smile stayed put as the girls marched out in Cleopatra-inspired (albeit, subtly) structured linen pieces adorned with zip-off peplums and exposed hardware, paired with feminine crème draped silks. Continuing to play with texture, as we spotted in his studio last week, Arthur experimented (with success) with a ladylike black leather trench, a sophisticated waxed-linen safari suit, and a subtle metallic–tweed drawstring-waist blazer, all FASHION favourites. While I could have done without the bold geometric metallic suiting, animal prints, and the flashback to Lanvin’s Spring 2011 collection, Arthur’s string of silk looks in highly saturated hues—including tangerine and fuchsia Japanese florals, a radio wave–print sheath with a slash of magenta, and a deep sky blue blouse on standout Serbian Australian model Andrej Pejic—kept my smile holding strong into the night.

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Holt Renfrew kicked off LG Fashion Week with a noisy, crowded bang last night—editors and buyers (and a one Mr. Jay Manuel) got to know each other really, really well, all squished in together on benches in the tents at David Pecaut Square. As is their wont, Holts sent out micro collections from eight of their Canadian best—for whom the question of whether their collections will actually make it to stores has already been settled. The best bits, in order…

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As huge fans of the fishtail, we were very excited to see this braided style at Jean Pierre Braganza. Backstage, Pantene’s consulting stylist Justin German described the look as softer than what Braganza showed in London, with the braid stemming from the base of a very bob-like shape. To achieve this structure, German went through the hair with some volumizer, then blow-dried it into the desired shape. An elastic at the base kept it all together, which German wrapped with hair after the fishtail was finished.

If you’ve ever seen an episode of Project Runway, you’ll know how much stress there is leading up to a show. It was with that in mind that we set off for the studios of three very busy designers for a sneak peek of their Spring 2012 collections. First up, glam’s main man: Arthur Mendonça. Check out our slideshow for a hint of the Egyptian-inspired wears he’ll be showing tonight during LG Fashion Week’s first officially scheduled night of shows!

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Todd Lynn’s leather clad rocker is showing a softer side for spring. Pearlescent swishes of silk draped at the hip or cut into long, fluid pants gave a girlier appeal to a traditionally hard-edge collection. The pale palette also seemed fresh and new, with the only hit of true colour coming from a washed-out indigo blue that appeared on dresses, suits, and skirts. Other details came in the form of slashes of exposed skin at the hips and shoulders, some with fabric held together by neat rows of polished silver safety pins. Despite all the novelty, I can’t help but fall for the quintessential leather-sleeved jackets and neat knife-pleated skirts. Lynn classics die hard.

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Bringing a bit of math class to the runway, London-based Montreal-born designer Jean Pierre Braganza showed so many dizzying geometric variations at Friday’s Ritz Carlton show that our heads were spinning (the good way, not The Exorcist way). Opening the show with FASHION favourite Liisa Winkler, the show included metal-dotted, hexagon-printed, revealingly slashed, beaded night-time dresses, pantsuits, and blazers that were done up in so many unique ways and we could see them being worn by many interesting ladies (we’ve personally witnessed the multitude of uptown, downtown, and arty types that visit Queen Street West’s Carte Blanche specifically requesting his wears). While Carte Blanche is currently Braganza’s only Canadian stockist, we’ll bet that the list will getting longer after Friday’s strong showing.

Tune in at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST to watch the Jean Pierre Braganza and Todd Lynn Spring 2012 collections LIVE from the shOws at the Ritz Carlton in Toronto!

The post Livestream: Watch the Jean Pierre Braganza and Todd Lynn Spring 2012 shows LIVE! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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Soft and romantic, the look at Calla Haynes was a modern approach to ‘60s beauty—and if that brings to mind visions of fresh faces and at-home hot rollers, you’re on the right track. For hair, Justin German, Pantene’s consulting stylist, created two different versions of a rough half-updo, with a textured bump—“For lack of a better word,” he noted—on top and loose, brushed-out curls at the back. German pointed out that the finished look included visible bobby pins to make the hair look “almost like you did it yourself.”

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Things that Calla Haynes does well:

1. Prints, not repurposed from a fabric show, but dreamed up and developed herself.
2. Shapes, by turns shrunken and body-skimming (though less so as time goes by), voluminous and seeming to float, or floor-grazing but never heavy.
3. Prettiness, the type that manages to fall just short of saccharine. It doesn’t hurt that Haynes brings a bit of Euro-tinged glamour and refinement back with her as a Canadian expat living and working in Paris.

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Thomas Tait was the first out of the gate last night at The Shows, the four Canadian-born and Euro-based designer two-day extravaganza put on at the splashy Ritz Carlton in downtown Toronto. The show was introduced by none other than supermodel Coco Rocha, in town to host the event and show her documentary Letters to Haiti. Tait’s Spring 2012 unveiled (on this side of the pond, at least) a minty fresh departure from his signature black-on-black. Ultra-structured white cocoon jackets were shown alongside tennis-apropos looking combos of ribbed bubblegum pink sweaters and tailored pants, as well as the most amazing glistening jumper and pantsuit. The black was still there, but this time, layered with multiple pops of white.

Tune in at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. EST to watch the Thomas Tait and Calla Spring 2012 collections LIVE from the shOws at the Ritz Carlton in Toronto!

The post Livestream: Watch the Thomas Tait and Calla Spring 2012 shows LIVE! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.