LABEL LOVE | FRAANKLIN

The Souvenir Toronto girls show off their FRAANKLIN scarves. Via FRAANKLIN on Instagram

Have you heard of FRAANKLIN yet? My stylish cousin just introduced me to the Toronto brand and I have to share the label love with you. FRAANKLIN scarves are total stunners. The team works with its designers in Germany and NY, then sources the finest materials from around the world - New Zealand wool, German blends and Inner Mongolian Cashmere. Scarves are then produced in-house under strict socially responsible standards. 

Aside from that, here's all you really need to know - no matter what material you choose (yes, even the acrylic ones), FRAANKLIN scarves are so cozy, so generous, so luxurious-feeling, they will ruin you for every other. I wore mine all week and have never enjoyed the winter weather quite so much. Whether you're gifting or simply want to treat yo-self, here are some of my top picks rocked beautifully by those in-the-know (I'm especially smitten with the reversible line - I'm convinced every cool girl needs at least one). 

Happy, happy Fri! 

via big.chantelle on Instagram

Grey Plaid Reverse Houndstooth, $85, FRAANKLIN

via 6 by Gee Beauty on Instagram

Hunter Green Reverse Plaid Herringbone, $85, FRAANKLIN

via dearlynnjewelry on Instagram

Contemporary Royal Plaid, $65, FRAANKLIN

Lauren Soper via FRAANKLIN on Instagram

Merlot Plaid Reverse Herringbone, $85, FRAANKLIN

Toronto's World MasterCard Fashion Week: 10 Designers to Watch

Photo via Sid Neigum

It's Day 1 of World MasterCard Fashion Week (aka Toronto Fashion Week) and I'll be racing back between Kitchener and Toronto to catch all the shows. I know - commitment, right? Tonight is Pink Tartan, the Mercedes-Benz Start-Up Competition and the Joe Fresh party which I am DYING to figure out. Is it a party? Is it a show? Is it both? I've heard rumours of a big surprise guest but nothing has been confirmed. Eek. Wish me luck and be sure to check back for updates throughout the week. In the meantime, here are the top 10 Canadian designers I can’t wait to watch next week...

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Sarah Stevenson Debuts Collection for Target

Photos courtesy Target

The Sarah Stevenson for Target collection was unveiled at an intimate fashion show last night in Toronto, which I could not attend because (broken record) we are packing. Still. Humph.  As the winner of Toronto Fashion Incubator’s New Labels® fashion design competition in 2013, Stevenson was given the rare chance to create an exclusive Target collection.  The 15-piece Sarah Stevenson for Target collection features  dresses, blouses, pants and a statement blazer ranging from $24.99 to $59.99, making it the most affordable clothing collab at Target to date.   

“I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity with Target and TFI,” said Stevenson.  “It’s been such a great learning experience and I am really proud of my collection and how my vision came to life.  I’m excited to see my designs on the streets in addition to the different style interpretations and pairings by everyday women.”

The pretty collection stays true to Stevenson’s romantic aesthetic, featuring richly-hued florals and feminine, sophisticated styles.  One of the few designers to still create fabrics herself, Stevenson was inspired by flowers she saw throughout Toronto last spring. The result? A few blouses, silky pants and dresses that will be promptly added to my closet once the collection hits stores.

Mark your calendars: the collection launches in stores on March 23, 2014! But first, make your shopping list below...

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MasterCard Stylicity: The Ultimate Canadian Tuxedo Contest

m0851 show us its take on the Canadian Tuxedo for MasterCard Stylicity

Love it or hate it, the Canadian Tuxedo (read: denim on denim) is here to stay. Where the world once saw our laid-back fashion 'tude as a bit of a joke, the recent popularity of top-to-toe denim suggests that maybe Canada has always just been a little bit ahead of the curve. From Lincoln Centre to the Paris runways, double denim has never been so chic and now, MasterCard Stylicity wants to see your take on the now-iconic trend.  

Show off your street style prowess by posting a pic of your updated version of the Canadian Tuxedo to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #stylicity. All photos will be collected and displayed on the MasterCard Stylicity website and a grand prize of one $2,000 MasterCard Prepaid Card will be awarded to one fashionable Canadian. Um, amazing?!

So bust out your jean-ius style and enter the Show us Your Canadian Tuxedo contest by November 3, 2013. For inspiration, visit participating Sylicity merchants such as eLUXE.ca, M for Mendocino,m0851 and Philip, who have each redefined the Canadian Tuxedo in their own way.

Oh, and if you haven't already, it's not too late to take advantage of Stylicity, the official retail program for World MasterCard Fashion Week. A sweet line-up of local retailers, spas and restaurants in Toronto is currently offering special deals, offers, and experiences to MasterCard cardholders both in stores and online. Check out the full list of retailers participating in Stylicity here. Like we needed another excuse to shop...

Good luck! 

xx

A sampling of the Canadian Tuxedo entries so far. Can you do better?

CALLA-fornia Girls: Calla Haynes Spring '14

Surfer girl central at the CALLA Spring '14 show. This pic by me, the rest by Michael Ho.

It's a super busy week in Toronto as the fashion crowd gears up for the start of World Mastercard Fashion Week. To kick it off for the past several seasons, Paola Fullerton and her team have hosted the shOws, a pre-Fashion Week mash-up of some of the world's top designers, from Tanya Taylor and Steven Tai to Jeremy Laing (more on that later). On Wed night, I hit up the shOws to catch Bellavance and one of my absolute fav Canadian designers, Calla Haynes who showed us her chic surfer girl line-up for Spring '14. This girl is so dope. 

Calla is a young Toronto-born designer living in Paris (lucky) and though her textiles, colours and silhouettes look super fun and playful on the surface, they're incredibly complex underneath. To give you an idea, the black floral print in the first slide below is meant to recreate the floral print on a Shonan surfboard - complete with fiberglass scratches and blue surf wax. A fringed neon skirt is made of strips of paper. Meanwhile, her modern custom tweeds are created by the very same French fabric mill that produces the famed jackets at Chanel.

Loved the clothes, love Calla, and though it's really hard to recreate the vibe of a live show, take a listen to the track below for a sense of how it all went down. I thought they were saying 'bubblebath'. Like I said, she's dope.

Thanks for inviting me, Brill! I'll have loads more pics from Fashion Week in the coming weeks so keep checking back. In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Gobble, gobble.

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