Holt Renfrew pays tribute to Fashion Blogs
The tables have turned, and the fashion houses are now courting the most influential critics in the industry. No, not the powerhouses of print publications, like Anna Wintour’s Vogue, but the bloggers like me who keep their fingers on the pulse of street style faster than US Weekly glossies can hit the stands. Thank you, thank you. What was once considered an afterthought, or at best, an amateur attempt to voice one’s opinion on the latest trends, has now become a valid source of fashion expertise. Case in point: Canada’s retail Mecca, Holt Renfrew, will be celebrating fashion bloggers this Friday at the launch of their new flagship window installations. The Bloor Street location will pay tribute to the ‘newest international style influencers.’ Their June 23 news release reports that six bloggers were invited to be part of the celebration. The ‘diverse mix’ includes Scott Schuman (thesartorialist.blogspot.com); Jane Aldridge (seaofshoes.typepad.com); Anita Clarke (iwantigot.geekigirl.com); Tommy Ton (jakandjil.com); Bryan Boy (bryanboy.com) and Garance Dore (garancedore.fr/en). (more…)
Haus of Gaga
On June 19, Lady Gaga told everyone at Toronto’s KoolHaus to ‘Just Dance’ and we did. The princess of new age pop gave a performance with energy to burn. It was the most blonde ambition we’ve seen since Madonna’s hay day. Although the sold out crowd became restless (she took the stage 40 minutes later than scheduled), Lady Gaga made up for her tardiness with an incredibly entertaining show. Gyrating to her many addictive beats, and often with disco stick in hand, the 23 year old New Yorker brought the Haus down. After dancing her Gaga off in a lineup of pantless rhinestone numbers, the popstar sashayed on stage in a bubble dress for her piano version of Poker Face and a ballad version of Heartless by Kanye West, with whom she’ll be touring later this year. She then came out in military greens (again pantless), complete with officer hat and a disco worthy salute. The girl has one of a kind style! To see her ‘explosive’ performance two days later at the MMVAs check out the video below.
While the peculiar costumes give Lady Gaga her edge, and trust me, many of the concert goers did their best to dress like her on Friday, it is still her remarkable talent that makes her so fantastic. Her voice is unique, powerful and oh so confident. She was born for exactly what she is doing – singing to thousands of people in bubbles. And to see someone achieving their destiny is always a delight. That is my definition of Living Lovely. Do what you were made to do! So if Lady Gaga can shake her fishnets to the rhythm of the boom box, then imagine what the rest of us are capable of creating! Let her inspire us to break the mold in our own lives. But maybe some of us will keep our pants on.
Coo Coo for Coco
Coco Chanel is one of the most enduring and rare female icons of classic Haute Couture. What made her so famous was also what set her apart. Her success was due in large part to her prêt-a-porter lines rather than her designs for the elite. She was inspired by the modern woman in the 1920s who was self confident and liberated from the confines of corseted attire prevalent in Coco’s childhood years. She wanted women to feel empowered by their dress, not conformant or restrained. She borrowed from masculine lines and shaped the emblematic tweed suit, complete with skirt and blazer, to emphasize a woman’s modernity while maintaining movement and femininity. She did this by using relaxed fabrics and tailoring. Coco also introduced the concept of luxury costume jewellery, which was characterized by layers of glass pearls adorned around her neck and Maltese crosses fashioned to her lapels. Today, Karl Lagerfeld has brilliantly ushered the House of Chanel into the 21st century, while staying true to Coco’s esthetic vision. He recently made a gracious gesture to Coco’s personal life in selecting the venue of Chanel’s 2009 Resort Collection. He chose Venice to set the show, acknowledging that Coco found solace there after losing the man she loved and often returned to the Italian city throughout her lifetime for inspiration. Jeanne Becker’s recent article reports in full on the beauty of the collection. Since Coco, Chanel the brand has magnificently evolved into a worldwide phenomenon with multimillion dollar assets comprised of clothing, jewellery, fragrances and more. Even a tennis racket is available for the Chanel-loving tennis player. It only seems natural that the medium of film would pursue the formative years of the brand, particularly since we are still so fascinated by the woman who brought us dual toned pumps, quilted leather purses and gold chained belts. This year, Belgium released their theatric depiction of Coco in the years leading to her success. In the film, Coco Avant Chanel, Audrey Tautou takes on the role of the precocious seamstress. Fortunately, the rest of us won’t have to wait long. The film is set to release in North America on September 25. To get a sneak peak of the movie, click on the trailer below. Until then, let us wrap ourselves in multi-layered pearls and pencil our eyebrows a little sharper. A bientot, Mme CoCo.
