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by The Backseat Stylers | April 18th, 2013 
“Nice jacket”: two words that literally made my week, uttered by Viktor Horsting (or was it Rolf Snoeren? It was all such a giddy blur.) to me. The jacket in question? A mustard yellow blazer with contrast black piping designed by Viktor & Rolf themselves. The Amsterdam-based duo was in town earlier this week for a very well-attended meet-and-greet with Toronto’s fashion set at The Room at The Bay.
With HBC President Bonnie Brooks and VP / Buying Director of The Room Nicholas Mellamphy as hosts and DJ Mia Moretti spinning her magic, partygoers that included the inimitable Jeanne Beker, FASHION Magazine’s EIC Bernadette Morra and socialites Stacey Kimel and Suzanne Rogers spent the evening chatting with the charming Dutch guests-of-honour, sipping on champagne and admiring the V&R wares.
Dr. Lisa Airan and PR maven Suzanne Cohon stole the sartorial show with brightly-coloured frocks, the former in an orange Carven dress with cutouts and the latter in a fuchsia Roksanda Ilincic number (last seen on Ginnifer Goodwin!). The usually cool as a cucumber blogger Anita Clarke chose a peplum Roland Mouret to meet her fashion idols, while the effortlessly chic stylist Amy Patel paired her Margiela x H&M bodysuit with denim overalls for the occasion. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention blogger Jay Strut, who showed up in a heavily embellished Balmain jacket that made our jaws drop.
Check out the gallery below for some of our favourite looks from the night.
  
Image Credit: George Pimentel
 
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by The Backseat Stylers | March 4th, 2013 
Bernadette Morra and Jeanne Beker
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s first annual Canadian Screen Awards were held in Toronto last night at The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts and broadcast live on television. The awards, which have replaced the previously separate Genie and Gemini Awards, recognize excellence in film, television and digital media productions.
Last night’s broadcast gala and industry-only soirees held earlier in the week saw Canada’s most talented actors and television personalities walk the red carpet, many in designs by local designers. Presenter Tara Spencer-Nairn donned a fierce leather number by VAWK, one of our favourite looks from the Spring 2013 collection. Kristin Kreuk and Bernadette Morra each sported Arthur Mendonça; the Beauty and the Beast actress paired an unexpected printed jumpsuit with jewelry by Toronto-based designers Shay Lowe Jewellery and Niki & Lola, while the FASHION Magazine editor-in-chief sported a stunning magenta cocktail dress.
Morra presented fashion icon and former Fashion Television host Jeanne Beker, decked out in Chanel, with the Academy Achievement Award for exceptional contributions to Canadian television. With the national fashion industry well-represented, the first ever Canadian Screen Awards was a glamorous affair indeed.
Tanya Kim
The Bachelor Canada’s Bianca Kamber
Kim Cattrell
Wendy Crewson
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by The Backseat Stylers | November 23rd, 2012 
Yours truly with presenters Glen Baxter and Hans Koechling and host Rob Lowe
On November 19, the 2012 edition of the P&G Beauty & Grooming Awards were held at The Carlu in Toronto. Hosted by the extremely handsome actor and Brat Pack member Rob Lowe, the Awards brought together the biggest names in the Canadian beauty, grooming and fashion industries to honour the year’s best print and online content in 19 categories.
Stacey McKenzie and Jully Black
Assisting Lowe (who was kissed on by all the ladies who graced the stage and was a good sport about it) in presenting the Tiffany & Co. crystal trophies were familiar faces like the iconic Jeanne Beker, Greta Constantine-clad singer Jully Black, supermodel Stacey McKenzie and boxer Mary Spencer.
