FASHION Magazine

See the pantsuits up-close »

The pantsuit, the women’s tux, Le smoking, as Yves Saint Laurent famously called it—there’s no doubt this menswear-inspired get-up is perfect for work and even more perfect for the red carpet. We love when the A-listers leave frothy gowns back home in favour of this riskier look, so when we saw Nicole Kidman doing just that at TIFF 2013 yesterday, we couldn’t help compare her to a recent pantsuit-wearer, Olivia Wilde.

See Prisoners red carpet at TIFF 2013 »

It was all grey, black and blue on the Prisoners’ TIFF 2013 red carpet last night as the oh so colour coordinated cast showed up to promote the film. Stars Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal were all bromance, smiles, and plenty o’ scruff, both sporting slim suits and ties in tonal greys and blues. Co-star Terrence Howard followed suit (get it?) in a striped silk blue jacket and navy pants.

But blue wasn’t just for the boys. Melissa Leo wore a floor length velvet gown that had us dreaming of royalty, while co-star Maria Bello went for separates in an almost-navy mini skirt that showed off her hundred-mile-long gams. Paired with pointy-toe pumps, a crystal bracelet, and a crimson lip she was on total fire. No easy feat considering she was wearing a turtleneck—a turtleneck!—on the red carpet!

See The Railway Man TIFF 2013 red carpet photos »

Last night, two of Hollywood’s biggest accented stars descended upon TIFF 2013 for the world premiere of The Railway Man, a psychological wartime drama starring the ever-dreamy Colin Firth as a World War Two POW, War Horse’s Jeremy Irvine as his younger self and Nicole Kidman as his wife. For the premiere at Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall, Firth and his IRL wife, Livia Firth looked real cute-like as they exchanged glances and posed for a crowd of adoring fans. A sans-Keith Urban Nicole Kidman stunned in a black form-fitting Altuzarra pantsuit with lace detailing, Louis Vuitton pumps and drop silver and black earrings. Accenting her look with a bright raspberry lip, Kidman looked as iconic as ever with her signature milky white skin, pool blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair tied tightly in a low chignon.

And while we’re talking fashion, can we just get a hell yes for Jeremy Irvine? He’s real haute, and by that we mean hot in a fashion-y way. Just look at those chiseled features in this Vogue photo shoot alongside Arizona Muse from 2011. He’s a fragrance front man in the making, if we dare call that first.

See the 12 Years a Slave TIFF 2013 photos »

12 Years a Slave premiered last night at TIFF 2013 and it already has people buzzing about Oscar noms. On the red carpet outside the Princess of Wales theatre, director Steve McQueen chummily posed for photos with star Chiwetel Ejiofor, whilst Michael Fassbender triggered many a sigh in a navy pin dot two-piece Tom Ford suit. Meanwhile, alt-hunk of the moment Benedict Cumberbatch posed with Paul Giamatti in matchy-match relaxed suits with unbuttoned shirts.

See the red dress looks up close »

Popular amongst the celebrities at the Venice Film Festival, the colour red was once again a favourite this week. Two ladies in red, Mia Wasikowska and Chanel Iman, took the colour to a new level by showing us that the simpler the dress, the classier the look. Showcasing their amazing figures, these two stars looked romantic and elegant at two different red carpet events.

Globetrotter Mia Wasikowska epitomized effortless style last week at the Venice Film Festival in not one but two monochromatic dresses. But this young star showed us she could rock a brightly-coloured dress too. In Toronto last night for the TIFF 2013 premiere of Only Lovers Left Alive, Wasikowska wore a beautiful red sleeveless column gown by Christian Dior. Pairing her outfit with Brian Atwood heeled sandals, the actress looked statuesque in the form-fitting dress as she smiled to the cameras. Keeping things at a minimal, beauty-wise, Wasikowska wore a fresh, glowing face, neutral pink lips and a messy updo.

Meanwhile, in New York City before all the mayhem of NYFW began, the 2013 Couture Council Artistry of Fashion Award hosted a luncheon to honour Michael Kors. Amongst the stylish attendees was top model Chanel Iman who channeled her inner temptress in a body-con rose-coloured dress by Michael Kors (obviously!) from the Pre-Fall 2013 collection. Featuring a cross back detail, the body-hugging outfit was completed with a simple black leather fold over clutch and black ankle-strapped sandals from the same collection. Similar to Wasikowska, Iman kept her beauty look at a minimum: natural-looking makeup and a sleek hairstyle.

See the gallery of Blue Is the Warmest Color red carpet pictures »

Fresh from winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, Blue Is the Warmest Color had its red carpet premiere at TIFF last night and the French film’s award-winning buzz and behind-the-scenes gossip followed it to Toronto. (We’ll get to that gossip later on today…)

The film’s leading ladies, Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos, were of course the biggest red carpet draw. Both wore black lace dresses that captured the balance between supremely sexy and totally graceful—a style that French women just pull off so well. Seydoux’s dress was by Prada, which makes sense considering she was the face of their quirky Candy campaign from earlier this year. While Seyboux’s look—complete with smooth curls, a black cat eye and red lip—was more Old Hollywood, Exarchopoulos seemed to channel a page out of Kristen Stewart’s style book, with tousled hair and a sheer lace dress that revealed almost as much skin as is seen in the movie itself. One thing’s for certain: the chemistry seen on screen has certainly translated into a real life bond between the two.

