May 08, 2020 at 06:15PM In these quarantine times, “weekend plans” may no longer be a concept but Bumble is trying to get Canadians out of their isolation ruts with a series of virtual events built to foster a sense of community and connection. Their first-ever Bumble Hive @ Home series runs from today through Sunday, and features a jam-packed schedule of workshops, workouts, happy hours and more. Friday’s events kick off with a Bumble BFF Panel at 5pm EST featuring Kenzie Brenna, Shan Boodram and Vanessa Grimaldi discussing how to stay calm and connected during this challenging time. Actress Shay Mitchell will then join Bumble Hive @ Home at 6.30pm EST for a digital happy hour, with stylist Jessica Mulroney and journalist Tracy Moore scheduled to host a similar happy hour on Saturday at 6pm EST. Friday’s activities culminate with a Movie Night over Zoom with Drunk Feminist Films, a Toronto-based collective of feminists who provide snarky, insightful commentary to mainstream films. Queued up for the night is the 2001 film Save the Last Dance, starring Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas. “Get ready to raise a tall glass of Cherry Washington as we collectively box-step our way through teen drama, weird dads, and white tears,” promises the group. The Zoom party begins at 8pm EST, with DFF also live-tweeting the film using #DFFxBumble from 8.15pm onwards. View this post on Instagram This Friday, May 8th… it’s time to change out of your lounging sweatpants and into your dancing
Category: Fashionmagazine
Toronto Boutique Ease Launches Weekly Flash Sale Today
May 08, 2020 at 04:12PM If you’re looking to treat yourself or someone else while quarantining, independent design haven Ease is making it a little, well, easier thanks to a flash sale initiative that starts today at noon. “Each week will be a new category,” says owner, Zai Rajkotwala. Today’s wares will be shoes, with brands like Paloma Wool, Loq and By Far in the mix. Photography courtesy of Ease. She will also soon be offering “self-care focused” gift packages that feature products from Ease and its sister store, Easy Tiger. “It’s kind of like a bouquet of flowers,” she says about her hopes that customers will give them to someone who really needs it right now, adding, “I’m trying to channel this experience as let’s help each other and make everyone feel better.’’ Furthering her efforts to lend a hand in this trying time, Rajkotwala has picked up Canadian labels like Toronto’s Biko and In Soft Focus and Vancouver’s Studio A-Ok during the COVID-19 crisis. “I wanted to give other local businesses a platform,” she says. Photography courtesy of Ease. She also sees the current circumstance as a significant platform for the ethos both her stores are based on—that of highlighting thoughtful style versus quick, abundant stuff. “If people are investing money in something, it needs to stand out and say something about the person,” she says. Statement-makers currently stocked at Ease include Batsheva dresses, Susan Alexandra jewellery and dramatic tops from Mr. Larkin. For those looking for something
Get The Look: Kate Middleton Swaps Her Cute Sweaters for a Summer-Ready Dress
May 08, 2020 at 02:48PM The Duchess of Cambridge’s most recent appearance via video call for ITV’s This Morning gave us a glimpse of spring. For her earlier video calls, she has opted for a series of cute sweaters but switched things up this week which we’re taking as the official sign that the new season is here. Kate Middleton wore a floral dress on air as she discussed life at home and a new photography project called “Hold Still” for the National Portrait Gallery. Her butter yellow Raey dress with soft pink blooms is exactly something we would wear to a mother’s day brunch this weekend if we weren’t in quarantine – though we’re not letting our current circumstances hold us back from also welcoming spring into our own wardrobes. Florals for spring might not be groundbreaking but they will forever remain a seasonal trend and we’re thrilled to have the Duchess break out the print and remind us that spring fashion is alive and well. Worn with barely there sandals, cowboy boots or sneakers, the floral dress fits into every wardrobe. From micro minis to mid-length wrap dresses, designers’ takes on this style always seem fresh. Fit for all occasions including weekend walks, bridal showers, the office and even video calls, we can’t think of a more versatile print. Whether you opt for large poppies, hydrangeas or roses, find a flower that feels like you and live in it. Ready to get the look? Click through the gallery
Self-Isolation Diary: A Day in the Life Of Allana Davison
