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Toronto Fashion Week: Mackage Spring 2014 Collection

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I know I’ve mentioned my Mackage obsession before, but after seeing the brand’s Spring 2014 collection designed by by Elisa Dahan and Eran Elfassy…my crush has totally intensified. We may be talking about love here, people! You see, Mackage does great winter coats, but that’s not all! Mackage Spring 2014 collection included beautiful leather skirts (in shiny leather, red leather, see-through chiffon), perforated leather tops, moto leather jackets in a variety of colours (my fave were in white and red), cotton and leather trench coats, and bags, bags, bags! I’ve actually been quite obsessed with Mackage’s bags since I first saw them at last season’s show, and I have to say that the new spring pieces were just as covetable. With those cool arrow closures, structured designs, and a great variety of leather finishes – those bags are (still) firmly on my wishlist.

Overall, I loved Mackage Spring 2014 collection – it was sleek, modern, and wearable, and I honestly am very excited to see these pieces hit the stores. Is it spring yet?

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Toronto Fashion Week: Joe Fresh Spring 2014 Collection

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If there’s one thing that is certain during WMCFW is that Joe Fresh show will always draw the biggest crowd. This season was no exception. With a packed front row that included actress Elisha Cuthbert (I miss Happy Endings!) and her beau Dion Phaneuf, his Maple Leafs teammate Joffrey Lupul, Joe Mimran’s designer wife Kimberly Newport-Mimran, among others, and Canadian beauties Alana Zimmer and Heather Marks strutting their stuff on the catwalk to Britney’s latest and super catchy “Work Bitch”, this one was the best show for people-watching. And people-watch I did, from my front row seat…in the photographer’s pit.

I put my new Canon Blogtography skills to good use, and snapped away as models walked down the runway, showing off what seemed like an endless lineup of looks that will be in stores come Spring 2014. While the majority of the collection was heavy on the navy (colour, not naval warfare), my favourite pieces (aka what I’ll be stalking next spring) included the red floral dress with plenty of slits to show off the gams, silver leather (pleather?) two-piece skirt suit, red leather dress and pants, shiny black (but also iridescent) tulip skirt, Japanese-print pajama-like ensemble, and a Chanel-esque black and white jacket.

Denim was also ever-present this season. Far from plain and boring, Joe Fresh Spring 2014 denim looks included lace applique, jumpsuits, frayed hems, acid wash, as well as camo, stripe and floral print. The rest of the collection was more restrained, and delivered what most Joe Fresh customers expect from the brand – classic suiting, and work-appropriate blouses, dresses, and skirts. And while I can’t resist a new pair of simple Joe Fresh slacks each season, I do hope that most of the more intriguing runway pieces make it into production. Fingers crossed!

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Toronto Fashion Week: the shOws Spring 2014 Photo Diary

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Earlier this month, I was invited to participate in a Toronto Fashion Week Photography Bootcamp with Steve Carty and Canon Canada. The 3-hour hands-on session was meant to give us some useful tips for shooting runway photos, prep us to deal with less than ideal lighting and less than ideal seating, and teach us a few more Canon Blogtography tricks on getting the best possible photos under (fashion week) pressure.

Well, last week all of those lessons came in handy when I attended the shOws Spring 2014! As usual, showcasing a handful of seriously talented Canadian designers (Bellavance NYC, Calla, Jeremy Laing, and Steven Tai), the shOws was every Canadian fashion junkie’s dream event of the season, and I came prepared with my Canon EOS Rebel SL1 in tow.

While I couldn’t take Steve Carty’s advice of sitting in the pit during the show (seriously, if you want the best pics without much effort – the photographers’ pit is where it’s at), I still managed to take some fun detail shots from my front row seat. If you are looking for tips on how to shoot fashion shows here are few I learned from the great Steve Carty!

My Favourite Runway Photography Tips after the jump!

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Toronto Fashion Week: Pink Tartan Spring 2014

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Be still my beating heart…Kim Newport-Mimran has done it again! After wrapping up my first day at the tents, I must admit that Pink Tartan Spring 2014 show was my personal highlight of day 1 of World MasterCard Fashion Week. I made sure to ditch my seat for the discomfort of the photographers’ pit to get some usable shots for my site, because I just knew it was going to be great…and it was! With all the monochromatic looks, stripes galore, splashes of neon, and that Warhol-esque flower print, there was a lot to love…and there was a lot to covet…

Though it has not veered too far off the tried and true Pink Tartan formula of classic separates, fancy gowns, and ladylike everything else, Spring 2014 collection felt stronger because of its pared down elegance, no frills attached. Every piece sent down the runway breathed chic simplicity; even in neon yellow, or full-on leather…it was still pure Pink Tartan. I loved the mod feel of this Edie Sedgwick-inspired collection, I’ve always been a hoarder of all things black and white and striped, so every print I saw was totally up my alley. Wearable definitely comes to mind when describing the collection, which is probably why I am truly obsessed with half of it…because I can already see these pieces working their way into my life…seamlessly.

