Oct
07
Calgarians are getting lucky lately. With the new Hermès and Louis Vuitton expanding their Calgary locales, these lucky Albertans will have an array of items to spruce up their cowboy hats and boots. (Hey, I’ve only been there during stampede, what can I say.)
Either way, these luxury brands have felt the urge to go West. On October 7th, at the Holt Renfrew location on 8th Avenue SW, the Louis Vuitton store will double in size. Not too shabby eh? So now you can either browse the men and women’s shoes and check out all of their luxe leather as well as accessories like jewellery and sunglasses.
The Louis Vuitton Bag Bar in Calgary’s Holt Renfrew.
And get this – the store will debut a Louis Vuitton bag bar, the first of its kind in Canada. The other Vuitton locations at Holt’s include Bloor Street and Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto, Dunsmuir Street in Vancouver and at Manulife Place in Edmonton.
And if Louis doesn’t do it for you, Hermès no doubt will. Their new 130-square-metre store at 510-8th Avenue S.W. in Holt Renfrew was designed by the RDAI, the Parisian interior architecture agency, (so it’s obviously fancy because it’s French) and it has all of their silks, leathers and jewellery, as well as ready-to-wear.
It’s the fourth location in Canada including Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto… And if you haven’t checked out their amazing leather bracelets you must. I cannot justify spending the money quite yet but someday!
– Kate Daley
Sep
02
There’s so much to love about fashion this season. Fall is by far my favourite time of year for clothing, even though fall really doesn’t exist in Canada. But hey, we’ll have about a week between the hot and cold so layer on these fashion dos!
Metallic Accents
How could someone who loves shiny things so much not love metallic accents? I want to bedazzle the hell out of all my outfits but I must practice self-restraint. Anything with studs, shiny appliques or gunmetal hardware is in. Check out this Miu Miu clutch. It’s pretty fab but there’s a ton of great options at the mall.
Big shoulders
I admit, I love shoulder pads. They might be very Melanie Griffith in Working Girl but they make you look authoritative and you’re wearing them like Balenciaga or Balmain so it’s ironic chic, not actually your mom’s 90’s blazer. (Though that would probably work too.)
Neons
Michael Kors did this look so well on the runways. I want this pink dress badly! But you must remember: While neon is really fun and should be played with and mixed with your favourite nude pieces, unless you’re actually going to an 80’s dance party, stick with one hue at a time. And if you aren’t adventurous enough to do a full-on outfit (or as big of a colour spazz as I am) then try a watch, bangle, shoe or purse with a neutral ensemble.
Nudes
Only one woman comes to mind when I think of nudes and that’s Stella McCartney. Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton also did an amazing job of creating beautiful, skin tones. Ask a friend to help you pick out an outfit that goes well with your skin. If you look completely naked from far away try one nude darker or lighter for a bit of contrast.
Sequins
Sparkly, flashy outfits are in style this season. You might be wondering how to wear this? Try a vest, a blazer with some sequins or a simple top for a hit of sheen. Stay tuned for more advice in one of our upcoming issues.
I’m kind of obsessed with this top from last season at J. Crew. I never found it and sadly continue my search for something similar.
Oh and one Don’t I forgot? FUR. EWWW. Avoid at all costs unless it’s vintage or faux.
And that’s all for now.
–Kate Daley
Previously featuring the likes of Russian beauty Natalia Vodianova and voluptuous Scarlet Johanson, Louis Vuitton’s advertising is more art than ad space. And with the previous success of pop star Madonna’s spring campaign, they’ve decided to feature her for their fall/winter 2009 ads. And here’s a few samplings.
Photographed by Steven Meisel with artistic direction by Marc Jacobs (my fav!) the team was looking to represent the nostalgia of Hollywood’s golden age. Madonna looks stunning and of course lain upon her lap are pieces from Marc’s Fall/Winter ready-to-wear collection for Vuitton.
Inspired by photographs of Man Ray as well as the paintings of Tamara de Lempicka, Madonna looks almost ethereal, though in sync with the extravagant background. After using Madonna for their spring campaign, the label loved the relationship.
Seems Madonna, like Louis Vuitton, never goes out of style.
–Kate Daley
