Iconic Power: Art of Fashion Design Competition & Trunk Show

If you are Nuit Blanche-ing in Toronto this Saturday night, make a fashionable stop at the Distillery.

The 11^th annual Fashion Design Competition and Trunk Show hosted by the Art of Fashion is back. The comp features 10 potential future Dixons, Badays, Lynns and beyond, in search of Iconic Power, this year’s theme.

David Dixon and the lovable Brian Bailey (among other judges) will be selecting the most promising designer for 2009.

There’s no cost for the event, which runs from 7 pm Saturday until the wee hours…but don’t leave your wallet at home. There will be lots of fabulosity for sale in the form of clothes, jewellery and accessories from over 30 Canadian designers.

October 3, 2009 | Fermenting Cellar, Distillery District | 7pm – 3am

What’s Your Fave Designer/Retail Collboration?

Bag Lady Madonna

Friday night might arrive without a suitcase, but there may be a handbag in tow.

Talk about an unlikely duo. Rei Kawakubo and The Beatles are the latest fashion celebrity marriage. The avant-garde goddess is designing handbags for Apple Corps – managers and marketers of the Beatles’ legacy.

The bags will hit the über cool Dover Street Market, the brainchild of Kawakubo herself, along with her beloved Tokyo.

More distribution and possible other fabulous things to follow.

Rock Star Rei

Photo source.

H&M Goes French: Rykiel is Next Collaboration

The Swedes have gone French.

Sonia Rykiel is the next guest designer to collaborate with H&M.

Look for a lingerie line, launching December 5th, followed by knits and accessories in February 2010. The French twist is that the line will also be available in Rykiel stores.

Pics to follow as soon as we get them!

Hang on to your Inner Goth Girl

Okay, so who says you have to leave the goth girl inside? So what if she hasn’t been out in 100 Years? At least she’s coming out in style.

Grimly fiendish or not, a girl’s goth to have McQueen’s snakeskin knuckle duster clutch.

Knuckled Knockout

Available on www.alexandermcqueen.com right now.

I Stream, You Stream, We all Stream for Mr. McQueen

Mr. McQueen is coming over to my house. And yours.

The Alexander McQueen Spring Summer 2010 show will be streamed LIVE on AlexanderMcQueen.com on October 6th, in collaboration with SHOWStudio.

God bless the Internet and GOD SAVE McQUEEN!

Don’t know about you, but I have butterflies just thinking about it!

Amongst Butterflies @ McQueen Spring 08

Photo courtesy of www.style.com.

Tom Ford is Playing for the Other Team Again: Women

While we love his menswear, his sunglasses, his scent (okay, the scents he created) and his divine film (yes, yes, that post on my time with Tom @ TIFF will follow soon, I promise! Update Oct 5: the post is here…) there is one thing we love more.

And that’s Tom designing for our team. Sit your pencil skirt-ed selves down carefully, for this one.

Tom Ford is rumoured to be launching a womenswear line. If you didn’t take my advice to sit down, you’ve likely fallen over on your stilettos. I’ll wait until you pick yourselves up.

I am not toying with your black-clad hearts, my dears. This is not like past teases. This rumour has some backing – in the form of financial backing being sought by Mr. Ford, to the tune of $50M. Shouldn’t be a big deal, given the distribution deal for A Single Man with the plural Weinsteins, that Tom has just recently pulled off. And, while he was at it,  made back the money he invested in his own film.

That cash might be put to use elsewhere now, say, a gorg new collection for us, his ladies in waiting?

Other parts of the rumour include none other than Alessandra Facchinetti – his head womenswear designer at Gucci – being on board again. I’ve been wondering what she’s been up to since leaving Valentino. Glad that Tom scooped her up before she got picked up by another house that didn’t appreciate her talent.

Oh, and Julianne Moore is said to be his muse, as is Carine, the latter of which goes without saying. The former, wore one of his women’s suits to Venice last week for the film’s premiere.

[Update Oct 21:  A WWD story this morning states that Tom, in Tokyo for the film's premiere there, has confirmed on the record that the women's line is a go. He'll be working with long time biz partner Domenico De Sole, although the pair wouldn't discuss facts and figures beyond that.]

The cast of A Single Man, wearing Tom Ford, in more ways than one

Thanks to Grazia Daily for the juicy bits and to tinypic for the photo.

I’m Your Private Dancer

Skin is in at Chado Ralph Rucci…but not in the way that you think.

Scantily clad male ballet dancers can be all over you, too, courtesy of this gorgeous gown from the designer’s Spring Summer 2010 collection.

Photo courtesy of Style.com.

