Matis, Mifsud and Me for Ryerson Folio

Last semester The Ryerson Folio team worked super hard to get the first ever physical issue published for all the world (more like Ryerson population) to see! Apparently it looks amazing (I haven't set foot in Toronto since end of term and so I have not actually seen the magazine BUT IM EXCITED ANYWAY!) and I congratulate my fellow masthead members for all their hard work!

Check out the online version on the Folio website!

For those of you don't know, I am the fashion editor at Folio. For the first issue, I pushed to make sure the fashion section was top notch and as vogue-esque as possible. None of this sad model/bad makeup/H&M clothes/whoever photographer business. I wanted professionals. And that is what I got.

Thanks to designer Lucian Matis (one of Ryerson University's famous fashion alumni), from whom I pulled the majority of the pieces I used to style our glorious runway queen Mikayla Mifsud, Folio's first ever fashion spread looks absolutely FASH ON baaaaaybeee!

Greatest thing about styling: secretly wearing (for only 5 seconds of course) that designer piece you've been drooling over since you first saw it on the Fashion Week Runway. Woooohooooo! I got to wear the Lucian Matis lace gloves! The exact ones I obsessed over and wrote about for Dress to Kill! ....I wore them for about 10 minutes...for the ride back to the studio. BUT STILL! SOOO SICK.

Here's a little behind-the-scenes video of the shoot. ENJOY!

Ryerson Folio Magazine Fashion Shoot - Behind the Scenes from Ryerson Folio on Vimeo.

The ShOws - Ruffian F/W 2012 for Dress To Kill

A few days after Fashion Week was over and done with, I got a call from my editor at Dress To KILL magazine. I thought my runway adventures were over (for this season at least) but NO! He wanted me to go to a secrete/super exclusive/only-for-the-fashion-elite runway show at the super glamourous Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Ruffian runway at The ShOws
photo: Elayne

"Elayne, can you make it to The ShOws tonight and review the Ruffian show.?"

My answer was an automatic YES! But I had no idea what The ShOws were... First thing that came to mind was - umm Mr. Bossman you need to be more weary of the use of capital letters, I believe it's spelt shows not ShOws. Shows how much I know (not a member of the elite squad I guess, Pffffff AM NOW! HA)... Anyway, once I googled it and found out that The ShOws were basically the cooler and more exclusive version of the normal Toronto Fashion Week, where designers like Jeremy Lang, David Szeto, Jean-Pierre Braganza - who are way to posh to show their lines during the scheduled Fashion Week with all those other Canadian designers - sent their F/W lines down the runway.

When I walked into the lobby of the Ritz Carlton Toronto, I got a glimpse of what it was like to be a rich Toronto businessperson. There were at least 25 suited-up, good-looking, 30 somethings laughing and drinking at the bar (it was like 6 pm on a thursday. Never too early to get your drink on). I followed the crowd of familiar Fashion Week faces up the shiny marble stairs to the lobby of the ballroom where the Ruffian show was to take place. The best thing about the whole experience : ALL THE FREE STUFF! As soon as I signed in, I was handed a little bag filled with lipsticks, shampoo samples, perfume samples, candies, etc. It was greaaat! They also had a huge table of coffee and tea options. (SO much more fun than Fashion Week).

After maybe 3 free coffees and 75 Jolly Ranchers, the ballroom doors opened and I was ushered into the runway room. As I wander around looking for my assigned seat, I was stopped by Lolitta Dandoy of Clin d'oeil magazine. She liked what I was wearing and took this somewhat unfortunate photo of me for one of her street style posts.

Ask me what I'm doing with my face. My answer: I wish I knew. It looks like I'm about to sneeze. At least my outfit looks cute...

The Ruffian show was fun. I sat next to, and made friends with, Mary Kitchen of CityTV. Nbd. The line was super Downton Abbey/British countryside. Real cute. For more info on the actual collection, read my article for Dress To KILL mag.

photo: Elayne

photo: Elayne

photo: Elayne

photo: Elayne

photo: Elayne

photo: Elayne

Toronto Fashion Week F/W 2012 - It's overrrrrrr :(

Toronto Fashion Week was one long week of runway shows, interviews, writing, and chillzing with my fashion friends. It was a ton of work, but thinking back on it now, I really do miss all the fashiony stuff I got to do. I miss my media pass and the streetstyle photographers and the models, and all the clothes and the snobby fashion editors and the free makeup and awwwww I can't wait till next season!!!!

Runaway love and Naughty Mess for Hooters F/W 2012

Now that I've finally wrapped up all my fashion writing and reviews I can breathe again (only for a short while...but still. Breathing is nice). I will post a must have list of this season's runway trends soon soon but for now feel free to check out the runway accessory trend report and street style trend report I wrote for Dress To KILL magazine.

