Author: CityWomen

June 22, 2020 at 01:00PM At the recent runway show for London College of Fashion’s master’s degree graduates, Canadian designer Stephanie Moscall-Varey—whose line is called Moskal—debuted an unlikely fabric concept. “I was researching mining because it had such close family ties, and living in Britain, it’s a big conversation,” says Moscall-Varey, whose previous designs derived influence from her upbringing in rural Ontario. For Fall 2020, she looked to her grandfather, who was a coal miner, and her father, a former coal power plant engineer, for inspiration. Her Pit Brow collection pays homage to the people who worked in the early coal mines and the hardships they endured, and it features pieces made from a material fashioned from charcoal. Moscall-Varey’s textile innovation has a wide variety of environmental implications—including its biodegradability—and it couldn’t come at a more crucial time. According to a recent report published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, there were 53 million tonnes of fibre produced for clothing in 2015 and the equivalent of one garbage truck full of finished products either ended up in a landfill or was incinerated per second. The report addresses two key issues that continue to confound the fashion industry: How can creatives and businesses tackle more responsible creation of new materials to design with? And how can these materials be disposed of in a way that won’t further damage the planet? View this post on Instagram Pit Brow AW20// Spatial ghost apron in charcoal with particle board print // shaft trouser in charcoal

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June 22, 2020 at 01:00PM Opals are the drama queens of the gemstone world. They come with a library’s worth of stories. The people of ancient Greece believed in the opal’s prophetic power and the Romans in the optimism of its rainbow colours. In Arabic lore, opals were thought to be geologized bolts of lightning. And, of course, opals are romantic, too; they’re often called the Cupid stone. Napoleon gave one to Josephine that flashed red sparks—it was called Burning of Troy. Queen Victoria loved opals and gave them to her daughters as wedding gifts. But there is a Jekyll and Hyde duality to opals. Chromatically fickle, they are not dependable (like diamonds). They’re changelings; they’re the free-spirited hippies of the gem world. Which means that opals were often typecast as cursed gemstones leaving a trail of disaster and tragedy behind them. A victim of the Black Death was rumoured to have worn an opal that turned dull and blank as soon as she died. In Sir Walter Scott’s novel Anne of Geierstein, Anne’s grandmother Lady Hermione wore an opal barrette in her hair that sparkled and flashed colours when she was happy and faded when she was sad. On the day of her daughter’s christening, Lady Hermione’s opal was accidentally splashed with holy water. The gemstone instantly lost its light, and Lady Hermione fainted. A few hours later, there was nothing left of her but a pile of ashes. In their unpredictable transience, opals blaze with the colours of

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June 22, 2020 at 01:00PM Flea markets and summer yard sales are on hold. There are no day trips to antique malls, and standbys like Nova Scotia’s stalwart used-clothing store Guy’s Frenchys are temporarily closed. Instead, we’re left to virtually scratch our itch to thrift. Vintage shopping online requires a well-thought-out approach – whether you’re motivated by the thrill of the chase or have a zero-waste-wardrobe goal, here are some tips for taking your treasure hunt virtual. Know Your Sources From mainstay platforms like eBay and Etsy to niche sites like Collectors Weekly and Ruby Lane (a great resource for vintage costume jewellery), there are a wealth of ways to seek out previously loved pieces. View this post on Instagram Exquisite Tiffany bracelets to complement your look can be found in the shops. ​​Click the graphic to purchase or to search Ruby Lane. ​. ​#rubylanecom #rubylane #vintagebeginshere A post shared by Ruby Lane (@rubylanecom) on Jun 11, 2020 at 11:15am PDT //www.instagram.com/embed.js Make Time Patience is a virtue, especially when you’re browsing, and the same commitment is required whether you are thrifting in person or online. Perusing sites regularly won’t replace the IRL serendipity of spotting a gem, but getting into the habit of checking your favourite vendors a few minutes every day or week pays off. Opt into Instagram push notifications from chosen accounts, or create a profile on Etsy and favourite the shops you want to keep an eye on. It’ll almost feel like you’re out at your

