Blanche Macdonald’s latest fashion design program grads recently took the stage at The Westin Bayshore, providing quite a curious presentation for those in attendance.  The runway show entailed 45 of Blanche’s grads showing two looks for each grad an extensive display of the school’s current batch of talent.

It became quite clear within the first fifteen minutes of the show that the designs were highly costume design based.  Much of the designs evoked a feeling of sci-fi films, takes on traditional ethnic attire [1] [2] , oddly cropped active wear and some genuinely confusing styling choices.  Pieces were heavily color blocked, many with thick piping and fused with a highly theatrical look.

What was rather perplexing was  what appeared to be a heavy use of synthetics for the graduate’s final presentation garments.  Due to low number of required looks each grad was required (two completed outfits); the majority of the students using what appeared to be low cost fabrics.  Many chose to use [what appeared to be] polyesters and other similar materials; in person the lack of textile quality was clear.

Overall, the entire collection of grads appeared to be going for a very theatrical presentation, though the designs appeared to be design directed towards costuming.  There were times when outfits evoked video game characters (particularly Final Fantasy), raver and sci-fi inspired uniforming,  hooded Star Wars heroines, and even an asymmetric sleeve inspired by elephantiasis.  One could deduce the basis of the inspiration for these looks, and while there was clearly care within the garment construction, the design execution and finishing was where weakness lied.

Construction detailing was also a suffering point with some of the grads’ work; you could clearly see bulging waist corsets [1] [2], uneven and  sagging tailoring of garment busts [1] [2] [3], unflattering folds over a model’s thighs, a dress that give an illusion of a paunch, while others displayed overall lack of tailoring which resulted in an uncomplimentary silhouette.

I do wish that I had been able to view Blanche’s past presentations to identify if this was simply a less impressive collection of students, though unfortunately that reference point was not possible.  While the roster of past successful grads is clear (most notably Tenille Magnusson, designer of Aritzia’s Wilfred range, Dace Moore of Dace Clothing and Lisa Malcic, designer of the Barneys stocked children’s range Beba Bean), I did not see work presented from this runway collection that foreshadowed other such accomplishments.

With the release of Calvin Klein’s latest fragrance Beauty, FASHION Magazine and CK are teaming up to give away a $2,500 gift package – $1,000 shopping credit at Net-A-Porter, a CK Beauty gift package, 6 months of Calla Lilly deliveries from a local flower shop, a spa day [local] and a 3 year subscription to FASHION Magazine.

Sound excellent? To enter, submit a photo of your interpretation of beauty (person, place, event, etc) along with a 140 word description (hello Twitter cop!) and you’re in the runnng.

CK Beauty is a foundation of femininity, talking cues from lillies and other flower scents to create a light brush of elegance for those around you.

Today marked the grand opening of Joe Fresh‘s free standing shop on Granville Street, the first of its kind in Canada.  First impressions are conflicting; while you immediately recognize aspects of fellow Loblaw owned Holt Renfrew due to interior fixtures by Burdifilek and proper wooden hangars, the front of the boutique assaults you with bright colors of pack away puffer jackets and other less impressive basics typically not merchandised at the front of a store.

It is well known that Joe Fresh has an impressive selection of woman’s clothing, and holds a variance of worthwhile basics and more style driven pieces alike (think the faux leopard coat and knit leggings), after further inquisition the details are more impressive than initally suspected.  Brogues, over the knee (for most) boots ($69), hand studded moto boots ($159), faux fur jackets [white and leopard] were the main stars of the boutique, all shoes were constructed with leathers, many with hand detailing.

The faux fur coats were a particular highlight, not only due to their price point ($69) but the quality of the fibers used to imitate genuine furs – they were soft, plentiful and did not clump; all required aspects of a respectable faux fur garment.  The boots were of a higher quality than the average high street footwear (Urban Outfitters, H&M), and surprisingly their pricing remained reasonable .  Knit and woolen garments found (military style skirts [$39], gloves, leggings [$24]) were all good buys, though none truly stood out as heavily individualistic.

