Fashion Minute

Strong Shouldered Soldier

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:07:00 +0000

This Fall season has seen strong, dramatic shoulders on clothing ranging from novelty sweaters to leather jackets , and smart Balmainesque blazers. But the bold shoulder trend is not for everyone. The svelte among us with ballet-type posture (and the fashion nerve to boot!), are the ones who will look best in this silhouette. This dress from designer Katie Gallagher may be one of my favorites in the category of football-shoulder inspiration, because the volume takes up the entire upper sleeve. My only trouble with wearing this very sculpted look is a question of what coat to wear on top? I have been burying the volume of bold shoulder tops and dresses beneath my voluminous secondhand fur coat, but I suppose leather, elbow-length gloves and a scarf should be able to do the trick in Fall.

Costume Connect - C'est Halloween!

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:11:00 +0000

I went as a bride from the Mexican Day of the Dead for Halloween. It was refreshing to be able to pull off a 'dead' costume without having to wear all black. Halloween, an occasion for DIY costume and excess amounts of toxic candy: YUM. I propose we make it a bi-annual event! Here are photos of some of my creative friends and their impressive costumes...

Driving Miss Vuitton / Logo Overkill

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:24:00 +0000

Photo via Yvan Rodic in Bangkok.

Alexander McQueen SS10 - Can't Get You Outta My Head

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:30:00 +0000

Montreal Fashion Week - SS 10 - DENIS GAGNON

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Montreal Fashion Week wrapped up last night with its most anticipated show - Denis Gagnon. Body con, slick, Balmain-esque silhouettes. It was refreshing to see pale pastels in the mix, given that the designer's religion has been black-on-black for the last several collections. The bold, chunky, mishapen bracelets worn by the models were provided by my favorite Montreal jewelery designer, the very talented Harakiri. As expected, all attendees looked like they had paid great attention to what they themselves wore to the show. The sharpest-dressed gentleman there was photographer, Sylvain Blais, in his white suit and black bow-tie in the front row. I wore an obscenely large-shouldered vintage fur myself, and got my photo taken by a few magazine photographers present at the event. If I happen to come across any snapshots of it online, I promise to share! Photo credit: Gazette Montreal.

Furry Find

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:59:00 +0000

I had to wake up at 4:45am to host the Arts on CBC Radio 1's morning program, Daybreak. At that ungodly hour, when I stumble through my wardrobe in the dark, I want to wear something super comfortable and let the accessories express some style.

I picked up this perfect gem of a bracelet a few days ago at POP Montréal's DIY craft event, Puces Pop. These fluffy, puffy bracelets are hand-assembled, and the fur is cut from vintage coats. It's one hot and rare item that I secretly hope I don't see on anyone else's wrist! I'm having fun pairing it with an unlikely companion - a bright, beaded bracelet which I bought this summer in Estes Park, Colorado.

Trend I Can Get Down With

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Photo source: Style.com
Christian Dior SS10 broke a long-understood fashion 'rule' by showing socks with toe-revealing wedges and heels in lacquered and shiny leather. It's easy for this look to appear awkward and tacky if the shoes themselves look cheap. But personally, I've always loved this apparent fashion no-no. It's even inspired me to sock-n-sandal it for the much-anticipated, Queen of Avant Goth Diamanda Galas show tonight at Pop Montreal. Just don't wear this look to the beach.

Montréal event - Stylist's Own

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:23:00 +0000

The second edition of Stylist's Own, a sale of one-of-a-kind and independent fashion and accessories from Montréal designers, will take place Oct 2nd - 4th in Old Montréal. This is a great opportunity to snag killer, unique items from some of Montréal's most cutting-edge designers. I'll be going to check out goods from two of my favorite designers: avant-gardeist Denis Gagnon and jeweler Harakiri. While I'll likely be picking up a few of their dark pieces for my own wardrobe, I especially invite my personal fashion styling clients in Montréal to come to this exciting event too! It will be a chance to shop through a very well-curated selection of fashionable wares in a beautiful space. See website for details.