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June 22, 2020 at 01:00PM With non-medical face masks – like the one from Toronto-based brand Kaela Kay, pictured above – becoming part of the new normal in our daily life, it’s important to make sure you’re not compromising your health, and that you care for your face covering properly. Here’s six ways to take care of your non-medical mask: Every time you handle your mask—to put it on, while you’re wearing it, when you’re removing it–ensure you have washed your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds, or that you have used hand sanitizer (that contains enough alcohol to kill bacteria) thoroughly. You must wash the mask after every use. Before washing, ensure that you removed any filter that you might have inserted. Some fabrics will have certain care specifications, so make sure to check with the brand that you bought it from in case they have specific material care guidelines. You must wash it thoroughly with soapy water (either in a washing machine or by hand) and allow it to dry completely before re-use. Spraying with an anti-bacterial solution is not enough. Store your mask somewhere clean and safe, such as inside a sealable plastic bag. Never handle someone else’s mask or share/allow others to touch your own mask. It’s important to note that wearing a mask is considered a complement to other precautions you must take during the COVID-19 pandemic. The post Here’s How to Care For Your Non-Medical Face Mask appeared first on

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June 22, 2020 at 01:00PM Self-tanners sure have come a long way. Today, there are lots of innovative formats to dabble in—from mousses to sprays to overnight facial masks to mixable drops—and the best formulas are spiked with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, hydrating oils and encapsulated retinol. Many brands have also successfully masked that funky sunless-tanner smell—a natural after-effect of dihydroxyacetone (a.k.a. DHA) reacting with skin. Derived from sugars, DHA is a skin-darkening agent that acts on proteins in the topmost layer of skin, which is composed of dead cells. In addition to being a much safer option than exposing yourself to harmful ultraviolet rays, bottled bronze has become more inclusive of richer skin tones. Just take it from Los Angeles-based faux-tanning pro to the stars and Pradas Glow founder Kristyn Pradas. Pradas was the resident skin-finishing expert for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for a steady six years and has tanned down many a supermodel, from Gigi Hadid to Joan Smalls. “Self-tanner can help colour-correct your undertone,” says Pradas of the sunless pick-me-up. “Certain self-tanners will cancel out yellow, pink or red in your skin. Other shades can give you a golden glow if your skin is looking too blue or grey.” View this post on Instagram Pradas Glowing ✨✨ . . . . . . . #glowingskin #organic #organicskincare #vegan #glaze #glow #selftan #sunlesstan #selftanner #glowup #thathighlighttho #contour #spraytanning #spraytans #skin #bronze #skincare #beauty #highlight #highighter #pradasglow #glowing #luxury #luxurylifestyle #lifestyle #skincare #spraytan #highfashion A post shared by

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June 22, 2020 at 01:00PM When lockdown hit, the FASHION team suddenly had to find new ways to create art for our Summer issue. One ideal scenario would be to find a fashion photographer who lives with a model. Award-winning FASHION contributor Chris Nicholls immediately came to mind. Nicholls was holed up in Toronto with his wife, Lorca Moore, who works with Nicholls as a highly-skilled post-production artist and is also a professional model who has appeared in FASHION many times over the years. The first cover the couple worked on together was Winter 1995, and four years later, Nicholls photographed Moore when she was pregnant with their son, Alden. Even better, their daughter, Finlay, is also a model. So the family’s backyard and roof was turned into a set and they got to work, with clothing collected and sent over by Creative and Fashion Director George Antonopoulos. Check out the Nicholls family photoshoot to see how they master quarantine style below: <div class="sjm-attachment-carousel–header gallery-container–default" data-slick='{"speed":400,"adaptiveHeight":true,"variableWidth":false,"centerMode":true,"centerPadding":"0","slidesToShow":1,"lazyLoad":"ondemand","prevArrow":"Previous”,”nextArrow”:”Next”}’ data-simplemodal=’false’ > 1/9 Left: Vest, $1,150, A.W.A.K.E. Mode at WDLT117. Top, stylist’s own. Pants, $245, Polo Ralph Lauren at Hudson’s Bay. Right: Bodysuit, stylist’s own. Skirt, price upon request, Field Triip. Scarf, $500, Hermès. Shoelaces (worn as a bracelet), model’s own. 2/9 Left: Dress, price upon request, Chanel. Shoes, $200, Comme des Garçons Play x Converse at Nordstrom. Hat, $40, Le 31 at Simons. Centre: Dress, $360, Whitney Linen. Bracelet, $710, Hermès. Ring, model’s own. Right: Top, $160, and pants, $200, Boss. 3/9 Top,