Problems came with the ascending of stairs; particularly with the men’s section, which was really a corner.  It is no surprise that the Joe Fresh menswear selection is lackluster at best, though I had some expectations that [like the womenswear selection], the men’s pieces would be more plentiful, with a bit more attention put to the amount and style they provide.  The men’s corner was full of two things that unnerved me; block color basics and loads of casual, more sport based styles – two looks that men do not need more of.

The general excuse for the state of the menswear was that Joe Fresh was a ‘primarily woman’s focused brand’ (true), and that the collection will be expanding ‘within the next two years’, or so said the associate in the department.  The visiting Loblaws rep assured me that they have the men’s selection on the radar for expansion, though if the design team had put even a fifth of the thought and focus into the menswear that they did in the ladies’, they would have had a much more appropriate range to show off.

Men and women who shop for men in Joe Fresh do not have astronomical expectations for the men’s styles, though when we see a mannequin outfitted with sweat pants and a pea coat, it is cause for concern.  The combination of  brights, lack of attention to the whole gender’s look and overall questionable styling, it is a curious image that Joe is projecting.  While it’s clear that the men’s range would not be an overall bread winning line even if it was amped, more attention needs to be paid for a range that the label stands behind; one can’t have faith in a designer if they can only do one gender justice.

Agree? Disagree? Share your feedback with Joe Fresh on Facebook, and while you’re over there fan demiCouture’s new FB page.

Lest we forget, makeup is for those with imperfect skin.  I know that Queen Latif and Drew B have no pores (even in their close ups), but this is the real world without overhead lighting and a personal makeup artist, and this is the world where people have zits.

As a chronic concealer, I’ve used countless brands of both drugstore and designer makeup over the years.  I’ve applied using my own hand, sponges, brushes; you name it, I’ve used it.  The trouble with those without a Chanel cosmetic budget is there isn’t much in between – you have drugstore and MAC, yet nothing in between.  When MAC isn’t in the financial cards, drugstore is where we turn.

Covergirl’s Clean Makeup delivers half its promise in delivering a lightweight, anti pore clogging formula, but makeup that sits on your skin well that can’t cover up it’s angry spots isn’t a sell.

When applying it to the skin, it’s amazing ’till you get to that one pain in the rear zit, then it’s all over.  Unless you bust out another product (more $$, of course), you’ll end up with a oddly colored dot on your face after everything dries… you may as well fly the “YEP! The hormones are raging, thanks for noticing!” flag over your head.

Clean Makeup is fantastic for skin that is largely under control; skin that could be taken care of with a heavier powder – not skin that is feisty, which is the kind of epidermis that needs lightweight, oil free makeup in the first place. While one can’t be incredibly fussy with foundation that comes from under the high street brands, there is something about cosmetic brands blatantly lying to you during their commercial spots that aggravates enough to moan about it in reviews (lashes 50% thicker? PAH!)

Covergirl, it’s time to go back to the drawing board with this one.

American Apparel was gracious enough to send me a package of goodies recently, and it included a two pocket frocks; and one in solid red and one striped.

This is one design that can be styled in so many different ways, and is incredibly versatile and flattering.  The dress features the transitional 3/4 length sleeve and boat neck; worn with the ruched tube bra, you have an instant and incredibly sexy layering piece.

I would recommend you buy this dress one size up from your usual – the bunching fabric on the arms and hips is a lovely effect on the body.  For $41, this is one piece that should be in your regular SS10 rotation.

All the way back at the end of October, I made a comment promise that I would acquire the La Dolce Vita cutout boots and prove that they look awesome and not orthopedic brace-like.

I located them at the Granville Street Urban Outfitters on Sunday, under a sign that said 50% off the lowest price (which just happened to be $40), so I walked away with these for $20.

Though these little boots may be synthetic, they’re quite the pair of shoes.  You have no idea how comfortable these are! I felt like I was walking on a pair of flats, and haven’t had an odd rubbed spot or potential blister attack as one may with new shoes.

I maintain that these are unrelentingly awesome, and look incredibly cyberpunk cool.  I intend on wearing the very life out of these shoes, and enjoying every minute of it.

