Photorama This annual show gives collectors and tardy gift hunters a chance to snap up work by Daniel Borins, Miles Collyer, Carole Condé and Karl Beveridge. Find out more >>

Barbie at the Symphony Is there anything she can’t do? Mattel’s famous blonde bombshell takes her ballet skills to the big screen, as scenes from her animated Princess movies play to a score performed live by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Find out more >>

Loan Sharking Victor Quijada and his Rubberbandance Group may find much of their inspiration in the gritty urban fabric that is street life, but they have no qualms about sampling Stravinsky’s Firebird and Vivaldi’s cello concertos for their scores. Find out more >>

A look from David Dixon's fall 2010 collection (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

The buzz around the Allstream Centre on Thursday was that over 1,600 people had RSVP’d for David Dixon’s two back-to-back shows. Such society ladies as Suzanne Rogers (wearing a pouffy green jacket from Dixon’s last collection) and Catherine Nugent sat front row, as did Rick “The Temp” Campanelli (who was more interested in rubbing his date’s knee than in looking at the clothes) and Kristin Booth. Barbie by David Dixon was the first collection down the runway, offering ’60s-style shifts, laser-cut skirts and slim-fitting wool coats. Dixon’s signature line was more contemporary and almost entirely in shades of black and grey. We liked the hand- and laser-cut organza in skirts and dresses. Rogers must have agreed, because she was first up out of her seat to give a standing ovation, a move followed by many in the room.

View both collections in our slide show >>

The scandalous Demi Moore W cover

• Christian Louboutin, the man who made six-inch heels the norm, describes his shoes as tarty, saying women sometimes buy them to feel more “sluttish.” These customers include prostitutes, who the designer says wear his shoes because they’re “super-chic.” When that inevitable Pretty Woman remake is shot, Louboutin would be the perfect candidate to supply those “super-chic” thigh-high vinyl boots Julia Roberts wore. [The Times]

• Kate Moss is at it again. This time, the British model is being chastised for admitting that she tells herself that “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” a mantra frequently touted on pro–eating disorder Web sites. Sure, it was an incredibly stupid thing to say, but cut her some slack. She’s a well-documented cocaine user who used to date Pete Doherty. Clearly, her judgment wasn’t too sound to begin with. [BBC]

• Controversy has erupted over Demi Moore’s cover for W magazine. Observant critics claim the former Brat Packer’s head was Photoshopped onto the body of model Anja Rubik, who wore the skimpy Balmain number on the runway. Skeptics point to the similar pose of both women, Moore’s noticeably slim left hip, and her lack of wrinkles. Both Moore and the magazine deny that any “out of the ordinary” touch-ups occurred. Then again, Moore also denies ever having plastic surgery. [Daily Mail]

• Former Hills starlet Lauren Conrad is writing a guide to her personal style to be released in fall 2010. The synopsis: wear floor-length peasant dresses while pushing around racks of clothes, saying things like “I’m not sure if he, like, likes me. I mean, we’ve been hanging out a lot, but, like, I don’t know…,” and stare off into the distance while saccharine pop plays in the background. [People]

• Fans of Twilight can look like the characters without having a full-blown make-over. Boa, a boutique on Queen Street East, has a waiting list for a jacket by BB Dakota that Kristen Stewart’s character, Bella, wears in the movie. The sweater, a pale blue zip-up hoodie, won’t garner much sartorial praise from high-brow critics, but at $80, it might be the cheapest way to snag your own Edward. [Toronto Star]

• Braving a visit to Calgary, such celebs as Jeremy Piven, Kristen Bell, Elisha Cuthbert and our Mad Men crush, Christina Hendricks, attended the gala opening of the city’s first flagship Holt Renfrew store. We’re not fans of store parties (save for the free alcohol) or Calgary in November, for that matter, but we would have gladly hopped on a plane and finagled an invite, if only for an audience with Joan Holloway. [Fashion]

• Not long ago, fur was a sartorial faux pas—remember the supermodel “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” PETA ads?—but recently it’s been seen on the runways and on the backs of fashion icons. It’s largely thanks to a company called Kopenhagen Fur, which supplies designers with free “ethical” fur for runway shows, which is why faux fur items are popping up in knockoff retailers like H&M. Unlike peep-toe booties and sleeveless coats, this trend is just the remedy for Toronto winters. [Guardian]

• Barbie is seeing some stiff competition from Toronto toymaker Spin Master’s Liv and Moxie dolls. The dolls sport such casual basics as jean jackets, cardigans and leggings; the Spin Master team scours H&M, Forever 21 and even Teen Vogue to make sure their charges are wearing current fashions. We just hope Liv and Moxie’s clothes fit Barbies; we remember our Jem doll’s outfits never did. [Globe and Mail]

• In an apparent effort to bring snobbery back to the world of fashion, German fashion line VonRosen is selling clothes by invitation only. Hopeful shoppers looking to wear its items can send an e-mail to the company explaining why they would like to shop there. The founder, David Von Rosen, says that with so many luxury brands opening so many stores worldwide, all the exclusivity has gone out of high-end retail: “It’s so obvious it’s all about the money. The luxury brands try to squeeze every last penny from customers.” VonRosen, which charges 450 Euro ($675 U.S.) for a sweater, is obviously only in fashion for selfless reasons. [New York Times]

