Walk the Walk: Iris van Herpen S/S 2015 Collection

This is possibly the best RTW collection Iris van Herpen has created to date!

Since the debut of the first RTW collection 3 seasons ago, I was always curious to see how Iris applied the Haute Couture 3D print element to her designs. It worked at some sort of extent, but never really wowed me, until now.

For this season, Iris applied the "sea urchin" 3D print element on the garments and it worked very well. The entire collection had a very futuristic vibe and many of the pieces were highly sellable because they were wearable, with a nice Haute Couture twist. There were also some pieces that would look amazing in editorials in the up coming season.

As a Iris van Herpen fan, I am totally into this collection, and right now I am just hoping she will inject new element for her next season. Bravo!

Pros:
- Iris applies her previous Haute Couture elements on many of her pieces. They are very refreshing and different.
- Love the silhouettes of the dresses. They have a bold attitude with a futuristic vibe
- A lot of the garments are very wearable, and some of them will look great in editorials.

Cons: 
- Now that Iris has done her warm up on RTW collections, I would love to see her creating a solid theme, or introducing a new element to the collection.

Eye Candies:
- The 3 finale dresses
- 3D print skirt
- The chainmail dress
- The "sea urchin" jacket

Please visit Style.com to view the complete collection.

Walk the Walk: Junya Watanabe S/S 2015 Collection

Junya Watanabe, in my opinion, is always one of the most anticipated runway shows during Paris Fashion Week. His designs are always appealing to the consumers because they are innovative and wearable. However, this collection is taking a whole different direction.

There is a strong "old school" futuristic vibe in this collection, and the designer is all into the circle patchwork prints. Many of the pieces remind audience of the Comme des Garçons F/W 2012 2D collection, but with a vinyl twist. The headgear will for sure be one of the best accessories in editorials and possibly street style photos in the coming season. Everything sticks to the theme to create a very memorable collection for this coming season.

However, my main concern is, what pieces will the buyers pick from this artsy collection? Time will tell.

Please visit Style.com to view the complete collection.

Art[s]ense: Dolce & Gabbana F/W 2014 Illustration Project - Part 2

2 weeks ago, I presented the 1st part of the Dolce & Gabbana F/W 2014 illustration on Swide, and it was all about the key elements.

For this week, I invited Maelle Rajoelisolo and Alessandra Divizia to create 2 illustrations based on the animal print garments. Both pieces are their interpretations of animal spirits. They are fun, classy, and truly reflect the aesthetic of the collection.

Please visit Swide to read the article and Draw A Dot. for my personal remarks.

Dots[Connection]: S/S 2015 Menswear

Here is your weekly Draw A Dot. recap.

Meagan Morrison has illustrated a series based on the Bespoken S/S 2015 collection. What I like the most about these illustration is that Meagan uses colour papers to reflect the colour blocking designs of the garments. Quite refreshing!  [Read Here]

Courtesy of Meagan Morrison 

Ewelina Dymek is back with some great illustrations based on the Dior Homme S/S 2015 collection. As always, I like her realistic illustration style, and the colour pencil doodles add a nice touch to these 2 art works. [Read Here]

Courtesy of Ewelina Dymek

Trendology: Diet Coke X Gilt.com

Ready for a refreshing update to your fall wardrobe? Diet Coke Get a Taste Style Bar has just launched with Gilt.com to promote five curated collections all centred around the colour palette and refreshing experience of Diet Coke.

As a former retail junkie, (who am I kidding, I will always love the world of retail,) I am impressed with the concept and the execution of this collaboration. The luxury online retailer, Gilt.com, worked with the Diet Coke brand colours (red, black, white and of course metallic silver) as the inspiration to curate the five collections titled Red, Light, Refresh, Boost and Luxe. Each week starting September 24th a new collection will be revealed at Gilt.com. The collections range from trendy casual, to sexy and dressy. Those who cannot wait for the weekly reveals can get a special preview of select items at the Diet Coke Get a Taste Style Bar pop up shop, open now through October 23rd, noon to 8m daily.

