Oh, George!

Oh, George vol 8 no 2 - theme and focus

2012-01-20T10:31:00.005-05:00

interesting

visual

sophisticated

fitness fashion

quirky/edgy/fresh/indie

down to earth/relatable

fashion on a budget/designer over cheap brand names

high energy/lots of personality

informative

street style

classic

Possible themes:
**The Social Issue
Class
Vintage
Black/White Album
Truth

Real fur vs. Faux fur

2011-11-10T12:25:00.002-05:00

Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing. It is a garment that has been worn throughout our history – since prehistory times. The main question is, do we buy real fur or faux fur? This has been one of the biggest debates over the last few years and has stirred up a lot of controversy within the fashion industry. Both sides are completely different. It has become an issue of ethics on one side, and an environmental issue on the other. The purpose of this article is not to make you choose between one or the other. You may be a fur fanatic or faux fur fashionista. Both have their pros and cons, and this is to simply bring up the major issues and points in both, as I think that at one point or another, we may all have questioned ourselves for either ethical or environmental issues and asked which one we should wear.

While some high-end designers such as Michael Kors embrace real fur, other designer labels such as Ralph Lauren, Chanel, and Prada have shown faux fur in some of their recent collections. This has offered a guilt-free alternative for fashion-conscious individuals and has left real fur aficionados wondering if they should turn to faux-fur instead now that high-end designers are turning to faux-fur. This faux-fur trend has been increasing for the last few years. Prada’s Fall 2011 show included a mix of both real and faux fur. Chanel’s Fall 2010 show was also mainly based on faux fur. It was everywhere – coats, boots, dresses, shoes, etc. “Global warming is the issue of our times. Fashion has to address it,” said Lagerfeld to after the successful show as mentioned in Fashionologie (http://www.fashionologie.com). According to an August 28^th, 2011 article in the Los Angeles Times, the designer told The Telegraph that he went with faux fur for two reasons:

“first, Fendi does the best real furs and he doesn't want to compete, and second, technical advances are so perfect you can hardly tell fake fur from the real thing. Fake is not chic — we have got a new Chanel tweed to stop copies — but fake fur is.”

On the other side, PETA, which is one of the world’s largest animal rights organization claims, ‘Every time we buy or wear clothing without real fur, we reduce animal suffering in the world.’ We have seen many celebrities posing for PETA’s “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” campaign in which they appear nude to express their opposition of wearing fur. Some of these celebrities include Khloe Kardashian, Elisabetta Canalis, and so on. The list of PETA supporters is endless. With less celebrities wearing real fur as more high-end designers come out with faux-fur garments, and also with PETA’s different anti-fur campaigns, it appears to be that the faux fur trend is increasing and that the stigma that used to exist in fake fur is slowly decreasing.

So we see designers such as Karl Lagerfeld coming out with beautiful faux-fur garments and celebrities posing for PETA, however we may ask ourselves, is it really ethically better to buy faux-fur? Does this have any negative impact on the environment? It surprisingly does. Many synthetic furs are made from toxic petroleum chemical which damage and pollute the earth. This has been one of the biggest concerns that have been rising in the last few years. Also, these synthetics are not biodegradable or recyclable. I have heard countless people constantly say fur lasts a lifetime, faux-fur will only last you one season. In addition, some may say that faux-fur is not environmentally clean and that it does not have the same feel and look to it compared to real fur. However at the end of the day this will really depend on the how much you decide to spend on your faux-fur coat or vest.

The following are some reasons to buy real fur vs. faux fur.

Five reasons to buy real fur:

· At the end of the day, it is a better investment

· Real fur lasts a lifetime

· It is recyclable, repairable, and can also be turned into a new garment

· Fur is biodegradable and environmentally friendly

· It has a smooth and soft feel to it

Five reasons to buy faux-fur:

· Faux fur is more affordable

· Fashion designers are now turning to faux-fur

· It is an ethical alternative to real fur

· It is PETA-friendly

· Faux fur takes less energy to produce than real fur

So think again, is it more morally acceptable to wear real fur instead of buying a synthetic fur that may be damaging to the environment? Or is it more ethically acceptable to buy faux-fur over the real deal? Is faux fur really the answer to real fur and vice-versa? These are some questions to think about. It is highly evident that both real and faux furs have their pros and cons. You may ask yourself: which one is better? Which one do I buy? There is not right or wrong answer to this question. I believe it is a matter of personal liberty and choice.

I leave you with a quote by designer Dennis Basso, who works with real furs in his ready-to-wear line, but also has a faux-fur collection as well.

“It’s all about a fashion statement and creating a look, just like you would with any other fabric. You’re able to do some things with faux fur that you can’t do with real fur. Like, you would never make something in real leopard or cheetah. Women will buy something in faux not just for how realistic it seems but because of the look and design. It was originally made to imitate fur, but today it stands on its own”. – Dennis Basso (Los Angeles Times, August 29, 2011)

Crimson Wars

2011-11-09T21:25:00.001-05:00

Crimson Wars

Louboutin goes head to head to fight for the red!

The biggest debate in the high fashion industry that’s currently causing a buzz is whether or not a company has the right to trademark a colour, and whether or not this will lead to further lawsuits throughout the fashion industry. Christian Louboutin, whose luxury, red-soled shoes are worn by celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker, started legal proceedings against Yves Saint Lauren, back in April, alleging that the company was selling shoes with red soles that are identical to its own, and claiming that he was the first designer to develop the idea of having red soles on women's shoes. YSL struck back, stating that the red outsoles on shoes are a commonly used design element used by designers everywhere dating as far back as the 1600’s with shoes worn by King Louis XIV.

Unfortunately for Louboutin A Manhattan federal judge denied the shoemaker with the right to trademark the red sole. The French shoe-designer was suing over four particular shoes in the YSL 2011 collection: the Tribute, Tribtoo, Palais and Woodstock models. Which all sport bright-red outsoles.
According to the August 10th article found in The Hollywood Reporter; the judge stated, "Louboutin's claim raises the specter of fashion wars. If Louboutin owns Chinese Red for the outsole of high fashion women’s shoes, another designer can just as well stake out a claim for exclusive use of another shade of red, or indeed even Louboutin’s color, for the insole, while yet another could, like the world colonizers of eras past dividing conquered territories and markets, plant its flag on the entire heel for its Chinese Red."

Some can argue that if Louboutin gain rights to the red outsole that does that mean other designers can start to gain rights for a certain colour button? Or an inner jacket lining? Where does the line get drawn on what designers have the right to be trademarked? "Awarding one participant in the designer shoe market a monopoly on the color red would impermissibly hinder competition among other participants," the judge wrote. He said it would be as if Picasso had sued Monet, saying he painted his water lilies with a distinctive indigo that Picasso used on his images of water. The defense believed that Louboutin's ownership claim to a red sole would harm competition not only in high fashion shoes, but potentially in the markets for other fashion articles as well, putting designers of dresses, coats, bags, hats and gloves in fear of lawsuits.

Harley Irwin Lewin, a lawyer for Louboutin, said he was disappointed with the ruling and believes it was contrary to trademark law. As words found in the Augusts 11th article in The Huffington Post, "He has decided that in the fashion industry, people shouldn't own a trademark that consists of a single colour regardless of its use and regardless of the fact the trademark has achieved trademark status with the public," Lewin said. "We made a point of saying it isn't on an article of fashion. It's on the bottom of a shoe." Jyotin Hamid, a lawyer for Yves Saint Laurent, said the company was pleased with the ruling. "No designer should be able to monopolize a color in fashion," He said the company looks forward to continuing to manufacture red soled shoes, which it has been doing since the 1970s.

The judge said the trademark was unlikely to survive legal challenges because in the fashion industry colour serves ornamental and aesthetic functions vital to strong competition. However he did acknowledged the enormous success Louboutin has achieved since the designer began in 1992 to apply glossy red to the outsoles of his women's shoes, beginning with red nail polish he applied to the black soles of a pair of women's shoes. At prices up to $1,000 a pair, the shoes became a favorite of celebrities, causing the red outsole to become closely associated with the Louboutin name and leading even Yves Saint Laurent to acknowledge its success. Shoe designers that offer to a lower price range, know that customers want it to look like they are purchasing designer shoes without paying the large sum. By putting a red sole on a shoe, the woman can look and feel like she is wearing the exclusive Louboutin, but is that far to him that people are wearing knock offs and he’s not getting any of the profit?
However the case is still not closed, just recently Women's Wear Daily reports that jewellers, Tiffany & Co. have filed a brief supporting Louboutin's claim that a colour can, and should be trademarked. Tiffany filed a trademark to protect their signature blue packaging back in 1998 and fear that if the judge's decision from the Louboutin case is upheld, it will pave the way for their own trademark to be revoked. In an Octobers 27 issue in Market Week it states that Tania Clark who is a trade mark attorney at law firm Withers & Rogers, believes Tiffany will be hoping other designer brands lend their support because the initial ruling could leave them open to their design features being copied. She says “Tiffany clearly has a vested interest in the use of colour and views it as an important part of its own brand identity. The jeweler is obviously concerned that if Louboutin loses its legal battle with YSL, it would leave the way open for rivals to infringe its existing trade mark rights by copying its distinctive blue packaging design.”

So even though the jury is out stating the Red outsole cannot be trademarked, we clearly will not be seeing the end of it until there is a win. Now that Tiffany’s have spoken up will we be seeing other designers standup such as Luis Vuitton on its signature brown purses and luggage’s, or Channel for its classis black on white. Could this really be the start of trademark war among all designers?

Cult-ivated

2011-11-09T21:18:00.002-05:00

Cult-ivated :

The real truth about how fast fashion isn't taking over the fashion populous but its really the culture of a luxury brand that drives an avid fashionista.

As we all may or may not know, fast fashion is a term used by the fashion retailers to describe designs that have moved from runway to store in the fastest time in able to capitalize on current trends in the market. H&M, Topshop and most importantly, Zara, are the large retailers known especially for their prowess in manufacturing swiftly and cheaply all of the current fashion trends presented at the numerous fashion weeks showcased in spring and autumn of each year.

Do you think that the average consumer of fast fashion has a connection to the items purchased?

In recent times, there has been a heap of stories and press about how fast fashion is the world's biggest nightmare but that isn't why we are here today, our mission is to decipher the truth of value and the sense of a bigger connection to one's fashion items.

Take a look around your room, if you are anything like me you will have lots of items, varied price ranges and many different brands but the positioning of the said items is what is important. Is your favourite designer piece out in the open within arms or legs or foot crushing reach, I'd think not. Again, if you're anything like me, those pieces are placed about five to ten baby feet away from any impending danger, why you may ask? Its because of the connection factor.

Yes, connection factor and not price factor, although who are we kidding if we were to say price isn't important. The truth is our connection to the designer items are way deeper than price, it is the legacy behind the piece, the culture, the way one feels when they don that said piece that is the key to why we oh so dearly protect it with our lives.

Here's another question, when last have you socialized and had a conversation based on an H&M shirt? Well in a positive light at least! In total admittance, the only time that seems to happen is when someone says “oh, thats a cute shirt, I have it in about three colours and so does my friend.”, conversation is shortly ended. On the other hand, a shirt from Givenchy's past or current collection, which in the fashion world is seen as the “Rottweiler print” or the “Black Panther print” collections, could unite strangers into a conversation about their love for the designer, Riccardo Tisci, in fact, that example was purely contrived by experience. There is a sort of respect shown by each wearer who dons the piece and the sense of reward that without conversation you've already acknowledged that you have something in common. House parties are another example of the connection that designer products give to the fellow consumers, first thing noticed at the door are shoes, sometimes those noted shoes can lead you to your new bestfriend and tell you so much about a person without even seeing them but yet you know by the two pairs of “Jeffrey Campbell Litas” neatly tucked away from the other shoes, that the two girls in the corner are the ones you will be spending the rest of the night with.

In the realm of all things designer, brands are now positioning themselves as more of a lifestyle. No longer is an Alexander Wang, Rick Owens or a Rad Hourani item, just an item. Those brands in particular have a strong known following where you can tell a piece from afar and know the type of club the wearer may party at, the type of music they listen to, and even the type of place they are likely to hang at, it is sorta like a mini biography in a garment. Each designer is now known by a certain aesthetic and his followers are then known to be apart of his cult, not in the scary kool-aid drinking way but in a way that now a certain type of person is viewed in the clothing, a certain type of personality is expected and it leads to, that feeling of connection.

All in all, the industry has been struggling with the fact that fast fashion has caused many a strive throughout the world and the world of fashion, from things like knockoffs, sweatshop production to way too rapid movement of trends. Although in actuality, this has been counteracted with the determination of the industry's actual designer consumers, the ones who were always purchasing luxury items now purchase even more, since it continuously without a doubt sets them apart from the fast fashion lovers but also unites them with a family of like-minded individuals.

Faux Real

2011-11-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

Faux Real?

With a wicked winter fast approaching, will real fur be keeping you cozy this season?

For decades, real fur has symbolized style and wealth among those who choose to don it. For others who are passionate about animal rights (think PETA), it symbolizes cruelty and thoughtless behaviours of those who wear it. Animal rights activists believe faux fur is a significant replacement to real fur and should be used for warm hats, gorgeous coats and intricate hood linings. As we prepare to bundle up for the frigid season ahead, which is the better choice, real fur or faux fur?

Real fur, commonly used for coats and trims, has a particularly soft hand and smooth texture. These trims are often made up of different lengths of fur that appear to be curly and thick towards the leather base. When real fur is placed over an open flame, it will singe and smell – similar to burning human hair. When creating a garment that includes fur, mink, coyote, seal, rabbit, ermine and select large cats are most desirable.

Real fur is often used to create several styles of fashion forward and expensive garments. In today’s industrialized fashion industry, real fur apparel is seen has a statuesque because of their uniqueness and steep price tag. The look and texture of real fur is lavish, but it has numerous benefits apart from these stylistic features. The most common advantage of fur coats is that they are able to provide substantial warmth – especially in our cold Canadian climate. Fur trims are often used around hoods of winter coats for similar reasons. Real fur is able to keep snow from melting and refreezing along the fibre lining the coat. This is exceptionally important in outdoor activities that are done in very cold-weather conditions such as skiing, hiking and mountain climbing. Contrary to popular belief, real fur does not need special care when being stored. Fur is moth resistant and therefore no particular storage is needed to prevent deterioration in the fibres.

Many of the controversial problems stirred up by animal rights activists are based off of the treatment of the animal. In many slaughterhouses around the globe, animals are raised only to be killed. However, it is common that numerous parts of the animal are used upon its death – not just one. Most likely, once an animal is slaughtered the meat, fur and often the bones will be used for food, clothing and bone char (used in some types of sugars). In situations like these, the animal is not going to waste – nevertheless there are still cruel situations where animals are being mistreated. For example, in the artic seals are often clubbed, skinned, and their bodies and meat are left to decompose because only the fur is desirable.

Faux fur has been coined as the “animal-friendly” alternative that many people choose to wear on their clothing. Faux fur involves using synthetic chemicals such as acrylic and polyester to make the fibres. Faux fur may be considered the animal-friendly substitute, however, it is not ideal for the environment. Unlike real fur, faux fur consists of several chemical blends that could take upwards of 1,000 years to break down.

The most obvious benefit of faux fur is that it reduces the number of animals that are inhumanly killed for their fur. Apart from the obvious, there are many esthetic features of faux fur as well. Faux fur is a fabric; therefore it is very easy to sew and comes in a wide assortment of colours, patterns and styles. As the fashionista looking to wear fur grows to a younger demographic, faux fur is ideal because of its low price tag and machine washable feature. It is also very fast-fashion – faux fur often comes in a wide collection of colours and trend-setting styles.

In the case of faux fur, many of the controversial problems are based on the environment. When acrylic and polyester are used to manufacture faux fur, it is at a cost to our health as humans. Acrylic can be deemed responsible for large-scale pollution of our air and waterways. On the other hand, polyester is made using oil based products. Oil, being a natural resource, should be used sparling as it is detrimental to our future. As for the workers who are producing these garments in the Far East, they work under harsh conditions where this hazardous mixture of pollutions is thought to cause cancer. Even after the faux fur garment has been made, and worn, it is still threatening to the environment. Faux fur can take years to degrade, causing the chemicals to seep into the ground, nearby fields and rivers once it has been discarded. This then continues to pose as a threat to humans and animals – both wild and domestic.

It is clear that there are both animal and environment downfalls to real and faux fur. However, whether it is fashion or function they both bring benefits to the wearer. As you hit the stores to purchase your new coat for the icy weather that awaits us, will real or faux fur be your choice?

The Pursuit of Loveliness

2011-11-09T08:14:00.001-05:00

While shimmying and shaking your way into those three-sizes-too-small spanx, extracting the most minute hair follicles crawling back out of your otherwise perfectly shaped eyebrows, and realizing far too late that those extra 4 inches in your shoes are making it so that you may have to amputate your feet when you finally arrive home, do you ever wonder: what would it be like if all female “torture” devices were never invented?

Ever since the innovative Egyptians figured they could use materials from their surroundings to make paints and adorn their face, a vanity insanity has spread over the human race like wildfire. There is almost no place on earth where you can find a civilization which hasn’t adopted a way to decorate themselves, whether it be for religious, cultural or social reasons, it is a fact that connects us all: humans crave ways to alter their physical appearances.

Although it is a characteristic seen throughout our species, women have often been the most attracted to this sort of physical illusion, putting their self-image as well as their bodies through extraordinarily painful, harmful and even deadly methods of achieving the desired “ideal beauty” of the time. From seemingly harmless everyday products such as makeup, to mindboggling surgeries like rib removal, we count down the most bizarre, extreme, and just simply cruel beauty routines of the past and present. Reader discretion is advised.

CLEOPATRA EYES

• 4000 BC :
Used to signify status, shield eyes from sunrays and, ironically enough, protect against eye diseases, Egyptians used crushed Kohl mixed with water to achieve the “almond” shape black line across the eyelids that became signature of their look. Kohl, being a form of lead sulphide does not serve as a disinfectant, as it was the popular belief of the time, instead it causes lead poisoning which can lead to kidney problems, neurological damage, and even death.

• Today:
We’ve gotten quite a bit savvier when it comes to choosing minerals to decorate such delicate parts of our body, such as our eyes. Still, we find mascaras made from petroleum-based formulas, which can cause serious allergic reactions. Other foes include the bacteria that accumulate in mascara tubes from trapped air particles over time as well as the deterioration of sight from mascara flaking into the eye.

A HAIRY SITUATION

• 800 – 146 BC:
If plucking the odd hair from your carefully perfected eyebrows seems like punishment enough, imagine spending hours of your day dedicated to extracting every hair follicle within the first few inches of your hairline. For ancient Greece women, this was no illusion. Higher foreheads were very much en vogue during the reign of the Greeks, a tradition that went on until Renaissance years. The removal of hair did not stop there, the Greeks desired to preserve women’s youth and innocence by the removal of all body hair as well. This meant women would literally run to abolish these unwanted fibres as soon as they could feel them growing! Loss of skin elasticity causing wrinkles on the skin from excessive pulling of follicles, redness sometimes turning into rashes and even infected ingrown hairs were a small price to pay to conserve an image of youth.

