Let me just get right to it: I love Twinkie Chan’s quirky knitwear. She makes everything from the adorable to the totally weird, and the fact that I can now walk around with an elaborate knit tentacle around my neck makes me a happy girl. When I saw this “Tako” scarf (Tako = Octopus in Japanese) on her YummyYou website I just had to have it! It’s so quirky and cute and adorably plush, and I’m happy to announce that Twinkie is going to give away a Tako scarf to one lucky Trendy Techie winner! Click the orange link at the end of this post to enter!
Influenced by iconic women of the 1940-60s, evening and special occasion wear line NARCES presented a collection of elegant silhouettes and dreamy materials. Designed by Nikki Wirthensohn, NARCES is a Toronto-based womenswear line that specializes in after-five and evening wear. This flirty, classic collection for Spring/Summer 2015 pairs airy colours with elaborate feminine details, creating the perfect pieces to wear to a garden party or summer wedding. Here are my favourite looks from the NARCES collection on Day 2 of World MasterCard Fashion Week.
This last dress, a daringly modern take on 1920s glamour, was an absolute showstopper and would fit perfectly in one of Gatsby’s parties. My bet is a star wears this on the red carpet next Oscar season!
Before we close the post, I want to draw attention to the gorgeous shoes used in the NARCES collection. Those cream-and-gold t-strap heels are beautiful. Keep an eye out for how to shop them in my holiday gift guide, coming soon!
What do you think of NARCES SS15? Which look is your favourite?
Two days ago I had the pleasure of discovering New York designer brand Lafayette 148 NY at their trunk show in Halifax, showcasing their Fall 2014 collection. The beautiful pieces are the epitome of quality, elegance and professionalism, and promise graceful fall wear for daytime and evening, office and cocktail. Sound like your cup of coffee? Join me on a tour of my top choices from the L148NY Fall 2014 collection, starting with this business beautiful grey dress!
This detail is consistent across Lafayette’s line, hiding the back zip under a complementing band of fabric. It’s a simple yet effective way to maintain the sophisticated, well-constructed work Lafayette is known for.
Hold up, take a second look at that cityscape dress up there - how cool is that print? As a total city girl and someone who goes to a lot of business functions, this dress is a dream. It’s modern, chic, form-fitting and totally professional. And if a dress isn’t quite your style, it also comes in this jacket:
Speaking of jackets, a fall collection wouldn’t be complete without gorgeous outerwear. The quality of materials and the sheer craftsmanship of the details in these pieces are breathtaking.
This beautiful reversible coat in soft leather blends warm brown and grey in a light coat for fall. It’s the perfect day-to-night coat, one you can slip on over a pantsuit to go to the office, then wrap over your cocktail dress for evening drinks. Don’t you just love its warm, neutral tones? As an added bonus, it’s reversible!
Then there’s this gorgeous coat in the best unexpected fall colour, electric blue. Another perfect example of day-to-night wear, this coat compliments almost any outfit and any body type. Its subtle details and energizing colour combine to give you a coat that will brighten up any fall, late summer, or even early winter outfit.
So, what do you think? I’m completely in love with Lafayette’s collection. My favourite piece overall has to be…all of them! But if I could only buy one, it would be that cityscape dress. It’s just so unique! That’s what I love about Lafayette 148, every piece is unique and impeccably constructed.
Ever wanted to know what you’d look like in a $400 scarf? Designer Emilio Pucci has released an app that lets you superimpose styled scarves on pictures of yourself, giving you a free ticket to his scarves - or at least to looking like you have them. The app is surprisingly well built, giving users colour and style options and allowing a full range of motion when resizing and repositioning the scarves on your photos. It’s a bit buggy at times, but it’s a fun way to spice up your pics and play around with the beautiful scarves Pucci offers without spending a dime. Pucci also has a tumblr page up and running where they are displaying the #PucciScarfies submitted on Instagram and by email! Can you find mine in there?
What are you waiting for? Go take your #PucciScarfie and see yourself on Pucci’s tumblr page!
Simplicity, quietness, peace of mind: three things we as a culture are losing with the ever-growing prevalence of digital devices in our lives. Ask anyone with a cellphone if they could live without it, and they’ll probably tell you a resounding “no.” Ask them when they last turned off their phone, and many will tell you “never.” Once just a means of talking to each other, phones have evolved into so, so much more. They’re our connection to each other, to entertainment, and to the rest of the world. But sometimes being so connected distracts us from the moment, which is arguably the most important time of our lives.
In an innovative and unexpected collaboration, Trident (yes, the gum Trident!) has teamed up with Japanese designer and innovator Kunihiko Morinaga of ANREALAGE to create FOCUS: Life Gear by Trident, a lifestyle fashion line made of radio frequency shielding fabric.
FOCUS was born from the intention to take back the focus in our lives. The special fabric shields radio frequencies, so when you put your phone in your pocket it is cut off from communication, effectively turning it off and giving you precious moments of solitude within your busy life.
The pieces in the collection are futuristic, monochromatic and oddly mesmerizing, especially when you realize that they are entirely seamless and made by heat fusion and laser cutting! Designer Morinaga did a fantastic job of integrating nods to technology and the digital age into his designs, with an industrial colour palette, clean cuts and fused details reminiscent of computer circuitry.
