Imitation by Imitation of Christ SS08

I've been watching this non stop since seeing it on a friend's blog. It's a beautiful video and the song is perfect. I had to share it.

Contexture Designs

I read about Contexture Designs in the Toronto Star. They're based in Vacouver and are made up of Nathan Lee and Trevor Coghill, both who have backgrounds in landscape architecture. Most of their design concepts are made from found objects. From cassette tapes and old 45s that are cut and shaped into cases for your ipod, to old skates that are taken and made into functioning street shoes and boots, the design duo's work emphasizes simple, elegant and sustainable design, and is often inspired by reclaimed materials with historical, cultural or environmental significance.
You can check out some of their designs at http://www.contexture.ca/
(All the 45 ipod cases are sold out.. darn!)

Keith Richards for Louis Vuitton Travel

Louis Vuitton Travel has recently announced that Keith Richards will be appearing in its print advertisements starting in April. This marks the first time that Keith Richards has endorsed a brand name product (other than that familiar red "tongue sticking out" logo, if I can call it that). It's definitely a step up from the Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi ads we've seen before but I wonder what cheesy slogan they'll come up with this time?

spoiler alert!

Okay, so I'm not sure how many of you guys watch Project Runway.
I never got into it...
UNTIL a friend of mine showed me this video:


After that, I was smitten. I obsessively downloaded and watched every single episode, right till the finale, when this fierce bitch won the whole thing.
Ferosh.

Designer Strike?

We know the writers were on strike, but what happened to the designers and stylists? Did they also go on strike? This year’s Oscar dresses were quite disappointing. Even, the most stylish and glamorous stars did not "wow" anyone. Personally, I thought Heidi Klum looked like a character from Star Trek, Marion Cotillard, ummm was she trying to win an Oscar for the Little Mermaid?

So maybe I am being a bit harsh because there were some, (note: I use some very loosely) that did deserve recognition. Kelly Preston for one, looked fabulous in a canary yellow Roberto Cavalli. The colour was perfect for the spring season as was the flowing material. And Jennifer Garner, congratulations to her, this is what a gown is suppose to look like- glamorous, elegant and sexy.

P.S. We do realize that the oscars happened awhile ago but we still felt like talking about it.

parfums COMME des GARCONS

I'm not the biggest fan of the Comme des Garçons collections. I usually feel that they experiment with clothing for the sake of experimentation without creating anything worth remembering. However, some of their experiments do appeal to me. I have yet to smell any of their fragrances (so for all I know this experimentation is also a failure) but I do love the packaging and design of their perfumes. I've always liked big bold colourful numbers and letters that are sometimes in a hand written font. I am also intrigued by the ingredients used to create some of their smells. Odeur 53, which they call the anti-perfume, is a mixture that includes (how they do this is beyond me) the freshness of oxygen, pure air of the high mountains, sand dunes and burnt rubber. They have also concocted the 8.88 fragrance to capture the imaginary smell of gold. Now, how can a perfume be any cooler than that?

Yoga Pants

I can actually pinpoint the exact time that wearing yoga pants to places other than yoga class became popular.
It was a couple of years ago, when a store named Aritzia first started cropping up in and around the Toronto area. With their high priced stretchy spandex flared pants, and matching tops in their TNA line, it was the dream of highschool girls everywhere to own a pair of these $75.00 pants.
Now, a couple of years later, the dream has moved on. Highschool girls have refined their tastes, and are dreaming bigger; owning a pair of $100+ lululemon yoga pants.
Wow, girls! Dream big!

Yoga pants are called yoga pants because they are for people who do yoga. If you are not going to yoga class, don't wear them.
They are constructed for people who do yoga. Not for girls who like the way they make their butt look.
I work at a store that has a yoga line, and any time a 16 year old girl comes in to try on our yoga pants, my coworker and I have taken up the habit of asking them what type of yoga they do. The same goes for anyone we see who walks in wearing yoga pants, preceeded by "Oh did you just come from a yoga class? Is there a studio close by?"

