FASHION Magazine

We’ve witnessed some major changes at the Bay over the last few years (ahem, The Room?), and it seems that the heritage brand is looking to further revamp its stores, trading in its under-performing housewares selections in favour of mid-priced contemporary fashion. The company reportedly plans to expand its holdings with the addition of even more […]

The post The Bay’s latest plans include more contemporary clothing and a Pearson Airport shop-in-shop! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

In the world of ready-to-wear fashion, Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte could almost un-exaggeratedly be referred to as gods among designers. Artists. Outsiders. The real deal. Since their label’s launch in 2004, the sisters, 32 and 33 respectively, have been quite solidly staying a cut above the rest with their wise-beyond-their-years artistic references, their ability to seamlessly merge fashion and art and their knack for creating wearable masterpiece after wearable masterpiece with not a fashion degree between them. Between their Van Gogh–inspired spring collection, their somewhat controversial Australian Outback fall outing and their current collaboration with the L.A. Philharmonic, the designers hit Toronto earlier this week for a fête in their honour at The Room at the Bay. We were lucky enough to be let into their world for a little while.

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Last night, the sister duo behind one of fashion’s darling labels, Rodarte, descended upon Toronto for a fête in their honour at the Bay’s glittering designer den, The Room. As the finest champagne flowed, the city’s finest, freshly sunned partygoers crowded around Laura and Kate Mulleavy to get a look—albeit a look-but-don’t-touch. “You can’t just sidle up beside them and say, ‘I love you,’” one guest lamented. And isn’t it strange but true? The moment one of your idols is presented on a platter, the nerves tend to overcome. Such wasn’t the case, however, for Toronto’s version of the sister power duo, Chloé and Parris Gordon of Chloé Comme Parris, who got in there to articulate their crush. (I was afforded a private one-on-two with the designers earlier in the day, the gush-laden results of which are forthcoming).

While she was in Vancouver for The Room’s fête in her honour, all-star Brit designer Mary Katrantzou let us have a snoop fest inside her Mary Poppins-esque Givenchy bag. The hilarious contents seemed never-ending, as did the designer’s penchant for equally hilarious anecdotes of explanation. It’s not every day you get to peek inside the purse of a digi-print genius, so without further ado, we present the bag of one Miss Katrantzou!

Let’s explore! »

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Pattern princess Mary Katrantzou’s first-ever visit to Vancouver (“We’ve got fantastic weather, and I was expecting gloomy rain!” she enthused in an earlier interview) turned out a colourful crowd at The Room at the Bay last night. A noticeable number of party people sported kaleidoscopic looks from the designer’s new collection, which has gained equal notoriety for its elevation of everyday objects such as spoons and typewriters, as well as its trippy, engrossing patterns reminiscent of Magic Eye images from the ‘90s (a comparison Mary acknowledges with, “Yes, I heard that recently! I wasn’t sure what those magical eye drawings were.”)

The race is on to find this season’s most sleek, athletic-inspired pieces. “Sport was touched on in almost every collection,” says Nicholas Mellamphy, creative director of The Room at the Bay. He points to Anthony Vaccarello’s use of tech fabrics and utility details, Antonio Berardi’s strong colour and stripe detailing, Yves Saint Laurent’s “sporty but elegant” eveningwear jumpsuits and J. Mendel’s play on the old-school sports jersey. The question is: Can sporty wear be made office-appropriate? Mellamphy laces up to give us a pep talk.

4 tips on how to wear sport utility »
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Keep it light and airy in your twenties. Sport bright yellow in your sixties. Give the colour wheel a spin! This season, it’s time to try a brand-new hue no matter which age bracket you fall under.

Jump to age:
20s SUGAR RUSH | 30s SCARLET FEVER | 40s VEGGIE PATCH
50s BLUE CRUSH | 60s FRESH CITRUS | 70s CLEAN SLATE

Strategic cut-outs, thigh-high slits and body-con shapes: Sébastien Peigné and Nicola Formichetti of Mugler are bringing sexy back.

Reviving Mugler is a monster task. After designer Thierry Mugler took his final runway bow at his couture show in July 2000, this kinky house of cool (remember Demi Moore’s bondage-style dress in 1993’s Indecent Proposal?) started flatlining. Ten years later, the resuscitation began. In 2010, following months of speculation, Nicola Formichetti (Lady Gaga’s stylist) was tapped to lead the revival of the French house known for its over-the-top theatricality and sex appeal. Besides outfitting Mother Monster, this 34-year-old half-Italian, half-Japanese, techno-savvy superstar is also the fashion director for Vogue Hommes Japan and global retailer Uniqlo. His debut Mugler womenswear show during Fall 2011 Paris Fashion Week had the twitterverse buzzing about its latex-dipped leggings, body-stocking dresses and the catwalk pièce de résistance: Gaga, smoking in every sense of the word.

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Last Thursday, Vancouver’s classiest held court at The Room for a champagne toast to New York–based writer Derek Blasberg’s latest tome, Very Classy. The boy about town(s) touched down along with gal pal/DJ/model/Chanel ambassador Leigh Lezark (in Chanel, of course) for his first visit to the city—and just in time: it was the first sunny day the west coast had seen in a long time! (Score one for Van weather staying classy long enough to impress.)

After a January hibernation, guests, including our February issue It Girl Manjy Sidoo, seemed eager to dress up, and a long queue formed to shake hands, pose for Instagrams, and book sign. With his signature charm and newly slicked-back hair, the Blas was as Truman Capote 2.0 as ever (but with a nicer disposition… and better clothes).

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Like Helen of Troy and those ships, model-turned-designer Brian Atwood’s (brianatwood.com) handsomeness alone could move shoe units at The Room. Yet his super-stylish stilettos sell themselves. Thankfully, there’s now more Atwood than ever to go around, with last year’s launch of a second line, B Brian Atwood, and a haute handbag collection.

Who is the Brian Atwood woman?
“Always the most beautiful, sexy woman in the room. I’m not tooting my own horn. That’s just how it happens to go. [The heels] make you feel that—the power of the shoe.”

Is your B Brian Atwood woman any different?
“The B girl is jetset, but she’s funkier, more urban, and there’s ease to it. She doesn’t have $800 for a pump, but why shouldn’t she have a sexy pump?”

Well, aren’t you in for a treat! Today, we’re exploring the Pierre Hardy bag belonging to bow-tied boy about town and The Room’s creative director, Nicholas Mellamphy. A long-time purveyor of chicness, Mellamphy was the genius behind Yorkville boutique Hazel, and more recently has become one of the key members of the Bay’s new transformation team. You can thank him later for putting the likes of Proenza Schouler, Thakoon, Erdem, Christopher Kane, and Carven together in one room, but in the meantime, let’s snoop!

Let’s explore! »

Jason Wu returned to Vancouver, his childhood home and the place he first learned to sew, to woo the waists of many a grown woman with his Kaws-inspired Spring 2012 collection. The Thursday night preview and cocktail party at The Room drew a mix of fashion folk and moneyed madams. Models in Wu’s punchy frocks worked the room, as did Wu himself, snapping photos with his fans. A few even paused to notice the Kaws-drawn pink paws worked into some of the floral prints.

What are the designer’s recollections of the city? “I had a tutor here named Muriel, she taught me English through reading fashion magazines, because that was a subject I was interested in,” says Wu. “That’s how I got bit by the fashion bug.” It’s safe to say the Wu bug infected more than a few at the bash—the only cure, a cascading gown of neon green.

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