Milan Fashion Week: The Mens Shows

It’s fashion week in Milan, and the first looks of Men’s Ready-to-Wear are now available. Alessandro Dell’ Acqua, Jil Sander and Alexander McQueen showed very strong collections as per usual. All three designers played up sheer materials, giving glimpses of the body throughout the show. Going retro, Alexander McQueen and Missoni have created a sensational buzz reaffirming masculinity with broad shoulders and fitted form, moving away from the extreme fitted look. Cardigans have carried over in many of the designers’ collections and the fabrics have lightened up, allowing for the Spring breeze. One of the changes we see comes from Marni; designer Consuela Castiglioni has taken a different approach to the suit this Spring. Her change? The cropped blazer. Joining her in this trend is Prada, suit veterans Calvin Klein and Versace have all stuck to what they know best and showed a very classic blazer.

Legendary Lagerfeld Stops Traffic

Karl Lagerfeld, the renound designer behind Chanel and the Karl Lagerfeld label, has taken a different route (no pun intended) in his publicity recently. The 'Kaiser' now appears on billboards across France promoting road safety. Lagerfeld is shown wearing a neon yellow safety vest, with the intent of encouraging the citizens of France to take the initiative and wear safety vests, despite how ugly they are, in case of emergency where one has to pull their car over. Hopefully this ad will convince the stylish citizens of France to put fashion in check in the name of safety. It will soon become a national law that every car must be equiped with the vests, along with a road triangle kit.

This attempt to grab the public's attention seems to be working, considering whatever Lagerfeld says, seems to go.

The ads feature the King of Couture along with text that translates, "It’s yellow, it’s ugly, it doesn’t match anything, but it might save your life." Not surprisingly, Lagerfeld seems to pull off the look. If only we could all look so hip in yellow safety vests.

Vous êtes toujours si chic, Karl!

Attention Sample Sale Junkies!

If you love a great designer deal, be sure to check out the Arthur Mendonca Inventory & Sample Sale. The sale ends on Friday so be sure to get there as soon as possible for some inexpensive treats!

50% off Arthur Mendonca
Wednesday June 25-Friday June 27
219 Dufferin Street, Suite 112c
(south building entrance)

Accepts cash, Visa/Master Card

Hartnett for Armani!

Attention Josh Hartnett fans! The former 40 Days and 40 Nights star is the new face for Emporio Armani's new campaign for Diamonds for Men cologne. Set to launch in Spring/Summer 2009 in Milan, the new ads show the young actor looking, well, a little more grown up.

Armani has commented on his choice by saying that Hartnett has "a charm and charisma that is magnetic. His individuality, allure and nonchalant way of being are all qualities which inspired me in the creation of this new fragrance."

Alongside Hartnett, the female counterpart for Armani's Diamonds for Women is Beyonce Knowles.

The Diamonds fragrance will be available beginning August 2008.

White Jeans: Clean, Crisp, Sophisticated

Warm weather has finally hit Toronto, and with its official arrival this past weekend why not try out one this seasons hottest looks: white jeans. Sporting this look provides a clean, crisp and sophisticated summer look. Historically, the general public has avoided the ‘white’ jean with the fear that it may be unflattering and too easy to stain. This season, why not take the leap into white and make a statement? White jeans are the perfect compliment to summer weather, giving a bright and soft look whether you are walking the streets of Toronto, up at the cottage for the weekend, or on vacation to a sunny spot.

The FABRIC look: a pale pair of Alberto five pocket stretch white jeans, teamed up with a light blue dress shirt by Stone House and a vintage skinny tie. This look comes compliments of Stone House at the Eaton Centre.

Dress it up: adding a fitted blazer easily transforms this look into work appropriate or ready for a night on the town.

Dress it down: loose the tie and add a navy or white summer scarf. Finish this look with a pair of tortoise aviators or wayfarers and you're ready to climb aboard!

Wrangler, Levis, Nudie, Gucci, Dior, Lacoste, Prada, and Michael Kors all make fantastic white denim. Dive into summer head first!

