Oscar de la Renta: The Pre-Fall 2010 Collection

While we're just officially starting our winter with the first snow storm looming over Toronto last night, the fashion world is already looking far ahead, as in the pre-fall 2010 collection. And while, one of my favorites, Karl Lagerfeld didn't disappoint with Chanel (think Shanghai inspired looks including thigh high red boots), one name and one collection did stand out for me.

Oscar de la Renta has been creating buzz in the fashion industry since well, he first launched his line in 1965. Since then he has gone on to become one of the world's most highly respected designers. Not to mention, he is wildly famous for his long list of celebrity clientelles, including Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and of course style icon, Sarah Jessica Parker where his name and designs were even referenced in an episode of Sex and the City.

When we think of Oscar, we think of elegance and timeless beauty. We think of the alluring gowns and designs that have adorned the red carpets, including a black strapless number worn by Jennifer Garner at the 2008 Oscars. No matter what, his designs never seem to fail and he has proved that once again with his pre-fall 2010 collection.

What colors usually grace the fall runways did not seem to be the case at the Oscar de la Renta pre-fall 2010 collection. Instead, he uses an array of colors (including pinks, his favorite, and yellows) that we would normally find in the spring collections. And in this stuff economic times, he seems to be using his talent and skills to good use with such a choice. The collection makes you want to need and own his designs. The use of bright colors and femininity brings you back to when you were a little girl and admired the women who were dressed in the most elegant of dresses. De la Renta was once quoted saying that he "designs clothes for women who want to buy them" and he's right. The pre-fall 2010 de la Renta collection definitely makes you want and need to own it. Once again, his great understanding of what women want (or need) has swept us off of our feet.

Below are just some of my favorites from the collection.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF STYLE.COM









Until next time, good night and good reading!

Zac Posen for Target

First, I'd like to apologize for the lack of updates! My laptop has decided once again to crash on me, so I had to take it to the Sony doctors to get it fixed. Now it's up and running again, which allows me to get back to my favorite thing to do late at night while watching infomercials, blogging.

Lots has gone on since my last post, and although Tiger Woods has been the main interest of every media outlet recently, don't worry I will not be blogging about that. While this is nothing new, I can't help but notice a growing trend in the fashion world: the collaboration. It seems as though every designer has been trying to get their hands into working with every possible department stores they can. And who can blame them right? With the recent bankruptcy filing of Christian Lacroix, it's no surprise that the fashion world is shaking in its boots. Bottom line is, they need to find a way to make money to keep their business going just like anyone else. Collaboration with affordable stores then seem to be the solution.

With the recent hype of Jimmy Choo's designs and Sonia Rykiel lingerie for H&M as well as Stella McCartney for Gap Kids and Baby Gap, designers are following suit. The latest to follow is Mr. Zac Posen for Target's Go International line. This is nothing new for Posen though, as he has collaborated with Target Australia in the past (in 2008) and that collection did not fail. On the contrary, they received great reviews. Some of the collection from that line included great pieces for everyday wear for women, which is exactly the target (no pun intended) crowd for, well, Target. Pictures of the full collection can be seen here.

With the success of that line, there's definitely plenty to look forward to. If it's anything like his 2010 ready-to-wear spring collection, then there's certainly a lot to be excited about. An abundance of colors (lots of neon) and geometric designs graced the runway at the show as well as spring's staple design, florals. If it's anything close to that, Zac Posen will most likely be far from filing for bankruptcy anytime soon. And with the hype that accompanied the Jimmy Choo collaboration with H&M, it won't be hard to believe that the same will take place for Posen as well. Below are some of my favorites from the Spring 2010 collection (and crossing my fingers will be similar to what the designer will make for the more affordable line):
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF STYLE.COM







The Zac Posen collection for Target hits stores on April 25th. Sharpen those elbows and get ready to line up.

Until next time, good night and good reading!

Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

Who here has not grown up watching and thoroughly being affected in some way or form by Tim Burton's movies? I know I have. The very quirky film director/producer/writer and artist is definitely the epitome of taking one's imagination to a whole new level. So who better to direct Disney's new live-action concept of Alice in Wonderland than Mr. Tim Burton himself?