No Doubt rocks TO
No Doubt rocked the house last night! (The Air Canada Centre, to be exact) The place shook with excitement as hundreds of Gwen, Tony, Tom and Adrian enthusiasts danced to beat of the platinum-selling rock band.
No Doubt performed with as much energy and enthusiasm as ever. Professional to the nth degree, Stefani, and the boys belted out each song with nonstop dedication and talent. The monochromatic stage was in keeping with the black and white theme of the tour. Sticking only to this palette with occasional pops of color, the costumes were simple and chic. The troop came out all dressed in white, save the drummer who performed, per usual, bare torso. The boys sported white tux shirts with black detailing on their ties and sneakers, while Stefani stuck to the rocker basics. Gone were the sky high platform lace-ups, and out came Stefani’s signature midriff-baring tank top. She matched it with suspender-hanging cargos and white nail polish, as well as a pair of slim military style boots which allowed her to jump, twist, and strut to the natural rhythm of her musical roots. She only changed three times (the best was a silver checkerboard jumper). A modest number when compared to her solo tour, and that of Beyonce’s or Britney’s. It was certainly clear: this band was all about the music.
Stefani’s singing was flawless and her stamina unparalleled. She even got down on the ground to pump out 10 pushups to the opening rift of ‘I’m just a Girl’. The performance was genuine, professional and very entertaining. The backset dropped a large projected screen that streamed video montages similar to the opening credits of a James Bond film. Ironically, the elaborate screen did little to take your eyes off the band. They had megastar presence and more importantly looked like they were having oodles of fun. This concert was everything Britney Spears’ concert was not. Stefani was gracious and often talked to the audience. She even let a die hard fan onto the stage for part of a song. Unlike Britney last February, who barely spoke to the crowd, aside from an occasional “Woo!” or “Hey y’all!” and jetted off the stage so quickly that you could see her flurry exit from the smoke machines.
Even more impressive than Stefani’s washboard abs was her beautiful radiance. She looked like she was in her mid 20s instead of a quickly approaching 40. This no doubt comes from a life of sheer fulfillment; her rock star husband, two baby boys, a high-end clothing line, all of which make her so content as well as successful. She may just be a girl, but she is the epitome of a girl who has it all.
Jimmy Choo to design for H&M
Your eyes are not deceiving you – it’s true! Jimmy Choo has joined the roster of haute couturiers willing to dress the masses. He is designing a collection of shoes for the fashion forward, yet wallet-friendly retailer H&M! At long last we won’t have to break the bank to feel the joy of walking in premier footware! To read more click here.
Harem Pants
If you are only going to buy one pair of pants this season, buy Harem pants. This is not my decree, but the mandate of fashion designers worldwide. They have deemed the Harems as our latest ‘it’ trousers and have unabashedly pushed the trend onto the runways. As minions of ‘la mode’, should we run out and purchase the billowy pantalets? Well, that depends on your personal style and also, if we’re honest, on how well you know your body type. The pants are very ‘now’ and could freshen your look, however I am a bit concerned, after observing that even the fiercest top model has trouble pulling off the look with convincing confidence. Nevertheless, we may as well add a touch of Aladdin to our closets while we still can, since they are much like Haley’s comet and only orbit fashion’s realm on very rare occasions. I understand that others would rather go back to the last Harem craze in the early 1990s. To the beat of classic Mc Hammer, an impromptu troop of dancers work the Harems better than the girls at NYC Fashion Week.
Luring with shoes
As Italian executives from Fiat prepare to takeover Chrysler LLC in the epicenter of the failed auto industry, shop owners near Detroit, are pulling out all the stops to lure their wives. Even in this struggling economy, the enticing promise of luxury goods apparently has yet to lose its appeal. Local high-end retailers plan to tempt Italian ladies (and their husbands) with dramatically reduced prices. Luxe boutique, Tender, now offers Chrissie Morris shoes (originally $1,595) for only $795. Nowa dat woulda be verry niice -a!
