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What They Wore: Power Ball 2019

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When it comes to The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery’s Power Ball, you go big or go home. And this year, with new presenting sponsor Holt Renfrew, guests of this notorious art bash brought their outfit A-game. I spotted lingerie as clothes, a frock fit for Marie Antoinette, sheer dresses, lots of neon, extravagant headdresses, and lots more. Partygoers had fun with their clothes at 21 Club, and it showed.

Beyond fashion-watching, Power Ball: 21 Club was full of immersive artist projects, vibrant performances, and delicious food and cocktails. Toronto-based artist Bruno Billio presented an enlarged version of his Tron209 room, “a work that engages with bygone visions of the future by manipulating everyday objects and spaces with tape and black light”. Outside, guests took selfies with Max Streicher’s large-scale inflatable sculptures, Sleeping Giants, sipped bubbly from the FIOL Prosecco bar, and indulged in delicious sandwiches from Arthur’s and desserts from Ricarda’s. And just in case that wasn’t enough, there were also 2000 Krispy Kreme donuts to indulge in, if you were still hungry.

The party also showcased the talents of Toronto’s diverse LGBTQ community curated by Tobaron Waxman of the Intergenerational LGBT Artist Residency, with stage performances by Carlotta Carlisle, Tynomi Banks, Flarington King, Gay Jesus, and Dainty Smith and Imogen Quest of Les Femmes Fatales Burlesque.

We came, we danced, we sipped bubbly, watched great performances, indulged in yummy bites, and interacted with fun art…and it was all just as promised – Toronto’s most thrilling art fundraiser. If you missed Power Ball: 21 Club, there’s always next year, but for now, check out the rest of the photos from this year’s party below.







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What They Wore: Holt Renfrew Footwear Hall Launch Party


Last week, Holt Renfrew revealed their spacious, newly-renovated Bloor Street Footwear Hall in Toronto with a chic shopping party, complete with delicious hors d’oeuvres, elderflower cocktails, and a fun portrait studio helmed by George Pimentel himself. We got to check out the shiny new Gucci and Christian Louboutin boutiques within the Footwear Hall, browse the stylish bags and shoes from brands like Aquatalia, Acne, Balenciaga, Chloe, Valentino, and lots more! The renovated space boasts 7,800 square feet on the mezzanine level and offers plenty of plush seating perfect for trying on as many shoes as your heart desires.

If you still haven’t visited the new Footwear Hall, make sure to stop by the Holt Renfrew Bloor St location and put a pair or two on your wishlist for Santa!




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What They Wore: Vogue x Holt Renfrew Pop Up Shop


Last week, Holt Renfrew hosted a chic soiree in Toronto to celebrate the new Vogue x Holt Renfrew Pop Up shop. Vogue’s West Coast Director Lisa Love and actress Kate Bosworth were in attendance to support the collab, and spent their time mingling with the stylish attendees and doing a little shopping too. As someone who used to love watching The Hills, meeting Lisa Love was a bit surreal, but she was perfectly lovely and warm in person. The pop up was curated by Vogue Fashion Director Virginia Smith and former Vogue Accessories Director Selby Drummond, focusing on three fall trends: Global, Bright, and Timeless, which resulted in a tightly-edited dream wardrobe, full of rich colours, eclectic patterns, and lush textures.

You can browse the pop up at Holt Renfrew Bloor Street, Calgary, and Vancouver, as well as online until October 28th. Happy Shopping!




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What They Wore: YSL Beauty Hotel Party


YSL Beauty Hotel opened its chic doors in Toronto last week for two days of instagrammable installations, beauty discoveries, and a digital pop-up shop. With previous stops in Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul and New York, Toronto was chosen as the second North American location for this cool experience, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.

Guests were treated to makeup touch-ups, YSL temporary tattoos, fun photobooth, lipstick engraving station, and even a claw machine. Sadly, I am terrible at claw machines, and didn’t end up winning anything, but I did have fun with the digital pop-up shop. With just a few clicks, guests were able to virtually try the latest YSL Beauty launches through YouCam makeup app, with looks ranging from subtle to bold. With both floors packed with beauty lovers, the rest of the night was a bit of a blur. But thankfully, I have my newly-engraved Rogue Pur Couture The Slim to remember this cool event by.

