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The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com

All stories relating to fashion

The Hype

To-Do List

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The Weekender: Picasso, Bring It On and six other items on our to-do list

The Weekender: Bring It On, Picasso and Star Wars Day

1. PICASSO: MASTERPIECES FROM THE MUSÉE NATIONAL PICASSO, PARIS
Even if you know nothing about art, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with the great Pablo Picasso. The Spanish painter and sculptor was an artistic pioneer—he co-founded the Cubist movement and collage, and revolutionized several other styles. He was hugely prolific, and the creator of some of the most expensive and most oft-stolen pieces of art. This AGO exhibit, comprised of 150 works from the Musée National Picasso in Paris, covers all of the painter’s major periods and includes works like The Death of Casagemas, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and the famous The Matador, a self-portrait completed three years before Picasso died. This summer-long stop at the AGO is the final stop of its tour, and the only Canadian one. To August 26. $19.50. Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648, ago.net.

2. STARS ON ICE 2012
Spandex and sequins and Salchows, oh my. Four-time world champion Kurt Browning makes the jump from performer to co-director and choreographer with this edition of the annual figure skating extravaganza. He shares the ice with Olympians Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir, Joannie Rochette and Jeffrey Buttle. May 4. $25–$150. Air Canada Centre, 40 Bay St., 1-855-985-5000, ticketmaster.ca.

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The Goods

Cuckoo for Coco

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Canada’s Best Beauty Talent, episode 8: the great side pony slip-up of 2012

Canada’s Best Beauty Talent, Episode 8

The judges are at odds in this results episode of Canada’s Best Beauty Talent, which is kind of exciting. Coco Rocha loves Matt and Jenna’s wet hair and cat eye makeup, but “the mean one,” Flare editor-in-chief Lisa Tant, is not into it at all. YSL makeup artist  Eden Bluestein and Tant think Marcia didn’t brow block correctly (they feel it doesn’t look smooth because  she hasn’t combed the brows enough), while photographer Max Abadian digs the treatment. Everyone’s full of opinions this week—we even get to hear a post-judging rant from Isabelle, who thinks the judges are approaching the competition like it is some big joke. In full melodramatic mode, she goes so far as to refer to doing hair as her raison d’etre.

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The Goods

Buyer's Market

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How to dress like a camper, without having to suffer the cruelty of children and bad cafeteria food

After 20 years of slumber, the Bata Corporation–founded brand North Star has returned. Back in the day, North Star used to just make shoes, but according to this fall/winter collection video, it appears the brand has turned to making camp-inspired clothes for 20-somethings who do nothing but hang out, drink beer and roll around on their bikes and skateboards. All joking aside (these sweaters are pretty cool, and speak to the larger trend of dressing like a sporto), we’ve certainly noticed a big push for the Wet Hot American Summer or Meatballs look—even Roots has brought back its nostalgic Beaver Canoe collection. Sadly, whether it is North Star, Roots or something else, the clothes don’t come perfumed with the smell of burnt hot dogs on a stick or s’mores, so you’ll actually have to go to the great outdoors for a real romp-under-the-stars experience.

The Goods

Gossipmonger

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Is Bloomingdale’s coming to Toronto? 

The Globe and Mail recently reported that the Hudson’s Bay Company is currently talking with Bloomingdale’s to open a “store within a store” at its Bloor Street location.  Sources suggest that this is a pre-emptive strike from HBC CEO Richard Baker, who is attempting to capture a large chunk of the high-end fashion retail market before foreign players like Nordstrom arrive (it is rumoured that Nordstrom has been scouting real estate). Sources speculate that HBC is contemplating stores in Vancouver and Calgary as well, and this move could happen as early as the fall. Read the entire store [Globe and Mail] »

The Goods

Reel Fashion

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The 2012 Met Ball red carpet will stream live for the first time ever

Karl Lagerfeld and Yoko Ono share a moment at last year’s Met Ball (Image: Dimitrios Kambouris/Film Magic)

The Met Ball, thrown by the Metropolitan Costume Institute at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, is one of the splashiest fashion parties of the year. A-list celebrities like Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, Yoko Ono, Beyonce, Rihanna, Anna Wintour and more get dressed in their best duds to fraternize with designers and the glamorously wealthy. While most people in Toronto don’t have a golden ticket to get inside, Vogue and Amazon will be livestreaming the red carpet for everyone to see, which means people on their computers will no longer have to wait until midnight to play Fab or Fug. The red carpet feed can be streamed live on May 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the Met’s website.