Model : Randy - Stylus

ALERT **** S A L E **** ALERT

Triumph Warehouse Sale
Initially June 10-15 but extended until Sunday June 22nd
Thursday 11am-9pm
Friday 11am-9pm
Sat/Sun 10am-6pm

Address:
2320 Bristol Circle
Unit #4
Oakville, ON

Prices:
$8.99 for bras
$4.99 for underwear

Addicted to H&M

Our addiction to H&M grows. In an economy that is slowing down and a recession is looming that will no doubt cripple the Canadian fashion industry, retail giant H&M is cashing in, in a big way. "The Swedish fast-fashion giant said second quarter profits after financial items improved 6 percent to 5.43 billion kronor, or $839.3 million, boosted by a 25 percent sales gain in May after adverse weather conditions hamstrung sales in March and April. Sales in the second quarter rose 7.8 percent to 21.61 billion kronor, or $3.34 billion." (Source, WWD).

To read more on the impact of H&M, pick up the fall issue of FABRIC Magazine. Want a free copy?
e-mail: info@stlyuscommunications.ca

Shopping From Home!

One of the keys to fashion is knowing where to shop for the latest looks. Gone are the days where the big catalogues are sent to your home; the internet is the new mall. We love to hang out at www.Bluefly.com. Bluefly carries designers from Armani to Zegna. If you are a frugal fashionista, check the site daily as the sales departments often have deals so good you'd think you are buying knock offs on Spadina!

Summer/Fall 2008 Hair!

Summertime is officially here and with the new season comes the yearning for a new haircut and style. We've interviewed a dozen of the hottest salons in Toronto and we've come up with the top celebrity haircuts and styles and most requested colours, as well as the freshest hairstyle predictions for Fall '09.

The top requested celebrity haircuts are the short Katie Holmes bob; the Victoria Beckham bob which is longer at the front with face-framing layers, and shorter at the back; the Agyness Deyn androgynous short cut; and the Rihanna bob. As you can tell, the look for the next little while is 'something different', as Lora Sousa from Fringe Salon filled us in on.

Although shorter cuts are high on the style radar these days, for those of you who like to keep your mane lengthy, Puja of Appearances Hairstyling/Beauty Salon says that the top styles are side-swept bangs (especially for evening events), soft Angelina Jolie-esque curls for the fall, and the classic summery wave à la Olsen twins.

In terms of colour, this summer the Paris Hilton solid platinum blonde is making a comeback, as well as tons of requests for deep chocolates, apricot golds, and vibrant reds, says Alyssa at Hair Sprung.

Mary Louise from GLO Salon was kind enough to poll her staff regarding Fall 2008 trends in haircuts, and adds that Madonna and Nicole Richie are both top requested celebrity haircuts. In terms of colour, GLO says we'll be seeing an imitation of the "spice rack" with rich brunettes and bold reds, but adds that blonde will never be out of fashion, especially the much loved glamerous 1920s Hollywood platinum. GLO also gave us the scoop on the new and hot fall styles, including an interesting turn towards hairstyles with random straightened and curled pieces. As a rule of thumb, Mary tells us that hair usually follows the cycle of long and straightened cuts to short and blonde bobs and then again towards layered cuts. Check out GLO salon if you're looking for a hot new look!

In general, we've been hearing that the outlook for Fall '09 is a continuation of the short brunette and amber cuts, as well as long, feminine, brunette and blonde curls. Stay tuned!


Fringe Salon / 1336 Queen Street West / (416) 588-1336

Appearances Hairstyling & Beauty Salon / 508 Yonge Street / (416) 975-5553
http://www.appearances.ca/

Hair Sprung / 3037 Dundas Street West / M6P 1Z5
http://http://www.hair-sprung.net/


GLO Salon / 94 Avenue Road/ 416-928-1503 / http://www.glosalon.ca/

Chanel's Haute New Face

Move over, Keira! It was announced this weekend that Emma Watson (one Hermione Granger, of the Harry Potter films) will be the new face of legendary French fashion house, Chanel. The young starlet, only 18 years old, who is worth an estimated $23 million, has apparently signed a $6 million contract to be the new face of Coco Mademoiselle. A representative from Chanel says, “Chanel has been dressing Emma for film premieres and parties in recent months to integrate her into the brand. Once it became clear she is growing into a beautiful young woman and wears the Chanel brand so elegantly, they had to sign her up. Chanel realises it is important to target a young audience."

Watson will be replacing her fellow Brit, Keira Knightley, at the end of this summer when her contract as the face of Coco Mademoiselle expires. But perhaps it's not all over for Keira at Chanel. A brand representative commented that, "Knightley will be given a new role at Chanel when Watson takes over." Also coming onto the Chanel roster come 2009 will be Audrey Tautou, star of 'Amelie' and 'The Da Vinci Code', who will be replacing Nicole Kidman in the Chanel No. 5 ads.


