FASHION Magazine

See the Antonio Azzuolo Fall 2014 collection »

Tailors tend to breed talented offspring. Dries Van Noten, Domenico Dolce, Emmanuel Ungaro—they’re all cut from families of exacting cloth. Menswear designer Antonio Azzuolo is part of that club, having been raised by two in Montreal. After years in the business (15 in creative roles at Ralph Lauren, Hermès, Gap and Kenneth Cole, and six at the helm of his own bespoke line) he launched womenswear for Fall 2014, bringing old school tailoring techniques into new territory for next season. In his post-show Q&A with ROM curator Alexandra Palmer last night in Toronto, Azzuolo spoke of adaptation—something he’s clearly done in this collection. His full canvas method (all the handiwork goes on below the surface, allowing for the outside to maintain perfect shape) was applied to both men’s and women’s belted coats. Wool culottes were worn overtop loose-fitting trousers for understated statement making effect. Meanwhile, a sixties mod feel was woven through, with graphic alpaca sweaters done in magenta, maroon and white with unfinished hems which were layered over perfect white shirts.

Usually when you picture a ‘downtown girl’ you imagine mussed hair, probably toped with a black toque and slept-in eyeliner that somehow only looks better as the day goes on. Kaelen Haworth’s eponymous line—known for its effortless-yet-edgy aesthetic—usually stays away from such a look, keeping her models fresh faced. But for Fall 2014, the Kaelen collection had a distinctly more feminine feel, which called for a beauty change up.

For hair, this meant a subtle updo that had DIY appeal. It should “look like she dragged [the hair] back herself,” said Pantene consulting stylist Justin German of the half-updo style. After prepping hair with Pantene Pro-V Volume Root Lifting Spray Gel and a soon-to-be-released dry shampoo from Pantene, German teased the top section slightly before pulling hair back into a ponytail, securing it in place with a couple of exposed bobby pins. Tightness was not the name of the game, as per the designer’s desire for ease and edge.

See all the street style from Toronto fashion week »

Another day, another blizzard. Despite Tuesday’s mild temperatures and snow-barren streets, yesterday’s freak snowstorm had fashion insiders reaching for their jackets, toques and mitts—anything to keep warm and dry. As you can imagine, with a winter that just won’t quit, Torontonians have an arsenal of stylish cold weather duds ready at a moment’s notice.

Stylist Matthew Chow colour blocked his way into our best street looks, with grey and white accents breaking up the black, and white toe capped Nike kicks, a clever way to disguise snowy shoes. Toronto Fashion Week founder Robin Kay turned up the glam, looking like a fabulously wealthy Russian, in a dark fur hat and coat, finished with a black Chanel quilted bag and knee high black boots. Street style stars Samantha and Caillianne Beckerman were somewhat subdued in a palette of blues and greys, still maintaining an element of fun thanks to a furry purse and stuffed bear. Micah Cameron from Hudson’s Bay and model Courtney Fallow braved the storm, both donning opaque tights and black booties. Blogger Anita Clarke brought her typical spunk and energy to the day; navy printed trousers and a Phillip Sparks shearling collared army jacket finished with sensible hiking boots. At least someone was enjoying the snow.

See the Kaelen Fall 2014 collection »

Pretty, ruffled and pink all over—it was clear from Kaelen Haworth’s first look out the gate that this would not be the slouchy, downtown, all-black-everything Kaelen girl we were used to seeing. Though Haworth was quick to point out, “it’s a pant suit ruffle, so it’s not a 100 per cent lady ruffle.”

Indeed, the “not extremely feminine” designer made a point of countering each surprising new flounce of femininity (eyelets, ruffles, pink!), with a touch of grounding masculinity (squid ink dye, menswear fabric, a flash of silver zipper). And for Kaelen fans not ready to commit to full-on femininity, many of the extraneous frills, ruffles and peplums zipper off for a slightly toned down take on the girlier original.

If Bellavance designers Nolan Bellavance and Ava Hama had told us that of-the-moment pop star Lorde was the beauty inspiration for their Fall 2014 show, we’d make no objections. At last night’s presentation at The ShOws, dark lipstick à la the New Zealand singer’s signature look was the biggest beauty statement. “She’s kind of this girl that’s breaking out from the mould—so instead of that classically beautiful like bare face, she’s gonna go strong, deep with a colour that you’re not naturally drawn to,” said Cover Girl makeup pro Veronica Chu of the deep-plum lipstick with a distinct brown undertone.

See the street style from outside Toronto Fashion Week »

Just when the international Fashion Weeks wind down, Canada revs its engines. Last night, the unofficial pre-cursor to Toronto Fashion Week, The ShOws, kicked off with presentations from Bellevance and Steven Tai. As the city’s industry insiders rejoiced in the 24-hour teaser of warm weather, light spring jackets in mostly neutral palette of blues, beiges and greys were spotted on the street outside the shows. Not wanting to tempt fate however, others layered up, ready for whatever Mother Nature decided to dish out. (Cue today’s blizzard.)

Canadian model Liisa Winkler brought a little bit of rural chic to the city, donning a mid-length lightweight black jacket, paired with a denim ruffled midi skirt and black Chelsea boots with socks. This is how you country in the big city, folks. Holt Renfrew’s Brittany Barkwell and Blaire Borins looked perfectly chic. Barkwell opted for a matching patterned top and trousers finished with lace up heels and a wide collared camel coat, while Borins looked cozy a fuzzy knee-length coat finished with big buttons, adding a raspberry red bag for a well placed pop of colour.