The Goods

Street Style

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Street Style: 21 spring looks from the men and women of the Financial District

The oft-portrayed boys club of law and high finance is not without its stereotypes—from Wall Street to The Firm, the style code of urban money has typically been fairly staid, with boxy suits, dressy shoes and an occasional pocket square (if you’re lucky). Working Girl took women out of their steno pool duds and showed them as executives in power suits with big hair—but even that look quickly became ubiquitous, and since the late ’80s, the archetypes of the man and woman who push dollars for a living never really changed. Hair got smaller, sure, and Cashmere Mafia attempted to prove that businesswomen were all this classy, but the combination of a pencil skirt and blouse, or conservative power dressing continued to run rampant into the early-to-mid noughties. These people, who wake up before most people have their first coffee, have always been viewed as conservative dressers, but here’s the thing: they’re not all like that anymore. Check out 21 looks from our stakeout of the Financial District »

The Goods

All in One

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6 in 1: a feminine ensemble with masculine touches from Dundas West’s Lost and Found

It’s time to head westward for All In One, fashion fans. Dundas West is swiftly becoming a favourite sartorial destination , so for our next instalment, we headed to coffee-shop-cum-contemporary-clothing-haven Lost and Found. This NYC-inspired cubby stocks all the cool-girl lines like Charlotte Ronson, Libertine Libertine, Erin Kleinberg and Joomi Lim, and dudes can find items by Robert Geller, Batten Sportwear and Unis. We sought out a look that is perfect for a spring saunter down the street, a first date, or a run through the sand on the beach (we recommend kicking off an old pair of Keds for this one, ladies). Total cost: $1,420. Check out all of the pieces and a full price breakdown »

The Goods

Buyer's Market

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The Beckerman sisters will host a pop-up lounge for H&M in May

The Beckerman sisters (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

H&M announced today that sisters Caillianne and Samantha Beckerman of Beckerman Bite Plate (and label Beckerman) will be hosting a “Summer Lounge” at the corner of Yonge and Dundas on May 3 and 4 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Attendees can enjoy drinks and music, chat with the Beckermans and take a look at a curated selection of H&M’s summer collection (apparently, peplums are still popular—thanks, Hungers Games). Check out a preview of H&M’s summer 2012 collection »

The Hype

To-Do List

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The Weekender: Itzhak Perlman, the Indie Wedding Show and six other items on our to-do list

The Weekender: FAT, Prisoner of Tehran and the Red Hot Chili Peppers

1. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
L.A. rockers Anthony, Flea, Chad and Josh (who replaced original guitarist John Frusciante in 2009, when he amicably split with the guys in favour of a solo career) are in town supporting their latest album, 2011’s I’m With You. Many songs in their 30-year career have been hits, garnering six Grammy wins and 60 million albums sold—though “Under the Bridge” is probably one of the better ones. April 27 and 28. $55–$75. Air Canada Centre, 40 Bay St., 1-855-985-5000, ticketmaster.ca.

2. ARTS AND FASHION WEEK
Arts and Fashion Week, Toronto Fashion Week’s edgier, alternative cousin, is a four-day extravaganza of photography exhibits, live music, installations and many trips down the 100-foot runway. Now in its seventh year, events are boundary-pushing and plentiful—The Dressing Room Project features installations and video projections from 12 artists, and is always a hit among attendees. To April 28. Day pass $35, weekly pass $75. 213 Sterling Road, fashionarttoronto.ca.

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The Goods

Alternative Fashion Week

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The one thing you should see at FAT this week

Alternative Fashion Week (FAT) kicks off tonight, which means it is time for the city to take in some of the world’s experimental fashion, photography and art. We think FAT fashion can be rather hit or miss, and we’re fairly certain there’s nothing that can be done with PVC that we haven’t already seen before, but there’s often one gem in the mix that’s definitely worth a look. We’re excited to see Quebec-based label Zent, a menswear brand with an overt European bent (fits are fairly snug) that adds a touch of playfulness to contemporary menswear—its spring/summer 2011 collection “Fun and Games” used board game accoutrements as its inspiration. Zent will be part of a runway group that starts at 8:05 p.m. on April 26 at 213 Sterling Road. Check out more of Zent’s spring/summer 2011 collection »

