Service Pieces Spring 2016

Yorkville's Cream of the Crop by Roberto Lagman
Kanye West Taking the Fashion Industry by a Storm by Belinda Coburn
H̶a̶r̶d̶e̶r̶ Better Faster Stronger by Shannon McTeague
21st Century Spring Cleaning by Kelsea Schnitzler
Pants VS. Personality by Emma van der Sluis

Where to buy fur in Toronto

Fur has been around in the fashion industry for almost a century, serving as a validation for wealth and style. There are a number of places to buy fur in Toronto, but there are only a few that have an outstanding reputation. These top two furriers; Kachnert’s and Alexs fur, are celebrating decades of quality service and product.

            Kachnert’s is a well known name in the fur industry, celebrating 55 years of extraordinary service and products of fur. Kachnert’s has a reputation for excellence, with its wide range of top quality fur, leather and shearling. They also offer a custom product, which is an asset in this fast growing industry, making every client feel and look fabulous. The current owner, Greg Kachnert has been a member and president of the Furriers Guild of Canada (FGC) for many years, and plays a role in the Fur Council of Canada. This 4^th generation business is located at 2078 Avenue Road, Yorkville Toronto. This is a great location for a high end brand, surrounding itself with similar stores as well as people who strive for luxury fashion. The employees at Kachnerts are very well trained in customer service meeting the needs of each client with knowledge of both the product and industry. This adds a great touch to the store because people know that they are walking into a place where they will find what they want and leave with what they need.

            When people ask me where to buy fur products, the first store that comes to mind is Alex Furs. The owner, Alex Dimitropulous was a fur craftsman for a high end retailer in Toronto before deciding to open his own store on Spadina (known as the Fur District). This store has brought in many known names such as Rod Steward because of the great reputation of high quality furs. There are showrooms and a factory located close by which is good for the store because it can bring it different kinds of client as well as jobs. Dimitropulous is a member of the Fur Council of Canada and Beautifully Canadian Label. Alex furs is here to give the best service and manufacturing to the people of Toronto, as well as Canada.

            Fur has and will always play a huge role in the fashion industry. It has become an effortless look over the years, shown in stores as well as runways making it a need in everyone’s wardrobe. Fur also is known for validating style and wealth which is why it is such a hot accessory that everyone wants a little piece of.  Now that I have told you about some of the leading names for fur products in Toronto,  I hope that you are now able to incorporate fur into your wardrobe feeling just as effortless as I think you will be able to achieve. As well as becoming your very own fur fashionista. Fur is fashion, fashion is fur!

            

Kanye West Taking the Fashion Industry by a Storm

When you think of Kanye West’s style evolution, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Mine are those longline tees that every fashionable guy is layering with to add that ‘swagger’ to his outfit. Fast fashion retailers like Zara, H&M, and Forever 21 cannot get enough of Kanye West street style looks by feeding their customers with his inspired merchandise. Kanye West is becoming a household name in the fashion industry from his humble streetwear beginnings to his high-fashion looks, it's safe to say that Kanye West's style has changed making he become a Game Changer in the wonderful world of fashion.

In the beginning of Kanye West’s career, he was known for some daring fashion choices like wearing suits with sneakers, baggy jeans, and the ‘sunglasses at night’ stage. I would say the turning point for Kanye West style evolution and when the world finally took notice is when he found Mrs. West or has the world knows her as, Kim Kardashian. Everybody remembers Kim Kardashian weird sense of style back in the day. Three words; juicy couture tracksuits. Kanye West changed Kim’s style dramatically into more of an individual and now everyone is taking notice of her too. They are currently known as the ‘it’ couple in the fashion world to keep a close eye on.

In case you haven’t already known this, to topped of his resume with his successful career in the music industry he is actually a fashion designer. His latest venture is collaborating with Adidas to make a high-fashion ready to wear line called Yeezy. Once again taking the fashion industry by a storm with a very high demand by consumers for his collections. One of his most popular items include his sneakers and bomber jackets seen on many celebrities including the Kardashian-Jenner clan.

I’m sure most of you are now wondering how to get the Kanye West style look and how you can actually pull it off no matter what gender. It is quite simple and easy while giving others the idea that you actually tried when we all know you didn’t. It is all about layering, for a guy you can grab a simple longline tee, a plain old hoodie, and dark denim or tracks for a causal look. For a girl, you can grab a simple crop top, bottoms of your choice, and throw on a Yeezy inspired bomber jacket. You can find affordable options at stores like Forever 21 and Zara. After throwing these outfits on you will totally know why the world is taking the Kanye West style by a storm.

