Fashion-able: #WMCFW Day 2

We’re excited to welcome Bianca Teixeira to the fourth floor. She used to work on the third floor below us, and we’ve missed running into her in the hallways! 

Bianca Teixeira (@BeeLauraTee) is a
writer in Toronto. Her words have appeared in Sharp Magazine, Huffington Post,
Toronto Standard, FashionMagazine.com, Fashion Television, The Kit,
Fashionotes and more. She writes mostly about style, beauty, entertainment,
fitness, television recaps and media.

Six Things That Caught My Eye: WMCFW Day 2

Klaxon Howl’s Cropped Peacoats

I absolutely love watching menswear shows but can never stop myself from thinking ‘who would actually wear that?’. Designer Matt Robinson took ideas from the past and turned them into still wearable pieces. The cropped peacoat in particular really caught my eye (paired with a newspaper cap, naturally) because it reminds me of something Gene Kelly would have worn. Totally swoon worthy.

Laura Siegel’s Dramatic Make Up

The glorious fall shades that showed up intricately draped over Laura Siegel’s models didn’t stop at the neckline. I absolutely loved the deep berry shade on the models lips. Combined with warm golds on the eyelids, the lips popped right out of the face and had me jonesing for a quick stop into a makeup store to copy the entire look.

David Dixon’s Blazer Cape Hybrids

Dixon’s show was all about girl power from the opening video that remarked that the notion of women keeping silent is bullshit, to the thumping female anthems mixed in with quotes about feminism. The clothes too gave off serious power-suited-femme vibes. While it was hard to choose just one thing from this runway that caught my eye (feathered collars? Sequined sleeves?) the capes that resembled blazers from the back were absolutely incredible.

DUY’s Fur Sleeves

Thanks to winter’s last hurrah, anything with fur definitely made me yearn. One jacket in particular during DUY’s show actually had me extending my arms hoping to swathe myself in it: a powder blue leather jacket with a sumptuous fur collar and sleeves.

All of Line’s Outerwear

No one does outerwear like Line and no one makes me wish for cold weather EXCEPT the designers behind Line. From the textured leather jackets to the oh-so-cozy knits, my seatmate and I couldn’t help but whisper ‘want that, and that, and that’ after every model walked down the catwalk. As much as I loathe being cold, I would gladly face another six months of winter for the chance to rock a layered belted Line sweater. 

Sid Neigum Hair

As someone who can barely straighten their hair without causing serious injury to myself and others, Neigum’s skyscraping hair was all I could focus on! 

*All photos courtesy of World MasterCard Fashion Week and George Pimentel

Fashion-able: WMCFW Day 1

Today to provide our very first recap of the season, we’re excited to have Septembre Anderson on the fourth floor, a stylish, lovely freelance writer-about-town. She spills on a few of her favourite moments from opening night.


Septembre Anderson (@SeptembreA) is a freelance writer and editor who lives, works and shops in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. While she writes on a number of engaging topics fashion, beauty and lifestyle seem to pop up most often. Her work has appeared in a number of print and online publications including TheKit.ca, Slice.ca, FASHIONmagazine.com, Huffington Post Canada, Sway Magazine, Momtastic.com, OpenFile Toronto and GlobalTV.com. She is the editor of TheFashionEclectic.com. 

Izzy Camilleri introduces MIZ, a boomer-age
‘50s siren

Izzy Camilleri is known for her fashion
democracy. There isn’t a woman that the pint-sized Toronto-based designer won’t
dress. From high-end furs, including the red coat Meryl Streep wore in The
Devil Wears Prada, to stylish adaptive duds for clients in wheelchairs, Izzy
dresses them all. For the fall/winter 2013 season of World MasterCard Fashion
Week, Ms. Camilleri turned her fashion lens onto the boomer-age woman with her
newest fashion line, MIZ by Izzy Camilleri.