Also, my Day 5 outfit was pretty popular with the street style photographers. Here are some shots of me taken by Silhouetted Skyline, World of 4, FASHION mag, Curvy Geekery, Erich Deleeuw, Filler mag, and others.

(narcissism, narcissism, narcissism)

Levi's leather jacket, H&M tail top, AA high-waisted zipper shorts, orange neon bag, white thigh-high socks, Aldo floral wedges.

Toronto Fashion Week Day 5 - Travis Taddeo and Arthur Mendonca

On the final day of Toronto Fashion Week (not the actual final day...there were still the secrete ShOws - yes, it's spelt like that.) there were two collections that really stood out. The first was the super fun and edgy designs by fellow Montrealer Travis Taddeo. The other, a sexy lady 60s line by Ryerson alumni Arthur Mendonca.

Travis Taddeo's F/W 2012 collection, entitled Doomed Generation, was the epitome of edgy, badass, and freaking radness. I think I've called like 55 lines badass so far...and for that I apologize because when compared to Taddeo's line, no one gets near his badassiness. The line featured a lot of leather pieces and fur trim (poor baby animals...). The colours - fiery reds, ash greys, black, and white (hint of metallic silver) - really spelled out the rawness and dooms-day idea of the end-of-the-world theme. The first few pieces that came down the studio runway were super badass-chic, simple but sexy. There was a lot of black leather mixed with mesh and black fur. Can you say sexalicious? I can. I think I even said it out loud at the show..(oops. There goes my coolness. Out the window). The red leather biker jacket and pencil skirt combo really did it for me. It was bold and shiny and the orange fur trim took it to the next level. Taddeo also showed a lot of metallic silver and white for f/w on white and silver leather panelled pants and metallic skirts. Taddeo did a great job of creating a line that any 20-something fashionista would die to have in her closet. The collection was super wearable. It was as if Taddeo did it backwards (cause he's that cool) and came up with a line of streetstyle-for-runway. Fashionistas first, models and industry second. Loves it. 

Maxi dress with cut-out
photo: Elayne

leather-trimmed cargo jacket with black mesh top and leather pants
photo: Elayne

 Fur-trimmed leather biker jackets

photo: Elayne

White mesh top with metallic silver panelled pants
photo: Elayne

Red biker jacket with orange fur trim (poor baby animals :(...)
photo: Elayne

The lovely Travis Taddeo donned his own dooms day leather panelled cargo jacket at the end of the show. Lookin' like a badass. I like!

Designer Travis Taddeo in leather panelled cargo jacket
photo: Elayne

The Arthur Mendonca fall/winter 2012 collection also took to the runway on the final day of Fashion Week. With a line inspired by the 1960s housewife and Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, Mendonca showed highly tailored garments pumped with sexy appeal and bright colours. The show opened with a shiny fuchsia patent leather rain jacket, which was highly feminine in colour but rather masculine in tailoring. The collection consisted of several menswear-inspired looks in a variety of pinks and neutrals. Mendonca paid homage to Clockwork Orange by sending models down the runway in bowler hats and double-breasted trench coats. The designer also managed to channel the film’s sex appeal with bondage-like dresses with leather bodices, latex gloves, and lace stockings. The 1960s housewife aspect of the line came through in the form of a fuchsia paisley print sheath dress, white silk pleated A-line dress, knee-length pencil dresses, and a wool draped dress in sea blue that was shown with a matching sea blue fur sash. In contrast with the edgier black and brown leather garments, Mendonca made sure to incorporated several bright colours into his fall/winter line such as an array of bright lace overlays in sea blue, purple, pink, and yellow and a few vibrant blouses in neon and metallic baby blue. This line could transform any career woman in to the office goddess. Do it ladies! Throw those pinstripe pantsuits away and power suit it up with Arthur Mondonca!

Dominatrix Barbie anyone?
photo: Dress to Kill

photo: Dress to Kill

Bondage gown
photo: Elayne

  

Leather bodice pencil dress with fur circle scarf and bowler hat
photo: Elayne

Pink power suit with double-breasted buttons and bowler hat
photo: Dress to Kill

Sea blue wrap dress and fur sash - and the photo pit. (hey guys!)
photo: Elayne

Coloured lace overlay
photo: Elayne

Toronto Fashion Week Day 4 - David Dixon and the bird ladies

Unfortunately, on Day 4 of TFW, I had a crazy busy day at school and missed all but one show. After class I biked home (like a wild person), showered, did my hair, figured out a last minute outfit, and ran out the door. I made it to the tent five minutes before the David Dixon show started. On my way in I was stylestreet snapped by Sweetspot. Here's what I wore.