But for all the utilitarian beauty and idealistic intentions of this collection, it’s worth asking whether people would actually use it. Personally, I would rather just turn off my phone or leave it at home than not have the option to receive messages! The only time I would use this is when I was doing yoga, but that happens at most once a week and I wouldn’t be wearing these thick clothes while doing so. At the media preview party they gave us pouches crafted from the very same fabric, and I can assure you that it does blog cell signal. I have yet to use it for that purpose, but maybe I’ll make it part of a party game or something - everyone who plays has to put their phone in so they’re at the party, in the moment.
It’s also worth asking why Trident, a gum company, has taken on a fashion line! I got a chance to meet with the marketing manager at Trident, who told me that the company’s goals and products are very much in line with this idea of a “distraction-free lifestyle,” so it seemed a natural fit to embark on a project supporting distraction-free fashion. Okay, I can kind-of-not-really see the relationship between gum and lack of cellphone reception. But regardless of this collection’s practicality, there’s no denying that this is a thought-provoking conversation starter that will put Trident back on people’s minds.
What do you think of this Trident/Morinaga collaboration? Would you wear clothes that make you FOCUS? Let me know in the comments below!
This Saturday I went to a tea party at the Jeanne Lottie Pink House in Yorkville, hosted by Jeanne Lottie and The Loved One! It was a beautiful, hot day and it was great to spend some time with the lovely ladies and lads. I’ve been a fan of Jeanne Lottie purses for years and have used them in many photoshoots and events, so I was so happy to finally get to meet Jane Ip, the designer behind the brand.
Antonia Akai-Casuccio of The Loved One was co-hosting the event - the pieces she brought were absolutely exquisite. If you’re looking for special occasion accessories, The Loved One is the place to go. This beautiful beaded collar was handmade by Antonia. Wouldn’t you just love to wear it? I can see it with a charcoal dress and a loosened braided chignon.
I love this handcrafted tulip hairpiece from The Loved One’s David Dunkley collection. All the feathers are individually hand cut, each petal hand shaped and hand painted. Such a show stopper!
Antonia also brought pieces by jewelry designer Margaret Rowe. These stunning bracelets and necklaces are reminiscent of old Hollywood, and carry a timeless elegance about them. The Gatsby Braided Bracelet and Nouveau Bouquet Cuff below are my favourites from the collection. Follow the links to see them on The Loved Ones’ website. :)
The Pink House is filled with purses upon clutches upon totes - it’s like a handbag-lover’s Heaven! There’s something for everyone in here, whether you’re looking for a colourful everyday piece or an eye-catching crystal and stud clutch.
We snapped a picture together - I call it “Black-Haired Beauties.” :P This photo really captures the fun of the Pink House. The whimsical purple walls, crystal chandelier, and candy-colourful purses make it feel like something out of a movie. Before you ask, my little pink purse is indeed a Jeanne Lottie! It was my very first one that I got as a gift years ago. It’s the perfect size for events and I’m convinced it’s magic because it somehow fits my phone, keys, cards, and camera!
I love this picture of my Michael Kors heels, taken by another tea party guest. These heels are fairly high but so comfortable! Alright, I’ll admit that my feet hurt after three and a half hours of standing in them, but considering their height I’m very happy with how easy they are to wear. For the record: yes, I am wearing nude heels on fuchsia tights. I like the combo for this outfit, what do you think?
What a beautiful and refreshing day. Those girls sure know how to throw a party! The Pink House is so cute and I’m looking forward to going back again soon. Next time you’re in Yorkville, be sure to stop by at 32 Scollard Street!
Yesterday I posted about the Grand Opening of the new Kate Spade flagship store in Yorkville, which is probably my favourite area of Toronto. The new Kate Spade is just another reason to visit the area, added to my list of favourite stores there: Chanel for timelessness, Nike for modern comfort that somehow manages to make neon shoes trendy, and of course Holt Renfrew for all things divine. Holt’s is a fashion lover’s heaven, so imagine my excitement when I found out about their spring designer sale!
The sale features select pieces from the spring collections of most designers, including some of my faves like Roberto Cavalli and Burberry. The sale opened on Friday and pieces are going fast, especially in the shoe department! I’ve never seen so many people in that part of the store at one time. Luckily, the clothing racks are spread all around the store and have dramatically reduced prices!
I LOVE this leather jacket from Burberry. It’s borderline steampunk and so beautiful! Perfect for people with natural curves. Burberry is one of those designers that I’ve never seen a bad piece from. Everything they make is awesome! Check out these intricate leather pants by Roberto Cavalli, aren’t they unique? I mean, you’d have to have legs like Heidi Klum’s to pull them off, but dang what a statement you’d make if you did! Oh Holt Renfrew, I love your summery mason jar displays. Let’s go downstairs and look at accessories!
How cute are these watermelon-red Kate Spade sunglasses?
And this Tory Burch purse is so perfect for summer ice cream on the weekends or dinner with the girls after work.
And of course, I couldn’t leave without getting something! But what could it be?