Today:
The women of the 21st century are not so different from those 6 centuries past. The illusion of the ideal woman is still determined by ideals set in ancient times. Although thankfully not considered indecent or an actual sin to let nature’s stockings grow, exterminating the unruly hairs from foreheads, eyebrows, armpits, legs, genitals, upper lip and even forearms are trends that with time have become increasingly more popular. From plucking to shaving to waxing and lasers, the evolution of hair removal strides on for those who enjoy showing off a little silky smooth skin and be bikini body ready.

THE SHOE BLUES

• 12th Century:
In the 1270’s it was the trendy who had small feet in China and strutted about with tiny delicately decorated shoes. Women who wished to marry into money bound tightly their three-inch “golden lotuses”. Foot binding was practiced in China to achieve the allure of a petite foot, forcing the bones in the feet to break and binding them tightly to the bottom of their feet until the toes reached the heel and would forever fit the dainty size three shoes of the era. This practice outlawed in 1912.

• Today:
The longer and slenderer the legs, the better! From Manolo to Louboutin, high heeled shoes are the ultimate symbol of femininity for the modern woman. These contraptions which lift the heel to unthinkable lengths, up to 7 inches from toe level, do not only give structure to the leg, toning it and giving it shape, women who do not stray from the clacker shoes are prone to experience inflamed nerves and ligaments, shortened Achilles tendon muscles, toe deformity, bunions, corns, ingrown toenails, and a posture worthy of Quasimodo since adjusting back, hips and shoulders is necessary to achieve balance in what feminists throughout the ages have come to know as mechanisms of incapacitation.

From the time humans discovered how to mutate their physical appearance; extreme practices have been born out of a desire to achieve the utopian beauty imagined at the time. Head binding, neck rings, lip disks, suffocating and organ damaging corsets, crazy crash diets, dangerous intake of sun rays, and an immense dose of plastic surgery are just a small representation of the dedication and pain people, especially women have endured in search of the ultimate ideal beauty standards we have set on ourselves through religious following of figures of power, media and social pressures to achieve the vogue of an era. Today’s woman is more diverse and rejects certain conformist ways of the past, yet we still subject ourselves to daily pain, even if “real beauty shouldn’t require so much effort and so much suffering”, as Dr. Hugo Schwyzer author of Healthy is the New Skinny states “[

Are We Well Dressed Enough?

2011-11-08T10:21:00.001-05:00

Are We Well Dressed Enough?

For many years there has been a world wide debate on mass production factories in developing economies such as China. Are we supporting them by helping their economy or are we taking advantage of the underpaid workers?

Have you ever wondered where your favourite shirt, blouse, pants, skirts, or even shoes were made from? And who stitched together your favourite little black dress that you usually wear out on a girls night? These are questions you usually don't think about when purchasing new clothes and accessories, but if you look on that little tag inside your garment chances are it was made from a developing country such as China, Thailand, India and many more. When you really look into 'who' is making what you wear every day you get to learn more about a global issue that has been a debate for many years. If we buy our clothes and accessories that are made in developing countries are we supporting these countries or taking advantage of the low cost of labour and production?

Producing these garments and other products in a developing economy is really different from a developed economy, this is because the cost of production and labour is lower. What I found in China was that people who had worked in these factories were getting paid less than one dollar an hour. Now imagine working full days and only making a maximum of eight dollars a day to help feed your entire family and pay for other necessities. After researching the environment one would be put in if they were to work for one of these factories, they would expect to work long hours, have low pay, and unsafe or unhealthy working conditions. Also the green house affect is starting to increase with the high demands for production and manufacture of clothing and footwear. This demands high use of water, energy, waste disposal and pollution. The New York Times found that, "Too much of the country's prosperity has been absorbed by companies' profits and too little has gone to workers." With all these concerns are we taking advantage of these underpaid workers?

Globally, the workforce in clothing and textiles production was around 26.5 million in 2000 and it continues to grow. China has the fastest growing internal market and the largest share of world trade. More than one quarter of the world's production of clothes and textiles is produced in China. On the other hand by creating jobs for the workers in China it could help economically stabilize their developing economy and in a small way help decrease poverty. When a company decides to produce their merchandise in China the sector offers an opportunity for development by creating many relatively low skilled jobs and a low wage. Without these factories many jobs would be lost leaving zero income to these families who need it the most which would start to increase the percent of poverty. So maybe by having these mass production factories in China, and having us the consumer buy these products will actually help this developing economy. I found an article on "The Everyday Economist" states that mass production factories such as the ones in China are actually one of the first positive signs of growth for those in developing countries. They are not morally wrong. A person needs to analyze the wage by the standards of a country. A low wage in America could be perceived different than in China. When the standards of living is so low the money can go a lot further. Another point to be aware of is if wages and conditions are so bad why would workers choose to work there? As more factories open up the more individuals can find work. This will then increase competition for labour which in the future will increase higher wages. If the employment rate goes up and wages go up then the developing country alone will increase in the standard of living.

Between the two debates there are many factors that you may need to consider when purchasing different clothes and accessories. Some may be against mass production factories and hard labour for little pay, but some may agree that this is not as bad as it is perceived and that in the end it is helping the developing economy in the country. And then there are the ones that don't care at all! If you are someone who does not support sweatshops or hard labour factories there are other alternatives. You can research and purchase garments that are made within Canada, or even search for those local designers to help support your city. If you are someone who believes that this is actually helping the developing country in increasing their standard of living then continue to support it by purchasing these garments because a small percent of that cost will be going to those who are in need of it. It is fascinating how so much information can be brought up to an individual's concern just by taking a look at the little tag inside your garments. By being aware and informed of how and who is making your favourite clothes and accessories can really help our society make better decisions in things that may seem so simple in life but could be a life changing ordeal in someone else's life in a different country.

2011-11-07T21:22:00.000-05:00

Perfume in a Pill

Nowadays there seems to be a pill for everything from headaches to food supplements and soon there will even be a pill for...perfume? It is hard to believe, but Lucy McRae body architect is working on a magic pill that will release a scent as you sweat.

Combining the industries of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fashion and technology Lucy McRae hopes to change the job of our skin, believing that the body is a base for technology. Lucy’s job as a body architect means she uses the human body as a platform on which to create art. She “builds structures on the skin that re-shape the human silhouette, suggesting a new breed; a future human archetype existing in an alternate world”. Her artwork is very bold and provocative. Her knowledge of the body and its shape comes from being classically trained as a ballerina. Lucy also works as an art director and innovation consultant. Lucy has now teamed up with synthetic biologist Sheref Mansy and together with a team they are working on “Swallowable Purfum”. It is still currently in the development stage, but when it comes out it is sure to make an impact on beauty and technology. "My main aim is to provoke and make people think in a completely different way about how make-up can be [used] in the future," said McRae.

Scientifically this is how this pill works, described from the Swallowable Parfum site. “Once absorbed, the capsule enables the skin to become a platform, an atomizer; a biologically enhanced second skin synthesized directly from the natural processes of the body. Fragrance molecules are excreted through the skins surface during perspiration, leaving tiny droplets on the skin that emanates a unique odour. The pill will consist of synthesized fragrant lipid molecules that mimic the structure of normal fat molecules naturally found in the body. The human body has enzymes that metabolise fat in a series of steps that free lipids and lipid-like molecules from their scaffolds. The Swallowable Parfum takes advantage of these natural enzymes found in our bodies to release fragrant molecules from larger structures. Subsequently, the liberated fragrant molecules are excreted through the skin’s surface during perspiration.”

Basically the concept of the pill is that once you take the pill, you skin will act as an atomizer (which means your skin will reduce your sweat/ fragrance to a fine spray). When you sweat, you will be sweating out the perfume and the chemical that gives off the scent will remain on your skin, but the sweat will evaporate off. So instead of spraying perfume on the outside of your body, you will swallow it the Swallowable Parfum pill and sweat it out; which will give the same affect of spraying it directly on your skin. The difference is that the pills will even the scent all over your body, where the bottle version sprays the perfume more localized.

Along with the announcement that a swallowable pill was being developed, there was an odd promotional video. The video is very much like a perfume advertisement with close up shots of the model and classical music playing, but mixed with science aspects. They combined shots of a model taking a pill and starting to sweat, with shots of blood droplets bubbling in water. The combination of the two was a little creepy, and doesn’t exactly create a need to use the product. The ad slogan that was said in the video was “Go beyond accessories, express uniqueness. Swallowable perfume; a new cycle of evolution.” That made the video more intriguing, expressing that this is the next best thing, which is made specifically for you, which made the video more appealing.

The press release of Swallowable Purfum begins with a provoking introduction “In a status-driven world where we are free to make our own choices, have access to infinite knowledge and information and where anything is seemingly possible, we constantly seek out new ways to communicate our uniqueness and express individuality.” For this new swallowable perfume, they are selling the idea about how this pill is unique and will be different for each person. This is because instead of creating a uniform scent, Lucy is imagines that each user's body odour would be built by the digestible perfume and create a "base note." Everyone has their own personal scent, so the pill will adapt to the individual. People are always striving to stand apart from one another and this pill is working with that thought and playing on those emotions.

Sure these perfume pills sound fascinating but who would try them and are they even safe? On ABC news scientist George Preti who specializes in taste and smell, said “ pills that claim to change body odour similar to Swallowable Parfum are often not effective due to the body's digestion process”. Unfortunately because the concept of the perfume pill is still in the development stage it is not yet known, if it actually works or even if it’s safe and George Preti’s statement doesn’t inspire confidence for the pill. If you think of what is used to make spray perfume, it makes you wonder how healthy it is to have other chemicals moving in and through your body.

As technology advances, it seems that our beauty routine will too. Society today is getting lazy with sprizting perfume, eating healthy, covering grays and applying moisturizer and SPF. Now in the making are pills to pop instead. Vitamins and food supplements have been around for a while now, but recently the release of other beauty pills has come out. L’Oreal just recently announced that they are developing a pill to prevent gray hair. Sure covering up gray hairs can be tedious, but is it taking a pill that much better?

Although taking a pill and having your own scent sounds cool, the act of sprizting on your perfume, before a night out with friends, a date or just a normal day is far more glamorous then choking down a pill. And how long will it be until pills are what we exist on?

Life of the Upcoming Designer, Ropena El-Hajj

2011-11-04T08:09:00.000-04:00

The dream of becoming a designer is one that many fashionistas have. To pursue the dream, is something not too many follow through with. To be a designer you must keep in constant update with the trends, making sure your brand can not be undersold by another brand, keep your client base so you can keep your business running, and most important create unique and creative pieces that catch the eye of all the fashionistas willing to pay that extra dollar.

Thinking of the perfect up and coming designer in the city of New York, Ropena came to mind. Ropena, a mature businesswoman who is trying to establish herself in the fashion industry of New York, one that’s very tough to survive in however Ropena is managing. With her brand mainly carrying headpieces and jewelry she has established a brand that has yet to fail, and is becoming more and more popular with the New Yorkers, and now the Torontonians.

The name of the brand being, By Ropena, New York New York incorporates her name, and the city she has created the brand in. Making it completely original and unique.

The busy woman that Ropena is, she was able to stop off for a coffee while visiting Toronto and picking up some fabrics and I was able to get some interview questions from her. What first came to mind was; “What keeps you doing what you’re doing, even if you’re facing the financial difficulties that you are facing?” Ropena: I believe and I love what I do and I am also blessed to do what I am doing right now. Struggling is good it makes you a better person and it open your eyes to a lots of things in life. While being a designer, facing financial difficulties will be a must, as your building your brand basically from nothing you have to overcome all of this. The successful ones make it though, the unsuccessful don’t.

Ropena, why do you do what you do? My inspiration it comes from lots of things like watching old Hollywood glamorous movies from 1940 traveling to NY I love Europe music inspires me a lot. Do you feel that sometimes you can do better? Or that you have not done enough with your brand? Yes I feel like that every time I come up with new idea and new collection. No I don't think that I have done enough YET! because it’s never enough. Being in the fashion industry, do you feel that the competition is much larger than that of being in another industry? Yes, I feel that it is worse. You must ALWAYS be on top of your game, and if you miss one deadline, your line could be all ruined as the next brand may already have their line completed before yours. It’s all about time, creativity, and how you produce your merchandise. Do you see your brand going worldwide within the next ten years? OF COURSE, I want to see my brand in all the major fashion capitols, and I’m hoping it’s much sooner than ten years! What are your biggest goals for the brand? To take By Ropena into the next level by branching out to different cities as I mentioned earlier also shooting editorial with top models to add the extra highlight and also to working with famous and favorite photographer like Mario Testino. Is it hard making connections and meeting new people within the fashion industry? Yes of course it is difficult to speak and get in contact with the right people, but if you keep trying and they see you are trying to reach them, they sometimes come to find you! When maintaining costs and the amount of merchandise you can make and sell, do you see a balance? Or is it hard to balance the two while still trying to maintain your brand? It’s hard in the beginning while your maintaining your brand but at the same time you have to be the business side of your work by knowing your costs and your selling figures.

As the brand By Ropena continues to grow, I’m sure Ropena will expand her business and take it worldwide. With a personality, and character like Ropena she is for sure going to make it successful. She has already begun selling merchandise at famous department stores in New York such as Henri Bendels, Saks Fifth Avenue and Niemen Marcus. She is trying to get into The Room at The Bay, and her hopes for Holt Renfrew are coming closer than she thinks as she may be selling her merchandise for the spring/summer 2012 at Holt Renfrew Bloor Street Toronto.

Starting from nothing at such a mature age may have given her a time limit as many designers begin at such a young age, however Ropena has the knowledge of a mature businesswoman, which may have played a positive role on her brand. Ass the brand continues to grow, I proudly can say Ropena, owner and creative director of By Ropena, New York New York is not only a friend of mine, but like a second mother to me. I wish her all the best.

10 going on 20

2011-11-04T06:53:00.001-04:00

“In fashion, one day you are in, and one day you are out,” said Heidi Klum. While she spoke in regards of fashion designers, this quote has never been more true, about models. So who’s “in” at the moment? Thylane Lena Rose Blondeau. The beautiful French model is blonde haired, blue eyed, pouty lipped, compared to a young Brigitte Bardot ...and also 10 years old.

Since her appearance in Vogue Paris, she’s been surrounded by controversy over images that critics are calling “over-sexualized” and “creepy”. Although Blondeau isn’t the only child in these photos, she is the main feature, photographed in true model form, donning heels, tight dresses and jewels, sprawled across tiger fur, applying lipstick, and gazing “seductively” at the camera.

At the tender age of 10, her Google search suggests she’s no newcomer to the industry. Pages of photos can be viewed, confirming her to be booking jobs left and right. In fact, most of the pictures are innocent and age appropriate, including her Vogue debut, as the cover girl of Vogue Enfants. Regardless, the editorial is enough to have many parent and women’s organizations up in arms. According to The Daily Caller, Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, suggests consequences for the girl’s parents, “This is clearly child exploitation and her parents should be legally charged.” However, the concern of Veronika Loubry, French entertainment reporter-turned-fashion-designer, and mother of the girl, laid elsewhere than the nature of the photos. In an interview with the Nouvel Observateur, Loubry noted, “I understand that these photos can be shocking. I was present during the shoot and I was shocked ...about the price of the necklace she is wearing! It costs three million Euros!” Certainly a father might be more protective of his young daughter being portrayed as eye candy, right? Wrong. Since the uproar, Blondeau’s father, former professional soccer player Patrick Blondeau, has rarely even been mentioned in connection to the story.

Since the defense of the images, Loubry has shut down her daughters official Facebook fan page stating, “Thylane doesn’t know about the buzz and I want to protect her from the deapest of my heart,,,she’s so young,,so we are going to close this accompte for a while.” But is the damage already done? Senior director of women’s programs at the American Psychological Association, Shari Miles-Cohen explained on “Good Morning America”, “We don’t want kids to grow up too fast. We want them to be able to develop physically, emotionally, psychologically and socially at appropriate rates for their age.” Clinical psychologist Dr. Emma Gray expressed similar thoughts to the Daily Mail, “If children are to develop into happy, grounded and psychologically balanced people, their childhood needs to be spent appropriately preparing for the demands of the adult world. Prematurely exposing a child to the adult world is dangerously preventing the completion of their development into a person who can survive in it.”

On the flip side, the fashion world breads on pushing boundaries and exposing current issues through an art form. Perhaps the intentions were not to glorify sexualizing a young girl, but to emphasize the way the fashion and modeling world glamourizes young girls on a daily basis, without anyone batting a lash. A successful working model will typically begin a career short of their sweet sixteen. Take 15 year old Daphne Groeneveld, who appeared in Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2011 ad campaign, now seasoned pro Brooke Shields, who debuted in Vogue at 14 or Milla Jovovich who was photographed for Revlon’s “Most Unforgettable Women in the World” at the age of 12. It’s not unusual for viewers to pass these young stars for much older, and upon realizing just how young they really are, the reaction is most often surprised and in awe, opposed to outraged and concerned. Yet, these are the same girls who Thylane is merely puberty away of being, minus the controversy. Luckily, amidst all the criticism, Thylane still has a strong online fan base, including blogs, Youtube videos and fan initiated Facebook groups. The general consensus is that Blondeau simply won the genetic lottery, so why not showcase that? Comments like “beautiful” and “impressive” fill the page of “Miss Thylane Blondeau” - a Facebook group with over 4,000 “likes”. One fan even made a point to express the support for her mother, saying “I think Thylane is a great model and her mom knows what is the best for her not the media.”

In an industry where success and value is based off of beauty, it’s a valid point to say that young models are in their prime. More and more we’re seeing girls, not even the age of consent, dominating the modeling scene. Fame aside, Elle Fanning and Hailee Steinfeld are your average middle schoolers. But a primp, prep and prime later, they’re the faces of Marc for Marc Jacobs, and Mui Mui. Doll up and pose a 10 year old similarly in mockery of the inappropriateness, and it’s child exploitation. Of course the images are unsettling, but what they represent, is of equal shock value.

Green...The New Black?

