Banana Republic x Trina Turk

Banana Republic and Trina Turk are teaming up to deliver a little taste of SoCal to summer with the Banana Republic Trina Turk Collection – a limited-edition capsule featuring chic summer essentials inspired by the laid-back southern California lifestyle. 

“When we began working together on the collaboration, Simon (Keenan - BR's Creative Director) and I decided early on that the Palm Springs ‘cocktails by the pool’ lifestyle would be our key inspiration for the colours, styles, and prints” says Turk. “I’m excited to offer this collection of colourful, covetable and unique pieces to Banana Republic customers for summer 2012.”

The nearly 60-piece collection of women’s apparel and accessories will feature an array of summer must-haves in iconic Trina Turk prints - from flirty dresses to printed tunics to plush beach towels, all with a sophisticated, modern and ultra-cool vibe.

The collection will be available at Banana Republic stores and online at bananarepublic.ca this June.   Eek!  Jennifer Aniston loves Trina Turk...I love Trina Turk...Does that mean that I'm Jennifer Aniston?

Luck be a Dragon Tonight

The dragon paper decorating Tory Burch store windows right now, in honour of 2012's auspicious sign

A gorgeous dragon in Beijing to celebrate the Year of the Dragon

Brilliant red lanterns adorn a tree to celebrate Chinese New Year

Models backstage at Jason Wu Spring 2012 in matte red lips.  Photos by Kevin Tachman, Olivier Claisse/firstVIEW, IMAXtree and Matteo Volta

Happy 4710 to you!  It's the Year of the Dragon, and whether you celebrate Chinese New Year or not, it's nice to think that this might be an extra lucky year.

A few fun facts:

1. The only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac, the dragon is thought to be a combination of the other 11 signs, including the teeth of a tiger, the belly of a rabbit, the body of a snake and the legs of a horse.  The dragon is extremely auspicious, symbolizing power, strength and good luck.

2. Reese Witherspoon, Bill Clinton, John Lennon and Salvador Dalí were born in years of the dragon. People born under the dragon are thought to be well-respected, confident, artistic, and natural leaders.

3. Red symbolizes fire and drives away bad luck, and it’s customary during any New Year celebration to wear red and decorate with red paper.

Why not toss on a little red today to breathe some fire into your winter wardrobe?  A bright, matte red lip (as seen on the models at Jason Wu) is an easy, always chic option.  Makeup Artist Diane Kendal for M.A.C. outlined and contoured with Redd Lip Pencil, followed by an application of the red-orange Scarlet Ibis Lipstick. To intensify, Pro Acid Orange Pigment was patted on top OR try the cheap, cheerful (and super-simple) Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fire and Ice.  Fun!

Club Monaco's Serene Spring Lookbook

I've decided to make today a day of acceptance, and so I'm embracing the moody grey feeling of this early spring lookbook from Club Monaco.  As much as I love colour, the neutral white, grey, navy and rust are calming and cool yet wonderfully moody (and pretty much exactly what I'm seeing outside of my window right now).   If you really look for it, there's a lot of beauty in the in-between.

Made in the Shade

Originally posted in The CLOSET

Maybe it's the non-winter winter or the rain that just keeps falling, but all this gloomy grey has me craving a happy shot of colour.  The primary brights of last season have been replaced by mildly less shocking shades for spring:  think papaya orange instead of vivid red, oceanic turquoise instead of cobalt blue and sunny pastel yellow instead of the primary version.  Often likened to sorbet or gelato, the season's new punchy pastels still pack a serious punch and for the colour-phobe, they're the perfect way to add some lightness to an otherwise predictable palette;  Here, I've shown 3 super easy (and far from frightening) ways to do just that:

1) Navy & Papaya - I love this colour combo because by adding just a touch of bright papaya, you instantly remove the conservative stigma associated with navy.  Throw in a bright touch of white and add some gold accents and you'll look classic yet totally cool.

2) Yellow & Grey - Nothing brightens up grey quite like sunny yellow.  Instead of sticking with just the two shades, a black accessory (like a belt or bag) will give the look that necessary edge.

3) Indigo & Pink - Nautical chic is always in style but instead of your expected red/navy/white combo, I love the idea of replacing the red with bright pink.  Just a tiny shot of pink will work wonders at reviving a predictable look while brown accents throw some turf at all that surf.

If I Could Escape...

The impossibly cool Grace Kelly hits the beach

American Eagle's Black Bandeau One-Piece, $40.32 (the back, btw, is equally sexy)

...I'd be sure to pack along this black bandeau, plus these travel essentials for some serious lazing.  Are you going anywhere this winter?  Can I pretty please come along?