In my closet: OBJECT leather shorts and Nella Bella handbag

It’s style post time! I wore this outfit to see Jeremy Laing’s and Jean-Pierre Braganza’s fall/winter 2012 collections at the shOws and was secretly snapped, alongside with Nelia of Style Blog, by FASHION Magazine’s street style photographer Lewis Mirrett (image #4 below). It was during that week in March when Toronto seemed to mystically jump three months into the future to June and the weather was absolutely perfect!

Two of the newest and most favoured pieces I’ve acquired for my spring/summer wardrobe are a pair of OBJECT x George Antonopoulos leather shorts and a colourful handbag by Nella Bella.

Leather shorts in summer you say? Oh yes, wearing leather in the summer is totally hot – literally and figuratively. Leather isn’t a fabric normally associated with spring/summer trends or in anything outside of jacket form; however, when developed into pieces such as these OBJECT shorts and worn on days when the temperature and humidity hovers above 20˚C then I say bring out those babies and shake what your mama gave ya!

The handbag is from Nella Bella’s spring 2012 collection and is dubbed the Hong Kong. It’s fashioned into a square-like structure which makes it easy to fit, find and organize your entire life into it. I acquired it last month and knew it was the bag for me the minute I saw its vibrant turquoise shade.

In my closet: handbag, Nella Bella; necklace, Expression from The Bay; leather shorts, OBJECT x George Antonopoulos for Danier; jacket, Danier; shirt, Club Monaco; shoes, Camilla Skovgaard.

Image gallery #1, picture 4 from FASHION Magazine.

OBJECT by George Antonopoulos for DANIER spring/summer 2012 lookbook

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I’m not going to hide the fact that I’m absolutely dying (in a good fashionable way) over OBJECT’s spring/summer 2012 collection. I’ve professed my loved over this clothing and accessory line in several blog entries in the past and really can’t get enough of George Antonopoulos’ designs.

OBJECT’s latest lookbook images appeared online just last week, this is his second season partnering with DANIER, and I’m counting down the days for when the blue leather pants and suede pieces are available in March... just one month and six days to go.

Now, I’ve seen and reviewed a lot of designer collections, both in Canada and overseas, since starting this blog and there are a dozen or so designers who really speak to my aesthetic and style, Antonopoulos is one of them.

There’s a connection you feel deep inside when you see your favourite designers’ clothing on the runway and in a lookbook; the excitement and anticipation bubbles, and if you can afford the pieces you make a mad dash to the nearest store which sells it. There’s no use in fighting the pull you feel and the urge to splurge when it comes to your favourite designer, resistance is futile. So I might as well hand over my credit card to Antonopoulos and DANIER now, you think I can also send them the bill?

Images courtesy of George Antonopoulos

Danier previews its latest collection and design collaborations for spring 2012

In a very short span of time Danier has turned its product offerings from being mildly stylish to hitting the fashion ball out of the park. With a fashion portfolio filled to the brim with design collaborations with names such as Greta Constantine and Mark Fast, and the opening of its new concept store at Square One Shopping Centre in November, you can’t help but get super excited to see what surprises the company will come up with next.

I recently attended Danier’s spring/summer 2012 preview where they showcased a plethora of new products, as well as the return of OBJECT by George Antonopoulos and their newest collaboration with Canadian designer, Philip Sparks – check out my review of each collection below.

Philip Sparks Tailored Goods for Danier

Danier’s newest design collaboration for the s/s 2012 season is with Philip Sparks Tailored Goods. Known for his quality of craftsmanship and affection for vintage-focused creations, designer, Philips Sparks developed a 10-piece capsule collection of men’s accessories in black leather. The look and shape of the accessories is understated with a focus on the travelling man who requires highly functional and classic pieces designed for durability.

Accessories found in the capsule collection are: iPad case, camera bag, backpack, wallets, and a massive duffle bag.

OBJECT by George Antonopoulos for Danier

OBJECT by George Antonopoulos for Danier makes its second appearance in the company’s line-up after receiving rave reviews of its debut fall/winter 2011 collection. Whispers on the fashion grapevine mentioned OBJECT would colourful and fun for spring 2012; this, of course had me waiting in anticipation for months to get a first look of it.

Antonopoulos has once again created a beautiful collection that each and every woman can incorporate in their wardrobe. Inspired by Modern Mod, colourful leather and suede in the form of a hot-pink shift dress, blue leather pants and brown shorts inject a sense of excitement and fun. To combat the heaviness and heat leather can cause when worn in warm temperatures, many pieces were perforated to allow air flow.

Danier spring/summer 2012

Always eclectic and priced extremely well, Danier’s in-house collection is grouped into themes catering to a wide range of its customers’ tastes such as Western style accessories, playful pastels and versatile neutrals.

I was drawn to Danier’s perforated leather pieces such as a rectangular, sand-coloured handbag and a mid-length brown trench coat.

Danier's s/s 2012 collections will be available in March 2012.