2011-11-04T02:06:00.002-04:00

Taking a look into the
trend of ‘going green’

Eco-chic. Green fashionista. All-natural. Biodegradable. These have all become common terms and slang in today’s eco-conscious culture, what with the growing awareness –and, quite frankly, popularity- associated with ‘going green’ and saving the planet (which isn’t a bad thing!). So to all of you environmentally-conscious fashionistas and trend setters alike, I’ve got to ask…how green are you really?
Some people may respond with a passionate ‘very much so’, others might reply somewhere on the other end of the spectrum. So you don’t wash your jeans that often- conserving water, you may say- but do you know how that t-shirt of yours was made? Exactly.
It’s chic to be green, and don’t we all just want to fit in, but how do you really define the term?
Green. It can be described in many ways, and as many different things. To be ‘green’ is to be eco-chic, or rather to be environmentally-conscious, while maintaining style. Everybody has their own definition of it though, from living a completely eco-friendly life (also known as ‘being green’), to the colour some people turn while at sea, it can vary depending on who you are talking to.
According to a 2009 report by Ottawa-based TerraChoice,an environmental marketing firm, the average number of ‘green’ products on store shelves in Canada and the U.S. had almost tripled from 2006- 2008. That’s quite a short amount of time. This increase is most likely caused by society’s trend to be eco-friendly, and the increasing demand that consumers have for these types of products, which in turn would lead companies to produce more products with a ‘green’ label.
Our society today is so obsessed with trends and the latest ‘it’ style, and ‘going green’ is no exception. Although some people might be missing the bigger picture at hand, and are more interested in the idea of being eco-friendly or sporting environmentally-friendly fashions than they’re interested in the actual purpose of it all. We as a society have adapted to following trends like we follow the latest celebrity gossip; ‘being green’ may be just another way of conforming to the latest fad. And when you are more concerned with the latest trend- in this case being considered a ‘green’ member of society- it could take the focus away from the cause itself, and although you may think you’re doing your part in the green movement, if you take a step back you just might realize that you aren’t as environmentally-friendly as you thought you were.
Carrying reusable bags and bringing your own travel mug versus the plastic and paper versions respectively, is a good thing, yes. It might even get you a nod of approval from most who respect the conservation of resources. However, purchasing clothing and accessories that have been produced using harmful pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, were manufactured using excessive amounts of water and chemicals, and have been transported inefficiently may be counter-acting your efforts with that bag and cup of yours.
By purchasing products that were made in not so eco-friendly processes, such as in factories that irresponsibly dispose of their waste water, or have excessive amounts of waste materials left over, you’re almost supporting the anti-environment group. Being misinformed is just as harmful to the environment, as it can lead you to buy what is believed to be environmentally safe or produced sustainably, but which in fact may have no supporting evidence. Greenwash or greenwashing, known as ‘a superficial or insincere display of concern for the environment that is shown by an organization’, according to the Collins English Dictionary (2009), is something that you need to be aware of as a consumer. False eco-friendly claims or inaccurate environmentally-safe practices by companies are something you want to avoid.
To ensure you’re sporting responsible fashion, check your labels or do your homework on the company. If it has a BCI (Better Cotton Initiatives), FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council), or EcoLogo certification, you’re one step closer to becoming a ‘green’ shopper!
Following the craze of ‘going green’ doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice your style or succumb to the hippie-esque methods of personal hygiene though. It used to be tough for consumers to find stylish, environmentally-conscious clothing and accessories at an affordable price. But don’t fret! This is no longer the case! Many of today’s retailers are making the decision to practice more sustainable processes of producing and supplying their products.
Take H&M for example. Their Conscious* line, featuring recycled polyester shirts and dresses, woven organic hemp and silk shoes, and organic cotton skirts are all as on trend as the next poly blend dress out there. American Apparel, another favourite of many, also carries a
sustainable line ‘Sustainable Edition’, which uses 100% organic cotton. And for those of you that really like to see results, check out Levi Strauss & Co.’s Water For those of you looking for a cosmetic fix, bath and beauty favourites Burt’s Bees and Lush are also committed to producing all-natural products that are produced in sustainable ways.
So, dear stylish one, are you as green as you thought? Have you checked your labels lately? Or are you just taking part of the ‘green’ trend because it’s simply that, another trend? Here today, gone tomorrow, respecting the environment and making responsible (and fashionable!) choices is something that we all need to be more aware of, before these valuable resources
are just that: gone tomorrow.

Developing a Fashionable Moon

2011-11-03T22:24:00.000-04:00

An interview with young, Business Development Manager, Corey Niddam.
Corey Niddam, a 23-year old aspiring business developer, came to working in the family business of fast-fashion. Being cousins to the Mimran family, Corey shares his experience as a Production Manager for Alfred Sung International Sourcing and tells us a little bit about his new position as well as the competition that is dealt when up against other relatives
Oh, George: Describe your position.
CN: I work with a team of merchandisers. Currently working as the lead-on for Moon’s Men line at The Bay as well as working with moon ladies. My first season was last Holiday. It’s cool to see!

OG: What is a typical day like for you?
CN: I’ll usually start with development first, looking at fabric swatches approvals, any outstanding approvals, clearing out any outstanding things to do. We live and die by the ‘work in progress report’ which is basically an internal report that has a status of all of the things we need to keep track of in terms of development and production. So, that’s available on one paper that we need to update constantly. Then, we go into production. In terms of production, we need to make sure everything is on time. Ensuring our Q.C’s (quality control) are in the place they need to be and most importantly, to ensure we meet our ship dates and our obligations to our retailer which is, The Bay.
OG: What are some assets one must possess to be successful in this position?
CN: Good communicator, problem solver, quick on your feet. I can’t stress being a clear communicator enough. You need to know what you’re talking about and how to direct people to what they need. You need to be able to translate information, process it and, send it out but as clear and concise as possible. Being a big team player is huge. If you can think you can do it on your own, it is impossible. To have a good general background of the industry from your Fashion Management program will also definitely help you. If you’re passionate about it, it is the place to be.
OG: What are some of the advantages of working with a smaller company such as the Moon line?
CN: Having to work with a close group, you get feedback and a chance to make mistakes. They obviously oversea a mistake before it grows into a larger one but, I’d say having to work in the environment I’m currently in, I get to not only see everyone else's perspective but actually work in other areas as well. It’s valuable to be able to add versatility to your work ethics and that’s one part of the job that I love most.
OG: You grew up in a very entrepreneurial environment. Tell me a bit about it.
CN: I’m very fortunate to have a very entrepreneurial family. I love business. I took business courses and blended it with other courses, taking what I wanted and needed to know from University rather than focusing in on a specific. If I couldn’t find a job, I’d make my own job!
OG: Was it known from the get-go that you’d be a part of the family business?
CN: I had a choice as to what I wanted to do. This really interested me because moon the line was very young and it was a chance to be a part of something at the inception. I’m not going to say I’m a ‘fashionista’ by any point, but I do like the business in terms of the sourcing and working overseas and going to seeing factories. I’ve been around that for a long time. My family is all in international business, sourcing. My cousins started Joe Fresh and done Club Monaco so I’ve been around this for a very long time. If you were to ask me 5 years ago if this is what I thought I’d be doing--probably not. It’s been a very rewarding experience, I’m glad to play an instrumental part in putting someones’ vision of making something reality.
OG: What would you recommend one to do to better themself and eliminate competition?
CN: If you’re really serious, learn Mandarin. It is so important and respectful to be able to communicate with the people you are working with. Cultural literacy is very important for the business. They’ll respect you for formal things to do and not to do. I went with my dad across seas for the first time and got to learn. Don’t be afraid to do your own research and of course excel in school. Think outside the box, that’s what people need. We live in a very exciting world with many different outlets whether or not you can find a job, create your own job!
OG: Explain how team work is crucial in your business.
CN: Its multiple teams. Your team needs to be able to communicate with other teams. Communication is very important and just hard work. Especially now, there’s a ton of people who are willing to do what you want to do so when you are fighting for experience, you need to embrace as much as you can and show them that you are willing to do whatever it is that you can possibly do and you’ll get rewarded.

No one respects you if you go into work with a superego. My cousins are the designers and I am constantly having to prove everybody else wrong since I’ve been fortunate enough to have this opportunity but it has been a lot of hard work.
OG: What advice would you give someone that is interested in the fashion industry?
CN: Be persistent. A lot of people are going to tell you to help yourself or initially give you the helping hand you need but if you are a) patient and b) very persistent and show them that you are committed and if given an opportunity, don’t let it go to waste. Don’t be discouraged. You do a lot of hard work and it seems like it’s never ending which, in fact, it isn’t. Be determined and don’t hold back and be willing to work long hours and earn your strips because that’s the only way to be respected. A lot of people in the industry have been doing it for a long time and you need to be able to go above and beyond. Don’t expect people to be rubbing your back every two minutes--stick to your goals. If they see you’re willing to put in the effort, people will come help you. I’ve seen people be pre-Madonna like and they don’t make it.

FASHION JOURNALISM FEATURE ARTICLE ASSIGN. FALL 2011

2011-11-03T19:12:00.000-04:00

COPY CAT
Buying fake designer merchandise leads to enormous savings versus actually splurging on the real-deal. But are you actually paying the cost in the long run?

LICENSE TO SELL
I’m sure we all ponder this question when either shopping for real or fake designer goods; if it was possible, should selling counterfeit merchandise be legal? It would help our taxes, everything would be documented, there would be legalized factories to undergo the production, and for those less fortunate, they could have the imaginary luxury of owning a “designer” item for less then half the cost. If that was the case, the government could have a strong grip on the knockoff production, making them tweak labels, structures and designs so there not entirely copying the original in the first place. For example the 20th century has been big on “fast fashion” a term used for any retail or production company who mimics the way a certain style is on designer runways, then sells it for less than half the price of the original in their stores. If fashion is all about copying one another and stemming from each others ideas, then why isn’t it legal to make knockoff products?

DECEPTIVE DESIGNS
Designer brands are labeled on everything (literally, everything!). From purses, to sharpie markers to iPods - the temptation of wanting a designer product is etched in your mind; along with the question, is it real or fake? Buying knockoffs these days are so good, not even some of the pros can tell if it’s real or fake. With so many counterfeit products ranging from sneakers to iPods, it isn’t helping the actual designers coming up with their designs as well as our economy. Buying counterfeit merchandise is a bad idea in many ways. According to an About.com article titled “Faking it - Counterfeit fashion” by Cynthia Nellis, it gives reasons as to why you should think twice about buying counterfeit merchandise, here are some examples:
The tax we pay each year? The people selling counterfeit merchandise not only get away with not having to pay taxes but also robbing our economy more than $1 billion dollars each year.
It is said that counterfeiting is linked with gangs and terrorists. Sometimes knockoff handbags will be lined with drugs that they can smuggle into countries and sell.
The knockoff products such as electronics or toys can be unsafe, using the cheapest way to produce the items can cause harm to anyone, falling apart easily and leaving little pieces around for small children to choke on them.
Counterfeit sunglasses shatter easily and may fail to provide UV protection against the sun like it says.
It is also said that selling knockoffs, especially handbags, increases the price of the actual designer handbag due to the company’s lost sales. Counterfeiting isn’t made with high quality goods as you may all know. Many people just want the designer look for less and will stop at nothing to get it.

I FOUGHT THE LAW.. AND THE LAW WON
Both the United States and Canada have created laws to minimize counterfeit selling and production. Under the Trade-marks Act and the Anti-Counterfeiting Consumer Protection Act of 1996 they included laws such as criminal infringement of copying a product, trafficking goods, services and labels, allowing law enforcement to take counterfeit products as well as shutting down where they make there goods, and many more. Depending on how real the knockoff looks to the designers product, a person can get charged with selling knockoffs of up to $1,000,000! (Now how many designer handbags would that get you?)
HANDBAG HIATUS
Although the idea of legalizing knockoffs has its benefits, the term to counterfeit means to illegally copy something. Knockoffs are illegal in the sense that they are trying to sell as the real product. There have been incidents where the people who produce counterfeit merchandise will buy a real designer bag, make a replica of it, and return the fake bag in for another one and the sales associates don’t even notice. So even if you are the type of person to buy real designer goods from the stores, make sure you really inspect the bag your buying, and that goes for every other product you want to purchase as well.

SPOT BEFORE YOU SPEND
As read above, spotting fake products can be very difficult to tell the difference as to what’s real and what’s fake. Keep in mind when shopping for designer merchandise how to spot a fake by using a few of these clues:
Most importantly, note the price - is it increasingly lower than what other retailers sell there merchandise for? For example if its a Chanel handbag selling for $150 - it’s fake. Chanel purses usually retail anywhere from $700 and above.
Where are you buying it from? More than likely if its being sold in a back alley way or out of a trunk of a car, then ladies - its not real, sorry!
Point of origin tag. Noticing where its from is highly important. If it’s “Made in China” then it probably isn’t real.
With it being the 20th century and all, the internet is a huge part of retailing. If your one of those people who loves to shop online rather than waste your time at the mall carelessly walking around, keep in mind that counterfeiters do sell online as well. A few hints to look for when browsing online:
Notice the description they give. If they overkill on words such as “authentic” “genuine” and “real”, then the site you’re on is a fraud.
If you read into the description carefully the knockoffs sometimes will have “this design is inspired by..” showing that it is in fact a knockoff.
And of course as said above, note the price. Price is always important!
Overall if you want a real designer bag, and not a knockoff, your best bet is to go to the company’s store or department store that sells designer goods. If you’re the online shopper, most designers sell directly to the public on their own sites which would be the most surefire way to get the product your looking for. So ladies, let us try and minimize even more our want for designer knockoffs and try to save up for the real deal! It’ll help out our economy and environment by not having to throw away your knockoffs after two short years of usage, and also keep your fashionista status at a high with a real designer bag! (Ou la la!) Everyone will be envious, and that’s what a girl who’s fashion forward wants, right?

Service Pieces

2011-10-21T09:06:00.003-04:00

Eye-conic Lashes by Gia Arcos
Lucky Teeth by Catherine
Snap Sparkle Pop! by Junior
Nailed It! by Paige
Create a Chic Style... by Michael (?)

Snap, sparkle, pop!

2011-10-20T14:45:00.002-04:00

Snap, sparkle, pop!

Five wardrobe staples that could become statements just by adding a bit of colour.

Foot Flash (Shoes)
A lady should know a thing or two about these wonderful creations already but with a bit of colour a whole new world can be created, one maybe even worthy of some camera time.

Boom Box (Bags)

In the modern day world a bag isn't just a utility item, it could be the piece that makes or breaks an outfit so why not get loud and make everyone else dance to the beat of your drum.

Candy Coated (Coats)

Whether it be the harsh winter weather or the spring or the fall, there is no real need to blend in with the environment. See your investment as you would if you were a kid in the candy store and reach for the brightest treat.

Spray Painted (Dress)
A good fit is a necessity when it comes to choosing a great dress but with a little colour, headlines will be yours and that little black dress will become nothing but a backup plan.

Hot Cakes (Jeans)

Fresh out of the oven and onto the streets, the latest is a jean with a top layer of coloured icing. It could be wide leg, skinny fit or just plain regular jeans, indulge and let your sweet tooth guide you to the many different flavours of denim.

Lucky Teeth

2011-10-14T11:03:00.008-04:00

An orthodontist's nightmare.

For years our parents have been frivolously spending thousands of dollars on pricey, yet painfully embarrassing, orthodontic contraptions for those of us unfortunate enough to have been born with a mouthful of unruly choppers. But in the past few years, from covers of Vogue to haute couture runways a new discovery has been made: the allure of the gap-toothed bombshell.

The chic gap between the two front teeth on a model is certainly not a new trend; supermodels like Brigitte Bardot and Lauren Hutton have paved the way for newcomers with spacey smiles to grace the fashion scene, but this rediscovered trend may be the beginning of a gap toothed craze. It seems almost impossible to flip through the pages of any magazine and not find at least one; almost every elite modeling agency has made it their mission to sign one of these beauties and they are muses to countless designers. Editor in chief of W magazine, Stefano Tonchi, describes the lust for the gap as a “love for the imperfect, and authentic [...] values that are more and more important for younger generations,” adding that they show “originality [and] authenticity... in a world that is more and more digitally enhanced”. Whatever the justification for the fad, it certainly has heads turning and people talking. Our word of advice? Flash 'em if you got 'em ladies and gentlemen, because in the topsy-turvy world of fashion this season's must is next seasons' faux pas.

Whether you love them, hate them, or wish they would just get braces like the rest of the world, the girls who chose to skip those awkward metal-face days in order to rebel (orthodontically speaking) by showing off their bridge-worthy pearly whites are on the spotlight, and it's paying off!

THE ORIGINAL GAP SMILES:

Brigitte Bardot
D.O.B: September 28, 1934.
ON THE MAP: Paris, France.
NICKNAME: BB.
BIG BREAK: Cover of Elle Magazine [March, 1950].
BEST KNOWN FOR: Film “And God Created Woman” [1958].
FAV. QUOTE: “I am really a cat transformed into a woman… I purr. I scratch. And sometimes, I bite.”

Lauren Hutton
D.O.B: November 17, 1943.
ON THE MAP: South Carolina, U.S.
NICKNAME: Lauren [ full name: Mary Laurence].
BIG BREAK: Playboy Magazine [1963].
BEST KNOWN FOR: Face of Revlon Cosmetics.
FAV. QUOTE: “If the accident of genes has put you in a place where you can be a role model, then be somebody!”

THE NEW GENERATION OF GAPS:

Lara Stone
D.O.B: December 20, 1983.
ON THE MAP: Geldrop, The Netherlands.
NICKNAME: Fashion's It Girl.
BIG BREAK: Vogue Paris Spread [March, 2007].
BEST KNOWN FOR: First modern gap-toothed super model.
FAV. QUOTE: “I figure out what they hate most, then I do lots and lots of that.”

Linsey Wixson
D.O.B: April 11, 1994.
ON THE MAP: Kansas, U.S.
NICKNAME: The pout.
BIG BREAK: Vogue Italia Spread [June, 2009].
BEST KNOWN FOR: “Bee-stung lips” look.
FAV. QUOTE: “Real success is not, like, materialistic. It's being where you want to be when you want to be…”

Georgia Jagger:
D.O.B: January 12, 1992.
ON THE MAP: U.S.
NICKNAME: Jagger.
BIG BREAK: British Vogue cover [November, 2009].
BEST KNOWN FOR: Her "Jagger Swagger".
FAV. QUOTE: “I would always style my mother and tell her, if someone asks you who styled you, say Georgia!”

Jessica Hart:
D.O.B: March 26, 1886.
ON THE MAP: Sydney, Australia.
NICKNAME: Jess.
BIG BREAK: Vogue Australia cover [March, 2008].
BEST KNOWN FOR: Her long legs and athletic physique...and you guessed it. Her teeth.
FAV. MISSION WORK?: Her clothing line, Neon Hart, from which she donates a percentage to charity!

Trends-Form

2011-10-07T23:08:00.002-04:00

How to Reinvent your style, Give your style a fashionista make over for the New year!

How often do you stare into your closet full of overflowing clothes and realize that you still have nothing to wear? From past experience it happens a bit too often, especially during the times when seasons are changing. Celebrities are always trying to switch up and revamp their fashion styles and now it's your turn! Here are some tips to help you jump onto a fresh start during the chilly months and the new year!

Fur is definitely the big "in" this year. It has been on all the runway shows from designers such as Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, and Christian Dior just to name a few. If you don't have this in your closet already this timeless piece adds great depth to your wardrobe! Fur is great when it comes to adding a 'texture overload' to your style. Being able to stay warm in the cold months but still looking like your fabulous self isn't a hard thing to do. By adding a fur scarf or a fur hat to your outfit, gives you an ultra luxurious look while giving you that layered feel. You could also go for a purse with fur detailing or even a fur vest to pick up your outfit a bit. Just try not to over load on the fur, picking one or two pieces will help put together an outfit, but wearing too much fur? Might make you look like a walking animal. Against wearing the real thing? Not to worry, you can find a lot of faux fur pieces these days in retail stores and at a cheaper price. It's a win-win situation!

Another great thing to look for while you're shopping for new pieces is to look for a vintage-inspired floral print. You may think floral prints are only for the summer months, but a lot of designers are now trying to tie in the floral print with fall/winter pieces to give a soft, feminine silhouette. By keeping a soft elegance feel to it, you can find a floral print shirt or a silk dress and pair that with nylons and cute little ankle boots. Throw over a wool trench coat and your set to hit the city streets! One thing to keep in mind when buying floral prints for the fall/winter seasons is to keep the colour either neutral or soft and stay away from bright and vibrant colours.

Last but not least the last trend would be the more structured pieces that have an androgyny feel to it. Designers such as Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Stella McCartney are coming out with pieces that have more of a tailored built. More women are striving to get this look because it empowers a strong woman. Look for structured and tailor pieces such as shirts, blazers, boots and hats. These items would give you more of a polished look for days at the office or an important meeting, either way you'll look trendy and sophisticated!