Did you visit the YSL Beauty Hotel in Toronto or in another city? What did you think? Share in the comments.





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What They Wore: Boobyball Toronto 2017


Boobyball has become one of my personal fave parties of the year; a party that puts fun in fundraiser (raising money for Rethink Breast Cancer), can pack a huge club to the brim, while still somehow making the entire affair feel intimate. This year, the theme was Get Physical, and the organizers had really outdone themselves, transforming REBEL into the 80’s/90’s wonderland, complete with gigantic Rubik’s Cubes, tables wallpapered in old teen mags, photobooths aplenty, old-school arcade games, and even an all-pink faux gym/locker room. There was so much fun to be had, and just as much food to go around with catering by the (amazing) Food Dudes and Nando’s, as well as sweet treats from Krispy Kreme and Sweet Jesus, and an open bar stocked with delicious drinks and Flow water. I may or may not have eaten way too many donuts, but probably worked them off on the dancefloor because the DJ was on fire that night (or is it lit?).

The best part of this year’s Boobyball, however, was people-watching. I loved how committed some of the attendees were to the theme. Neon windbreakers, scrunchies, leotards, legwarmers, mullets…you name it, we saw it! It made me kinda-sorta regret not dressing more theme-appropriate, though I do love the blinding sequin dress that I wore that night.

If you live in Vancouver, Ottawa, or Halifax, there’s still time to get your tickets to the Boobyball party in your city. Just a word of advice – more is more when it comes to dressing for Boobyball – bring your 80’s/90’s A-game!

Have you ever been to Boobyball? Share your fave moments in the comments.




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What They Wore: Fogo Island Shop Event at Holt Renfrew


I’ve been loving Holt Renfrew’s H Project pop up shops for a while now, but I’m particularly obsessed with everything H Project’s Uncrate Canada has to offer, including the new Fogo Island pop up offerings. Last week, I attended an event hosted by Alexandra Weston in honour of Holt Renfrew’s Fogo Island pop up shop with special guest, Zita Cobb, Founder of the Fogo Island Inn and CEO of the Shorecast Foundation.

Speaking to the attendees, Zita Cobb referred to patchwork quilts as a “perfect metaphor for everything we are doing here. This little patch could be Fogo Island…one patch alone will not keep you warm in the winter. If you figure out how to stich yourself to the other patches and keep stitching and stitching, you have a quilt…..I want to say to Alexandra and your team, you are really wonderful stitchers. Thank you so much for stitching us in.”

The Fogo Island pop up will be available at Holt Renfrew Bloor Street (with some pieces available online) until early May and will stock a variety of vibrant quilts, delicious artisanal jams, and handcrafted home decor – all made on Fogo Island. So if you are looking for a unique gift with meaning, make sure to stop by and shop this lovely collection while you still can. And while you’re at it, check out the rest of Holt Renfrew’s Uncrate Canada offerings – I am obsessed with the Obakki and Laura Siegel dresses they have in stores right now. 





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Shopping: UNIQLO Toronto Eaton Centre Opens Its Doors

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It’s been an exciting September in Toronto.  First, Nordstrom finally opened its doors at the Toronto Eaton Centre, and last week UNIQLO did the same, with throngs of fans lining up around the block. Luckily, I was invited to check out the store the night before, but even during the pre-opening, the store was packed to the brim. As a fan of the Japanese retailer, I was ecstatic to finally be able to shop the packable ultra light down jackets, warm and comfy HEATTECH layers, and of course, the chic Ines de la Fressange x UNIQLO collection. I was also pleasantly surprised to find the “UNIQLO Meets Toronto” corner, chock full of Canadian-inspired goodies from shops like Drake General and SOUVENIR.

The store itself is huge, bright, and well-stocked, with two floors of men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing neatly displayed. Though I am very curious to see how quickly product will be re-stocked after the first weekend in business. Another UNIQLO store will be opening at Yorkdale Shopping Centre this month, which will hopefully help with crowds and line-ups.

