Fashion in Motion

We recently had the opportunity to test a new cosmetics palette and we can’t stop raving about it.

The new Eyestudio colour palettes by Maybelline are so shimmery and beautiful- they’re ideal for creating perfect day or evening looks.

What we love most about the Eyestudio palettes is that the colours are smartly coordinated to help easily apply shades that blend together and appear professional done and right on trend. In short, if you sometimes wonder about how to use colour palettes, these colour combinations by Maybelline are perfect for novices or pros and require no real technique or know-how to make you look fab. Just apply the colours and blend!

Capezio Shoes' spring campaign offers us a perfect shoe season

Few collection launches get us as excited as new spring shoes.

What shall you slip into as you pull your spring trench from the back of the closet and head out for a gloriously sunny March afternoon? Why, perhaps a pair of snakeskin flats by new label Marc Fisher, or an easy pair of uber-cool loafers by G.H. Bass & Co.

Whatever your heart’s desire, we want it all: give us spring, sunshine and rainbows for the toes. We’re a-flutter with the new wave of spring shoes at Capezio Shoes.

Steve Madden "Tuxxedo" shoes add an edge to the spring floral print

In the spring we go out more, smile more, and sit a little longer on park benches and cafe chairs, basking in the sunlight. A little shopping on the high street, or drinks after work with the gals? Sexy platform heels trimmed with cork by MICHAEL by Michael Kors signal the return to summer afternoons and and breezy style.

For the rainy days we suggest trekking in mid-calf Hunter boots in this season’s new shade of turquoise (see below). School’s almost out but retro Converse and Keds are back in full force in vintage colours and soft nude shades.

Spring and new shoes are synonymous in our vocab; here’s how to wear our fave new finds from Capezio Shoes this month:

Spring Trench & Out the Door:

Perfect accessory shoes to the trench: Marc Fisher snakeskin flat $115, MICHAEL by Michael Kors pump $178, and Converse high tops $60.

Business as Usual:

Spring into the office! Clockwise from top left: Steve Madden "Tuxxedo" $100, Jessica Simpson demi-wedge $115, and Santo Franco wrap wedge $135.

Party Frocks and Friends:

It's a date: Marc Fisher crushed sequin heeln$110, BCBG leather metallic platform $150, and Steve Madden pumps $120.

Lazy Sunday Walk in the Park:

Lazy spring days. Clockwise from top left, Keds in sandy hue $40, Santo Franco embellished flat $125, and Hunter short boot $140.

Next week we will decode key trends in footwear and accessories.

Stay tuned for our post, video, and upcoming giveaway from Capezio Shoes!

All images courtesy of Capezio Shoes.

Accessories video:

Danier’s spring summer collection is full of happy surprises: you’ve never seen a leather collection that is this versatile, edgy, and forward-thinking.

With careful artistic details such as fringes, ruffles, and mixed fibers, Danier’s collection for spring is thoughtful, easy to rework to dress up or down, and offers us a spring break vacation. Something about the freshness of spring has transformed the label as an accessories and jacket destination whether you’re looking for spring’s classic faves with a Parisian-inspired twist or unexpected garments such as suede or leather shorts- not your Mom’s idea of leather goods. And just when you thought you’d seen it all in leather- well, Danier pulls out of the hat a leather cardi (yes! really- they made one!). Think of it as designer Danier.

With careful colour palette choices in yellows, purples, and blues, and playing with sheer printed scarves to accompany the classic biker jacket or your prim cut-out blazer, we have every reason to wish for a speedy winter so that we can welcome this fun and art-inspired collection. The pieces are all priced under $499, which is extremely reasonable for quality tailored leather garments. You’ll be impressed with the attention to shaping and body-accent or slimming details in the coats and jackets, as well as the careful mixing of knits with leather for a sleeker silhouette. Watch out for the studded accessories: we love the men’s belt with barely-poking studs and it’s just the kind of thing we can see ourselves ‘borrowing’.

Also on our wanted list: the leather hoodie (pictured below), the brown leather ruffled cropped blazer (shown at bottom), and the simple fold-over messenger bag (his and hers.)

Watch out, Danier, we’re coming!

It’s a spring fling with colour and texture at Harry Rosen for 2010.

Think crinkle, ribs, touchable light-weight fibers, silk-screened graphic tees, colour check prints mixing orange, turquoise and purples, solid retro colour punches on vintage nylon bombers and spiffy but casual blazers paired with everything- shorts, denim, and trousers.

Florals and paisleys and skull & bones – a dandy’s day at the merry-go-round.

Accessories make it all come together- sheer cotton scarves, sumptuous silk pocket squares puffed or straight, suede loafers in easy tints.

The boys are getting in on the fun this spring- can we borrow that scarf?

Easy West Coast Style some days, preppy Ivy-League on others

Business Attire: sharp and slim, greys and tans. Bold ties, shirts, and pocket squares- mix your prints.

Top it with a hat

Play-date with florals and checks

More spring trend reports to come, including a guided tour video of the Harry Rosen spring 2010 trend report.

Harry Rosen spring collection in stores February 2010.

Monitor this-. Street style and slick looks for the future predict urban decay, one pixel at a time. Take it lightly or dress up with razor precision: volume armor and colour play vs. black and grey, militant boots. No matter- it’s all a fuzzy reception on your smart screens.

Colour is down, blown-up and isolated into parts.

Black wins- always.

