Yesterday afternoon I had the opportunity to swing by the downtown Pink Tartan showroom to take a closer look at their upcoming Spring/Summer collection. Anyone who has been reading The Fashionist will know that I absolutely loved the collection when I saw it last month at LG Fashion Week. (If you missed my original review you can check it out here...)
The collection was everything I remembered and more. Up close you can see previously unnoticed details and trust me everything just gets a little more gorgeous when you are up close. My faves? A gorgeous black trench with ¾ sleeves and oversized pearl buttons, a beige super cropped jacket with impressive detailing across the bust, fabulous wrap dresses and of course all of the sequin pieces.
After getting a closer look at the collection I had a chance to sit down with Kimberley Newport-Mimran and ask her a little bit about her inspiration for the collection. Kimberley spoke about the “strength of the shoulders, generous but not over-the-top shoulder pads, effective layering, sequins and a look that is purely feminine”.
Kimberley Newport-Mimran, a native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, founded the Pink Tartan label in 2002. It was a partnership with her husband and business partner Joseph Mimran (formerly Club Monaco and now Joe Fresh). She’s been a favourite of mine since she literally burst on the scene and it was a true pleasure sitting down with her. When asked if she had any fave Canadian designers herself... she responded praising Jeremy Laing and Greta Constantine designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong.
In my fashionable opinion this collection is Pink Tartan at its best and this glammed up Spring/Summer collection is hands down Newport’s strongest offerings to date. Kimberley was just glowing talking about the frocks even though she is already hard at work on Fall/Winter 2010. Before I headed out I asked her what we should expect... get ready for “a little bit of 40’s with deep and strong colour palettes.”
Are you ready for this? I am totally dying! Rubbish Magazine has got the perfect gift for any of your fashionable friends. Picture it... you can basically create your own front row fashion entourage on your fingertips with these totally fashionable finger puppets! Each box (which retail for £65.00 or about $130.00 CA) feature our favourite fashion designers and a couple fave fashion icons immortalized in chic knit. The entire collection includes 20 finger puppets but they are sold in four separate sets representing the fashion capitals of the world... Paris, New York, Milan and London. Kinda makes you want to be a kid again right...
Paris Includes: John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Sonia Rykiel, Jean Paul Gaultier and Alber Elbaz
New York Includes: André Leon Talley, Zac Posen, Donna Karan, Hamish Bowles and Ralph Lauren
Milan Includes: Donatella Versace, Giorgio Armani, Miuccia Prada, Viktor & Rolf and Anna Piaggi
London Includes: Giles Deacon, Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith, Luella and Christopher Kane
How damn cool are they? Seriously!
There probably isn’t a person on the planet who isn’t familiar with the name Gucci.
Gucci, Gucci, Gucci!
Way back in 1921 Guccio Gucci founded the now infamous fashion label and next Spring Guccio’s great-grandsons Alessandro and Guccio Gucci will be launching their own collection which will be known as To Be G. As easy as it could be for the brothers to ride on the family name alone they are both adamant that they don’t “want to try and replicate what the Gucci brand is doing”. Of course no matter what they claim the expectations will be there. For the record Guccio will head up design while Alessandro will head up marketing.
This Spring fashionistas can expect to find sure to be gorgeous To Be G bags in luxury boutiques across the globe. Each bag will also feature a lily pattern print... a signature motif.
Interesting? Yes of course. How interesting... we will have to wait a few months to see.
Do you love Zac Posen? I do. Well guess what... the29 year old NYC designer is starting a brand new endeavor and it is definitely something different from the elegant eveningwear creations he is known for. Starting Spring 2010 Posen will be launching a new lower priced sportswear line that will be available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue. Unexpected? Perhaps. Exciting? Definitely.
Z Spoke... that’s the name and its going to be a 60-piece line of fun and casual separates. It’s not going to be The Gap but think cotton shirts and sweaters, khakis, basic dresses and skirts... basically as far from the red carpet runway as you can get. According to Zac “It’s not Zac-for-less, it’s not the little sister collection at all… This is about a new identity.”
It’s exciting and he’s also following trend. We are living in a time when people have never been so fashion conscious. Not only have numerous designer partnered up to create affordable collections for the masses but more and more designers are launching lowered priced collections as part of their own brand. It’s like a permanent fixture in their fashion future. It’s not only smart marketing it is the way of the future. Of course this isn’t the first time that Zac has gone after this market. In the spring of 2008 the famed designer partnered up with Target and created a capsule collection which was available for a limited time at select Target stores.
But remember this isn’t going to be Target 2.0 this is something brand new.
The question now is which design house will follow next?
Don’t live near a Saks? Well don’t fret. Posen claims a rollout to other retailers is coming but for now the affordable collection will be exclusive to Saks... which is perhaps a nod to the retail giant. After all they have carried his gorgeous gowns since 2004. Z Spoke will launch in 17 Saks doors as will also be available on saksfifthavenue.com.
