Posts Tagged ‘utilitarian’

Fashion Week: mish mash

- March 30th, 2011

Toronto Fashion Week‘s second day was a lesson in contradictions, both between designer collections and within different lines’ aesthetics.

Switching gears was rather wearing on our day of eight shows; we saw everything from sexy swimwear to masterful art as fashion to home decor (yes, really). By the sixth display, the second had felt like it happened a day earlier.

Punches of colour at the Denis Gagnon show. (Stan Behal/QMI Agency)

Punches of colour at the Denis Gagnon show. (Stan Behal/QMI Agency)

First up, Montreal-based Denis Gagnon showed his surprisingly wearable and architecturally stunning fall line. Rumour has it Gagnon came to Toronto with a key aim to sell his creations (the theme of the week is “The Business of Fashion,” after all), unfortunately, with a 1 p.m. time slot, the bleachers were less than half-full – which was a real shame, as he’s considered by many in the industry as one of Canada’s most innovative designers, if not the best.

A friend on the front row said that when Gagnon showed the same collection in Montreal “you couldn’t fit another person in the room.” Read more…

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Friday find: makeup set and designer duds

- February 25th, 2011

I’ve been meaning to write about the Joe Fresh Style Five Minute Face Palette for ages (yes, they make cosmetics!).

For $20, the set includes four exceptionally wearable shadows, one lip gloss, one cream lipstick, a bronzer and a blush.

I am usually leery of anything grouped together – be it hair products, eye shadows, even nail polish sets – it seems like companies  squeeze some real duds in with the good stuff, and this one doesn’t completely escape that rule.

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Friday find: cargo pants

- January 21st, 2011

For our first Friday find (in which I share something I think is a absolute steal…or very worth the money), I’m going with a pair of slacks I bought last night at Banana Republic.

New Banana Republic cargo slacks to be worn to brunch this spring. (Kate Kennedy/QMI Agency)

Banana Republic cargo slacks will be worn to brunch this spring. (Kate Kennedy/QMI Agency)

The deets:

They are 100% wool and from the chain’s swanky heritage collection (see: detailed pieces made of fine fabrics and inspired by exploration).

The price:

The regular price was over $100 before they were marked down to $59.99. Until Jan. 27 the good folks at BR are giving 50% off the lowest sale price, so these babies rang in at about $30 – score!

The slacks aren’t available online and sales may vary in-store – so give them a call before you head out. I saw cashmere sweaters on sale, too – so hard to resist!

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Fashion Week’s dramatic peak

- October 22nd, 2010

Anyone daring enough to attend all eight runway shows and viewings at Toronto Fashion Week on Thursday would have walked away feeling emotionally exhausted.

The theme of the day was drama: with theatrical clothing ranging from spiked leather collars, to dresses made of trash (really), to modern masterpieces void of all humanity.

It was one of those rollercoaster evenings that one arrives home from not knowing whether to laugh or cry, but feeling quite certain they need a good night’s sleep to recover.

A standout pale peach silk dress by Sarah Stevenson. (Jack Boland/QMI Agency)

A standout pale peach silk dress by Sarah Stevenson. (Jack Boland/QMI Agency)

The day started off with a viewing of Sarah Stevenson’s luxurious, handcrafted line, which was French in aesthetic (Edith Piaf songs played throughout) and captured a wry primness, with loosely fitting silk shirt dresses that boasted a hint of sexiness in a floral lace print.

The designer hoped to take onlookers to a tea party (some models even held tea cups), and the clothes would have certainly fit in at a cosmopolitan café. They were so delicately made, though, that they would likely work best on the body of a laissez-faire socialite – who prefers to be admired by gentleman callers, rather than venturing out into the uncouth world.

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