Rad Hourani

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:34:00 +0000

Montréal-raised designer, Rad Hourani's, collection for Spring 2010 screams, 'Montréal'. I remember the first time I met Rad in 2006 (then, a stylist) at a fashion party in Montréal and looking around me at all the 'fashion types' and noting the Montréal fashion-elite uniform in full-swing. Everyone looked like they could have modeled in Hourani's runway show; skintight black silhouettes, angular elements mixed with the soft; each harbouring an appreciation for Rick Owens' assymetry and imperfection, Helmut Lang's androgyny, and Denis Gagnon's sense of proportion. Hourani's latest collection assumes the best aspects of the Montréal design and style scene and manages to articulate them in an original and exciting way. Photos: Style.com

Mix Print - Chicago

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:59:00 +0000

Here I am in Chicago's Millenium Park a couple of weeks ago, doing my best impersonation of a Japanese tourist. Note the mismatch of unlikely companions: a men's XL Obey floral tshirt (more like a dress on me) overtop of a pair of American Apparel's unisex swim trunks, and a bold, black and white striped long sleeve jumper from Chanel. I topped the whole thing off with a Japanese fabric bag. The results? Bat out of hell. But a super comfortable and happy bat.

Summer's Nearing End - North Vancouver

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:19:00 +0000

OSHEAGA/ Festival Garb

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:24:00 +0000

I'm at OSHEAGA Outdoor Music Festival this weekend in Montréal, covering it for CBC Radio 1. The festival uniform - dress for a bit of rain! - leaves something to be desired. The guys look like Dude clones in their cargo shorts and backwards baseball caps. It would be refreshing to see someone in one of these colorful, Acne jackets ($549) which, the company has poignantly named 'The Montreal Jacket'.

Fashion Shoot = fun!

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 05:09:00 +0000

'Backstage' fun among the crew on the set that I did fashion styling for over the weekend in beautiful Vancouver.
The woman in quirky glasses is the fabulous and talented make-up artist, Izabella Windak-Rabeda. Photos by Matthew Burditt.

Beauty trend: Eyebrowless

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:52:00 +0000

The New York Times reports that the early-90's look inspired by waif model icon, Kristen McMenamy, is bringing back an old trend in beauty with her cover shot of VOGUE ITALIA: no eyebrows. As I gear up preparation for styling a 90's-themed shoot this weekend, I've been poring over inspiring looks from the eyebrowless era, they follow below and feature Kristen.

I'm not sure if the eyebrowless trend will sweep the mainstream as it seems many women are still only finally beginning to embrace a slightly thicker (not quite 'bushy') more-80's inspired brow. Besides, it takes very good bone structure to get away with being eyebrowless, maybe save this freakish trend for the freakishly beautiful among us?

Maya Montage

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:23:00 +0000

Photography by Joseph Yarmush. I'm in the midst of designing my new website which will feature my portfolio as a stylist. I've just been streaming through fashion shoots that I've styled in as I decide what will go up on the site. I'd like to show a range of commercial to avant-garde and conceptual; from creatives to editorials. I came across this one shoot I did with a photographer friend in Montréal that I quite like the mood of; colorful yet subdued with a model of 'normal size'. Her name is Maya and she's wearing a mix of vintage, independent local Montréal designers, and of course - some of the stylist's (your's truly!) own designer duds and accessories. (Click on image to enlarge!)

White hot!

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:37:00 +0000

Luxurious minimalism at its best: head-to-toe white in Jil Sande r Spring/Summer 09 looks. When it's crisp and clean, white-on-white is less angelic than it is über cool. White is not the most forgiving of shades, so if you've got a fit body, this is the bravest (and best!) way to show it off in style.

Layers make a mini into a... 'longi'?!

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:19:00 +0000

Fendi's great take on using layers to lengthen a hemline on a dress or skirt. The translucent, narrower sheath underneath keeps the look sexy - making it easy to play with volume on the top layer.

Le Jardin Botanique/Fashion Nurtures Nature

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:45:00 +0000

As I strolled through the Insectarium in Montréal's Botanical Gardens recently, I was drawn to recall how much of what is considered beautiful in our lives derives its inspiration from our natural environment. Each crawly bug on display looked like a jewel, or wait, is it that lustry jewels should remind us of nature? These bugs made me think of a different designer's collections in a specific season.

These looks from Matthew Williamson's Fall 2007 collection fit right in with the bugs; shiny and metallic textures, and rich jewel-tones. Fittingly, with my scaling up of my insect photographs, the models waists' look tinier than ever!