Press: I’m featured in FLARE.com’s “Wear Canada: Blogger Edition”

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FLARE.com, Canada’s most popular fashion and beauty website, is currently featuring me along with a group of bloggers from across the country in an online article titled, “Wear Canada: Blogger Edition.” We were asked to wear our favourite Canadian pieces/brands and to show off our personal style – I’m #16, click here to view my spot!

The article heralds in the start of the s/s 2012 runways shows for Toronto Fashion Week by gathering over 20 bloggers and I’m in good company with people such as Nelia Belkova of Styleblog.ca, Sharon Ng-Hayes of Backseatstylers and Danielle Meder of Final Fashion.

When I was contacted by FLARE the first thought that came to mind was, “What am I going to wear?!” Near panic almost set in on what to choose, but at that moment I looked over to my closet and saw my OBJECT leather shirt hanging in plain view. Ever since I purchased this shirt from the collection’s trunk show I find every excuse to wear it out, so it was a no brainer to make it part of my outfit.

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To balance out the black leather shirt, I paired it with a bright green tulip skirt from Zara and another colourful neutral, a handbag from Nella Bella.

In my closet:

OBJECT by George Antonopoulos for DANIER trunk show

Yesterday was a busy evening. With three events to attend myself, Nelia (Style Blog) and Sharon Ng (Backseat Stylers) joined fashion forces and conquered all in a span of three hours. Our third event and last stop for the night was the trunk show for the launch of OBJECT by George Antonopoulos for DANIER.

Ever since OBJECT’s preview in May, I've been dying to get my hands on this collection; it’s slick, sexy and so easy to wear that there was no doubt of purchasing a piece from it.

Originally, my intention was to buy the lamb leather sleeve dress ($399) or the knit top in a similar boxy style, but in the end I ordered the long-sleeve, button down, lamb leather shirt. The cut and fit of the shirt is superb and was impossible to resist.

In creating this collection for DANIER Antonopoulos said, “My philosophy behind OBJECT was creating modern classics in leather that are effortlessly integrated into anyone’s wardrobe. Attainable and affordable, the designs are investment pieces translated in leather to create a new language of dressing.”

OBJECT hits select DANIER stores on September 8 or you can purchase some of the pieces online at www.danier.com. Happy shopping!

Images courtesy of DANIER

DANIER shows its LOVE for LEATHER with a sea of designer collaborations for fall/winter 2011

DANIER, Canada’s premier leather manufacturer and retailer, has been knee deep in upping their fashion forward repertoire with designer collaborations for their fall/winter 2011 collection, showing their LOVE of LEATHER. Collaborations with knit wear designer, Mark Fast; a partnership with Fashion Director, George Antonopoulos to create a line called OBJECT and a capsule collection with Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong of Greta Constantine, named “SKIN” – all will wet the stylish palettes of their customers.

I’m a long-time and loyal DANIER customer, to hear of all of these wonderful and fun collaborations set my fashion senses on fire and quite possible my credit card if I’m not careful.

Greta Constantine's SKIN for DANIER

I had the opportunity to get a first-hand look at the SKIN during its preview. SKIN is a small capsule collection of six tightly curated pieces ranging in price from $399 for a sleeveless bolero to $999 for an asymmetrical, draped coat with rounded back.

The colour palette leans towards darker and rich earth tones such as black, eggplant and walnut in lamb leather and suede. One piece I’m particularly fond of is the black, lamb leather kimono style coat; it’s extremely soft and supple, the type of coat you can just throw on and know you’ll always look fabulous in.

On the creation of SKIN Kirk and Stephen said "We sought to find a happy medium between fashion and function; to offer silhouettes that were appealing to the eye and still flattering on a variety of different body types."

SKIN will be available for purchase to the public in 20 DANIER stores nationally, as well as online at DANIER.com by mid-August.

OBJECT by George Antonopoulos for DANIER

O-M-G I want this entire collection! Does that last sentence give you a hint of how I feel about OBJECT? It’s absolutely divine.

Designed by George Antonopoulos, OBJECT is a sleek line looking to incorporate leather into your everyday wardrobe by bringing the fabric from its mainly outdoor use to the indoors. This body conscious line looks to enhance the feminine form, seeking to do away with the bulky sweaters women often favour during the cold winter months.

A button down shirt with leather detailing on dual breast pockets and a loose fitting jersey shirt with leather sleeves are sophisticated and easy pieces you can instantly envision yourself in.

Mark Fast and DANIER

In March I wrote a blog entry reviewing Mark Fast’s collaboration with DANIER for his fall/winter 2011 collection. What we saw on Fast’s runway is his characteristic revealing knits with equally revealing leather pieces which provided a different dimension to his work.

The retail version of the Fast and DANIER collaboration is toned down with leather pieces more suitable for crossing over into the Canadian market. It’s a small capsule collection composed of seven looks, four indoor and three outerwear pieces all in black.

What’s carried over from the runway collection are a pair high-waisted leather pants and detailing, such as leather laces on the arms of a jacket and on the front of a knee-length dress. The one thing missing to complete this collection and identify it as something from Mark Fast is the presence of his signature knits.

Image gallery #3 and #4 courtesy of DANIER