And the winners are…
1. Best Art Direction: Tanya Watt, FLARE
2. Best New Face: Jenna Earle, Next Models
3. Best Beauty Feature of a Magazine or Newspaper – Trend/Profile (English): Adriana Ermter; FLARE, Back by Popular Demand
4. Best Beauty Feature of a Magazine or Newspaper – Trend/Profile (French): Sophie St-Laurent; Châtelaine, BB La crème a tout faire
5. Best Beauty Feature of a Magazine or Newspaper – Scientific/Technical (English): Michelle Villett; FLARE, Best Beauty Innovations of 2011
6. Best Beauty Feature of a Magazine or Newspaper – Scientific/Technical (French): Micheline Lortie; Châtelaine, La nature en pot
7. Best Beauty Editor of a Magazine: Lesa Hannah; FASHION Magazine
8. Best Male Grooming Feature: Greg Hudson; Sharp Magazine, The Sharp Guide to Grooming: Stepping it Up
9. Hair Stylist of the Year: Justin German
10. Best Fashion Feature of a Magazine or Newspaper (English): Sarah Nicole Prickett; FASHION Magazine, Bro Code
11. Best Fashion Feature of a Magazine or Newspaper (French): Elsa Vecchi; Dress to Kill, Spécial Design: Rad Hourani
12. Best Fashion Editor of a Magazine: George Antonopoulos, FASHION Magazine
13. Best Male Fashion Feature: Yang Goh; Sharp Magazine, Style Manual
14. Best Beauty or Fashion Blog (English): Sharon Ng Hayes; The Backseat Stylers
15. Best Beauty or Fashion Blog (French): Anik Lacasse-Richard; Montreal in Style
16. Best Beauty or Fashion Website: Randi Bergman, FashionMagazine.com
17. Photographer of the Year: Malina Corpadean
18. Make-up Artist of the Year: Nicolas Blanchet
19. Best Magazine Cover: Dress to Kill, Stéphane Le Duc, Winter 2011
With Kimberly Lyn in Arthur Mendonça (left) and Nelia Belkova in Lanvin x H&M (right)
You may have noticed a familiar name in there for winner of the Best Beauty or Fashion Blog (English) category: The Backseat Stylers. WOOHOO! What an incredible honour it was for us to be named finalists alongside our blogger friends Nelia Belkova of Style Blog and Lolitta Dandoy of Fashion Is Everywhere, but to win?
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by The Backseat Stylers | September 12th, 2012 
Shopping parties are the best when raided with an equally fashion-minded sister (at The Bazaar by RAC Boutique). (Image Credit: Richard Fabregui)
And just like that, Fashion’s Night Out Toronto has come and gone, but while it was here on September 6, we sure took full advantage. It was a jam-packed evening of shopping party after shopping party, the very best kind by our measure.
We kicked off our night at Toronto Eaton Centre (check out our recap), and the FNO fun was only just beginning. Next stop? Holt Renfrew, of course, where we joined a very magenta street party complete with pink confetti, limited edition pink Diet Coke bottles and a pop-up shop selling exclusive Holt Renfrew 175th anniversary paraphernalia. There may have been some confetti throwing and dancing in the street on our part (and photographic evidence).
From there we made the short trek to Hazelton Lanes to pay The Shopping Soirée, hosted by Toronto Fashion Incubator, TNT and Fashion Cares, and the MasterCard Stylicity Lounge a visit. There we chatted with a Mary Katrantzou-clad Suzanne Rogers, ogled the Kara Ross jewels on Gail McInnes and Kelly Claman, and caught up with some of our favourite fellow fashion bloggers, including Style Blog‘s Nelia Belkova, who also chose Clover Canyon for the occasion (take a gander at our FNO outfit post). There were also tables and tables of stylish goods to covet.
Our next destination was equally full of temptation for the pocketbook. A chauffeured BMW (by the way, how sweet is that?) took us to The Bazaar by RAC Boutique. More of the city’s independent boutiques than we can name had assembled together at the Burroughes Building to offer a carefully curated selection of chic offerings. The whimsical necklaces from Foe and Dear and statement jewelery from Love of Mine, in particular, were very hard to resist.
With closing time for Fashion’s Night Out just around the corner, we made one final stop at eLUXE‘s FNO bash. There was just enough time to admire the exclusive Smythe x eLUXE tuxedo jacket and make use of the photo booth with Toronto Is Fashion‘s Richard Fabregui. Fashion’s Night Out wouldn’t have been complete without the obligatory jumping session in the photo booth – am I right or am I right?
And with that, the clock struck 11pm, FNO was done for the year, and yours truly returned to our hotel room and ordered everything off the room service menu to cap off one hell of a Fashion’s Night Out. Till next year!
Me and Nelia Belkova – Clover Canyon loving twins! (Image Credit: Richard Fabregui)
Pink lemonade at Massimo Dutti at Toronto Eaton Centre – yes please!
Live-tweeting Toronto Eaton Centre’s fabulous FNO fashion show with PR all-star Jenna Stothers.
I really, really like confetti. Especially the pink kind at Holt Renfrew’s Hot@175 street party.
Well hello there, Gail McInnes, Glenn Dixon and Suzanne Rogers (in Mary Katrantzou!), at The Shopping Soirée at Hazelton Lanes of course.
Fabulous Kara Ross statement necklaces for all! Except me…I need to work on that.
Bloggers Richard Fabregui, Nelia Belkova, Marc Piercey, Anita Clarke and me at The Shopping Soirée at Hazelton Lanes. (Image Credit: Nelia Belkova)
Jeanne Beker at the MasterCard Stylicity Lounge. (Image Credit: Justin Charles)
Chauffeured BMW pour moi et mes fellow media types. No big deal.
Being silly with Richard at The Bazaar by RAC Boutique.
