AND THE WINNER IS…

Danier Design Challenge 2011 winner announced

Last night at an intimate event at Ryerson University, Danier CEO Jeffrey Wortsman announced Meagan Johnston as the winner of the 2011 Danier Design Challenge,  a competition that pitted Johnston, who has a fine arts background, against almost 60 of her classmates and saw her taking home a prize of $5,000, as well as a paid internship with the Canadian leather brand. After a public vote which narrowed the field down to ten finalists, a decision was made by a panel of industry judges, including Fashion Television‘s Jeanne Beker, designer and TheCoveteur.com‘s Erin Kleinberg, chair of Ryerson’s School of Fashion Robert Ott and fashion designer and stylist George Antonopoulos, naming Johnston’s asymmetrical, soft leather bomber—which comes with a belt/harness detail making this a multi-functional piece—tops above finalists Brie Reid and Jayson Araja, who each took a prize of $2,000 and $3,000 respectively. Johnston’s jacket will now go into production and appear in Danier stores this spring, where like last year’s pieces, will hopefully become a top seller for Danier.

BROW ESSENTIALS

Peek-A-Tweeze tweezers are our latest beauty must-have

Unless you have time to get your brows professionally manicured, time spent in front of the mirror can be a bit of a pain when trying to perfect them. Our fave new find is the Peek-A-Tweeze ($13, UpperCanadaSoapCo.com), with its compact design and sharp mini pickers. The best part of this little bad boy? The strategically placed L.E.D light—right between the two prongs—allows for the user to spot even the thinnest hair in need of a quick pull, not to mention the price point and 3x magnification of the mirror inside its case.

CHEERS TO THAT

Virtually trying on glasses brings a pair of Tom Ford specs home to one editor

I’ve wanted new frames for almost a year now, but couldn’t find the time or the cash to make the new purchase. Then, full disclosure here, the eyewear fairly sent me an email saying that as an online journalist they would love to gift me with a pair of frames from ClearlyContacts.ca. This past weekend, after being told that my left eye had actually improved since my last prescription and being lightly scolded by my eye doctor as she noted that I scheduled my latest eye exam about a year after I should have, I took some time to upload a picture of myself and try on some frames. A relatively painless experience (two tiny notes: one of my final selections was no longer available as I was shopping, boo, and some images with frames didn’t upload properly), after seeing myself in numerous styles and shapes of eyeglasses, I ended up narrowing down 400 looks to two final pairs, eventually snagging these Tom Ford beauties. And they arrived at my house in less three days, and fit me quite well. A great place to find a bargain for designer frames, ClearlyContacts.ca and their new virtual try-on program are pretty smashing, if I do say so.

RUNWAY TO RETAIL

Joe Fresh brings the Spring 2012 collection to its new standalone stores

Inspired by a beach party on the Greek island of Mykanos, Joe Mimran’s Spring 2012 collection is a mix of brights and neutrals, prep and tech. Stand-out pieces include the water colour cropped print pant, neon orange boyfriend jacket, leather cropped pants in orange and green, sport tech jackets, coloured denim in skinny and widelegged styles, and the beyond maxi skirts that made such an impact on the runway last fall and also for the queen of daytime (we were told at the media preview that Oprah herself is having one made!). After a very welcome reception stateside and with the new standalone stores in his home country, the Joe Fresh brand is now bringing close to 90 percent of the runway looks into a select number of their retail outlets, much to the glee of editors and fashion watchers alike. Some early spring items are available now, with more coming starting in February. Expect runway items to hit Joe in April.

On the Tip

Nail Rock nail wraps now available in Canada

Visit any fashion website or blog and you’ll quickly notice that nail art is all the rage in these stylish circles. Launching today, exclusively on eBeauty.ca, is celebrity favourite Nail Rock. Everyone from Alexa Chung, Katy Perry and new mom Beyoncé have sported the artful wraps, and we’re fans of the animal print designs and the boldly striped tips.

BRIGHT IT UP

Channel spring and punch up your dull winter wardrobe with brightly hued watches

We mentioned before that we mostly bow to the all-black-everything gods when its comes to our sartorial choices, so in 2012 we’ve decided to rev things up a touch by adding some brightly hued accessories. And what better way to start than with a little wrist action. Pair either of these juicy time keepers with just-as-juicy separates, like cropped pants, a silk top and chunky heels, or add a much need pop of colour to a black and white ensemble. Either way, this stylish find won’t break the bank, so why not get both??

Watch, $49.99, Timex. Available across Canada at Sears or at Timex.ca.