A Striking Smash

2011-10-07T07:12:00.002-04:00

Proving art is all about creativity get cracking and turn a boring old mirror into stylish wall art.

What I did...The idea came from an episode of Sex and the City where there was a mirror on the wall that looked like it had been broken. I was able to duplicate the mirror by using basic materials such as plywood, paint, glue to turn an old mirror into an edgy piece of art.

Home Depot to Good Will

First decide what size you want your art piece to be. I went with 2 x 4 because my mirror was 3 x 3. It depends on the amount of space you have on your wall and the size of mirror you can find! Next, gather the materials you need:

· ¼ inch thick plywood

· Paint

· Mirror

· Adhesive

Look around the house or ask friends if they have any of the materials lying around. If that proves to be disappointing you can get plywood, glue and paint from home improvement stores. Thrift stores are great places to find inexpensive mirrors.

Smoothing With Sandpaper

Plywood is rough, so you will need to sand down all your edges and each side of the wood. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth, but you don’t want splinters coming off your wood! Then roll on your paint making sure to cover the edges. I used black for the background colour because it is what was used in the inspiration; also I liked the statement the mirror made against the black. If you want another colour to match your decor, I would go for either dark vampy colours or super bright colours. That way your mirror pieces can really pop!

All That Shatters

Forget the seven bad years of luck, smashing a mirror is a superb way to let out some anger and to score your mirror pieces. Smash your mirror on a concrete floor, I suggest using the garage floor. Safety first, wear protective goggles and gloves while doing this. Use a mallet and start in a corner trying to break off large chunks. Depending on the thickness of your glass, you may have to hit it more than once really hard. After your mirror is smashed, separate the small and large pieces.

The Puzzles People Play

Keeping the gloves on, arrange your mirror pieces over your board. Start with the large ones placing them together like a puzzle creating a college. You want them to be close together but not touching; don’t worry about making sure every piece is evenly spaced, it is supposed to be broken. Once the big pieces are placed, fill in the gaps with the smaller pieces until the entire board is covered. Keep all the pieces inside the edges of the board; you do not want to have sharp edges poking out. When all the pieces are arranged to your liking, start gluing them down.

Clean a Little Talk a Little

After you have waited the allotted time for the glue to dry, you can polish your mirror pieces and clean up the glue. Still wearing the gloves use any glass cleaner for the mirror pieces. If you used glue that dried opaque and got some on the board, just dip a small paintbrush into your paint and colour over the glue. For mounting your finished art piece you will need steel mirror support hangers or clips. When getting the clips take into consideration the length, width and weight of your art for how many clips you will need. I would suggest 2 or 3 on the top and bottom and 1 on each side.

Now you can enjoy your unique and trendy piece of art you’ve created!

Mix and Match

2011-10-07T07:01:00.001-04:00

New ways to colour your life and satisfy your wardrobe with all the latest wants, needs and desires.

Be Jeweled – It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 Gold!

Gold has reign the top choice for many avid jewelry connoisseurs, but beware folks, rose gold has entered the competition. Now more accessory lovers can happily adorn their bodies in favourite precious metal. For the classic type, sporting a monochromatic scheme is safe and sultry. A delicate necklace tied in with small studded earrings and a plain band on one finger, all in the same gold. While fashionistas boldly mix yellow and white gold, layering different lengths/sizes of textured necklaces, ornate dangly or hefty earrings, and let’s not forget a statement ring or two! Such combos are a never–fail and always on point trend. Now enters the newly sophisticated and unexpected rose gold; for those who dare to be different, this blush-coloured metal rises on the popularity list. Because of its unique tone, it is best to use rose gold as an accent piece or let it stand on its own .Whether deciding to choose to mix all lustrous colours, harmonize two or simply dress one at a time, makes us all winners.

Denim to Dye For

Jeans are an easy way to experiment with colour blocking, a huge trend for spring. Match a bold pair with a solid top in a complementary hue: yellow with purple or peach with bright blue. You can also go the classic route and partner any of these jellybean inspired jeans with a crisp white dress shirt.

Floral and Leopard and Stripes Oh My!

Remember the days when choosing one pattern packed much of a statement? Bold just got bolder with these standout combinations, a sure way to never get lost in the crowd. Pretty pastels or intense bright florals, sleek palettes of black, red, blue and white stripes and loud leopard prints can easily translate to savvy chic. The easiest way to showcase the looks are by choosing two patterns at once and pairing with a neutral (shoes, bags or trousers). But for those who live by “two is swell, three is better”- indulge yourself in all riveting contrasts. Done correctly and with the right proportions, anyone who wants attention should take note; try a black/white nautical striped tee tucked in a floral formfitting pencil skirt with leopard peep-toe stacked wedges. For a subtle approach, a black lacy floral top with boyfriend jeans, a satin multi coloured ballet flat and a leopard clutch will do the trick. Get excited and combine things your own way!

You Got Nailed

Those subtle nudes are nice and all, but these days dark to bright choices and the wild-pattern craze are all the rage. Short nails adorned in glossy jet black polish are far from gothic. Deemed cool and glamorous, black has become and continues to be the go-to colour for all ages and wearers. More importantly, it is often chosen for formal occasions to either offset the attire or provide impact for subdued looks. Classic reds are by far the most flattering ranging from candy apple, scarlet, burgundy to blackberry. Red has become the leading staple for every nail addict out there and remains the most coveted. Nowadays, more and more are gravitating towards the neon fuschias, hi-liter yellows, seafoam greens and cobalt blues. And finally lace, zebra, leopard and high voltage metallics are definite eye catchers. Paint each nail a different colour or try a bright striped French manicure…polka dots anyone? For endless possibilities and those on a budget, these flattering and impressive choices are affordable, providing an instant update to any wardrobe.

DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY

2011-10-07T02:48:00.002-04:00

How to survive the upcoming holidays without having to check into your local psychiatric ward. (And if you're lucky you might make it into the New Year!)

In & Out

Step one: breathe in. Now breathe out. Repeat. You already feel better don't you? Yes, this is a stressful time of the year, what with all of the parties, dinners, shopping trips and organizing to be done. But by taking a few minutes out of your day to take a few deep breaths and calm down, you can really change your outlook.

Excess Baggage

We know you like to have a good time. And we know you've got a daily planner jam-packed with parties...but that doesn't mean you have to be at all of them! Try not to overload yourself with too many events and get-togethers, you social butterfly you. Narrow down the invitation list to the truly important. Packing your schedule may provide a plethora of fun, but it also packs on the stress levels. Don't wear yourself too thin by being everywhere and doing everything; you'll thank yourself later. (Plus you'll avoid that tired, worn-down look that comes along with stress...who wants that in their pictures?)

Tic-Toc

Time flies! So make the most of it by taking the time to get yourself together. Brush the dust off of that organizer you swore you would use (but have yet to open), or make the most of the daily planner in that smart phone of yours and get organized! One of the best ways to handle stress is to be prepared, and by knowing exactly what's going on and when, you can better brace yourself for it. Schedule your time- it can help you avoid stressing situations (two events on the same night!) and keeps you aware of everything that needs to be accomplished, and when.

Burn, Baby, Burn

You want to avoid that. Unless of course it's because you look smokin' in that party get-up of yours (which, in fact, is perfectly acceptable). Burnout, however, is not. It is quite common for people to over-stress themselves this time of the year, be it by taking on too much, trying to put on the 'perfect' occasion, or simply by never taking the time to slow down. So do just that and take a 'me' break. Read a book. Have a nap. Go for a run. Do whatever it is you need to do to take your mind off of things for a while. Even a few minutes each day of just sitting and taking a breather can help you avoid succumbing to that dreadful b-word.

You Only Live Once...

..So embrace it! Yes, there is a lot going on, but you need to try and remain positive when faced with your holiday schedule. If you treat each occasion as something else on your list of things to do, you'll never be able to fully enjoy them. Learn to live in the moment a little, and appreciate each special event while it's happening. You'll be able to look back on your holidays with pleasant memories, instead of those filled with negative thoughts and stress-induced hair pulling.

Animalistic Instincts

2011-10-07T01:06:00.003-04:00

Wild Child:

No need to rush to the salon to get the hottest nails this season, now you can do them yourself in the comfort of your own home! Sally Hansen’s Salon Effects nail strips in ‘Wild Child’ are zebra print and absolutely to-die-for. The package comes with a variety of strips in different shapes and sizes. To apply, start by removing the white piece of plastic from the back of the strip, to expose the adhesive. You then position the strip on your nail, lining it up with your cuticle, and then press down starting in the center and working towards the sides to make it stick. Once that is done you can remove the top layer of plastic from the strip and simply bend the strip at the tip of the nail so that any excess will rip off. The strips are made so that they are easy to tear and can be shaped perfectly to fit your nail. Repeat these steps for the rest of your nails and then, using the nail file provided, file down any leftovers that you don’t want, and ta-da, you’re all finished! No topcoat needed! The nail strips can last up to 10 days.

Venomous Veneta’s:

Snakeskin boots have been all the rage this season, and Bottega Veneta's cowboy-style ones are no exception. These round-toe, platform boots come in black, making them easy to pair with any outfit. For a casual outfit you could pair these boots with dark wash skinny jeans, and a button up blouse in a bold colour, such as red. For a night out you could wear these boots with a sharp dress that cuts just above or below the knee.

Quick Fix:

There is no better way to turn up the heat than with a cheetah print scarf. They can be worn with almost any outfit to add a little something extra. If paired with a blazer and jeans, a cheetah print scarf could be worn all day long, whether you’re inside or out. Just wrap it around your neck once or twice and you will stay warm and stylish all day. Louis Vuitton came out with a cheetah print scarf that really caught my eye. One of my favourite ways to make use of this beautiful accessory is by wearing it with a pair of high-waisted black pants, a neutral or light coloured tank, a jean or leather jacket, and some killer pumps. Heck, you could even add some cheetah print heels to the outfit to bring everything together.

Latch Onto This:

What better way to accessorize your outfit than with an alligator clutch? Alligator products do come at a steep price, but in the end they are worth it. Burberry has an alligator clutch that is my personal favourite. Not only is it visually appealing, but also it has four separate compartments in it, perfect for all of your personal belongings. An alligator skin clutch can be used with pretty much any outfit. Since it is so chic and professional, my advice would be to pair it with a blazer and high-waisted skirt. Pick a blazer in a nice colour such as forest green or plum. Nothing too bright and bold as you don’t want the clutch to go unnoticed. As for shoes a pair of neutral or black heels will do just fine.

Fashionable Feline:

No wardrobe is complete without an assortment of pretty belts. Since animal prints are all of the rage right now you can buy a belt in almost any animal print you can imagine. In order to keep things interesting, it’s good to own a leopard print one, as it stands out. A great thing about belts is that they can be worn in a couple of different ways, whether it’s around your waist, hips, or somewhere in between. The sky is the limit! One of the best ways to wear a leopard print belt is with a pair of low-rise jeans in your choice of wash, a sheer, button-up, white blouse, and knee-high dark brown boots. Add some gold jewelry and your outfit is complete. Michael Kors has an amazing leopard print belt.

Animalistic Instincts

2011-10-07T01:03:00.003-04:00

Wild Child:

Venomous Veneta’s:

Snakeskin boots have been all the rage this season, and these cowboy-style ones by Bottega Veneta are no exception. These round-toe, platform boots come in black, making them easy to pair with any outfit. For a casual outfit you could pair these boots with dark wash skinny jeans, and a button up blouse in a bold colour, such as red. For a night out you could wear these boots with a sharp dress that cuts just above or below the knee.

Quick Fix:

There is no better way to turn up the heat than with a cheetah print scarf. They can be worn with almost any outfit to add a little something extra. If paired with a blazer and jeans, a cheetah print scarf could be worn all day long, whether you’re inside or out. Just wrap it around your neck once or twice and you will stay warm and stylish all day. This particular Louis Vuitton scarf really caught my eye. One of my favourite ways to make use of this beautiful accessory is by wearing it with a pair of high-waisted black pants, a neutral or light coloured tank, a jean or leather jacket, and some killer pumps. Heck, you could even add some cheetah print heels to the outfit to bring everything together.

Latch Onto This:

What better way to accessorize your outfit than with an alligator clutch? Alligator products do come at a steep price, but in the end they are worth it. This Burberry clutch is my personal favourite. Not only is it visually appealing, but also it has four separate compartments in it, perfect for all of your personal belongings. This clutch can be used with pretty much any outfit thanks to its colour. Since it is so chic and professional, my advice would be to pair it with a blazer and high-waisted skirt. Pick a blazer in a nice colour such as forest green or plum. Nothing too bright and bold as you don’t want the clutch to go unnoticed. As for shoes a pair of neutral or black heels will do just fine.

Fashionable Feline:

Call of the Wild

2011-10-06T22:07:00.007-04:00

Discover the inner animal in you.

The kings of the jungle are making their way back and it’s the perfect combination of emphasis and style--it is a sheer image of the wild.

Stampede!

The hunt begins with exotic print booties to match with the nature of this fall seasons exquisite array of colourful street style statements. Perhaps it has to do with falls pumpkin oranges, cherry reds, rich browns, and greens offered by mother natures' fall beauty that brings inspiration to the run-way or, perhaps it comes from a designers idea to take polka dots and plaids--which are too tame for you-- to something a little more wild. Not to be outdone, Erdem and Miu Miu flocked together with bird prints peppered throughout their collections. In the city too, cool cats prowl in exotic leopard booties and sly gals even snake skin thigh-high killer boots for added texture & taste. Michael Kors is one of many top designers who kicked-off this season with adorable leopard loafers- perfect for everyday wear.

For a warm welcoming return, you may also want to great winter with pair of cozy womens’ Gucci leather and fur-trimmed booties for every winters event. Bundle up!

Exotic Skins

Snake skin Anya Hindmarch, crocodile Rachel Zoe tote, zebra patterned Diane Von Furstenberg evening clutch -- this is the pattern seen to come. If it feels like your fall wardrobe looks the same as previous seasons, the wildlife may bring your apparel back to life. Make it work by simply pairing with this seasons luscious colours but just remember, too much print or pattern can be very displeasing for the eyes. So, keep the bag simple or, stick to solid colour knit sweaters, pants, or shirts.

Animal prints are hot and exotic! Get the latest glam feel with a dash of animal print. Flying off the shelves are Michael Kors cashmere leopard print scarf offered in red, grey and, camel sold at Holt Renfrew. This playful scarf has an incredible drape which can be worn in several stylish ways, adding even more heat to the flame. Whichever mammal is about to catch your attention, keep in mind that this trend has claws, tails and fangs.

Wolf Pack

Stay warm yet manage to maintain your cool in, leather and fur coats perfect for the fall/winter weather. Key pieces for this fall/winter: Aviator, fur-trimmed draped sweaters, strict-classic cut coats, parkas-either cropped or maxi length. Leather coats, often paired with short- or long-haired fur (Mongolian lamb or fox), making the cool coat of the season ’70s inspired. If fur is your foe and faux your friend, you can still enjoy this fab frenzy in diverse styles from posh and pretty to blown-out beastly. Looking for a bang for a buck? Fitting every students budget and bod, this fall 2011 season, our favourite friend Joe Fresh has designed a faux suede and faux shearling aviator jacket for every occasion!

Trust your instinct for beautiful fur trim is everywhere again! Keep cozy and beautiful with a soft, luxurious feeling of fox fur and angora trim. Marc by Marc Jacobs has you in mine boys. With the new design of gorgeous Peter Parka with fur hood, you’ll catch any pray insight. Next to your friend Canada Goose, Mackage luxury designer outwear offers extreme light-weight, warmth and, style. Catch a tiger by its toe or grab a coat and add some faux! For a home crafted version, update your favourite fall/winter coat by simply sewing a desired length of fur around the trim of a collar or hood.

Scintillating Scarves

2011-10-06T19:47:00.002-04:00

Adding a scarf to your outfit is the perfect way to finish the look. Scarves are an easy-to-wear, quick throw-on accessory, which is ideal for this season. They offer endless possibilities to enhance the look of your outfit. You’re outfit can be as simple as a plain tee matched up with blue denim, however by simply adding that stunning scarf you have completely brighten up your look.

Living in Canada, you can never have enough scarves in your closet. Not only do these super soft and playful scarves keep us warm during those winter days, but throwing on a scarf can also add splash of colour to an outfit. Winter is a great excuse to accessorize. During those chilly winter days, where everyone seems to wear just dark colours, why not throw on a colourful scarf to brighten up your outfit (and you’re day)? It is the perfect way to look good and stay warm. These stunning scarves add flair to that specific style or give it a soft yet playful look that will make you feel like a million bucks.

We’re seeing scarves everywhere this season. Light silk scarves, wool knit scarves, linen scarves, you name it! With scarves, the possibilities are endless. This ideal winter accessory can be worn multiple ways - they are versatile in every way! These scarf tying techniques will help you achieve that look that will not only brighten up your outfit, but also keep you warm this season.

Loopin’ Around

For that layered, thrown-on look, loop your scarf around your neck once or twice, depending on the length of your scarf. Pull it down and scrunch it up to it give some volume and texture. This look is perfect with a short leather jacket or a big chunky sweater. For those cold winter days, I suggest wearing a wool knit scarf for extra warmth.

Pretty Parisian

It’s simple to get that classic Parisian look. First, fold it in half lengthwise and follow this by simply wrapping it around your neck. The loop should be on one side and the fringe on the other. Finally, pull the fringe side through the loop. You may make it as loose or as tight as you want, whatever is most comfortable to you!

Wrap it Up

You can wear your scarf as a wrap to give it that elegant look. First, wrap the scarf around your shoulders. Then simply cross the left side over your right shoulder and your right side over your left shoulder. It’s as simple as that!

Toasty Turtleneck

On those extreme harsh winter days, the best way to wear your scarf is as a turtle neck. The first step is to put the scarf on the back of your neck. Wrap it around as many times as possible until creating that turtle-neck look. You may tuck in the ends inside, or you may leave them out. A bright solid scarf looks great wrapped this way with a simply black coat - It’s a classic winter look!

Nifty Necktie

Necktie scarves add a touch of glamour and it is perfect for any occasion – it can be can a casual or a formal look. In order to get this clean elegant look, I suggest using a squared silk scarf. To start, fold the scarf into a triangle. Wrap the scarf around your neck, from the front to the back. Bring the two ends around and tie them into a lose knot at the front. This look is perfect for the office, for a formal event in the evening, or even just a casual day. A simple silk necktie scarf adds a touch of elegance to your outfit and overall look.

SERVICE JOURNALISM FALL 2011

2011-10-06T15:10:00.001-04:00

DRY, DAMAGED, DILEMMA.

Winters here and for most of us, it takes a toll on our precious mane of hair. Here are a few tips to tame your tousles, and make them look great over the holidays.

FROSTBITE
It’s time to zipper up those parkas, and slip on those mittens! Winter has arrived and is back colder than ever. With decreasing temperatures, the harsh winter cold is hairs number one enemy. From dry brittle ends to full on frizz - We went to the experts on what we can do to keep our hair smooth and frizz free.

