SATC2 Style: Official Photos

Seeing these new official photos of the fab four made me so very happy, as it’s been a while since I’ve seen any new pics from the set of Sex and the City 2. I do realize that there’s a good chance that the movie won’t be anything to toast a Cosmo to, but I can’t help but be excited for the release in May. All I know is my girlfriends and I will be there on the opening weekend, rain or shine. And even if the plot is cringeworthy, the fashion might still be its saving grace. From the looks of the photos, I am expecting lots of bright colors with a Moroccan twist. Can’t wait!

Photo Credits: www.InStyle.com

I Miss Devon Aoki

She’s so beautiful. And beautifully shot. Love the soft bohemian esthetic of these pictures. I wonder why I don’t see Devon Aoki featured as often as in the early 2000s?…I miss her.

Photo Credits: David Mushegain

Friday Faux Pas: Chanel Fall 2010

No, no, no! First the clogs, and now this? I never thought I’d say it, but I am doubting Karl’s vision! Fur pants? Really? Where the Wild Things Are was released last year, and Opening Ceremony has already done a fur-filled collection. The thing is, I almost expect Opening Ceremony to release an edgy-ugly-on-purpose collection, but it is not normal, to me, for the house of flipping CHANEL to have Chewbaccas strutting down a Parisian runway.

The furry suits, and high-heeled monster boots are making me want to poke my eyes out and never lay them on another Chanel thing ever again (okay, maybe not ever again). And though I give Karl Lagerfeld props for using faux fur instead of real, this collection (though there were some nice pieces) is one hot icy mess. No, no, no!

Photo Credits: www.style.com

Alexander McQueen Fall 2010 Collection

Earlier this week, 16 showpieces from Alexander McQueen’s Fall 2010 collection were presented in Paris. Inspired by the Byzantine art and Old Master paintings, the collection was hailed “heartbreakingly beautiful”. Indeed it is. It is also heartbreakingly sad, that another incredible talent is gone too soon. Rest in peace, Lee Alexander McQueen. You and your art will be greatly missed.

Photo Credits: TFS

La Dolce Vita

Watching La Dolce Vita tonight. Such a sad, but beautiful film. One of my favorites. Did you know it won an Oscar for Costume Design? If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend it!

Topshop/Topman Now Ships to Canada!

Saw this little tidbit on a forum wall a couple of days ago, but wasn’t sure if this was confirmed. Now Lou Lou Magazine, twitted the same thing. Could it really be? Will Topshop finally ship to Canada (and other 13 countried listed above)? It almost feels unreal!

Update: Topshop’s official twitter page also confirms the news! Next step – open an actual store in Toronto. Pretty please?

Shopping: Joe Fresh Trench Coat

Lately, I’ve decided to spend more money on quality pieces, and to build up the classics in my wardrobe. As I already have a classic beige trench (alas a bit raggedy by now, but I am not throwing it out), I’ve been on the lookout for a black one for a little while now. And after scouring the likes of Club Monaco (lovely, but not the fit I want) and Burberry (lovely, but not affordable at the moment), I was about to give up and head on over to my local Zara or H&M, when I accidentally stumbled upon this photo of a Joe Fresh trench. Granted, Joe Fresh is not a brand known for its quality or workmanship of their pieces, but at $49 I had to give it a try.

After driving to the St. Clair West location, worrying that there wouldn’t be any black trenches left, I was greeted with a full rack of trench coats waiting to be tried on! When it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I grabbed the trench, and immediately loved the texture of the fabric, and the quality of the lining. The fit was also, surprisingly great, which, in my opinion, makes this coat look way more expensive than its $49 price tag! I loved the length of the coat, as well as the detailing. Because of all this, I waived my “no more cheap crap” rule and bought my first Joe Fresh piece.

Wore it today, and already got 2 compliments on the subway, coming to work. I think I am a Joe Fresh convert. At least for basics that is. While in store, I also saw a bunch of cute pjs, tees, and skirts. But since I was on a trench mission, I didn’t “waste” my time oggling other pieces. But I will surely be back soon!

