Fashion Scene

All it took to get Christina Remenyi's gorgeous lingerie line, Fortnight, off the ground was a little CPR. Super Sexy CPR, that is. The Toronto designer, who studied in the city then travelled Europe honing her craft, wanted to make a line of lingerie that was as practical as it was beautiful. Handmade in Canada, the pieces are to die for, and when it came time to promote the line, her ad company, Red Urban, took that literally. Together they created Super Sexy CPR, a gorgeously shot video where Fortnight-clad models give us a rundown on the basics of CPR (you'll be surprised how much you don't remember.) The video took off-like, really took off. When we sat down with Remenyi, 4 million people had viewed the video. "It took me a little bit to even comprehend what 4 million meant," she says. "It's just insane. It was at a million overnight."

"Sexy to me is confidence and a little bit of cheekiness," says Remenyi, which describes the video, and her designs, very accurately.
"It's a great concept and it really does remind you that CPR's not a bad thing to know how to do."

The bras, which are comprised of 30-40 different pieces, are all made meticulously in-house, and available in sizes 30-38 A-E. The goal? Make comfort feel sexy and feminine, so that even women who hate wearing a bra want to sashay around in them all day. Remenyi is a girl who knows how to combine sexy and comfortable. What's her ideal break after a day spent slaving away over sexy underthings? "Getting empanadas, and a coffee."

By Maria Escamilla
It appears that rock royalty Courtney Love has hopped on the bandwagon of fashion blogging. The site is not Love's own personal attempt at salvaging a worst-dressed reputation, but a blog belonging to an unknown "L"" "T" & , "X". Mysterious. However, Love does contribute by sending a quick pic of what she is wearing each day. Sartorialist worthy? Well, that's for you to decide.

Growing up wanting to start my own girl band, I started dressing like CLO. Bleach blonde hair? Check. Babydoll dress? Check. Last night's make up? Check. We've all kept this image of Courtney Love as hot mess in our minds, but the bitch has her own style, and she rocks it shamelessly. Love's look has become iconic and inspires fashionistas from Gossip Girls' Taylor Momsen, to Chanel's director of makeup, Peter Phillips. Today, she sits front row at Roberto Cavalli, and is a loyal fan of Givenchy and Yves St. Laurent. In January 2009, Love also won Woman of the Year at Elle Style Awards in London, and even graced the cover of Elle UK.

Am I saying Anna Wintour is checking CLO's closet diary? Probably not. But, Love has her own army of followers, like me. My brother was a Nirvana grunge kid, so I had the honour of frequently hearing Hole blasted as a preteen. I was transfixed watching her go apeshit on MTV and would dutifully strum Violet riffs in the background (this got me a girl scout badge, bitches).

No stranger to ups, downs and disaster - she has always pulls through and makes a statement, be it impressive or gut wrenching. So two weeks later, am I still checking www.whatcourtneyworetoday.com? Abso-fuckin-lutely.

Jean Luc Godard's Breathless (A bout de souffle) helped bring the Nouvelle Vague (French New Wave) onto the international radar, and Jean Seberg's iconic style in the film has been informing waifs for generations. At once devil-may-care and effortlessly poised, Sebert's bleached pixie cut, cropped skinny jeans, Trib tee, and patent flats defined chic then and now. Throw in stripey sailor shirts and tailored, belted dresses, and you have a timeless look that continues to inform style as much as the film itself still informs cinema.

The entire aesthetic of the Nouvelle Vague is a celebration of independent thinking and style, with a vintage influence. It surges with creativity, sex, and intrigue, and Breathless is no exception. Jean Seberg and Jean Paul Belmondo hole up in her apartment while he hides from the law, smoking and gazing at each other with bedroom eyes from beneath fedoras. The idea of The Outlaw-whether literally from the law, or from regular society, permeates the aesthetic. The idea that your art, your youth, your style, elevates you to a world apart, creates some of the glamour and intrigue inherent in Nouvelle Vague. The simple uniform Seberg wears presents a pared down sexiness that makes style seem entirely effortless and eternally modern.

By Shelley Budd
Dressing for anything one-notch more glamorous than a dinner at Hapa Izakaya can easily progress into a decoration of the lamps, ceiling fan and an entire one-block radius outside my apartment with tossed and toe-holed leggings and inside-out dresses that just don’t look right. So why not coach the closet into providing the necessary elements to make it a synch to pull together a chic outfit in a pinch? Let’s learn from what works.