Definitely one of the movies in my highly anticipated movies of 2010 list, Tim Burton's adaptation of the childhood story classic is expected to be nothing but whimsical, entertaining, dark (of course) and enchanting. After all, think Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Of course, it also helps that he brings with the movie his usual choice of brilliant cast members; Johnny Depp as the Madd Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen. His new handpicked promising performances include Anne Hathaway as the White Queen and Mia Wasikowska as Alice.

One of the main things that really did attract me to go see the movie though is the aesthetic of it all. Especially when it came to the costume department. Alice in Wonderland's costume designer is none other than Academy Award winner Colleen Atwood. She is best known for her work in Memoirs of a Geisha and two of Tim Burton's brilliant works Sleepy Hollow and my personal childhood favorite, Edward Scissorhands. Atwood's designs really does what any good movie with a great overall production does to moviegoers, it takes you away from reality and feel as if you're part of their world.

This most certainly is not your typical Alice in Wonderland you've read about in books or the Disney classic we all remember watching on repeat when we were younger. On the contrary, Johnny Depp's mad hatter ensemble really makes you not want to be late for a very important date. The eccentricity of the costume Atwood uses for the mad hatter really does portray his character well, both mad, a little scary yet intriguing that you can't help but stare and listen to him.



My other personal favorite is of course Alice. This isn't your typical Alice in Wonderland attire involving a blue dress with a white apron and blue Mary Janes. Atwood's interpretation reminds me of the Annie Leibovitz Vogue December 2003 photoshoot featuring John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld and company. Alice in this movie isn't your sweet Disney character that fell into a rabbit hole. She's chic and looks like she just stepped off of Marc Jacob's spring runway collection.



Other notable mentions are the Red Queen (very Vivienne Westwood-esque), the White Queen and Tweedledee and Tweedledum.



The movie comes out in theaters, March 5 2010. So defintiely save the date for this one, and don't be late! Yeah I went there.

The trailer courtesy of Youtube:

Stella McCartney Resort 2010

While fall has to be my favorite season in fashion, resort comes mighty close. And why not, right? It comes around the time when the snow starts to fall, our behinds start to freeze and stilettos become a more and more difficult option as footwear. So like anybody else who doesn't live in Miami or Dubai, resort becomes my fashion escape from the cold where I imagine myself jet-setting in only the best of the best of the season's collections. Well, no one knows the luxury life of the rich and the famous than Stella McCartney herself. And not because she is the daughter of a Beatle, but after all being a past creative director for Chloé and Gucci, that alone qualifies her in the category of being in the know of how to create resort look that doesn't resemble a white t-shirt, beige shorts and Birkenstocks. In fact, her 2010 resort collection is galaxies from that.

With her full schedule (her latest collaboration: designing a line for Gap Kids and Baby Gap), one would think the designer's creative flow would be in full exhaustion. However, with this collection, it was evident that McCartney is able to keep whatever it is that inspires her to allow her to be on top of her game. The resort collection featured remnants of fall's lace, black, leather and sequins but the splash of blue and nautical stripes reminded us all of being on board the Queen Elizabeth. And the colors don't stop there. McCartney playfully adds hints of yellow, orange and green and even a preview of spring's florals play an important role in the collection.

Overall, her 2010 resort collection is one of my favorites for the season. She keeps it classic and simple (Ala Stella McCartney way!) but adds pieces (my personal favorite, big floral jeweled prints) that make it very unique and of course, very appealing.

Below are my favorite pieces from the collection:
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF STYLE.COM















Until next time, good night and good reading!

Distillery District

The Distillery District in Toronto is slowly becoming one of my favorite places to go to in the city. For those of you who are following me on my twitter account may have remembered me gushing about my first visit to the District when I went to Balzac's Coffee. Well, since then I decided to come back and actually explore the neighborhood a little bit more in the daylight.

For those of you who are not aware, the Distillery District was a manufacturing area for alcoholic beverages back in the 1800s, founded by a company called Gooderham and Worts. They were once the largest distillers of alcohol in Canada and eventually closed down in the 20th century. Since then, it has been redeveloped to become one of the most historically preserved neighborhoods in Toronto presenting a mixture of Victorian and modern architecture.







The District almost feels like a calming getaway from the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto. Hidden in a little corner off of Parliament street, any tourists would not even realize the place existed. I almost got lost trying to find it, but once you actually get there, you ultimately feel like you've been transported into a different world. While its architecture does make you feel like you're wandering the streets of 18th century Europe, its unique boutiques, restaurants, cafes and art galleries brings you back to the distinctiveness of the city of Toronto.