Kate Moss and Jamie Hince

Some of you may already know this but I had no idea until reading the recent Kills' interview in Nylon magazine but Kate Moss is now dating Jamie Hince of the Kills. I hope that this new rocker boyfriend will lead her towards a (how should I say this) "cleaner" path.

belts.

I like belts. They can serve multiple purposes.
a) They hold your pants/skirt up
b) They can add a bit of colour to your outfit.
c) They can create the illusion of a narrower waist
They're awesome.
However, I was just recently in Singapore for reading week and (because the weather there is always amazing, and is pretty much 30 degrees year round) there were a lot of girls out there wearing summer dresses. Which is fine. I enjoyed the weather and threw on a couple of dresses myself. My problem was with (and my cousin pointed this out to me, as well, one day) the girls who wore the huge bubble dresses that are supposed to hang, and be flowy with giant belts cinched around their waists.
Ladies, listen, the dresses you are wearing are made to be shapeless. If they were meant to be belted, they would come with a belt.
Also, if they came with a belt, it would not be a belt thats 15cm in width made out of patent leather. It would be a skinny belt that would cinch in the extra material at your waist, not cover your entire mid-section.
Please, wear your belts responsibly.

Gwen Stefani

A rebellious style that has broken every rule of fashion there is, but nonetheless.......... for her it has totally worked! Gwen Stefani’s look has been inspired by everything from Indian and Jamaican culture, Rock, Punk, and who can forget the Harajuka girls. Her style can only be defined as colourful, unique and dynamic. However, as a new mama, her outfits have toned down. They are more feminine and glam, which for the summer is a great look to show off.

I f#@%ing love April 77

I got my first two pairs of April 77 jeans last summer and I’ve basically been alternating between the two ever since. This may sound gross to some of you but once you purchase a pair of your own you’ll understand. April 77 just makes effortlessly cool clothing, clothing that they like, forgetting the trends that other designers follow blindly. This attitude and their attention to little details (such as the guitar pick pocket on the pants) has created a cult following. Their punk/rock n roll look isn't for everyone but there are some classic pieces than anyone can wear. Their last collection still had their signature denim but they also introduced some other must-have pieces such as their 50s style polo (the firebird), their 1940s inspired pants (the eagle) and their tuxedo style short-sleeved polo shirt (the ripper). My personal favourite is the wilbury cardigan. Unfortunately, April 77 jeans are the only items available in Toronto stores at the moment so you’ll have to wait for your next trip to Europe to get your hands on the rest of the collection.

A little red hot lip action anyone?

Okay so I’m definitely not endorsing or working for Benefit, but I do love Benetint by Benefit. What is it you ask? Well, it’s this great red hot tint for your lips or cheeks! This tint gives your lips an instant flush of colour, it’s easy to apply and comes in this small bottle. Apply it once for a rose colour (a more afternoon look), or apply it many times for a more red rouge appeal (ideal for a more night on the town look). It lasts long and is very kissable, it won’t smear or leave any traces on anyone’s shirt, we don’t do kiss and tells! Oh and if you’d like, it works as a nice cheek tint, giving your wintery look a little warmth. I hope you like this product as much as I do, it really grows on you and now I can’t seem to do without it.

Enjoy pretty people!

New York Fashion Week - Band of Outsiders

Scott Sternberg's fall collection is full of cute everyday pieces, with tweaks on the traditional schoolgirl/boy style.

With plaids, shirtdresses, traces of fur, and military style buttoned coats all the trends from last season were covered.
Although there are those that say that this collection is very trendy, and not very original at all, in terms of wearability, I loved it.

Interview: Jennifer Fukushima

Having only graduated from Ryerson's Fashion Design Program a few years ago, Jenn Fukushima and her line Paper People, has already become one of the most recognizable lines in Toronto and perhaps even beyond. With the launch of her new Spring/Summer 2008 Collection, Jenn took the time out to answer a few of my questions.

VL: Alright, so first things first. Tell me what you’ve been working on these days.

JF: I just finished putting together my Spring/Summer 2008 collection and I’m really excited about it. It consists of remade sweater items as well as bamboo jersey and recycled dress shirt items. The sweater items are transitional pieces that are good for the in between weather or an extra layering in an air conditioned building. They consist of shrugs, cropped sweaters and cardigans. The bamboo jersey/dress shirt items are good for the really hot days. I have tanks, tube tops, skirts and some exciting high waisted pants!

