FASHION Magazine

See the J.Crew Collection store party pics »

Toronto Fashion Week may be more than a month away, but street style trends were top of mind for the city’s fashion lovers last week. And with good reason: J. Crew held a sleek party to celebrate the opening of its first Collection store on Bloor Street, making it the brand’s fifth Toronto location and first standalone store. Unlike other locations, the J.Crew Collection store features a curated selection of limited edition women’s and menswear pieces, including accessories (hello, statement jewellery!) cashmere and more.

Despite its 6,000+ square foot size, the store was tightly packed with eager party guests, many of whom were likely hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman who makes print mixing look as natural as wearing neutrals. Alas, it was not to be: a blizzard in New York meant Jenna Lyons was stranded and we had to settle for an Instagram stand-in—which did indeed complemented the party’s Canadian-ified photo booth. (Complete with stuffed moose and a Pharrell-meets-Mountie hat.)

See the Can A Song Save Your Life party pictures »

Hudson’s Bay went all out once again for the first of two annual TIFF bashes, this year in conjunction with Can A Song Save Your Life, the star-studded flick lead by Keira Knightley and singer-turned-actor Adam Levine. Splashing its signature stripes all over King Street West resto Patria, the retailer’s stylish presence was felt from Knightley’s The Room-worthy Mary Katrantzou dress to the Bay blanket pillows that dressed bottle service banquettes. As with most every post-film party, the A-list holds court in a corner on the patio, with all eyes on them all night. Lucky for us, that corner just so happened to be where we settled with our Grey Goose Le Fizz cocktails in hand.

When is a sweater not just a sweater?

When it is five-ply cashmere, trimmed in Mongolian lamb, speckled with suede sequins or inset with lace sleeves.

But then, we should expect no less from Alessandra Vicedomini, a statuesque Milanese model who now resides in Geneva with her banker husband.

That Alpine air was all over the Vicedomini (vicedominicashmere.com) collection in the form of the dusty rose and faded blue-grey palette, the fox-trimmed après-ski vests and the beaded tunics perfect for curling up fireside. When selling for the spring/summer season, the designer flips to swimsuits and beachwear.

But it was her knits that had guests doffing their Balmains at a champagne-fueled trunk show at Toronto’s Four Seasons Hotel.