Yorkville's Cream of the Crop

                What is essentially the one advantage Toronto has over larger, more established fashion capitals of the world is that it’s much less difficult to shop. I want to clarify my use of the word “difficult” in this scenario; Toronto is easy to shop because as it stands, it boasts a manageable number of Menswear boutiques located in clusters surrounding the downtown core, specifically in the Yorkville region. With some planning, it can become a bastardized version of a pub crawl where instead of getting progressively drunker, you get to upgrade your closet with fire garments. In either case, you’ll end up a lot more broke than you started. Be responsible!

CNTRBND

My first experience with shopping independently owned Yorkville stores was with a menswear boutique called Contraband. Fast-forward a few years and a few licencing issues, CNTRBND emerged rebranded while retaining their image as a contemporary streetwear boutique with a primary clientele of foreign exchange students with more money than they know what to do with. There’s an interesting mix of brands with extremely varied price points. LA based brand Midnight Studios hangs on a rack beside fashion powerhouse Haider Ackermann like a child looking up to their older sibling. Geographically, it’s a bit difficult to find considering they switched locations from its front-facing Cumberland location to a more humble Yorkville Avenue alleyway. If you’re somehow adverse to the idea of owning money,

Serpentine

Maybe disliking money isn’t enough. Maybe the thought of money turns your stomach and you have to keep yourself from retching at its mere mention. Maybe money brings back repressed memories you would rather have left at the back of your mind. If so, Serpentine bears no qualms saving you from your existential, capitalist nightmare. This also happens to be the only menswear boutique in Toronto which sells clothing exclusive to the “dark fashion” sub-culture, stocking labels such as Julius_7, Rick Owens, and Guidi. Contrasting heavily from typical Yorkville aesthetics, Serpentine is dark, grungy, fueled by influences of rock-and-roll music. The only colour found in the store is the crooning red of the motorcycle fixture situated by the road-faced window of the shop. The owners, both of whom are initially intimidating due to their statures resembling that of a certain large and green superhero in the Marvel universe, immediately disarm shoppers with their helpful and friendly personalities.

Working Title

Moving north to the outskirts of the Yorkville hub, Working Title is tucked away in plain sight fixated between an anti-aging shop and a convenience store. A rather unlikely setting for what is considered by many in the industry to be the most thematically and aesthetically cohesive menswear boutique in Toronto. Which, by most accounts, isn’t surprising considering much of the store’s influence (and non-coincidentally, brands) hails from the Scandinavian region of Europe. The store doubles as a clothing boutique and a magazine shop, both curated by the store’s two co-owners who also run the store’s day-to-day operations. Working Title’s aim to bring contemporary Scandinavian minimalism to North America is reflected in brands such as Our Legacy, CMMN SWDN (common Sweden), and Eytys. The boutique still bears some of its initial influence which was rooted in Americana through brands such as Engineered Garments and Gitman Brothers Vintage.

How to perfect your pout

Stemming from stars like Angelina Jolie and then Kylie Jenner 2015 was the year of full plumped lips. Get the look in eight, quick, and simple steps without spending a fortune on injections!!

Step 1: Exfoliate!!

Exfoliating your lips stimulates blood flow giving your regular lips a fuller look. Gently rub Tarte’s lip exfoliant from Sephora (CAD. $21) ,our favorite and simple at home remedy using just a tablespoon of brown sugar, a dash of honey, and a drop of vanilla, or if you don’t have those laying around simply use a tooth brush lightly brushing your lips with the bristles.

Step 2: Foundation

Apply whichever face foundation you use over your lips providing a smoother lip application. The foundation will give your lips something to hold onto making it harder to come off during the day.

Step 3: Line those lips

Get a lip liner that matches the natural colour of your lips, line them just slightly over your actual lip line, and around the cupids bow. Using a colour that matches the tone of your lips will allow you to control the size and shape. We suggest M.A.C lip pencils offered in many different shades (CAD. $19.50).

Step 4: Colour!

After your lips are lined to your desired size and shape fill them in with your lipstick. It has been advised that when trying to get a full look to avoid darker colours, nudes and pale pinks are a go to! As much as we all love our promiscuous red lips, darker colours tend to flatten the look.

Step 5: Lip gloss

Lip gloss adds a natural sheen to your lip. If you do not want to use a coloured gloss, apply just a clear coat! The lip gloss will make your lips appear plumper, especially when it hits the light.

Step 6: Conceal

Using whichever concealer you already have for under your eyes, lightly apply it around your bottom lip just under where they are lined. This will clean up any smudging and will allow your lips to look perfectly shaped with no mess. Always remember to blend the concealer!!

Step 7: Highlight and bronzer

This is not super necessary, especially on days when you are going for a more natural makeup look. However applying just a little highlighter above and around the cupids bow as well as in the center of your bottom lip will allow the glow to make your lips pop even more! Taking the smallest amount of preferably a cream bronzer, lightly apply it around the middle of your bottom lip creating a shadow that enhances your lips.

Step 8: Our lips are sealed!