VL: What has inspired you the most with this new line? What has always inspired you?

JF: What has and continues to inspire me is the materials I work with. With the sweaters, I love to combine different tones and textures and I love that each sweater I make is unique. I also love colour. I’ve hand dyed all of the bamboo/dress shirt items and I’ve worked really hard to get specific colours and shades.

VL: Nature and the environment seem to play a big roll in your work, not only aesthetically, but also with your environmentally friendly materials. Do you think this environmental consciousness is going to catch on with other designers?

JF: I think it already has. From big to small we’re seeing more and more companies incorporating bamboo and organic cottons into their lines and we’re also seeing more consciousness in terms of buying local.

If you want to see more eco-friendly and local fashions, you should check out Heart of Your Sleeve Boutique (61A Bellvue Ave in Kensington Market) and a new store that just opened: Green is Black (624 Yonge St). In terms of great local and Canadian designers I recommend Fresh Collective (692 Queen St. W) and Nathalie-Roze & Co. (1015 Queen St. E) and for the young and funky, The Rage (13 Kensington Ave).

VL: With such an environmental focus, do you think living in such an urban setting affects or influences your designs?

JF: Yes. I come from a small town and we have space, we have trees, we have a clean lake and fresh air. Toronto is really different in good ways and in bad. I definitely see the need to curb waste and over consumption. We don’t have a lot of space here, dealing with our waste is a problem and we have an over abundance of cheap, disposable products, including fashion. Trends are big here, but also, I feel that people appreciate fashion more here than where I come from. I want to create fun and versatile pieces that won’t go out of style in six months and maybe can even be worn all year round.


VL: What do you think about the Toronto Independent Fashion scene?

JF: I feel really adamantly about the local fashion scene. Since I moved to Toronto I’ve slowly gotten to know other local designers, ones at my level as well as some more established ones. We’re all just in it for the same reason. We have the chance to make a living at what we love to do. It’s great to have the network. For the most part we all try to help each other out because even though we’re all competing, in the grand scheme of things it’s us against the big guys. I try to buy local and handmade clothes as much as possible, because I’d much rather support an independent designers than a huge corporation. Plus I get tons of compliments on my Babu et Moi winter coat, my ChaCha handbag and my Preloved cardigan.

A really great event coming up is Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week (http://www.alternativefashionweek.com/main.php). It will be taking place from April 9-11th and will showcase tons of great local and Canadian fashion.

If you’re looking to shop, the Clothing Show (www.theclothingshow.com) is an excellent place to find good deals on unique, handmade items and even meet the designers.

VL: You studied fashion at Ryerson, what do you think was the most important thing you learned there?

JF: Um, other than technical skills, definitely the value of networking. The reality is, it’s a small world and everyone knows everyone else in the fashion industry. Ryerson made us do 400 hours of workstudy and I didn’t realize how valuable it was until after I graduated. It helped me find paid employment when I needed it and now that I’m a fulltime entrepreneur I can call up other designers to get info on everything from trade shows to fabric suppliers.

VL: What are your thoughts on the business side of fashion? The marketing, advertising, schmoozing?

JF: Good question. Fashion is just as much business as it is design. That’s especially true if you own your own business. I’m very small. I do everything myself from the actual design process to my graphic design, web design, sales and marketing. You just can’t have one without the other. Without business savvy you’re just some crazy lady with tones of fabric and hopefully some really cool designs.

VL: What advice do you have for people trying to break into the fashion scene?

JF: Go to fashion events – you’ll meet tons of people in the industry who can help you out and you’ll learn about what’s going on.

That and you need to be self motivated. I think this is true if you want to succeed at anything in life, but I think this is especially true if you want to have your own business – anything from a clothing line to a magazine. Success comes from hard work. I wake up every morning excited to see what I can accomplish that day. At the end of the day, I look at what I’ve done, go to sleep and wake up ready to do it all again.