Images courtesy of Cristian Zuzunaga, Urban Outfitters, Gsus, Tate Liverpool Gallery, Monarchy, Rogues Gallery, Howe, Prada, Rudsak, and Hugo Boss.

Today I had the pleasure of getting an insider look into the exciting spring trends that we will be embracing very soon.

I headed off to Sears where I met with Cynthia Florek, Brand and Trend Director at Sears Canada. Cynthia took me on a guided spring tour showing me the key pieces and trends that we will be seeing on the retail racks and the hippest street scenes this coming spring.

[FAT] Day 4 Video of runway shows (part 1):

Day 4 at [FAT], part 2 video:

The last day at [FAT] wonderfully realized the theme of “Beyond” with a showcase of collections that were playful, innovative, and stretching the imagination beyond expectations.

Memorable moments on the runway:

• Wesley Badanjak’s black grafiti print on a white dresses;
• Martha Sharpe’s scuba-inspired fitted dresses;
• Ryerson Fashion School student Yelena Plokhova’s over-sized pink dress with magnificent folds;
• Jennifer Allison’s larger-than-life whimsical collection reminding me of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream;
• Heidi Ackerman’s hooded vests made from cork fabric;
• The exquisite tailoring of each corset by Dianna DiNoble at Starkers! Corsetry;
• And Matthew Donnelly’s bold colours and rope detailing on gowns and structured dresses.

LG Fashion Week FW09 – Day 5

The Runway Report

Image above: Ryerson University graduate designers showing at LG Fashion Week. Dayna Phillips (top left) and Kat Marks (top right)

The day begins with runway shows by Ryerson University’s School of Fashion graduates showing their collections. A sample from designers Sara Duke, Sidney Holloway, Heidi Ackerman, Dayna Phillips, Kat Marks, and David Chou reveals the remarkable talent and energy that these young Canadians are bringing to the fashion industry. Collections summary: Kat Marks shows futuristic shapes; Sidney Holloway reignites glamourous furs; Sara Duke shows men’s wear inspired by Dostoyevsky’s Notes from the Underground; David Chou does elegant structure and flow balance; Dayna Phillips’ softens up military gold buttons with feminine shapes; and Heidi Ackerman shows knits voluminous and print-inspired.

Hats off to these designers for their dedication to sustainable fashion; the future is here and this new generation is thinking hard about their role as trend-setters, producers and consumers. We look forward to seeing more from these designers and from Ryerson’s strong talent development program.

Carlie Wong

The fall/winter 09 collection from this former Project Runway Canada finalist is feminine and modern. Fabrics are generally solid colours of black, teal, or cream with the exception of gold rose-printed flowy fabric used for dresses and accents. Carlie does the one-shoulder dress with a bell sleeve cropped at the elbow. The silhouettes are generally sleek, professional, and very wearable.

Evan Biddell

The much-hyped show of Evan Biddell’s collection delivered what the designer does best: streetwear jackets in bold colours. Also noteworthy are Evan Biddell’s use of robot prints on leggings and t-shirt dresses. Best in show: large-collar jackets in mustard yellow, teal, and black. Other colours on the runway: printed white, solid mauve, greyish blue. The colours were strong and the cuts edgy making this collection cohesive in its structure and play with deep jewel tones.

Lucian Matis

Closing LG Fashion Week with Lucian Matis’ fall/winter 09 collection was not a bad move on the part of the Fashion Design Council of Canada. Lucian is a finalist on the first season of Project Runway Canada and has since branded himself as a designer of haute couture-like aesthetic affinity, giving rise to his popularity and the increasing industry interest in his work.

This collection evoked the ‘City Hunter’ with muted tones for graphic prints on flowy fabrics. The looks were primarily in shades of brown and burgundy and heavily accessorized with exotic jewelry by designer Dandi Maestre. Maestre produced a unique nature-inspired accessory collection using horns, shells, reclaimed wood, beads, and whatever else might be found in the deer’s den. Models had wildly puffed birds-nest hair with the occasional set of horns perched high from their manes. Coveting: fun trench coats for fall with bold accessories.

Images courtesy of FDCC.

Leather & stretch legging at Danier, $149 on sale

Luxurious? Yes. Hot? Fiery.

The front of the legging is leather, while the back is a stretch cotton. Super comfortable and sexy, these are the ultimate leggings for this fall and winter. Forget your liquid leggings from last year- the big trend this fall is leather and you really can’t go wrong with these.

Other leather legging options:

Alice + Olivia leather & stretch fabric leggings, $330 at Shopbob.com

Helmut Lang leather insert legging, $460 at Net-a-porter

Elise Overland leather legging, $620 on sale at Kirna Zabete

Image courtesy of Danier, Shopbob, Kirna Zabete and Net-a-Porter.

Where to begin when approaching the subject of the Prada lookbook? Nobody in the industry does a collection how-to like this. What this label does with the lookbook is a more than just outfits- with Prada, we take an imaginative trip exploring contemporary reality.

The collection itself is in line with the Prada aesthetic: structured pieces neatly belted or embellished. The gladiator-inspired dress is sweet and the men’s double-breasted suits are slim-tailored and spiced with studded leather dress shoes. Over-sized thigh-high boots combat the very pretty print of the red rose dress. The collection goes to extremes for inspiration but reigns itself into conservative shape, making it all very wearable. And very Prada.

Images courtesy of Prada. View the complete Lookbook for fall 2009 on Prada’s website.