Don't Miss DRESSED at Fashion's Night Out

I'm so thrilled to host DRESSED presented by Maybelline during Fashion's Night Out. 

Dressed shares the true and truly inspiring story of designer Nary Manivong's adolescent life, which found him homeless at 14 in Columbus, Ohio to the present as he prepares for his debut show at New York Fashion Week. Nary is an example of the incredible focus and dedication required to succeed in the fashion business. 

Save the date! Open to the public! Space is limited! You'll find us upstairs from rac boutique's Bazaar on the 6th floor of the Burroughes Building.

Thursday, September 6
Doors open 6PM
Screening at 9PM
#dressedatdark

Follow @TheFList, @DRESSEDtheMOVIE, @MaybellineCAN, @racboutique and @fno_Toronto for more! 

  

Twisting by the pool with Greta Constantine

Last night the boys from Greta Constantine hosted their Midsummer Affair at Toronto's former German Consulate in the east Annex. (Sure, it may be the end of August but who doesn't appreciate the optimism?) It was a perfect evening for a backyard barbecue pool party, and the city's entire fashion crowd appeared to be in attendance.

Guests were in an optimistic mood, too, with their summer colors and patterns out in full force. It could have been the free Stoli cocktails and burgers. And while it was a pool party, the only bathing suits donned were by the girls who treated us to a cute and quirky synchronized swimming routine set to Gwen Stefani's 'Hollaback Girl.'  

Hey Mister, in the back, why the face?!

LOULOU's Liv Judd four weeks shy of motherhood 

Melissa Bernais of ICovetandWant.com

Designer Alia Juma

Nelia Belkova of Styleblog.ca and Kimberly Lyn of TheSoulsofMyShoes.com

Anita Clark of IWantIGot.com

Glenna Weddle of rac boutique and Jan Gandhi of ThePeacockParade.com

Artist Andrea Bolley dressed as a Stoli bottle. Seriously.

F-listed Anniversary Auction is Live!

Happy birthday to me! For the next ten days explore F-listed, the first online auction of its kind. Browse and bid on fashionable goods donated by Canadian designers, retailers, tastemakers and celebrities across Canada. 

New items will be added throughout the week, so check back frequently. Are you on the mailing list? We'll notify you when new items go live. Sign up here.

Proceeds help support Dress for Success Toronto, a cause I feel passionately about because we all deserve to look and feel our best. Dress for Success not only outfits disadvantaged women in professional attire, it helps them enter the professional world with mentoring and job interview training. It's a volunteer organization with outlets all over North America.

For more on F-listed, click here. Shop, browse and bid now, click here!

Greta Constantine's PRIMER Collection 02 Launch

Last night the boys of Greta Constantine and the fashionable masses gathered for a chic backyard launch party of PRIMER Collection 02, a follow up to the line of basics they debuted just three months ago. With this second iteration, the design duo opted for right-on-trend color, moving away from the mélange grey and black tones of Collection 01.  Chic jewel tones like royal blue, emerald, persimmon and amber bridge perfectly from summer into fall.

Kirk Pickersgill & Stephen Wong of Greta Constantine

"Greta Constantine PRIMER is its own entity. 

It's neither Greta light nor a diffusion label."

The PRIMER silhouettes are voluminous and fluid, constructed almost exclusively in cotton jersey and silks. All of the pieces are wearable on women of all ages, shapes and sizes - as demonstrated by many of the evening's guests. None of the pieces will retail over $495 with the bulk of the collection between $95 and $275 (all CAD). Chic and affordable. #loveit

Anita Gatto of I Want I Got

Denis Gagnon Interprets Alice in Wonderland

"You used to be much more..."muchier." 

You've lost your muchness."

~ The Mad Hatter (2010)

One thing that's almost certain with a Denis Gagnon dress: it's never too much. His latest concoction is a dress inspired by Alice in Wonderland for the Luminato Festival. 

This is not something we recommend wearing if you're planning to fall down a rabbit hole, of course. It is, however, a stunning work of art. 

The dress is a hand-beaded confection of white and silver that will be on display throughout the Festival at the Wintergarden Lobby, 225 King Street West until Sunday, June 19th.

