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

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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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

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.

Los Angeles, I'm Yours

What comes to mind when you think of LA fashion? Lindsay Lohan et al's paparazzi-friendly style? The Cobrasnake's brigade of underage hipsters? A few burgeoning labels are out to change all this, merging East Coast-like maturity with West Coast ease.

Crispin & Basilio

Philippines-born designer Donny Barios's designs are refined, feminine, and totally and utterly covetable. The former menswear designer drapes rougher-hewn fabrics like wool-felt and gabardine into relaxed, wearable shapes. “My menswear background has given me the utmost careful respect for designing for women." says Barrios, "Sometimes your liabilities can turn out to be your voice.” From the looks of the fall collection, snapped by filedunderwant, it doesn't appear that Crispin & Basilio is in any danger of losing this voice anytime soon.

Unhee
I have the feeling that Unhee's playful aesthetic would be just as at home on the playground as it is on the backs of stylish LA filles. The current collection features voluminous sleeves reminiscent of Stella McCartney’s spring line, playful bubble-hem dresses, and rompers galore. Young designer Suzy Yun can herself be found blogging at trueheartsblue about her line and other daily adventures.

Society For Rational Dress The brainchild of LA-born Corinne Grassini, Society For Rational Dress takes cerebral dressing and pares it down to its utmost wearable basics. The sex appeal of the line is anything but in-your-face, as the subtle chain and buckle details prove. And that West Coast ease I mentioned earlier? Add a few pieces from the spring collection into your wardrobe and poof! Insta-easygoing intellectual.

So there you have it, three labels that are taking the idea of LA fashion to the next level. I've never been overly fond of the city itself, but perhaps this is just the first in a series of steps towards my approval.