j'adore garance

[i had promised a post on la parisienne, but i think that may now turn into several...]

i will start with that ultimate parisienne, garance.

the photographs of garance dore are truly an inspiration to we laptop fashionistas. the women shes captures are feminine, strong, beautiful and unique. her compositions tell a story of these women, many of whom also work in the fashion industry. the backlight in her photos adds a perfect ethereal glow to already stunning imagery.

photos: garancedore.fr

via designers

Via Rail has announced the finalists in its uniform design contest.

Designers Xiao Wei of Montreal, Adelee MacNevin of PEI and Nada Shepherd have had their designs chosen as the final three. The winner will be announced this Thursday at Toronto Fashion Week.

The contest was announced in December of 2008. Via worked with the FDCC to whittle down a list of 23 applicants to just three.

I think the design on the left is most likely to win, though my favourite is definitely the right.

photos: The National Post

The Room reopens

The Room today

St. Regis Room, c. 1948

Daria Werbowy at the launch.

Jessica Stam at the launch.

Pink Tartan designer Kimberly Newport-Mimran at the launch.

Hudson's Bay Company officially kicked off the re-launch of the illustrious The Room Wednesday night with a party on the third floor of the Queen Street West location. Packed with designers (Laing, Newport-Mimran, Baday), models (Werbowy, Stam) and socialties (Webster, Rogers), the party marked the re-opening of what I think will be the pinacle of the new Bay, under the auspices of former Holt Renfrew honcho Bonnie Brooks.

Formerly known as the St Regis Room, this area was, in its glory days, a hub of fashion and socializing. The new room, designed by Yabu Pushelberg, will harken back to those glory days by offering some of Canada's hottest designers and looks straight off the Paris Runways.

photos: Globe and Mail; The Bay; George Pimentel

YSL parisienne

as much as i don't understand the big deal behind kate moss, how stunning is this picture?

stay tuned for a post dedicated to la femme parisienne, inspired by this photo.

ode to the little black dress

The little black dress is a must-have for any wardrobe.

Introduced to the world by Coco Chanel, the black dress was originally met with a level of cynicism and controversy. Previous to the 1920s, black was considered appropriate only for women in mourning.

The most famous “scandal” occurred in 1884, when Parisienne socialite Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, wife of Pierre Gautreau, was depicted in a long black dress with jewelled straps. It is a stunning portrait, painted by John Singer Sargent, but the black dress created an outrage among the upper crust of Paris society.

Then, in 1926, Vogue published a sketch of Chanel’s little black dress. The magazine dubbed it the “Model T” of fashion because of its versatility and simplicity.

As the dress grew in popularity, so did its many appearances in popular culture.

Finally, the lbd was catapulted into the fashion scene by audrey hepburn in the famous breakfast at tiffany’s. The lovely dress by Hubert de Givenchy is now considered one of the most famous in popular culture.

Everyone from Marilyn to Jackie was wearing one.





today, the beloved little black dress is a staple for women everywhere, from the red carpet to your very own closet.

chanel 2.55

the lovely Miss at la Playa just shared these stunning images (below) of the making of a chanel 2.55 bag. That ever-so-illustrious piece of chanel, which any girl would die to own. a classic but simple statement bag that screams good taste and the appreciation of the finer things in life.

carine