See the Bellavance Fall 2014 collection »

By the way Bellavance designers Nolan Bellavance and Ava Hama described the rigorous military education inspiration behind their latest collection, you could almost be led to believe they themselves had been sent away to the school of hard knocks as kids (for the record, they met studying at Parsons in New York). Tough elements such as stiff raw denim with hand-distressed seams cut into a structured dress, trench and matching skirt and jacket combo, and a graphic chain link pointillist pattern screen printed on silks alluded to the severity and rigidity of learning institutions. Swooping fabric panels also made the grade, a smart play on graduation sashes. But while strictness may have been the initial jumping off point, rules are made to be broken, and rebellion is inevitable under such restraint. The chain link became fragmented when the volume and movement in the pleated pieces broke their continuity. Mohair on merino had a tattooed effect, several hems were left unfinished and peekaboo flashes of skin under apron-like shapes gave way to a little sex appeal. It may be several years since these two have been out of school, but they’re certainly on the honour roll for fall 2014.

Given the bone-chilling temperatures of late, a reminder of what’s to come in spring is always welcome. At last night’s Greta Constantine Spring 2014 presentation the beauty look had warmer weather in mind—but with a slight après-ski twist. Models had glistening skin and wet hair, designed to look like they had just stepped out of a steamy hot tub.

The man behind the hair was, believe it or not, one half of the Greta design duo: Stephen Wong. After completely drenching models’ hair with water he applied a handful of Redken Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam ($17, at salons) to the roots and raked it through to ends. This step was repeated twice to give hair a very product-heavy, flattened appearance. To further emphasis the slick, wet look, Wong applied a quarter-size of Redken Diamond Oil Shatterproof Shine Intense hair oil ($40, at salons) directly to the roots. He then brushed hair back and pinned the sides flat to the head. A heavy coat of Redken 23 Forceful Super Strength Finishing Spray ($17, at salons) kept everything in place. Before the show began, Wong removed the clips from the sides of the hair and gave it another spritz to complete the fresh-out-of-water look.

For Target’s holiday runway show at World MasterCard Fashion Week, the mega retailer pulled out all the stops—including a supermodel surprise. Perennial style icon Erin Wasson opened and closed the show, making it one of the week’s top tweetable moments. Between modeling gigs, relaunching her jewellery line, Low Luv, and mentoring wannabe fashion designers on the new reality TV show Styled To Rock (fellow judges include Rihanna, Pharrell and stylist Mel Ottenberg), Wasson has long reigned as a Maybelline New York It girl, serving for more than a decade as one of the beauty brand’s top faces. To find out how this multitasking muse does it all, we sat down with Wasson before she hit the Target runway.

How do you feel about being called Alexander Wang’s muse?
“It’s an honour. But I think the word “muse” is very relative. I don’t really know if people actually know what a muse is anymore. Who I am as a person and what I represent is very close to that girl that Alex is designing for—you know, the girl that isn’t afraid to be the least dressed up at a fancy cocktail party. So if I represent that for him, then dope!”

See the biggest Spring 2014 fashion trends »
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With the end of fashion week in Toronto marking the close of Spring 2014 show season, it’s time we looked back at all the trends that emerged. As much as the runway sets the pace for what’s to come for the top Spring 2014 trends, the streets play a major role as show-going trendsetters give us the relatable breakdown of how to wear what’s hot next season. Prints take two spots on our top Spring 2014 trends list through those with a painterly quality and those influenced by international cultures. At Hérmes, Rousseau-inspired water lily florals were printed on luxurious fabrics while at Diane Von Furstenberg, dresses and skirts depicting an African wilderness roared. As for fashionable time travel, prepare to keep reminiscing about the youthful 1990s, which haven’t ceased to get reincarnated season after season. Designers like Rodarte, Balmain and Jason Wu have reinvented the decade’s essentials yet again. To help with your daydreaming of long sunny spring days we’ve compiled the ultimate gallery of top Spring 2014 trends as dictated by the runways and our favourite street style stars in New York, London, Milan, Paris and Toronto! Feel free to let this be your guide to budgeting and creating closet space for next season’s must have pieces.

View by trend: 1. 1990s | 2. Art-Inspired | 3. Athletic | 4. Blue | 5. Crop Tops | 6. Embellishment | 7. Metallic | 8. Pleats | 9. Sheer | 10. Worldly

See all the street style looks »

It was a chilly last day of World Mastercard Fashion Week, which brought out the heavy style hitters in chunky knit scarves and all kinds of fur. Torontonians sure know how to add a little extra coverage without compromising that one last hoorah before hiding out for the winter months.

The colour of the day had to be black, ranging from head-to-toe incognito looks to pops of the hue showing up everywhere. Model Stacey McKenzie didn’t let the chill stop her from wearing a printed black and white mini showing off her long gams. Style Panel regular Nicole Wilson ended the week on a girly note with a black tulle skirt paired with an animal print blouse.

See the Mikael D Spring 2014 collection »

On the final night of World MasterCard Fashion Week, Toronto’s fashion crowd gathered to see designer Mikael Derderian debut the latest collection of glitzy gowns under his new moniker, Mikael D. The Spring 2014 collection paid tribute to the evening dress with hand-worked details that we’ve come to expect from the former Pavoni designer.

Beginning with a short video detailing female silhouettes lit up with the label’s new name, the show began in true haute spirit, with a meticulously embellished dress featuring a scalloped plunging neckline and a floor-grazing silk skirt puffed up with layers of tulle. The following pieces maintained the artistry of delicate jewels and sequins placed cleverly to highlight the feminine shape. Similarly toned dresses came out one after the other as hues moved from black to green then blue to gold and finally white.