HAIR-APY
Expert stylists say to avoid winter hair problems there is one basic step you can do and that’s moisturizing conditioner. Many of our hair problems stem from it being too dry and brittle, so with a little extra conditioner in the mix it will help kickstart your way to smoother, healthier hair. What kind should you use? For women with thicker, coarse hair go for a deep conditioner thats thick. “Leave it on for a half hour twice a week. Since thick hair seems to hold oil at the roots, it can make your hair seem extra dry. Be careful not to condition too close to the scalp.”, Chavez, who created Perfect Plus hair care products says. For hair thats very fine and thin, its not recommended that you use a deep conditioner for it will make your hair seem oily, and have a wet-like appearance. Instead, use basic conditioner after you shampoo your hair in the shower. Follow it with a light conditioning leave in spray to keep it moisturized throughout the day; Keyword: light. With fine hair you have to be careful with product, it can drown your roots making your hair look like you haven’t showered in days! Ew!

FIGHTING THE FRIZZ
No matter what your hair type is, mostly everyone on this planet gets frizzy hair at some point, and oh how we love to have to put up with it more during the holidays. To decrease your frizz full hair follow these three simple steps and be free of worry.
1. Try to towel dry your hair as best as possible before blowdrying
2. Use a heat protector before styling
3. Don’t wash your hair daily. It will get rid of the natural oils causing your hair to become dry, and yes frizzy.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
With all these tips under your belt, its now time to style that hair of yours and get yourself seen! A few things to reconsider when styling your hair is your products. Do you use the same product during the summer months as you do for winter? So on and so forth? If so, its time to hit the mall. A few simple switches will give you the boost your hair needs to tackle that winter weather. For one, switching from your styling gel, to a styling cream will add more moisture and elasticity to your hair and decrease the chances of your hair breaking. Opting out of sprays and perfumes with a high alcohol content (alcohol dries the hair) will help your hair stay moisturized instead of your tresses getting dry and brittle. The one most important thing you can do when styling your hair is to cut back on the blow dryer! (Surprised?) It also goes for year round - cutting back on your blow dryer is the smartest thing you can do. Less heat, less mess! So wet, wash and style with these tips and you’ll have the happiest of all holidays!

Create a chic style without the sophisticated price.

2011-10-05T22:43:00.002-04:00

Everyone wants to be that eye candy, or best dressed in a room, however not everyone has a budget that will allow that. Today, there are many brand names and designers, but with all the fast fashion stores that we have readily available to us, it is easy to create a mock couture outfit without paying the price of couture.

Here are five easy steps to look great while still staying on a budget.

Step one, keep your mind set on your budget and only shop at places that have the most up-to-date fashion at the most affordable prices. Retailers that fall into this category are H&M, Zara, and the brand new to Canada TOPMAN TOPSHOP. Shopping at these fast fashion retailers will keep you up-to-date with your fashion sense while staying within your budget.

Step two, follow up with fashion magazines, and make sure you know the current trends and what kind of style you want to sport “Whether it be a trendy hipster from Queen Street or a designer diva from Bloor Street”.

Step three, if you want to be an authentic and an original shopper I suggest doing a little “vintage” shopping. Head to places such as Value Village, Haute Classics and Fashionably Yours to find deals and pieces at more affordable prices.

The fourth step, knowing your fabrics and materials is a huge help in looking chic while keeping your budget in mind. Instead of purchasing real suede you can settle for micro suede which is a cheaper alternative to the suede look. Respectively, instead of spending upwards of $500.00 on a genuine leather jacket, H&M and TOPMAN TOPSHOP provide similar alternatives for a cost that will not break the bank.

Step five to staying in fashion without costing you a fortune; remember to have your own fashion sense. It is important to stay on trend with styles and fashions because they are constantly changing, but always remember to have your own creative mind. Creating a eye-catching piece does not always mean imitating what is put together in a magazine; it comes from creating an image in your mind and bringing it to your everyday life.

After following those five steps of shopping on a budget, you should find yourself looking fashion savvy and having a little more money than you expect left in the bank.

Overwhelming styles and an abundance of in-store merchandise and prices can be overwhelming for most people. Fortunately, fast fashion stores have opened their doors world wide to help people shop with ease. Although the amount of merchandise and styles these fast fashion stores offer can be excessive, it is all made to your advantage. The main fast fashion retailers, such as H&M, Zara, and TOPMAN TOPSHOP, carry many styles for the current fashion buyer, along with the basics for the not-so-fashion savvy customer. These stores gear their merchandise and styles to people aged between 18 and 28. They also have basic collections for the more mature, and “black” and “grey” labels for the more high-end fashion customer who is willing to spend more than the average consumer. Keep in mind that being trendy does not have to cost you your inheritance.

With the five steps given above you should be off to a great new start for the Fall/Winter 2012 season and even have some money left in that Prada wallet of yours. Happy Shopping!

Eye-conic Lashes

2011-10-05T22:18:00.014-04:00

How to have the sultry, va-va-volume, eye-popping lashes of the classic style icons before us.
All the glitz and ultra glam eyelashes without the hassle of falsies.

When you walk into your local drugstore or makeup specialty stores- women are always drawn to something that will make their eyes dazzle, and what’s more alluring than sensational lashes. This is why many have wondered “which mascara is best for my buck?” But not just any mascara, one that will fulfill the categories of LENGTHENING, VOLUME, DEFINITION, and CURLING.

So, here’s the top 6 mascaras; for the frivols spenders and the money saving gals.

1) Dior’s “Diorshow” Mascara (around $25)
2) Lancôme’s “Hypnose” Mascara (around $23)
3) Maybelline’s “Lash Stiletto” Mascara (around $10)
4) Maybelline’s “Volum’ Express the Colossal” Mascara (around $10)
5) Covergirl’s “Lashblast Fusion” Mascara (around $9)
6) Revlon “Grow Luscious” Mascara (around $9)

Diorshow
The first time I ever tried this mascara was without so much as an eyelash curler, and yet this tube of wonder worked its magic on my short, straight lashes. Although the cost will definitely put a dent in your wallet- it’s well worth its weight in gold! Lots of volume, lengthy AND curled up lashes. Including no smudging, next to no clumps and definitely DRAMATIC! The only downside, takes a bit to dry and you can’t get the bottom lashes. All in all, the ultimate Marilyn Monroe lashes, sans the falsies.

Hypnose
This mascara delivers greatly in the LENGTHENING department, also contributes to the curling- however it is always recommend to use an eyelash curler before applying any mascara to help enhance the shape to your lashes. Yet another mascara that is costly, but this will definitely keep you coming back for more. Has a glistening appearance; however it clumps- so just one or two coats will be more than enough.

Lash Stiletto
Given the name STILETTO for a reason; lengthens, defines and separates the lashes; making it easy to achieve the infamous bottom lashes of Twiggy. Lash Stiletto leaves a silk-like look to the lashes and doesn’t clump. Only costing around $10, the only complaint on this one is it’s difficult to remove.

Volum’ Express the Colossal
Delivers dramatic result in as little as ONE application; the Colossal mascara gives a great thick “false lash” effect. Alongside with elongated the eyelashes, with minimal clumps, and keeps the curl of lashes all day. Overall really seems to give your eye that extra POP! For around $10 a tube, it is a wonder it doesn’t cost more.

Lashblast Fusion
Covergirl has made an entire line of the Lashblast mascaras, all of them having one thing in common BEAUTIFUL THICK LASHES but from all of them, Lashblast Fusion stood out the most with its extra “oomph” of lengthening. It defines every single eyelash and makes them look as if you’ve always had Audrey Hepburn-esque lashes. Quite inexpensive at $9, usually needs 2 coats to achieve its full claims.

Grow Luscious
This Revlon mascara is said to actually increase the growth of your lashes in 2 weeks, and from what I can tell- it does, but it is something you will have to keep up with. Gives loads of volume with no clumps, however does not curl the lashes. Definitely gives you more of a natural full eyelash look. The brush is a little thick which makes it slightly hard to manoeuvre on the bottom lashes.

Now that you have the perfect tools to pick from, go forth, make those eyes sparkle and create the “eye-conic” lash look!

Service Journalism Fall2011

2011-10-05T22:14:00.002-04:00

Nailed It!

Prep and polish your way to pretty nails without the salon price tag.

Prep

To start off your at-home manicure, remove any old nail polish with a cotton ball and an acetone free nail polish remover. Using a nail polish remover with acetone too often will weaken and damage your nails.

Once you have removed your old polish, trim your nails until only a small amount of the white tip is visible. File the nail into a smooth, rounded shape by dragging the file across the nail rather than pushing. Using too much force with the file can cause the nail to weaken or break.

Next, it is necessary to buff your nails. Buffing the surface of the nail will even out any ridges, leaving a smooth surface for the polish. At this time, you will want to wash your hands to remove any dust from filing and buffing.

Once your hands are dry, apply a cuticle cream to the edge of the nail bed. Use an orange stick (cuticle pusher) to push the cuticle back gently. Remove excess cream with a tissue in the same direction that you pushed.

Finally, massage a lotion into your hands and let it sit for 15 minutes.

Pretty

Once you have prepped your nails you need to choose a polish colour, which can be a very tough decision! Here are a few suggestions from timeless tints to current colours.

Shades of pink and red have always been go-to colours for daily wear, however, coral can also be added to that colour pallet. How about trying a translucent flirty pink such as Cabi-o-lait, by Essie or a creamy coral-red hue, Escapades, also by Essie.

Two of the most current trends are neutrals and shatter topcoats. At first sight by OPI is a neutral taupe shade that matches every outfit perfectly. Take your polish from day to night by adding a black shatter topcoat.

Try using Essie all in one base coat, which is a base coat and topcoat in one for normal nails.

Polish

Before applying coloured polish, be sure to cover your nails with a basecoat or hardener. This will serve as a primer for the polish, which will keep the colour pigment from staining the nail as well as helping it last longer.

Once the primer has dried, shake the polish well before you begin to apply it. As you remove the brush from the bottle, swirl it around the top inside rim to remove any excess polish.

Now you can slowly begin to paint each nail. Place the brush in the centre of the nail, angle the brush forward and push down gently to create a fan like effect with the brush. Drag the brush down the centre of the nail. Repeat this step twice, once on each side of the initial middle swipe.

Wait 10 to 15 minutes for the polish to dry before applying the second coat. Applying the second coat without allowing the first coat to set will result in smudging the first coat.

If you happen to get a bit of polish on your finger, there are two ways of removing it. If the polish is still wet, use a flat toothpick to wipe it away. If it is dry, dip a Q-tip in nail polish remover and gently rub the polish off your finger – be careful not to touch the freshly painted nail!

Finish off your polish by adding a clear topcoat. A topcoat will give your nails a smooth and scratch free finish while adding a touch of glossy shine.

Perfect!

Service piece for Oh, George! 2011/2012 issue

2011-10-05T11:19:00.000-04:00

Decking the Halls

With every holiday season comes the same, typical holiday party, with typical decorations, typical food and the typical tacky sweaters that were knitted by a close relative.

Just as typically, the host, the person who should be in the spot light, shining like a bright star, is usually the one in the background making it all happen, occupied in the kitchen making the best turkey two hands can make.

Well, this year, bring the old traditional style of a holiday party and blend it with these modern and fresh ideas, all while twinkling like a star and taking centre stage.

Every holiday party is incomplete without a giant turkey sitting in the centre of the table. It is the main feature that all the guests look forward to, but also the most time consuming part of the whole cooking process.

What to do? Mix the old with the new! An 18-20 pound turkey takes approximately four and a half hours to cook in the oven. This is far too long for this year; you need to focus on you!

Instead, satisfy your guest’s taste buds with the bold move of deep frying your turkey. Deep frying your turkey promises a delicious crispy outer skin, while keeping the meat on the inside as juicy as can be. Using this technique, it only takes about 45 minutes to cook an 18-20 pound turkey.

Since you just saved yourself three and a quarter hours, it is time to worry about decorations and décor! Normally you will see garlands, mistletoe and an array of poinsettias.

This year, mix these ordinary traditional decorations with something new and fresh. Instead of spending lots of money on expensive poinsettia arrangements, opt for bowls filled with fresh lemons and limes with decorative holiday carvings (you can create this yourself with a butter knife or potato peeler by carefully scraping a design into the skin of the citrus fruit).

Instead of the usual mistletoe, try hanging an arrangement of handmade glittering pinecones. All you need is pinecones, some glue and sparkles. Tie them all together with a festive ribbon and you have a new twist on the typical hanging bunch of mistletoe.

Finally, freshen up your old garlands and wreaths by adding a string of cranberries and some birch bark. You can easily string the cranberries yourself with some nylon string and a needle. With the bark, just take small pieces and using the same nylon string, gently tie them to your garlands.

With that, you have put a new, festive twist on the old classics of holiday party décor, all while saving time and money.

Now it is time to focus on you- the real star of this party.

Instead of the usual, woolly sweater you normally wear, awe everyone with a festive, beautiful and elegant outfit, with accessories to match.

Put a new spin on an old idea- instead of a big, warm, woolly sweater; wear a mid-length knitted long sleeve dress, with a wide belt with some festive sparkly rhinestones to synch at the waist. Match it with a pair of black pumps and pitch black tights to really make a lasting impact. Wear your hair in a tight bun, or wear it down in heavy waves with a dark, smouldering smoky eye.

Or if you really want to make a statement, wrap yourself in a vibrant red dress. It still holds the traditional holiday colour but adds a touch of sex appeal. Pair this with your favourite pair of shoes, black tights, subtle make-up and hair, and a barrage of shiny accessories to really deck the halls.

With all these helpful hints, your party, and you, are guaranteed to be the talk of the town for many holiday seasons to come.

Oh, George! Fall 2011 - Personality and theme

2011-09-16T10:26:00.010-04:00

THEME: The Contrast Issue (including the idea of "reinvention")

Inspirational/modern/moodboards
Textile patterns
Adventurous
Smart and savvy
Street style x 3
Modern/edgy x 2
Edgy/underground/unkown x 3
Chic
Freespirited
Fresh/new/up and coming (canadian/toronto) designers
Informative/detailed X 2
Fierce
Technology
Funky/eye-catching
Reinvention
High-end/low-end

#LGFW More photo coverage...

2011-04-10T21:59:00.009-04:00

Here are some more photos taken by Michael Middy at LG Fashion Week

Joe Fresh:

Attitude (sears) by Jay Manuel:

(CNTM Season 3 Winner Meghan)

2011-03-23T02:15:00.002-04:00

Inspiration Falls Flat
…For Now?

John Galliano replaces good grace with disgrace.

John Galliano – “Fashion Deity” for many – has lost his throne. The eccentric and very influential designer, who headed couture powerhouse Christian Dior since 1997, was dismissed from his duties at the elite French fashion “maison” this March. What made the “haute” couture fashion world who once praised him so highly give Galliano the (high padded) cold shoulder?

"In light of the deeply offensive statements and conduct by John Galliano in a video made public [Monday], Christian Dior has commenced termination procedures against him,"
Said the statement made by the Dior fashion house.

A mere few days before this statement was released, and Paris Fashion Week, a video surfaced on the internet via British tabloid The Sun, which shows a clearly inebriated Galliano slurring alleged Anti-Semitic remarks at some fellow patrons in a Paris café. To make matters worse the incident in question is apparently not the first. This scandal has shocked and enraged many, from the bottom to the top of the fashion food chain, and Galliano’s fate as a successful designer looks very grim.
Oscar winning Jewish actress, Natalie Portman, who is currently under contract to endorse the Miss Dior Cherie fragrance, has expressed her “disgust” at Galliano’s comments. Portman said: “I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today...I hope at the very least, these terrible comments remind us to reflect and act upon combating these still-existing prejudices that are the opposite of all that is beautiful.” Dior's chief executive Sidney Toledano stated that he "firmly condemns” what was said by Galliano and procedures for his dismissal from Dior promptly ensued.

It is quite apparent that many who were angered and disappointed by Galliano’s behaviour wouldn't bat a stiletto eyelash if they were to see him go from high fashion to flipping burgers at this point in time. But some might wonder if he is being persecuted too harshly.

In a likely attempt to appeal to the public’s better (and “forgiving” human) nature, John Galliano released his own personal statement in regards to the event:
“A number of independent witnesses have given evidence and have told the Police that I was subjected to verbal harassment and an unprovoked assault when an individual tried to hit me with a chair having taken violent exception to my look and my clothing… I must take responsibility for the circumstances in which I found myself and for allowing myself to be seen to be behaving in the worst possible light. I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion. To start this process I am seeking help and all I can hope for in time is to address the personal failure which led to these circumstances and try and earn people's forgiveness.
I have fought my entire life against prejudice, intolerance and discrimination having been subjected to it myself. In all my work my inspiration has been to unite people of every race, creed, religion and sexuality by celebrating their cultural and ethnic diversity through fashion. That remains my guiding light.
Anti-Semitism and racism have no part in our society. I unreservedly apologise for my behaviour in causing any offence.”

Jumping to Galliano’s defence is Sex and the City costume designer, Patricia Field. She has dismissed Galliano’s behaviour as “theater” and “a farce”. But not many get the joke. Furthermore, it can be seen as inappropriate and irresponsible for an influential public figure to lead himself into such a controversial scandal. Can a highly respected fashion figure of his caliber really be allowed to have such an epic lapse in character? It’s hard for the public think of someone as flamboyant and talented as Galliano as a human being, let alone capable of a mistake. This could be it for John Galliano. We could be seeing his beautiful creations on the bargain racks with last season’s leftovers from here on out. A tarnished tiara is a hard thing to shake off and it’s doubtful this event will ever be forgotten by his former followers, but a genuine mistake, even of this severity, could potentially be forgiven. The outcome is up to the people. We hold John Galliano’s future in our Lady Dior quilted handbags.

Criminal charges against the fashion designer have been laid. Galliano is set to face trial in Paris based on charges of “public insults based on the origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity", and if found guilty he could allegedly be fined and serve up to six months in prison. The trial is tentatively set to begin in April or June of this year.

The question remains on many minds: Is John Galliano a fluent racist, or did he just make a horrific err? And can the condemning Couturians ever forgive such a faux pas? Only time will tell. The public masses are capable of allowing an idol to slip up and still receive embrace (see Britney Spears), but Fashion and all its “Nistas” can be fickle. A second chance could be withheld from the British designer and he should be prepared to have to work very hard for it if he’s willing to try and continue in his career. The road to forgive and let live is going to be a long one for Galliano, and it could lead to nowhere near where he once was. But maybe one day he’ll climb his way back to the top of that ladder once more that will lead him into our hearts, and our closets.

By: Christien Michael Love

There’s Grit Behind All That “Glitz and Glamour” At Flare Magazine

2011-03-13T20:29:00.001-04:00

An exclusive look behind the scenes with fashion editor Dane Tredway

Dane Tredway, a relative new-comer to the fashion industry has recently landed a job many fashion students would kill for; fashion editor at Flare Magazine. He has quickly climbed his way through the fast paced industry and has no intentions of holding back.

Many people seem to end up in different fields than what they studied, what is your educational background?
I had a passion for writing and journalism early on, so started my post-secondary studies with a bachelor’s degree in English at McGill. After taking some time off to travel, I resumed my studies part-time in fashion styling and photography at Ryerson’s Chang School of Continuing Ed.

Did you always want to work in fashion?
My transition into the world of fashion was more organic than planned. I had always had an interest in fashion, design, art and pop culture, but it wasn’t until I began interning at FLARE several years ago that I began to envision myself working in this industry.

The fashion industry is a tough one to break into, how did you catch your big break?
I was introduced to a FLARE editor at a dinner party several years ago and was immediately intrigued by the collision of creativity and print. I took her up on her offer to refer me to the department coordinator at the time, and only a few weeks later began my post as Fashion Editorial Intern.