May 08, 2020 at 02:00PM With people around the country winding down their eighth week of self-isolation, FASHION is reaching out to some of our favourite Canadians to get a peek into how they’re living their lives in lockdown (remember: #StayHomeSaveLives). Each week, keep an eye out for new self-isolation diaries from actors, designers, influencers and artists who are riding this uncertain time out with us. Allana Davison, beauty blogger When the lockdown first hit, I was surprised at how much it seemed to affect me mentally. I’d never experienced much in terms of anxiety or panic attacks, but started to feel overwhelmed by the sudden complete shift in our everyday lives. Seeing what was happening in other parts of the world was scary and sad, and the speed at which it all came was a lot to take in! I found myself really needing to step away from social media for the first week or two. Seeing everyone posting about their blooming productivity that they somehow dug up from the depths of their souls and in their homes; the workout routines, the cleaning, the LEARNING—it all made me feel guilty for not being on the same level! I work from home normally, so why was this affecting me SO much? I decided to shut off my phone, I took a week off from posting videos, and did completely mind-numbing activities to calm down and take my mind off of everything. I dug up my old Gameboy, downloaded Stardew Valley,
Texture Talk: 6 Local Women with Afro-Textured Hair Share Their Quarantine Hair Journeys
May 07, 2020 at 11:44PM Welcome to Texture Talk, a new weekly column that celebrates and deep dives into the dynamic world of curly hair, from springy S-patterns to densely-packed coils — because curly hair is far from one big category. This week, we asked six Canadian women with Afro-textured hair to dish on how they’re each coping with their unique curl care routines now that stay-at-home orders have shuttered hair salons and many go-to beauty supply stores. Gloria Alamrew, communications specialist and freelance writer Courtesy of Gloria Alamrew Pre-Covid hair rituals: “Pre-quarantine, I was a wash-and-go advocate through and through. I’ve always worn my curls natural and had never really been into protective styles much.” Hair under quarantine: “For the first few weeks of quarantine, I really fell out of love with my hair. Anxiety was high for me with the news and adjusting to the WFH transition. My hair was honestly the last thing on my mind. And after a while, my curls caught up to me, and I was surprised at how much they had gotten me down! Now that I had neglected them, I was legitimately sad. Recently though, I’ve started pouring more love back into my curls by twisting my hair for the first time. They’re perfect for doing yourself at home because there’s virtually no skill involved: as long as you can section your hair and literally twist two strands together, you can do it. There is something about the routine of washing my
12 Canadian Fashion Brands Making Face Masks for Consumers
May 07, 2020 at 04:40PM With social distancing orders still very much in effect across Canada, fashion brands are increasingly coming up with ways to help support the community at this time, including pivoting manufacturing to produce PPE for hospitals and frontline workers. Now, a handful of brands have also committed to producing face masks for consumers to help protect against the spread of COVID-19. You can, of course, make your own mask using materials you probably already have at home, or you can purchase a ready-made mask from one of the following brands: Ellie Mae Photograph courtesy of Ellie Mae Toronto-based fashion brand Ellie Mae announced the launch of a limited-edition series of non-medical grade face masks today. The masks are available in 13 different styles – 10 made from printed cotton, including the Liberty of London florals, and three with sequins in either pink, teal or navy. All masks have been made in Canada using repurposed fabrics, and feature a nose wire for a closer fit, a slip pocket that can hold a filter sheet and extra ties for maximum comfort and security. $5 from every mask purchased will be donated to Feed The Frontlines TO, a local organization working to keep local restaurants in business by providing meals to healthcare and social services workers on the front line. Masks start from $20. Get yours here. Joseph Tassoni View this post on Instagram Meet Sara owner of @dollfaceburlington right across the street from our boutique. A luxury lash salon
Gillette Canada Launches ‘My Virtual Barber’ Program With Focus on LGBTQ2S+ Inclusion
May 07, 2020 at 10:16PM With barbershops and hairdressers closed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, men (and women) across Canada have been left to their own devices when it comes to grooming. Until now, that is. This week, Gillette Canada has just announced the launch of a new program called My Virtual Barber which brings the brand’s roster of experts directly to your house. Through My Virtual Barber, Canadians are able to connect virtually with a local barber in a one-on-one format and be guided through a haircut or face shave – whether you’re doing it yourself, or entrusting someone else in your house with the clippers and scissors. One of the barbers available for appointments is Tyler Lumb, who ran Toronto’s MPL Cuts barbershop which provided clients with “an inclusive barbershop experience that helped people of all genders express their most authentic selves by providing barbering services based on function, not by the customer’s perceived gender,” according to a release. As part of the new program, Gillette is supporting Dresscode Project (for whom Tyler serves as a board member), a Canada-born initiative whose focus is to provide positive, gender-affirming services for LGBTQ2S+ clients. On its website, founder Kristin Rankin, who uses they/them pronouns, writes, “Simply put, Dresscode Project is about unity, acceptance, equity, safer spaces and teaching our industry that diversity is the future.” In addition to raising awareness of the initiative, Gillette will also contribute an undisclosed monetary donation to Dresscode Project. If you’re well and truly
