DESIGNER ABCs…

The Museum at FIT presents its A-Z highlights

With over 50,000 garments in the permanent collection, the Museum at FIT looked to its more contemporary and modern holdings for its latest exhibition. The “Fashion, A-Z Higlights From the Collection of the Museum at FIT” veers away from the traditional chronological ordering, and opts for a different approach–alphabetical categorization of the fifty designers selected. This exhibit is the first in a two-part series and runs from now until May 8, 2012.

TOKENS OF HOLIDAY TIDINGS

Gifts for the gracious host or hostess

It may not be Gold, Frankincense, or Myrrh, but a gift to a host or hostess doesn’t have to be lackluster. Give them something they’ll use or treasure long after the holiday revelry is over.

1-3. Rodial’s Life & Style range has three perfect gift sets to give. Pick up the Lounge scented candle set ($50), bathing balm and body soufflé in the Socialite scent ($70), or bathing balm and scented candle in Rehab ($60).

4. Keep it personal by gifting a throw pillow from Rock My Soul with their first initial on it ($50).

5. After teetering in heels or walking around in leather loafers all day, any host/hostess would be glad to kick it in Tommy Hilfiger’s Holiday Wool Slippers ($50) once the guests have left.

6. Guarantee a white Christmas with a Winter Wonderland Snowglobe ($24.50, available at Indigo).

7. Help them through the morning after by gifting them yummy Drake Granola ($9, available at The Drake General Store).

8. If your host is an oenophile, bring a bottle of Trumpour’s Mill Pinot Noir 2008 ($16.95, available at LCBO).

TOP TEN MOMENTS IN FASHION 2011

We break down the good, the bad and the “It only happens in Fashion” moments of the past year—and you won’t find Kate Middleton’s ubiquitous wedding gown anywhere!

1. At the start of 2011, the fall of couture master John Galliano was on everyone’s lips—not just the fashion crowd—after he was caught at a Paris café making anti-Semitic remarks, more than once. And over the past 11 months, speculation of who would take over at Christian Dior ran hot, cold and everywhere in between, with everyone from Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang and Jason Wu as possibly ‘the one.’ Now, there are reports that Jil Sander’s Raf Simons is set to sign a deal any day. The Belgian designer, 43, has been at the front of the house of Sander since 2005.

2. Australian male model Andrej Pejic, who is equally at ease in men’s clothes as he is in women’s (including lingerie!), walked in three shows during the Spring 2012 season of LG Fashion Week in Toronto. First seen in a brown metallic suit for Arthur Mendonça on opening night, he ended his run by sauntering down the Pink Tartan runway (he was a major inspiration for Kimberly Newport Mimran this season) in a white skirt and black top, as well as a navy shirt dress. Rumours that circulated at the time that Pejic was also shooting the cover for a major Canadian title have now proven to be true, as his gorgeous face will grace the February issue of FASHION magazine.

3. The potential Dior signing of Raf Simons came hot on the heels of another ‘story of the year’ that occurred just this week when Vogue announced every page of every issue over their almost 120-year lifespan would be available online for the low, low price of $1,575 per year starting in 2012. Posts on social media deemed the price to lofty for most, even with the magazine’s extensive past.

4. The kids are alright indeed and scandals involving children popped up all year—from Carine Roitfeld putting models as young as 10 in her last issue of French Vogue to a pic of Jenna Lyons painting her sons nails pink in the J.Crew catalogue. And who can forget French lingerie label Jours Après Lunes aimed at kids? Thylane Blondeau aside, we were excited to see a crop of new bright young things come to the surface in 2011, including young, strong minded muses such as Elle Fanning, Hailee Steinfeld and Tavi Gevison.

5. With the invasion of online shopping sites, blogs and the like, the world of fashion continues to be turning on its pretty little head. Think pre-order site Modaoperandi.com, TheCoveteur.com’s insider style posts, the sheer volume of sales on Cyber Monday and the influx of Canadian shopping sites such as Dealuxe.ca, ThePeacockParade.com, TheVolts.com and Prive.com, to name a few.