There’s yet to be a Wikipedia entry for Polina Frantsena, Moscow born Twenty-Something Girl #1 in the new Sex and the City movie, and model paired with a winning designer on Project Runway. Both her career and style are fresher than fish at the market. We love her, because she rocks this simple and classy look, the components of which can be the go-to blueprint for a dinner date or noteworthy event outfit, and we hope there’s more of her to come.

There’s an effortless elegance in this fusion of business casual and girlie-flair, and the colour understatement is mature. I love the neckline of this dress, since higher tops keep my lack of cleave under-wraps, but the length of the dress keeps it young and flirty. Easy combination: blazer, dress, tights, heels – but for some reason the look has never gracefully jumped out of the closet and on onto my body that nicely. Next time an occasion calls for a touch of the fancy, put together a blazer over a tiered or lacey dress with black tights and heels, and top it with classic red lipstick and some dangling neckwear.

Here are the elements to put together a similar look…they’re all online!

The Dress,
by Finders Keep on Pixie Market.

The Blazer, by Silence and Noise on Urban Outfitters.

The Shoes, by C Society on Pixie Market.

The Extras; still essential:

Pantyhose from the pantyhose haven, American Apparel.

Oh-So-Canadian pendant from ifoundgallery11 on Etsy.

Valentine Red Lipstick, from Shiseido available at Sephora.

By Jasmine Soucy
Take it from someone who voluntarily gave up on wearing pants or anything pant-like over a year ago: a decent pair of jeans is hard to find. Either they are slightly too high-waisted or alarmingly low rise, either they are too skinny or not quite skinny enough, either they are devoid of pockets or they make you look like a jarhead. I, like every girl, have an ideal style and fit of pant in mind, but I simply never find it. My coping method, as mentioned, has been to admit defeat and turn to skirts as my (only) bottoms of choice. Even on the rare occasion that I do don a pair of pants, a new problem promptly pops up; the search for complementary footwear. Although I’m a big fan of your average plimsoll, I’ve been told repeatedly that this shoe is not, in fact, universally appropriate to the variety of life’s social obligations. Point in case : convocation ceremony. Who knew. Fortunately for me, and any others (if they exist) who share my fashion woes, upcoming fall trends offer many solutions to this sartorial dilemma. At a recent fall collection preview featuring the latest names in fashion, I was given the lowdown of where fashion is headed next season: towards classic style and comfort.

Hudson Jeans
Hudson Jeans had a well-rounded collection; featuring a new line of super stretch skinny jeans, including a few punk-inspired items (complete with your choice of side zippers or buttons) and a high-waisted trouser, the ‘Garconne’. If you surmised this name refers to a boyishly slimming combination of a pleated waistline and a baggy, yet skinny-where-it-counts fit, a look both comfortable and nonchalantly sexy, you’d be correct. Also, further exemplifying its penchant for androgynous and re-appropriative charm, the Hudson military jean, in antique jade, combines a skinny leg with none other than side cargo pockets. I know this might sound concerning but, to be honest, the Hudson rep assured me ‘military’ is ‘in’ this autumn and, upon seeing these jeans, their fit and the clever way their pockets fit their skinny silhouette, I am okay with that – no jarhead confusion here.

Blank Jeans
The Blank Jeans collection mirrored this turn towards comfort with a line of mostly skinny jeans designed to maintain the high-end appeal at a slightly more affordable price-range. For the most part Blank featured the usual suspects: the classic skinny in shades ranging from black to indigo, a variety of side zippers, studded back pockets and cuffed bottoms. Firmly on the military bandwagon, they also offered a cargo skinny, albeit with the addition of hip-level zipper pockets that risked disrupting the delicate balance between feminine and machismo that an army-inspired skinny must maintain.

Bensimon
On the footwear side of things, Bensimon featured a variation on the plimsoll offered in 13 different colours and upwards of 4 different prints (Urban Outfitters, eat your heart out.). Although the shoe’s rubber-capped toe and slightly defined back heel give it a clunkier appearance than most minimalist-minded hipsters would tolerate, it’s qualities of durability, portability and (successful) washability certainly are redeeming.

