Event | Calvin Klein Fall 2012 In New York
Calvin Klein Inc. held a presentation in New York, featuring the Fall 2012 Calvin Kleinmen’s and women’s sportswear, tailored clothing, dresses, jeans wear, performance, outerwear, underwear, footwear, accessories, watches and jewelry, as well as the new ck one color cosmetics.
Calvin Klein’s Global Creative Director, Kevin Carrigan. (Love him, when he was here for the Calvin Klein launch at Fairview Mall we so hit it off!)
Inspired by modern city life, the sportswear was graphic and textured in an iconic palette of black and bone. For the complementing accessories, it was all about the sophisticated clutch and boot. The sultry mood of the season was enhanced with the new ‘Liquid Metal’ offering from Calvin Klein Jeans, which includes precious metal inspired denims for women and edgy, leather coated styles for men. A sleek assortment of ck Calvin Klein watches and jewelry, which celebrate their fifteenth anniversary this year, added a polished refinement. Fall 2012 also introduced Calvin Klein Push Positive, an innovative push-up providing a superior fit in a complete range of vivid hues and classic neutrals.
For the global launch of the ck one color cosmetics line, a beauty bar filled with the vibrant products was set up opposite stations with the brand’s newly named makeup artists – Jodie Boland, Kristi Matamoros, and Hung Vanngo – demonstrating the line’s ‘look real,’ ‘define yourself’ and ‘add intensity’ concepts.
Event | M For Mendocino S/S 2012
There are few things that I like more than pastels, Peter Pan collars, sheer blouses and lace, so when I was invited to the M for Mendocino Spring/Summer 2012 Preview on behalf of FASHIONIGHTS I was beyond excited.
Since M for Mendocino opened its first location on Queen Street in 2009, the sister brand to Mendocino has established itself as THE go-to boutique for women who are on the hunt to find trend-driven, wearable pieces at an affordable price point. My style is about 75% Blair Waldorf and 25% Nicole Richie, so this seasons collection, which had a strong focus on bolds, vintage inspiration and neutrals, was right up my alley.
M for Mendocino’s S/S 2012 preview took place at the pocketbook friendly’s First Canadian Place location. On site for the event were Norma Caron (Co-Founder) and her daughter and Brand Director, Jessica Kaplan, who took the time out of her evening to have a quick chat with me.
After hand selecting what the quirky brunette believes would be the “perfect piece for me,” Jessica mentioned that one of the best things about this collection is its versatility and affordability. I completely agree! Each piece in the collection is more beautiful than the next, the colours were right on point (mint green, creamsicle and violet, oh my!) and there was a huge range of staple items that will carry you through many seasons to come. The pieces range from $39 for a pair of coloured denim – which is a steal!
Event | Motionball Toronto 2012
Celebrating it’s 11th Anniversary, Motionball Toronto has become one of Canada’s most popular and most successful charity galas to raise money for charity.
Motionball is a not-for-profit organization that builds awareness and raises funds for the Special Olympics Canada Foundation - this year’s gala hopes to raise $250,000 in one night, bringing Motionball’s fundraising total to over $2.7 million net.
Our mandate is to introduce the next generation of volunteers and donors to the Special Olympics movement through integrated social and sporting events, creating relevant, meaningful experiences that help bring the fun back into giving. Since its inception in 2002, motionball has organized and operated more than 55 events in 6 major Canadian cities and as a result of the many individuals, partners and organizations who have supported the movement over the past several years, motionball delivered to the SOCF its original financial goal of its first donated $1 million four years ahead of its planned schedule…
Motionball currently organizes four Annual events in Toronto (The Gala; Marathon of Sport; Fall Classic Golf Tournament; Football Frenzy Flag Football Tournament) and two in Vancouver (Gala; Marathon of Sport), two in Calgary (Gala and Marathon of Sport) as well as a Marathon of Sport in Halifax (with a Gala launching in 2012) and a Marathon of Sport in Ottawa and Montreal.
Love these great photos of Lauren O’neil, Cassie Stewart and I from the evening’s photographers, Konstantine Protopapas and Steve Blackburn of YYZEvents. Also, check us out in the week’s issue of Party Photos Of The Week in The Globe & Mail! Hot babes!
Preview | KayTran Eyewear 2012 Launch
Well, you all know my thing with sunglasses, I wear them all day and obviously all night, it’s become part of my brand and in turn, a few companies, designers and brands have worked with me. I’m just obsessed with sunglasses. So when I received information and an invitation to attend KayTran Eyewear’s preview, I was over the moon.
