FASHION Magazine

See all the looks from the Mercedes Benz Start Up finals! »

And the winner is: DUY! Last night, the search for the Spring 2013 winner of the Mercedes Benz Start Up competition came to a close and Montreal designer Duy Nguyen was crowned the victor.

Pitted against seven other designers from across Canada, Nguyen’s dreamy pieces impressed the judges (including our editor-in-chief, Bernadette Morra) and secured his spot at the top of the podium. The DUY Spring 2013 collection was California girl meets New York, pairing structured suits with flowing chiffons and short-shorts with strong, collarless blazers. Nguyen was inspired by the French who are “very easy going” yet the collection was not necessarily reflective of Canadians—but worry not, as he told us that “fashion is about dreaming.” There was also a tinge of nostalgia, as silhouettes were very ’80s with crocheted knit tops and a modern version of the mom jean. The palette was simple and airy with seafoam greens, crèmes and baby blues but was punched up with a bright red-orange dress and short suit that featured cutouts. These pieces were winners in their own right.

See the Pink Tartan Spring 2013 collection photos »

The post Toronto Fashion Week Spring 2013 Video: Watch the Pink Tartan show in motion, plus backstage interviews with Kimberley Newport-Mimran and Charlotte Free appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the Pink Tartan Spring 2013 collection »

Kimberley Newport-Mimran returned to her signature sunny disposition last night during the first night of World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto, showcasing a confection-sweet Pink Tartan collection of 38 looks for Spring 2013.

Opening with the aptly pink-haired Charlotte Free in a butterfly-printed crop bustier and pale pink full skirt, the looks that followed worn by the homegrown likes of Alana Zimmer, Irina Lazereanu and Amanda Laine were shaped with the kind of sixties-inspired aesthetic that always seems welcome. Staying within a predominantly pastel palette of mint green, cornflower yellow and lightly-sheened gold and silver, Newport-Mimran gave shimmering shift dresses, baby-dolls, flared jumpsuits and light car coats yet another life. And while a particular silver metallic jacquard jumpsuit may prove interesting for real-girl wear, the bulk of the collection is extremely easy to translate into closet worship for all ages.

View the full backstage gallery from Pink Tartan Spring 2013 »

The inspiration:
Grace Lee, Maybelline New York’s lead makeup artist: “We did a statement lip last season, it was all about that oxblood red lip, so [Kim Newport-Mimran] wanted to do the opposite. They look über, über fresh. Nothing about this makeup is about strong features… it’s super sheer, super pretty, super fresh.”

Jorge Joao, Redken lead stylist: “It’s playful, something out of the ’60s—like how a little girl would want to push her hair out of the way. [The hair has] natural texture and an aggressive side sweep with the pin holding it into place.”

Top tips:
– The key to dewy skin is moisturizer—and lots of it! “It’s almost like she’s marinating in it!” said Grace Lee of just how much she applied to Charlotte Free, Maybelline New York’s international spokesmodel. Lee also used Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in place of foundation to add further glow and hydration.

See the Holt Renfrew designer showcase photos »

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to see a entire fashion season’s most important moments capsulized, last night’s Holt Renfrew opening showcase at World Mastercard Fashion Week last night was your dream come true. Set to a soundtrack by real-life DJ couple Brendan Fallis and Hannah Bronfman (who both donned Holt Renfrew’s “Girls” sweater designed in collaboration with Justin Broadbent), models including Amanda Laine walked in 67 looks of Fall 2012’s best internationally and Canadian-made wears.