How long have you been with Flare Magazine?
2 years in total. I began as an intern, continued on as Senior Intern, worked freelance for a short period and was eventually offered the full time position of Assistant Fashion Editor.

Flare is very well known, however many people aren’t familiar with the creation of the magazine. Can you tell me a little bit about what it is like to work at Flare?
The Fashion team at FLARE is really quite small relative to our output and as a result, affords me many opportunities to get involved creatively. It’s a dynamic work environment where no day is like the last – whether I’m out on the market scoping out new collections, attending fashion shows and events, or interviewing, writing and styling – there’s never a dull moment.

Many fashion students dream of becoming a fashion editor without knowing what to expect; can you tell us what your job entails?
Everything and anything. In Editorial, junior staff members tend to adopt catchall positions that can include everything from location scouting to acting as a stand-in model. In general, my responsibilities are to staff and manage all of FLARE’s fashion interns, to style and write for my monthly pages and to coordinate and assist in shoots and market pulls.

What is the typical day for you?
No day is ever like the last and that’s one of the aspects that I love and challenges me most.

Many believe the movie the Devil Wears Prada is what they should expect while working in the fashion industry, is there any truth behind the movie in relation to your job?
Yes and no. There is a lot of truth in the way they portray the process behind the magazine – the events, the grueling schedule, the hierarchy etc., but the day-to-day is not nearly as dramatic and people are a lot more laidback overall.

What do you think are some false assumptions people have about the fashion industry?
Most people think that working at a fashion magazine is all glitz and glamour when in fact there is a lot more to it than that. There is a lot of physical labour and tedious, detail-oriented work behind-the-scenes. Also there a misperception of the people that work in fashion. Like any industry there are egos and attitudes, but working at FLARE I’ve met mostly hard-working and down-to-earth people.

There have been many strong statements across the runways for spring, what are some key trends you are seeing?
Where to start? Colour for one – it’s everywhere and a really refreshing break from all of the neutral and blush tones we’ve been seeing the last few seasons. Also a focus on luxury sportswear, bold prints and pattern-pairings, head-to-toe white, menswear-inspired tailoring and an overall 70s slant.

You must work with hundreds of designers, who are some of your favourite designers and why?
I tend to be drawn more to individual collections rather than designers in particular. However, there are certain collections that I most look forward to: Celine – the best in sophisticated dressing for the modern woman. Dries van Noten – great use of texture, prints and proportion, Proenza Schouler – a good indicator of what “it” girls will be coveting, Givenchy – brilliantly dark and supremely chic, Christopher Kane – one of London’s bright young stars and always pushing the envelope in his use of textiles

What are some key qualities and attributes a person should have if they want to work within the fashion industry?
Drive, a positive work ethic and an ability to take criticism.

You mentioned you began your career at Flare as an intern, how could someone who is interested become an intern at Flare?
Apply online and show me something that sets you apart. I’m always looking for the full package when hiring – people with great personalities, diverse backgrounds and a positive attitude.

What is some advice you would give to students who are just starting off in the industry?
Get yourself out there! The fashion industry is one that (no surprise) revolves around personal connections, networking and hard work. Start a blog, freelance for your local or school newspaper and STAY ON THE PULSE. Fashion is fast-paced and grueling, and an internship in editorial, PR or merchandising is a good way to get your feet wet and see if it’s for you.

Gone Are the Days...

2011-03-11T23:34:00.001-05:00

Gone Are the Days…

Spread out that spring wardrobe budget this year, cause the price of clothing is on its way up,up,up!

You may feel your wallet a little lighter when shopping for your spring wardrobe this season. It seems the less you buy, the more your spending, and all of a sudden that summer wardrobe budget has run out! Probable that the cause of this is the rising prices of clothing that are on their way up this year. According to an article in WWD by Kristi Ellis on Thursday February 17 2011, clothing prices have rose 1 percent in January as compared to the month prior. The idea of clothing prices going up is causing discomfort in the industry because retailers are unsure whether or not consumers will easily adjust to the price changes. In the WWD article written Thursday February 17 2011, by Kristi Ellis they quoted John Lonski, chief at Moody’s Capital Markets Group. “I think what we’re going to find is that manufacturers and retailers will perhaps continue to attempt to increase apparel prices in response to sharply higher materials costs, as shown by the latest surge in the price of cotton. Whether or not these price increases will stick is problematic. We may well find the consumer will balk at paying significantly higher prices for apparel, and if the consumer cuts back on purchases of apparel, owing to higher prices, unsold inventory will mount and that will ultimately put downward pressure on apparel prices.”
The reason for the inflating clothing prices is because of the shortage of cotton for the last year, which has made the cost of buying cotton almost double. Floods in China, Australia and Pakistan damaged the cotton plants from all of these major exporters. India also restricted much of their cotton export to protect their own supply. Factors keep driving up the cost of cotton to the fashion manufacturers around the globe and now consumers are forced to relieve those financial scars. Alternatives have been considered and used for 2012 fabrics, cotton blends mixed with synthetic fibers, and other fibers such as linen and viscose. Wool prices have also increased by approximately 40 percent over the last year as well, although it “hasn’t seemed to affect the business yet ,“ says Martin Aveyard, design director at a vertical British woolen mill Abraham Moon in Tuesday February 22 2011 article in WWD written by Katya Foreman and Joelle Diderich. “In fact, people are placing orders earlier as they are worried wool prices will increase, and they probably will.”
With the rising cotton and wool prices, consumers will soon notice a rising price in the finish goods they are purchasing. Rick Darling, president of LF USA says in Tuesday march 8 2011 WWD article by Kristi Ellis, “the industry is coming out of a 30-year period of price deflation on the wholesale side, driven primarily by China’s market entry, which had major impact on lowering labor rates around the world.” Darling continued, “That day is over, Last year marked a complete turnaround… when China started to encourage significant increases in labor and that is going to continue, in our opinion, in the foreseeable future.” The retail world is preparing itself for some lost sales because of these growing prices. With the higher cost of raw materials and labour eventually the consumer will have to deal with the higher cost of purchasing the end product. We as a society are not used to paying more for clothing because of the deflating costs over the last 30 years, but now is the time and it may be a struggle at first, for everyone to adjust.
The recent rising cost of oil may pose more issues for the apparel industry. As gas prices rise the cost of transporting inventory will increase as well. Oil is now over 100$ a barrel and so a drastic increase in the cost to ship product to its stores and warehouses will eventually affect the cost of the end product for consumers if these high oil prices continue. These rising costs seem to be driving up the cost for more than just the apparel industry, food prices are expected to rise as well and the price of the coffee bean has doubled over the last year. These costs all affect the consumer and they will be feeling the wrath of these increases throughout the 2011 year. Costs of cotton, wool, raw sugar, and oil are driving up the price the retailers are charging. Tim Horton’s is expected to raise their prices this spring as well due to the rising cost of coffee. It is still early to tell how consumers are going to react to these increases, but if their reactions are anything like the reaction to the gas prices, which are at a 29 month high in Toronto, as reported at businessweek.com on March 8 2011, then retailers may be stuck in a rock and a hard place. The possibility that consumers may purchase less, especially since inelastic products such as gas and food are increasing, apparel may take a backseat to these other items for consumers. Clothing may become less important and the price increases may not be well accepted by the Canadian consumer along with all the other price increases they are going to have to face this year. Retailers may have to come up with alternative solutions to try and fix this problem and keep people shopping in 2011.
So what does this say for the fashionista’s of the world? Looking into alternatives to try and spread out the wardrobe budget. Reuse and recycle older pieces with new pieces to get the seasons look, or maybe try some vintage shopping. Picking out your favourite trends of the season rather than every trend may help the wallet as well. Less frivolous spending, and a bit more caution with your spending can allow for your money to go a little farther, buying timeless pieces can last a lifetime.

SPEED YOURSELF

2011-03-11T17:33:00.003-05:00

From campuses, offices, to parties, many people are turning to alleged “miracle” drugs for a boost – despite health and ethical concerns.

Facing an important final, the college student sits down at her desk with a large mug of coffee. However, she then contemplates her alternatives. She sorts through her medicine cabinet for just the right cognitive enhancement pill. She casually pops a couple pills of Adderall. Satisfied, she sits down at her desk to start studying for her final exam.

Scenarios like this one are becoming increasingly common as attention-deficit drugs have slowly been seeping into the norm at an alarming rate. People from all generations are turning to so-called “smart drugs” such as Adderall and Ritalin for several reasons. College students use them for midterms and finals. High-powered professionals do so to increase cognitive abilities and to aid their high-pressure jobs. Hollywood starlets and women are turning to Adderall for rapid weight loss schemes, and partygoers are using them for endurance and a quick buzz to overcome anxious jitters. In reference to a July 31 New York Times article, writer Andrew Jacobs spoke to several students who spoke adamantly of the drug, “Adderall is the drug of choice these days, it’s a legitimate and even hip way to get through the rigors of a hectic academic and social life.” Thus proving that these stimulants have become increasingly popular due to their accessibility, efficacy, and its likable nature.

With our culture becoming increasingly competitive, healthy individuals who do not have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are using these drugs to fuel their busy lives and desire for success. It has also become the drug of choice for girls, who naturally are concerned with their figure and found that Adderall miraculously suppresses the appetite. The usage of these “smart drugs” have become rampant in U.S. colleges as well as the workplace. These non-patient users are enticed by the pleasant effects of improved concentration, increased wakefulness, and less susceptibility to distractions.

While the popularity of these stimulants appear to be more significant in the United States than Canada, there is still an increasing competitiveness and pressure in the Canadian environment. According to the November edition of Elle Canada, Katie Addleman reports that since 2005, “the number of ADHD prescriptions dispensed by Canadian pharmacies has grown by about 200,000 every year. As of June, the figure for 2010 already stood at more than 1.6 million.” Addleman also reports that a 2008 survey found that “80 percent thought that healthy adults should be able to use these drugs if desired; and 69 percent said that they would risk mild side effects to take them.” With the mental boosts these drugs can supply, it is not difficult to understand the appeal. However, in spite of the benefits, are the effects and consequences worth it?

Side effects can include irritability, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, increased heart rate, and at it’s worst, it could cause death. In 2005, Health Canada reported that 20 drug related deaths were related to Adderall consumption. Even with a growing amount of non-patient users, Adderall sales continue to soar because it is inexpensive and easy to use. Little is being done for the misuse of these drugs and the market for legal stimulants is only becoming stronger. When taken at a higher than prescribed dosage, Adderall can be both psychologically and physically addictive. Users even take drugs such as sleeping pills to counter act the stimulant effects of Adderall. Increased dependency can also lead to tolerance and withdrawal symptoms, where many report feeling depressed and vapid without the drug. Persistent abuse of Adderall and Ritalin can also produce a “psychosis that resembles schizophrenia and is characterized by paranoia, picking at the skin, preoccupation with one’s own thoughts, and auditory and visual hallucinations – psychotic symptoms can persist for months and even years after use of these drugs has ceased”, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in a government report labeled, “Drugs of Abuse”.

Despite the fact that stimulants can increase productivity and fuel the mind, these drugs can also be counter productive. They are said to stifle creativity and impulsivity, two traits that are lost at the expense of a focused mind. It is interesting how changing expectations for people these days have altered the way we treat ourselves in order to reach success. People are striving for more time, better results, and social confidence more than ever before. The pressure to perform and achieve perfection has become a simple reality. At the end of the day, human beings are capable of extraordinary things, with or without drugs. However, people strive for the best to get to the top, and in this day and age, unless high standards and over achieving is no longer the norm, the use of these drugs are inevitable.

A Jersey Store-y

2011-03-11T12:33:00.000-05:00

For the last few years, MTV’s hit phenom show; Jersey Shore, has shown immense success and involvement throughout the media on an international level. Nightclubs are now filled with “Gorilla juicehead guidos” and “Guidettes” showing off their fist-pumping skills. As well as being a hilarious cast, these young stars have also become style moguls. Here are a few looks that were inspired by the Jersey Shore Cast.

High Fashion

When Jersey Shore first aired, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s oversized hair made quite an impact on the popular hairstyles to date. The “Snooki pouf” is the new “Rachel” of the decade. With the show growing notoriously, the “pouf’s” popularity seemed to also grow with the show. With this new found success, the 4ft 9 meatball was able to add a few inches to her height. Not only are young girls wearing their own “pouf” higher, but it has also been the subject for many parodies such as: Ellen Degeneres’ Halloween costume and MTV live’s Sheenooki.

Who wears Short Shorts?

The Royal Teens said it best: Who wears short shorts, they wear short shorts! Summer means legs and when it comes to showing skin, the girls from Jersey Shore are no strangers to that department. It seems that when it comes to picking out a pair of shorts, less is more. Short shorts have transitioned into more of clubbing attire since the show came to air. It appears to be normal to now wear micro-mini shorts through the winter as well. More girls are going out in February dressed as if it were august. This disregard of weather conditions helps showcase the importance of looking sexy vs. the proper attire for weather conditions.

Sun Kissed

The cast of the Jersey Shore have seen their fair share of tanning beds. They have made tanning part of their signature addictive saying: GTL – Gym, Tan and Laundry. Because the whole cast has olive skin complexions, it makes it easier and safer for them to achieve their sun-kissed glows. Indoor tanning has become so popular that laws have been set in order to protect the younger generations.

Summer Fresh

It is very important to make a good first impression. At most times, the first thing someone will notice about you is the way you are dressed and presenting yourself. GTL is present in this area. According the MVP crew – Mike “the situation”, Vinny and Pauly, looking fresh is an essential part of everyday. It is crucial to always have clean and fresh laundered clothes if you are going to have a successful T-shirt time. T-shirt time is defined in urbandictionary.com by The Situation in this way: "We have an abundance of wife beaters ... we wear before we go out. Then it's T-shirt time. Right before we go out we take off the tank and then we put on our fresh shirt." As Pauly D would say it: “You gotta stay fresh-to-death I call it - fresh outfit, fresh haircut, fresh tan, just stay fresh.”

Pumping-Fist… and iron.

The third addition to the GTL lifestyle is working out. In order to look like a gorilla juicehead, hitting the gym is a must. Working out has become much more glamorized recently and girls are now dressing up to work-out. The Jersey Shore cast is usually shown working out at least once in every episode. After pumping iron, the cast concentrates on pumping fist. Fist pumping is defined in urbandictionary.com as an arm motion made during intense moments of musical euphoria, defined by the outward thrusting of the fist and flexing in-between repetitions. Can also be done inside a moving vehicle for extra style points and honks from random females. So weather it be fists or iron that the cast is pumping, they always do it with millions of fans watching.

Kids Just Wanna Have Fun

2011-03-11T12:31:00.000-05:00

Child labor continues to be an issue. The fashion industry had been quiet for sometime on subjects concerning forced child labor laws however; recent speculations of forced labor have been submerging. Overseas, these laws are no longer being enforced and more children are being forced to work at a very young age. UNICEF has estimated that from ages 5-14, there are approximately 158 million children working underage for horrific pay. Various countries in the eastern hemisphere such as India and China have been talking about efforts being made in order to eliminate or lessen child workers. Although there has been talk of these efforts, solutions and answers to the child labor problem still have not been seen.

Children around the world are being forced to work in sweatshops that can often be harmful to their health. Investigators who have visited these apparel sweatshops have seen children working with dangerous chemicals in dangerous settings; they have also seen these children get abused and forced to work in very unsanitary and disgusting conditions. These kids will often be forced to work 12 to 14 hour days without receiving overtime pay. They will also be deprived of an education and a proper childhood. The biggest problem areas in the apparel industry include clothing, handbags and shoes. Most athletic shoes are made in Asian sweatshops.

It’s no secret that there is a serious problem concerning child labor laws in Asian countries. India had once been a go to country for American manufacturers but that is no longer the case. The amount of apparel traffic coming out of India and that is being shipped to North-America is decreasing greatly and the U.S labor department is encouraging the cease of textile merchandising with Indian manufacturers. Registered textile mills in India are now subject to regular inspections by the government.

With the rise of cotton prices, efforts are being made in order to save money in Asian countries. There have been reports of children harvesting genetically modified cotton because of its smaller size. In Uzbekistan approximately 2 million school children are sent by the government to pick cotton in fields. These children will usually be gone for 2-3 months in the fall. Often, some of these children will be injured in the fields.

For sometime, the government in these countries have been stating that change is coming and efforts are being made to help these children. These governments have not made sufficient efforts because child slavery continues to be a big issue in developing Asian countries. Canada and the U.S have been closely working towards settling this issue with the United Nation.

According to an article in Women’s Wear Daily by Liza Casabona (October 10^th 2010) the U.S Labor department has given out millions of dollars worth of grants to organizations working closely to fight child labor. They believe that every child has the right to an education and are working towards this goal.

Canadians have also made an impact globally. Free the children is a non-profit organization that is concentrated on raising money for the children around the world while raising awareness of the current situation. It was founded in 1995 by a 12 year old boy named Craig Kielburger. Since then they have started the adopt a village program which provide schools, health care and clean water to child laborers everywhere. The 500^th school was built in 2008.

It is rewarding to see how much North-Americans have been helping overseas however unless the governments in said countries starts to enforce child labor laws the issue will not cease. Canadians are beginning to be more aware of the issue and some are no longer buying brands that have been known to support child laborStores such as forever 21 and stitches may be able to sell their merchandise cheaper but they will lose a certain demographic of shoppers who are aware of the company’s ways. Companies such as Gap and H&M have strong views against child labor and are able to reach out to a higher demographic. Brands can no longer afford to make unethical decisions and this is taking a toll on the third-world child labor industry. The media is posing more awareness on social activism and these brands have all been seeing positive feedback and sale increase within the company. The world is becoming more conscious of the way that our clothes is being produced, procured and then sent out for the consumers to buy. Companies that support child labor in foreign countries are becoming more and more susceptible to company sales lost due to the unethical behaviour and decisions making in the company and they will continue to see their number decrease as long as they are doing so. Child labor is not going to be solved overnight, however if poverty and slavery continues to be ignored there might not be any children to enslave in the future.

How to Turn a Blind Eye

2011-03-11T10:54:00.001-05:00

The fashion world has been abuzz lately with clamor regarding the ousting of John Galliano from the fashion helm Christian Dior. On Tuesday March 1^st, only three days prior to the showing of Dior’s fall 2011 fashion show, John Galliano was officially dismissed as their head designer based on allegations and video footage of the couturier drunkenly slurring anti-Semitic and racist insults. Galliano has received an unprecedented amount of media attention as a result of these incidents, both negative and positive, scrutiny and support. Anti-Semitism has played a crucial role in fashion’s history both underlying and blatant. This resurfacing of the issue poses questions of whether our world’s tastemakers and fashion-elite are still pushing an “Aryan” standard of beauty or if the industry steps in when they see racial injustice.

Many of Galliano’s supporters rushed to his side to try to rebuild his now tarnished image. Vogue Italia’s editor in chief Franca Sozzani posted on the magazine’s website “I’m just as disgusted by these people who saw what state John was in and took advantage of the situation by trading on his name and notoriety.” She seems to flippantly suggest John to be not only a completely innocent man, and that the witnesses were acting in malice.

Patricia Field, a stylist and costume designer sent a mass e-mail to 500 blogs, media and friends in support of Galliano. She seemed dismissive of Galliano’s actions in a phone interview by saying “People in fashion, all they do is go and see John Galliano theater every season. That’s what he gives them. To me, this was the same.” She described his anti-Semitic slurs as “Farce” and said that Galliano was “acting out a character.” Something Galliano knows how to do all too well.

