Kaelen

I’ve been smitten with KAELEN’s designs for a while now, so when I heard that this Canadian-born, New York-based designer was presenting during NYFW, I jumped at the chance to see her Fall 2016 collection in person, and I am so glad that I did! Sticking to her elegant minimalist aesthetic, the fall collection consisted of the classic modern woman essentials like trench coat, shirt dress, work trousers, and pencil skirt, but executed in eye-catching patterns, with unexpected details like button-down slits, pleated bell sleeves, and exaggerated bows. Styling showed versatility of the collection, with mixed prints, dresses worn over pants, and a shiny evening gown layered over a turtleneck. And though I had a serious crush on more than half of the collection, the shirt dress with pleated bell sleeves was definitely a favourite. The pleats looked beautiful in motion, and the floral trim was such a lovely touch. Honestly, I just hope that the Canadian dollar is not so crappy by the time this collection is available for purchase. Because I want so many pieces!

What do you think of KAELEN Fall 2016 collection? Share in the comments.

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COC Operanation October 16th 2014- Tara Noelle-34

I’ll be honest with you, I am not a fan of galas. Don’t get me wrong, I do love to get dressed up once in a while, but when I have to go to a big gala event, where how you dress actually matters, I get anxious. Plus, I like to be in bed by 11pm (don’t judge!), and most galas just get going around that time. This is precisely why I’ve never gone to Operanation until this year. But after finding out that Yelle was going to perform, I pulled up my big girl pants and decided to go. And boy, was I a fool to have avoided it all these years!

First of all, Operanation was an amazing place to people-watch and witness some great fashion go down. I won’t go so far as to call it the Met Gala of Toronto fashion, but it’s pretty damn close. Most people stuck to the theme of the night, and lit up the room in neon gowns and accessories, sparkly beading, and pops of colour.

And then there was Yelle…Their performance was everything I hoped it would be and more – energetic, engaging, and SO MUCH FUN! I danced, tried to sing along (my French is very limited), and just watched Julie Budet (Lady Mary lookalike) do her thang. Oh, and members of the COC’s Ensemble Circle joined her for a few songs too. Best ever!

On top of the cool performance, and great people-watching, there were also limited-edition designer slap bracelets – coolest raffle entries possibly ever. One lucky girl walked away with a $10,000 shopping spree from The Room (!!!), while a few others snagged COC-sponsored prizes. There was also a churro bar, a photobooth, half-naked Calvin Klein models, hourly drag queen flash mob…in the immortal words of SNL’s Stefon Zelesky – Toronto’s hottest party of the year is Operanation and it has EVERYTHING!

Operanation 2014 (Tyler Rumi) 60 Operanation - Light Up The Night. Toronto, ON, Canada. October 17, 2014. (Image: Ryan Emberley)