The spacious pop up shop is located at 363 King Street West in Toronto Ontario and is a must see. Divided into various rooms, guests can wander and explore the collections, enjoy a Diet Coke and of course place orders for their favourite items using conveniently located ipads loaded with Gilt.com.

Flying mannequins illutrate the light taste of Diet Coke.

Sultry red dresses and tailored black jackets for a night on the town.

Larger than life, Diet Coke and Gilt are on trend this fall with soft greys and even softer fabrics.

All Photos: Sonia Recchia / Getty Images

Exhibition: Politics of Fashion | Fashion of Politics

When creating a collection, fashion designers often like to take inspirations from the world culture. Sometimes, they like to bring out social messages through their designs. If you don't believe me, then this exhibition will be my prove.

Currently, Design Exchange is hosting a fashion exhibition called "Politics of Fashion | Fashion of Politics". It is curated by Jeanne Beker and Sara Nickleson, and the display is created by Jeremy Laing.

The exhibition is divided into 5 themes: Ethics/Activism; War/Peace; Consumption/Consumerism; Campaign/Power Dressing; and Gender/Sexuality, and some of the key pieces on display include Margaret Trudeau wedding dress, Jeremy Scott's fast food inspired look from the Moschino F/W 2014 collection, and the crystal mask from Maison Martin Margiela.

Courtesy of Eugen Sakhnenko

The exhibition runs from September 18, 2014 to January 25, 2015, so make sure you drop by Design Exchange before it is over.

Object of Desire: Moda:Ko has you stylishly covered

Perfect shoes? Check!
Perfect shirt? Check!
Perfect pants? Check!
Perfect blazer? Check!
Perfect iPad sleeve? Uh oh! Better get a Moda:Ko!

Gone are the days of stuffing your precious electronics into utilitarian looking solid coloured neoprene zippered sleeves. Say hello to Moda:Ko, the brand designed to stylishly celebrate your electronic best friend as you move through your day to day and into the night.

Canadian made Moda:Ko is the fashion child of designer Kelly Ho Chia Lee and Byron Hawes and is, "an accessories line borne of the idea that a constantly carried accessory, like an iPad or MacBook, should be treated as a fashionable possibility. That function, fashion and fun need not to be mutually exclusive."

The line is divided into two collections known as the Downtown Collection and the Uptown Collection.

The spirited Downtown Collection, (starting at $45,) is bold and ready to make a statement with its energetic patterned fabrics including seersucker, houndstooth, polka dots and tartans. A thoughtful back pocket, (available in both collections on the iPad and MacBook cases,) allows for easy access filing of your phone and other "need to grab in a flash items," such as business cards or your Starbucks Gold Card as you breeze through the cash filling your "frappa-cappa-addiction".

A selection from the Downtown Collection.

My must have print is the, surprise surprise, black and grey Neville madras print. What can I say, it simply goes with everything, has a distinctly masculine vibe and is casual and sexy all at once.

Neville - black and grey madras

The luxurious Uptown Collection (starting at $125,) is made with Italian leather detailing, sleek textiles including chrome tweed and black waxed cotton. The iPad mini version features a removable shoulder chain, allowing it to double as a clutch for the ladies. Fun fact, the chrome tweed fabric for the Uptown Collection was originally designed for Chanel. 

A selection from the Uptown Collection.

My favorite fabric combination in the Uptown Collection is the Phillip in black and silver metallic tweed with leather. I can see any woman of any age carrying this thoughtful combination.

Phillip - black and silver metallic tweed with leather.
Images courtesy of Moda:Ko

Please visit wearemodako.com to see the entire Moda:ko collection .

Object of Desire: Sully Wong x Amanda Lew Kee - SWALK01

I was first introduced to Sully Wong 2 years ago, and at this moment, I am still feeling sad that I cannot get the orange SWJ Heavyweight Sneaker because my feet are too small. However, the following collaboration may give me hope to own something from this brand.

