With her background in styling and costume design, Nicole Manek knows exactly what works and what doesn’t. Though opening a boutique wasn’t originally in her life plans, when a space on Dundas West popped up, she simply couldn’t say no. Life of Manek offers up goods for the ladies plucked from near and afar, with Manek using her insider status in the film world to suss out goods from movie sets and more.
How many cool up-and-coming swimwear designers from Toronto can you name off the top of your head? We have trouble naming even one from Canada, let alone Toronto. It’s really not that surprising, considering we are best known for clothing lines geared for the chillier months. Still, it would be nice to be able to strip down to some Canuck beachwear sometimes, would it not?
There are certain items that will be forever classics in the world of rock and roll. To me, these items include some good denim and, well, a lot of black. I bring up these concert-going outfit essentials in preparation for NXNE (my favourite week of the year), which officially kicks off today.
Ever since Chasse Gardée shuttered its doors, West Queen West has been a bit lacking in the shoe department. Jeff Brodawka is here to change that with his brand new shop, Brodawka & Friends. Opened in May, the shop offers hungered shoe aficionados a selection of goods in the former Champagne and Cupcakes space (which just moved further east).
The fallout from last week’s surprise council decision to ban single-use plastic shopping bags in Toronto continues. Mayor Rob Ford has called it “the dumbest thing” council has done, and said yesterday that there’s a legal challenge in the works.
It’s hard to name a local brand that doesn’t fill our ideal closet more than Chloé Comme Parris. As if answering our prayers, the Toronto-based label, designed by sister-duo Chloé and Parris Gordon, officially launched their new online store last week, making it far easier to browse their coveted pieces.
Have you ever dreamt of stumbling across a yard sale that just so happened to be filled with discarded designer goods? Well, lucky for you, that dream is about to come true. Toronto-based jewellery brand Blackbird has teamed up with a few fabulous fashionistas to host a yard sale today.
So, you’ve got the decadent drop-top of your dreams revved up and ready to go for the summer. But do you have the shoes to go with it? Even if you don’t have the latest Mercedes-Benz SL-Class parked in your garage, you’ll appreciate these on-trend driving mocs we found at Cole Haan on Bloor Street.
After watching Johnny Depp play an imprisoned vampire in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, we’ve been inspired to wake up our own inner 18th-century Goth. We’re not saying it’s time to hit Queen West and emerge in this city’s signature gothic-raver attire, but it is time to try something a little more dramatic — and this little black dress by Lover has all of the delicate detailing of “the dark world” that we love.
Being more of a “guy’s girl” who works in fashion, I’ve learned to be dressed for anything that comes my way in a day. Having grown up in fashion, and having a lot of guy friends my whole life, I guess this is where my signature fusion of “sporty-glam” stems from. I always like to be slightly laid-back if I’m meant to be dressed up, and a little dressed up if I’m supposed to look laid-back.
Recently, at a boutique investment firm, an analyst complained to co-workers that he was scared to go home because his wife was reading Fifty Shades of Grey, the best-selling erotic novel about the relationship between a college graduate and a young business magnate, notable for its sexy scenes. Though this investment analyst’s colleagues were envious … Continued
“We wanted it to feel just like an apartment in Paris,” says Matéo Masquelier of Canon Blanc, the boutique he opened on Queen West at the end of April with his wife, Caroline. In their store, the pair, who left France in search of something new, offer a snapshot (or should we say Instagram) of the Parisian way of life.
