Lovely Links à la Mode

Hooray!!!  I've been included again as part of Independent Fashion Bloggers Links à la Mode Weekly Roundup!  The posts this week, as selected by Fajr of Stylish Thought, are truly a feast for the eyes and food for the soul.  I've reposted all of the links below, so be sure to check them out!  I'm so honoured to be listed alongside such talented fashion bloggers!  Thank you IFB :)

The Beauty of Bloggers

Edited by: Fajr of Stylish Thought

Once a month, I pour through the links that the amazing members of IFB submit. Typically, I sit late Wednesday night after a long day and read through the thoughtful, helpful, stylish and beautiful posts that you guys submit. It is in these moments that I am truly in awe of how talented and gracious this community is. Full of spirited bloggers that discuss everything from the latest neon trend to the body pressures of fashion blogging. We are a diverse and dynamic group, connected through our mutual love of style and tireless support and encouragement of one another.
This week’s links are a testament to the beauty of blogging. Through eloquent prose, enigmatic portraits and style lessons from a mother to her daughter, IFB is rich with love and of course great style.

Links à la Mode: June 16th

• Ashley4Emergy: Move Over Mellow Yellow
• Beautifully Invisible: 5 Things HBO’s True Blood Taught Me about Fashion & Beauty
• By Anika: Sexy is a State of Mind
• Corinne Monique: La Belle Epoque Photoshoot
• Dress with Courage: Winner Takes All: Women and Competition
• Fierce Beauty and Fashion: Thoughts from a Plus-Sized Blogger
• For Those About to Shop: Fashion Bloggers, Nick Knight and the Old Guard
• Idil Vice: New Summer Heights in the City Hurt
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: Fashion Memes: Franca and Miss Boss of Feminist Fashion Bloggers
• Inkblot Photography: Portrait Session: Kimberly Marcelle
• Love Brown Sugar: Don’t Believe the Hype
• Madeline Quaint: Illustrated Shoot: Birds of a Feather
• North on Harper: Fashion Savvy Need to Know
• Odetoawe: Cat Lover
• Oranges and Apples: Polka Dots Skirt 4 Ways
• Splendiferous Inclinations: Inexpensive Summer Outfits
• Stylish Thought: A Woman’s Right to Shoes
• The Loudmouth: Be A Better Shopper
• The Style Confession: Knock Off or Not
• Un-Stitched: Fashion Heirlooms

SPONSOR:
New Clothing at Shopbop: Feliks+Adrik, Rebecca Taylor, DL1961, Hanky Panky, Yosi Samra, Aiko, Spanx, Thayer dresses, KORS, Sara Berman, DVF.

Ladies Who Launch

Hello Lovely Readers,

One of the perks of being an intern with Greta Constantine is sometimes being lucky enough to tag along with them to Toronto's fashionable events ;)  I'm not really very good at being a social butterfly, but this past month I got plenty of practice hobnobbing with the fashion flock.  Also, I'm not sure if it was by miraculous coincidence or some subconscious self-challenge, but I designed/made a dress for each event (I actually had sewn another dress for the second-last event, which I will wear and post later, but I wore one of the same dresses again instead).  Anyways, I'll try and give you the run-down on all the events...it's another lengthy post, so get ready!

Exhibit A: The Grid Launch Party

The Grid is Toronto's new weekly magazine, replacing Eye Weekly.  As with all the events, drinks and hors d'œuvres were served :)  There was also a cool light show near the DJ.

my cut-out back sundress, super-tall Aldo shoes 
(courtesy GC :) 

Cannes Film Festival Favourites

Dear Readers,

Last week saw the closing of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.  It looked so gorgeous and warm there, I just wanted to hop on a plane and move to France ;)

All the celebs were there, decked out in their finest.  But in my opinion, Rachel McAdams stole the show - every single one of her looks was stunning!  Another favourite was the ever-daring-anything-but-subtle Fan Bing Bing - her choices are so crazy, dramatic, and over-the-top, yet somehow strangely amazing ;)  Maybe it's her confidence that carries the look?