Click on this fragile but luxurious-looking butterfly below to see how it resembles the outfit from Chanel's Fall 2009 Couture line on the left.

Sports' Loss = Fashion's Inspiration

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:09:00 +0000

Italian swimmer, Flavia Zoccari, was forced to sit out her race yesterday when she experienced a massive malfunction in her $640 top-of-the-line swimsuit. Oh sure it was an accident! I predict a trend taking hold - lower 'peepholes' on suits. Bet she gets offered a swimwear endorsement out of it too! Daily Mail.

Quotable

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:02:00 +0000

My homeboy, Dan the Sparrow, putting his cute monster-like fingers up on either side of my face to 'quote' me at a party in Montréal earlier this month. Photo by Richmond Lam.

The King is Dead, Long Live the King!

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:25:00 +0000

It has almost been 24 hours since Michael died and it still feels surreal. Growing up as an 80's baby myself, my four other siblings and I were nothing short of obsessed with Michael Jackson. We had all the videos for Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad recorded on scratchy copies of VHS tapes and we'd watch them every single day after school and copy the dance moves.
Michael was a truly transgressive figure who transcended tropes of sexuality and gender, focusing on his sheer talent and creative guts to come up with ways of moving that have changed the terrain of the music video forever. As the unrivaled creator of trademark dance moves like the moonwalk, robot, and the patented anti-gravity lean, the 'Smooth Criminal', Michael has proved he is a genius, unconventionally coupling fluidity and precision in each of his moves like no other before. As James Brown put it to Michael, "God bless a child who's got his own." Michael re-educated the world on the possibilities of how to move your body on the dancefloor and as a performer onstage. There will only ever be one man to justifiably name a dance move - the moonwalk - after something you could only achieve beyond the limits of earth. RIP Michael.

Prrrrrrr-ada

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:08:00 +0000

Music/Art/Fashion/Weekender

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Sun, 31 May 2009 15:56:00 +0000

For the past five days, I've been running around partaking in the events, and performances of Montréal's MUTEK Festival. Highlights have included the satisfying assault of bass from Berlin's Moderat, accompanied by the simple and stunning visuals of PFADFINDEREI; and performances from Japanese noise artist Ryoji Ikeda and Carsten Nicolai, German techno and visual artist Robert Henke, and a phenomenal presentation from Belgian Visual Label, Anti-VJ which entails the life size projection of visuals on the façade of a building.
As I head off on my bicycle to catch PIKNIC Électronique, the daytime edition of MUTEK (imagine a 'mini rave', outdoors in the sun in the centre of a beautiful park), I leave you with my final nugget for the weekend: Karl Lagerfeld observes, Elena Glurdjidze, the senior principal ballerina with the English Ballet as she tries on Chanel's customed-tutu for her performance in the Dying Swan. The tutus vitals? "More than 100 hours of work have gone into making the tutu, many of these at Lemarié, the Chanel studio that is devoted entirely to plumassiers, or feather specialists." (The Guardian)

City of Style/City of Cycling

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:32:00 +0000

This month, Montréal, a city robust with cycling enthusiasts, joined the ranks of Paris by installing a new public bike system called, BIXI ('bike' + 'taxi'). All around the city, solar-powered and wireless stations provide made-in-Québec bikes that are free for the first half hour of use which, in such a small city, goes a long way!

The BIXI is a strong example of where government can put its money where it's mouth is. Simply asking people to leave their cars at home is not enough; incentive must be provided and new changes have to be facilitated. This well-strategized project offers a bike that is simple; easy-to-use, and hard to vandalize. Its designers believe that the BIXI system will pay for itself through user fees.
Cycling in such a stylish city requires some thought to attire... how about a pair of gorgeous bike riding "Grand Tour" gloves from 'performance roadwear' label, Rapha? Enjoy and, try not to drool on your computer...

Vena Cava Adora!!

cstberlin@hotmail.com (F.M.) — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:49:00 +0000

I've got a gala to moonlight at for one special evening this summer. Now I'm mulling over the delightful debate: do I go with a gold or silver Vena Cava gown? This represents my favorite version of the high-waisted look; a long, slim silhouette in an elegant fabric.