It’s the long weekend here in the T-Dot (aka: Toronto) and boy am I happy it’s Friday! This weekend marks the end of all things winter and the start of the summer social season; barbecues, art and music festivals, and weekends spent up north at the cottage is how we roll around here. And I got just the shoes to keep you looking fresh and stylish.
Shoe specifications:
Outer, linen/silk blend fabric with crepe sole
Colour, multi-coloured
Heel height, N/A
Why I chose these shoes: these Loeffler Randal shoes are fun, flirty and look really comfortable. I typically prefer floral designs on high heel shoes but it’s nice to see it on a pair of flats, especially when they’re designed well. For my local people (in Toronto) Augustina Boutique is selling these floral sensations online in case you need to up your fashion ante when cottaging up north; however, for my non-Canadian friends Lyst is selling them online.
Did someone say “Sample sale and giveaway?” Why yes that was me!
PYA Importer is having its seasonal sample sale from May 22-25, which means you better have your wallet and credit card ready to score some serious designer finds – details here. Brands such as DKNY Intimates, Edun, Toscano and, my favourite, LINE Knitwear can be bought for up to 80% off. Hello!
To get you ready for this shopping extravaganza I’m giving away this beautiful striped linen sweater by LINE Knitwear to one lucky reader. Retail $150.
Leave a comment in this blog entry, make sure to include your e-mail address when filling out the text box.
For an extra entry tweet: “Giveaway alert! Say the magic words: PYA Sample Sale + win @LINEKnitwear sweater on @kimberly_lyn’s blog http://wp.me/p2LFdT-1nG”
The giveaway closes on May 22, 2013 at 12:00 a.m. EST. I will announce and e-mail the winner. Thanks again to the lovely team from PYA Importer and LINE Knitwear for their generosity!
Psst! If you don’t win the sweater, don’t fret, it can be found at the sample sale for purchase.
N.B.: this giveaway is open to readers located in the Greater Toronto Area only. Please allow for a few days for shipping. There are no prize substitutions.
So you thought it was summer time huh! Seeing the temperature in Toronto drop below 10°C this past weekend and Tic-Tac size hail falling from the sky is not my idea of fun in the sun. So like the good ol’ Canadian I am out came my winter jacket, hat and scarf; these pieces are never too far from reach.
I pillaged this fire engine red jacket from my mom’s closet – happy belated Mother’s Day mom – and donned my second favourite accessory, a big floppy hat. I purchased this hat on pure whim will browsing inside Holt Renfrew’s flagship store on Bloor Street; Holt has, in my opinion, one of the nicest selection of stylish chapeaus in the city and for the price of $80 I couldn’t resist picking up this bad boy.
The first time I heard about London’s legendary department store Harrods I was in my pre-teens. My über sophisticated Aunt E was visiting from London and recounted her experiences shopping the floors of the store; the centre of style, luxury, clothes and, of course, designers shoes. It wasn’t until I visited the city years later did I realize how utterly amazing Harrods truly is. The history of the store is evident the moment you walk through its doors, the building takes up more then 1 million square feet and the shoe floor alone seemed to go on forever.
The store is a must-see for any shopaholics visiting London; however, if you’re not travelling across the pond any time soon you can still get the Harrods experience online and shop for my favourite accessory… shoes!
Shoe specifications:
Outer, suede and patent leather
Color, black
Heel height, 11.5 cm
Why I chose this shoe: the moment I saw this Saint Laurent heel on Harrods.com I said “Oh my god!” and nearly fell off my chair. It’s a simple design, uncomplicated in its structure exuding sophistication in the daintiness of it’s stiletto heel and suede covered vamp; yet, this shoe hints at hidden wonders with its over sized patent leather buckle and ankle cuff. However, the best part of finding this sandal on Harrods.com is that they ship worldwide. Woo hoo!
Forget the TV series Project Runway! Canada has the original version which has been running since 1992 and it’s called TFI New Labels Fashion Design Competition.
Held annually by the Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI), this national competition features the country’s up-and-coming design talent in one of the most anticipated fashion events of the year allowing them the opportunity to showcase their sartorial skills in front of a panel of judges, industry movers and insiders.
Sarah Stevenson, fall/winter 2013
The perks of participating in this year’s New Labels competition included the chance to win the Suzanne Rogers Award For Most Promising New Label, a cash award of $25,000, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop an exclusive collection for Target to be sold in stores across Canada in 2014. Can we say amazing?
Sarah Stevenson, Paria Shirvani, Christopher Paunil and SEVENTHIRTYONE were the four designers participating in this year’s competition. Each had their own distinct aesthetic from floor length floral evening gowns, asymmetrical suite jackets, feminine ruffles and kimono-inspired outerwear.
And the winner is… Sarah Stevenson! For fall/winter 2013 Stevenson was inspired by “Dutch still life paintings from the Baroque period” which lead to the creation of floral frocks in the form of a silk chiffon blouse, pencil skirt and long-sleeved maxi dress.
Before she was announced as the winner, Stevenson’s collection was my absolute favourite the moment I saw her first look come down the runway, I knew instantly it was going to wow the judges. Should have bet a pair of designer shoes on it!