What about you? Do you like Pink Tartan Spring 2014 collection? Share in the comments.

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Wishlist: Mackage Fall 2013 Collection

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During last season’s WMCFW one of my absolute fave collections was Mackage Fall 2013. Already well-known for their outerwear, the brand’s Fall 2013 collection was particularly strong, featuring modern silhouettes, flattering cuts, and great fabrics. Checkered moto jackets, leather lapels and sleeves, fur collars – it was so well-executed, I found myself coveting every single coat on the runway. But outerwear wasn’t the only thing that got us all drooling, for fall, Mackage finally introduced the brand’s first collection of leather handbags. Beautifully-made, with creative touches like arrow closures and mixed leather finishes, these bags weren’t good, they were amazing. I remember thinking “Can these bags be in stores without having to face yet another fall?”

Well, although my wishful thinking couldn’t stop the summer from ending, the good thing is…Mackage Fall 2013 collection is now in stores! On my personal wishlist are the Shanty checkered moto jacket, and Titan Large Blue Cross-body Bag, but I truly love so many other pieces, that picking favourites wasn’t an easy task.

What about you? How do you like Mackage Fall 2013 collection? Are you into their bags? Share your faves in the comments.

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See Mackage bags after the jump!

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Toronto Fashion Week: VAWK Fall 2013 Collection

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By the time the 4th day of WMCFW rolled around, all I wanted to do was NOT make my way to the tents, and stay at home, wrapped in a cozy blanket watching bad TV…but if there’s one show that I simply couldn’t miss it’s VAWK, so off to the tents I went.

As usual, Sunny Fong did not disappoint. VAWK Fall 2013 collection was once again chock-full of drool-worthy coats and stunning dresses. He does those so well! Fong’s fall collection was inspired by hunting, and featured custom-made prints created by the designer himself, plenty of fur accents, as well as stag and wolf leather appliqué tops, that even the models backstage were swooning over.

I, on the other hand, was swooning (and still am) over VAWK’s outerwear and gowns. In less experienced hands, details like pleats on a coat could’ve been all wrong, but in Fong’s masterful hands, the end result was subtle, elegant, and simply stunning, making me want to rip those beautiful clothes off the models’ skinny backs and run into the night with my precious VAWK loot.

What do you think of VAWK Fall 2013 collection? What are your favourite pieces? Share in the comments.

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Toronto Fashion Week: Pink Tartan Fall 2013 Collection

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The  morning of Pink Tartan’s Fall 2013 show, I read the interview Flare’s Emily Ramshaw did with Kimberly Newport about the new collection, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that Pink Tartan’s president and head designer is a fan of American Horror Story. Such a fan in fact, that her entire fall collection was inspired by one Constance Langdon. If you watched the first season of AHS, you already know that Constance (played by the glorious Jessica Lange) was one classy lady. Well, a husband-murdering lady, but classy nonetheless. And Pink Tartan’s fall collection was spot on Constance – elegant, with a vintage flare, and just the right hint of mischief. The collection definitely felt older than spring’s Charlotte Free-inspired butterfly-printed line-up, but it also felt more timeless. Classic (and flattering) silhouettes, and statement outerwear dominated the fall show, and I found myself drooling at the sight of some pieces…like the blue fur coat, which sadly, I won’t be able to afford, but can certainly daydream about.

The wigs seemed to cause a bit of a controversy among the show-goers I spoke to, but as a huge fan of AHS, and Jessica Lange, I loved this particular styling choice, and was delighted at the sight of an army of Jessica Lange lookalikes strutting their stuff. If I squinted hard enough, I could almost imagine that it was the real deal.

All in all, I really enjoyed Pink Tartan’s Fall 2013 collection, but hope that the next show isn’t inspired by the second season of AHS, because asylum chic might be a little too much, even for a die-hard fan like myself.

What do you think about this collection? Are you a fan of AHS? Share in the comments!

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