A model walks the runway at the Ralph Lauren fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2015 at Skylight Clarkson SQ. on February 19, 2015 in New York City.
I’ve always been a hat woman. I go for all kinds of hats depending on my mood, what I’m wearing, the season and the occasion.
A hat can be that one accessory that sets you apart, whether you’re at a formal event or you’re just out running some errands. Sometimes I feel like wearing a baseball cap even if I’m not out running, but other times a wide-brim felt or fedora does the trick. Colours are always neutral.
A great hat can add polish to an otherwise basic outfit. It also keeps our head warm but can add a bit of mystery (a la Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca) and they look so darn chic.
Every woman can find a hat to suit her but if you’re like my sister Lisa, then you look good wearing any hat. She’s lucky that every single hat that comes in contact with her head looks like it was made for her.
Do you wear hats? What kind of hat is your preference?
This is knot your typical boutique. I love the overall organic feeling of this Vancouver shop.EVERYTHING inside is imported from Japan which is another reason to like it so much.
even the gum boots are cuteThe extraordinary handcrafted watches are all created on-site at the JHA Kansai watch store.
What would a Japanese
boutique be like without a few teapots?The place where I bought this comfy and cute cotton/crinoline sweater dress. I like that it’s casual (mostly) and feminine. It can be dressed up or down & belted (to emphasize the waist) but I just let it hang loose. I think it looks better when wearing shoes or better still; boots.
The Japanese have such eclectic taste and a lot of the styles appeal to me because they tend to go against the grain. You will find clothing & accessories that are NOT run-of-the-mill. Sometimes we want to have that bit of an edge.
The opening was last night and began with an elaborate Spring/Summer 2016 Fashion show at the Vancouver Club.
Then at the boutique across the street – more fashion, entertainment, bubbly, wine bar and delicious hors d’oeuvres to celebrate.
The eclectic International designs are breathtakingly exquisite. Cicino Boutique – 848 West Hastings, Vancouver.
Macaron Eiffel Towerwith my friend Lynn
The diversity of the designers run the gamut from Kenzo to Oscar de la Renta.
Photos: d. king
Exclusive VIP membership includes special event pre-season trunk shows with access to new fashions that are not yet available to the general public among other benefits.
VANCOUVER is uping it’s retail game and may even come to surpass Toronto and Montreal as a premiere Canadian shopping destination. Whaaat??
Bow Tie by Douglas Coupland fills the 2-storey atrium at Simons, West Vancouver.
I thought this day would never come because when I first moved here from Montreal in the 80’s my first impression of the Vancouver fashion scene was..well… uggggh! I had never seen so much fleece before and vowed to never wear it but it wasn’t before too long that I too, was wearing fleece (but sparingly – it is comfy and warm to be exact). Excuse: the damp weather goes right through you here. Then I tried my best to embrace Gore-tex. I can tell you that no matter how hard you try to dress up a Gore-tex jacket (even with a cute scarf) you still end up looking like you’re going fishing. But it’s the only thing that will really keep you dry in pouring rain. That, and a good pair of Gore-tex boots – so at least you look like you’re going on a hike. Most people do hike in Vancouver so that’s okay. Still; coming from Montreal at that time it was quite a shocker.
Ceiling at SimonsSimonsSimons MaisonSimons Maison
But that was then. The scene is definitely changing and has changed significantly (for the better) since I moved here. Aside from all the independent little boutiques situated all over this city (with an emphasis on Main St. & in Gastown), we have recently acquired two brand new department stores with the upscale U.S. chain Nordstrom downtown and another called Simons in West Vancouver. Simons is a much smaller operation owned by a Quebec City family that has been around for more than 175 years. It is their second location outside of Quebec, after Edmonton. While Nordstrom is definitely the more swanky of the two, Simons (located at Park Royal South) can boast local artwork and some artful lighting. The showstopper is a piece by Douglas Coupland that hangs above the atrium in the shape of a bow tie. Both department stores have in store restaurants and a few fashion lines new to this city.
Cute Lumberjack Apron. SimonsKeep it warm Simons
My preference of the two is still Nordstrom but I liked the sculpture and some of the displays at Simons. Overall I have to admit that it felt a little like H&M meets Home Sense.