L-R: models in Sarah Stevenson; Sarah Stevenson; John Morioka, SVP Merchandising for Target Canada; Suzanne Rogers; Chloé Rogers; Dina Pugliese, Host.
Summer is here! Let the choir of angels sing. Oops… wrong occasion, but it’s still a great time to celebrate. The temperature is more then 20°C which means it’s time to pack away your winter coat, hats and shoes, and trade them in for sleeveless tops and open toe sandals such as these Roland Mouret heels.
Shoe specifications:
Outer, leather and elaphe
Colour, white and neutral
Heel height, 11cm
Why I chose these shoes: I can’t think of a better pair of open toe heels to slip my (or your) feet into. The monochromatic look of these sandals make it a versatile piece and the curved lines crafted from elaphe (aka: snake skin) gives it a modern and architectural feel. I just wish they didn’t cost $1,319… I can’t help it I’m genetically hardwired to like expensive shoes!
Where the fashion and finance crowd play and dance the night away in support of Canada’s fastest growing international humanitarian organization.
Block off your calender on May 10th and dust off your most stylish dress, dapper suit and dancing shoes because the second annual Right to Play Ball will be taking place in just over a week. This charity fundraising event supports Right To Play, “a global organization that uses the transformative power of play – playing sports, playing games – to educate and empower children facing adversity.”
On the ones and twos will be DJ Tony Okungbowa, resident DJ on The Ellen Degeneres Show, and Montreal resident DJ Jo Jo Flores who has rocked the dance floors from New York to Athens; this DJ line-up is so sick that I may have to bring a pair of flats to change into when my heels start to hurt!
She runs the world and rocks the hottest shoes on the concert stage, I’m talking about Queen B, as in Beyoncé, who recently strutted her stuff in Belgrade, Serbia, to start the first leg of her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour which takes place in three continents; 35 shows in Europe, 29 in North America and one in South America. And during the entire time she’ll be wearing specially designed Stuart Weitzman shoes.
For the last several years Weitzman has created shoes for the R&B diva; her last two tours The Beyoncé Experience and I Am…Tour, as well as multiple special performances.
This time around, for the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, Beyoncé’s stylists Ty Hunter and Raquel Smith, and fashion designer/mother Tina Knowles collaborated with Weitzman’s design team to come up with a plethora of footwear selects for the singer, her dancers and band members. I’m calling Weitzman the Fairy Shoe Godfather!
Approximately 40-50 shoes were made with designs ranging from stiletto pumps adorned with Swarovski crystals and military style boots (ankle length and thigh-high). Since these aren’t a regular pair of walking shoes the heels were created with a special width and rubberized soles so they can withstand all that dancing and stomping Beyoncé will be putting it through.
When talking about the collaboration Weitzman said, “Creating footwear for Beyoncé’s shows has been one of my most inspiring projects. She and her entire team know exactly what they need, always focusing on the fashion and the function of the styles that will be worn.”
Shoeaholics listen up! The options for online shoe shopping just got better. As of Wednesday morning, at 7:48 a.m. EST to be exact, British footwear designer and 2013 BFC/Vogue Designer Fund winner Nicholas Kirkwood launched his e-commerce shop. When the e-mail officially announcing the launch of the site landed in my inbox my feet did a happy dance, especially since the site ships to a ton of countries including Canada. Yippee!
Shoe specifications:
Outer, elaphe and leather
Colour, dark purple and fuchsia
Heel height, 10 cm/4 inches
Why I chose this shoe: I absolutely love the classic silhouette of this heel paired with the funky elaphe floral print and use of mirrored leather at the heel and toe. These shoes are guaranteed to stop traffic and I’m dying to have them on my feet, aren’t you?
If you have $825 to spare (gasp!) you can add them to your online shopping cart, but if fuchsia isn’t your thing then Mr. Kirkwood’s shiny new e-commerce shop has a black and white pair just waiting for you.
A few days ago you read my gushing post on meeting Dutch designers (aka: my fashion heroes) Viktor & Rolf but leading up to the momentous encounter I was wrought with what to wear, it’s the typical fashion girl problem when important events draw near.
They say that the greatest compliment you can give to a designer is to wear one of their creations; however, what if said designer’s clothes cost no less than $500+ for something like a shirt? Prices like this is enough to make you put that credit card back into your wallet and empty your online shopping cart in a heart beat. Eek!
So what does one do when you’re on a budget? Improvise! I immediately revisited the designers’ spring/summer 2013 ready-to-wear collection for inspiration. It’s largely a monochromatic colour palette focusing on sophisticated glamour and soft silhouettes; floor length pleated skirts and gowns in black and white with accents of silver lamé, and minimal accessories.
What did my ensemble look like from head to toe? How did I wow Viktor & Rolf to receive compliments from them? I dug into my closet and pulled out a pair of pleated palazzo pants from H&M (purchased last year), and a white silk shirt gifted by Everlane. A Marni x H&M necklace and clutch from Ghana added contrasting colours and interest to the all white ensemble.
My style tip: when in doubt seek style inspiration from your favourite designer’s collections, then get creative and recreate the look from your own closet. You may surprise yourself with the outcome, I know I did.