Galliano has also received a tremendous amount of flack for his outbursts, most notably, and controversially from his employer Christian Dior. The chief executive for the company, Sidney Toledano expressed the company’s opinion in a statement at the recent fall Dior show soon after the incidents. He honored Galliano’s work describing him as “brilliant” and possessing “remarkable creative talent.” However, Toledano didn’t hesitative to express the company’s unabashed distaste for Galliano’s actions as well, stating, “It has been deeply painful to see the Dior name associated with the disgraceful statements attributed to its designer…” making it clear to sever their ties to Galliano in fear of what the association could do for their company.

Further in Toledano’s statement, he claims that the company will now, more than ever need to re-commit itself to the core values of the House of Dior. “He [Christian Dior] believed in the importance of respect and in the capacity of this fundamental value not only to bring out the beauty in women, but also bring out the best in people.” Clearly a section of the Dior handbook John Galliano overlooked when he was appointed a design successor of Christian Dior.

This whole uproar regarding anti-Semitism in fashion resurges memories of France’s fashion history over the last century and it’s scary ties to fascism. Prior to the Second World War, France’s fashion industry was responsible for a major portion of its economy and Paris was the world’s fashion capitol. During the Nazi occupation between 1940-1945 Paris’ fashion exports to great Brittan and United States dwindled and they only were only allowed to export to Germany, Italy and Spain.

In an effort to eliminate the “Jewish influence” in the French Economy, the Nazi’s underwent an upheaval of the labour market. Under the Vichy regime, Jews were officially barred from owning businesses. Companies, many of which, primarily Jewish, were “Aryanized” terminating all their Jewish employees. One person who took part these efforts was Coco Chanel who had very close ties with the Nazis. Years earlier, she had sold her fragrance business to a Jewish businessman and now saw the chance to unfairly regain it. He beat her to the punch by cleverly giving control of the company to a trusted “Aryan” associate of his.

The Nazi’s censored the content of French magazines such as vogue and limited their production. They also asserted an effort to limit what women could and could not wear. They wanted women to adhere to their fascist ideology by straying from masculine clothing such as pants and structured silhouettes.

When looking at today’s beauty standards in the fashion industry, they aren’t so different from the Nazi’s ideology for an “Aryan” race, blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and a slender muscular body, sounds quite a lot like the “All-American” image we are constantly bombarded with on the cover of fashion magazines and in runway shows.

When something as terrible as an artist, revered for his creativity and innovation falls from grace because of many drunken, yet loaded racial slurs the world is shocked, but for good reason? The signs of a racially charged history are still prevalent in the current fashion industry. Attitudes of segregation and discrimination have not completely disappeared; more times than not the issues at hand are swept under the rug and fashion’s elite turn a heavily made-up, long lashed blind eye.

Living Life...Vicariously Through a Celebrity

2011-03-11T02:14:00.002-05:00

A look into why our society is so celebrity obsessed

Celebrities, we idolize them, track their every move and treat them as though they are modern day gods. One day we love them and the next day we hate them and the day after that we don’t know what we think. The latest news, gossip and photos depicting the lives of the rich and famous is a very lucrative business and there is a subculture built around celebrity obsessions. Magazines such as In Touch and Star, Blogs such as Perezhilton and Just Jared and TV shows such as TMZ and Access Hollywood, all feed us our celebrity drug and we go back to them for our daily fix. We can’t help it either, everywhere we turn celebrities are talked about, in fact there are more gossip magazines than real news magazines in Canada. Next time you’re in a convenience store check out the news stand and you’ll find proof of our society’s celebrity obsession.

In today’s day, celebrity news is considered “real news” and often takes the headlines above world events. As far as I know, nothing else in the world took place the day Britney Spears shaved her head or the day Tiger Woods publically confessed he committed adultery. The paparazzi could be to blame for making celebrities so ubiquitous but what about those celebrities such as the Kardashians who willingly flaunt their personal lives via reality television shows? The line between private citizen and public persona becomes blurred and the public begins to lose sight of true reality.

Of course the idea of being a celebrity is intoxicating and easily envied. Who wouldn’t want to be dressed in the latest fashion, drive expensive cars and be invited to all the “it” parties? Although the life of a celebrity is surreal to most people, we are so bombarded with the broadcasted glamorous lifestyles of the rich and famous that we begin to find escapism in it. All of a sudden you turn your attention from a world of job loss, debt, anxiety and boredom to a world of red carpet walks, beautiful beach houses, private jets and high fashion. Obviously, celebrity obsession doesn’t stop there. We then turn our “escapisms” into reality by going to restaurants and bars celebrities have been spotted at (TAO in Las Vegas), dressing like them (Nichole Richie’s boho look), cutting our hair like them (Jennifer Aniston’s “Rachel Haircut”), talking like them (“that’s hot” courtesy of Paris Hilton), and buying anything and everything they endorse, just because they say we need it.

Fascination with famous people is said to be a human phenomenon that dates back to ancient history. In the times of Ancient Greece, “Greek Gods” were created and considered to be celebrities. Citizens believed that the gods had a direct impact on their lives and because of this they felt it was important to know about each god’s personal life. It was this innate, “need to know,” that led to the creation of myths that personalized the gods and involved them in ancient celebrity scandals that excited and intrigued the citizens. Interestingly enough, during the Middle Ages, royalty and aristocracy were considered celebrities while during the Dark Ages religious figures, saints, and martyrs took on celebrity status.

As the ancient Greeks did, we today build up myths about our modern day celebrities and then watch their every move, building them up as modern gods and tearing them down as they begin to show signs of humanity. In fact, the term Schadenfreude, defined as “pleasure taken from observing the misery and misfortune of others,” has been studied for years by psychologists as one of the main reasons for celebrity obsession. So then do our celebrity obsessions stem from the idea that we secretly enjoy watching as others flail and can’t help but tune in when a celebrity is experiencing distress?

My inability to pinpoint the reason for celebrity obsession led me to ask various people if and why they followed the lives of celebrities. On average, most people were in tune with current popular celebrity headlines, those who claimed they were not said they had no interest in the entertainment world, even though when questioned they knew the story of Britney’s meltdown and Charlie Sheens manic ways. Reasons people watched the celebrity gossip shows and bought the magazines included: a form of entertainment, boredom, curiosity, love for certain celebrities, wanting to see what the celebs are currently wearing and one respondent even said that her and her girlfriends get together weekly to gossip about celebrities.

However, when does celebrity obsession go too far? Where does one draw the line between an innocent friendly obsession and celebrity stalker? The concept of celebrity stalking as a mental illness is far beyond the scope of this article. Nonetheless, as stated by the DSM, celebrity stalking falls under the category of “delusional stalking” where the stalker has little or no contact with the victim but believes that the victim is in love with them. Okay, so most people don’t fall within the celebrity stalker category but I do think that a category should be created for those who live, eat and sleep celebrity because this is becoming a major concern and more and more of an issue whether dangerous or not.

In the end, maybe our obsession with all things celebrity is a human trait or an addiction that we can’t shake or even just a simple form of entertainment to ease our minds after a long day. Either way, with advancements in technology and/or the need for immediacy, celebrity obsessions will inevitably only increase. However, it is our choice whether we want to live through the eyes and experiences of celebrities or take the reins and begin to live a thrilling, out of the spot light life celebrities would be envious of.

Live and Let Live

2011-03-11T00:50:00.000-05:00

The fashion industry has always been driven by the constant change in trends. Some last longer than others. Some become a movement. All can be predicted more than a year in advance by some of the most influential and powerful trend forecasting companies across the world. This process begs to ask the question: are these services creating or spotting the trends?
Trend forecasting companies span across all industries including interior design, architecture, food and automotive; in one word they cover everything. So if major industry competitors are all subscribing are there really trends?
Pantone specialists are entitled appropriately “cool hunters.” Companies like WGSN and Pantone are great references for designers. They provide inspiration for the fast paced industry where one wrong colour choice means thousands of dollars in lost profit. They provide a range of colour ideas that the designer can choose from and interpret. They still allow flexibility and creativity to thrive in the fashion industry. They go to the streets in over 100 cities worldwide to see what people have pulled and paired together. They seek out up-and-coming artists, travel destinations and world events that may inspire the latest runway collections.
With trend companies going to greater lengths and investors forcing designers to follow colour trends as a means of success, does all of this pressure force designer to conform? Linda Lundström, who you may know as a George Brown faculty member, adopted an acclaimed forecasting company when her company was bought out by Eleventh Floor. She explained in her draping class that she had never used trend forecasting services before while working on her label, but adopted them into her process. She continued to say that while the services create the pallets, designers are free to interpret them for different target markets.
The issue also becomes apparent with the overall cost to access these services ringing in well into the thousands of dollars. Smaller designers don’t find it in their budgets to afford these services and are therefore left behind. Luckily in the modern world, careful studying of street-style blogs and world events can provide the inspiration for free. The photographers that take to the streets each day provide the perfect representation of what the world is wearing- vintage or new. Designers in Toronto who belong to the Toronto Fashion Incubator can access seminars held by Pantone and have constant access to the books they publish. With the membership and fee for the seminar reaching just over 100$ smaller companies can afford to attend.
The need for trends and new products to constantly flood retail stores means that these companies are essential in keeping the market going. They provide information on new innovations from around the world and ideas on advertising and packaging to bring the final product to the consumer. Customized consultations are also available for designers. The companies filter through the trends and provide only details on the key details relevant for the price point and target market. In such an artistic and creative industry such direction is an asset to the artist. Allowing the designer to efficiently design a line for each fashion week or retail season means a major increase in profit and satisfied investors.
Consumers can take these companies as an advantage. Since there are so many companies making similar garments, style can be achieved at any price point. Of course the fabrics and the details may not be the same, but the colour pallet and the silhouettes are so similar that it makes dressing on a budget easier for the mass market. For designers it becomes an advantage because some advertisements are more easily obtained through magazine editorials. Since their garments can coincide with other designers who have chosen similar styling, magazines get to showcase several pieces cohesively.
With the fashion industry being the multi-billion dollar business that it is, the bottom line remains the essential ingredient in major decisions. If one decides to forego using the services of cool-hunters than one risks a design flop known to investors as an expense not lightly taken.
So the question still remains; do trend forecasting companies hurt or help the creative process? With the industry being so business-focused and the consumer empowered by the market’s saturation, any business decision that minimizes the risk of poor design choices is a no-brainer. It’s not to say that a well chosen pallet and fabric choice based on a solid inspiration can’t just as easily succeed. But with colour names like: orchid hush and quarry how can you not find inspiration in these services.

Tissh: A Leap of Faith for Designer Gloria Lee

2011-03-10T22:01:00.000-05:00

An up and coming Toronto fashion and jewelry designer wants to be part of a new generation of fashion; one that empowers.

As a young girl Gloria Lee could not stifle her love for fashion. She often doodled dresses, compulsively watched Fashion Television, and found herself mentally altering clothing she would see in stores to improve them to her own taste.

After high school Gloria put aside her creative interests and tried pursuing a life in traditional business. She majored in Actuarial Science at the University of Toronto and held corporate jobs for 5 years. In 2005, during her corporate days, Gloria was looking for a baby shower gift at Walmart. She instead found herself wandering into the craft section picking out beads and string to make jewelry for friends as a hobby. It seemed her creativity was again emerging. That year she founded Tissh Inc. The name is inspired by an internet handle she had in her teen years and is a play on the word fetish. She soon enrolled part-time at Coco Fashion Design Centre in Toronto, where she took pattern drafting and garment construction courses. In 2009, encouraged by her brother and business partner Joseph, Gloria took a leap of faith by quitting her corporate job to follow her passion designing women’s clothing and jewelry full-time.

Gloria has since found another equally rewarding passion; helping others. She wants women to feel empowered in her clothing and be more aware of themselves as powerful, confident beings. Gloria loves to combine design with “giving back” to society. At the end of each month a portion of Tissh sales is given to local charities. The designer is also participating in Super Saturday this July in The Hamptons, New York. It’s a charity sample sale started by designer Donna Karan with 100% of profits going to ovarian cancer research.

There appears to be a spiritual link to many of Gloria’s musings on her life and business. She continuously refers to maintaining a positive attitude, a higher being, and the law of attraction; all part of her spiritual journey she says. It’s a journey that Gloria intends to continue on as it has brought her to a place where she feels ready and excited to help others. She candidly offers advice to budding entrepreneurs; valuable tidbits like saving more money than you think you’ll ever need, never giving up, and reminding yourself to be happy. After all, Gloria says, “Life is about being happy, do what makes you happy and listen to your own voice inside.”

Gloria wants to make it clear that starting a business is not easy, especially as a fashion designer. She talks about the difficulties of wearing all the hats; as financier, merchandiser, designer and accountant. What makes her job challenging though, is exactly what makes it rewarding. She truly seizes opportunities to expand and always learns from mistakes.

At this point in her early thirties Gloria is grateful to make her fashion dream a reality as her business continues to grow. In early March 2011 Gloria was profiled on eTalk and Canada AM, both part of the CTV network. It was a segment that had ten of Canada’s top designers submit wedding dress sketches for Kate Middleton’s upcoming marriage to Prince William. Gloria was thrilled to have been part of an impressive group that included David Dixon and Lucian Matis.

When we spoke back in March, Gloria was busy putting the finishing touches on promotional material for her spring 2011 collection. New York City is her inspiration and each piece is named after a street in the Big Apple. Her two favourite pieces from the collection are the Hudson jacket; a three-quarter sleeve camel coloured swing cropped trench and the Lexington dress; a stretch silk halter dress with pockets and an exposed back.

Looking ahead to the future Gloria hopes to participate in the international Las Vegas trade show, Magic. She also plans to continue with social media endeavors. Her website, www.tissh.com has links to her Twitter account and blog. Gloria appreciates the ability to connect with real people in real time. She enjoys the approachable relationship she has with customers and plans to stay grounded and accessible.

When asked if she has any closing remarks Gloria pauses and states, “I feel there is a movement, globally, I feel like people are becoming more awakened in their lives and I hope to be part of that.” She wants people to change their outlook on fashion from seeing it as something superficial to something empowering. Gloria wants women to feel strong and confident in her clothing, she wants them to soak in the good energy she hopes her clothes transfer. At the end of the day she wants to be proud of her work and knows she is fulfilling her life’s meaning by helping others. Even though her journey is just beginning, Gloria Lee can confidently say she is on the right path.

Tissh clothing is sold at Beyond 7, a boutique in Chelsea, NYC. Prices range from $400-$700. TisshXpress jewelry is sold at Dorly Design in Toronto. Prices range from $30-$300.

2011-03-10T20:25:00.000-05:00

When the Spotlight Shines

For people in the public eye how do your actions represent who you are?

The renowned house of Christian Dior has been making headlines and not just for the recent Fall/Winter 2011 collection, but for Dior’s most celebrated designer and creative director, John Galliano. After an altercation with a women and a man in a restaurant, who called the police and a video of Galliano making anti-Semitic slurs in a Paris bar on February 24^th, the designer is faced with a trial for his offenses. Under French law, provoking any form of racial hatred is considered a criminal offense and anyone found guilty could face jail time and possible fines.

Since Galliano started in 1996, the house of Christian Dior has seen tremendous change as the designer’s vivid imagination and whimsical ways took the brand to a multimillion-dollar ranking. Despite John Galliano being thought of as synonymous with the Dior brand, CEO Sidney Toledano decided to suspend the designer and soon afterwards it was announced that he was fired. The New York Times article, Galliano Case Tests Dior Brand’s Future from March 1^st, quoted Toledano saying, “[that] he condemned the words and conduct of Mr. Galliano, “which are in total contradiction to the longstanding core values of Christian Dior.”

The recent media attention from around the world has created much discussion on the fate of the legendary haute couture fashion house. In addition to the lead designer and creative director of Dior, Galliano also has his own line of couture. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton owns Dior amongst other fashion houses of the same caliber, such as Celine and Louis Vuitton. Dior has a 60-year history to uphold with French fashion, as it remains a huge aspect of French culture and way of life.

Recent Oscar award winning actress Natalie Portman, has been a huge admirer of Galliano’s work and for the Oscars she was planning on wearing a dress by him. Having heard the allegations against the designer shortly before Hollywood’s biggest night, Portman chose not to support him and wore a dress by Rodarte instead. Dior’s brand of perfume, Miss Dior Cherie is represented by Portman and as a result of the recent uproar caused by Galliano’s behaviour; Portman publicly announced her disappointment with the designer. In The New York Times article from March 1^st, Portman stated, “I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today. In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way.”

For many designers having celebrities and public figures admire and respect their creations, as they often are seen in the spotlight showcasing their outfit and commending the designer for their astounding garments, is a form of publicity. The individual wearing the garment, is essentially representing the brand, in turn rewarding the designer for choosing to dress him or her. The commitment to a particular designer on the part of someone in the public eye often results in that individual being associated with appreciating that designer’s work over the competitions. The star of Gossip Girl, Blake Lively has been a devotee of Chanel and mutually speaking, Karl Lagerfeld has favoured this bright, young star, as she recently has been chosen to represent the “Mademoiselle” handbag line for the Chanel house.

While Galliano’s actions may be considered an isolated incident, there have been similar issues in the past that impact the moral and ethical obligations of a company subject to possible public scrutiny. Checkered Past, an article by the National Post reveals that German fashion powerhouse, Hugo Boss A.G. which at the time was a family-owned textile factory of uniforms, “became the official supplier of Nazi uniforms in 1933 and continued manufacturing throughout the war using forced labour from France and Poland.” The company came clean of its association with the Nazi administration and “Boss’s own son Siegfried confirmed his father’s membership in the Nazi Party.” While some may feel disgusted and choose to not support the brand, the company did own up to the truth.

From a public relations standpoint, the house of Dior handled the circumstance in a respectable way. Despite Portman’s feelings on Galliano’s inappropriate outburst, the company has to look past this and move on. Fashion Director of The Daily Telegraph, Hilary Alexander, felt that this will impact Galliano the most, and for Dior she feels that it will go back to “business as usual, [as] the show must go on.”

Jean Paul Gaultier, a man accustomed to the pressure and scrutiny of being a well-known fashion designer, defended Galliano. The article from WGSN, Galliano and Dior Shows go Ahead with Absent Designer, Own Label to Continue for now, Gaultier Defends Galliano, quoted Gaultier stating, “he is clearly not a racist. Everything he has done has not revealed someone who is racist, quite to the contrary, referring to the design inspiration he has drawn from widespread geographies and cultures.” He also seemed skeptical of the context in which the recordings of anti-Semitic slurs were taken.

Although, Galliano’s recent episode has got the fashion industry talking, there is an important underlying issue to address. The concept of corporate social responsibility relates directly to this, as the Dior house felt responsible for Galliano and thus fired him for his offenses. Many companies around the world make it a main priority to present themselves in a positive light and consequently hope to benefit society and provide a purpose to the consumers they are serving.

Specifically, Galliano’s scandal poses a number of questions, which ultimately reflects differently on every individual and also affects those consumers involved. Some may feel that this incident should be thought of as separate from his remarkable work, as fashion industry professionals, such as Jeanne Beker, described him as a fashion “genius and icon”. However, others such as Natalie Portman disrespect his recent behaviour and as a result will no longer choose to support him. Dior is one of the most prestigious houses in fashion and Galliano’s actions may impact consumer’s shopping choices. Being that Dior serves a niche market, individuals perhaps may take this episode personally, as John Galliano was a well-respected fashion designer who has made a mark on the fashion industry, as his elaborate collections speak for themselves.

