Fashion
Photo shoot: Raffia and straw, wood and bone, untamed prints and earth tones give summer a tribal beat
Shopping
Daily steal
Daily Steal: Stolen Riches laces, $18
When it comes to style, it’s all in the details. Not only do Stolen Riches’ metal-tipped laces add style to whatever shoes they’re woven through, but they are manufactured in Toronto and made to last.
Stolen Riches Hollins laces ($18, stolenriches.com)
Scene
Mad Men Recap: In which we talk all too much about Hare Krishna and Don and Joan’s chemistry
Last week we got another measured dose of Betty, but once again the Francis household is nowhere to be seen. Instead it’s back to a plate of SCDP and agency hard times. Last we saw Lane, his Jaguar buddy got caught with gum in his pants that led to boardroom fisticuffs with Pete. Don and Megan pop up for some bickering, but it’s not as bad as the underwear party clean-up and Howard Johnson gelato spat, and seems to stem from his dissatisfaction at work. Joan is finally hearing from Dr. Harris about the future of their marriage that she ended, just as her long-ago ex, Sterling Cooper’s smug copywriter Paul Kinsey, is popping back into Harry Crane’s life.
It’s the Christmas season, so let’s see who has been naughty, and who has been nice… »
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Shopping
Toronto shop notes: V is for Victorinox
With sport utility making the spring runway rounds, now’s the time to get your game on. Victorinox Swiss Army’s first North American flagship store (95A Bloor St. W., 416-929-9889, swissarmy.com) houses an impressive selection of womenswear, including anoraks, bright polo shirts and colourful ankle-grazing trousers (shown, $145 each). The maker of the Original Swiss Army Knife, this 128-year-old global company also makes timepieces, travel gear, fragrances, menswear and those famous knives. Read more »
Scene
Girls Recap: Hannah heads home to Michigan to ditch her parents, date a pharmacist and blame everyone else for her boredom
Last week we saw what was hopefully the final nail in the coffee table that was Charlie and Marnie’s chemistry-free relationship. There was also Hannah quitting her job after an ill-fated attempt at a workplace affair and subsequent lawsuit threat, and Jessa exploring her unsmotability while Shoshanna watched on in horror. This week we’ve left behind the mess of the big city to go to Michigan, so Hannah can celebrate her parents’ anniversary with them. Of course, her selfishness tarnishes the lovely weekend that her parents have planned. Hannah thinks that her boredom is a byproduct of hanging out with her parents and being in her old hometown, but really it’s the result of spending so much time thinking about herself. Who wouldn’t be bored with only one thing to think about constantly? Lucky for us, watching Hannah self-obsess isn’t boring, especially when it involves a pre-date pep talk in front of the mirror.
Shopping
Daily steal
Daily steal: Striped straw tote, $29
Echo the casual elegance of Jane Birkin when you head to the beach this Victoria Day by carrying a straw tote. Wear it with a vintage sundress and leather sandals for a Saint Tropez–inspired look.
Joe Fresh stripe straw tote ($29, joefresh.ca)
Fashion
They said/We said: How will Facebook’s going public affect the fashion industry?
Photography by Keystone
As we watched Mark Zuckerberg ring the bell on Wall Street Friday morning, we wondered: how is this going to change how we use social media? And, for those of us who are style-inclined: how is this going to affect the fashion industry?
Though Zuckerberg’s proclivity for hoodies won’t land him a “style icon” status anytime soon, Facebook evolving into a public company will definitely impact the fashion industry in many ways.
The social media giant, which currently has 900 million users worldwide, opened to the public with an initial public offering of $38 a share, making Facebook the most valuable company that’s ever gone public. With a total worth now of $104 billion (in other words, almost unimaginable amounts of money to invest back into the company), the ability to do more in terms of advertising, online shopping and other ventures has never been more feasible.
For fashion retailers in particular, Facebook going public probably means that they will no longer be limited to simply tallying one’s “likes” as a measure of success. Though the sharing and community aspects of Facebook are valuable to retailers in terms of brand presence, there are now more opportunities to create new social media–friendly e-commerce and advertising tactics than ever before.
Previous efforts with online shopping on Facebook didn’t exactly take off, forcing retailers like Gap to shutter their Facebook shops. However, now that there is an unprecedented amount of money in the bank, Facebook can begin to explore other means of social commerce that will provide shoppers with a more “seamless and convenient” shopping experience.
Think about it: Burberry, for example, has over 12 million “likes” on their Facebook page. Though they have advertised heavily on Facebook for some time now, if the social media network could provide the retailer with new, improved means of advertising and online shopping, Burberry could capitalize on their huge social media following in ways they never have before.
Though we’d need a crystal ball to accurately predict how everything is going to pan out now that the company has gone public, it’s probably safe to say that this will not only mean big dollars for involved parties, but new ways of shopping and interacting online for everybody.
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Scene
Kate does pastel-pink and Prada while having lunch with (no big deal) two dozen international kings and queens
Photography by John Stillwell/PA Wire
View every look Kate Middleton has worn since her engagement »
There was quite the royal gathering today at Windsor Castle, with over two dozen of the world’s other kings and queens (plus a sultan, grand duke and emperor!) celebrating Queen Elizabeth‘s Diamond Jubilee. While the thought of making small talk with a room of very important strangers might make most of us weak in the knees, by all accounts Kate Middleton brought her usual charms to the lunch event. Read more »