For more of Jenn's designs and to find a list of stores that carry her line, check out her website at www.paperpeople.com.

New York Fashion Week - Lacoste

I really enjoyed Lacoste's Fall/Winter '08/'09 collection.
Maybe it's my love for all things grey, but I particularly liked the monochromatic outfits featured in the beginning of their show, styled with brighter coloured accessories.



The models looked happy and excited, and the menswear inspired women's outfits looked easy and comfortable.









You can check out some of the show here:





(The reviews for New York Fashion week aren't going to be coming from me in order... I find out about shows by trolling other various fashion sites, so I'll be posting on ones that I find interesting as I find out about them.)

Beauty Pick: The Benefits of Benefit High Beam

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder? Ya right! Beauty comes in a small bottle, otherwise known as High Beam by the cosmetic line Benefit (you can easily find this at Sephora). So basically I came upon this much needed beauty product after gazing through magazines and wondering how do the models do it? They arrive at their destination sleep deprived and likely starved (kidding), yet here comes time for the photo shoot and they’ve all got this healthy glow! What gives?! It’s this pink shimmering lotion! You can apply it alone or mix it in with your foundation, it gives a warm, dewy, sexy look, perfect for any complexion. The key to this fun lotion or luminizer, is to apply it around the cheeks, edges of your eyelids and near the brow. This shimmery lotion is sure to give you a radiant, soft, and healthy glow, winter ready and alive!

Paris Couture Week - Chanel

I know we might be a little late to post on this, seeing as Paris Couture Week is over now, however there were definitely some shows worth mentioning. One of which is the Chanel show. I will be quite honest with you, I never really enjoyed Chanel under Karl Lagerfeld. I have to agree with anyone and everyone (and there are many) who mention the fact that the state of the house would cause Coco Chanel to roll in her grave. (I wonder what Mlle. Chanel would think of all these 13 yr old girls running around with pink quilted purses emblazoned with the house's logo on their arms...) So imagine how surprised I was when I first saw the designs from their Spring/Summer Collection. Some of the designs definitely hearkened back to Chanel's original concept for the house; classic and timeless. Lagerfeld clearly drew upon the ocean for inspirations, with seashell clasps on jackets that are unmistakeably Chanel, and in the shapes and colours as well. I love that they decided to put the models in flats, which to me is very french, and it adds to the class of the designs.

The models emerged out of a giant replica of the classic Chanel jacket.

Interview: Adrienne Butikofer

Anyone acquainted with Toronto’s fashionable indie boutiques has probably come across the stylings of Adrienne Butikofer. Her cozy and practical Caninja is sold in stores throughout Canada and beyond –– not to mention her ‘urban prairie’ sensibilities that won her NOW Magazines title of Toronto’s Up and Coming Designer Award for 2007. Despite being voted Toronto’s number one, the lady that rocks a leather jacket like no other, took the time to show me her new studio, and chat over some lemon tea.

VL: So, now that you’ve got this new studio space, what are you working on these days?

AB: Right now I am working on outfits for the New Label Competition. It’s stressful because I have to come up with 15 outfits that are juried by some big names like Rita Sullivan, and most of Canada’s big name designers were made through this competition. It’s challenging and there’s a lot of pressure, but it’s a good way to get feedback and to get my name out there.

VL: Are competitions a big part of what you do?

AB: It seems that way. My friends are always telling me that I always seem to be in one competition or another, but I see it as a really good way to get my name and my business out there.

VL: I think it was last August you won NOW magazines award for Toronto’s Up and Coming Designer, how did that feel?

AB: It’s funny, because I really didn’t do much. I was getting married around the same time and all my attention was on getting everything ready for that. So when I got the call that I had won, it really came as a surprise.

VL: I did some reading up on you, and I noticed that you talk a lot about the influence of prairie themes on your work, and I wondered how living in Toronto, such an urban setting, has affected that?

AB: I like to think of my work as being sort of ‘urban prairie’, sort of rock and roll with some hard and soft elements. When I say prairie, I don’t mean some hippy aesthetic, it’s about the strong women that I watched growing up in Winnipeg who worked so hard and strained themselves everyday. I like to think that my work combines the two.