See The Fifth Estate red carpet photos »

The Fifth Estate opened TIFF 2013 last night with back-to-back gala showings and plenty of star power. Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in the film, ditched his blonde wig and false teeth for a much dreamier Dolce & Gabbana peaked-lapel tuxedo. Co-star Daniel Bruhl (of Inglorious Basterds) also looked sharp, wearing a slim fitting grey suit with wine-coloured accents. But being the Downton lovers/devotees/aficionados that we are, our eyes were glued to Matthew Crawley Dan Stevens who’s mod navy suit set off his new slim n’trim figure very (very!) nicely.

It was the leading ladies that stole the show though, with Alicia Vikander in a head-to-toe floral Erdem gown and Carice van Houten, of Game of Thrones, wearing a dazzling black and lavender Christian Dior Spring 2013 Couture confection.

With bright hazel eyes and possibly the best eyebrows since Brooke Shields, it’s pretty much impossible for Lily Collins to not look stunning. While in Toronto this month for the TIFF premiere of Writers she walked the red carpet in an extremely elaborate Balmain dress—but it was her the simplicity of her glowing skin and dramatic lashes that held the look together. “I told Lily that I think this [red carpet] was a dress moment more than a hair and makeup moment [but we] still wanted to make her skin and her eyelashes a star,” explained celebrity makeup artist Beau Nelson. To do so, he used a full range of Victoria’s Secret VS Pro makeup products—but the real beauty was all in the application. Here are five tricks that will change the way you apply makeup:

See all the dresses up close!»

After a whirlwind ten-plus days, the red carpet was rolled up and TIFF 2012 came to a close. While we’ll have to wait another year for that many A-list starts to return to Toronto, there were plenty of style hits worth reminiscing about. On the opening night of the festival everyone was anticipating Kristen Stewart’s appearance for her role in On the Road, and afterwards everyone was talking about her Zuhair Murad dress—and not her personal life (for once!). At The Perks of Being a Wallflower party, Emma Watson wore a flowery Erdem dress, and her co-star (and FASHION cover girl) Nina Dobrev was in Monique Lhuillier.

Speaking of young TIFF stars, Selena Gomez was all over town promoting Spring Breakers and wore a form-fitting leopard print Dolce & Gabbana dress for the premiere, while Jennifer Lawrence went for Dior Couture to promote The Silver Linings Playbook. And the always stylish Elle Fanning was right on trend in a Miu Miu pantsuit while walking the red carpet for her film Ginger & Rosa. Meanwhile, TIFF veterans continued to wow fans who patiently waited to spot them on the red carpet—with many opting for all-black attire. Gwyneth Paltrow wore Tom Ford at the premiere of Thanks for Sharing, Keira Knightley was in Elie Saab at Anna Karenina and Amy Adams celebrated her powerful role in The Master by wearing Marchesa.

Even though most eyes were on her boyfriend, Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes held her own throughout TIFF in a beautiful Dolce & Gabbana gown at the party for their film The Place Beyond the Pines. Emily Blunt also had the support of her boyfriend on the red carpet, and looked chic in a white Tory Burch dress to celebrate the premiere of Arthur Newman. And without even knowing it, the two females stars of To the Wonder, Rachel McAdams and Olga Kurylenko, wore the same designer (and even same colour!) to their premiere—but each still looked completely different and not to mention flawless in their Elie Saab numbers.

See the To the Wonder TIFF party photos »

How could two green Elie Saab dresses wind up side by side on the TIFF red carpet? “It’s a complete coincidence,” Olga Kurylenko assured me at the TIFF after party for To The Wonder hosted by Hugo Boss and GQ and held at a condo development on Richmond St. West in Toronto earlier this week.

See the Arthur Newman TIFF premiere photos »

It’s not often that we are stumped by what a star is wearing on the red carpet. Even the great fashion minds of the Bay were baffled by the make of Emily Blunt’s ruched tulle dress, worn to yesterday’s TIFF premiere of Arthur Newman, the film in which she stars alongside Colin Firth as a lost soul in ripped tights, black work-boots and kohl-rimmed eyes who helps concoct a new identity for a man (Colin Firth) who runs away from his family.

“Marchesa maybe?” mused The Room creative director Nicholas Mellamphy, who between Paris, London, Milan and New York, has seen pretty much every frock there is to see for Fall 2012. It turns out the pretty off-white number was made from scraps of tulle reclaimed from Tory Burch’s cutting room floor.

“Colin Firth’s wife Livia has the Project Green Runway challenge which encourages designers to use their leftover materials,” Blunt proudly declared, showing me her recycled brass necklace, and beaded FEED bag clutch. “I am very proud to be supporting her.”

See Nina Dobrev’s TIFF outfits up close! »

Home-grown teen queen and FASHION cover girl Nina Dobrev was back in Toronto this weekend to promote her upcoming flick The Perks of Being a Wallflower at TIFF. As if to be taking the film’s title quite literally, Dobrev donned several stunning floral looks over the course of her TIFF appearances. So stunning in fact, that’s pretty much impossible to choose a favourite. But let’s try, shall we?

At Saturday’s TIFF red carpet premiere, Nina Dobrev wore an Oscar-worthy white Monique Lhuillier gown that featured intricate black floral embroidery. One of the frothy confections that has helped amp up this year’s TIFF celebrations from fairly casual to megawatt, the dress induced jealousy-gasps all around at the film’s after party later that night. (Co-star Emma Watson was also feeling the florals, btw, equally stunning in Erdem.)