So tell me, are you excited about UNIQLO finally opening in Toronto? Share in the comments.

Anita Clarke (left), Derick Chetty, Nelia Bekbulatova
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What They Wore: H&M Eaton Centre Re-Opening Party

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It’s no secret that I have a special kind of love for H&M. You can usually find me stalking this or that item at one of their stores at least twice a week. It’s an addiction, and probably a problem, but I like it that way…really. Well, after what felt like a million years, H&M Eaton Centre has finally revealed its spectacular renovation, with bright decor, stunning lighting fixtures, and lots and lots more square footage. The flagship location now boasts 57,000 square feet, and carries H&M Home, H&M Beauty, along with all the usual suspects. It’s now one of the largest H&M stores in the world, and it’s right here in Toronto! So to celebrate this major achievement, Team H&M threw a huge party organized by the inimitable Candice & Alison, with celeb performances by Taryn Manning and Alessia Cara, Sam and Cailli Beckerman on the red carpet, Jay Strut DJing, and a ton of stylish guests toasting the newly re-opened store.

Of course, the first thing I did as we entered the store was run over to the H&M Studio section and grab a few coveted pieces, followed by a trip down the escalator to check out the new H&M Home section. It may have been the excitement, but the home section looked larger than the ones I saw in New York, while the selection was essentially the same – a wide assortment of cushion covers, cute bedding and towels, adorable knick-knacks, and lots more. One more reason to keep my weekly appointments at H&M. Now that Toronto has every single H&M category available, the next logical step is ONLINE SHOPPING! US has had an e-commerce site for nearly three years now, here’s hoping for a Canadian one soon. Fingers crossed!

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Shopping: Saks Fifth Avenue Opens First Toronto Store!

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After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Saks Fifth Avenue finally opened its chic doors in Toronto last week, and we got a chance to preview it the night before the official opening. Spanning four floors and 25,000 square feet, the store is bright, welcoming, and full of amazing designer finds from brands like Balenciaga, Céline, and Saint Laurent, and exclusive beauty brands like Acqua di Parma, Byredo, and Le Labo. And don’t even get me started on the iconic 10022-SHOE salon – it is amaaaazing!

In May, Leña, a South-American-inspired restaurant and bar by Chef Anthony Walsh will open its doors, offering a premium dining experience with a Spanish influence. And don’t forget about Saks Food Hall by Pusateri’s, which will consist of inspiring culinary stations, and will offer exclusive products, fine foods, services and a deluxe grocery assortment. Both Saks stores (Eaton Centre and Sherway Gardens) promise “a robust calendar of special events, such as fashion shows, personal appearances by designers and trunk shows”.

Having been a Saks customer for many years, I am thrilled that Toronto will finally get 2 stores of our own. What are your thoughts on Saks in Canada? Share in the comments!

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What They Wore: Toronto Life Best Dressed Party

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Toronto Life’s annual Best Dressed (or Most Stylish) party celebrating the latest issue of Stylebook is always great for people-watching and is a perfect kick-off to TIFF. This year, the glitzy soiree was held at the Trump Hotel, spanning two floors, several food and dessert stations, live-sketching, cold-pressed juices, photo-booth, and so much more. Attendees showed off their finest outfits, preening for photographers, mingling at the donut photo wall, and resting on comfy couches.

After eating all of the chorizo and cheese, my friend and I went upstairs to explore some more, had sketches drawn of us, and chatted with some party-goers. My fave outfit of the night went to Stacey McKenzie in a stunning lacey jumpsuit, that I’m pretty sure no mortal should ever wear, but she rocked the hell out of. Dean and Dan Caten were also there, hanging out with Greta Constantine’s Kirk Pickersgill.

We leafed through the new glossy Stylebook, learning about stylish city denizens, as well as seeing a few familiar faces. I have to say, the issue keeps getting better, year after year! Can’t wait to see what the next one will bring!

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Do not print without any permission and always credit. Thank you.
DSQUARED2 - Dan Caten & Dean Caten
Nelia Belkova
Philip Sparks & Andrew Sardone
Shinan Govani, Kerry Connolly & Nicolas Mellamphy
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