Moose Knuckles Launches New COVID-19 Relief Initiative Featuring Local Artists
May 07, 2020 at 10:06PM Canadian outerwear brand Moose Knuckles has just announced a COVID-19 relief initiative designed to support hospitals and local artists across the world. Called ‘Moose Knuckles Give a F*ck One of a Kind Jackets’, the initiative sees the brand collaborating with a handful of artists across some of the world’s major cities to create one-off, one-of-a-kind jackets with all net proceeds being donated to the World Health Organization and various hospitals fighting on the front lines of the pandemic. Among the hospitals who will receive funds from the sale of the jackets are Montreal’s Le Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and Jewish General Hospital Foundation. The initiative officially kicks off tomorrow in New York, followed by Paris, California and Milan, before ending in Canada across Montreal and Toronto. Speaking with FASHION about the project, global marketing manager Dominique Lagleva, said, “The brand is quite a big supporter of up and coming talent so we wanted to be able to give back in a way that very much embodied our values and the ethos we were built upon, whilst also giving back to the community.” The Canadian artists have not yet been selected but Lagleva tells us the announcement will be made in the coming weeks. “There’s so much talent in Canada,” she says, adding that they’re on the hunt for local curators to choose the artists. “We thought it was important to have someone that’s really connected to those communities to be the one who
Simone Rocha Taps Canadian Creative Petra Collins for New 4 Moncler Collection Video
May 07, 2020 at 08:02PM London-based designer Simone Rocha’s new pieces for Moncler Genius launched today, and with the drop comes a new mesmerizing video directed by Toronto native Petra Collins. Set to the haunting sounds of Mozart’s choral work “Lacrimosa”, Collins’ dance-centric visual showcases the collection’s floral-heavy, tulle-infused pieces on models including rising star Tess McMillan, who also walked in Rocha’s London Fashion Week show this past February. Collins—who has lensed campaigns for Nordstrom and Adidas—is known for her ethereal photographic style, and she has previously shot with Kim Kardashian, Bella Hadid and South Korean musician, Lalisa Manoban (aka Lisa). “Working with Simone on this project was a dream,” she tells FASHION of the collaborative effort. “We were both excited to finally have the chance to create something together. I have always viewed her pieces as perfect costume for cinema, so being able to put them in a film was thrilling. Simone’s collection is layered—literally and metaphorically; she always plays with gender and subverts it impeccably.” [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfZZmekn6Bg?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281] In addition to the dramatic outerwear that Moncler Genius collections are primarily composed of, Rocha’s selection includes bags, dresses and tops all given a romantic treatment with no shortage of faux-pearl and frilly details. Standout looks include a chartreuse coloured hooded parka, a cotton jersey dress with playful puffy sleeves, and a lightweight nylon tote bag with tonal pansy-shaped embroidery. It’s the first launch for Moncler Genius this year, with collections from other U.K.-based designers Richard Quinn, Craig Green and Jonathan
An Ode to Billy Porter’s Most Impeccable Nail Moments
May 07, 2020 at 06:20PM From his velvet tuxedo jacket and sweeping ball gown at the 2019 Oscars to his figure-hugging crystal-encrusted jumpsuit paired with a brimmed hat at the Grammys this year, Billy Porter has become one of the most watched stars on the red carpet – his fluid and larger-than-life sartorial choices continuously spark discussions around identity and gender norms, and the same applies to his nails. View this post on Instagram Get out the way, cause like it or not, here she comes! ??? . . Styling and Creative Direction by @sammyratelle for @rrrcreative agency | @thewallgroup⠀ Make-Up by @nellichristine Cut by @johncotton3 Custom Look by @scottstudengerg of @bajaeast ⠀ Custom Hat by @sarahsokolmillinery ⠀ Mechanically enhanced by @smooth.technology ⠀ Jewelry by @alexisbittar ⠀ Custom handbag by @judithleiberny⠀ Boots by @coach | Crystalized by @amorirstudio⠀ Crystals provided by @preciosacomponents⠀ Nails by @nailzbyvee | @cndworld A post shared by Billy Porter (@theebillyporter) on Jan 27, 2020 at 8:27pm PST //www.instagram.com/embed.js “My team has been doing his nails for big events for a while,” reveals CND’s co-founder Jan Arnold. “I love his approach because he’s like, ‘I’m a man, I love to wear skirts, but I like “boy” nails. Give me nails that are like armour.’ We usually do metallics, and we’ve also done pavé crystals on him.” Ultimately, one could easily say that the Broadway performer and screen actor has become a refreshing style trailblazer. “He’s the perfect kind of icon for how men can embrace and wear