Toronto’s LG Fashion Week

Photo 1: Klaxon Howl’s Queen Street West shop has managed to achieve commercial success while maintaining its Canadian roots with vintage and military menswear pieces. www.klaxonhowl.com

Photo 2: Inspired by New York City’s club culture, Sid Neigum shows a dark, avant-garde collection this SS12 season. www.sidneigum.com

Photo 3: Proving that home décor and haute couture go hand-in-hand, Korhani shows off a Canadian Made Innovation SS12 indoor rug in Rabbit print. www.korhani.com

Photo 4: Korhani continues to sweep us off our feet with its innovative rug runway fashion show. Model is wearing Korhani’s SS12 reversible outdoor patio rug in China Flower print. Read more

Real Shopping Experience

Holiday bells ring as the door to a local shop closes behind you. Out of the cold and into the warmth of a festive storefront, you’re greeted with a pleasant smile. A shop owner guides you around, giving personal attention and expert knowledge on exclusive products rarely seen in big-box stores. Making suggestions as she walks with you, she picks an item, showing you the fine details and superb craftsmanship that make it so special. Once you’ve decided on your purchase, the shop owner personally wishes you the best during the Holidays as she gift-wraps your purchase. In a modern world where time is a constant factor, we lean towards the routes that save the most time and ignore the community around us for the quickest answer. But consider this: If we only decide to window-shop, vacant storefronts with “For Lease” signs hanging in windows will be all that’s left where a local business once stood. Read more

Wearing her Heart on her Couture Sleeve

Toronto’s own Jeanne Beker walks effortlessly towards me through FashionTelevision studios; carried by sky-high patent leather pumps and a black cap-sleeved designer dress fitted to her knees. Supermodels Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell smile seductively from life-size posters, having quietly eavesdropped on sit-down chats in the studio with Oscar De La Renta, Issac Mizrahi and Shalom Harlow, to name a few. Read more