Now if Montreal’s Ogilvy department store ever comes to town – that will be my #1 shopping destination! But there is only one – which makes it more special and I don’t think it’s going anywhere.
Which department store in Vancouver
is your favourite?
In general I prefer shopping the independant retail stores over the larger chains.
Photos: d. king
Ogilvy Montreal – they do a really nice holiday windowOgilvy Montreal Sophistication
I’m on a classic kick…with everything.In fact, my two best friends growing up in Montreal were compared to the likes of a young Rita Hayworth and Catherine Deneuve so I’ve always been aware of these timeless beauties. I think there was more to them than just their loooks; like a strong character and an ease with style. They embodied charm, appeal and a bit of mystery. So for style; who is best to exemplify classic cool French girl chicbetter than Catherine Deneuve? Even today at 72 (she just celebrated her birthday this month), she’s still glamming it up, as per her appearance on the red carpet at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, an event she has been attending since the 1960’s. When she stepped out at the festival’s opening ceremony and the premiere of her new film, Le Tête Haute, cinema goers and fans experienced a little Deneuve déjà vu.
So looking back no words are needed because the photos speak for themselves. Une belle du vie.
2015 – getty images
Just like a good perfume that never changes
Besides there is no one who has been able to pull off le trench as well as Deneuve. I try, I try
Last weekend I stepped into one of the most stylish little boutiquesin Vancouver. It was an accident waiting to happen. So inviting…..and so pretty…..
Chock full of fashion-forward brands displayed between luxurious French Provincial furnishings, bouquets of roses and gorgeous extras from Lulu Frost and Tocca. Should I say more?
They offer chic statement pieces and effortless wardrobe staples with a tightly edited collection of the most coveted clothing and accessories from cutting-edge international designers.
And more….
You can bet that you’ll find the next big thing here.
Not to mention the owner, Rebecca Bree is a very nice lady.Where?3680 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver.
A Smashing Smörgåsbord of stylish items at a lower price point
Carine Roitfeld models a few of her designs
When I was in San Francisco a few years ago there was a long lineup around the corner from Union Square, and ever so curious I had to find out what it was about. It was the opening of their first UNIQLO location and unfortunately I did not wait to find out what was in store but people were walking out with big bags and bigger smiles on their faces and said there were some awesome deals and steals.
les manteaux
I’m sure I’ll get my chance again because the Japanese fast-fashion retailer (according to reliable sources) is in the process of securing a significant size space at Vancouver’s Metrotown Metropolis in Burnaby. Two stores are also scheduled to open in Toronto. I don’t usually go out of my way for a quickie fashion fix however….
And now Carine Roitfeld, global fashion director of Harper’s BAZAAR (my favourite fashion magazine) among many other titles (like former Tom Ford collaborator at Gucci) and a fabulous fashionista in her own right, is getting into the design game.
les foulards
Roitfeld partnered with Uniqlo for a 40-piece collection created in collaboration with Naoki Takizawa, design director of the Japanese brand, all for under $200.
les vestesle body – making a comeback?
Roitfeld explains that she started with the idea of clothes she’d want to wear herself and took it from there. From signature pencil skirts to a leopard coat (fake of course) et beaucoup plus….
Find out what’s hitting Uniqlo stores and Uniqlo.com on October 29th
I LOVE FALL BOOTS. It’s one if not the only reason to love Fall.
Adam Katz Sinding
I put on a pair for the first time in a looong time and they felt so uncomfortable following several months of wearing only flip flops and open toe sandals. I graduated to wearing loafers & ballarina flats so my feet would slowly adjust because it’s only a matter of time before high heel shoes for dressing up & feeling sexy(flats can be sexy too)will follow. There used to be a time when high heels were everyday wear but not now. I’m much more boring sensible now.
plain, simple, functional, go-with-anything, stylish – covers all the basics. READ: NEED!
