It’s Toronto Fashion Week! The mere fact that it occurs smack in the middle of the March Break meant that this mommy blogger was certainly not going to make it to the tents this time.
However, I was lucky enough to attend a showcase of Canadian design talent last week for a great cause—in support of the Heart & Stroke Foundation—called The Heart Truth.
Loads of Canadian celebrities strutted their stuff on the runway in custom-made red ensembles for VIPs and media. It was a happy night!
It was also a night to catch up on a who’s who in Canadian design and the perfect time to offer a little primer:
ADRIAN WU
You may have heard of Adrian Wu. He's a bona fide media darling considering he's about 20 years old and launched his own line when he was only 18. Since then, he's produced a staggering 10 collections! He focuses on the merging of fine arts, philosophy and fashion. He was hard to miss that night, as he was dressed himself in a fine frock and over-exaggerated Lennon glasses, but there's something sweet about him and you can just tell he has so much more left to explore.
LOVAS
I've had the pleasure of trying on a LOVAS dress or two and I'm incredibly impressed with the fit and the signature details that enhance a woman's shape. Catriona Le May Doan's famous legs looked incredible on the runway and this little detail at the back of the skirt really highlighted her shape.
Toronto's Wesley Badanjak is behind LOVAS. For the last 4 years, this designer has managed to produce really wearable and flattering designs that women love to wear. You can even rent a LOVAS design to wear—Canada's RentfrockRepeat.com has a few of his pieces in their collection of rental dresses.
FARLEY CHATTO
A personal favourite of mine is Farley Chatto. Farley is known for dramatic designs—often with tulle—and is a highly sought after collaborator in everything from furniture to costume design to corporate clients like Barbie and Cadbury. He also has an extensive list of celebrity clients like Elton John, George Clooney, Brooklyn Decker, and Marilyn Denis. He's also one of the most adorable people I've ever seen in person! He's genuine and affable—both attributes likely a result of growing up in Regina.
DAVID DIXON
If you haven't heard of David Dixon, you've been living under a fashion rock. A media-machine and the corporate crossover king, Mr. Dixon has secured his place as the most recognizable name in Canadian fashion. For good reason! His dress was far and away the most flattering, wearable and appropriate dress on the runway at The Heart Truth. He designs are fresh and yet univerally appealing. Draping, ruching and fabric choice? He gets them all right. You can find his designs at Holt Renfrew, The Bay and even The Shopping Channel and his eponymous label of footwear is available at Town Shoes across the country.
Fashion is not a new obsession for me. I don't actually consider myself a "fashion-expert" but more of a "clothing-junkie."
I don't know what started it but between Cinderella's dress she carefully sewed from basically garbage or Lady Diana Spencer's early plaids or my Elvis and Priscilla paper dolls, I was hooked on clothes early.
One of my all-time faves was always Archie comics, and of course, much better if it was specifically a Betty and Veronica edition. I couldn't get enough of the gang. Sure, the clothes were mostly outdated and radically styled but I LOVED THEM. I couldn't wait for the day I, too, could wear loud patterned tights, boatneck dresses and high heels.
Today's HuffPost Style Canada featured a fairly new Tumblr devoted entirely to Betty and Veronica fashions that's as exciting as a brand new Double Digest! Jumpin' Jellyfish!
Check out some of my faves:
In case you were wondering, I'm Team Veronica. All the way.
My latest obsession is RED PANTS. Last spring, J Brand launched these gorgeous red skinny jeans that looked incrediby hot but were totally unwearable unless you were under 30 and had the ass to match.
This year, colourful pants are all the rage and bright-hued bottoms are everywhere! Yay! I like the emerald green and cobalt blue but I can't stop crushing on crimson.
Premium brand—and fave of celebrities everywhere—Alice + Olivia have introduced these gorgeous flares (pictured above, photo from shopbop's blog) but even though the style will be more flattering for my figure they are a little rich for my wallet at $253 USD.
On an absent-minded trip to the mall a couple of weeks ago, I came across the perfect pair to pacify my preoccupation—Gap, on sale for $45:
Now, I've got to find something in my closet to wear with them! To the Internet I go and a basic search turned up some surpisingly great matches:
Red with Neutral
I like the varying shades of grey or taupe or any other neutral. I think it grounds the flaming pants. I like how there's some texture at play, too.
As the weather warms, these pants will take you into the summer with a silky shell and a pair of great sunglasses.
Red with Navy
I was concerned this combo would be a bit Talbots—a little stuffy, a little old. But I think this looks really fresh here:
I love the printed trench, so I decided to also get a sweet swiss dotted top to go with them—also from Gap for about $60 (but I had a coupon):
If the navy and red combo is too intense for you, a fitted denim or chambray shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some gold arm candy would look cute, too.
Red with Stripes
I'm willing to bet you have at least one striped tee in your closet. I'm even getting a little tired of mine but this is a fresh update that will breathe new life into it:
Red with Black
This is a perfect career palette:
It really makes the red pant the statement, so I'd keep everything else in all-black with minial accessories—just a great black bag and some simple studs with a non-flashy watch. I have a black cashmere turtleneck and cardigan set that I've had for fifteen years that will be a great Wear Now combination.
If you're still not convinced that you can rock this look or that it's a trend reserved for the younger set, let me convince you. Red is not a trend colour. It's a classic. The pastels and neons are harder to wear, especially in such a prominent piece. When I came across this picture in my research, I was sold:
...and I'm off to find myself an animal print belt, too!
Are you on Pinterest? I have been carefully curating boards for my red pants post and more. Come check me out: pinterest.com/callie_o_malley
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