6. He has a way with words, beats and his own personal style, but Kanye West’s ill-received Spring 2012 collection had more designer attendees than favourable reviews. Maybe next time, ’Ye.

7. Continuing the ‘us vs. them’ debate, shoppers at the newly opened J.Crew in Yorkdale mall were less than impressed with the high prices seen on their stylish wares. Though we were thoroughly excited when the line started shipping to Canada earlier this year, where prices remained somewhat on par with the American site and include $10 shipping.

8. Fashion wars are not uncommon and this year they were famously pushed into the public eye with battle royales between Louboutin and Yves Saint Laurent over red-soled heels, New York and London fashion weeks collectively taking on Milan and Paris over when exactly to show their Spring 2012 collections, Tim Gunn vs. Lady Gaga and more than one design house hoping to sue the Kardashian klan for copyright infringement after the launch of Kardashian Kollection for Sears.

9. Canadian collaborations were everywhere this year, including über-talented stylist George Antonopoulos’s collection for Danier (the leather brand also paired with Mark Fast, Greta Constantine and Philip Sparks) Lancôme, Aldo and Bedo’s continued support of Denis Gagnon (the latter have yet another line up their sleeves!), Marie Saint Pierre and her holiday dress collection for Reitmans, Patrick Cox for Geox and Calla Haynes’ floral denim infusion with April 77.

10. Fast fashion power house H&M caused quite a few sartorial storms in 2011, what with a collection by Versace, one in homage to the fictional Lisbeth Salandar, as well as announcing a Marni for H&M capsule for 2012. Also to round out the year, the Swedish brand, that employs over 87,000 employees, used digital mannequins to present some of their latest looks, much to the chagrin of many a model agent.

AWAY WE GO

Holiday gift ideas for a stylish jet-setter

Whether you’re giving yourself a treat and traveling this holiday season or are just looking for a gift for a jet-set pal, here are FRM’s picks.

1. If you or someone you know finds themselves in Toronto often, the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel’s SoHo Met Club ($4,999.00 for an annual membership fee) offers access to unlimited weekend stays in its hotel, which allows for full use of amenities and storage of personal items, amongst other perks.

2. You’ll always be able to spot your luggage with Rimowa’s pearl rose collection ($495-$625, available at Rimowa, 101 Bloor St. West in Toronto and select retailers nationwide). The light champagne pink luggage is as functional as it is fashionable.

3. If it’s just a weekend jaunt give (or get) the Umbro Speciali 92 Lifestyle Collection leather weekend bag ($399, available at in2sports in the GTA, and Umbro retailers across Canada ).

4. Keep Mèreadesso’s Travel Ease Kit  ($60) in your carry-on for all your skincare needs, including their Face+Neck Cleanser, cleansing cloth, headband, Face+Neck Toning Gel, and Body Balm in a reusable pouch.

5. If your skin regime revolves around Anti-Aging, pick up StriVectin’s Holiday Blockbuster Kit ($114, available at select Shoppers Drug Mart and Murale). Inside you’ll find StriVectin-SD’s Intensive Concentrate for Stretch Marks & Wrinkles, StriVectin-SD Eye Cream, StriVectin-SH Replenishing Cleanser, StriVectin-TL Tightening Neck Cream, StriVectin-TL Tightening Face Serum, and StriVectin-SD for Sensitive Skin.

6. Bringing your own blowdryer is key, so pack in the T3 Featherweight Journey Travel Hair Dryer ($130, available at Murale).

7. The cabin in planes can get a bit chilly so we love the Hudsons Bay Company Collection’s Multistripe Pure Cashmere Travel Set ($350, hbc.com).

 

Cozy up this season in front of the fireplace with a few great reads, or give one of these books to a fellow fashion enthusiast this holiday season.

1. Sleeping with the Enemy. Sparking tonnes of controversy earlier this year over its subject matter, the book explores in-depth Coco Chanel’s affair with a German soldier during the Nazi occupation of Paris during WWII and her life during the war. Available at Indigo for $21.12 CDN.

2. Tartan. In just over 300 pages, author Jonathan Faiers provides readers an account of the well-traveled textile, making it an intriguing read for just about anyone. Available Amazon.com for $40.42 USD.