I made a few smart choices (read: sales at the end of last wiinter) so I’m pretty good with my collection this time around. I have everything from sexy suede over the knee high heeled boots (I will have to drive or be driven from door to door in those) to sexy leather low-heeled over the knee boots to bohemian wedge fringed boots to low heeled funky cowboy boots in red no less (I forgot I had them, it’s loveall over again).
Shown here, the best gorgeous Fall Boots for savvy shoppers.
Suede Over The Knee Boots, ASOS $108Analise Bootie, UGG $200 I find these to be not so Uggly after all.Suede Boots, Lord and Taylor $179
We’ve all been there: You finally track down the perfect pair of boots for fall, only to find the price tag is far from realistic. Determined to avoid this fate, we set out to find chic silhouettes for no more than $200 and found a dozen slammin’ styles that have the power to transform your entire fall look.
Fringe Ankle Boots – Zara, $120Snake finish Booties, Mango – $80Snaffle Ankle Boot, Miss Selfridge $70High Heel Boots, Ivanka Trump $169Snake Ankle Boots, Topshop $70Jodhpur Boots, H&M $50Black Over The Knee Boot, River Island $150Matte Chelsea Rain Boot, J.Crew $68Karlia Booties, Calvin Klein $189
Source for boots (narrowed down from a larger selection): Rachel Zoe Report
It’s not just me, it’s her. Rachel is a real stylist so if she claims these as fashionable for Fall, you know it to be true. But I tend to agree.
There’s so many styles to have FUN with and keep fairly comfortable at the same time.
While many shows have remarkable casts, for models both new and established, Prada remains the ultimate “get.” The prestige and visibility that come from being on the Prada runway is incomparable—whether you’re a newcomer having your first big moment or a star returning after a lengthy hiatus. As a result, Prada’s castings have become the barometer by which other shows are judged, as well as an arbiter of industry beauty norms. If you want to get a feel for the current modeling look du jour, a glance at Prada’s run of show is all that’s needed.
Getty Images – Prada spring 2016
The Actors
While models make up the majority of Prada’s runway, the brand’s menswear advertising has long relied on art house actors, enlisting everyone from conventional cuties Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ben Whishaw to acting luminaries like Gary Oldman, Harvey Keitel, and Christoph Waltz. At the fittingly theatrical Fall 2012 show, worlds collided when Oldman, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, and Jamie Bell unexpectedly took to the runway alongside male models like Arthur Gosse and VictorNylander.
Jamie Bell, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Prada Fall 2012 Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com
The Exclusives
Prada consistently launches careers, and though not every model selected for a Prada exclusive contract goes on to greatness, the brand’s success rate is enviable. Those chosen to open the show, walk in it exclusively, or debut via a Prada campaign are essentially winners of modeling’s golden ticket, and many now-famous names got their first break via Prada. Miuccia Prada gave a contract to a leggy Czech named Karolina Kurkova before she turned 16, and enlisted her to walk Prada and its sister brand, Miu Miu. In 2005, Prada opened with Sasha Pivovarova, a then-unknown Russian art student who would go on to represent the brand for six consecutive seasons. Long before she was omnipresent in ads for Céline, Daria Werbowywas successful when opening Prada’s Spring 2004 show and landed a contract. Models like Suvi Koponen, Katlin Aas, Lindsey Wixson, Arizona Muse,Vanessa Axente,Maartje Verhoef, and Amanda Murphy all came into their own with appearances at Prada. Even this season’s key catwalkers, like Lineisy Montero and Willow Hand, began with—you guessed it—Prada.
WATCH the Prada Spring 2016 ready-to-wear show Note:(if you’re receiving this post via e-mail please click on the title at the very top of this page & scroll down to view):
Just an assortment of practical shoes that caught my eye
These shoes brought a twinkle to my eyesFeathers & Fringe are in and we’re going steady with some Studs Love these Valentino Rock StarStud heels and flatsThese would be warm comfortable walking shoes furever. They put the fun back in FENDI.I’m gettin my spark back – suddenly I feel like disco dancingI would not be running very far, only fashionably on foot wearing theseWhile you make up your mind relax, sit back and have a cocktail or two…then let your credit card do the restWhere there’s shoes, there’s bags. The Fringe Festival is on.
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