See the Sid Neigum Spring 2013 photos »

The post Toronto Fashion Week Spring 2013 Video: Watch the Sid Neigum show in motion appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the full backstage gallery from Jeremy Laing Spring 2013! »

While the details on Jeremy Laing’s Spring 2013 collection echoed the ’90s, the beauty was tinged with elements from the ’70s. “Jeremy wanted the girls to look really handsome and sort of have this ’70s-eqsue feeling,” explained Greg Wencel, Cover Girl makeup pro. Also at play was a mix of textures: glossy eyelids contrasted with matte skin, which had been prepped with Cover Girl + Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer ($18, well.ca) to keep shine at a minimum. Instead of eyeshadow, Wencel used Cover Girl Cheekers blush in “Iced Cappuccino” and “smoked it out on the eye and under the eye socket.” He then used the same blush to sculpt a high cheek bone but diffused it for a soft, modern effect. Because lashes and brows were left bare Wencel added some dimension to the eye with Cover Girl LiquilineBlast in “Brown Blaze” ($10, well.ca), but applied it by putting the product on the back of his hand and picking up some of the pigment with a fluffy brush. The final step was glossing up the eye with a dab of clear Cover Girl WetSlicks lip gloss ($7, well.ca) for what Wencel called “a ’70s high gloss shine.”

See the Tanya Taylor Spring 2013 photos here »

The post Toronto Fashion Week Spring 2013 Video: Watch the Tanya Taylor show in motion appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

See the full backstage gallery from Sid Neigum Spring 2013! »

“It’s more about a mood than a theme,” said M.A.C makeup key Melissa Gibson of the beauty look for Sid Neigum’s Spring 2013 show. Featuring a strong eyebrow, smoky eyes and matte skin, Gibson referenced Helmut Newton and “Cindy Crawford in the ’90s” as inspiration. “It’s not just a heavy black smoky eye…there’s an edge to it, the fleck of grey metallic in there brightens it up for spring and summer.” To build this graphic-yet-soft look, she used a mix of three M.A.C eyeshadows–“Carbon,” “Print” and “Typographic” ($18 each, maccosmetics.com)—diffusing the pigment across the eye and blending out any straight lines. Fluidline eyeliner in “Blacktrack” ($18, maccosmetics.com) was also diffused at the lashline and lashes were curled and given two coats of mascara for extra drama. But it was two winged-out lines across the brows that completed the look, which was a last minute addition from Gibson: “At the end I threw on that eyebrow and that did it!”

See the latest street style photos from Toronto »

Toronto Fashion Week(s) Spring 2013 is in full swing and the first two batches of street style photos from Stefania Yarhi are just the appetizer to the main course, which will kick off on Monday at David Pecault Square.

There may be no Anna Dello Russo, Miroslava Duma, or Taylor Tomasi Hill running about the city, but that’s not to say our very own Toronto natives aren’t just as stylin’. Since it’s nearing the end of October, it’s getting cold outside (it’s Canada!) so show goers have taken a liking to wearing layers outside the shows and refuse to take them off even when inside. The varsity jacket and motorcycle jacket has become a go-to piece seen on multiple girls about town.

View Jeremy Laing’s Spring 2013 collection »

Jeremy Laing knows what’s up for Spring 2013 and his collection shown last night on the final day of The ShOws was undeniable proof. With details straight out of the ‘90s (think cargo pockets, tear-away buttons and cornrows), the collection of neutrals was layer upon layer of glory.

Laing found the season’s sweet spot—the spot where five layers are none too many and where a metallic slate button down looks downright staple. Mid-way through the show, a two-tone grey and white button down dress (ahem, the new tear-away?) helped it reach a sporty high. Other than the sporty slouch that Jeremy Laing perfected, the collection mixed in structure and many pieces had a sort of body armour vibe with cut-outs, exposed zippers and thick fabrics. Laing used beaded shoulder pad-esque pieces connected by thin black straps to create a sultry yet refined neckline like that of a futuristic sport playing goddess.

See the Tanya Taylor Spring 2013 collection »

Toronto native Tanya Taylor returned home from current home base in New York to show her sophomore collection as the first to be presented in this year’s expat designer portfolio at The ShOws. And it couldn’t have been at a better time. Since starting her career designing for Elizabeth and James after degrees from McGill University and Parsons New School for Design, Taylor’s star has been rising, and since launching her first solo collection last season, we daresay it’s surging to the top.