On opening night guests of Luminato were treated to a cocktail reception for the official unveiling of the dress. 

Denis & Me

Denis & his muses wearing, what else?

P.S. Pardon the washed out look of the photos. I'm in-between cameras right now, and the poor lighting in the venue didn't help either. The dress is stunning in person. Go see!

Win a Date with Bill Cunningham New York

You are going to love this movie. 

I say this with confidence because if you are here, then clearly you like the topic of fashion. Bill Cunningham New York tells the story of the king of all street style photographers, Bill Cunningham, and features an incredible line-up of New York's most fabulous and fashionable people. (As a former New Yorker, I ached for the city's eye-catching characters daring to wear what they do.) It's a heart-warming tale of a simple, snap-happy man with a keen eye for trends.

I'm giving away two pairs of tickets to join our private screening of Bill Cunningham New York this Monday, April 18th at 6:00pm at the Hazelton Hotel.  Each winner will also receive a gift certificate to enjoy a post-movie dinner at one of my favorite Yorkville spots, Cafe Nervosa.

To enter, email info@f-list.ca with STREET STYLE in the subject line by 11pm on Friday, April 15th. Winners will be selected and contacted by Saturday morning! 

 

Click here for the trailer.

Location, Location, Location

It's the week before the fashion mega-showcase known as LG Fashion Week beauty by L'Oreal, and fashion crowds are taking in Rogue Fashion Week. The various venues say as much about a designer as the clothes themselves. Kicking off the week at the Burroughs Building, Sparks' works has a similar kind of historic charm - given his interest in heritage tailoring it's not a surprise. The former F. C. Burroughes Furniture Company built the original 639 Queen Street West as its flagship retail department store in 1907. I like to think Philip is inspired by the building.

Later in the week we hit the flip side. The almost-complete Trump Tower at Bay and Adelaide provided a great backdrop for the modern flourish of Mark Fast, Mikhael Kale and Arthur Mendonca, and the pre-opening timeslot was edgy enough to warrant men in hard hats as ushers. 

Paul Hardy's romantic collection and meticulous detailing were on point at the National Ballet School - sorry, bad pun - and I found the bowling shoes a fun disruption. The Greta & Ezra Constantine show closed the week at Audi with a slick show like a shiny new hot rod.

It's not easy hosting a runway show off site, but these are not new kids on the design block. These are some of our top designers, the ones about whom you will say, "I knew them when..."  And in reviewing the collections, I thought it more fun to see how they looked on Twitter to the people who watch all the shows, no matter where they are:

Philip Sparks

Myth busting evening.  Backstage at Philip Sparks and the models were eating PIZZA.  

Yes - greasy slabs of pizza pie. How bloody refreshing. (@SarahEWaldock)

Lusting after that soft maple print cocktail dress from Philip Sparks tonight. 

Dresses more fun than light fixtures. (@k_cleveland)

Philip Sparks Fall 2011, photos by Jenna Marie Wakani

 

Mark Fast & Mikhael Kale 

Don't remember this Mark Fast dress from his London show but dammmn do I want it. (@xoxSNP)

So the rich socialites of Toronto definitely came out to play today at 

the Mark Fast / Mikael Kale shows (@marcpiercey)

Just left the Mark Fast/ Mikhael Kale show. Incredible collections and
some fierce models. Love the attitude!  (@ExposedBlog)

Mark Fast Fall 2011, photo by Felix Wong

Mikhael Kale Fall 2011, photo by Felix Wong

Mark Fast Fall 2011, photo by Irem Harnak

Mark Fast Fall 2011, photo by Felix Wong

Arthur Mendonca

Thank God Arthur Mendonca is back designing in Canada. First exit - 

black slick trench - is brilliant. (@LisaTant)

Saw #Arthur Mendonca's show tonight. Exquisite & sophisticated! 

