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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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). 

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!

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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.

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).