Backstage with Laura Siegel and a little bit of Sid

Yes, I know. I suck at pumping out blog posts. And yes, I realize that blogging about Fashion Week almost two months after the fact takes away from the newsiness of it all but come on people, I'm a busy girl. With the constant running around and hours and hours of fashion writing for the Post, I just haven't had the chance to pay attention to my lovely little blog. Fear not! I now have some free time and I will use it to bring my readers up-to-date on all my fashion adventures! Yaaayyyy I'M EXCITED!

First things first, remember that National Post feature I wrote about the behind-the-scenes of the Laura Siegel runway show? Well if you don't, scroll down a bit.. it's all there. During the commotion and last minute fixes backstage I managed to record a little video of all the fun. Check it out! (Please excuse the terrible quality.. I have zero knowledge of techie things like how to upload a video...pffffff I'm an idiot I guess)

Isn't backstage stressful? Who knew, right? And ISN'T LAURA ADORABLE THOUGH! Congratulations girl! Everything worked out in the end and all was amazing.

Day 2 of Fashion Week was definitely super fun. Not only did I get to run around backstage with the Laura Siegel crew, I had a pretty amazing view of the Sid Neigum show from my front seat. I wrote a review of Sid's crazy Matrix-meets-Samurai fall collection for the National Post. If interested, give it a read.

Toronto Fashion Week - Day 2 - Laura Siegel behind-the-scenes

It was my first feature for the National Post and it took two days of documenting to complete - my behind-the-scenes story about the young and talent designer Laura Siegel. It was published in this weekend's paper and seeing it in print made me want to cry. Yeah, you'd think seeing your published work would get old but I'm still such a noob that seeing my byline in black ink on paper still makes my heart fall to my stomach.

yeah sorry it's kinda blurry.. I was really excited.
National Post Weekend Edition. March 23 2013

Anyway, the point of this post is to fill you in on all the behind-the-scene stuff from behind-the-scenes. Funny, isn't it. There's a behind-the-scenes of a behind-the-scenes pieces? Yes sir. You bet your ass there is. If you haven't had a chance to read my fly-on-the-wall piece about Laura Siegel and her makeup and hair team you can find it on the National Post website (or in print wooohooo! that is, if you still have a copy of this weekend's Post lying around the house)

The first part of the story took place a week before fashion week at the Maybelline and Redken hair and makeup trials. Basically what happens is the lead makeup artist and lead hair stylist for Toronto fashion week schedule a meeting with each designer to decide on the hair and makeup for their runway show. Laura Siegel's trial day was Monday March 11 and I was there being a nosey journalist. Here are some photos from that day at the studio.

Redken hair pros doing what they do best at the Queen West studio space

Laura ready for her National Post close up

Maybelline's Grace Lee and the inicial makeup idea

lots of hair spray

Long curly extensions.

Make look take two. 

The Laura Siegel F/W 2013 lipstick colour and my new favourite possession.
(thanks Grace xx)

My toughest interview subject. He was so difficult to work with.
Just look at that death stare. He's got me beat.. 

Part two of my piece took place backstage at the Laura Siegel runway show at fashion week. Basically what happened was at 3ish I showed up backstage and everyone on the Laura team was running around like crazy getting all the models ready for the show, which was to start at 4p.m. I continued my nosy journalist-ness and ran around trying to catch some great frantic quotes from people. And oh boy did I get some. (Didn't use most of them due to word count restrictions..too bad) For your enjoyment - some shots of fashion craziness!

Models backstage. Makeup done, hair half-done and waiting to be dressed

Maybelline heaven. Makeup for dayssss

the finalized make up looks

Laura Siegel and the final runway plans

runway walk, walk-through

the head scarf issue... the scarves won't stay on. 

final makeup touch ups

teeny Laura (the model is standing on the ground ... i know right, shes huge..)
adjusting a model's outfit

double-sided tape, tons of hairspray and millions of pins later
poor girl...

Laura insisted on styling each head scarf before the models took to the runway

another use for hairspray

Toronto Fashion Week Day 1 - Chloe comme Parris, Pink Tartan and a few drinks

Now that it's all over, I can finally sit down and write about my Toronto Fashion Week F/W 2013 adventures! Even though I'm still working on runway recaps and so on I've decided to put some time aside for the blog. Yay blogging!

