THE THING ON EVERYONE'S LIPS

Playing into the hands of the Fall 2009 Color Trend, red lips have returned with luscious smack. Matte and sophisticated, the shades of red on runway lips this season are perfect with the ubiquitous red trend and sleek black look. Check out the look designed by MAC for the Ruffian Fall 2009 Runway and decide how you’ll wear it!

FALL 2009: THE POWER OF RED

Perhaps it’s the trending vampire themes, or the sultry and seductive Edward Cullen look that has had designers delve into the blood-red color theme for Fall 2009. From shoes to clothes and lips to toes, red is the hottest trending color this season in every part of your closet. Once again, I spy Amanda Laine!

FALL 2009 RTW: PEDAL TO THE METAL

Brilliant and lustrous, colored metallics have glamorized the nightlife of Fall 2009 by channeling rocker vibes and a sleek retro look. Metallics of all colors have made their way into stylish closets for Fall 2009, and this chic look was a hit on the runways at New York Fashion Week Fall 2009 Ready-To-Wear.

I must say, my favorite feat for this trend is probably that anyone can whip an otherwise dreary outfit into shape with a single lustrous metallic piece, such as a bright blazer. If recessionista chic has not yet hit you, try eyeing Elise Overland’s Fall/Winter Collection. Pedal to the metal, allllll the way.

FYI: ZOETEE'S LOVES GWYNETH

While some find it foolish for celebrities to highly engage themselves with fashion design with the assumption that the goal is primarily for profit, the truth of the matter is that celebrities are constantly surrounded by high fashion on an ongoing basis. From promenading red carpet couture to savouring premiere seating at international fashion weeks, celebrities have an overwhelmingly impressive fashion background, despite their initial tickets to fame. Thus why I hardly find it surprising that celebrities left, right, and center are diving to debut what could be the next hautest line.

Avante-garde actress Gwyneth Paltrow is the next to jump the fashion design bandwagon and is teaming up with the luxuriously latter-day French jersey label, ZOETee’s, to release a collection forAutumn-Winter 09/10. With a seventies rock ‘n’ roll glamour inspiration that screams “rebel chic”, the contemporary collection - titled ZOETee’s Loves Gwyneth Paltrow - will feature ensembles for both day and nighttime wear for the coming fall season. The wondrously soft jersey seperates and swanky suited pieces make it virtually effortless to go from business to pleasure in a single wardrobe swap. Dress to impress, without the stress.

The seven-look assemblage will also feature the recently explosively popular “boyfriend” trend, with casual masculine tailoring and the essence of all business-savvy, sophisticated darlings. The clothes are to be fashioned from cashmere blends, recycled cotton, mesh, and wool; with a multifarious mix like that, one can’t be too sure that glamour itself won’t be woven into the fabrics! Although there is no word on where the collection is to be sold, keep an eye out on websites like My Wardrobe, Asos, and SSENSE. Also, keep an eye out for a second collection, slated to hit in Spring 2010.

Naturally, being Gwyneth, the deal would be far from sealed unless there was an altruistic effort to be graciously charitable. So with her heart in the right place, Gwyneth beat on to select a charity for all the proceeds from the clothes to go to; The London Kids Company. With a cordially considerate nature like that, it’s no wonder that ZOETee’s Loves Gwyneth! So do I!

Two sketches from the upcoming collection:

BACKSTAGE ADVENTURES AT THE COMRAGS SHOW

Backstage at LG Fashion Week in Toronto persisted to be a flurry of doll-faced models, scurrying stylists, and avid photographers churned into one colossal whir of fashion energy. Allow me to take you into my journey backstage Comrags, and then into the very heart of the show from the front row. Prepare to be mentally enchanted, and fall hopelessly in lust with fall.

Following my interview with Gaudet earlier in the day, I ran into a familiar face backstage, a friend of mine, Elise Helene Gatschene. Elise and I go way back, having danced together for three years when we were younger. Now, tall and gorgeous as she was, Elise was preparing to walk the Comrags runway (which I later proudly saw her open) and was awaiting maquillage and to have her fiery red locks tamed by the L’Oréal Beauty Team backstage. I joined her in the model waiting area, feeling like a feverish child at a walk-in clinic awaiting my name to be called by the nurse. To both sides lay tables carpeted with healthy snacks and coffee machines, neither which I found myself able to nip from as they were strictly for stylists. At the very back of the tent we sat, the models and I, joking together and making light and friendly conversation. Although many tend to be intimidated by them, these darling models were cordial and companionable, and after a few minutes I had realized just how much I was enjoying myself. Elise introduced me to a few of the other girls, many being from her agency at Elmer Olsen Model Management, and soon enough I knew all the girls by name.

