Posts

Blunt Design-Builds A Way Better Umbrella

/43 Comments/in , , /by
This New Zealand umbrella manufacturer is redefining personal weather protection.

Blunt Mini Umbrella & Blunt Take It AnywhereMONEY WELL SPENT | Although Vancouver is a rainy place, I almost never carry an umbrella— and if I do, it’s usually a cheapie. I go cheap because every umbrella I’ve owned has been either wrecked and ruined in a storm or lost in 60 seconds. Considering my history, I surprised myself recently by switching from $10 disposables to a $60 Blunt umbrella. If the Blunt lives up to its promise, it’ll be one of the last brollies I buy. Read more

Missoni Ballet Flats

Target + 400 Missoni Products = Good Stuff

/2 Comments/in , /by
Premiering at Target in September, the Italian fashion house known for its knits puts its signature on everything from onesies to two wheelers.

Missoni Ballet FlatsSAVE ON CHIC | Not since Liberty London for Target launched in March 2010 has the big box emporium fallen so head over heals in a huge way for a luxury label—right now Target is madly in love with Missoni. Debuting September 13, Missoni for Target will include a mindboggling array of 400 products bearing the kaleidoscope of colours and unmistakable motifs—chevrons, zigzags, flame stitching and abstract florals—synonymous with the 58-year-old-Italian knitwear giant. Read more

Karl Lagerfeld’s Fashions For Macy’s

/0 Comments/in , , /by
He’s gone high-end with Chanel and low-end with H&M, but can Karl Lagerfeld produce a fashion collection that appeals to middle Americans? We’ll find out August 31.

SAVE ON CHIC | It’s kind of funny to think that Karl Lagerfeld, one of the most influential fashion designers in modern history, the face of Chanel, a man defined by his elitism and snobbery, most likely invented diffusion fashion—clothing lines by top fashion designers for inexpensive off-the-rack shops. Lagerfeld’s groundbreaking 2004 collection for low-end fashion house H&M, every piece of which sold out worldwide in under 60 minutes, unleashed an army of copycat courtiers itching to collaborate with mass-market retailers on low-cost apparel lines, starting a trend that continues unabated. Read more

Toms-The Row Fall 2011

Shoe In: TOMS New Euro Shoes By The Row

/1 Comment/in , , /by
Last week TOMS introduced its new pricy classics by The Row. Does this mean a Three For One program will follow?

Toms-The Row Fall 2011SHOPPING AROUND | I’ve been wearing the same pair of classic TOMS shoes for three years now, and I love them. I don’t know whether the alpargata, the Argentinean farmer/polo player’s shoe (a variation on the Spanish espadrille) that is the basis for the TOMS design has any arch support, but TOMS shoes have some, which makes them particularly comfortable—and a foot-healthy alternative to that other ubiquitous casual shoe, the flip flop. Read more

Ilia Pure Lip Care

Ilia Pure Lip Care Is Definitely The Bomb!

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by
Somewhere between a lipstick and a lip balm, this product looks rich and feels richer.

Ilia Pure Lip CareMONEY WELL SPENT | It’s not every day that Daily Candy, the U.S.-based email newsletter that reports on the latest of everything its three million trend-conscious female subscribers could possibly want to buy, anoints a barely launched product available in just 20 boutiques as the “Holy Grail.” But that’s exactly what happened last week when the online behemoth’s L.A. editor reported that Vancouver’s own Ilia Pure Lip Care was the be-all and end-all of lip conditioners. Read more

Nu Food Cart Souvlaki

Carmen Ruiz y Laza Shares Her Vancouver

/826 Comments/in , , /by
Media relations maven and woman about town Carmen Ruiz y Laza shares her sources for looking good and living well without breaking the bank.

Nu Food Cart SouvlakiA hyper-connected media relations specialist with clients who have ranged from Cartier and Hermès to the Vancouver Opera and United Way, Carmen Ruiz y Laza knows what’s what and who’s who in Vancouver. As a producer of high-profile events like the Fashionista’s Ball (see our story here), she always needs to be well-turned out. Originally from Spain, Carmen follows the old European tradition of wearing timeless classics. She invests in a few really good quality items in neutral colours and wears them for years. Here are her five cheap, free or worth-it things to do, see or buy in Vancouver. Read more

Sarong

The Sarong Is An All Around Perfect Wrap

/1 Comment/in , , , /by
Stylish and reasonably priced, the breezy sarong is the Swiss Army knife of summer fashion.

SarongCHIC & EASY | A sarong—the Malay word for covering—is a large rectangle of airy fabric common in warm climates as the cornerstone of a wardrobe to keep you cool yet covered up. These versatile pieces of cloth can be worn as skirts, dresses, tops and scarves. Read more

Fashion On The Racks - Dreamstime

Fashionista’s Ball: Couture & Thrift Collide

/4 Comments/in , /by
The Fashionista’s Ball promises to be the best sale ever, with clothes for couture tastes on a thrift-store budget.

Fashion On The Racks - DreamstimeSALES WE LOVE | Mark your calendars, fashionistas, and don your ninja shopping suit (that’s tights and tees for quick changing) because Sunday, May 29, promises to be one of Vancouver’s biggest—if not THE biggest— charity/shopping events of 2011.

The Fashionista’s Ball, insanely well organized by Pixie Riddle and her pals to benefit United Way, is a one-day pop-up fashion extravaganza (think department store scale rather than boutique) that includes 3,000-plus garments, gently worn or never worn (some definitely couture); hundreds of pairs of gorgeous shoes; beautiful handbags, Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta models among them; and accessories including sunglasses, scarves and both costume and fine jewellery items.

And guess what? Prices for all this donated merchandise are shockingly low. Read more

Blow Dry

Get A Solid Blow Dry Quick & Super Cheap

/0 Comments/in , , /by
Having your hair blown dry and styled professionally is expensive. Here’s where to get a solid job done quick and cheap.

Blow DryCHEAP + GOOD | While the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge was confident enough (after a few private lessons) to do her own makeup on her wedding day, she left her hair in the hands of professionals. That’s because she knows, as do celebrities who globetrot with hairdressers in tow, that it’s downright impossible to DIY a salon-calibre hairstyle without plenty of time and considerable schooling—and even then, most tresses will still look better if they’ve been styled by a pro. Read more

Celebs In Burberry Trench Coats

The Coat, The Bag, The Shoes, The Blouse ***

/1 Comment/in , , , , , /by
Made to last a lifetime, these high-fashion designer classics never go out of style. That’s why they make worthy investments—at any price.
Burberry’s London Trench Coat

Celebs In Burberry Trench CoatsI keep fallin’ in and out of love—with the trench coat. That’s just what happens when an iconic piece of clothing rolls back into fashion every few years. Last year was huge for the once-and-still-utilitarian raincoat invented for British soldiers by Aquascutum during WWI. I’ve owned inexpensive versions over the years but been understandably reluctant to pony up $1,300 for a Burberry’s London line long, double-breasted cotton trench with epaulettes, gun flap, belt with metallic D-rings and leather buckle, and a Burberry check under the collar—the coat by which all other trench coats are weighed, measured and found wanting. The great thing about the London trench is that really can be worn over everything from a business suit to nothing but stilettos, if you’re Ellen Barkin seducing Al Pacino in the movie Sea of Love. Read more