Photo Credits: Joe Fresh

Oscars 2010: Best Dressed

Ruffles, and Notten, and Kruger, oh my! It wasn’t too tough to choose my fave four ladies on the Oscars red carpet last night, since so many actresses opted for pretty, but safe gowns, that only elicited a reaction of “meh” from me and my. Not so with these four ladies. My favorite of the night was Vera Farmiga’s ruffly fuchsia frock. Ruffles are tricky, and not everyone can pull them off without looking overpowered, but Farmiga managed to look fresh, stunning, and definitely not safe or meh. Finally, someone with a bit of imagination and guts on the red carpet!

The same can be said about Maggie Gyllenhaal. The aquatic print, the streamlined cut, the pink lips – it all adds up to an outfit that could look all sots of bad on a wrong person, but on Maggie it’s perfection (if only slightly too wrinkled for my taste). I loved her Dries Van Notten abstract print dress the moment I saw it!

It took me a bit longer to love Diane Kruger’s Chanel Haute Couture pick. The midsection ruffles appeared to look distracting at first, but the confidence with which she wore it, and the gorgeous back of her dress, made me love it the more I saw it! I’ve mentioned before that Diane doesn’t have a stylist, and on this occasion (as with many others), I fully support her gown choice! Plus, Lucky Magazine, reported that Kruger did her own makeup for the big night! How cool is that? I think she did a great job!

My final best dressed pick is Zoe Saldana. Saldana’s Golden Globes dress was not a safe choice, and neither is her Oscars Givenchy gown. It’s pouffy, with a bejeweled bodice, and with what looks like pom-poms all over the train of her skirt, but the color looks fantastic with her complexion, the “pom-poms” look fun and intricate, and I happen to love the blingy neckline. It’s fun to look at, and I am sure it was fun to wear!

Photo Credits: www.fabsugar.com

Zara Lookbook February 2010

Have been meaning to post this Zara lookbook since, well, February. But due to unforeseen circumstances (laziness), posting photos now.

There are a few pieces that I love (the above trench, the Givenchy-esque blazer, the striped shirts), but in general, this lookbook left me slightly underwhelmed. Here’s hoping that March 2010 photos will have more bang.

 

More photos after the jump!

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Oscars 2010: Worst Dressed

Every year, thousands of fashionistas keep their eyes glued to their TVs in order to see Hollywood’s crème de la crème attend the biggest party of the year. You have to admit, we all watch for the dresses (well, and maybe for the Best Actor/Actress and Best Film too). And as with any party or award show, there’s the good, the bad, and the ugly. And while I won’t call any of the actresses in this post ugly, what they are in my books, is worst dressed of the Oscars 2010. You can agree or disagree in the comments!

First off it’s Sigourney Weaver. I love her as an actress and love her sense of humour (did you see her on SNL?)! But this dress, it just doesn’t seem very flattering on Sigourney. The red is too harsh against her skin, and it blends in with the carpet. If her point was to camouflage herself, she did that well. Other than that, it’s not a winner.

Next up is Charlize Theron. She is undoubtedly a beautiful woman, and I really tried to like her dress. If used right, the rosettes could be very coquette and cheeky. But this poorly pressed dress, looks like a cross between the ill-fitted (and fated) pink Gwyneth Paltrow disaster and Sonia Rykiel for H&M rosette bra, and not in a good way. To be fair, I wonder if I would hate it as much if Diane Kruger was the one wearing it? 

I also tried to love Rachel McAdams’ dress. The Canadian actress has always been one of my favorite Hollywood girls, but this dress does not belong on the Academy Awards red carpet. The length, the pattern, the fit. No, no, and no.

And last, but not least – SJP. It pains me to say this, because just like thousands of other twenty-somethings, I love me some Carrie, but from head to toe, Sarah Jessica Parker’s look was a huge miss. What was up with her hair? Couldn’t someone *cough*Tom Ford*cough* wet their hands and pet her on the head? It was so embarrassing to watch her present with that frizzy halo, harsh makeup, and that not-so-flattering dress on. And next to Tom Ford, no less. I kept screaming at the TV, and hiding my face behind my hands in humiliation…for her.

What about you? Did you love any of the above? Any other dresses that you absolutely hated? Share in the comments!

Photo Credits: www.fabsugar.com

What I Wore: First Day of Spring!