My favourite pair - a classic aviator named Irwin in rose gold. Despite having THE Ray Ban Aviator in gold, these are rounded. That’s different, right? Whatever people, you can never have too many sunglasses. Ever.
Created by Kathy Tran, Tran’s line features it’s own unique fit, simply put, L.B.T. (below)
What does that mean? Lens curve reduction, Bridge adjustments & Temple angeles widened. Having a reduced lens and frame curvature prevent the edges of the frame from rubbing and resting against your cheekbones, while a narrowed bridge and elevated nose pads allow the frame to rest comfortably on your nose without the slipping and sliding. Finally, widened temple angles open the space between the frame and your face, preventing marks and indents from forming on your cheeks - um, hi my biggest pet peeve when I wear my eyeglasses. Or worse when my hair is long at the sides and I get those kinks on my hair by my ears. Ugh!
Event | DANIER Design Challenge 2011
Ever wonder how to break into the fashion industry? Or better yet ever wonder how to score getting your prized design into production and sold at hundreds of retailers in the country? Well, DANIER, Canada’s premier leather retailer, teams up with Ryerson School of Fashion to reach out to third year fashion designers to do just that - showcase their design talents!
Now in it’s third year, DANIER Design Challenge, alongside with the Canadian public and an expert panel of judges choose one winner amongst countless entries to have his or her design produced and sold in stores across the country! On January 12, 2012, the final three were chosen and here’s a look at what happened that night!
The industry panel of judges - who had the daunting task of narrowing down the finalists to 10 - included Chair of Ryerson School of Fashion Robert Ott, DANIER’s Chief Merchandising Officer Olga Koel, television host Jeanne Beker, fashion designer & stylist George Antonopoulos, Flare Fashion Director Elizabeth Cabral, fashion designer Erin Kleinberg and Globe & Mail Style Editor and stylist, Tiyana Grulovic.
After that, between the months of October through December, Canada had the opportunity to vote for their favourites - the final three (who also received cash prizes)? Jayson Araja, Meagan Johnston and Brie Reid. Other finalists included, Jana Champagne, Michons Gutnik, Ryan Joelson, Michelle Nguyen, Melissa Oswald, Yael Shoham and Mikaela Skoretz.
Below are shots of the winner, Meaghan Johnston and her winning design jacket.
Event | A Is For ALDO Fragrance Launch
I already know what you’re thinking, why the f**k is ALDO launching a fragrance. I get it, and not going to lie that was my reaction too when I received the invite to the launch of A Is For ALDO. But that changed once I got some background information and smelling the product!
Having the opportunity to sit down with other bloggers with ALDO’s Director of Marketing, Vyara Ndejuru describes the process and development of the fragrances. When asked, why fragrance, Ndejuru had this to say:
“It’s something that every brand wants to do, kinda like getting married, almost a natural progression - it’s something very nerve racking and inhibiting at the same time. It’s really a celebration of us as an ultimate brand with this idea of creating a fragrance or scent, it’s really like being anointed into The Hall of Fame of brands, so you want to do it right, you want to get married once, you want it to be perfect and you want the perfect set of circumstances where the right partners, the right kind of creative leaderships come together -you want everything to be right and be perfect.”
Great metaphor by comparing it to a marriage, you honestly don’t want to screw it up! The collection features three fragrances for women categorized by Blue, Yellow and Red; each with it’s signature scent and story for the woman wearing it. Available in roll-on pens, convenient! The men’s line see two fragrances of yellow and red (my favourite, very bold, strong scent with a touch of musk) encased in a matte black cube-shaped bottle.
Making their way around the event were lab-coat-wearing individuals with iPads each with a picture personality test (do it, it’s fun!) - the test based on instagram photos, had us pick a preassigned group of photos that determined what our appropriate fragrance colour would be! Fun, but we all know why I was talking to this boy! So cute!
The fragrances are available online at ALDO Shoes and in stores now!!
Like the Manitobah Mukluk party, A is For ALDO had a photobooth set up, and just like Manitobah’s party I monopolized it! Check out below the cute pictures of Jay Strut, Sabrina Maddeaux, Carol Zara, Anita Matte and myself!