Exciting times for Chanel!

Resort Ready

Because of our late-blooming spring and summer weather here in Canada and much of North America, most of us don't begin shopping for summer clothing until we find ourselves suffocating in our knits and layers. Often, the problem arises that by the time we are ready to shop for a summer wardrobe, designers are already in full gear for their fall/winter collections and even chain retailers have sold out of your size and dumped the summer goodies in a discount bin. Although it's a pain to know that the months of September-December are the best times to buy your summer clothes for the following year, we may take leisure in the fact that because fashion is always so ahead of the game, we get to cop style ideas from Resort Collections from the runway reports just as it's getting toasty in the town. Whereas the Resort collections, originally started by Dolce & Gabanna, were traditionally reserved for celebrities purchasing warm-climate clothing for their resort vacations to sunny destinations, Resort has now become a full-fledged season with a shifting focus from what to wear on vacation to what to wear right now. Resort wear tends to be light in weight, often made in silk, cotton, linen, denim, or microfibre, easy to pack or wash, and following the Nautical or Hawaian style. Evening and Caftan dresses, lightweight shorts, swimwear, open toed sandals and lightweight footwear in general, as well as light dinner jackets for men take the platform as Resort wear hits the runway catwalk. Inspiration for the now year-round Resort Collections is often drawn from Indonesia, Southeast Asia, South Africa, Costa Rica and Spain.

Follow the link below to check out full coverage of the runway reports from the Resort Collections '09. Dare to be inspired!

http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/resort/

Missoni's Next Level in Luxury

The celebrated fashion house, Missoni, is due to launch three luxury hotels in 2008. These lavish hotels will be opening in Kuwait, Dubai, and Edinburgh later this year. Rezidor-SAS Hospitality sealed the licensing deal with the revered design house in 2005 and plans have been in the works since then. The CEO of Rezidor-SAS, Kurt Ritter comments, “Although several lifestyle and boutique hotels have already entered this market segment, we strongly believe that the market is only ready now to embrace a truly global, yet individualistic, lifestyle brand, such as Hotel Missoni”.

These hotels, offering approximately 200 luxury guest rooms each, will feature Missoni Cucina restaurant, Mocha Missoni coffee bars, Missoni Lounges, and Missoni Spas. The interior design in these lavish hotspots will be conceptualized by Studio Thun, which is a Milan-based design company owned by celebrated architect Matteo Thun. Hotel Missoni will be the first luxury hotel in Kuwait, Hotel Missoni in Dubai boasts a view of the Arabian Gulf, and Hotel Missoni Edinburgh will line the esteemed Royal Mile.

In other recent endeavours, Missoni has also just recently announced a children's clothing line, a Home collection, and a joint fragrance line with Estée Lauder.

Rezidor-SAS hopes to launch 30 Missoni Hotels by 2010.

Jessica Takes on Victoria

As if handbags, fragrances, a clothing line, and tuna are not enough; Jessica Simpson has added lingerie to the list of products she is slapping her name on. Jessica intimates are due to appear in retailers soon. Her comment?

“I like different lingerie for different occasions”

Gladiators to the Maximus

In case you've been under a rock for the past little while, gladiator sandals are hot, hot, hot. In what has seemed to be a millisecond, everyone and their mother's have doned these tasty little strapped sandals and tossed their flip flops into oblivion (phew, finally!). These sandals can be worn in gradients of strappiness, ranging from a slight twist on the classic summer flat sandal, to calf-high, strap-intense kicks. The sexy heel version is a great way to take this refreshing summer trend from day to night, especially if paired with a high waisted skirt or some skinny jeans. If you're too timid for the heels or the calf-highs, have to fear - several designers have created toned-down versions of the gladiator sandal which may be more appropriate for some of you who are on the fence about this look.

Remember that these shoes are a statement piece and definitely a stand out accessory, so be careful not to over-accessorize.

If you're in the GTA, the best places to look for the gladiator sandal are: Capezio, Brown's, Stone Ridge, Aldo, Nine West, American Eagle for a toned down version or even Payless if you don't feel like investing too much coin into this look.

More Sex!