Once upon a time Lindsay Lohan was considered fashionable. Once upon a time I actually considered the girl fashionable.
But those days are long gone. The only thing Lindsay is known for these days are her tabloid exploits and questionable tastes in fashion. Even though it confused the hell out of me… there was a glimmer of light when it was announced that French style guru Emanuel Ungaro had “hired” la Lohan to collaborate on a collection that debuted during Paris Fashion Week last month. Sadly we all know by now that the runway collection got less than favorable reviews. Even Ungaro himself declared the line a “complete disaster”. Can you say ouch?
Last Thursday the gossip blogs went mad with the news that Lohan was once again going to try her hand at fashion. Again I was confused because this woman knows nothing about fashion and it’s hard for me to take her fashion dream whims seriously. Then Lindsay herself confirmed the news that she did indeed have a collection for a different label in the works. I’m sure Ungaro was relieved.
“Pascal and I are actually working together, we’re doing something with a friend who owns Bebe”
“Pascal” is Pascal Mouawad... he’s a famed jeweler who has partnered with celebs like Heidi Klum and Nicole Richie on their past jewelry ventures. Cue blogs going nuts.
Here’s the real update to the story that seems to have gone missing on many on-line articles you may have read... Pascal Mouawad has acknowledged that discussions about launching a jewelry line with Lohan for Bebe did take place. However he has also now declared that Lohan’s big reveal that a collection was on its way was completely inaccurate and said “this is not happening”.
I am a fan of everything Victoria Beckham. Seriously. So while everyone is going fanatic over the December “Twilight” Harper’s Bazaar cover... I’m getting pretty excited over the December cover of the UK edition of Harper’s Bazaar. Photographer Alexi Lubomirski shot two different, but equally glamorous, covers featuring the pop star turned designer posin’ it up in black ensembles.
Inside there is an extensive photo shoot of Victoria looking fierce in gorgeous couture and of course a kickin’ interview. In the interview, VB talks about everything including her transition from singer to fashion designer, the success of her clothing line, her current dream client (Harry Potter star Emma Watson), her own fashion victory (When Madonna wore her own personal dress in the infamous W magazine photo shoot), and of course David and the boys. Oh yeah... and apparently she is a complete “control freak”.
“I’m a complete control freak. I’m not the easiest person to work with because I’m so passionate and being a working mum, it’s a balancing act.”
Here’s a look at a couple of my fave shots inside:
I’m reading my copy right now... pick it up, it’s on newsstands now.
The question whether Lady Gaga is relevant in the fashion world is an ongoing battle. Hell, even I battle with it every time I type her name. There is no denying the woman is an utter fashion disaster when she hits any red carpet... but she is also a piece of crazy, bizarre, over-the-top couture fashion work of art.
The latest chapter in the on-going saga of Lady Gaga is of course the release of her latest music video Bad Romance (it's the first video from her forthcoming album, The Fame Monster) which has literally created a sensation on YouTube and across the internet. There’s been buzz for weeks about the video. “There is going to be crazy fashions... like nothing you have seen before”. That buzz even crashed the singer's website when the video was originally suppose to premiere on Monday. Basically the influx of traffic drove the site to a halt. Luckily for Gaga fans and fashion fanatics the video hit the internet Tuesday and peeps have been buzzing ever since. If you haven’t seen the Francis Lawrence-directed video... let me just say it’s wack.
If you have seen it (or you just watched it above) of course you will have noticed that the Lady Gaga has made a serious attempt to step up her fashion game... whether that is for the best or for the worst... that is up to you. I’m personally lovin’ it! It reminds me of when music videos were at their height! Sure the plot may be lacking... our star rolls around in her bathtub, gets herself kidnapped by evil supermodels who make her drink vodka, she dances around before being passed off to the mafia, dances some more and then lights a fire... I assume using the vodka. Crazy. Of course it is but she sure does wear an awful lot of fierce couture. It would be almost worth the hassle don't you think?
One thing I love about fashion is when things get crazy... and lets face it there is no one crazier on the runway than Alexander McQueen. The cool part of this video is many of those threads Gaga wears in Bad Romance are courtesy of McQueen's Spring/Summer 2010 Plato's Atlantis collection that premiered in Paris in October. 2 months later the elaborate show is still on my mind... with good reason. It was utterly amazing. (Psst... If you want to see what all the buzz is about with this show you can actually check out the runway show on McQueen's site...)
In the first seconds of the video we get to check Gaga out in a long sleeved gold metallic McQueen mini-dress and a freaky pair of futuristic razor blade shades
Next up Gaga writhes around in the tub wearing a pair of McQueen's "Dragon" heel (She later wears a pair in black)
The structured gold McQueen dress and leggings are insane... but check out the crazy 12 inch "Armadillo" heels Gaga wears
Even if you can't stand the woman you have to admit she was simply made to ambassador McQueen's clothes.
