FASHION Magazine

See our list of 61 creative hostess gifts »

Glitz and glam reigns supreme during holiday season. From twinkling lights to shimmering dresses, three of the country’s most stylish hostesses show us how to bring it on home when hosting a New Years bash or Christmas dinner party. Jacquie Somerville, Krystal Koo, and Eva Hartling‘s inspired holiday ideas will have you dreaming up ways to perfect your holiday gathering. These women turn up the heat in the kitchen (or hire someone to do so) as well as in their closet with their party appropriate shopping picks. While their holiday parties may differ in style, it’s indisputable that each lady knows how to throw a chic bash with a healthy dose of holiday sparkle.

Jump to: JACQUIE SOMERVILLE: THE DINNER PARTY | EVA HARTLING: EVENING COCKTAILS | KRYSTAL KOO, NEW YEAR’S BASH

See the Period Drama photo shoot »

Or jump to: BEHIND-THE-SCENES | SHOP-THE-SHOOT | WATCH THE VIDEO | EMBELLISHMENT TRENDS GUIDE

There’s an old-world charm to the season’s lace dresses, rich brocades and ornate filigree. On the many runways of Fall 2012, embellishment made its appearance—with intricate beading on suits at Louis Vuitton, brocade on party dresses at Dolce & Gabbana and shimmering jacquard pants at Marni amongst its best moments. We chose it as the starting point for our Winter 2012/13 Issue photo shoot starring Annabelle Tsaboukas, who was cast in the role of a modern-day Marie Antoinette. Get lost in the appliqué and make these luxe looks part of your own holiday story. Our behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot and shop-the-shoot picks will show you how.

View the Pippa Middleton and Lee Radziwill photos »
View our Kate Middleton wardrobe gallery »

Midway through the seventies, Lee Radziwill—her cheekbones Chopard-sharp and her heels Louboutin-high—was the society mountaineer of the decade. Having held court on the international party circuit, the former princess and sister of Jackie Kennedy Onassis grew tired of being known solely as the belle of all balls and decided it was high time she got a job. She snapped up a plum TV position hosting a CBS talk show called Conversations With Lee Radziwill, an opportunity offered to her by good friend and broadcast impresario Bill Paley (husband of Babe). The show’s MO seemed right up Radziwill’s alley as it involved purring sit-downs with the famous (translation: her friends). Filmed in the sitting room of her Fifth Avenue pad, her show’s subjects ran the gamut from Gloria Steinem to Rudolf Nureyev to Jaws scribe Peter Benchley. Unfortunately, the show was bludgeoned in the ratings. One particular interview with Halston left few limbs intact: When Radziwill asked the famed designer what clothes from his label women could purchase for $25 or less, he gravely shot back, “Nothing.” The show was cancelled after six episodes.

“I’m nobody’s kid sister,” coursed the cover quote next to Lee Radziwill’s visage on the front of People magazine in November 1976, cresting her Easy Breezy hair and artichoke-sized diamond studs. That magazine tag could easily be attached to another professional kid sister—Pippa Middleton.

See our top product picks to protect your skin this winter »

If there’s ever a time you’ll want to retain water, it’s winter. “As the temperature falls, the air’s ability to hold moisture tends to reduce, which creates dryness in the environment,” says Dr. Jaggi Rao, a dermatologist and associate clinical professor at the University of Alberta. In other words, your dewy summertime complexion is going to thirstily tense up and beg for a drink. Dr. Rao suggests applying a hydrating cream or serum on damp skin, as “it will seal whatever is there and retain that moisture.” Skin around the eyes, the thinnest on the body, also requires immediate attention, and not just because of its fragility. We make so many facial expressions in that area that “if the skin is already dry, you will enhance the microscopic breaks in it.” Remedy the situation by dipping deeply into some eye cream.

We love the bright lips and mussed hair on J.Crew models. Kari Molvar meets the woman driving the brand’s beauty direction.

See what has influenced J.Crew’s look »
See Gayle Spannaus’ favourite lipsticks used at J.Crew »

J.Crew has launched many obsessions over the years: cashmere V-necks, brightly coloured capris and novelty ballet flats. But the fashion retailer, which began as a catalogue-only business in the eighties, has also been not so quietly causing a beauty revolution. Flip open the catalogues, or “Style Guides” as they’re now known, and you’ll find models with electro-pop lips, windblown hair and brushed-up brows, a signature look that went over well when the brand officially presented at New York Fashion Week for the first time with its Spring 2012 collection. Collaborations with indie makeup brands Face Stockholm and Lipstick Queen have led to sold-out collections of lipstick and nail polish (not even eBay-able anymore!), and beauty boldfaces such as Linda Rodin (she of the cult face oil Rodin Olio Lusso) star in the company’s latest ad campaign. All of which is to say: J.Crew is on a big beauty roll.

See how the Michael Kors Fall 2012 hair and makeup was done »

Featuring chunky cable-knits, fox furs and shearlings, the Michael Kors Fall 2012 collection was inspired by a well-to-do couple—say Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, or John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette—settling in at their cozy winter retreat after a day on the slopes. To achieve this fireside look, makeup artist Dick Page used Shiseido Lacquer Rouge in “Drama” on both lips and cheeks. The red liquid lipstick was applied with a foundation sponge on cheeks to mimic an in-from-the-cold flush then blotted on lips for a bold, precise effect. On the eyes, Dick Page swept pale gold and iridescent white powder over lids and into inner corners and finished with black mascara. Hair was just as cozy: After prepping with a volumizing spray for texture, Orlando Pita created a side part, secured it with a bobby pin and pulled the lengths into a casual, undone knot. Read on as we examine the runway look for Michael Kors Fall 2012 in full, complete with tips, tricks and the six products you need to try the hair and makeup at home.

Canada’s most expressive supermodel on following her convictions, her new job with Naomi Campbell and her thoughts on motherhood.

See Coco Rocha’s FASHION Magazine cover shoot »
Watch our behind-the-scenes video »

On the hunt (as always!) for a fabulous frock, I recently ventured to designer Lucian Matis’ studio in an industrial park miles from my office.

Not long before, I had seen his fall collection—a feast of feathers and lace—paraded in a gilded ballroom.

When I first laid eyes on the spidery strands, which you can see for yourself on page 191 in our “Period Drama” shoot, I assumed they were spun in some futuristic Swiss lab. “Actually,” Matis clarified, “my mother crocheted all my lace.”

Weeks later, I spied a festive David Dixon dress in our fashion closet. It was a delightful hybrid of laser-cut chiffon and folded leather sequins. After listening to Matis lament his lack of novel materials and hearing about his homemade solution, I had visions of Dixon and his kids around the kitchen table cutting out lambskin squares.

Canadian designers do not have access to, or money for, the unique embellishments that haute European brands do. But that hasn’t stopped them from delivering their most glam collections yet, as Sarah Nicole Prickett reports in “Siren Call” (page 64).

ALWAYS IN FASHION
30 Fashionmagazine.com
34 Letter from the editor
36 Behind the scenes
38 Contributors
40 Letters from our readers

FASHION
48 NEWS eBay’s holiday collaboration; candyland-inspired metallics; BCBG partners with the Bay; and the coffee-table book of the season.
50 FLASHPOINT Stylish women across Canada step out in the latest trends.
54 TREND The newest fur techniques represent an evolution of fashion’s sumptuous side.