H&M's star-studded February - Beckham and Georgia May Jagger

With February comes H&M's new sexy just-in-time-for-Valentine's-day celebrity collaborations. First off we have the launch of David Beckham's new ad campaign for his underwear line. Woohooo more half-naked photos of Becks! And guess what, now there's a video! What more can a girl ask for! It's nasty, cold and miserable in February - at least now we have sexy David photos to warm us up. (oh baby oh baby... I went there. HA!) If you have no idea about the Beck-man's lovely undie line check out my latest Dress to KILL article. It's just a little blurb, but there are photos to enjoy.

Photo: designscene.net

Also coming up this month is H&M's new Rock'n'Roll inspired campaign. Mick Jagger's beautiful model daughter Georgia May Jagger will be the face of the fashion-meets-rock line of edgy 60's-meets-90's biker-esque clothing. (Confusing, I know.. I've been writing way too much recently and have basically forgotten how to describe things. Welcome to my lazy world of "-meets-". Deal with it.) The campaign was shot by celebrity fashion photographer Terry Richardson, so expect good things. For more info and photos check out my DTK article here.

Photo: nydailynews.com

Greta Constantine S/S2013 and my lifetime supply of gum

During Toronto Fashion Week, I was asked by Dress to KILL magazine to interview the two creative minds behind Greta Constantine. The designer-duo didn't actually show their Spring/Summer 2013 line during the designated World Mastercard week of fashion wonders. Instead, they opted to hold off till November and do their own thing in Toronto's cobblestoned Distillery District. I wrote a little something about their line for DTK so take a look here if you're interested in sexy form-fitted dresses for spring 2013. Also, their wonderful PR people put together a fun behind-the-scenes video for us, which is also up on the DTK website.

Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill of Greta Constantine
Photo: Toronto Life

The PR team also took the time to personally send me a box of goodies as a thank you for the interview. Receiving packages full of cute stuff is always super exciting, especially when all the cute stuff is FREE (mouhahhahah!). The Greta team collaborated with 5Gum so now I'm basically swimming in the stuff. Good thing I'm a gum person. I also got a great lipstick. It's bright pink - perfect for spring. Thanks guys!

The mystery box 

Gum fest!

Freebies: Greta Constantine scarf for 5Gum, metallic silver IPhone case, nail files, blue and black nail polish, Maybelline lipstick, and every flavour of 5Gum

Pink Maybelline lipstick - Gonna be a favourite this summer.

Paragon by WOUDENBERG - Nyood launch party

A few weeks ago I was invited to Emily Woudenberg's super exclusive pre-Fashion Week launch party at Nyood Restaurant's (soo good.. I went with my parents and Foodspotted the shit out of my meal) super sexy upstairs lounge on Queen West. The Toronto-based jewelry designer had the whole place set up as an exhibit to showcase her new Art Deco-inspired S/S 2013 jewelry line, Paragon.

The pieces were great. They kept the brand's androgynous style, with all the industrial metals and materials like copper, rope, metal studs, leather, etc, but the use of opaline stone (which has this crazy gasoline-like colour changing ability) gave the spring/summer collection an aspect of glamour and luxury.

Photo: Sylwia Bobryk

I reviewed Emily's F/W 2012 collection, SLAB, last season for Dress to KILL magazine, so I know a little bit about her work. Much like SLAB, Paragon is inspired by architecture and industrial materials. Both collections feature chunky pendents and beads paired with metals and/or leather, but this new collection is far less monochromatic. The use of opaline stone (a freaking chameleon rock...I swear to god, the colour changes before your eyes.) instead of grey concrete as the staple element of the collection is what makes it such an amazing line of summer statement jewelry. Even though Paragon is brighter and flashier than SLAB, the collection still has that raw grunge-edge. It's really something else.

Photo: Elayne
(SEE! the colour changes! The pendents are yellow here not blue like in the other photo! crazy stuff!!)

For more info on Emily's newest pieces you can read the profile I wrote for Dress to KILL magazine. ENJOY!

Runawaylove for lookbookcookbook

HAPPY SUNNY SUMMER DAYS READERS! Sorry I've been so M.I.A recently. To catch you all up on the going-on's of my life as of the last post, I recently moved back to the glorious MTL for the summer and have been working and tanning and working and tanning and drinking and working. As a result runawaylove has been somewhat neglected. HAVE NO FEAR! I'm back and I've got lots of fashiony stuff to share.

First off, before I left Toronto I had the pleasure of working with the beautiful and amazing Jessica Milan, photographer and creator of the ever-so-popular fashion-meets-vegan-baking blog Lookbook Cookbook. Basically what LBCB is is a vegan cookbook and fashion blog. Milan creates all sorts of vegan treats (cupcakes, pies, pastries, brownings, cakes, milkshakes, puddings, BASICALLY EVERYTHING AMAZING --- all of which are 100% vegan and delicious) and then FASHUNS the recipes up by photographing the desserts being scarfed down by models. LBCB has gotten super popular. Not only are the desserts amazing ( I think I've stressed that point enough...) but the models, styling and photography are also really something special. The blog has been getting a lot of attention recently from magazines like Dress To KILL, Nylon, Vice, Glamour France, etc. Even PETA gave it a shout on their website!

ANYWAY! As I mention earlier, I did a little modelling for Jessica and it was SO FUN! I did a few different desserts that have yet to be posted but in the meantime here's my favourite --- peanut butter banana pops!!!!

Here are some behind the scene pictures of all the yummy goodness! Got them from Jessica and Chloe Wise's instagram. Follow them at @jessicamilan_ and @naughtymess.

Biko and the OOAK show for Dress to Kill Magazine

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Corrine Anestopoulos of Biko jewelry at the Toronto One of a Kind Spring Show and Sale. The Toronto-based jewelry designer launched her Spring/Summer 2012 collection, entitled A Light Odyssey Into Tomorrow online (at ilovebiko.com) in February. The new colourful designs are a great addition to this modern nostalgic jewelry brand.

The pieces are bright and fun but still have that antique-trinket-vintage amazingness to them. I put together this little video montage.. sorry about my terrible editing skillzz. (Tried something new. Maybe I should stick to writing.) For more on Anestopoulos' new collection read the profile I wrote for Dress To KILL mag.

photos: Elayne

SLAB by WOUDENBERG

Last month I went to the fancy Gladstone Hotel in ever-so artsy neighbourhood of West Queen West to see what the artsy artisans of Toronto had in store. (I like the word 'artsy'....nbd) The Gladstone's Artists & Fleas Market, an event created by the hotel's creative director Jeremy Vandermeji took place in the hotel's rustic Victorian ballroom. The place was full of artists and their craft, art, and designs. The one artist that really caught my eye was Emily Woudenberg of WOUDENBERG jewelry. Her latest collection of custom-made concrete jewelry, SLAB by WOUDENBERG, was so incredibly cool that I just had to write an article about it. So I did, for Dress To KILL. Give her a read ;).

Woudenberg's F/W 2012 collection features concrete pieces and materials like leather, rope, metal chain, studs, and semi precious stone beads. The collection was inspired by the artist's fascination with architecture, and the idea of concrete as a material for jewelry.

SLAB has this amazing dystopia, end of the world theme, that adds a grungy edge to any outfit. The designs are modern, sleek, beautifully crafted and have serious bad-ass feel.

Emily Woudenberg and her F/W 2012 collection Slab by WOUDENBERG
photo: Elayne 

photo: Elayne

Concrete jewelry
photo: Elayne

photo: emilywoudenberg.com

Photo: emilywoudenberg.com

photo: emilywoudenberg.com

photo: emilywoudenberg.com

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.