Matthew Williamson Puts the Rock in Frock

The first day of Fall is tomorrow, but I have Spring Fever!

First there was New York Fashion Week - which for all intents and purposes – was a bit of a yawner. [Don't worry, the non-yawny bits will be featured here in the coming weeks.]

God bless the Brits, then for their interpretation of Spring.

Take these two examples from Matthew Williamson.

As an owner of one of his wonderful dresses, I can attest to the fact that this Brit put the rock in frock!

Photos by Giovanni Giannoni, courtesy of WWD.com.

Fashion Dilemma: What to Wear to Work on Monday?

Here I am, Sunday night…and I have no idea what to wear to work tomorrow. It’s that inbetween weather – neither cold nor hot, still sort of summer, but not quite autumn.

So, I avoided thought of it and decided to figure it out tomorrow (read: I’ll be late for work)…opting to catch up on my blog feeds instead.

And, as always, Sart has given me the perfect inspiration by capturing these two looks.

Yasmin Sewell photographed by Scott Schuman

I love the rolled sleeves on the trench, the pairing of simple separates but most of all – the ease of this look – as worn by Liberty’s Yasmin Sewell.

And here, I love the pseudo-jodhpurs in military green, love the vest paired with them and the contrast of the shoe. Again, the ease is the thing here.

 

So my inspiration for tomorrow? Ease + great pants + levelled layers. Done and dressed.

Photos by the one and only Scott Schuman, otherwise known as The Sartorialist.

While you are there, check out the great shots of Scott and company at his NY book signing by Joe Ferrucci - they seem to have been taken in a different era.

Paris Style Icons Part Five

It’s been a busy few weeks, my darling readers…and I haven’t been able to keep up with all the activity.

There are the Paris adventures of a retail nature – great shopping tips to tell you about which will take a few posts at least.

There is the rest of NYFW and the fashion weeks from all our fave cities to come.

There is still Fall – as in, Right Now fashion - to dissect and decipher…and there are a couple of Toronto International Film Fest tidbits to share.

Pieces of the fashion jigsaw puzzle noted above will slowly start to fill this space as they leave my mind and reach out to my fingertips to deliver to you, the lovely beings on the other side of this technology.

As I wind down from a long day of a long, beautiful week, I am preparing my outfit for the TIFF premiere of Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky.

I am reminded of the elegance of Madame Chanel, one of the original Parisian style icons.

Coco Chanel, as captured by Man Ray

Fashion inspiration, at its finest. Merci madame!

Follow the rest of the series: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four.

Poetic Geometry at Jeremy Laing – NYFW SS10

If you don’t already know it, Jeremy Laing is a star. His SS10 collection at New York Fashion Week is living proof.

The collection combined Laing’s perfect cuts and edge with a good use of mathematics. Yes, you heard me correctly – math. Laing must have had his ruler and calculator out to come up with these clothes that define beautiful geometry to my eyes.

The stuff that gave me nightmares in high school can finally be used for good.

[Click on the thumbnails to view larger images.]

Jeremy Laing’s flap jacket for SS10.

A Single Man Changed My Monday…

…from blah to brilliant.

Tom Ford @ TIFF by Jyotika Malhotra

Full post soon.

[Update Oct 4: the post is up!]

WUd I! NYFW SS10

Every girl needs a little frou frou now and again. If you are going to frou, why not frolick in feathers, then?

Jason Wu’s petite plume frock adds the perfect pouf-la-la for any night out.

The rest of his collection at NYFW wasn’t memorable enough for moi, but I enjoyed this number.

More posts to come to help you sort though the Spring 2010 collections.

So far, we’ve seen just enough drama at Yigal Azrouël.

Photo source: Style.com.

Just Enough Drama at Yigal Azrouël – NYFW SS10

Here are a few snippets from the Yigal Azrouël collection from New York Fashion Week.

His collection combined simple fabrics, asymmetrical lines and a little drape to create just enough drama, without over-acting.

There were these gorgeous column dresses, flattering to curves and angles, alike.

Now that's a good use of grey t-shirt jersey!

Dreamy white column dress at Yigal Azrouël SS10 show.

This drapy dress would look great over skinnies or the new, shorter peg pant. 

Love the dramatic flap on this vest – a big item for both this Fall and next Spring.

And the lines on both the bikini top and pants are a great mix. I’d pair it with a structured, closed, black jacket for day and this floaty silk number for evening.

Angular and angellic at Yigal Azrouël

There were lots of beautiful things on his runway, including the designer himself.

Yigal Azrouël

More visual snacks to come throughout the week.

Photos courtesy of the playpen that is Style.com.