TIFF '14: How To Do A Stylish Screening

TIFF is always fun with a fellow celeb-obsesser. Turns out you don't have to be blonde, you just have to be WITH a blonde friend, to have more fun. Love this girl!

Our coveted premiere tix to This Is Where I Leave You starring Tina Fey and Jason Bateman, sent to me by the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls. UM, love them!

Denzel, can you hear me?

My outfit of the night, featuring my Nine West x InStyle paparazzi-kicking pumps.

No, you're welcome.

Celeb hotspot, the Nikki Beach Toronto pop-up. Um, think she works out?

The split-second where we saw Denzel wave. My iPhone just missed the moment but luckily, we did not.

Chasing Bill Murray. Seriously.

I'm a deal hunter. I'm also a die-hard (not to be confused w Die Hard, please) film buff. So when Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls got in touch last week to ask if I wanted to attend a big TIFF premiere, it was kind of like the greatest love story of all time. I mean, they pursued me, told me they loved me (well, my blog), then penned me an epic love letter (in the form of 2 TIFF tix to This Is Where I Leave You), and it was just so, sniff, just so romantic.

I know Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls rather intimately - I mean, this is where my parents took us back-to-school shopping every single year and where my friends and I now go every November to do our Christmas shopping - so we have a history. I scored my first designer handbag there as a teen, and where I fell in love with J.Crew before J. Crew ever came to Canada. Their new massive expansion set to open this fall will bring 50 new stores and 175,000 square feet, making it one of the largest outlet malls in the States. Once the reno is complete, Fashion Oulets of Niagara Falls will boast over 200 top retailers including Saks Off 5th, J.Crew, Burberry, Kate Spade and Michael Kors. So, yup, I'm smitten.

When Sunday night arrives, I bring my gorgeous friend, Sara, along for the ride and the night, well, it turns out to be epic.  We nosh on burrito bowls while engaging in some serious people-watching (TIFF always brings out the best) to get properly fueled up for the night ahead. We realize that we're running dangerously late so sprint in our killer heels to arrive fashionably just-on-time to the premiere at Roy Thomson Hall. We're immediately ushered into a balcony to watch This Is Where I Leave You (we laugh, we cry, we selfie ourselves laughing and crying - I highly recommend), then realize that the balcony beside us contains Tina Fey, Jason Bateman, and Jane Fonda. Crush. Crush. Crush. Afterwards, there are whispers that Denzel is just around the corner, so we take off and ensconce ourselves right in the middle of a rabid throng of fellow celeb-obsessors. We wait. And wait. Then, there he is - most magnificent, distractingly gorgeous, Denzel. At least, I'm pretty sure it's him. I think I see his left ear. It's amazing.

But then the best part: we get back to my car and pull around the corner to head home. Caught at a traffic light, we look over to see an unmistakable shock of white hair. 'It's FREAKING BILL MURRAY', Sara screams. And there he is, in all his disheveled glory, standing in a back alley beside his black chauffered Yukon. I pull ahead to parallel park like I have never parallel parked before. Sara's already in her flats now, ready to take Bill Murray down. She rolls out of the car like a freaking ninja and is gone, only to return a few minutes later looking supremely dejected. 'He's gone.' But then, we see his Yukon pull ahead and we're off, racing through back alleys, weaving in and out of traffic to chase him down. Dangerous? Maybe a little. But this is the movie version of our life tonight. And it's FREAKING BILL MURRAY. Long story short, we lose him. But we will always have that chase scene.

If you've been invited to a TIFF party, or are debating going to a screening, but are at a total loss as to what to wear, I can help. You might think TIFF is all fake boobs and ballgowns, and you'd be partially right. But, the magic of TIFF is that literally anything goes. Here are just a few key fashion tips to keep in mind during the Festival:

• For a regular screening, err on the well-thought-out casual side. You don't want to be only one in a ballgown at noon on a Tuesday. 
• Take your style cues from the film you're attending. Jennifer Aniston's Cake calls for some wardrobe gravitas and low-key makeup whereas Channing Tatum's Foxcatcher begs for something super sexy, just in case you happen to run into him. Sara and I went edgy, young, and fun because we were going to a Tina Fey comedy - I wore a buffalo plaid tee, a textured black mini and killer black lace-ups, while Sara went for leopard print, slouchy black pants and black and gold-zipped pumps. Basically, get in character.
• For a TIFF party or big premiere, break out your fancy best, but remember to keep it interesting and edgy. Printed clutches, leather accents, statement jewels and heels will help you look like you've done this TIFF thing more than once.
• Not outfit related, but if you're in a big group of fans waiting near a red carpet, just shout out the words 'Channing Tatum' because people completely freak out, which is always funny.
• As my friend Sara so smartly did, carry a pair of sprinting flats in your clutch. You just never know when you'll run into Bill Murray in a dark Toronto alley. 

Here are two beautiful budget-friendly TIFF outfits you can pick up now at Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls. Happy TIFF! 

1. Stone Cuff Bracelet, $16.50, J.Crew Factory; 2. Keating Boy Blazer, $136, J.Crew Factory; 3. Boy Jean, $59.50, J.Crew Factory; 4. Non-Iron Fitted French Cuff Dress Shirt, Brooks Brothers Outlet; 5. Addie Calf Hair Loafers, $114, J.Crew Factory; 6. Pink Stripe Scarf, $45.50, J.Crew Factory.

1. Vegan Leather Ponte Dress, $126, J.Crew Factory; 2. Browline Sunglasses, $12, ALDO; 3. Neon Pendant Necklace, $45.50, J.Crew; 4. Python Crossbody, $31.99, Nine West Outlet; 5. Pink Leather Ankle-Strap Pumps, $71.99, Nine West Outlet.