Foldable flats have gone viral over the last few months, and while they aren’t yet being sold in vending machines at your local discotheque, they have appeared locally.

Cazz is a Canadian foldable flat company, which offers a compact and comfortable shoe for times when you just can’t walk in your foot busting heels any longer.

Each pair comes in a wee sack for clean, secure transport inside a purse and costs under $18 per pair.  Since these are not disposable flats you can feel good about being kind to the environment and even better for not exposing yourself to disease on the ground from walking barefoot (nasty, I know – but I’ve seen females do this!)

With shipping over $45 shipping is free before Christmas, so this is potentially an excellent stocking stuffer or a lovely, affordable gift for a friend (or two). 

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with the results after being tasked with reviewing the newly released Joe Fresh beauty line! I probably should have spaced out my testing over more than two days, but hey, it’s not every day I can wear a ridiculous amount of camera worthy cosmetics [off camera] and get away with it.

The first item I tried was the cream foundation (pictured, left).  I used to buy the M.A.C. version of this when I thought that $30 pots of foundation were the thing to buy (that was before the world’s financial smackdown). Joe Fresh’s cream foundation is a highly reasonable $8 (yes, eight Canadian dollars) and comes with a smartly tinted sponge applicator.

I would suggest using this pot foundation with one of their brushes (they range from $8-14), likely a smaller one for travel touch ups and larger for home use.  Using a brush to apply foundation is awesome for a number of reasons; it prevents hand coloration, reduces amount of product usage, provides even coverage and won’t transfer oils and dirt [which may cause imperfections] from your hands to your face.

The liquid foundation’s lightest tint was a bit dark for my colorless vampire skin, but it covered and blended well and dried to a light powdery finish.  The liquid foundation (pictured, middle) runs at $6 for an average size squeeze tube.

The cheek tint is in an easy to use tube applicator, which comes out in the same twist manner as a deodorant.  It’s an easy product to apply, and blends well with foundations over cheeks. The tint comes in a range of rose shades from light to dark; all are priced at $4 each.

Next on the docket was the lipstick.  I really love the clear design of their cosmetic cases; especially the one for the lipwear.  The lipstick itself was creamy and didn’t dry oddly (you know they type; it’s kind of like slight crackling plaster!).  There is a moisturizing agent in the mix that keeps you away from the chap, and all for $6.

I made sure to test the clear mascara since I this is an important beauty tool that has potential to be overlooked.  Clear mascara is great for a number of reasons; you can freeze eyebrows in place, it can thicken and extend lashes before a second coat of colored mascara and offer a subtle glean to eyelashes if you’re going to a conservative event.  Black, brown and clear mascaras are all $6.

Lastly (!) we have the eyeshadow trio.  I have the smoke trio (light pink, gray and black) myself, and found that this shadow functioned just as I would expect from a pricier mid level brand (not M.A.C. or Sephora).  There are 7 different trio color combination pots available, all for $6 a piece.

I would love to see an organic line of Joe Fresh cosmetics.  I know Superstore has a history of supporting local farm talent, so this would be an excellent way to get our economy stimulated in another way, be eco-responsible and promote the usage of healthy non chemically derived body products.

I think smart women [and metrosexual men] will be loving the accessibility and affordability of this brand – it’s not like you can’t afford to give it a test go!

Follow Joe Fresh and demiCouture on Twitter

I was invited to check out The Gap‘s new 1969 jeans recently.  The three photos of myself wearing jeans are of my choice three pairs out of the lot.  I’m not a super fan of anything wider than a straight leg, so naturally that affected my selections.

The new ’1969′ denim was quite an improvement over past jeans.  The denim is still not as thick as I prefer (I’m used to raw denim), but for the price point ($69.50 CA) it was an incredibly reasonable quality.  My favorites included a skinny indigo, gray motorcycle skinny and a men’s distressed cut.

The men’s rise was actually quite perfect – it was a few inches above the average current woman’s rise and sat incredibly nicely (higher rises also combats against plumber’s butt, don’t forget).  The only thing that kept me from selecting this pair was that fall was on the cusp – no more holey jeans!