Saying Goodbye to John Galliano

2011-03-10T18:41:00.001-05:00

Dior’s quest to repair their image after creative directors anti-sematic remarks.

While most of us were relaxing at home, or perhaps lying on a beach (if you were one of the lucky ones) enjoying our much anticipated intercession week, such was not the case for chief designer of fashion house Christian Dior, John Galliano. Galliano was fired on March 1^st 2011 after a video surfaced of him yelling a series of anti-sematic comments in a bar in Paris. Soon after the video appeared, it spread like wildfire throughout the fashion industry and many people were jumping at the opportunity to comment on what they had seen. Although most were up in arms about the racist comments he had made, there were several individuals who stood by the famous designer in his time of need. One of the main questions on everyone’s minds was whether or not Dior will survive without its creative director, and more importantly who will be brave enough to fill his shoes?

Galliano was one of the most influential designers within the fashion industry and was known for being the so-called “bad boy”. He was constantly pushing the envelope when it came to his daring looks on the catwalk, and was admired and respected immensely by others. Many industry professionals have since replaced this respect with repulsion and hatred, since his thoughtless tirade. Oscar winner Natalie Portman released a statement claiming that she was “deeply shocked and disgusted” at the comments made by Galliano. Portman, who is “proud to be Jewish”, was so appalled by his actions, that she abruptly changed her decision to wear Galliano at the Academy Awards ceremony that Sunday evening. Renowned fashion designer, Karl Lagerfeld was also quick to comment on the situation, stating that he is “furious” with Galliano, as reported by WWD’s Miles Socha. Lagerfeld feels as though he has tarnished the image of everyone in the fashion business, let alone the chairman and CEO of the company, Bernard Arnault, who had been a great friend to both Lagerfeld and Galliano.

While Portman and Lagerfeld were not alone in their feelings towards Galliano’s remarks, there are many individuals who are coming to his defense. Roberto Cavalli was interviewed by The Telegraph backstage at Milan Fashion Week and immediately defended Galliano, claiming “I don’t believe it because I’ve know John for many years. He’s such a wonderful person”, furthermore stating that Galliano is “so international” and therefore it would not make sense for him to make such racist comments. Another celebrity coming to his defense is model and friend Chanel Iman. On March 1^st Iman told Hollywoodlife.com that Galliano “is one of the most creative, genius designers that I’ve worked with and he’s so open to all types of people. He’s loving and he’s caring and I wish him all the best”. Like Cavalli and Iman, many of his friends have been quick to dismiss these allegations of racism, claiming that Galliano is a brilliant man with a vast array of talent. Among several of his daring fashion shows, Galliano has shown inspiration through the influence of differing cultures within his designs. He has never shown any hateful attitudes towards race in the past, which seems to beg the question to many as to whether it was all a misunderstanding.

Sara Rotman, creative director and owner of MODCo Creative has compared Galliano’s absence within the fashion industry to Tom Ford leaving Gucci, as well as Alexander McQueen’s tragic suicide. She states that Galliano is “one of the few geniuses really left in our field”, as reported by WWD’s Miles Socha. Rotman believes that after the initial shock of Dior’s decision to move on without Galliano, they, like many other fashion houses, will move on and find their rhythm again. The final outcome now remains within fashion industry, and whether or not they will be willing to support a brand with a tarnished image.

Was Dior’s quick response to the controversy surrounding Galliano a smart move, or would have they been better off keeping him a part of the company? Since 1996, Galliano has been proven to be a huge success as Dior’s creative director and has showed his unique sense of style throughout his time there. He was the brains behind the whole operation and had improved their image by “ increasing sales and making it a jewel of the LVMH luxury empire run by the French billionaire Bernard Arnault”, as reported by The New York Times’ Doreen Carvajal (February 28, 2011). Dior’s rash decision to fire Galliano, may backfire when all the media dies down, leaving not only a tarnished reputation for Dior, but also leaving them without the star of their company. Galliano has been an inspiration from the start, and finding a quick replacement may just be the demise of the company.

The High Price of High Heels

2011-03-10T18:40:00.001-05:00

The High Price of High Heels

In a battle between what's fashionable and what's practical, how can anyone figure out women's footwear in the 21st century?

Fashion revolves while it evolves; the journey of the high heel is no different. In the last 40 years, various styles of high heels, some of which reflect earlier eras and some of which are entirely original creations of the time, have fallen in and out of favor. The most common characteristic of the various styles is their pure impracticality. Furthermore, there are health studies that continually emerge that outline the detrimental effects heels have on the body, most importantly the foot. This, however, has not stopped the mass popularity of heeled shoes. The question is; why do women put themselves through the pain and risk of wearing heels?

Before we can understand high heels and the debate that surrounds them today, we must understand the evolution of this iconic fashion piece and how they came to be.

Heel History

Interestingly enough, while many feminists debate about the social pressures there are for women to wear heels and sexuality that surround these seductive shoes, they were originally worn by men. It is believed that the first heeled shoes were worn by Egyptian Butchers to elevate their feet from the mess of their job back as early as 4,000 BCE. The journey of the heel continued, and in 200 BCE heels were worn by Roman actors and were called kothorni. They then resurfaced as a purely practical item again in the 1600s when it was added to men’s shoes to help keep their feet in the stirrups when riding. Riding boots are still heeled today for safety and practicality purposes.

It was the 1500s, however, that saw the birth of women’s high heels as a fashion piece. In 1533 the first women’s heel was designed to lengthen the legs. Notable iconic figures, who served as catalysts to the evolution of the high heel as we know it today include: Catherine d’Medici, Mary Tudor and Marie Antoinette. Marie Antoinette even wore two-inch heels to her execution, and for the Sophia Coppola film Marie Antoinette, Manolo Blahnik designed over 100 pairs of shoes

From the 1850s to the 1950s the height of the heel remained at about two inches. In the 1950s, however, icons such as Marilyn Monroe aided in furthering the evolution of the heel, with the fashionable and arguably most iconic style: the stiletto. Also in fashion at the time was the kitten heel, which looked much like a miniature and was favored by Audrey Hepburn.

The 1970s saw another dramatic turn in heel style when the slim stiletto was shunned for the chunky platform sole. This was the new breed of the kothorni shoes of earlier centuries, and was worn by both men and women. The 1980s opted for sky high heels, and the 1990s returned to a lower heel, though many began to favor flats.

Heels in the 21^st Century

Since the turn of the century, many different styles, ranging from very low to extremely high heels have swayed in and out of popularity in the fashion world, but the heel was constant nonetheless.

The simple fact about high heels is that in addition to making women taller, high heels force the back to arch, pushing the bosom forward and the buttocks rearward, thus accentuating and elongating the female form. In a time where image is everything, we are constantly trying to find ways to improve our appearance, and a high heel is a staple piece in every woman’s wardrobe for that very reason.

People choose specific shoes and styles to fulfill a variety of physical, psychological and social needs. When you get dressed everyday, your needs are fulfilled to different degrees based on what you place as priority in life. Most people tend to choose clothes based off of physical need (i.e. the need for comfort). There are, however, many people who choose their shoes purely based off of what they look like, which can fulfill their psychological and social needs.

Your shoes, as with all your clothing, present an image. In many cultures, a certain height of heel represents your social status or class. Throughout history, shoes in general have typically served as markers of gender, class, race, and ethnicity. While societies around the world have their own cultural connotations associated with different styles of shoes, the high heel, particularly the stiletto, is known worldwide for its leisure, sexuality, and sophistication.

In the 21st century all heels have their place in women's wardrobes, even high-heeled flip-flops. While the majority of women have heels they can actually wear, there are some who appreciate footwear as a form of art and enjoy heels purely for aesthetic purposes. Take for example the Alexander McQueen creations on the runway for Fall/Winter ’10. While they were interesting, artistic, and beautiful – McQueen wasn’t suggesting masses of women should sport this style.

To Each Her Own

Different styles appeal to different people. Some view footwear as practical, while some view it as a piece of art. Regardless, virtually every woman has some form of a heel in her closet; even the creatures of comfort. Ugg boots are synonymous with being comfortable, and even they have recently added a heeled boot to their collection. While many argue about the negative affects both socially and physically that high heels have on women, it is important to remember that fashion is a highly personal yet very public thing. While some might hate one style, another person may love it. Everyone has different shapes to their feet (high arch, flat foot), and everyone has different taste and preference.

While we can speculate about what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’ when it comes to footwear, it’s truly a matter of personal preference. One must understand why we put high heels on our shoes in the first place, and learn to let people choose for themselves how to let their feet live. It is important to understand both the negative and positive effects of high heels, and decide whether or not being four inches closer to heaven with the help of your heel is worth the possible risk. Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex and the City claims to have ruined her feet for fashion, and every woman must decide for herself how high is too high a price.

There aren’t many people in the world today who wear heels for practical purposes, cowboys and equestrians may be among the very few. However, the debate rages on surrounding the negative effects heels have on society, and women in particular. This ember of debate will continue to envelop the kindling that society provides and will not be extinguish until the heel is no longer a part of mainstream society. Some women wear heels because they like them, while others might need to for work. Therefore, whatever purpose one might have in wearing heels; take time to understand the possible risks involved. What is important to remember is that while we are very heavily influenced in making the fashion choices that we do, it is simply that: a choice.

Shop Girls, Shop Local

2011-03-10T09:11:00.002-05:00

An interview with Michelle Germain the curator/owner of the gallery boutique, Shop Girls.

Situated in Toronto's Parkdale at Queen Street West, Shop Girls has become the place for Canadian designers and consumers who are looking for something local. New designers are able to sell small quantities of their product in the store to test the market before going into full blown production. Customers are always looking to buy items that they feel good about. What is better than supporting your fellow Canadians? Interviewing the owner of the gallery boutique became my mission as I was curious about what inspired the concept of such a store and what it takes for new and aspiring designers to have their products sell in Canada.

Every child has dreams but not every child grows up to become what they expected. For Michelle Germain, life took turns in ways that she did not plan. Originally from Ottawa, Germain studied French literature with intentions of becoming a teacher some day. However, after she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree, she realized teaching was not for her. This led her onto a whole new path as she moved to Toronto.

After schooling in Ottawa, she decided to take on another two years for merchandising at the The Academy of Design. On graduation day, she did not attend and instead went to a Holt Renfrew orientation. To this day, she feels it was the best decision she could have made at the time. She was hired at Holt Renfrew as a sales associate. Prior to the job, she did not have much sales experienced but was able to work the floor and sell for six months. Eventually, she worked her way up into advertising, a position which was essentially a middle person for the company and everyone else. The job entitled her to deal with buyers, worked with photographers and stylists, involved in events, and worked on the Holt Renfrew book. A lot of grunt work was involved and a major down side at the time was the lack of a travel budget which meant she did not travel. After six and a half years, Germain leaves the company as Advertising Manager and pursues another career path.

Aware of her ability to lead and manage, Germain takes on a business of her own. A wellness company she named, “Lucid”, provided services that were delivered to your home and office. Employees included dieticians and massage therapists. The business went on for one year before she went back to work for a preexisting company once again. A new business is always tough and she decided it would be better to have a steady income for the time being.

Taking on the role as Marketing Manager at HBC, she left for maternity leave and when she was ready to go back into the work force, she realized she preferred being her own boss. During her life time, she had met many great designers and knew that their items could sell. However, she did not open a shop immediately but instead wanted to see first hand how consumers would react to local products. She started with pop-up-shops inviting the artists to be present to interact with the customers. The idea of a story behind the product was appealing and was an extra incentive to purchase. When the time was ready, she opened up Shop Girls.

New businesses are often difficult, Shop Girls did not become stable until after two to three years. Germain says, “it takes three times the money one expects and two times the work.” At first, she mainly did consignment but the assortment was limited. The products she took on were from artists who had leftovers that could not sell elsewhere. In order to maintain income, she sold wholesale as well. She hopes to focus more on the artists and the consumer now that her store has been established. Her market is very broad and intends on narrowing it down a bit more to make products more focused on her target market and their need for comfort.

Germain receives daily requests from designers who want to sell their products in her store, sometimes as much as a couple times a day from the same person. She advises anyone who is interested to understand the stores aesthetic, know the price range is under $200, and to be able to offer a product that is unique. Once one feels confident, they may send photos to info@shopgirls.ca.

The store works on consignment but also unique to Shop Girls is their Artist Circle. Consignment means the store gets fifty percent and the designer gets fifty percent of the profit from the item that is sold. The Artist Circle means the designer works at the store for eight hours a week in exchange for seventy-five percent of the profit while the store collects twenty-five percent. Any items that are not sold at the end of the season is returned to the designer/artist.

Germain's advice to new designers is, “take it slow, know your market, and don't go full on production.” She believes it is important to understand clientele response so attending The Clothing Show or The One of a Kind Show would be important as one is able to interact with the customers. In the mean time, study hard, have a goal, and eventually you may find your niche in the Canadian market.

Love is in the Where...

2011-02-25T19:23:00.003-05:00

Everywhere you look around, flowers are blooming, the sun is shining and you just need to get out. When it comes to dating, it’s easy to catch a flick and dinner. But April showers bring great date options for you and your beau (or boo). Try these picks and you’ll be sure to feel the summer lovin’.

Ten-Pin

For those on a group date, try bowling. My favourite is “The Ballroom,” located at the corner of Richmond and John. The brand new venue means that you won’t have to wear the same smelly bowling shoes your grandma did. With 9 lanes, 52 HDTVs, 7 projection screens, ping pong and pool tables (and a beer list that rivals a pub’s) this isn’t any old alley. Top of the menu is the pulled pork sandwich; yes it’s messy, but well worth it. If you’re on a budget, weeknight lanes are less expensive. Planning a Saturday night bowl? Call ahead to reserve a lane; otherwise you may be facing a two hour wait to hit some pins.

http://www.theballroom.ca/

Bear Hug

You probably haven’t visited a zoo since your field-trip years. It’s the perfect opportunity to get a tan, exercise and even learn a little about the creatures that share this Earth. With TTC access you can’t go wrong. Try packing a lunch and a blanket―there are plenty of places to lounge out and enjoy the sun amongst the wild. Plan to spend the day, even if you get stuck last-minute babysitting your little sister can tag along guilt-free.

http://www.torontozoo.com/

Island Retreat

With just a short ferry ride you can visit the city’s jewel. Campgrounds, theme parks and sporting opportunities are abundant on the Toronto Island. For great fare stop off first at the St. Lawrence Market―pick up ingredients for a picnic and plenty of liquids to keep hydrated out in the sun. Renting a bike on Centre Island is the perfect way to explore the trails and with bikes made for two there’s romance in the cycle. Be sure to pick a sunny day and pack layers so you can stay long into the night (even camp out) and light a fire by the moonlight. The breath taking views of downtown and sand underfoot create the perfect recipe to bring you close.

http://www.toronto.ca/parks/island/

Courting Chemistry

Not a science buff? No problem. The Ontario Science Centre is ideal for curious minds and the kid in all of us. With so many interesting topics to discuss, the date conversation can never get dull. Catching an IMAX film as it was meant to be seen is a must. With on-site eateries, there’s no need to plan ahead. April boasts the natural disaster exhibit, with artefacts and models to avoid a disaster date. You’ll have fun exploring all the exhibits and you’ll even learn a thing or two.

http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/

Buy me some Peanuts

A little birdie told me the tickets for the Toronto Blue Jays cost as little as $11! That’s less expensive than catching a movie. Go all out and make sure to get popcorn and even sport your blue and white for the home team. Since baseball is a fairly slow sport, there’s plenty of time to make conversation and a large crowd for distraction should conversation run dry. Arriving early is essential if you’d like to eat at a local restaurant as they tend to fill up quickly on game days. Even if you finish eating before the first pitch you can marvel at the CN Tower. If this date doesn’t win him over it’s a shame.

http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com

Vaction? ..STAYcation!

2011-02-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

How to Enjoy the Best of Toronto

We Brew our own Beer!
This European-style pilsner is hopping its way through Toronto and taking a stand on the microbrewery front. Whether you are a beer-lover or are just interested in a new afternoon activity, it’s time for you to visit the SteamWhistle Brewery. The staff of knowledgeable beer drinkers will take you on a tour of the brewery, provide you with a sample, show you exactly how the beer is brewed, bottled, delivered and even hand you a six-pack on your way out the door! What more could you ask for? And Steamwhistle is not the only microbrewery in Toronto. Your next stop is the Distillery District! This beautiful area in Toronto, just steps away from St. Lawrence Market is a blast to another dimension. Between the galleries, shops, Soma Chocolate Factory, and famous Boiler House restaurant, you’ll find Mill St. Brewery. Brewing over a dozen beers, the Mill St. Pub has tasting trays of beers in order to grasp a sense of what they are all about. Try the Mill St. Lemon Tea beer or Coffee Porter to really sample those taste buds!

Let’s take a Stroll in the Park
It’s time to take a trip west…west Toronto that is! Just like Central Park in New York City, Toronto follows suit with our own High Park. Situated on the waterfront, High Park is eye-catching. Between the trees, the park is mystical. Bike trails, tennis courts, gardens, water streams, dog parks, a theatre stage, swimming pools...I could go on and on! The activities are endless. It is time to take out your summer dresses and pack a picnic. Flip-flop your way to the park to throw a Frisbee and bask in the sunshine.

View from the Top
Toronto is a sight to see on its own! Why not see it all at once? The CN Tower, located just south-west of Union Station is full of activity. Between the outdoor summer vendors, to the baseball game crowd entering and exiting the Rogers Center, it is full of life! Make a reservation at 360˚ and receive a free trip to the top of the tower. Your dining experience is surrounded by glass, as if you are floating atop the city and the view is breathtaking. Whether you are eating lunch and see the sun hit the buildings, watching rain fall on rooftops, or having dinner in the moonlight, the sight is equally amazing. The CN Tower is a staple in Toronto tourism, so what is stopping the locals from checking it out?

To Market, to Market!
Next stop, Kensington Market! Summertime Sunday afternoons in Kensington Market are nothing to be missed. The fruit markets shine with vibrant colours, vintage stores are in full supply, and the streets are full of performers. Road traffic is blocked from the streets to encourage foot traffic, Jamaican drums are banging with reggae beats, and the aroma of fresh baked pastries fills the nostrils of pedestrians; it’s time for Sangria Sundays. After popping into Courage My Love for a new pair of vintage shades, make your way down College Street and stop at Nirvana for cheap, fruit-filled, and mouthwatering sangria. Their front windows are floor to ceiling and always propped open, so whether you get a patio table or sit inside, you will feel the warmth of the Toronto sun.

Ciao Bella
Just a few steps west from Kensington Market, you’ll find yourself in a whole different country. Little Italy, located on College Street and just west of Bathrust Street, is the place to indulge! Between the pizzas cooked in wood-burning ovens at Vivoli to the lip smacking gelato at Dolce to the glasses topped with vino at Calisto, a vacation only begins when you arrive in Italy! Italians love their soccer, and if you catch yourself during a soccer game at Café Diplomatico, be prepared to witness enthusiastic fans on the jam-packed patio! If you manage to beat the crowd and land a seat, Viva Italia!