Missed me?

ph. Sara A. Tremblay


Well, after a near two month hiatus, I am indeed back in action. Unfortunately, having been at camp in Algonquin Park (read: the middle of a forest in Northern Ontario) all summer, the closest encounter I've had to anything fashionable is an all green uniform and an abundance of crocs-wearing kids. So be patient as I catch up on the abundance of news, ads, collections, and covers that I've missed and look forward to updates soon.

Also, as you may recall, I'm moving to New York City in T-minus one week so I should have some interesting tales to tell regarding how the hell I'm going to fit all my clothes into a shoebox-sized dorm room. Wish me luck.

Commuun-al

Commuun was created in 2005 by Kaito Hori and Iku Furudate. The brand was established in the spirit of sustainable, environmentally-freindly clothing, however a quick glance at the site doesn't reveal any of the Birkenstocks-and-dreadlocks stereotypes evoked by that sentiment. Instead, the fall collection offers a slew of uncluttered Jil Sander-esque looks and precisely cut garments. The designer pair has won two well-deserved awards from ANDAM this year- The LVMH award and the Longchamp Award. Pick up their pieces in Toronto at Noir boutique, in Paris at Marie Louisa, or in London at Dover Street Market and go green without looking like you're on a desperate hunt for some trees to hug.

commuun

Hit The Books

As set as I am for a summer of bikinis, pool parties and relaxation, 12 years of uniform-wearing and backpack-toting have lent a sort of comforting sense to academic style. Perhaps this is only a product of my nostalgia less than 7 hours after my own high school graduation, but I don't think I'm the only one who can't resist a little collegiate charm. With oxford shoes and knee-socks popping up everywhere from MisShapes to Paris fashion week and even the notoriously sloppy Mary-Kate trading in her baggy layers for a more refined sensibility, it seems fashion is yearning to take up its place within ivy-covered walls.

Oh, and in case you're wondering...the background is indeed my own school and the bottom picture is myself and my friends in the outfit I've worn every day since I was 5. Think I could pull off wearing it to lectures next year at NYU?

Photo of the Day

ph. F. Horvat

Model Mondays: Eva Arlauskaite

Eva was a favorite of mine at the start of the shows back in March, and her runway work for Prada, Miu Miu, and Givenchy did not disappoint. Somehow, though, I got a little sidetracked with the explosive careers of my other two front-runners, namely Irina K. and Anabela, while Eva's career progressed more gradually. Her recent performance in a Qvest Germany editorial, however, has peaked my interest yet again and got my fingers crossed in hopes of some more major work. The girl knows how to work a camera without any extra glitz- which is saying a lot for someone who only started getting in front of it a few short months ago. This Lithuanian stunner is represented by D-Max back home, IMG in Paris and New York, and Women in Milan. With a line up like that, Eva's career is set to erupt with just as much force as her contemporaries.

The Ad Report:Fall/Winter 2007-2008

Well...I'm finally back in action after an exhausting exam week. And what do you know? A whole slew of ad campaigns have now been released and are ripe for critiquing. Here are some highlights, lowlights, and other notables so far:

Kate Moss for Roberto Cavalli
I don't think this would even merit a second glance if I saw it in a magazine. It's been done a million times before and I can barely distinguish it from Ms. Moss's previous Cavalli campaigns.

Pete Doherty for Roberto Cavalli

I'm not gonna lie...I was kind of looking forward to seeing Pete done up in some gaudy silk-and-furs combo as a nice contrast to his previous stint as muse to Hedi-skinny ties ,skinny jeans, skinny boys-Slimane. I do have a bit of a soft spot for anything this Lindbergh-y, though, so it's a pleasant surprise.

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Catherine McNeil for Donna Karan
Very Bond. Very Bianca (Balti, that is). Very blah. Not particularly excited by this as you can probably tell...

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Kate Moss for Longchamp
Yes, Kate is once again saturating every fashion magazine around in this season's campaign lineup, though perhaps not to the ridiculous degree we've experienced as of late. Longchamp's images have improved tenfold from last season, and once you get past the fact that they practically are that recent W editorial with Sheila and Lara, I think they make for a gorgeous set.