The skinny indigo pair was a lovely dark wash with no distressing or extras; perfect for dressing up or down.  I could see these jeans being worn with a court shoe, tucked in over the knee boots or even cuffed with a brogue shoe.

The last pair were the motorcycle style gray pair.  I liked the stitch and cut detailing on the leg; they had this version in black as well, though I felt the detailing was lost on such an incredibly dark wash.  These were the pair that I eventually chose, and I love ‘em.

The only overall complaints I had was the inseam was 4 inches too short, and the signature distressed pair that The Gap has been flogging in all their ads weren’t available in the Pacific Center location.

Check out The Gap 1969 jeans out for yourself.

I never thought I would be reviewing a floral hot fuchsia onsie, but thanks to a lovely bloke from American Apparel and his surprise mail package I had the opportunity to check out something I never would have purchased.

So, I’m not going to lie – I put this thing on and was a little terrified at first. After a few minutes of staring at my rolling rack of clothes, trying to think of what I could pair this thing with; I suddenly had my ah-ha moment.

I already had loads of plunging necklines, so welcome to layer town. This onsie can go under tanks, dresses and even function as a top if you layer a triangle top or ruched tube top underneath.

The lace is elastic enough that it’s not restricting or uncomfortable, so all in all I’d give this a 4.5/5 (only because transparency is not for all).

Don’t like having your bag slum it on the floor by your feet? Check out these Fumi Pursehooks; they not only keep your bag safe from grime and thievery but double as a bracelet as well.

There is a rubber pad under one of the hook sides for gripping any surface, and it opens wide enough for most wrist sizes. Not only that, but the Fumi is created from 100% recycled materials for all you eco lovers.

A friend of mine was recently attempting to get her brown hair turned a bright red, and had heard great things about the Black to Blonde salon in Vancouver. What she ended up with was frustration, bad customer service and no hair treatment.

Her account follows:

“I was referred to the salon by a friend of mine who has always been pleased with the service, so I called and made an appointment with one of the stylists. I gave specific instructions about what I wanted done; a very bright red (which meant that my hair would have to be bleached, then toned).

From past experiences, I knew this was at least a double, if not a triple process. I let the receptionist know that since I’ve had this done before at another Aveda salon (with Aveda colour) that I was already aware this would be a lengthly process and therefore requested get an appointment scheduled for a minimum
of 2.5 hours.

The receptionist said agreed, and booked me for Thursday afternoon for the time allotment I requested. I called on Wednesday to confirm the booking, and the receptionist stated that 2.5 hours wouldn’t be enough time. My appointment was then moved to the next day (Saturday).

I arrived at the salon with time to spare before my appointment, changed into the smock, sat down in the chair and the stylist came over to discuss the color. I had brought a swatch of the precise color I wanted my hair to be, and she said she couldn’t do it.

I then asked why and she said that, “she only had two hours booked and she would also have to order the colour in”. I was quite surprised since I had already asked the receptionist(s) on various occasions if they had the color in stock, to which they had confirmed that they did.

The stylist asked me if I wanted to split up the process into two visits, which I declined; there was no way I was going to walk around blond until they could schedule me in for another appointment.

The stylist went over to talk to the receptionist for about five minutes, and returned to tell me she was booked up for the rest of the day so she couldn’t do the entire process today. She then asked me if I wanted to go with a slightly darker/oranger red which left me feeling insulted; if I wanted that color I would have asked for it in the first place!

After all of this, I changed back into my regular clothes and the stylist walked me over to the receptionist and told her to schedule another appointment. I told the receptionist not to bother since I was going to find another salon.”

How ridiculous! I heard this story and couldn’t believe how incompetent the administration of this salon appears to have been. For two receptionists (or at least one receptionist on two occasions) to have confirmed that they have color and that a longer, more time appropriate appointment had been booked suggests complete business incompetence.

After hearing this, I referred her to Alina Sulaiman at Caramel Salon (South Granville). She just so happened to be the salon’s red color expert, never flakes out on her clients and does excellent work.

If anyone has had similar (or opposite) experiences at Black to Blonde, I would like to hear it in the comments below.