Actor Adrian Grenier and his entourage (see how we did that?) at The Bazaar by RAC Boutique. (Image Credit: Ashlea Wessel)
Working on my photo booth jumping game with T and Richard at eLUXE’s FNO event.
xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | July 12th, 2012 
On July 11, Toronto’s social set descended on the Design Exchange to fete its joint exhibition with The National Ballet of Canada, 60 Years of Designing The Ballet. Canadian fashion icon Jeanne Beker, FASHION Magazine Editor-in-Chief Bernadette Morra (in Marni for H&M!) and Katrantzou-clad socialite Kara Alloway were among the gala attendees who spent the evening toasting the National Ballet’s 60th anniversary and admiring costumes and set pieces from its archives.
Curated by costume designer Caroline O’Brien, the exhibit features special items from past productions of Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Emergence and more, going as far back as the 1950s. Also on display is The Tutu Project, 60 stunning, one-of-a-kind tutus created by Canadian fashion designers, artists and children alike in honour of the National Ballet’s big 6-0.
The exhibition runs from July 11 to September 2, 2012. For more information, visit www.dx.org.
Glen Baxter, Shauna Levy, Jeanne Beker, Christine Faulhaber
FASHION Magazine Editor-in-Chief Bernadette Morra
Chanelle Ramsubick
Jewellery Designer Shay Lowe
xx, S
Image Credits: Peter Chatterton
by The Backseat Stylers | November 5th, 2011 
Oscar de la Renta and me
Designer Oscar de la Renta made a personal appearance at The Bay in Toronto recently to promote his new fragrance, Live in Love. Brimming with charm, he chatted with Fashion Television‘s Jeanne Beker, signed autographs, and even took the time to share some pearls of wisdom. “Elegance isn’t something you’re born with,” de la Renta said, “it’s how you live life.” Smelling like a lovely mix of florals certainly helps too, and that, I suppose, is where Live in Love comes in.
 
xx, S
Photo Credit: Kimberly Lyn (image #1); all others by The Backseat Stylers
by The Backseat Stylers | September 5th, 2011 
I recently posted that Stuart Weitzman had teamed up with select celebrities south of the border, including Olivia Palermo, to create the Young Hollywood Cares Collection. Now, he’s bringing his charitable initiatives in support of ovarian cancer research to Canada.
This month, Stuart Weitzman will be auctioning off 9 one-of-a-kind designs created by a group of Canadian celebrities, each of whom personally decorated a pair of the brand’s ‘Fever’ pump. These celebrities include Fashion Television‘s Jeanne Beker, LOULOU Magazine‘s style editor Claude Laframboise, actresses Rachelle Lefevre, Chantal Lacroix and Emily VanCamp, Olympic athlete Ashleigh McIvor, and ET Canada‘s Rick Campanelli, Cheryl Hickey and Roz Weston.
I recently attended the launch of the auction, and was incredibly impressed by the level of creativity each celebrity brought to his/her shoe. Jeanne Beker and her daughter Joey O’Neil were inspired by a nursery rhyme; Claude Laframboise drew on Truman Capote’s legendary Black and White Ball; and Ashleigh McIvor designed a fierce yet feminine shoe that represents her gold medal success in ski cross. Each shoe was hand-decorated by the celebrities themselves, and done beautifully too, I might add. In fact, I’ve been daydreaming about how my own imaginary design would look. Next DIY project, perhaps?
Stuart Weitzman’s First Annual Canadian Celebrity Shoe Auction is being held online from now until September 21st, here. Bid on a stunning, one-of-a-kind pair of shoes for a very worthy cause! It’s a win-win situation, really.
       
xx, S
Images courtesy of Stuart Weitzman
by The Backseat Stylers | November 12th, 2010 
I’ve been coveting pieces from EDIT by Jeanne Beker since the line hit the Bay stores earlier this year, so when I received an invite for an event celebrating EDIT’s launch with the Fashion Television host-turned-clothing-line-editor herself in attendence, I knew I had to be there. On November 5th, family, friends and fans all crammed into The White Space in the Queen St store in downtown Toronto for an evening of clothes and bubbly in honour of everyone’s favourite Canadian fashion icon.
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by The Backseat Stylers | October 11th, 2010
Canadian fashionistas will have heard by now that Jeanne Beker recently launched EDIT, a tightly-edited collection of 25 Fall must-haves carried exclusively at 65 the Bay locations across Canada. I’ve been meaning to check the pieces out since they launched last month and finally had the chance to recently. It’s no surprise that given my ongoing obsession with capes and a desire to add camel, the colour of the season, to my wardrobe, this camel draped cape coat ($195) caught my eye.
It’s warm, it’s chic, and if Canadian fashion heroine Jeanne Beker says I need it, who am I to question her?
xx, S
Photos courtesy of the Bay
by The Backseat Stylers | June 3rd, 2009 …Jeanne Beker.
That is all.
xx, S
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THE BACKSEAT STYLERS BY T & S
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