After what felt like an hour, Elise was called upon by a handsome stylist to have her hair started on for the show. She beckoned for me to follow and I came and stood next to her to watch intently. The sociable stylist, Alex, flashed me a congenial smile and pulled out the next chair over for me to sit in. Such a gentleman. Beaming, I took a seat and dove into a lengthy, enthralling chat with Alex who had me completely captivated in his stories. Clearly it was natural for him, he continued to chat animatedly, filling me in on the details of his life as a stylist. Enraptured, I scribbled furiously into my notepad, making a mental note to do a piece on it later. Distracted for a moment by a loud ruckus across the table, I glanced up from my notepad, observing the small group of stylists who had crowded around a timid-looking model and the head stylist, Eddie. Curious, I asked Alex what it was that they were doing. Evidently pleased at the interest in his expertise, he explained that each show had their specific way of styling, and that beforehand there is always a demonstration to ensure that it is being done exactly as requested by the designers (who were, as Alex pointed out, standing in the inner circle). Now on my feet and craning my neck, I wandered over to the circle, interested in what they were saying. I stood timidly next to the two marvelous masterminds behind Comrags, who seemed to be deep in thought while analyzing the look of the model before them. Eyebrows furrowed and pressed together, they were clearly put out by something. Listening carefully, (though with them next to me it was not hard) I overheard them fretting about whether or not the hairstyle was good enough, whether or not it would be liked. Taking my chances, I bravely put my two cents in, leaning over and whispering that I thought it looked absolutely incredible, and looked exactly how they had planned for it to. They ogled me for a moment, scrutinizing my words, then relaxed when they realized my sincerity, that I had meant it.

“Do you really think the hair is alright?” one of them asked me, “It’s not too much then?”
“Of course not!” I replied, “Honestly, I think it looks down-to-earth and pretty cool.”

After all, the look they had in mind was spectacular and I knew the crowds outside would whole-heartedly agree. They looked at each other and shrugged, relaxing. Overjoyed that I had just comforted two designers whom I absolutely adored, my stomach flocked with tiny butterflies. Curious appetite whetted, I turned back to where Elise sat patiently, focused intently on her iPhone, texting (or should I say tapping?) away. She looked up as I snapped some shots of her current hairstyle-in-the-works, making attitudinizing faces at me with her beautiful features, chiseled-to-perfection. Elise looked absolutely ablaze as her fiery red hair was being manipulated into what the stylists called “a lovely mess”. A beautiful disaster, I thought to myself as I recorded a clip for my media library, brilliant.

At twenty-past-five, models scrambled to get backstage as the Director of Hair and Makeup, Phillipe, ushered them gingerly out of their seats and into the backstage area directly behind the runway set. Comrags was scheduled to start in a mere ten minutes!

“Ze models ‘only ‘ave ten minutes, please ‘urry with zem!” he cried out to his team of hair and makeup professionals, in the darling French-Canadian accent that I loved.

The remaining models stood up and scurried where their names were posted on the clothing racks, delicately guarding their finished hair with their hands by their heads. I followed, documenting it all in my notepad with a smile playing across my lips. The backstage adventure was just about over, but now it was time for the real thing.

FALL RTW 2009: TO BOY, OR NOT TO BOY

The best thing about wearing your boyfriend’s low-slung jeans and over-sized cardigans nowadays, is that you can absolutely get away with it, and fashionably at that! Now that the gender bender trend has most certainly arrived, you may find yourself putting a twist on the shapes, sizes, and styles you choose to rock your way through the city streets.

In the Fall 2009 RTW Collection by Trovata, I just could not help but fall fixatedly in love with the masculine-inspired pieces flirting with an edginess and air that was most certainly feminine. The designer John Whitledge cited Paris circa 1968 as his main draw of inspiration, and interestingly enough, pointed the main focus on the concernings of the sexual politics at that particular time. The result, as you can see for your self, exhibited a collection of fantastically flirty but edgy boyfriend-esque ensembles that will have the ladies indulging in their own rock star-like getups.

The RTW 2009 show rolled out with a confidently chic model rocking an over-sized male cardigan with a funky bow tie, strutting down the catwalk in trousers, which definitely set the tone for the boyfriend-like gender bending trend. Main attractions of the show were the indie-rock style of black shorts worn over opaque tights in mostly black shades, white tuxedo and oxford shirts, newsboy hats and bowties, and skinny black cardigans. Although many fashion critics called the collection a “preppy menswear theme” that seemed to emanate throughout the entire collection, but I would say the unique line draws more from a mix of the recent teenaged-boy trend of skinny jeans and après-sex hair that top models like Agyness Deyn and Freja Beha Erichsen have been sporting down the streets during pleasure time. If Deyn hasn’t given designers the most inspiration for the chic and unique new catwalk trend, then I really haven’t a clue as to where they have been looking, besides these so-called Paris circa 1968 inspirations Whitledge claims to be drawing from. 

But even still, the trend continues throughout the show, with Whitledge pairing opaque black tights as an alternative to the recent trend of overwhelming leggings of all sorts appearing left, right, and center. He matched the tights with many featured over-sized boyish sweaters, as well as cardigans and male-cut Oxford shirts. The majority of the collection tended to use dark shades, mostly black and white opposites brought together harmoniously by artistic license, but navy blue tones managed to work their way into the designs. Even one baby blue scarf prevailed through the spring pastel season, despite Whitledge’s refusal to draw from the norm. Stripes and solids overpowered patterns on this runway, and side-tipped old English newspaper boy hats paired with chunky, sexy black heels took ahold of accessories du soir. The by-product of the charming new spin on gender-bending was the most delectable infusion of flirty femininity and charming pieces of menswear, all brewed to perfection to create ensembles that really put the shine in the Fall RTW 2009 shoe. Now that, my friends, is the real funk behind fashion. Bravo Trovata!

Photos courtesy of nymag.

P.S. I spy Elyse Saunders!