Naeem Khan is best known for dressing some of the most glamorous women in Hollywood.
Libertine’s Autumn/Winter 2016 collection once again flexes its collage-esque aesthetic with fluorescent text and Swarovski graphic appliqués. The collection effectively decreases our lifespans flaunting crushed cigarettes and inspires our glamorous alter egos with shimmering hands and electrified blood red nails. Designer Johnston Hartig seems to have a talent for finding peace and cohesion in seemingly random objects. His persistence in using every color of the rainbow in his collections materialized in the literal sense this season, as rainbows joined the cigarettes, hands, and eye motifs on the runway. Hartig cites the current state of the world as an inspiration for this collection, and the eyes seem to peer out at the “current” presence of the audience looking on at the clothes before them. Nothing summarized this element more clearly than the final parade, where models galavanted through the choreography yielding signs adorned with the words “Save the Planet”, “Bernie 4 Eva”, “Lib for Today”, “Buy More Libertine”, and “Feel the Bern”, which spoke to the obvious pending presidential election and perhaps a tongue-in-cheek poke at modern consumer culture.
Taking on this styling endeavor was once again Thomas Osborn; who, season after season, brings Hartig’s eclectic look together with impeccably done hair. For the guys, Osborn decided to leave them as is, letting their personalities show though with their own personal hair styles. With the ladies, multiple braids off to the side were used to provide texture for an “untroubled chic” look, embodying the Libertine girl- “casual and cool”. One of the most interesting details Osborn adds, is the burettes in the back. “Johnston went on Amazon for $600 worth of burettes and he didn’t even know if he wanted to use them or not, but more is more here if you will”!
Robert Greene for Too Cool For School curated the makeup look. He channeled the “3 AM Girl” for the makeup look with a bold, graphic eye. The Libertine woman takes a risk with a dramatic cat eye and smoky highlighted lid. With a 60’s inspiration for the bottom lashes and a focus on the eyes, the face and lips remained natural. Too Cool For School also previewed the brand’s new color cosmetics sub-line launching in Sephora in April 2016 – Glam Rock!
Inspired by the iconic styles of 70’s rock in the UK, Glam Rock is the ultimate visual revolution. Several of the Glam Rock products were used to create the bold, dramatic eye makeup at Libertine including Extreme Color Eyes and Volume Thriller Mascara.
Much fashion, very New York.
Disney and Thomas Wylde have collaborated on a limited edition collection inspired by the upcoming Walt Disney Studios film “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” which releases in theaters May 27, 2016. We saw the show at NYFW this past Sunday.
NBA All-Star weekend in Toronto was quite a sight. From invite-only festivities to the biggest attractions in the city, Toronto was lit up with stars from all over North America who came down to watch the All-Star game as well as take in the experience of the most talked about city in hip-hop right now.
With everything else going on, the biggest sneaker convention hit Toronto this year for their 4th annual sneaker summit. It was one of the main attractions that took place in the 6 at the Bata Shoe Museum, just minutes from where 2016’s biggest basketball stars threw down on the hardwood. Although the convention was nowhere near as big as it usually is in the US, it was still something to witness, with select streetwear brands displaying their gear and of course a select number of sneaker vendors displaying amongst others, Yeezy Boosts, Jordans, Nike SBs, and so forth.
The DJs had the vibe of the event locked down with their sets as special guests Bun B, Fabolous and more stars pulled up to the summit to hang around and take pictures with the fans. Elizabeth Semmelhack was on hand to sign copies of Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture. It was only moments after when Bata Shoe Museum started to get packed.
Overall, it was an experience worth remembering. It was a great move for Sneaker Summit to team up with Canada’s own Toronto Loves Kicks, that uses youth and sneaker culture to design and deliver community events, educational programs, and creative opportunities for brands, institutions and organizations to engage with the unique and substantial demographic that sneaker culture offers. With the Sneaker summit going places, fingers are crossed it will return next year again to Toronto!
In other All Star news, Trolli, a leading sour gummi brand from Ferrara Candy Co. announced their new Weirdly Awesome partnership with star basketball player, James Harden.
Dennis Basso presented his Fall/Winter 2016 collection on February 16, during NYFW. We got a chance to go behind the scenes with Olivia Garden and Red Door Spa to get the scoop on all things glam for the show. See our exclusive interviews below.
Papyrus hosted a fashion week pop-up party at the Clarkson Skylight in honor of celebrating their eighth consecutive season of being a sponsor. This year the theme was “Every detail matters” which focused their variety of distinctively crafted stationary. Many cards were infused with embellishments, others offered bold color combinations and some were more simple. Just like fashion week, there’s something that everybody can find appealing. The event was held in a lounge area with couches and décor dispersed throughout as well as a photo booth and open bar which made it easy for people to mingle. Greeting cards were given out as appreciation along with complimentary postage for those who wanted to use them right away. The event provided the perfect platform for those who wanted to socialize before attending a show and everybody looked like they were having a good time.
After the party we headed to one the the shows! Leanne Marshall’s fall/winter collection consisted of exquisitely constructed gowns that conveyed a new kind of elegance. Getting her debut as ‘Project Runways’ season 5 winner, Marshall has been able to establish her own aesthetic and cultivate her talents to consistently captivate the audience. This season earth tones were the primary shades incorporating hues of bronze, gold and silver to give it that extra pop. The delicate fabrics created a fragile illusion between the silk, chiffon and lace that loosely swayed as the models moved down the catwalk. Gowns with sheer cut-outs and low necklines offered a refined intimacy that didn’t take away from the sophistication. The details were well thought out and executed in a way that only enhanced the concept of the timid classiness the pieces portrayed. This collection ultimately revealed Marshall’s self-confidence in her brand and skill- she may be new to the scene but she doesn’t fail to leave a lasting impression.
Coming in from the cold in an au naturel look…
Ready to wear designer Sally LaPointe had her Fall 2016 show Sunday February 14, 2016.
Lady Gaga set the 2016 Grammy Awards red carpet on fire last night with a special look to honor the legend of David Bowie and his musical legacy.