THE WEEKENDER

A long-weekend jaunt to Buenos Aires might seem a little extravagant at first, considering the distance between Canada and Argentina. But with recent fare sales to South America and the continuing threat of volcanic-ash-related delays at European airports, B.A. might just be the perfect getaway destination this summer. Here, our guide to your first visit to the Paris of the South.

Where to Stay: We are obsessed with the Faena Hotel + Universe, a chic boutique hotel in the Puerto Madero waterfront neighbourhood. Designed by Philippe Starck, the hotel overlooks both the Río de la Plata and the city’s marshy Ecological Reserve. Read the rest of this entry »

HAUTE HAIDER

Haider Ackermann and 119 Corbó bring a European aesthetic
to Toronto

Thanks to Linda Perisa, owner of Yorkville boutique 119 Corbó, Toronto was fortunate enough this week to see a little piece of the European runway on home soil. Tuesday night at the ROM, Paris-based designer Haider Ackermann, known for his romantic yet dramatic silhouettes, was welcomed by 250 of the city’s fashion industry leaders. Gracing the runway was a snippet of the stunning collection seen this past spring during Paris Fashion Week. Beautifully draped and constructed garments that focused on architectural details floated down the runway to “I Put a Spell on You” and other exquisite piano arrangements. The atmosphere was set and the crowd, including notables such as Stacey Kimel, IZMA collaborator Adrian Mainella, Suzanne Rogers and Hello! Magazine’s Ciara Hunt, was definitely feeling it.

By Nolan Bryant

DESIGNER ON THE RISE

CFDA nominated jewelry designer Dana Lorenz

We have been obsessed with Fenton/Fallon jewelry for years, and wouldn’t be surprised if Dana Lorenz becomes a household name before long. In the past year alone, the jewelry designer has opened her own boutique in New York’s Lower East Side, designed a collection for J. Crew, and seen her work on everyone from Michelle Obama to The City’s Whitney Port. Read the rest of this entry »

DESIGNER ON THE RISE

A FrontRowMag Q&A with… Erin Kleinberg.

For an emerging label to be featured in Women’s Wear Daily and carried at Barneys New York is impressive enough, but when the designer is a young Canadian whose operations are based in Toronto, the achievements are even more outstanding. We’ve had our eye on Erin Kleinberg for a few years now, ever since she debuted her eponymous t-shirt line at Barneys New York and Intermix in its very first season and her signature embellished Tencel t-shirts appeared on the pages of Flare and Teen Vogue. Kleinberg’s Fall 2010 lookbook recently debuted, featuring New York social Annabelle Dexter-Jones, who was photographed by Isabel Asha Penzlien, so we took the opportunity to catch up with the designer and get the latest scoop on her line of “Semi Couture Tees.” Read the rest of this entry »

SNEAK PEEK: ASHLEY ROWE FALL 2010

When we heard that Ashley Rowe’s Fall 2010 look book shoot was being filmed by Fashion Television, we were excited to see what the young Canadian designer has up her splattered sleeve! This collection, based on her best selling pieces from previous seasons, is meant to be both comfortable and chic, and wearable from day into night. “Over the past year, I have refined my silhouettes to a sleeker and sexier cut,” Rowe tells us. “This is also my first foray in to a lower priced collection as well as my first time producing t-shirts and hand painted pieces.” Read the rest of this entry »

BOOTS MADE FOR WALKING

This weekend’s rainy weather might be great for all the Spring flowers in full bloom, but avoiding muddy puddles on your daily commute while looking chic can be quite the Herculean task. Our newest obsession? Danish company Ilse Jacobsen’s perfectly grown-up rain boots, available in a plethora of fashionable colors and heights to complement your wardrobe. Read the rest of this entry »

WELCOME BROOME

French designer and fashion-insider favourite Isabel Marant’s first North American boutique opened this past weekend in Soho, adding yet one more must-visit destination to your next cross-border shopping trip. The light-filled corner boutique was designed by architect Nicolas Andre and features a large untreated wood sculpture at its center which serves to enclose and highlight Marant’s jewelry and bags. The racks are filled with the designer’s swoon-worthy signature studded accessories, military jackets and luxury t-shirts, previously unavailable without crossing the Atlantic as the brand is not sold online. Read the rest of this entry »

LONDON FASHION WEEK PARTY BUZZ

Despite a somewhat somber start to London Fashion Week, with the shows always come the parties. The week’s after-hours festivities kicked off with Naomi Campbell’s second fundraiser of fashion month, a party that attracted London’s fashion glitterati including Kate Moss, Sir Philip Green and muse to the late Lee McQueen, Annabelle Nelson. The celebrities continued to celebrate fashion throughout the week at the Mulberry Party in The Orangery at Kensington Palace, where editors and tastemakers danced the night away with Alexa Chung, Amber Le Bon, and Olivia Palermo – all of whom were noticeably absent from the next morning’s 9am show. Read the rest of this entry »