Some of my must-visits there include: Balzac's Coffee, Bergo Designs (a modern furniture store) and Soma Chocolate Maker.

Soma Chocolate Maker is probably my favorite eatery there after Balzac's Coffee. It's one of those unique places that when you walk in, you can't just leave without buying or trying anything. So of course, I had to. The unique thing about them is that their chocolate is made in their store. Their cocoa beans aren't local and bought from plantations all over the world, some of which include Madagascar and Costa Rica. AND it's all fair trade and organic. Of course the price range is a little steep, but it is definitely worth it. The chocolate is so delicate that when shopping around, you can't really hold onto the chocolate for too long because it melts at body temperature. I tried their Peruvian milk chocolate and of course their famous hot chocolate to wash it down with and needless to say, it was to die for.







Whether you're a local or just visiting, the Distillery District is definitely a place to hit for anyone who hasn't been there yet. I am personally looking forward to the summer, where I probably will spend a great deal of my time there.



Until my next adventure, good night and good reading!

Betsey Johnson to design Eloise Suite

When I was a little girl, I used to compare myself to Eloise. With my dad's line of work, my family and I were privileged enough to be able to travel all around the world and so of course, more often than not we stayed at hotels.

I had fallen in love with the idea of hotels the minute my young self set foot in one, and if you think about it, what is there not to love? For me, as a little kid, hotels were full of mystery, exploration and intrigue. There were always something new to discover, interesting people to meet and great people to talk to. In addition to this, it was the ultimate playground. Hotels had pools, ice cream that could be delivered right to your door and a TV with endless amounts of channels. In my opinion, nothing could get better than that.

And even as I got older, hotels still are my favorite places to be in. I always tell people that if I had a choice, I would live in a hotel. There's nothing more comforting to me than sleeping in a very well tucked bed with 500 thread count sheets and room service at the tip of your fingers. Call me strange, but I love it. It could be that I grew up knowing a lot about hotels, but I also think a big part of it are the adventures I always felt associated with being in one. And if you think about it, makes sense doesn't it?

Well, not to derive too much from my main post, but for those of you who have lived in a cave for the last 20 something years, Eloise is a children's book (eventually turned TV show, turned movie) that I grew up with. It's a story about a little girl (Eloise) who lives in one of the suites at the Plaza with her nanny and her dog. The series of books tell stories of her adventures in the luxurious hotel and all kinds of mischief she gets into. Needless to say, she was pretty much one of my favorite characters growing up.

So it was only normal that when I found out that Betsey Johnson, one of my favorite designers, was due to design an Eloise inspired suite at The Plaza Hotel itself, I screamed and scrambled to find a way to see if I could book the suite now. Of course, a little unrealistic, but I was pretty excited. Especially when the design is apparently going to stay true to the pink and black palette as seen in the Eloise series.



It won't be difficult to imagine the creativity Betsey Johnson will have for the room. After all, her pink apartment already speaks for what she can do in terms of interior design.

IMAGES COURTERSY OF STYLEFILE.COM




This is pretty much a preview of what is yet to excitingly come to the Plaza and let me tell you, Betsey Johnson is about to make a lot of girls dreams come true. With the Plaza's Live Like Eloise and Live like Eloise Slumber Party Packages already in place, the decorated suite will surely add more flare to the whole experience. Any little girl who stays at that suite will definitely feel like Eloise herself and grown women everywhere won't be able to resist playing princess all over again.

Until next time, good night and good reading!

Holt Renfrew's Holiday Window 2009

Extending off of my last entry about getting into the Holiday spirit, I finally went and took a peek of this year's Holt Renfrew holiday window display. And I must say, what a way to get into the Christmas spirit.

Though the weather today was a perfect 17 degrees, far from the snowy Christmas feel (Despite the fact that I lived in California and Egypt, so I know what it's like to experience a non-white Christmas) most people are used to, window shopping at Holt did put me in the Christmas caroling and chestnuts roasting kind of mood. While sticking to a high fashion theme (after all they have to stick to their reputation of being the Saks Fifth of Canada) Holt's window carried an aesthetic that allows it to be able to relate to everyone. Any passerby down Bloor will love the traditional Christmas figures of snowmen and reindeers, and the couturites will definitely enjoy the fashion side of it as well. I do regret not making to the actual unveiling, I hear Feist made quite the perfect entertainment for the night. However, even if you didn't go to the actual unveiling, I do recommend walking down that way and having a look. My personal favorite, the window of Anna Wintour, Lagerfeld and Galliano snowpeople. I believe Vivienne Westwood was somewhere in there too, I might have to make a second trip to figure out who the other ones are, I thought I saw a hint of Jeanne Beker.