Event | Calvin Klein Store Launch With Joe Jonas
Tucked away in Toronto’s north eastern corner where Fairview Mall is located, Calvin Klein decided to open their latest store. With added publicity thanks to Joe Jonas the opening was pandemonium! This marks the third Calvin Klein retail location in Canada, (previously in Marché Central in Montreal and Heartland Town Centre, also here in Ontario), with a total of forty (yes, 40!!) stores planned to be opened in the next five years! Ambitious, Calvin Klein, especially with a flailing retail market! But I have faith in anything Klein!
Calvin Klein’s Global Creative Director, Kevin Carrigan (whom we totally hit it off as friends), and Calvin Klein Inc.’s President & CEO, Tom Murray were also on hand to celebrate the grand opening! The new Calvin Klein store spans over 6,100 square feet, and offers a full range of men’s and women’s apparel, jeanswear, underwear and accessories, footwear, eyewear and fragrance. The men’s and women’s sportswear and jeanswear offerings are all designed under the direction of Kevin Carrigan.
The store interior follows the new concept design for Calvin Klein stores. The unique spaces are multi-dimensional and incorporate sleek materials with rich, tactile finishes and black and white coloration throughout, in keeping with the brands’ over-arching aesthetic.
The Calvin Klein team sent over a town car for me and it whisked me from one of my Starbucks locations up to Fairview Mall. Having never been to Fairview I wasn’t sure what to expect from the mall, but from what I briefly saw it looked pretty fresh! But I was one of the first media outlets to arrive and I saw the line up of, mostly girls in front of the store - some waiting since 5:00 AM that morning. I entered the store, but to some gasps of outrage and complaints from the girls waiting behind me. I giggled.
Unfortunately for me, Jonas who was performing after 6 that evening, (and my car was scheduled to drive me back into the city at 6) had to miss him take the stage and getting out of the store wasn’t as easy as getting out! The 150 girls that received wrist bands to get in were inside around 6 and the unfortunate hundreds more that weren’t allowed in, clammered the security and the front of the store! Below is the sea of girls, body guards had to escort me out of! Not going to lie it was pretty awesome scream out “Joe!!” to me when the doors opened, I was just like, “I’m not Joe girls!” I had my sunglasses on so I guess when your 14 and extremely excited I look like Joe?!
I’ll have more pictures sent with me in and around the store later - look out for that post!
Photos: George Pimentel
Event | Manitobah Mukluks Pow Wow
Move over, Laurentian Chief, there’s a new authentic Aboriginal Nations footwear company that is going to give you a run for your money!
Growing up Latino, I was constantly surrounded by my heritage, from the traditions of past generations to the legends and customs of my ancestors and indigenous people of Guatemala. Things like intricate textiles and rich cultural practices and customs of days long ago over-saturated, and still do, the walls and going-ons of daily life. Naturally, when something whether it be a brand, music or food that touches on these distinctive traits I’m quickly enthralled!
To celebrate Canadian Aboriginal culture, Manitobah footwear threw a pow wow with special guests at The Bata Shoe Museum with authentic First Nations food, traditional show & dance and of course mukluks and moccasins! They graciously gifting me a pair of Copper Colour Mukluks and for that I thank you guys so much!
When first created, moccasins and mukluks were used for keeping the cold elements out and for providing ease of movement when hunting - using distictive leathers, furs and beadwork Aboriginals nations used these attributes to reflective their individual culture and customs. Today, Manitobah footwear products and as Métis Nation, they continue in that rich and beautiful tradition of creating authentic, functional footwear that connects their past with new materials and production techniques.
“Stitch by stich, bead by bead, we tell the story of our People.”
Brilliant and vivid colours when dancers took the floor to dance! Guests also sampled and indulged on traditional dishes of Bison and Venison (Deer) meat. Bison is awesome!
Check out after the link for some crazy outtakes of (mostly) myself, friends and more at the Manitobah photobooth that I literally monopolized!
Shopping | One Of A Kind Christmas Show & Sale 2011
With the impending doom that is the holiday shopping disaster it’s always a relief to find something or somewhere that makes your life easier.
Marking the unofficial start to the holiday season for many, The One Of A Kind Christmas Show started this week on the 24 and runs straight through until December 4th! I was invited to the media breakfast to preview the show and dig into some beautifully crafted breakfast goodies - I say crafted because the breakfast was prepared from some of the many artisans on location at the OOAKS, and honestly the food was borderline art! That slice of bacon quiche pie I ate, divine!
The friggin’ sock monkey guys! Too cute for words!
