FASHION Magazine

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.

TIFF 2013 has begun and there is no denying that we’re getting really excited to see the films, attend the after parties and catch up (yeah, we went there) with our favourite A-listers. We’ll be reporting from the red carpet all weekend long—check out our insider’s guide to TIFF for more intel—but right now it’s time to talk beauty. No red carpet outfit is ever complete without an ultra glam hairstyle and glitzy makeup so what better time to practice your skills than now?

You may not have a team of makeup artists on standby, but you definitely don’t need to look far for tips on how to to do it yourself at home. This week, we asked the Beauty Panel to share their tips and tricks on how to attain the red carpet-worthy look. From voluminous hairstyles to statement lips, you’ll definitely get heads turning as you make your way down the red carpet. Not in Toronto for the film festival? Fear not because these foolproof beauty inspirations will work for any upcoming formal event or party scheduled in your planner.

Challenge 26: What’s your TIFF-worthy red carpet beauty look? See the answers now! »

See our shopping picks for TIFF 2013 »
See our complete TIFF 2013 guide »

TIFF 2013 gets to its glitzy start tonight and you better bet we’ll be putting our best sartorial foot forward. We’re getting prepped for a week full of partying with the A-list (heyo!) with 10 picks from our new shopping website that are sure to thrill Scarlett, Keira, Reeese and the rest blessed with their own full-time glam squad.

See the top 10 things you need to know about TIFF 2013 »

TIFF 2013 kicks off tomorrow and Toronto is quickly filling up with A-list stars, the people and publicists who make movie magic happen and, of course, the fans. While TIFF purists may think that the festival is all about the films, those of us who are entertainment obsessed know there’s more to it than that. From the red carpet fashion to the backstage gossip to the exclusive parties, we’re here to help you get in-the-know with the festival. After all, with all this talent in town, you need to prep for a late night run in with George Clooney or Jessica Chastain. Read on for our definitive list on where to eat, what to drink and how to dress during TIFF—as well as all the tips and tricks for “casually” bumping into your favourite celeb.

It’s here! After about a month of speculation since the Toronto International Film Festival first announced its roster of films, a list of attendees has been released through the festival’s Pinterest page and it’s A-list enough to get your stalking senses tingling. We ain’t even going to try to hide the fact that we become extraordinary (but elegant) creeps during TIFF, so without further ado, here’s our game plan for approaching the biggest and best stars at TIFF 2013.

See our red carpet picks »

From the royal baby to impending celebrity sighting, this week’s awesome newsreel just won’t stop. Yesterday, TIFF announced the first batch of films to be premiered at TIFF 2013 and as you can imagine, the list is already A-lister stacked. Since we have no shame when it comes to being starstruck, we’e okay with telling you that we’re already way more than a little bit excited to see what our favourite stars wear on the red carpet (and IRL, if we’re lucky!) when it’s game time.

In addition to the babeular list of studs that includes Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Ewan McGregor, Jude Law, James Franco, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adam Levine and Chris Hemsworth, the ladies expected are pretty cray! Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock are just three! Shwing!

So without further ado, let’s make believe what 12 of TIFF 2013’s most hopeful attendees will be wearing to the festival’s premieres. Let’s make it happen!

By Alexandra Breen

When Winona Ryder speaks, there is defiance in her voice that sounds earned. “I don’t want to do the crazy thing and try to hold onto my youth,” she says while promoting her latest film, The Iceman, at the Toronto International Film Festival. “And I don’t want to work just to work, either. At this point in my life, I just want to be a good person. I’m 40, and I’m psyched, because with age comes experience. I’ve paid some dues and had some ups and downs.”

Ryder’s story started with a childhood spent on a commune with hippie parents and quickly led to her discovery by director Tim Burton, who cast her in the film Beetlejuice. Stellar reviews and a relationship with heartthrob Johnny Depp followed—Who could forget his “Winona Forever”-turned-“Wino Forever” tattoo?—as well as Oscar nods for Little Women and The Age of Innocence and a genre-defining role in Reality Bites. Blockbuster flops were the precursors to Ryder’s now-infamous shoplifting scandal, and she signed on to do a few indie flicks before officially resurfacing in the Oscar-winning Black Swan.

“In the ’90s, I experienced a lot of success, and to be honest I wasn’t expecting it to last. You’re told that you get a couple of years if you’re lucky. It was great, but it came with a lot of pressure,” Ryder reflects. “I wasn’t like, ‘Boo hoo, poor me,’ but I realized that I want a home and I want to spend time with my family and friends. It takes something very special for me to want to leave that now.”

There are only six months between Canadians and freestanding Target stores, but to help make the waiting time go faster, Target will be heading out on a holiday 2012 road trip. The American retailer will be going from coast to coast while bringing holiday celebrations to more than 20 cities across Canada.

The road trip kicks off in Halifax, Nova Scotia at Dalhousie University on November 30 and will come to a close in British Colombia in mid-December. The first stop will feature guest performances, holiday treats (everybody’s favourite part) and even an opportunity to have your photo taken with Bullseye the dog who is, as you’d suspect, super cute. And that’s only a taste of what’s to come. You can follow the tour’s route on Twitter or Facebook to know if Target is headed to a town near you.

Acts of devotion: Michael Shannon is seriously dedicated to the art of acting.
By Jason Anderson | Photographed by Seiji Fujimori

There’s something in Michael Shannon’s eyes that puts people on edge. Klaus Kinski had it. Christopher Walken has it, too. There’s a wildness there, a quality we’re quick to associate with madness. But that association is limiting, even if it’s true that these actors excel at playing men who’ve come unhinged, like the troubled neighbour in Revolutionary Road, a role that earned Shannon his first Oscar nomination, or Nelson Van Alden, the principled but ever more compromised lawman he plays on HBO’s Prohibition-era mob drama Boardwalk Empire.

The look is suggestive of deep-seated emotion that cannot be controlled or concealed, no matter how hard we try to keep it from the surface. If the eyes are really any kind of window to the soul, this is the force that threatens to shatter the glass. Yet that force has served the 38-year-old actor well, becoming a feature as distinguishing as his six-foot-three frame, his youthful face and a voice that would’ve suited a fire-and-brimstone Southern preacher.

Go inside the Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style Exhibition »

Fifty years is just enough time to coin some classic cinematic phrases. We all know “shaken not stirred” and “Bond, James Bond,” no matter if you’ve seen one or all 22 (23, now that Skyfall has been released) films, everyone knows something about James Bond. But today in Toronto at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style opens and lets film lovers into the world of Bond.

For us, it’s about the costumes and design sketches. Bond is known for taking a tuxedo and making it timeless yet modernized with every new film. From suits that were worn by Pierce Brosnan to the Tom Ford tailored suit Daniel Craig wore in 2008 in Quantum of Solace, the exhibition shows off how the costuming and tailoring has advanced as time goes on.

As for the Bond Women (we were corrected after calling them Bond Girls), Bronwyn Cosgrave, guest curator of the exhibition sad it best, “They [Bond Women] have always had to epitomize beauty and style and consistently they’ve done that.” And that’s precisely what Designing 007 shows. Instead of making the Bond Women play a supporting role in the exhibit, the women’s costumes are mixed in with all of James’ gear and suits. But let’s be honest, it’s their outfits that really steal the show. The dresses span from an Oscar De La Renta in a classic ODR crimson red to a hooded Alaïa (who’s a totally important designer) that was worn by a super villain, May Day (played by Grace Jones) in A View To Kill. And the added bonus, the Bond Women’s diamonds, which really make the casino looks, are on display to be ogled.

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.