VL: With such a strong connection to these rural themes, why did you decide to move to Toronto?

AB: Well I studied fashion design at Fanshawe in London, and Toronto seemed like the next step. And I have always thought of it as the place where you either ‘make it or break it’.

VL: How important do you think going to school for fashion is, if someone wanted to someday be a designer?

AB: Very. Fanshawe was great. Very skills based, I can sew some pretty wonderful things, but sometimes it felt like I was working in a factory. I had initially studied science, but I don’t think that was for me. I realized that I was different from the cookie-cutter mould of fashion that I found there. And I had always been making my own clothes, all throughout highschool. Reconstructing old clothes.

VL: Tell me about the Caninja, I’m sure there must be a good story behind that.

AB: Uhm. Not really. I think it was my first year in Toronto, and it was snowy and cold, and I wanted to wear something that would be warm. Practical design is key. And people just started asking me to make one for them. I also have a few new designs coming out soon.

VL: So what advise do you have for those of us out there who hope to one day have a future in the industry?

AB: I know that I have made a lot of mistakes, but the most important thing to remember, is that you have to treat this as a serious business. You have to understand it as a business, things like making sure you get a receipt from the store when you drop things off. Paying attention to your details and keeping things organized. This has always been about my business, not about my ego. I’ve always wanted to have a strong business. Not necessarily to see my name up in lights. For those on the marketing side of things, what independent designers could really use is some sort of agency that represented them. That way designers weren’t faced with having to do everything. The designers could let go of the sales aspect and focus more on their work.

Check out Adrienne’s website at www.butikofer.com, for a list of independent boutiques that carry her line.

Introducing Mila

Who says Levis isn't cool?

During my marketing communications class last week my prof asked if students liked Levis. The french exchange student sitting beside me was as surprised as I was to hear the students' response: an astounding no. Apparently Diesel and Guess are the denim brands of choice among teenagers these days. Now, I know that Levis has been going through some tough times (on the business side of things) but I feel that they have been much more creative lately than say, oh, I don't know, Diesel and Guess! I heard about the Levis X Andy Warhol X Damien Hirst collaboration in the fall but obviously a lot of people haven't, so please visit the following links and you'll see for yourself: http://video.nymag.com/?&fr_story=b4aad52ba8b199b8229bbf3e73d908ed9536d124 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgBWPgJaO3M

Kate Moss

Harper’s Bazaar along with Vanity Fair has named her one of the best dressed women over the years. We are referring to Britain’s “It Girl” -Kate Moss. One of her trademark looks is the skinny jeans. I would’ve never thought that they would come back from extinction, but, leave it to Kate to pull it off. As soon as Miss Moss strutted the streets of London in her fav pair of Sass and Bide grey slacks (seen above) a new trend was immediately born.

Kate definitely knows how to wear her skinny jeans and we can take a few lessons from her. Coordinating with the right top and boots you can get so many versatile looks. Throw on a pair of flats or Uggs and you’ve got a casual look. Need to spice up your outfit? Add a pair of leather stiletto boots and a fitted blazer and voila! You’ve got a classy and sexy look for going out.

Prada Fall 2008

As I was looking at the first few pictures of the Prada show nothing really surprised me besides the double collars that some of the models were wearing, but gradually, as I continued going through the show, the outfits seemed to get more and more feminine. Miuccia Prada dressed her models which what appeared to be a manlier version of female undergarments. There was a sort of bikini bottom sticking out of the pants sometimes matched with a bra-like top. Before long the models were walking out with mini skirts on, over their trousers. The outfits got shinier, more sparkly, more glamorous and more androgynous. I usually like androgyny but for some reason this wasn’t working for me. It just didn’t seem right. Of course, the suits were impeccable (I especially liked the purple and black metallic coloured oufits) but I just thought that the masculine bikinis (I don't know what else to call them) were an unnecessary distraction. However, I guess that I should have expected this from a designer who is known to provoke, for the sake of provocation.

P.S. I know that the Prada show happened long ago (in fashion terms) but I’m new at these fashion critiques and I’m a full time student, so bear with me.