Cruel Intentions – Sarah Jessica Parker Horse Painting
The biggest question emerging from the Sarah Jessica Parker horse painting is: when it comes to celebrities, where do we draw the line? Sure they live in the land of fame and fortune and seem to have absolutely everything bigger and better than the average person, but does this make them impervious to derisive laughter over the way they look? Poor SJP, she’s simply trying to sell another perfume like J-Lo, Gwen Stefani and the countless other female stars out there, can’t she get a break? The now infamous artist of the gibelike painting, 14, thinks not. She posted it on her blog, Gallery of the Absurd, with every intention to provoke while denying outright cruelty. 14 tells E-Online, “I don’t feel comfortable teasing people about the way they look. But at the same time, my artistic mission for [the blog] is to observe and record the social commentary springing from celebrity gossip.”
So does this mean she’s just the messenger or the creator of the message SJP=horseface?
She said that she was initially going to paint Rumer Willis but decided against it, “Yes, I might giggle a little when a blogger posts a bad photo of Rumer and calls her a tater head,” she says. “But I feel like she’s still a kid and didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”
That seems a little unfair. Why conclude that SJP is less sensitive than a younger celeb and why deny Rumer of an adult celebrity roasting? If that’s all it is.
Many believe that stars ask for an uncensored lambasting the moment they claim the spotlight, but to paint someone as a blooming horse is just plain cruel. Heck, most of us are still wounded over something said to us in junior high school. I don’t think any amount of fame or fortune can take away the smarting slap of someone criticizing your looks. Nevertheless, it has been proven time and again that if people are not busy lauding the few they’ve placed on pedestals, then they are busy knocking them down with insults. The reasoning being that stars dwell so many levels above the rest of us and so can never really be hurt by what we hurl at them. This may be true. After all, I’ve never stopped an A-lister to ask. But in the end, are such efforts at blatant mockery necessary? I say neigh.
‘Honey, I’m on a Call’
Milla Jovovich is one of a few models who can grab your attention faster than the clothes they are wearing. She never fails to captivate us, and in Harper’s Bazaar’s latest photo spread, Mr. Big Gets Downsized, she combines her model presence with her thespian talents to portray the modern day power woman. Jovovich plays the role beautifully in a series of photos that follow a ‘day in the life’ of a female breadwinner. The clothes are superbly styled and succeed in reinventing what business attire means for women today. The sets are crafted to be tongue-in-cheek and show Chris Noth, aka Mr. Big, playing the bewildered homemaker, while Jovovich reigns as corner office queen. The contrastive roles are simply brilliant and it is particularly amusing to see Big miles away from the chauffeured limos and cocktail bars of Manhattan, and instead, elbow-deep in flour and Cheerios. 
New iPhone Unveiled
Apple Inc. released the newest version of the iPhone Monday, called the iPhone 3G-S. (the S stands for speed, not super stylish) The new model boasts a three-megapixel camera that shoots video, an internal digital compass and voice-control features that let owners use spoken commands to make calls and play music. (In other words: “iPhone: call my BFF and play Britney now!”) The first generation 3G was hardly your father’s beta device. The phone was next to perfect, with only a few elements causing complaint, such as its inability to use flash and the minor difficulty of the keyboard (things only guys seemed to care about). Apple also announced that the iPhone 3G-S will look physically similar t0 the current version but will have significant software improvements. The most impressive news, however, is the price tag – $199 for the 16-gigabyte version. That’s less than an hour spent at Holt Renfrew’s last call! According to Rogers’ tweet, it is available June 19, so we needn’t wait long. No doubt the most enviable feature is Apple’s Application Store, where a myriad of applications are introduced daily. 
I have a few favorites of my own - I suggest Vogue’s application Style.com - a go-to app for all fashionistas. It loads all of the latest runway collections in glossy, high resolution shots, that are only a sweeping tap away. Another must have, and actually the first one I downloaded a year ago, is Chanel’s Application. It provides up-to-the-minute news on the luxury brand and even has complete videos of the runway shows. Elle Canada also has an application which reports on news and celebrity gossip, while offering their daily style tips. To manage your closet, I recommend Touch Closet, an application that lets you take photos of your wardrobe and then helps you create outfits with your own best pieces - just like Cher in Clueless! Thanks to Apple and their new iPhone 3G-S, we’ll be able to keep up with the latest trends faster than ever. Now if only we could give the command: ”iPhone: Put latest Louboutin’s in my closet!”