I'm really feeling blue today.  No, don't worry, I'm not depressed - I just mean that I'm totally feeling blue, as in navy blue, even though it's so not my type.  Navy to me has always been like that guy friend who's really, really nice and sweet in a brother-from-another-mother kind of way.  He's dependable and funny but there's no danger, no bad-assiness, zero spark.  Navy's always gotten the short end of the colour stick but this year, I'm giving navy blue a serious second look.  Designers at Tommy Hilfiger and Jil Sander finally put navy front and centre and to me, it's the perfect deep backdrop for spring's look-at-me pinks, yellows and oranges.  And, with a few more months of cold weather on the horizon, navy is your best go-to neutral for now and for when the sun finally comes out to play. 

Black, l will always love you, my constant companion, but Blue, mi amor, will you be my spring fling? 

Real Life Runway Tip:  To avoid looking conservative or worse, boring (ech), be sure to amp up your navy with the season's ubiquitous brights.  A brilliant silk scarf or statement earrings in shades of orange or pink (hello, honeysuckle!) will give new life to your blues.

A Big Tarjay Hooray!!!

Image courtesy www.trustcollective.com

Okay, first of all, find a chair and sit your cute bum down.  Now, take a deep breath.  Everyone comfortable?  Pacemakers at the ready?  Have you heard the news?? 

Target is finally (finally!) coming to Canada!!!  I'm a proud Canadian through and through but this is big news for a bargain hunter like me.

Target is buying 220 Zellers retail sites for $1.82 billion, and expects to open its first Canadian stores in two years with an expected 100 to 150 stores opening throughout Canada in 2013 and 2014.   The expansion will create thousands of jobs in Canada and more importantly, bring joy and delight to Canadian women everywhere. 

"We are very excited to bring our broad assortment of unique, high-quality merchandise at exceptional values, and our convenient shopping environment to Canadian guests coast to coast," said Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Target Corporation.  Whatevs.  Bring on the $19 bikinis, super cute notecards and discounted makeup. 

RLR is seriously excited so please, don't be a hater.  Pencil me in for a big fat shopping date in 2013, okay?  Squeal!

Tickled Pink

         Fendi, Emporio Armani - Spring 2011, photos courtesy GoRunway.com

As a little girl, I was smitten, like so many little girls are, with everything pink; crayons, candy, dresses and shoes were all so much better when washed in the eternally girly hue.  When asked about my favourite colour, I would answer without hesitation, "Pink, of course!" and I felt absolutely certain that this answer would never change.  We rarely know when major life-changing events are about to happen.  We go about our everyday business without a clue that something epiphanous is right around the corner so when we encounter it, it often comes as a bit of a shock.  My moment came when my sister got home from school one day when I was about 9 or 10.  I was wearing pink, naturally, and I'm not sure whether I'd done something to annoy her (probably), or she'd  had a rough day at school but she gave me the once-over, looked me square in the eyes and haughtily proclaimed, "You Look Really Ugly in Pink".  WTF?  I'd worn pink nearly every day of my life up until that point and nobody had ever told me!?  From then on, I quickly answered "BLUE" to anyone's inquiry about my colour of choice, and, terrified of looking hideous for the rest of my life, did everything I could to avoid wearing the uglifying shade.  It took me nearly 20 years to get over it (ridic I know, since I'm sure my poor sorella doesn't even remember saying it) but here I am, pink and proud and thrilled that the Colour of 2011 (as declared by Pantone) is Honeysuckle, a bright, happy and universally-flattering reddish-pink.  Real Life Runway Tip:  Designers dressed models in honeysuckle from their tips to their toes so if you have the guts, this is the season to get completely pinkalicious.  For those of you who want to honour the trend in a more subtle way, the shade looks especially gorge against whites, tans, and navy and will add an instant hit of femininity to your wardrobe as it transitions from winter to spring.  Are you going to think pink this spring?

Spring '11 Campaigns: Part Deux

 

Joan Smalls for Gucci, by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott

                                     Tali Lennox, Cara Delevingne for Burberry Prorsum, by Mario Testino

  

Raquel Zimmermann, Kristen McMenamy, Freja Beha Erichsen for Louis Vuitton by Steven Meisel

 

 Julia Saner for Valentino, by David Sims

  

Freja Beha Erichsen and Baptiste Giabiconi for Chanel, by Karl Lagerfeld

Bryce Dallas Howard for Kate Spade, by Norman Jean Roy 

  

Audrey Marnay for Longchamp  

Shu Pei Qin for Vera Wang 

 

 Karolina Kurkova for Max Mara, by Mario Sorrenti

Nimue Smit, Lindsey Wixson for Mulberry, by Tim Walker

Anja Rubik for Fendi, by Karl Lagerfeld

 

 January Jones for Versace, by Mario Testino