For this season, Amanda Lew Kee is teaming up with Sully Wong to produce the first premium Hi-Top women's sneakers called the SWALK01. What I love about this sneaker is the Japanese leather lined denim interior, which works very well with the raw-cut leather outer layer. The design is sleek, smart, and fashion forward. Even though it is a women's sneaker, for men who have small feet like me, I guarantee it will look great on them!

This limited edition sneaker will be available online at SullyWong.com & GotStyle boutiques in Toronto starting October 9th. Don't miss it!  

Courtesy of Sully Wong / Amanda Lew Kee

Object of Desire: Gap x GQ Best New Menswear Designers in America Collection 2014

Every year the Gap x GQ capsule collection is what I look forward to the most.

Why? Because this collection introduces some of the best menswear designers to the world.

This year,  Brooklyn Tailors (Daniel Lewis), En Noir (Rob Garcia), John Elliott + Co (John Elliot), and M.Nii (John Moore) were selected by GQ’s editor-in-chief, Jim Nelson, creative director Jim Moore, and the magazine’s fashion editors as the 4 best menswear designers in America. Each brand represents a different aesthetic of American men, and I have to agree with Jim Moore that this is definitely the most diverse group of designers to date.

The collection will be available on September 30th at select Gap stores worldwide. If you live in Canada, you can purchase the collection at the following locations:

Toronto: Eaton Centre (375 Queen St. E.), 60 Bloor St. and Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Montreal Eaton Centre
Vancouver at 1125 Robson St
Calgary at Chinook Mall

(Also Gap.com)

Before you rush to the stores, let's look at some of my favourite pieces from this collection: 

M.Nii Shearling Corduroy Jacket

John Elliot + Co Pullover Hoodie

Walk the Walk: Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2015 Collection

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana presented their 30th anniversary collection during Milan Fashion Week today, and it brought back a lot of old classics to life with a new twist.

Spanish culture, especially the Spanish brand of Catholicism, was the major influence in this collection. Votive hearts and roses were elements that tied all the pieces together. This was also the first time the designers introduced the ponchos, and they fit very well with the aesthetic of the Dolce & Gabbana women. Accessories, especially the shoes, were totally breathtaking with the amazing embellishment details. Of course, the torero inspired finale ended the runway show on a very high note! Truly spectacular!

Watching this show was like a retrospective for this fashion house. To name a few signatures of this fashion house, there were the famous polka dots print, the carnations, the hour glass silhouettes, the crowns, and the puppet prints (which all showed up on the runway). Maybe the designers should consider producing more dolls (that were in the show), and have an exhibition with them wearing the iconic looks from different seasons.

Pros:
- The collection has a very solid theme: roses, votive hearts, and Spanish cultural influence
- The details in this collection are absolutely breathtaking.
- The prints are nice. I especially love the roses and polka dots one.
- The accessories, especially the shoes, are beautiful. Couture materials.
- Love the fringe element on the ponchos and dresses.
- As always, the finale is powerful!

Eye Candies: 
- All the pieces with embellished 3D hearts (votive hearts)
- The shoes
- The Dolce & Gabbana dolls
- Black mesh dress with roses print and 3D heart
- Black sheer embroidery roses skirt

Please visit Style.com  to view the complete collection. 

Walk the Walk: Fendi S/S 2015 Collection

Fendi has been on fire lately, and for the coming S/S 2015 season, Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi once again proved the fashion house will continue to be every editor's favourite by presenting yet another flawless runway show. And the most importantly, the line is getting younger!

Fendi S/S 2015 contained everything needed to be in an excellent collection: wearables, non wearables, artistic prints, fun accessories and great footwear. The prints were lovely and reminded people of tropical places like Hawaii. Cutout and shredded designs were not new to the fashion industry, but thee 2 elements added a nice futuristic touch to many of the garments. The 4 dresses in the final were definitely editorial materials - they were pretty and edgy.