The most popular colour of the festival was probably white, mostly of the lace variety, which was lovely and made me immediately want a white dress for summer... ;)

Below are my personal favs, in (mostly) red, white, and blue :)

Rachel McAdams in Marchesa - LOVE

Meet Me At the Met!

New York's Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Gala this past Monday chose a special topic for the evening.  The traditional accessibly fun and sometimes trivial themes of past Galas were replaced by a more weighty, serious subject matter:  paying tribute to the work and memory of the late Lee Alexander McQueen and the unveiling of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's exhibit in his honour, entitled Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.

God Save McQueen!

via: Telegraph

Dear Readers,

I must preface this by saying, had Kate Middleton not made the right dress choice last Friday, this post would not exist.

Truth be told, up until last week, I wasn't very excited about the Royal Wedding.  But I started to get into it, and come Friday morning, after I saw the (correct) dress, I just couldn't help myself!  I got sucked in to the frenzy of monarchical madness!!  (You might not be able to tell, but I wrote this post with a British accent!)

For anyone who missed the wedding and wants to catch up, this is basically what happened (and I dare any wedding naysayers not to enjoy this!):

Art Decoupage

Edward Steichen, Gloria Swanson (lace), 1924

Hello again Dear Readers,

I hope you were all able to take in some fashion shows this past season, or at least got to flip/click through photos of the shows :)

Here's some of what I was busy doing last month at the gorgeous Eastern-inspired Greta Constantine Fall/Winter 2011 show...

Green With Envy

via: The Eco Market

Hello Dear Readers,

My Valentine's Day post was so much fun, I've decided to follow suit and dedicate this post to the colour green, in honour of St. Patrick's Day!  I don't know about you, but my family always celebrates St. Patrick's Day...we're Irish, what can I say?

The above photo is what might first come to mind when you think of "green fashion"...ethical, ecological, earthy.  Now don't get me wrong, I love eco-friendly, sustainable fashion!  But the following photos are my initial thoughts when I mix the words "green" and "fashion:"

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup

I have to post this quickly before I wake up and realize it's all a dream!  My last post was chosen as part of Independent Fashion Bloggers Links à la Mode this week!  Thank you so much IFB!  Please be sure to visit all of the other rounded up blogs, reposted below!  Also, consider taking Vahni's advice when visiting and commenting on blogs and "check out the blog of the person who commented above you" - such a good idea!

Making it Your Own

Edited by Vahni of Grit & Glamour

Wow...I'm a Links à la Mode editor...can you believe it?! So thrilled to have the opportunity to discover new blogs and compelling posts to share with all of you. That said, give me two minutes in the pulpit, and my "better blog" sermon starts welling up, totally involuntarily. So allow me a moment to share what I am looking for when I review submissions. It's pretty simple: Be creative and original, tie your post into beauty or fashion, use proper grammar and punctuation (spellcheck and proofread before publishing), and credit your photo sources. Always.

And on to the list...bloggers were in deep thought this week, pondering ethical fashion and feminism, male gaze and Marthettes. But in case you need to escape the heavy stuff, there is: denim! Happy reading, and as you peruse and comment on this week's posts, why stop there? For every comment you leave, why not check out the blog of the person who commented above you and comment there too? It's a great way to expand your mind—and your readership.

Links à la Mode: March 10th

• ALinetoZ: An Open Letter to High-Waisted Jeans

• Arash Mazinani: How ethical are you when it comes to fashion? A look at the hypocrisy often involved in being ethical in fashion.

• Beyond Fabric: Men's daily essentials—inside one man's bag holdall.

• Corinne Monique: Cellissimo: a music-meets-fashion photoshoot inspired by high fashion ad campaigns.

• Dress With Courage: Are you more likely to buy something if the model looks like you?