Last season I got to experience The One Of A Kind Show: Spring Edition and had a blast! This marks my first OOAKS Christmas Show and it’s a million times better!!! But I think it’s better because I won a Nescafé Dolce Gusto coffee maker, and you all know how much I’m addicted to it! That’s all fun and gravy, but I just opened the box, (I know, 3 days later) and realized the box was missing the water tank! So boo, I couldn’t make the drinks just yet, but not to worry, I’m sure it’ll get sorted out this week.
My friend Chantel, (below) who writes for Pink Mafia, and I took to the aisles of booths of the OOAKS and found a few that stood out, MY FAVOURITE, obviously was the Enchanted booth (booth W-24). A husband-wife duo behind a Surrey, BC based company that re-purposes fur pieces. Beautifully remastered with linings, leather piping throughout pieces like that coyote vest I’m wearing (and still tossing and turning in bed, thinking about it.) and overall breathing new life to pieces that have been discarded by previous owners!
Another favourite was, as how he describes himself the “cool & refreshing illustration” of Dave Murray. The Toronto-based artist works with classic canvas and heavy-weight cotton paper. His most popular and my favourite, word maps were just brilliant! Murray uses words, adjectives and nouns really, to form maps of Toronto neighbourhoods! The closest to me would have to be The Annex. I told Murray that he needs to make my neighbourhood, and turns out that he lives down the street from me over by Davenport and like Ossington I think. Hello, I’m by Davenport & Dufferin. Maybe I can persuade him to make one of our neighbourhood!
Make sure to pop by the OOAK Christmas Show and Sale, the tickets are only $12, trust me, you won’t regret it!
Event | Howie D. Album Launch Party For ‘Back To Me’
Cue shrieks, now! Many of you have been Tweeting and commenting on how jealous you were that I was hanging out and had the opportunity to interview Howie Dorough of Backstreet Boys (coming soon), and here’s a little sustenance while I get the interview out.
That same day (and day before official album release) Howie celebrated with media, friends and other guests his launch of his debut album Back To Me!
Held at Liberty Studios in Toronto’s Liberty Village, the launch also featured a gifting lounge from brands such as Killigrew Fashion (I’ll feature them come the new year), RW & Co. and Lug whom gifted all the guests some wonderful product and merchandise! Thanks for all the awesome swag guys!
Event | Pink Tartan’s SEVENTY SEVEN One Year Anniversary
Whenever I cannot attend an important event my heart shatters, now multiple that by two crucial events I no longer have a heart. I was plagued by my own personal event held at the store that I could not attend Nicola Formichetti’s debut of MUGLER at The Room nor join in the festivities of celebrating Kimberly Newport-Mimran’s first year anniversary of her boutique.
Luckily, the ever so brilliant and talented Anne Cayer went in place to Pink Tartan’s anniversary party - she has graciously agreed to lend her insight and words regarding the event on Fashionights. I’m eternally grateful, and I owe her one, big time.
When Kimberley Newport-Mimran opened the doors at Seventy Seven, you could hear shouts of joy across the city. A stand-alone Pink Tartan store meant that more of the brand that so many have come to love was accessible. Fast forward a year - those same supporters came back to celebrate the store’s first anniversary.
Tucked into a gorgeous 19th century townhouse, Seventy Seven is a shopping experience like no other in Toronto - with it’s old-world design of gold trims, crisp white walls, and enough lighting to shine a spotlight on all that enter, the boutique is truly an embellishment to the Yorkville corner.
Pink Tartan’s signature aesthetic abounds here, both on racks and on people. Of the attendees at the party, I spotted about half a dozen wearing the borderline-iconic feather skirt, while many more snuck in and out of the change room, no doubt attempting to fill out their holiday wardrobes.
In fact, holiday shopping would be no daring feat, as Newport-Mimran not only merchandises the boutique with her designs, but with that of her favourite thingsas well. For the young green-thumb, a Christmas tree to plant, for the style savvy techy; brightly coloured felt phone and tablet cases. And for the perfect stand-by hostess gift, a collection of wonderfully scented teas. Walking into the boutique feels more like walking into the welcoming home of Kim and Joe opposed to that of an upscale retail space.
And yes, I do say welcoming: that glowing smile Newport-Mimran sports after every Pink Tartan show can be felt throughout the store. Whether you’re coming in to drop rent on a new wardrobe or simply find that perfect gift, this is probably a good place to get going on the right foot.