Karl and Silvia once again worked their magic to create a stunning collection, and it is a guarantee that we will be seeing a lot of garments on editorials in the new season.

Pros:
- Great to see how the designers use one single floral print (orchid) to create so many outfits for this collection. It's a memorable move.
- The shredded idea is refreshing, so is the ombre effect.
- Love the cutout idea, this gives a futuristic vibe to the collection.
- The accessories are amazing! Love the fur keychain/ornament!
- How can they insert those stripes of fabrics without any stitching? Breathtaking.

Eye Candies:
- Cut out organdy dress
- The fur figure keychain/ornament
- Grey leather jacket with 3D embossed orchid
- White and black ombre shredded skirt suit

Please visit Style.com to view the complete collection.

Dots[Connection]: S/S 2015 Fashion Weeks!

Here is your weekly Draw A Dot. recap!

I discovered MelEesa's works while browsing on instagram, and during S/S 2015 NYFW, she created a series of runway sketches. Below is the piece based on the Marc by Marc Jacobs collection. [Read Here]

Courtesy of MelEesa Lorett

Right after NYFW, there was London Fashion Week, and SHOWstudio invited Velwyn Yossy to illustrate some of the looks from different collections. I always love her style, so it was so exciting to see her new works showed on such a big platform.  [Read Here]

Courtesy of Velwyn Yossy

If you have instagram, make sure you follow Draw A Dot. account because there is a special project just for that platform. #TakeoverDrawADot is a new series which I invite different illustrators to take over the account. Last week, JSK & his Susu Girls took over the account and please visit this post for a recap.

Object of Desire: Atelier Swarovski by Viktor & Rolf Fall 2014 Collection

For people who love Swarovski and Viktor & Rolf, you are going to love this Fall season. Why? Because these two power houses have done an awesome collaboration!

This Atelier collection was first debuted in March at the Viktor & Rolf F/W 2014 runway show. For this particular collaboration, Swarovski introduces 2 new elements: the Velvet Rock (crystals coated with velvet), and Frozen Crystal (contrasts matte and sparkling crystal stones in Black Diamond and Jet color ways). The pieces are bold, glamourous and have a hint of mysteriousness.

You can now purchase this Atelier collection online. This collaboration also has a sister line called the core collection (which the price point is a bit lower with no velvet involved), and you can purchase the pieces at Swarovski flagship stores.

Courtesy of Swarovski

Walk the Walk: Simone Rocha S/S 2015 Collection

Simone Rocha is one of the raising stars in the fashion world, and this collection finally captured my heart.

The entire collection was classy with a nice romantic vibe. Many of pieces reminded people of the costumes in Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love, but with Simone's modern twists. The textiles were beautiful, and the fur trim added a nice elegant touch to the dresses. For people who love scalloped hem, those black and white pieces would definitely blow their mind, as they were classy, elegant and edgy.

There were definitely a lot of elements here, but Simone did fit them nicely together to form a beautiful collection. As I said before, she is now a raising star, and I cannot wait to see her works on the red carpet soon.

Pros:
- The entire collection is very romantic, and many of the pieces remind me of the costumes from In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar Wai.
- The scalloped hem is a signature element of this collection, and pretty sure those pieces will be on editorials in the coming season.
- Another significant element is the fur trim, this element adds the elegant vibe to the garments .
- The textiles in this collection are beautiful.
- Love the idea of having 3D flowers on the floral print pieces.

Cons:
- The fur shoes are not bad, but this style has been in the runway shows for the past 2-3 seasons. The gimmick factor is declining.

Eye Candies:
- White textile dress with scalloped hem
- The white scalloped shoes
- Textile dress with fur trim
- Black dress with scalloped neckline and hem
- Scalloped detail glasses

Please visit Style.com to view the complete collection.