Bloch
Finally, my personal favourite was Bloch; a company renowned for its handcrafted technical dance footwear, but whose new line of shoes and boots translates functionality into fashion. Bloch excels at channelling the dancer in every urbanite while remaining realistic about the needs of their city-bound extremities (a.k.a. feet). Their spanning selection of ballerina-like flats and kitten-heels are customizable to any style; whether your weakness is pink, leopard print, metallic or even bejewelled (by Swarovski nonetheless). Their jazz-shoe fuses the appealing split-sole shape of the dance shoe with a fashion-ready exterior available both in three styles of two-tone leather or a selection of solids, all with a slight back heel to maximize elegance. Not only was each featured-brand quite inspiring in its own right, the cross-style pant and shoe pairing potential at this event reinvigorated my will to wear that which is two-legged.

650 bands, 50 venues, 4 am last call…NXNE is near and it’s bound to get messy. Whether you’re holding your spot centre stage or gallivanting from venue to venue, preparation is key. Simple with just enough rocker chic – this look bodes well for debaucherous early morning benders.
1. Levi’s 501 Vintage Denim Shorts
2. Top Shop Stud Shoulder Crop Tee
3. Ecote Ankle Boot
4. Kimchi Blue Mini Woven Purse
5. French Connection Metal Cuff

Summer’s almost here and naturally, we’ve been scouring the net for our seasonal must-haves. If we closed our eyes and made a reasonable dream, we'd open them and see this look presented to us. We'll take the Grey Goose La Poire on ice SVP.

For a sexy summer night:

Top Shop Silk Bubble Tier Skirt, $69 topshop.com
Hanky Panky Lace Camisole, $42 net-a-porter.com
Marc By Marc Jacobs Almarc Bootie, $375 revolveclothing.com
Sara Berman Studded Suede Clutch, $235 theoutnet.com
DiorKiss Luscious Lip-Plumping Gloss, $21 sephora.com
House of Harlow Sunburst Cocktail Ring, $52 revolveclothing.com
House of Harlow 1960 14KT Gold Feather Earrings, $75 shopthetrend.com
Estee Lauder Bronzer, $30 esteelauder.com
Grey Goose Poire Vodka, $47

by Caitlyn Holroyd

Hot - HOT - HAWWT! It's time to get almost naked and run to the water. Toronto Island, Grandma's cottage, that motel in the Kawartha's or Scadding Court Pool. We don't care - just get us in the water. Some items to have you looking like a Riviera beach babe from a 1960's Godard film - no matter what the real life scenario.

Day

Ecote Ankle Wrap Sandal, $29 urbanoutfitters.com
Top Shop Denim Stripe Tunic, $46 topshop.com
Anthropologie Anchored Bag, $138 anthropologie.com
Frill Chelsea Bandeau Bikini, $230 net-a-porter.com
Roxy Sand Box Sun Hat, $29 Nordstrom.com
Ray-Ban Retro Cats 1000, $135 revolveclothing.com
Benefit California Kissin’ Smile Brightening Lip Shine, $18 sephora.com
Joe Fresh Nail Polish, $4 joe.ca
Chiclets, $2
Hawaiian Tropic Baby Faces Lotion 45, $12
Olympus Pen Camera, $600

by Caitlyn Holroyd
It was 78 years ago that Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. In honour of her impressive feat, here’s some aviation-inspired pieces we imagine Earhart herself donning.

1. Cropped Worley Leather Biker Jacket
2. Elmsfield Broderie Anglaise blouse
3. Diane Von Furstenberg Trousers
4. Dolce Vita Lace & Buckle Flat Ankle Boot
5. Ray-Ban Aviator

Inspired by the campy, culty film Leslie, My Name Is Evil, coming out on May 21st, we've created two 60's-inspired looks in homage to the conflicting leading ladies vying for the protaganist's heart- one that borrows from brown-nosing Bible thumpers and one that embraces (questionably) free spirits.

1. Girly Lace Ankle Sock, American Apparel
2. Marlee Seersucker Flat Jazz Sneaker
3. Aleksandra Wisniewska Cotton Dress
4. House of Sunglasses Vintage Glasses
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1. Nicole Open Up Heeled Oxford
2. Linea Pelle Braided Belt
3. Minkpink Nightingale Sleeveless Dress
4. Paul Smith Floral One Piece Swimsuit