Tea lovers - It was like a fine #Da Hong Pao Oolong (@theteastylist)

 

Arthur Mendonca 2011, photo by Dean Sanderson

Arthur Mendonca Fall 2011, photo by Felix Wong

Paul Hardy

Right on trend: footwear hitting the ground: shoes at Paul Hardy show at National Ballet school was bowling shoes. Even with evening wear. (@DerickChetty)

From Trump Hotel nouveau riche to National Ballet's Quaker-style hall. 

Bond girls to school girls. Fast/Kale to Paul Hardy #chooseyourfetish (@amyverner)

Paul Hardy, photo by Owen E. McLeod

Greta Constantine

If you play Adele at a fashion show, I will forgive you for shining that light 

right in my eyes with every exit. (@moshamosha)

Also, for fall/winter 2011, what's with Canadians showing chest? 

First Kale, then Mendoza, and now shirtless dudes at Ezra (@pliving)

My all white outfit choice has me inadvertantly matching Audis festooning 

dealership venue of Greta Constantine. Fashion faux pas or fun? (@suzanne_boyd)

 

Greta Constantine, photo by Owen E. McLeod

Greta Constantine, photo by Owen E. McLeod

Greta Constantine, photo by Owen E. McLeod

 

Toronto: Get Off this Weekend

Of course I speak of getting a good percentage off your total when shopping this weekend.  (Get your mind out of the gutter, silly.)  There are a few great sales, and one has a nice charitable element.  Each sale runs Friday, November 12 - Sunday, November 14.  Enjoy!

Carte Blanche at 758 Queen Street West celebrates the "void of uncolour" with 20% off everything black.  It still leaves plenty of options - think little black dress, long black blazer, cozy black knits, second skin black leather.  Then....

...head uptown to Yorkville's rac boutique (124 Cumberland) for 20% off on almost everything.  This sweet shop stocks great Canadian and international labels with a keen eye towards things you won't find elsewhere.

Then trip over to Hazelton Lanes to visit TNT*.  They're collecting donations (as little as $10) for The Breakfast Program in return for 25% off all regular price merchandise.  Or pick through fall/winter items now marked down 30%-40%. 

* All TNT locations in Toronto and Montreal are part of this sale.

Construction Time Again

There is a saying about the seasons in Toronto - there are only two: winter and construction. While we sweat through our season of construction, the Madison Avenue of our fair city - Bloor Street - is awash in never-ending construction fencing that routes pedestrians through a narrow maze of passageways.  Not fun, but I can tell you it's no better on the street.  Driving along Bloor, count on back-ups to cost you 50 minutes just to cross five city blocks.

The stores along Bloor suffer dearly for foot traffic, but at least one is making the most of it.  Holt Renfrew has cleverly posted signs in the passageways designed to lure in customers.  

They sympathize..."Dust damaging your 'do? Visit Holt's Salon and Spa today."  They remind..."Construction wreaking havoc on your heels? Visit Holt's Shoe Department."  They aim to rescue us from all that is ugly on the outside..."It's messy out but beautiful inside. Come into Holt's!"

So I did.

Shoplisted: UPC Boutique Checks in Fine Labels

I'm a bit in love with a couple of things right now, and they all happen to be at the shop UPC Boutique. I first fell in love with Faren Tami's darling coral silk vest and its blushed, feminine swing.  Then I stumbled upon the Disaya trompe pleated dress in blush and black.  Anyone who has ever seen the movie Steel Magnolias, and knows me, must know that "my colours are blush and bashful." (And if you don't, rent the flick. It says it all.)  It's a sucker punch to my heart, I'm hooked.  UPC also carries Montrealer Rad Hourani's unisex line, Rad by Rad Hourani. Without question it's time to add these to my wardrobe.  

After shopping (and yes, they ship internationally) I turn to the blog for their latest state of fashion advice.   The latest post is about cardigans, and here is another winner from Disaya - the striped bow cardigan.  Is there anything sweeter to wear on fall's early nights?

You can follow UPC on Twitter too.  Regular Tweets reveal their "Look of the Week" where you get 10% off a purchase of any item from that week's look...that's one look for men and one look for women.  But if you're in Toronto, just swing by next time you're in Yorkville.

upc boutique
128 1/2 Cumberland Ave
Toronto
416 929 9209