3. New African Fashion. The much-discussed book celebrating the new wave of fashion designers is a must-have for anyone interested in the rise of the industry on a global stage. Available at Amazon.com for $22.17 USD.

4. The Essence of Style. For the more history-oriented, DeJean’s book delves into centuries past, uncovering the roots of sophistication and glamour. Available at Indigo for $28.99 CDN.

5. Chanel—Her Life. Among the numerous biographies on Coco Chanel, none have touched Karl Lagerfeld like Justine Picardie’s. He loved the book so much that he talked to his publisher about creating a new version with his own illustrations, which he did. Boasting an additional fifty pages, this is a definite buy for any Chanel fan. Available at Amazon.com for $35.08 USD.

6. Pattern Magic. The influence of Japanese designers during the tail end of the twentieth century has been one that continues to be seen today. Creative projects with step-by-step instructions allow readers to experiment with and learn about innovative pattern making. Available at Amazon.com for $16.47 USD.

 

 

 

TECH TOYS

Gadgets to give or get this holiday season

From fun to functional, here are our favourite tech toys and gadgets that will be gracing our wish lists this year.

1. Upgrade those low quality white earbuds with the colourful Urbanears Medis Earbuds (Available at Indigo for $41.99).

2. Give your photo snapping friend a sense of nostalgia without a phony digital filter and real film with the Fujifilm Instax Mini Instant Camera ($129.99, and Instax Mini Instant Film 2-pack ($19.99).

3. If you or someone you know is serious about their music or embarking on a career as a DJ, get the sound-canceling House of Marley TTR Destiny Over-Ear Headphones ($349.99, available at futureshop).

4. For someone on the go, get them a brand new laptop computer—an Ultrabook. As thin and light as a netbook or MacBook Air, but with the power and memory of a standard laptop, we want the Toshiba Portégé Z830-002 ($1,149.00). The 13.3” Ultrabook is loaded with a 2nd generation Intel Core i5-255M vPro processor, as well as a 4GB standard memory, 128 GB hard disk drive. Our favourite feature is the Intel Wireless Display 2.0 (WiDi) technology, which allows you to wirelessly stream content from the laptop to any TV.

5. Touchscreens may be the norm on smartphones, but the latest desktop computers have them too. The HP TouchSmart 610-1190 desktop computer ($1,599.99) has built-in HP TouchSmart apps for music, photos, video, a calendar, and TouchSmart Recipe Box for the cook at home. Running on Windows 7 and loaded with an Intel Core Processor, it’s a simple set up with a single cord to plug in and streamlined accessories of wireless keyboard and mouse.

STYLE & SUBSTANCE

What better gift to bestow upon a dear friend than the gift of Assouline

Purveyor of all our favourite coffee-table fashion tomes, Assouline presents an exclusive holiday gift, for sale on Facebook until the end of the month. Scented with Assouline’s signature Books, Wood, Leather, and Culture Lounge fragrances, the purchase includes free shipping and gift wrap (while quantities last), and is perfect for any scholarly friends you’re hoping to check off your shopping list.

Set of four Library Candles, $95US, Assouline.

And, if perhaps, you’re looking to send a little something to your favourite fashion website’s editors, we’d be more than happy to receive The Impossible Collection of Fashion, $650, by noted fashion scribe Valerie Steele. Just a thought.

THE RE-FLEX

GET IN SHAPE WITH JUKARI FIT TO FLEX

Winter is around the corner and with it comes comfort foods and the urge to sit on the couch. With a warm weather vacation on our minds, we still want to stay in swimsuit shape. And now JUKARI Fit to Flex, the second unique workout by Reebok and Cirque Du Soleil, has become our latest fitness favourite. The instructor-led class aims to enhance flexibility, muscle tone and coordination with the assistance of the specially designed JUKARI Band, a lightweight elastic band to provide gentle resistance. The workout is easy to follow and not overly strenuous, making it something we can keep up with beyond one class.

JUKARI Fit to Flex is available at King West Fitness Club in the Liberty Village neighbourhood of Toronto.