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Shopping: Best Coats of the Season

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First things first…Shopbop is having a SALE!!! Use promo code INTHEFAM25 to get 25% off select brands, which is pretty awesome if you’ve had a few things sitting in your cart, waiting for a discount code! Today’s the day!

In other news, fall is upon us and it’s time to think about coats. Most Canadians probably have a few trusty standbys, but if there’s one clothing item you really can’t have too many of it’s a coat. A good topper can make a gloomy day brighter, and a freezing commute more bearable, and each season I try to invest in one good jacket to add to my winter wardrobe.

This fall, I am loving several trends: capes, faux fur, parkas, colourful, and printed coats. Since I already have a great RUDSAK parka, a yellow Topshop wool coat, a printed Ann Taylor jacket and a caped faux fur one from H&M, I don’t really need a new coat, but as I said…you can’t have too many if you live in Canada (or anywhere with winters, really). So without further enabling, check out some of my fave coats of the season and take 25% off most brands (see list of exclusions here) while you’re at it. I’m sorry and you’re welcome.

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Toronto Fashion Week: Fall 2015 Favourites

WMCFW is coming, and while this season’s focus will be on Spring 2016 collections, I wanted to revisit last season’s shows, and share my Fall 2015 favourites. If you’re on the lookout for cool Canadian designs to invest in, perhaps you’ll find a few new faves as well.

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Mikhael Kale
Mikhael Kale has long been at the top of my fave Canadian designer list, and still his Fall 2015 collection managed to exceed all of my expectations. Artful embellishments, creative shapes, a mix of textures and exciting colours – it was my favourite collection last season, and one I would almost go as far as to compare to couture – it looked exquisite! So far, I only own one Mikhael Kale piece, but I am certainly itching to add more from this incredibly talented designer. Select pieces from his Fall 2015 collection are available at Holt Renfrew, so make sure to check them out in person – I have no doubt that you’ll be impressed.

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Hayley Elsaesser
Ever since I laid eyes on Hayley Elsaesser’s Spring 2015 Heavenly Bodies collection, I’ve been in love with her particular brand of eclectic maximalism. Her Fall 2015 Midnight Cowboy collection was true to her colourful aesthetic, full of fun prints executed on fairly classic silhouettes. There were matching knit crop top/skirt co-ordinates, bomber jackets, sweater dresses, and even a few things for the boys. I guess girls aren’t the only ones who want to have fun.

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VAWK
It’s hard to believe that Sunny Fong’s fun but sophisticated ‘DOT du JOURS’ Fall 2015 collection was originally inspired by Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. There’s no trace of silliness that defined the animated film; instead, the collection was sexy and vibrant – with flirty cocktail dresses, glam gowns, and Sunny’s specialty – cool coats. Rounded shapes (meatball-inspired?) were featured prominently, adding an architectural feel to the collection. Another great showing from one of my fave Canadian designers.

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Shopping: Fall Edit from Shopbop

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It’s the first week of fall and even though I reaaaally love summer, I have to admit that autumn is a much better season for style. Between cool layers, chic leather pieces, and outerwear galore – we have endless options when it comes to dressing during those cool, but not cold months. And after spending countless hours on one of my fave sites ever – Shopbop, I narrowed down some of the best fall trends and put together this fall edit to hopefully help you find some new faves this season. From flared denim, to leather moto jackets, to over-the-knee boots, there’s something for everyone, so proceed with caution…your wallet may be in danger.

Share your fave pieces in the comments and let me know what are your must-haves this fall!

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A Closer Look at Chanel Haute Couture Fall 2015

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Back in July, CHANEL Haute Couture Fall 2015 “Le Cercle Privé” collection was presented at the Grand Palais in Paris, and just last week I actually got to take a closer look at the extraordinary creations at the CHANEL showroom in New York. What is this life?!