Everyone knows that the clothing retail industry is one of the most difficult jobs to have during the holiday season, and when I get dodgy service around this time of year I really try to look the other way.

Last evening I was in the Robson Street Zara store attempting to find my mother something for Christmas.  Of course I saw a million things for myself, an asymmetrical zipper buffalo check jacket being one of these items.  I saw a large sign above the rack screaming “30% off” at me, and that was the straw that broke the weakened sale camel’s back. I had to have it.

When I approach the woman to pay, I confirmed that the piece was indeed on sale as the rack identified, and I was told [in a very rude tone] that the jacket had been mis-stocked.  Even when I counter questioned about why there were multiples of the same jacket placed on the same rack, she told me I was mistaken.  After hearing this, she states that the jacket has already been marked down.  I told her that this was false advertising, and did not shine the store in a positive light.  She made it very clear that she couldn’t give less of a [expletive], and asked me if I wanted it or not.

Having bought four people’s entire gift range (at the cost of $250) at this store the previous week, I was thoroughly annoyed at the lack of customer service and the shopgirl’s problem solving skills.  I hear that this is a difficult time of year, but if it’s your job then f’ing deal with it or find another place of work.

Any prospective shoppers of this location, prepare yourself for this kind of treatment.

“Let’s first preface this with the fact that I’m not an electric razor fan. My dad uses an electric razor and I’ll never understand it. I used a Mach 3 for a number of years and recently switched to a Merkur safety razor which takes forever to shave with, but is gets the closest shave I’ve ever had. That being said, I was fairly intrigued with the Phillips BodyGroom; as it is marketed as an electric razor specifically for body hair and can be used in the shower.

I’ve always considered myself a relatively well-groomed individual, and although I’m not one of the waxed-chest set, I do like to keep things under control. I’m not sure if you have seen advertisements for the BodyGroom, but it largely sold itself as dealing with *ahem* ‘bathing suit area’ hair. For most men this is an extremely private matter and it was quite a shocking ad campaign for a lot of us. However (for the sake of science) I was willing to put the BodyGroom to the test in three key areas: face, chest, and “area”.

Face

First impression: This is like any other electric razor. It works, just not very well. It’s loud and obnoxious which is exactly what I don’t want in the shower. Admittedly the Bodygroom is not meant for facial shaving, but this wasn’t a great start.

Chest

The shaver clogged immediately with chest hair in the shower and became totally useless. I’m hardly bearish but the razor seemed completely unable to deal with actual hair. Nonplussed, I tried it again when dry and although it performed better (and dutifully dispatched a decent patch of hair), it was hardly a close shave, and barely better than what a standard beard trimmer could accomplish. A second pass on the same spot revealed no better results.

“Area”

As an item aimed expressly at taming the ‘hair down there’, I was anticipating some serious results. If the BodyGroom was to perform, it was certainly here. It did indeed perform best in this “area”, with it’s design particulars certainly playing their parts well. It became instantly clear that the BodyGroom was really only designed for shaving one part of the male body. That being said, the BodyGroom performed no better than your standard beard trimmer, and certainly wasn’t able to get a very close shave by anyone’s standard.

In conclusion I would have to give the BodyGroom a pass. Although it performed decently in it’s expressed purpose, any well-appointed man’s bathroom will contain a beard-trimmer which performs just as well; especially once you realize that the “in the shower” application of the BodyGroom is completely without merit.”

-Charles

I received my American Apparel zipper pants in the mail yesterday, so figured I may as well get a review underway since these pants are still fairly new to the AA collection.

I have the exact pair shown to the right on the model (medium gray).  The tapered leg fit is fantastic; I’m starting to love that cut more than the drainpipe! The zipper at the ankle was a nice touch, too (and almost necessary for putting these on!)

The stretch in the twill was almost too elastic; whether this was intentional or not I am unsure, but I personally prefer fabrics with a little less give that will keep shape.  If you’re got bigger legs you may want to avoid these, since they’re going to show every bump and curve.  Overall I was pleased with them, and the high waist was a nice change to the ultra low pant slut cut we’ve been used to having for sure.