Getting Graphic

Givenchy, Emporio Armani, and Isaac Mizrahi, Spring 2010 - photos courtesy style.com  

Have you ever seen a girl with super short, jet-black hair, never-seen-the-sun skin and red lipstick, reading something existential, drinking black coffee and listening thoughtfully to what you can only imagine is some fringe band you've never heard of on her iPod?  Do you suddenly feel just a little less cool in comparison?  It's times like those that make me want to eschew my florals, ruffles and all-around girly-girlness in favour of something a little more mod, even if just for a day.  There's something about wearing black & white that makes me feel less 'mom' and more 'modern art dealer'.  In a fashion season where soft and girly reign supreme, the graphic looks seen at Givenchy, Emporio Armani and Isaac Mizrahi stand out like me at the Mod Club.  Editors went particularly gaga over the striped black & white jacket worn over all-black at Givenchy, proving that as soft and flowy as fashion has recently become, there will always be a place for graphic and modern.  I love that you can tap into a different side of yourself through fashion, and I'm not sure about you, but I would much rather embrace my artsy side with a new jacket than spend my evenings reading Proust.  Or maybe it's just me... 

If you're looking to add a little graphic content to your closet, try out these fab pieces:

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Fashion for your Phone

        When I think of Roots, I think of Canadiana chic, of comfy sweats, of buttery leathers and sporty workout gear.  Technology is probably the last thing I would associate with this homegrown store.  That's why I was so excited to see this cool new gadget now available at Roots for a totally justifiable $59.95.  The YUBZ Talk Mobile retro handset connects to your mobile phone and comes in your choice of pretty pink, orange, yellow, red or black.  Why bother taking a technological step backwards with a cumbersome (though undeniably cute) handset?  This back-to-the-future gadget has been lab-tested to reduce up to 95% of radiation emitting from mobile phones and is digitally-enhanced to reduce background noise and upgrade sound quality.  Genius, especially for those of us without a landline.  For more info and to check if the YUBZ is compatible with your phone, go to www.roots.com. 

If you don't already watch The City on www.mtv.ca, you really must, if only for some serious fashion inspiration.  My favourite love-to-hate character on the show, Olivia Palermo, might be an über-biatch, but biatch knows how to dress.  On last week's episode, the ELLE mag's Accessories Editor wore a belted black & white-striped sweater dress, accented with a bright red bag.  There was something about that combination that absolutely popped off the screen and I immediately fell in love (with the colours, not with Olivia).  I was thrilled to find this gorgeous dress from Costa Blanca that's graphic, modern and simply stunning.  At $29.50, how can you possibly resist?  Real Life Runway Tip:  The red, white and black trio is making a strong statement heading into summer and fall, as shown here at Balenciaga.  When the mercury begins to drop, you'll be able to make this dress work by pairing it with opaque black tights and a black blazer.  But let's not get ahead of ourselves...I mean, it's not even tecnically summer yet!  Sorry, I'll try not to do that again.

Hope you all have a fab long weekend and don't forget to stock up on $1 flip-flops at Old Navy on Saturday.  Hooray for flip-flop season! 

See you next week!

xo

She's Dressed in Yellow

Dress - JS Boutique available at bridal stores.  See www.jsboutique.com for locations    

Ring - Ardene      Earrings and Bracelet - Le Château 

Here's my favourite fashion risk-taker, Jess, at her sister's beautiful wedding in Mexico a few weeks ago.  With wedding season upon us, I often think that too many of us go for the tried-and-true LBD.  This yellow floor-length stunner is not for the wallflower but if you want to be the life of the party, why not consider yellow, especially for an outdoor affair?  I love how Jess managed to avoid the helmet hair  up-don't associated with so many bridesmaids by keeping things loose, breezy and elegantly pinned with a brilliant yellow bloom.  The story of how Jess got this dress deserves a separate post but I'll save you the sordid details, except to say that a certain bridal store in Woodbridge deserves the award for Absolute Worst Customer Service.  I guess looking gorgeous is the best revenge.  Hee. 

Cannes Do

Famed French crooner, Charles Aznavour, at Cannes in 1959.  Image courtesy www.thefirstpost.co.uk

Keith Richards, Anita Pallenberg and kids on their way to a screening of 'Gimme Shelter' in 1971.  Image by Bettman/Corbis. 

Clockwise from Top Left:  Actress Romy Schneider in 1956 at a party in Cannes.  Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson in Cannes to present 'Easy Rider' - 1969.  Images by Mirkine/Sygma/Corbis.  Brigitte Bardot on the Riviera, posing for the photographers.  Image courtesy www.thefirstpost.co.uk

Arnold Schwarzenegger with the girls from Les Folies Bergere in 1977, showing everyone where the beach really is. Image courtesy www.thefirstpost.co.uk.

Since 1946, the Cannes Film Festival has been the place where glamorous movie stars, photographers and rabid fans converge for nearly two weeks to soak up the Riviera sunshine on La Croisette.  With their not-so-inconspicuously shaded eyes on the Palme d'Or prize, celebrities have always loved Cannes for being so open to excess which naturally makes for some fantastic photo opps.  This year marks the 63rd annual festival and from now until May 23rd, celebrities and wannabes will be doing everything they can to get snapped by the paps.  I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some shots of Cannes from years gone by.  And not to worry, I'll be sure to post some red-carpet highlights from this year's festival as well.  We really should go, n'est-ce pas?