I arrived at the showroom feeling like a kid on Christmas morning – the excitement officially kicking in. In front of me were rows of stunning couture ready to be explored. First on the agenda – a close look at the infamous CHANEL 3D pieces – jackets that appeared quilted at a glance were actually entirely created using 3D Technology without any stitching whatsoever. Once the jacket’s “cage” was ready, embroidery was artfully applied, including pearls, sequins, beads, braiding, and even paint. One of the jackets had crystals gilding the inside of the “cage”, while another had sequins peeking through the quilting, giving both substantial weight, but making them irresistibly mesmerizing to the eye.

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After exploring the futuristic details, we moved on to the frothier looks, practically drooling over the light pink feather gown with bow detailing, obsessing over the delicacy of the gold leather and lace confection, and admiring the intricacy of the sequin beading on several magnificent LBDs. My head was starting to spin from too much excitement. Luckily, one could take a fainting spell break at one of the casino-like tables set up at the showroom. Instead of cards, chips and dice, I found buttons, measuring tape, thread, scissors, and embellishments – tools of the trade used to create the unforgettable glamour of couture.

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At the end of the visit, I was asked to choose my favourite piece to take home. I WISH! That didn’t happen, but I was asked which piece was my favourite…and after much hemming and hawing I went with this dress. As impressed as I was with 3D pieces, the black pearl creation was insanely beautiful in person – a dress one could have in their closet for decades and wear for any occasion. If I could only have one, that’s the one I would buy. 

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So now I’m going to ask you! If I told you that you could have one piece from CHANEL Haute Couture Fall 2015, which piece would you choose and why? There’s no right answer, but I am curious about your answers. Share in the comments.

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Shopping: H&M Studio Fall 2015 Collection Lookbook

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I wrote about H&M Studio Fall 2015 collection back in March, and now that the September 10th launch of the collection is mere days away, we have campaign images, as well as photos of the entire collection! And while you may not want to think about fall just yet, some of the pieces are bound to sell out, so planning ahead is a must.

For me, standouts from the collection include outerwear, leather and printed pieces; I also love the strappy camis that would be a great addition to anyone’s wardrobe. I will be previewing the collection later this week, so watch my Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the up-close-and-personal pics!

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Shopping: Andrew Coimbra Fall 2015 Collection Ad Campaign

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I don’t often write about menswear on the site, but Andrew Coimbra’s designs don’t just work for men – a lot of the pieces from his collections can actually be worn by both sexes. Andrew, who’s worked with such renowned Canadian brands like Pink Tartan and Philip Sparks, and interned with Proenza Schouler in New York City, is a talented young, who certainly should have a bright future ahead of him. His modern cuts, stellar prints, and tongue-in-cheek details should earn him all the accolades he deserves, but as is often the case in Canada, we don’t start supporting our homegrown talent until they have already made it abroad. Here’s hoping Andrew Coimbra can achieve that here on home turf.

What do you think of Andrew Coimbra’s Fall 2015 collection? Share in the comments!

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Lily-Rose Depp in CHANEL Pearl Eyewear Collection Campaign

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Lily-Rose Depp has just landed her first CHANEL Campaign, so it’s safe to say that if you didn’t know who she was before, you will now. With parents like the forever-chic Vanessa Paradis and once-upon-a-time heartthrob Johnny Depp, this is certainly not the last we’ll see of the beautiful young actress, but what a campaign to debut with!

Karl Lagerfeld had this to say about choosing the newest CHANEL ambassador for the Pearl eyewear collection campaign: “Lily-Rose is stunning, she’s a young girl from a new generation with all the qualities of a star”. She certainly is. Some actors just have that je ne sais quoi, and Lily-Rose has it in spades – the looks, the charisma, and now, that coveted CHANEL campaign!

Speaking of CHANEL…the Pearl eyewear pieces are just stunning! Round frames embellished with pearls and finished with rose-coloured tint – I’m already obsessed!

So what do you think of Lily-Rose as the face of CHANEL Pearl eyewear collection? Are you loving the sunnies? Share in the comments.