Now we just have to sit back and wait for the rest to pour in this summer...

Excuses, Excuses

Please excuse the lack of posting on my part...I'm knee-deep in exams and unfortunately forced to do lifesaving training 11 hours a day. Fall ad season is upon us, though, so I'll be back with plenty to say in no time.

Photo Of The Day

ph. Louis Park

Laing Heads Back North

What comes to mind when you think of Canadian fashion? An endless list of models? The atrocity that is D2Squared? Well, contrary to popular belief, there is in fact a little more to us northerners than that (not much, but a little). Toronto-born Jeremy Laing has never been one for this city's L'Oreal Fashion Week, choosing instead to jump straight to the big leagues and stage his first runway show last September in New York. His fan base has been growing rapidly ever since, and he is often praised as one of the scene's most promising newcomers. Word on the street is that Holt Renfrew has been persuading Jeremy to host a one-off show down at a certain gallery downtown. I'm not sure when it's due to happen, but all I can say is that I better still be around town when it does...

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jeremylaing.com

Q&A with Jeremy Laing at Pretty Pretty

The Official Site

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A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words...

If only I could always sign my name in Inez & Vinoodh photographs...

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For this and more check out graphic artists MM Paris.

Photo of the Day

ph. Phil Poynter

Model Mondays: Eva Helene Skarvig

This week's pick has been in the game a little over a year now, and is slowly but surely establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with. Her Danish roots provoked early Freja comparisons, but Eva's soft features spared her any clone accusations. Now with IMG, she got her start as a competitor in the Ford Supermodel of the Year. Eva didn't win the contest, but somehow I think her spot in Prada's fall show was a nice enough consolation prize. Recently Ms. Skarvig has been keeping busy with spring campaigns for Vera Wang and TopShop and editorials in Cover and V. If her frequent appearances in the cruise shows are any indication, Eva's star is showing no sign of dimming just yet.

A Game with Gatsby

I can't remember the last time I picked up a copy of Glamour, but these shots by photographer Stefania Paparelli might just provoke me to go out and purchase the June 2007 Italian version. Something about the combination of vintage movie-esque lighting, frothy white gowns, and sports equipment just gets me. Before you head out to your next tennis game swathed in Chanel, though, mosey on over to the photographer's site here and indulge in a few more delectable offerings.

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fotodecadent

Elizabeth and James by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Before the buzz surrounding the Olsens' first foray into high-end fashion, The Row, has even dies out, they announce the upcoming launch of their contemporary line, Elizabeth and James. It is akin to Vince and Marc by Marc, price-wise, which seems to be more reasonable given the average age of the twins' followers than the $500 t-shirts saturating The Row. Named after their less-famous siblings, the collection does indeed seem to reflect what the girls have been wearing as of late. My only issue is that the sequined minidress, modelled after one of Mary-Kate's own vintage finds, conjures a few too many images of Miss Moss's recent Topshop debacle.

Expect a full dressing-room report this fall once Elizabeth and James hits the racks at Bergdorf's and Intermix in NYC.

wwd & double-olsens

Closet Raiding

I have a cool grandmother. Very cool, in fact. So cool that the other week she invited me over to raid her amazing collection of clothing and jewellery from back in the day (also known as the 60's). Given that she's about 7 inches shorter than me, the fits of the dresses and tops were less than ideal, but this was more than made up for when I moved on to the AMAZING selection of coats. As it is, I have a serious thing for outerwear.

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My jackets alone are currently threatening to take over my entire closet. So, as you can imagine, my reaction upon seeing a pile of vintage coats mine for the taking was nothing short of elation. Scores from the day (shown above) include: a voluminous hot pink Pierre Cardin number, 2 dark grey Geoffrey Beene coat dresses, a cream & navy Philipe Venet coat, and a pale pink Courreges with cream grosgrain trim. My slight obsession with all things fashion is a bit of a running joke in my family, and I don't think it helped that I started rambling on about my love for Andre Courreges when I caught a glimpse of the last one.

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Obviously I have no intention of enduring the 25 degree summer heat in any of these, so I'll just have to wait (im)patiently for fall to arrive and the weather to cool down. With my college-student budget, I have a feeling there will be more to come of this kind of "shopping" next year.

Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2007: First Looks

On Sunday morning at the Toronto Fashion Bloggers Brunch someone commented on how rare it is to see Ghesquiere's Balenciaga worn well off the runway. As evidenced by Miss Blanchett at the MET gala and, well, the mere presence of C3PO leggings in the spring show, many of the looks are not made for the average person (not to suggest Cate is average or anything...). Fall, however, brings us a collection of heavily street-inspired garments that may just up the label's wearability, at least for a season. From velvet blazers to kafiyah-esque scarves, could this new direction be a testament to Ghesquiere's versatility, or just a sign he's heading down a commercial path? Whether we'll start seeing the runway makeup on the streets as well remains to be seen...

frillr & style.com

Model Mondays: Helen Feskens

prettypretty.be

Another week, another Belgian. This former Supreme model has been flying under the radar for a while now as she finishes up her schooling, but has still managed to shoot for Dazed & Confused, Lula, and Italian Glamour as well as walk for Yohji Yamamoto and Charles Anastase. Her hair is much shorter now than in the above photo, but I find Supreme's cutting practices a tad questionable, so I'll just pretend it never changed. From the looks of Helen's Dominique Models portfolio she has had ample work around Belgium, but for now we can just keep our fingers crossed that the rest of Europe will soon take notice.

Valentino Cruise 2008

firstview
The whole concept of cruise collections is purely commercial, and Valentino apparently has no qualms with making this fact glaringly apparent. The vibe at his recent show was eerily Stepford-esque, with even the models themselves looking like they'd be right at home behind a white picket fence. Not that I've ever found myself waiting eagerly for his collection photos on style.com, but with cruise season becoming increasingly prominent way to tide fashionistas over between fall and couture, Valentino just may want to step up his game.

Photo of the Day

ph. Herb Ritts

TFBB VII

Finally committed. See you there!

Settle the Score: Carine vs. Wintour

Renee sitting on a bunny or Catherine in bunny ears? Take your pick.

Photo of the Day

ph. Wendy Bevan

Model Mondays: Coryse Smet

This Belgian has strong features without a hint of passé bug-eyed-ness about her. Coryse is on the road to greatness. Signed with DNA in New York and Women Milan, here's to hoping we'll be seeing this feline beauty setting the catwalk on fire next season.

Fashionable Arithmetic

Tim Walker+ Stella Tennant+ Vogue Italia= Utter Brilliance

ANTM Polaroids

Say what you will about that jaw line, but I think she may just be the best winner so far.

Nylon June/July 2007: The White Stripes ph. Kenneth Cappello

It's another MySpace issue and I'm not a huge fan of the cover band. Now, this wouldn't usually bode well for a magazine, but let's be honest... anyone is better than Lindsay. Anyone.

And once you move past the MySpace thing (I know it's hard but give it a shot) the content actually sounds rather decent. Voxtrot, Feist, Kings of Leon, and The Virgins are all featured, plus there's an article with Darla Baker, who seems like a total sweetie.

Nylon boycott officially over...for now.

Photo of the Day

ph. Chiara Romagnoli

Model Mondays: Laragh McCann

This 16-year-old Dubliner's extraterrestrial beauty is bound to make waves this coming season. She's already captured the attention of major industry players- walking for Marc Jacobs, Dries Van Noten, and Prada as well as shooting the stunning Valentino Red campaign with Mert & Marcus. Hopefully the luck of the Irish will be on Laragh's side this spring once she finishes up school and begins to pursue modelling full-force.

Bonjour, Yves

I need not explain the reasoning behind my absolute adoration of Yves Saint Laurent, however I hope these peeks into the life of the man himself, taken from a biography I'm currently reading, encourage you to share in my devotion.























From his days as the dauphin of Dior to his depression and ultimate isolation, Yves' life and work continue to permeate every aspect of fashion today.

























I swiped my copy from a cruise ship a few months ago (clearly the warning label on the back cover did little to deter me...) but I highly recommend you go out and pick up a copy of this biography. It's resplendent with juicy fashion tidbits, not only about Yves, but also Kaiser Karl and Diana Vreeland among others.