FASHION Magazine

Add Vancouver’s Allison Wonderland to the growing list of Earth-loving labels. This fall, designer Allison Smith launches a sister collection, Pillar (pillarclothing.com). With a name inspired by Lewis Carroll’s hookah-smoking caterpillar, the line features five easy-to-wear pieces in eco-friendly fabrics, such as the hemp-blend Soda Dress (shown, $190). Weekend casual just got cuter—and you can feel good about buying it.

Prominent on the prêt-à-porter runways—from Dries Van Noten to Etro—prints show no sign of fading into the background. Whether you mix them from top to toe or keep it tame with just a splash, make sure to add a cashmere scarf from New York–based We Are Owls (weareowls.com). Designer Ling Chen’s circus-inspired fall collection features all the unusual suspects—snake charmers, ring masters and even Houdini ($280, at Lynnsteven Boutique, 225 Carrall St., 604-899-0808, lynnsteven.com).

Land a little luxury luggage for the long road ahead at Betty Hemmings (415 Hornby St., 778-329-4321, bettyhemmings.com).

Only one year in business and Big Apple–based label Primary (primaryny.com) has two big benchmarks bagged: the endorsement of a star style blogger (The Glamourai’s Kelly Framel) and a resort collection. Raised in Vancouver and schooled at Parsons, designer Cleo Schroeder talks West Coast roots and quirky fashion hits.

When it comes to handbags, spotted, strapped, tasselled or brightly hued is the new black. Fitting the bill on all those fronts is the latest collection from Vancouver brand Gaya (gaya.ca). A mint-coloured clutch with a black-and-white spotted pocket and key closure is cool for cocktail hour, and a python-patterned purse dripping in leather fringe dials up your everyday basics.

Can’t face another blah session on the elliptical? From trapeze to monkey movements, we offer six ways to spice up your routine.

1. TAKE IT TO THE ZOO
Spend an hour at Aeküus in Montreal (aekuus.com) and your body will have a light-bulb moment. You’ll find yourself bounding from one corner to the next like a monkey, with one hand on the ground and the other overhead, or crawling inches from the floor like Spider-Man scaling a building. The exercises originate from basic calisthenics and expand into endless variations, many of which are animal-inspired quadrupedal motions. You’ll start with posture, breathing and fundamental movements (walking, falling, sitting), then increase the intensity and incorporate elements such as martial arts, J-Kae band work and jump rope. “After a year and a half with us, you’re basically capable of training by yourself,” says co-founder Julien Karl. Demonstrating an advanced technique, he grabs the outer edge of a staircase, each hand on a different step, and lifts his legs parallel to the floor. Sold.

The latest collection of colourful jewellery from Irit Sorokin Designs is one of the bauble-maker’s most stunning yet. Best of all? Many pieces are available for less than $100, like this pair of ruby-adorned earrings. At Jeweliette (692 Seymour St., 604-687-5577, jeweliette.com).

So many clothes, so little space. Let Jessie Carlson Wardrobe (604-614-9658, jessiecarlson.com) loose in your closet. She’ll make room for that Helmut Lang blazer you’ll wear forever. Packages like the Starter or the Season provide a clothes edit, a personal shop and a custom book of outfits to make dressing fabulously for fall (and onwards) a cinch.

Twenty-five years in fashion makes you a veteran, but RozeMerie Cuevas and her label, Jacqueline Conoir, are far from retirement. Case in point: Cuevas recently upsized her Jacqueline Conoir Boutique & Studio (164 W. Fifth Ave., Vancouver, 604-688-5222, jacquelineconoir.com) to an 8,000-square-foot space and launched a younger, edgier line, called JAC.

What type of girl did you have in mind when you were designing JAC?
“A cross between Kate Moss and Chloë Sevigny. She’s urban. She’s modern. She’s subtle. She has her finger on the pulse of things.”

Following the success of the Topshop capsules in Toronto, the Bay has decided to bless fashion diehards out West with capsules at their Vancouver and Calgary stores starting in mid-September. Shoppers will get to shop a curated selection of the collection, as flagship stores—like the one set to open at Yorkdale in September—get ready for […]

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After a stellar showing in Montreal, it was Vancouver’s turn to identify a few budding designers looking for a boost from the Mercedes-Benz Start Up mentorship program.

First, the competitors needed to make an impression on the judges, who included Aritzia design director Yumi Eto, journalist and former FASHION staffer Catherine Dunwoody, IMG global production director and Project Runway Australia judge Jarrad Clark, and yours truly, among others.

Alaïa and Thakoon and Balmain, oh my! The hunt for ready-to-wear gets even easier this month with the highly anticipated opening of The Room at the Bay downtown (674 Granville St., 604-681-6211, thebay.com). Its well-edited roster includes top homegrown labels, such as Erdem, Jeremy Laing, Dsquared and Jason Wu. Where will I be? Drooling over the Proenza Schouler shoes and handbags.