More photos and video teaser after the jump! [Read more…]

Le Cercle Privé – Chanel Haute Couture Fall 2015 Collection

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I’m not a gambler, but if there’s anything out there that would make me one – it’s CHANEL. For Fall 2015 haute couture show, Karl Lagerfeld dreamed up a James Bond-worthy Le Cercle Privé casino, complete with Silver Camelias slot machines, and blackjack/roulette tables where the high rolling celebs (Kristen Stewart, Vanessa Paradis, Julianne Moore, Rita Ora, Lily Collins, and more!) got to play smack dab in the middle of the runway. Quel spectacle!

The collection itself was themed 3D, with embellishments and futuristic techniques aplenty, yet still maintaining that distinct CHANEL look and feel. Classic jackets were reinterpreted with wider shoulders and masculine details, stunning gowns featured assymetric hems, feathers, pleats, beading, and ruffles, while the iconic tweed dresses and suits were trimmed with the “new CHANEL braid”, sewn into the fabric. Even the traditional bridal look was reinvented, with Kendall Jenner closing the show in a veil-caped white pantsuit.

Angled bob wigs worn over models’ hair, overdrawn red lips, and origami-like shoes helped emphasize the futuristic feel of the collection, but once again I found myself wishing for more shoe variety. The last few collections have had a strong emphasis on the clothes, with models wearing a variation of the same style of shoe, but this shoeaholic wants more options, s’il vous plaît. A small complaint in view of yet another powerful collection. I can only imagine the level of crafstmanship behind those 3D pieces!

So what do you think of CHANEL Haute Couture Fall 2015 Collection? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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More photos after the jump!
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Balmain X H&M Collaboration Confirmed!

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If like me you’ve been impatiently waiting to find out about the next big H&M designer collaboration, today’s the day! While walking the red carpet at the Billboard Music Awards, Balmain’s Creative Director Olivier Rousteing has announced the big news – #HMBALMAINATION is coming to a store near you this fall! And to give you a taste of the things to come, models Kendall Jenner and Jourdan Dunn accompanied the designer on the red carpet in looks from the upcoming collection. At first, I couldn’t believe that the signature velvet embellished blazer was going to be a part of the H&M collab, but it sounds like it is! I foresee things getting crazy come fall.

Right now, there’s not much else to share about the collab except for the date – November 5th, 2015 is the date the collection will hit the stores. More to come!

Who’s excited about Balmain x H&M collab? Share in the comments!

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Toronto Fashion Week: Best Beauty Looks from Fall 2015 Shows

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Another season of World MasterCard Fashion Week has ended and as always, I am here to give you a quick recap on my favourite beauty looks from Fall 2015 shows and how to achieve them, so let’s get to it!

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Hayley Elsaesser was the belle of the ball last season with her bright and quirky spring collection. And her “Midnight Cowboy” fall line was just as good – a combination of 70’s glamour with a touch of Uma Thurman from Kill Bill.

Grace Lee the Head Makeup Artist for Maybelline started her beauty look with a sheer natural palette using Dream Wonder Liquid Touch Foundation and Face Studio Master Prime in Blur + Illuminate all over the face. She then created a translucent smoky eye look using a mix of molten brown shades (Plum Fusion and Taupe Crazy) and added a highlight in the form of Color Tattoo’s Tenacious Teal to the center of the lower lid. The eyes were then finished off with Brow Drama and Lash Sensational Mascara. For the two-toned lips, Grace used Color Sensational Lipstick in Rebel Bloom first as the base and then Vivid Rose on the center of the lips to create an ombre effect.

Redken’s Head Stylist Jorge Joao decided to incorporate blocks of color to the hair to reflect Hayley’s vibrant style. Hair was primed with Pillow Proof and then flat ironed to sleek perfection. He then made two tight braids on each side, which were then wrapped around to created 2 side buns. The ends of the braids were left sticking upwards, creating an almost bird-like effect. The look was sealed with a healthy dose of Control Addict 28 to keep stray hair in place.

Essie’s Lead Nail Artist Rita Remark was inspired by the animal print Hayley had in her collection and decided to recreate it on models’ nails. By blotting one color on top of another she was able to create a fun yet versatile look. Rita used Naughty Nautical, Meet Me at Sunset, Butler Please and Mod Square to achieve this exciting combo.

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More after the jump!
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