Harricana and Telio at Montreal Fashion Week, Part 2

This year marks the 8th edition of the Telio contest- a competition open to fashion students across the country. This event is an exemplary show of talent and creativity. Always exciting and always a pleasure to attend.

Creative Mention Jila Partovi, (I wish I had a shot of the back of the coat, it looks like the back of a rib cage, very McQueen)

Technical Mention, Tyler Harrison-Tremblay

3rd place winner, Melissa Tsui

2nd place winner, Elizabeth Lynall
And the 1st place winner, Aroosh Chaudhry

Harricana and Telio at Montreal Fashion Week, Part 1

Montreal Fashion week came to a close this past Thursday evening but here is a recap of my favorite shows from the evening, Harricana and the Telio contest.

My 16 year old vegetarian version of myself would hate me today. I love fur- but exceptionally vintage fur. It’s a renewable source and by far the warmest thing that keeps my body warm in the harsh cold elements of our winters. One person who really gives fur a real run for its money, is Mariouche. She is the queen of recycled fur and creates lasting styles that outlive the original styles.

Apres ski never looked better.

Fur loop scarf, makes any look chic and you that much more cozier.

Dress this up or down, you cant go wrong with an elbow length fur coat.

Note, there are special ear holes (with covers) sewn on into the hood; no conversation will be missed again.

Very unique- a furry military twist. I want it.

Melissa Nepton Fall/Winter 2013 Collection

Attending Melissa Nepton’s show each season is always exciting. Personally, I feel her collections naturally evolve and flow into each season, like a natural progression. You can identify her work without any doubt.

This season, her hot accessory was oversized fur clutch bags {love}, paired with a traditional Melissa Nepton look: flow, structure and oversize. We saw a  play on the swing coat, a fun twist on the poncho, structured harem pants and my favorite, a new kind of turtleneck. Most in thick cozy fabrics, such as jerseys, knits and tweeds.

Melissa’s clothes are the ones you want to live in, go to work in and just plain want to be in.

 

Winter Wardrobe

Winter is almost here, the temperatures have really dipped and mentally I am starting to prepare myself for the long cold road ahead of us. Suffice to say, the best way for me to get excited about winter (a side from Christmas baking, skiing and apres ski) I love to have a fabulous and very warm wardrobe that helps me look great when I’m outside!

This year I decided to take a different approach to buying a coat. I was on a budget (bought a new home) and I wanted something REALLY warm and looks really chic. Most “designer names” are warm but they don’t all cut it for the freezing cold days.

So I decided to go somewhere I had never ordered clothes from, landsend.com and bought this:

 

It’s good for those -30C days! And With the sale Lands’End is having right now (30% and free shipping on some purchases, free shipping was not applicable on my purchase) it came To $72! Amazing deal. It was regularly $179. Also pretty good!

I hope it’s as great as it looks in the picture- you know i’ll report back here!

And Action!

Not too long back I showed off a bridesmaid dress that I planned to wear for an upcoming wedding in Mexico. Well we’re back (hence the lack of posts) and I have a few pictures to show you. I was really pleased with all the fabulous comments I received on the dress!

 

Here it is:

That’s me, second from the left.

Custom Made Bridesmaid Dress

So after completing my first couture session (a vogue skirt) at a couture school, I decided that creating a dress was the next step. And what better time to flex that fashion-sewing muscle than to sew my bridesmaid dress for the upcoming wedding of my friend (in Mexico!). I decided, for moral support and help,  I would recruit of my designer-fashion-school graduate friends to help me. Together we started this project about a month ago.

It was a big project, it was fun, challenging at times and it turned out pretty darn well. Here is a little visual story of how the bridesmaid dress came to be. But first, a big thank you to my friend Stephanie for her help!

The beginning: some pretty coral taffeta fabric, a Cynthia Rowley pattern, some pins and a lot of determination!

J.Crew

I like to start my day by making coffee, preparing snacks for the day and then I begin the “What am I Going to Wear Game”. I plan my outfit according to what I am going to do that day and my mood. Say, I’m going to the gym at lunch, I’ll wear something that is easy to get off and on. Yesterday morning I was stuck. Really stuck. Fashion disaster bad. Outfit after outfit failed after the next and the closet did not seem to offer and solutions to my first world problem. I made it to work in something that I spent the rest of the day being uncomfortable (outfit looked ok, tights were too small in the waist).

Do you suffer from the same thing? Planning the night before saves time but sometimes your mind completely changes in the morning and you feel like fashioning something else.

Have you tried all neutral camel all over?

Melissa Nepton @ Montreal Fashion Week

Montreal Fashion Week has settled into a new location this year, it’s now located in the heart of Griffintown at Arsenal. A really cool open area that was once a marine building. Tres cool. Not to mention a short walk away from where I live.  I was here to see Marie Saint Pierre, she had a cocktail celebrating her 25 years as a fashion label with a  retrospective of her previous collections.

Then it was off to see Melissa Nepton. Melissa is a rare Montreal gem, she is one of the most talented fashion designers in the city. The Spring 2013 collection was beachy, breezy and was very Coco Chanel in the 1920s. I want the entire collection and jet-off to Deauville, France.

The new home of Montreal Fashion Week, Arsenal in Griffintown.

I loved this idea, live footage from the backstage was projected on the wall for all to see.

The catwalk

I just love this look

Bravo xxx