The fashion show began with a mature model
rocking a silver-haired bouffant and a houndstooth pant suit and it was clear
that Camilleri’s collection was a modern twist on the fashions of the ‘40s and
‘50s. The show was a classic affair and while a muted palette full of neutrals
dominated the collection luxe textures and prints like faux leather,
houndstooth, sequins, wool, snakeskin, brocade and, of course, fur added some
serious visual interest.

A parade of ladies who seemed to be
channeling a very sexy librarian sashayed down the runway in sophisticated
separates and easy-to-wear LBDs. Snakeskin dresses and shirts featured leather
collars and cuffs while blouses and skirts got a massive hit of metallics via nude
sequins.

While the clothes were created for a more
mature woman they would look equally as stylish on all of Izzy’s clientele.

Chloe comme Parris brings luxe rebellion
and a dash of Teen Spirit to the World MasterCard Fashion Week stage

Last season the Gordon sisters brought us
California cool and for the fall/winter 2013 edition of World MasterCard
Fashion Week Chloe and Parris blended that relaxed bohemian aesthetic with the
young rebellious spirit of grunge for their Chloe comme Parris collection.

Models channelled the sullen rebelliousness
of ‘90s youth and trudged to the beat of teen anthems like “Loser” by Beck
wearing a luxe and modern take on the thrifted uniform of grunge king and queen
Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. Worn plaid shirts were reimagined in richer
fabrics and thigh-high tights featured a carefree baroque-esque print that also
popped up on trousers, blouses and leather skirts and jackets. Even the combat-ready
footwear was given a fashionable twist and was reincarnated as sometimes
tarnished Day-Glo creepers.

Chloe and Parris always manage to infuse
some unexpected details into their collections and for the fall/winter 2013
season punk-ish chain was woven into the collars, hems and cuffs of chunky,
slouchy over-sized knits and a caged version of the chain dangled from the hems
of spaghetti-strap slip dresses and were worn as necklaces.

Dr. Seussian polka dots and prints dance
down the Bustle runway

One of the downsides to fall and winter
fashion collections is that designers usually stick to neutral palettes that are
heavy on blacks, browns and tans. Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow of Bustle
Clothing, however, aren’t those designers. Classic, tailored men’s sportswear was
given a heavy dose of lighthearted fun, and funky patterns and colours were all
over the runway.

Dr. Seussian florals, polka dots and an
updated pinstripe scattered with blooms popped up on bisected blazers, crisp
men’s shirts and even socks on handsome male models wearing Doc Marten’s
footwear. For fall/winter, the suits were slightly shrunken and while many of
the patterns were definitely not for the faint of heart there were some tamer
offerings for the more traditional gent. A shawl collar cardigan featured
grey-on-grey polka dots and the aforementioned shrunken slacks and jackets were
also available in tans and greys.

Hewson and Promislow even played around
with gender and androgynous model Myles Sexton and his platinum blonde hair graced
the Bustle runway while female models borrowed some looks from the boys.

*All images courtesy of World MasterCard Fashion Week (George Pimental)

WMCFashionWeek: Fave moments

World MasterCard Fashion Week is almost over and it still feels like it’s just begun. It’s been an incredible week in both the studio and in the runway venue, including some surprises like the 5 Gum Black Collection Greta Constantine presentation on Wednesday.

When we do get a moment between shows, there are so many fabulous outfits to take in that it seems the whole week has flown by in the blink of an eye. But, for each of us, a moment or two stood out from the rest. 

Here are just a few of our fave moments:

We love being at the front of the runway room entrance. From that spot we can see so much of the action in the fashion environment and hundreds of familiar faces and friends as they go into the shows. It’s a lot of big, positive energy that passes through that entry; energy that is passed to us and, most importantly, the designers. We love that.

The awesome neon light installation at the runway room entrance.

This week we were fortunate enough to rock some pieces from the new L by Linda Lundstrom collection. A couple of us even got street styled because of it!

Michelle and Andie on Flare.com.

Another favourite was Arthur Mendonça‘s 10th anniversary collection. Being a vet in the Canadian fashion industry, Arthur was cool, calm and collected. We loved running his proud mom, Marie, to her front row seat and – of course – everything on the runway!