Attention all you Sex and the City fans! In case you haven't yet caught the SATC fever that seems to be sweeping the continent, Kristin Davis, A.K.A. Charlotte York, will be releasing a fashion line later this year. Joining her colleague Sarah Jessica Parker's fashion line, Bitten, Davis' line, which she says will draw inspiration from her hit series character, Charlotte, is set to launch in the fall at Belk stores across the states. The South Carolina native tells WWD, “I grew up shopping at Belk. It was the nicest store we had, and I’d save my allowance to go.” Lucky for those of us who cannot access one of the 16 US Belk locations, her ultra-fem line of intimates, footwear, handbags and jewelry will be available at http://belk.com starting this fall. Dive in!

P.S. Anyone else wondering how much Candance Bushnell is cashing out these days?

A Place for Today's Man

Last night was the opening of Stonehouse at the Toronto Eaton Centre. Stonehouse is a new menswear store by fashion veterans Grafton and Fraser Company. The new store has carefully positioned its product and price point very well between Harry Rosen and Tip Top Tailors. Offering premium quality and tailored suiting in luxury fabrics, Stonehouse is classic yet contemporary, carrying leading fashion brands such as Strellson, Bugatti, Tiger of Sweden, Andrew Marc, Robert Graham, Agave Denim, English Laundry and more, in addition to its in-house Stonehouse label. CEO Glenn Stonehouse’s growing menswear concepts state that “today’s consumer is uniquely aware of current styles and trends,” and that “men are putting more thought into what they wear.” Finally, there are more options for the modern fashionable man.

Tame That Mane

Frizzy hair doesn’t only frazzle you, but can make you look frazzled as well. In preparation for the exhausting humidity and 40 degree weather, we here at SC are going to offer some tips to avoid unpleasant frizz. Kim, a stylist from EXIT SALON, suggests that you should “try not to overwork your hair. Keep it natural, keep it fun!”

Curly hair tends to be frizzy from the get-go, but with using product that has coconut oil or silicon (which gives hair weight without making it look heavy), your curls can be refined and look their absolute best. One product Kim suggests is Redken’s Fresh Curls Curl Refiner, which has an anti-frizz protein, providing the hair with protection against static and frizz.

Now, for you ladies and gentlemen with straight hair. Sometimes when you add serum or oil it can leave the hair looking greasy and dirty. Where curly hair loves product, straight hair is not as absorbing. Products with anti-humectants keeps the hair cuticle closed, blocking out unnecessary moisture throughout the day. Redken makes a product called Align which provides a lot of slick. Instead of the silicon used to curly hair, Align has Shea butter which when added heat gives a silky, smooth, light finish.

EXIT SALON is Redken’s flagship salon, but can also be found at most beauty supply outlets. Pricing for the professional product range from $15-$25.

A Cruel Summer

If you're a Canadian, you are probably well aware of the possibility that summer may not ever arrive. However, despite the chilly circumstances we withstand as we type this blog, we are also brimming with the hope of some sunshine in the near future. Although it may be more realistic to pick up and move to L.A. where the sun seems to shine even on the Olsen twins, we've compiled a few of our favourite swimsuit looks for your pleasure today. Luckily, these colourful and fun bathing suits (some of which may give questionable tan lines, we'll admit) are so chic, even if you don't get a chance to wear them between now and Labour Day, Spring Break '09 will be charmed.

Most collections were showing asymmetric designs, geometric and animal print, itsy-bitsy bikinis, cut-away swimsuits, and the classic one-piece, paired with the timeless sarong or the newer and cuter Caftan dress. Inspirations in fabric treatments include braiding, draping, sheer layering, and twisting. Drawn from Romanticism, Mod-vibe, Miami Art Deco, Hollywood Glamour, and unpredictable mixes.
Here's hoping!

From the runway to the walk of Fame

June 3rd added a new star to Canada's Walk of Fame, top model Daria Werbowy. The Canadian native has appeared in numerous Vogue editorials, campaigns, and has a long term contract with Lancome. She now joins the ranks of Linda Evangelista for her star. Must be nice to be rewarded for being so dam good lookin'.

KATE LOSES ONE.....

Kate Moss, the campaign queen, loses a jewel in her crown. The spokesmodel for Agent Provocatuer (http://www.agentprovocateur.com/) has been replaced with a 20 year old unidentified model. However, Kate still reigns supreme on the latest French Vogue cover.

A Blog is Born; A Legend Passes

June 1st:
Our first post sadly accompanies the announcement of the passing of one of the fashion greats Yves Saint Laurent. He has inspired everyone from Armani to Jean Paul Gautier. In Fashion College it was not only a prerequisite to know who he was but what his influence on fashion was. The legend will be sadly missed.