Vera Moda blouse, vintage brown leather belt, H&M pleated skirt, H&M suede and neon shoes
photo: Bruno Wong of Sweetspot.ca

The David Dixon runway show was super entertaining. The show, entitled "The Birds", opened with a montage from Alfred Hitchcock's 1960s horror film of the same name. David Dixon's feathered feminine collection was very much 60s inspired. The collection consisted of elegant, form-fitting silhouettes in the shape of knee-length pencil skirts in black and white houndstooth, black petal chiffon, black feathers, and black sequins. There was also a lot of peplum action, mostly shown on white silk pencil dresses. Dixon also did the boxy 60s jacket in white wool over cigarette pants and pencil skirts. Since the show was called Birds, it did include a number of feathered garments. Dixon used a lot of dark feathers this season (much like our haute couture friend Lucian Matis) on long evening gowns, skirts, jackets, cocktail dresses and even showed a full feathered coat. There was also a hint of shiny teal (maybe even turquoise) in the collection to channel the shine effect of bird feathers. Ever actually looked at black feather closely? Well, normally there's hints of green or blue-green somewhere in there. Clever, David, clever.

Hint: feathers are good for F/W2012. Just saying.

Houndstooth pencil skirt
photo: Elayne

Feather pencil skirt with silk peplum top
photo: Elayne

Feather evening gown
photo: Elayne

Black evening gown with teal accent
photo: Elayne

Black sequin and feather skirt
photo: Elayne

White wool cape with houndstooth cigarette pants
photo: Elayne

Boxy 60s jacket in white wool
photo: Elayne

Black petal chiffon skirt
photo: Elayne

 White silk dress with peplum waist

photo: Elayne

Feather coat
photo: Elayne

Feather pencil skirt
photo: Elayne

Toronto Fashion Week Day 3: Street stylin' once again

Fashion Week Day 3 was great. It was gorgeous and sunny out so I decided to whip out the orange accents. I wore one of my Zara tail shirts, carried around my neon orange leather clutch, wore my new black and orange beaded feather earrings and even put orange eyeshadow on (WOAH). Most people would have been like wtf? to the orange eye shadow idea but I thought I'd try it out and incredibly enough, it didn't look so bad. For the first time in several months I got the chance to wear some serious summer colours and it felt amazing! I also got street style snapped by FASHION magazine

And Silhouetted Skyline. Kinda look like a psycho here but wtvs.

Toronto Fashion Week F/W 2012 Day 3 - Vawk and the sexy samurai

The Vawk F/W 2012 collection, entitled Sci-fi Samurai, was made up of japanese-style structured blazers and dresses (aka Kimono sleeves, straight Samurai-esque lapels) mixed with fur trimmed leather biker jackets and gloves, wide copper leather belts, and copper sequins to give it a sci-fi biker chick feel. The collection mixed the two themes, badass biker and badass japanese chick, to create the ever-so intriguing badass-japanese-biker-chick look. A look, I thought, was pretty damn badass. Having sleek japanese tailoring and biker pieces in the same collection worked really well together. The collection was edgy but sophisticated and serious (like a samurai!) The incorporation of copper sequins and wide copper leather belts gave the show the sci-fi aspect it was going for. Also, the leather caps the models were wearing were super Fifth Element or Blade Runner. Vawk designer Sunny Fong even went a little Girl With a Dragon Tattoo this season with a silk black cutout dress with leather koi fish tattoo detailing. The tattoo detail was also incorporated in other looks like the samurai blazer, and tattoo sleeve gown.

Kimono blazer
photo: Elayne

Samurai blazer with tattoo top
photo: Elayne

Fur trimmed biker jacket
photo: Elayne

Silk kimono dress with leather fur-front biker gloves
photo: Elayne

Silk cut-out dress with koi tattoo detail
photo: Elayne

Plum silk kimono dress with wide copper leather belt
photo: Elayne

Copper sequin finale dress with copper leather belt
photo: Elayne

I went back stage after the show to try and get a interview with the already over-booked designer, and guess who was there. Ms Jeanne Beker! As soon as Sunny Fong saw here he left whatever poor journalist he was talking to to give her a hug and chat it up. I happend to be two inches away from them. Apparently Jeanne really liked the tattoo detail as well.

Sunny Fong and Jeanne Beker backstage
photo: Elayne

Jeanne: "I just looooooooved that tattoo detailing. Fantastic."
Sunny: "Thank you thank you!"
Elayne: in her head - "Wow. I'm totally being a creeper right now.. I should play it cool" (snaps 170 photos)