Is it all brilliant couture or is it all just a big fashion mess? Most importantly what do you think of those insane lobster-claw shaped “Armadillo” shoes? Let me know what you think.
(Runway Photos 1 and 2 by: Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage) (Runway Photo 3 by: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images)
Demi Moore, or as W now refers to her Demi 2.0, graces the cover of the upcoming December issue of W magazine. I’ll just come right out and say it... the woman looks mighty fierce in her Balmain leather and metal mesh dress. Of course I don’t know how comfortable it would be... but girl looks awesome.
Anyone who is a regular reader of Style Winners and Losers will already know that I am pretty much in love with the woman. In the upcoming issue of W she’s promoting a couple new flicks: The Joneses with good ol’ David Duchovny and Happy Tears with Parker Posey. I actually saw The Joneses earlier this year at TIFF and I will admit I enjoyed it… but that’s not really what what’s doin’ it for me. Sure she was good but I don’t really care about her film career… I barely remember anything she was in previous to these and of course Ghost. What I love about Demi is her re-invented sense of style... something W pays a little homage to with their fashion spread.
Here are a couple of my favourite shots:
Demi’s wearing an Armani Prive embroidered metal mesh blouse and a Givenchy skirt
Demi is wearing a polyester and ployamide Lanvin dress and a necklace also from Lanvin
Gorgeous right... You can follow Demi on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/mrskutcheR The December issue of W hits newsstands on November 24th.
There is no shortage of award shows these days. Some will roll their eyes... some will be glued to their television sets... others won’t even have a clue. I am one of the ones who gets excited. After all there is nothing I love more than watching the red carpet... and the more red carpets... the happier I am. Every year Glamour Magazine hosts their own awards bash honouring woman from various fields and Monday night was the night for the mag to roll out their own red carpet at Carnegie Hall.
Inspiring and glamorous...
The annual Glamour Women of the Year awards always honour a group of eclectic women, and this year was definitely no exception. Last night they honoured famed poet Maya Angelou, fashion designer Stella McCartney, TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, tennis champion Serena Williams, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, Google's Marissa Mayer, comedian Amy Poehler, paediatrician Jane Aronson, the Iranian women of the One Million Signatures Campaign and even Arnold’s wife Maria Shriver. Pop star Rihanna was also among the ladies honoured in New York and she was pretty much the belle of the ball, in my humble opinion. Yeah... Rihanna. The same gal I usually rag on for her disastrous red carpet ensembles!
After what seems like an eternity of never-ending Chris Brown blog posts and horrid fashion miss-steps the songstress looked like a real superstar when she stepped out on the red carpet in a gorgeous Stéphane Rolland gown from the Spring 2009 collection. This is what I call fashion. This is what makes me love what I write about. You can expect to see this number in Style Winners and Losers next week... and probably the upcoming year end fashion wrap up. Absolutely Divine!
Well... yesterday marked the close of Vancouver Fashion Week. The annual west side fashion extravaganza, that ran from Tuesday November 3rd until Sunday November 8th, attracted designers from as near as Richmond to as far away as Europe and the Colin Campbell Showroom on Railway Street once again became the hub of edgy Vancouver fashions. Since its debut in 2000, VFW has slowly started to emerge as a much sought-after event for not only Canadian designers but for International designers as well. True, the event does tend to showcase more casual, ready-to wear street gear that Vancouverites favour... but you could also find more upscale collections as well as speciality collections including several designers who presented eco-friendly, sustainable designs.
Truth be told Vancouver fashion week is one of the latest around the world. In fact most fashionable shops will have completed their buys for Spring 2010 by early October so this week of spring and summer fashions was really more of a consumer’s event. It's not all just for show... with the number of young designers presenting it helps get their name out and build a little momentum for their brands.
Smaller kick off events dominated on Tuesday and Wednesday with things really kicking into gear by Thursday when a variety of designers hit the stage. Aboriginal designer Dorothy Grant kicked off the day, followed by collections from: Button, Papillon, Broken Ghost Coutour & Broken Doll. Italian designers Elena Vera Stella, Giuseppe Sarubbo and Giusari as well as international label Crossover presented collections which finished off a full day of fashion.
Friday was “go-green” day with eco-friendly designs from: Movement, Nate Organics, Hawks Ave, Lav & Kush and Red Jade. Collections from emerging designer Fala Chien and a personal fave Angela Chen, a Taiwanese-Canadian who just returned to Vancouver from New York City finished off the day of runway before after parties galore.
Saturday's stage was a mix of established and emerging designers including: Pink Martini, Ginger Martini, Anelore Popa Porscia, Kersh and Maggie Coulombe. Calgary designer Paul Hardy, who recently showed at Toronto fashion week, also presented his impressive 2010 spring/summer collection.
Erin Williams, Tammy Larkin, Drew William and Killa presented their collections on Sunday before everything wrapped up nicely with a showcase of talent from international designers.
October 2009