The Goods

Gossipmonger

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Jay Manuel has been fired from America’s Next Top Model

Jay Manuel (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

Fans of silver fox Jay Manuel will be sad to note that the flamboyant model mentor from America’s Next Top Model has been canned, along with runway coach J. “Miss J” Alexander and noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker. Sources told Page Six on Wednesday about the decision, stating that the departures were a “production decision,” and that there are changes to come for season 19 (yes, apparently there are still enough young women who are under the impression that America’s Next Top Model is a gateway into the world of high fashion). Manuel may be out of a design gig at Sears and a cushy Top Model job, but he clearly has fans, so maybe he’ll be allowed to revive his Canada’s Next Top Model baby? It might make up for Top Model’s last trip to Canada.

The Goods

Reel Fashion

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Fashion Television is out, Style Bio is in?

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen will appear on Style Bio

Last week the Internet was shaken by the news that Fashion Television had ceased production after 27 years, and now Bell Media has announced that it will be picking up 60 episodes of a show called Style Bio that will air on its E! network. Seems a touch sudden, but Scott Henderson, vice-president of communications for Bell, says the show has “been in development for E! for some time, and is not directly related to the suspension of production of Fashion Television.” The show, a documentary series about how stars (like Beyonce, Kim Cattrall and Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen) have gone, in Ricki Lake terms, from drab to fab,  seems to bear no close resemblance to Jeanne Beker’s FT, but we figure Bell’s move to invest in a program with a panel of experts over Beker’s one-on-one interviews has got to sting a little.

The Goods

Sweet Charity

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The designers vying for $25,000 of Suzanne Rogers’ money have been announced

The Toronto Fashion Incubator has announced the four finalists for its annual New Labels competition, and they include Sid Neigum, Patrick Larrivee, streetwear duo Diego Fuchs and Heidi Augiar and outerwear team Genevieve Pearson and Stanley Capobianco. Each finalist will show their collection at the TFI gala on May 3 at the ROM in hopes of winning a spread in Flare magazine, studio space at TFI and a cash prize. It was announced last year that fashion enthusiast, philanthropist and party scene favourite Suzanne Rogers will be making a generous contribution of $25,000 to the winner, which she may or may not have found in one of her many purses.

(Images: Sid Neigum and Suzanne Rogers, Jenna Marie Wakani)

The Goods

Street Style

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Toronto Life Stylebook: 35 looks that are defining downtown Toronto style

Street Style

For our annual Stylebook, we sent out our photographer to capture Toronto’s ever-changing downtown street style, and here’s what he found in the city’s core.

Check out 35 looks that are defining downtown Toronto style »

The Hype

To-Do List

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The Weekender: Kensington Market Sweets Tour, The Ting Tings and six other items on our to-do list

The Weekender: Portable Mosques, The Ting Tings and Kensington Market Sweets Tour

1. ANNUAL EASTER “EGG”STRAVAGANZA
Forget DIY Easter egg hunts, because once the chocolate eggs are gone, it’s all over, which is sad. Instead, head uptown to the zoo, which plays host to a weekend’s worth of fun activities, including visits with the animals and the daily “Beary-Bunny Easter Parade.” Join Explorer Bear, who will be dressed up as a beary-bunny, for a walk through the zoo’s “Spring Trail.” April 6 to 9. $13–$23. Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Ave., 416-392-5929, torontozoo.com.

2. WORLD WAR I MINI FILM FESTIVAL
A Carlton Cinema/War Horse co-production, this mini film festival marks the April 1917 Battle of Vimy Ridge. The skirmish, a defining moment in Canadian military history, saw Canadian soldiers capture the ridge from German forces. Each film takes a different perspective about the Great War: the CanCon-heavy Passchendaele (2008) is a tragic war romance; Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), a musical, uses popular songs of the early 1900s to tell the story of WWI; A Very Long Engagement (2004) is a drama about a young woman trying to find her fiancé—who may have been killed in the Battle of the Somme; and Gallipoli (1981), the film that set a young Mel Gibson on his path to superstardom, examines Australia’s role in the Gallipoli campaign. April 7. $5 suggested donation. Carlton Cinema, 20 Carlton St., 416-598-5454, rainbowcinemas.ca/A/Carlton.

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