One of the best “tricks of the trade” is to hold a Kleenex or paper towel over your lips and lightly dab powder onto it. The powder helps set the lipstick or tint on your lips just as it would with the rest of your makeup. Now seal your plumped lips with a kiss!

Bare Shoulders & Lace Ups… SPICE IT UP!

Following fashion trends can be tricky, expensive and scary at times, but do not fear; hopefully after you’ve finished reading this, you’ll feel more confident with some of the Spring/Summer 2016 trends! It’s one thing to see these trends make an appearance on the catwalk, and a completely different one to make them work on a day-to-day basis.

Naked shoulders were seen all over the runway shows! This might be stepping outside of your comfort zone, but trust me, you can end up feeling sexy and super confident when wearing this trend in particular, so I encourage you to take some notes.

Designers such as Michael Kors, Givenchy, Chloe and Nicole Miller took part of this trend, and we’re all OBSESSING OVER IT! Shoulder cutouts have been presented in various commodities, which makes it more achievable and desirable to everyone. We’ve seen bare shoulders not only on tops, but also on coats, dresses and jumpsuits. You can wear any of these with high-waisted pants, midi skirts, or even with some boyfriend jeans. This trend is very Sex & The City, and who doesn’t want to have a little Carrie Bradshaw in their life?

If bare shoulders aren’t ‘daring’ enough, try this one… This will help you spice up your wardrobe for the upcoming season, and it’s about lace-up EVERYTHING. We’re seeing tops with an opening in the neckline and lace up along it, as well as on shoes, pants and shorts! This is one of my personal favorite trends for spring/summer 2016 since it allows me to show a bit of skin and feel very confident without showing too much. It’s very feminine and flirty, and you can literally rock this in many different ways!

Now, we can’t forget about trends in makeup… It’s the one thing that brings the whole outfit together, and for me, it’s a deal breaker. Your makeup can make your outfit hotter, or it can completely ruin it, if you’re not doing it right, so LISTEN UP! When wearing such pieces, you need to pair them with either a smoky eye, or a cat-eye. These makeup looks will complete your fierce, confident outfit, and will empower you even more. If you’re not the kind of person that likes to go all-out on your eyes, you can also pair that outfit with a bold red lip. Bold lips are HUGE this Spring/Summer 2016 season, everything from reds, to pinks and oranges.

You’re all set up to be a more confident and sexy YOU! Play around with these trends, mix and match them, but most importantly, don’t forget to have fun with them. Trends are created to be followed, but you can adapt each trend to your own personality and make it fit with who you are, and with the person you want to portray. Now get out of bed, go get a shoulder cutout dress, some lace-up sandals and a hot pink lipstick! I promise you won’t regret it…   

They’re Real, and They’re Spectacular

How to achieve salon-perfect nails with your natural nails all on your own!

I only started doing my nails since I was 18. It never appealed to me until the recent nail art phenomenon, and I, too started doing my nails religiously, occasionally sprucing it up with nail art, glitters, nail wraps, and all kinds of creative things that all the top nail bloggers are doing. It’s been four years now, and constantly I am complimented with how great my incredibly long, almond-shaped claws look. I tell people that they are my natural nails and that I have never been to the salon to get my nails done in my entire life. The numbers of shocked faces I’ve gotten after telling people this is unbelievable; even my own friends don’t believe me. I am by no means a nail expert, but seriously, it is actually very easy to achieve salon-perfect nails with your own natural nails, and without paying someone to do it for you. Here are three important steps to nail it.

1. Care

This is a pretty obvious step, however, I am surprised when most girls I talk to have never heard of a nail strengthener. A nail strengthener does exactly that. It strengthens your nails, so your nails will be strong enough to grow longer. I use the nail strengthener as my base coat, before painting my nails. Also, if you use a nail strengthener routinely (I use it weekly), the worry that your nails will snap and break will be nonexistent. I use OPI’s Nail Envy Nail Strengthener, which is partnered with the Avoplex Nail and Cuticle Replenishing Oil. These are my Holy Grail products, and I use them every time I do my nails.

2. Shape

If your nails are strong enough and in great shape, you can shape them any way you like, whether they are almond, oval, square, or even “squoval.” There is no need for any fancy, brand name products for this step; you just need a basic nail cutter and a metal or glass nail file. All you need to do is cut your nails to the shape you want with the nail cutter. You can cut it roughly, just to get the general shape, which you then polish (pun intended) with the nail file. If you are really worried about not getting the correct shape on your own, you can easily look up any nail blogger’s nails or even draw on your nails and use that as reference to shape your own nails.

3. PATIENCE

This is the most important step. You can follow the previous steps all you want, but you still won’t achieve long and strong nails without patience. I can’t say exactly how long it will take as it will be different for everybody, but if you follow these steps on a routinely basis, in time, you will achieve naturally long and healthy nails. Patience is key, and I promise you, it will be so worth it.