Image courtesy of Steve Alkok and It’s All Style To Me.

Pat
Cleveland strutting her stuff during the Joe Fresh show was pretty amazing. Even
though some of us only got a glimpse from backstage, it was clear that her walk is as iconic as she is and it was
great to hear the massive applause she got from the crowd!

Image courtesy of Steve Alkok and It’s All Style To Me.

Seeing
Duy Nguyen backstage immediately after winning the Mercedes-Benz Start Up
Program for emerging designers was a great moment. He was so genuinely humble and overwhelmed – we can’t wait to see his fall 2013 show this spring.

Duy and his lovely models right after winning the competition.

Image source.

A surprising moment was
witnessing some “show birds” strutting their stuff down the Korhani Home runway
on the arms of a couple very sharp looking models. Backstage, the gorgeous parrots were celebrities in their own right with
camera phones and flash bulbs going off every few seconds. Rumour has it
that these birds were actually imported from the Vegas strip so there would be
minimal noise.  And it worked – the birds were very professional!

Image courtesy of Steve Alkok and It’s All Style To Me.

For some of us who are a newer to Toronto’s most fashionable week, meeting Jeanne Beker was a huge highlight. Not only is she truly stunning (and, as expected, decked out in timeless, stylish wear), she is down to earth and incredibly positive and supportive of the designers. We always love meeting people who share the love.

Image source.

We are looking forward to the Travis Taddeo show tonight. We love his signature sleek, minimalist dresses that are within our budgets. 


Finally, one of the best moments of every season always comes after the final shows ends and the rock-it team has a celebratory cocktail to toast a job well done.

Image source.

Fashion-able: Fashion Week survival kit

World MasterCard Fashion Week is here. With it comes warmer weather, seeing lots of familiar faces and seeing lots and lots of inspiring shows. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a fresh face at the tents, we have some tips on what to bring in your bag this week.

Snacks – It’s a major perk that David Pecaut Square is right in the heart of downtown, perched above a food court and across the street from a Starbucks. However, sometimes it’s just too crazy to step away (seriously). Come armed with a purse full of snacks.

Shoes – Biggest challenge for fashionable publicists? Sore feet. Bring multiple pairs of shoes, including a pair of flats for the end of the night. When we’re on our feet this much, sometimes it is function over fashion. With a good looking pair of function, of course.

Can you wear these for 12 hours straight? Didn’t think so. Image source.

Foot Protection – No matter how often you change your footwear, after a week in your highest heels, you aren’t going to want to put them on come Friday. Give your feet a hand with cushioned inserts for the balls of your feet and special band-aids that cushion and heal blisters.

iPhone/Blackberry/Laptop Charger – Is there anything worse than live tweeting from an event and having your phone die? Or anything scarier than working from your laptop and having the low battery icon pop up? Leave the drama to the runway and make sure you throw your charger in your bag. Bonus points for an extra back-up battery.

Do you think she remembered her charger? Image source.

Extra Tights/Nylons – It’s still March and nights will be chilly, so cover up your legs with tights or nylons. Bring an extra pair in case you catch a snag. In extreme emergency, run downstairs to the PATH and hope that Rexall has your size in stock (and appropriate cool colour/shade).

Vitamins – A fourth floor rule, start loading up on vitamins and supplements at least a week before a major event like fashion week. In addition to your multi-vitamin, try extra Vitamin C, echinacea and shots of wheatgrass. If you’re really serious, try intravenous micronutrient therapy.

Intense preparation. Image source.

Makeup Kit – This may seem like a vain suggestion, but long days + photographers everywhere (clients first, of course!). Make sure you have everything on hand for anything from a quick touch-up to complete overhaul. Why not try beauty sponsor Maybelline’s long-wearing lip products, like the Super Stay 14 Hr Lipstick or Super Stay 24 Color? Now’s the time to put them to the test.

What are you bringing to fashion week? Tweet your secrets for #WMCFW so we know who to ask when we realize we left something at home.
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