• Designed By Ann: Reading glasses are suddenly fashionable—so here are makeup tips for girls who wear glasses.

• Free Honey: On moving to wordress.org: 5 must-know tips for new bloggers.

• Fishmonkey: On The Man Repeller, the male gaze, and its role in shaping fashion choices.

• Grit & Glamour: Klout: What it is and Why it Matters

• Holier than Now: Spring's Most Beautiful Lace Looks—5 Ways for < $50
• In Her Stilettos: How to organize your jewelry while traveling—cheaply and stylishly.
• Made-to-Travel: Asos Africa—the incredible ethical makers of this gorgeous line—oh! and it's on sale!
• Melina Bee: Life and style tips inspired by Sophia Loren.
• Obsessive Coolness: On the relationship—or surprising lack thereof—between talent and success in fashion blogging.
• Oranges And Apples: Thoughts on Marthettes, blogging about 'feminine' stuff, and perfection.
• Pretty Shiny Sparkly: A chic and easy way to wear the double denim trend.
• Sidewalk Chic: Six ways to showcase accessories in outfit photos.
• Sugar and Spice: Natalie Portman is effortlessly eco-chic at an Oscars after-party—in an inexpensive dress that hits H&M next month.
• Trés Awesome: The weather may be crappy but that didn't stop people from being out and about with their bright and beautiful umbrellas.
• Try It On Me: The resurgence of the denim shirt—not just for cowboys!

SPONSOR:
Shopbop Jeans: Citizen's, Seven's, Juicy, Joe's, Hudsons, Paige, James Jeans, Vince, True Religion, J Brand, & Siwy

Cellissimo

Dear Readers,

It's a rainy night here in Toronto, and I hope it's a sign that Spring is finally on the way because one of the best things about warmer weather, for me anyway, is being able to go on an outdoor photoshoot expedition :)  It's so entertaining to come up with interesting new locations to set my designs against and just have fun with the camera.  Also, it seems much easier for me to find a good spot outdoors rather than indoors, and the pictures almost always turn out better too.

My sister, Kathleen, whom you have met before in this blog, is one of my favourite models and, lets face it, is also the most readily available model who is willing to be coaxed into doing a photoshoot ;)  She is a gorgeous girl and lovely cellist.  Last Spring, for her graduating Master of Music Cello Recital, we went forth into the brisk Spring air to take some photos, which I later used to make her recital posters, invitations, and programs from.  I was inspired by the Chanel and Dior Spring/Summer 2010 ad campaigns and used them as guides for art direction and styling ideas.

Here are the original ads.  I love the absence of bright colours.  Everything, even the black, is pale and muted, almost unnaturally so.  In the Chanel ads, the stark contrast of black and white is strangely unified, blended by the diffused light.  The Dior ads (from back in the John Galliano days, pre-ruined reputation & probable Ricardo Tisci at Dior / Haider Ackermann at Givenchy takeover, which I'm sure I will have something to say about in the near future, after the dust settles) really play up light and dark by using the blinds to create interesting shadows.  I also love the use of hard architectural structures (doorways, stairs, walls) in both ads and how they simultaneously contrast with and complement the garments, suggesting a time, place, and story.

And the Oscar for Best Dressed Goes To...

The adorable Colin Firth & Anne Hathaway

Hello Film & Fashion Lovers,

I was so excited for the Academy Awards last night!  Which films/actors would take home an Oscar?  I'm so glad The King's Speech won for Best Picture!  How would the hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco do?  It was a pretty Anne-dominated-but-otherwise-basic presentation, but I did like their opening sequence and loved the music video mash-up...so funny.  I also liked the King's Speech voice-over lead-up to the Best Picture winner, even if it was a little bit strangely prophetic ;)  But the most important question, for me anyway, was who would wear who?! 

Let's start with Anne Hathaway, who wore a total of eight outfits during the night.  

Here are my pics for her best looks:

Anne Hathaway...in a Lanvin tux & amazing Brian Atwood heels