Of course, the experience isn't complete without a Starbucks holiday drink (My fave is the Gingerbread latte, I'm crossing my fingers it comes back this year). So if you do decide to go and have a life imitating art day a la Holly Golighty Breakfast at Tiffany's Style, make sure you come prepared with coffee in hand, pastry in the other and a love for fashion mindset.

Like I said in my last post, I am one of those people that find the Christmas spirit through capitalistic means of malls and stores coming up with brilliant marketing strategies to lure people into buying random crap they probably won't need for themselves and their families. But, whatever gets you in that spirit of giving, right? After all, at the end of the day, isn't what Christmas is all about? Well, at least it's what society teaches us... until my next adventure, good night and good reading!

John Galliano as Old Saint Nick

With Halloween now behind us, everyone is starting to get ready for the Holiday season, which is another time of the year I always look forward to. It's that time when downtown streets are illuminated with Christmas lights, window stores displays turn festive and Starbucks brings out their holiday cups. Everyone gets into the holiday spirit even if it is simply for the mere purpose of capitalists banking on people's money everywhere.

Well, I'm not one of those who boycott Christmas just because Hallmark cashes in big around this time. In fact I get into the Christmas spirit by going to the malls, listening to the sounds of jingle bells and winter wonderland blaring through the speakers and standing in front of Holt Renfrew's holiday display sipping on Starbucks' egg nog latte. I am a guilty and proud Christmas consuming whore for a lack of better words, which is probably why I squealed like a little girl when I heard buzz of John Galliano playing Old Saint Nick at Claridge, a 5 star hotel in London, for the holiday season. Word is going around that Galliano is rumored to be the decorator of the hotel's Christmas tree this year, set to be unveiled on December 1st. Dior followers everywhere surely got an early Christmas present.

Until the unveiling though, all we can do is let our imaginations run wild and make our own guesses as to what Mr. Dior's plans are. I personally expect nothing else but extravagant, idiosyncratic, unconventional and avant-garde decorations. Maybe if we're lucky it'll be modeled after one of his couture shows. My personal favorite and what I would use as inspiration, the Paris Fall 2004 couture show.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STYLE.COM





And let's not forget every tree needs an Angel on top as the finishing touch.



Whatever he does, I'm sure he won't disappoint, let's hope the tree unveiling involves a John Galliano couture style inspired Santa Claus suit.

Until next time, good night and good reading!

Kensington Market

Last Sunday, to get into the Halloween spirit and explore another Toronto neighborhood, I decided to take part in the Halloween festivities at Kensington Market. It was the perfect time to go too. Last Sunday was the last day of P.S. Kensington, where streets are closed off allowing pedestrians to wander around freely and facilitating street vendors to have more room and showcase their goods.



I wasn't really sure what to expect from Kensington Market. I've been to a lot of different places similar to it (the Byward Market in Ottawa) all around the world, so I figured it would be another street fair type with fun trinkets here and there and good eats. That's not what I got though, instead I got an extremely cultural and diverse market place that had so much to offer, it took us the entire day to wander around and see everything there was to see. Going there definitely made me appreciate this city a lot more (not that I'm not already deeply in love with it!) and really sort of affirmed my move here. It is always a refreshing breath to be in a city that is able to tolerate and appreciate people from different walks of life.

Pictures do say a thousand words, so here are some highlights from my adventure at Kensington Market:

The scenery



The hotbox cafe. Their sign said "Serving Potheads since... ahh I forget".




Me enjoying the market!

The Entertainment:



And the BEST part, The Food:




Check out how big that donut bun is from Hong Kong Bakery.

Although, P.S. Kensington is done for the season, the market is still open 7 days a week from 11 AM to 7 PM, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves trying new things and meeting interesting people. I think it's pretty cool that you don't even have to leave your own city to meet people and try different foods from all over the world.

Until my next adventure, good night and good reading!