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June 22, 2020 at 01:00PM Groundbreaking or not, florals have an appeal that none of us seem to be able to shake. No wonder, then, that the power of flowers brought together two East Coast brands — Maggie Jayne from Halifax and Fellow Earthlings from Guernsey Cove, PEI — for a made-in-Canada design connection. The creatives behind the two labels united to craft a pair of handmade sunglasses based on a motif that Maggie Jayne designer Maggie MacCormick created for her current collection. “My block print this season is based on really simple flowers that remind me of bedsheets from the 1980s,” she says. after seeing Fellow Earthlings co-founder Christopher Seggie post a pair of bunny-shaped sunglasses he’d made based on one of his daughter’s drawings, MacCormick realized that there was potential for a partnership. This is the first time Maggie Jayne is offering shades as part of its seasonal collection, and the timing is quite appropriate given the lenses’ pinkish hue. “It’s true what they say about rose-coloured glasses,” says Sydney Seggie, Christopher’s wife and Fellow Earthlings’s other co-founder. Is there a better outlook to have? The Fellow Earthlings x Maggie Jayne sunglasses are available to buy online now. Get your hands on a pair here.  The post Canadian Brands Fellow Earthlings and Maggie Jayne Have Collaborated on These Handmade Sunglasses appeared first on FASHION Magazine. Read More Fashion News Author Odessa Paloma Parker | Fashion Magazine Selected by CWC

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June 22, 2020 at 01:00PM Please note this interview with Antoni Porowski for FASHION Canada took place prior to the historic events and peaceful protests that have occurred over the past several weeks. “I’ve cooked more in the past six weeks than I have in the past 2½ years. That’s been the silver lining to it all.” Antoni Porowski, the 36-year-old food and wine expert for the hit Netflix series Queer Eye, is describing his current (quarantine) status in relation to the pop culture juggernaut he has found himself on. Porowski spoke to us in April from an Airbnb in Austin, Tex., where he’d been holed up since the lockdown began. His much-loved show, which launched its fifth instalment of episodes in June, was just beginning to film another season in the southern metropolis before everything came to a standstill. Photography by Ashlee Huff. Top, $1,250, shorts, price uponrequest, and hat, $2,600, Dior Men. Jewellery (worn throughout), Porowski’s own. Porowski, who hails from Montreal, says he has used the isolation time to “lead a much simpler life.” And it’s undoubtedly much needed; he and his co-stars have had an intense few years, with each of the five personalities going from relative anonymity to the kind of superstardom that saw them host Elton John’s Oscars-night viewing party this year. It was a major pinch-me moment for Porowski, who recalls the “beautiful burgundy Zegna couture tux” he wore to the annual AIDS fundraiser. “I was standing there thinking, ‘Elton John is performing

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June 22, 2020 at 01:00PM Two British icons—rambling gardens and Princess Diana—led to the intricate pieces designed by Tory Burch for Summer 2020. Further inspired by her vintage handkerchief collection, the designer created a dress that took 40 hours of hand-crafting to complete. Here’s a look at how it was made. Caftans have become a wardrobe staple for people who take a more leisurely approach to life—those who stop to smell the roses, real or imagined. New York-based designer Tory Burch was also in a floral frame of mind when she began to visualize pieces for her current collection, which includes a handful of handkerchief-inspired looks. The pleasingly breezy caftan pictured here is among them. For the runway, Burch styled it with gleaming white sneakers, but it will look just as appealing worn with slippers, slides or mules (depending on where you’re passing time on any given day). “English gardens were the starting point for the florals as Diana, Princess of Wales was the inspiration for our Spring 2020 collection,” says Burch about the tender motifs of roses, pansies, blue trumpets and more that cascade down the caftan’s body. They are also embroidered on the removable handkerchief-style plackets on the garment, which are affixed with delicate buttons. Why was the princess a touchstone in Burch’s creative process for the season? Photography by Sandro Altamirano “Diana certainly was a style icon, but we were more interested in her character,” explains the designer. “She had immeasurable strength and resilience.” Truly the most

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June 22, 2020 at 01:00PM You could describe Jada Sezer as an accidental model, but it’s hardly coincidental that her rise to fame comes at a time when people with a point of view are considered within the industry to be its most potent representatives. Many disruptive content creators and influencers like Sezer are advocates for consumers who have long been ignored by designers and retailers and shamed by the media for not adhering to its narrow, Western-centric beauty ideals. But Sezer, who is also breaking into the acting game, didn’t initially have fashion as part of her career plan. “Never in a million years did I think I would be doing what I’m doing today; however, what I do today is so related to what I did,” says Sezer. Almost a decade ago, she was pursuing a master’s in child psychotherapy in her native London, England. While studying eating disorder cases, she came to realize that “the media plays a big role in reinforcing certain body type ideals and beauty standards.” This frustrated her because she had “travelled a lot as a kid and knew that beauty looked like different things on different continents.” During Sezer’s studies, Instagram was in its infancy, but she immediately recognized its potential for starting a global conversation about body positivity. “When you’re training to be a therapist, you’re not necessarily supposed to be offering advice,” she notes. “So the things that I really wanted to say to these kids I vocalized online.” After

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