Last weekend, it felt like Spring finally showed its sunny face, and it made me (and thousands of others) so very happy! After spending half a day at home doing meaningless boring stuff (laundry, cleaning, etc.), my cousin and I went for a walk in a park – High Park. The weather was chilly, the pond still frozen, but people still came out in droves to enjoy some sunshine and fresh air. If there’s one thing I love about Toronto, is that people here really do appreciate good weather. Not one sunny day goes wasted. When I lived in Houston, where sunny days are dime a dozen, I’ve spent more days than I care to admit, at the mall or somewhere else indoors, not knowing that one day, when I move to Canada, those days will be missed dearly. Will never make that mistake again. 

I Wore: Blazer, Purse – Zara; Boots – Guess; Shorts – H&M; Top – Forever21; Leggings - Aritzia; Sunglasses – Ray Ban

Atelier Swarovski in Toronto

Last week, Al and I were lucky to be invited to the launch of the Spring 2010 Atelier Swarovski collection in Toronto. The exclusive Atelier collection includes pieces designed by “world-renowned and Canadian-raised fashion designer Jason Wu, the talented and acclaimed UK fashion designer Matthew Williamson, footwear designer Nicholas Kirkwood and talented jewelry design duo Anthony Nak”, and is available for he first time in Canada at the Bloor Street Gallery store only.

As a huge fan of Matthew Williamson’s psychedelic prints, Jason Wu’s classy dresses, and Kirkwood’s ah-mazing shoes, I was super psyched to see their pieces. But to my surprise (and delight), Anthony Nak’s vintage-inspired art-deco pieces were my favorite of the bunch. The yellow crystals looked like perfect amber doppelgangers, and I could totally see these as something I would pass down to my grandkids. I also loved Nicholas Kirkwood’s simple designs, which is surprising, since he’s known for his footwear, not jewelry. Rings and hoop earrings from his collection could dress up any outfit without being too showy or over the top. The same could not be said about Williamson’s designs. His jewelry is not for the shy ones, with huge multicolored geometrical shapes to wear around your neck or on your ears. Not for me, but interesting to look at.

Overall, I walked away liking a few pieces from the collection. As someone who’s never considered Swarovski as a place to shop for jewelry, I’ll be keeping my eye on these new collections, as more than a few pieces were worth a second look. If you love jewelry and are interested in checking out Atelier Swarovski, stop by the Yonge/Bloor location, or go on their official site www.atelierswarovski.com.

Anthony Nak

Jason Wu

Nicholas Kirkwood

Matthew Williamson

What I Wore: Sunday Best

I Wore: Jacket – Gap; Top – Forever21; Ring, Shorts, Belt, Shoes - H&M; Tights – American Apparel; Cardigan – Zara; Purse – Louis Vuitton; Sunglasses – Ray Ban

Love Your Heart Giveaway

February was Heart Month, and as the founding sponsor of the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s The Heart Truth™ campaign, Becel is inspiring women to take care of their hearts with The Heart Truth Signature Scarf series – a collection of three exclusive scarves that symbolize support for heart health awareness among women across Canada. Every scarf incorporates The Red Dress™ into each design – the official symbol of The Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Heart Truth™ Campaign –  representing courage, passion and heartfelt change for women across the country.

To support this initiative, Becel is launching the Love Your Heart Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/loveyourheart. For every fan, Becel will donate $1 to the Heart & Stroke Foundation – up to $25,000.

And to help promote this awesome cause, thanks to the kind folks at Edelman Digital, Style Blog will be giving away all three scarves to one lucky reader! All you have to do is leave a comment below with the following info:

1. Name and Email

2. One healthy heart tip

3. If you are on Facebook, please join Becel’s Love Your Heart fan page, and if you feel so inclined, follow Style Blog on Twitter: www.twitter.com/styleblogca

Winner will be selected randomly on March 15th. This contest is open to Canadian readers only! As for my international followers, another giveaway is coming very soon!

Enter the giveaway and see the scarves after the jump!

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Organic Style: Lilly

Meet Lilly. Lilly is the girl I ran into while waiting in line at Fran’s. The first thing I noticed about her outfit is, of course, her coat. I’ve been into this trend for a while now, and seeing someone young and stylish rocking an animal print in such a casual way – I just had to stop her for a picture! Next thing I noticed were her awesome cuffed motorcycle booties – a piece I’ve been looking for forever! Her lovely Miu Miu bag, which looks worn in but not worn out (the same cannot be said about my Miu Miu), and her infectious smile complete the outfit. What are your thoughts on Lilly’s style?