Here goes nothing...

Day 1 of Toronto's World MasterCard Fashion week opened up with yet another amazing collection by Chloe comme Parris. The Gordon sisters sent a 90s-grunge inspired line down their fall 2013 runway and yet again I wanted to own every single piece of it. Every little detail, down to the punk-rock braids in the models' hair, was perfect. If for some reason you have no idea what I'm talking about and you have yet to set your eyes on the beauty that is the Chloe comme Parris fall line, please do so now. KayThanksBye.

The Gordon Sister
Photos: Elayne Millar

After the CCP show, I took to my front row seat and enjoyed Kimberley Newport-Mimran's Pink Tartan collection. Interested in 1950's bombshell housewives? Good! Check out the article I wrote for the Post. Here are some photos I took backstage.

pale nails for Pink Tartan F/W 2013 

Big dark eyebrows. Don't got 'em? Sucks to be you.
(KARMA! the kids who made fun of mine in elementary school can SUCK IT NOW HA!)

When Day 1 came to an end, I headed over to the Holts Opening Night Party on the third floor of the Bloor and Bay Street flagship store. At first, I didn't want to go. I thought I'd be out of place. I was wrong! Hint: if you're ever invited to cocktail party hosted by a billion dollar department store like Holts just GO! Yes, the crowd was slightly older (the Toronto fashion industry's main people..UM HI!) but EVERYTHING WAS FREE.

Being social in a leopard high-low dress
photo: shedoesthecity

Older people have money. Young noobies like myself don't. So? Get in on the free food, drinks and networking opportunities! The Holts Opening Night Party was so fun and I made a ton of new friends while stuffing my face with pastries, oysters, mini grilled cheeses, and free cocktails!

Afterwards, I headed over to yet another fashion party at the Mercer to dance around to A$AP Rocky, the celebrity DJ of the night, and continued to get my drink on with some of the biggest names in fashion press. GREAT NIGHT. (don't be jealous).

Day 2 of The ShOws F/W 2013 - Tanya Taylor, Steven Tai, and Jeremy Laing

It's official! Toronto Fashion Week is back for another F/W season, which means I will be a busy bee all over again. This time though, I'm affiliated with a major newspaper! No more rushing around to make sure I get a good seat by the front row. I AM THE FRONT ROW. I can now casually walk in late and straight to my lovely reserved National Post seat next to whatever major blogger/editor-in-chief/Canadian celebrity. Have I mention that my life is pretty good right now?

This week TFW jumpstarted with The ShOws, the two-day runway event that hosts Canadian-born international designers/design houses like Comrags, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Tanya Taylor, Steven Tai, and Jeremy Laing. I was sent to cover Day 2 of the ShOws (the better of the two-days in my opinion--- Jeremy Laing is so effing cool) for the National Post.

Once I got to the event space at the Andrew Richard Designs studio, I was greeted with a goody bag of complimentary makeup, hair products and candies; all the Vitamin Water I could drink; and an array of cute mini snacks on sticks. Oh and obviously, since we're so bloody Canadian, there were Timbits and Timmy's coffee for all to enjoy.

Obviously I take photos of the food...

After stuffing my face with freebies (as usual) I made my way to the runway room, took my seat  and watched the Tanya Taylor show. While the models marched down the runway in the designer's 1960s schoolgirl-inspired garments, I was fumbling around with my notebook, pen and Iphone. You'd think after three years of doing runway reviews, I would have figured out how to do this with some kind of grace... Nope. As the last model made her way backstage, I had finally gotten myself together. I managed to get some good photos of the line while scribbling in my notebook at the same time.

The next show was that of the young Steven Tai. The self-proclaimed nerd took his line to a crazy level- mixing 60s sportswear with present-day technology. Really great stuff!

And to close off the day was the always amazing Jeremy Laing! If you wanna give my review a read click here!

In between the shows I was running in and out of backstage. Here are a few shots from behind-the-scenes. I also interview the lead hair and makeup stylist about the looks for each of the shows. If I'm not crazy busy in the next few days I'll make sure to get some sort of beauty post up because honestly, those guys have some great hair and makeup tips. 

Model being prepped for Steven Tai show

Backstage makeup madness

Makeup and hair for Tanya Taylor 

Makeup for Jeremy Laing 

Makeup for Jeremy Laing