MC Hammer wouldn't be caught in these puppies (Photo by Idhren)

• Zac Posen, beloved by stars for his red carpet numbers, is reaching out to Lower East Siders (read: hipsters) with Z Spoke, a more affordable line of clothes to be sold at Saks Fifth Avenue this spring. The clothes, which Posen describes as “minimalist and utilitarian,” are priced from $78 to $675, a steal compared to his namesake line, where a gown can fetch $12,000. With any luck, Z Spoke will be available on Saks’ Web site, which ships to Canada. [WWD]

• Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have designed a collection for the famed British jeweller Asprey. The proceeds from the collection—mainly serpentine items, like coiled snake rings and necklaces—will be donated to Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, a charity that works to educate youth war victims. Jolie picked the snaky theme because she sees serpents as protectors; we bet Jennifer Aniston can think of a different reason. [BBC]

• Men’s compression undergarments are rising in popularity across Canada. Equmen, a line sold exclusively at Holt Renfrew, has been flying off the shelves. A tank top designed to tuck in the gut is described as having “patented Helix-Mapping Technology” (men love technology) and can take as much as three inches off the waist. Equmen also sells enhancement pieces designed to pump up the package and tone the tush. Imagine the disappointment, after a few cocktails and flirtation at the bar, when it all comes off in the bedroom, Bridget Jones style. [Globe and Mail]

• We liked Heidi Klum before we heard the nonsense that she thinks she needs to lose 20 pounds. The leggy blonde just popped out her fourth baby, a girl, on October 13 and looks amazing. Klum hosted the Victoria’s Secret fashion show last tonight (it airs December 1) in several latex getups, and said, “I’m definitely one of the heaviest of the bunch of the 30 girls in the show. And I still have 20 pounds to go.” She went on to talk about her new-found curves, every celeb’s trick when discussing weight gain. Heidi, in fashion, like with our affection, one day you’re in, the next you’re out. Auf wiedersehen. [People]

• Alexander McQueen’s offices report that they’re being overwhelmed with calls from fans trying to get their hands on McQueen’s outrageous alien heels. Some want the 12-inch platforms as art pieces, but after seeing Lady Gaga wear them in her “Bad Romance” video and British socialite Daphne Guinness bust them out for a party, we’re sure there are going to be a lot more ankle injuries among the ultra-rich ladies of leisure. [Grazia]

• Harem pants may be back in style, but that doesn’t mean people should wear them. Even MC Hammer, who now goes by his given name, Stanley Burrell, is distancing himself from them. Burrell declined to speak about the trend when the Wall Street Journal contacted him for comment; his publicist explained that he’s redefining himself as a social media expert. Maybe with all this bad press, the look will go the way of Hammer himself: faded into memory. [Wall Street Journal]

• Engagement rings for men (also known as man-gagement rings) are rising in popularity, giving news outlets opportunity to make tired jokes about “Single Ladies” and putting a ring on it. One famous example: actor Jennifer Hudson gave her fiancé, David Otunga, a $15,000 Neil Lane engagement ring. Apparently women are buying the rings to mark their territory and let other ladies know “hands off.” Insert eye roll here. [NY Daily News]

• We stopped caring about vampires after Buffy ended, but we loved this montage of Twilight star Kristen Stewart, the first in a series profiling the stars’ fashion choices, in anticipation of the release of New Moon today. The running theme: Stewart looks happy wearing black rock and roll outfits and thoroughly pissed off in more girly numbers. But really, throw a burlap sack on someone as gorgeous as Stewart and she’d make it work. [New York]

• The Toronto Fashion Incubator is challenging up-and-coming Canadian designers to create three little black dresses inspired by Barbie, with the winner receiving $10,000 from Mattel Canada. We’re not sure what “inspired by Barbie” means, exactly, but if it’s anything like our childhood Barbies, the models will have an irreversible haircut, lost shoes and dog-chewed feet. [Toronto Star]

A cocktail dress from David Dixon's Barbie collection (Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani)

Before David Dixon’s Barbie show, the famous “Think pink” scene from Funny Face was projected on the walls. The reference was fun but unnecessary: who doesn’t think pink when it comes to Barbie? More interesting is Dixon’s take on the buxom doll; his blonde is no bimbo, and the clothes are more suited to the office and after-work drinks than the beach.

Like last season, Dixon added pops of black and white and did twists on the same silhouettes. We saw updates of voluminous skirts, cocktail dresses, slim-cut pants and coats with large buttons. These aren’t for the executive boardroom, but they are polished and professional. The line’s retail price point—slightly pricier than Banana Republic’s work-friendly offerings but still affordable—is smart, as is selling the line at the Bay at Yonge and Queen Streets, where cubicle dwellers pop by on their lunch hour to stock up on staples.

See the full collection after the jump.