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by The Backseat Stylers | March 18th, 2013 
Yours truly with Roksanda Ilincic
Roksanda Ilincic made a one-day jaunt to Toronto last week for a fête in her honour at The Room at The Bay. The Serbian-born, London-based womenswear designer brought with her a charming disposition and highly covetable Fall 2013 collection that both won over the city’s fashion set.
Not that she didn’t already have big fans here. Socialite Stacey Kimel, blogger Nelia Belkova and Hudson’s Bay Company’s Fashion Director Suzanne Timmins were all decked out in Ilincic’s unmistakably chic and colourful wares at the invite-only cocktail party. The statuesque designer herself chose a whimsical printed pink gown for the occasion, a design from the Fall runway collection that just debuted in London last month.
Those of us without the pleasure of Ilincic pieces in our closets (yet!) still showed up in our Thursday best: Jenna Naumovich sported the to-die-for, limited edition Giuseppe Zanotti for Kanye West ‘Cruel Summer’ heels, while Jessica Chiu donned a printed Prabal Gurung frock that made our hearts go pitter-patter. Yours truly decided on a LRD by another London-based designer, Mary Katrantzou, while T wore a patterned velvet blazer by Club Monaco.
Merely a day after The Room’s latest shindig, while we were still basking in the glow of meeting the lovely Roksanda, came news of the next: a month from now, on April 16, featuring Viktor & Rolf. Mark your calendars!
Hudson’s Bay Company’s Suzanne Timmins with Stacey Kimel
 
CTV’s Angie Smith and The Room’s Jenna Naumovich
Kimberly Lyn, FLARE Magazine’s Ryan M. Cheung, Nelia Belkova, me and The Genteel’s Irene Kim
Jessica Chiu and The Room’s Steven Baughan
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by The Backseat Stylers | December 19th, 2012 
Krystal Koo and Suzanne Rogers at Rodarte event at The Room at The Bay
Some of my nerdiest (and more awkward) moments as a fashion blogger are those times when I’m full out freaking out about someone else’s outfit, oftentimes a chic stranger. “It’s that Mary Katrantzou dress!”, I’ll hiss to T, to the Mister (who could care less), or to no one in particular. I’ll then do that little jig where I’m pretending to be engrossed in the hors d’oeuvres spread or silent auction offerings but am really tracking said person’s movements, waiting for that opening in between bites of food or inside jokes to go in for the shot.
I always try to be polite to the individuals in the incredible ensembles, and respectful of other photographers and bloggers also trying to get the shot. Over the last 3+ years, I’ve been turned away by a would-be street style subject exactly once. Other times, I would have preferred a refusal over the scowl I saw through my camera lens; although, to be fair, this is also a rare occurrence. Most everyone I ask for a photo responds kindly and generously.
There was that time one bold face name vouched for me to another bold face name: “It’s OK – she’s cool.” The Toronto socialite stamp of approval! I was, quite honestly, delighted to be considered safe to pose for by the city’s social set. There was also that time one of Toronto’s most prolific event photographers waited very patiently for several minutes as I tried desperately to get my camera to co-operate and snap his picture. His empathy and assurance that this sort of thing happens to him too made the incident just a little less humiliating for me.
To Suzanne, Krystal, Liz, Faith, Monica, Amy, Glenna, Megan, Alesia, Ainsley, and everyone else who indulged me and my camera this year, thank you from the bottom of my fashion-obsessed heart. I can’t wait to do it all over again in 2013!
Liz Cabral at Power Ball
Monica Mei at Operanation
Alesia at Prom at the ROM
Megan Loach at Prom at the ROM
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by The Backseat Stylers | May 24th, 2012 
Me with Rodarte’s Laura and Kate Mulleavy
The Bay still knows how to throw a party. After several quiet months, Toronto’s social and fashion set returned to The Room at The Bay last night for a shindig in honour of Rodarte designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy. With their Fall 2012 collection in tow, the sisters charmed the likes of socialites Suzanne Rogers and Stacey Kimel, editors Bernadette Morra and Mosha Lundström Halbert, as well as bloggers Anita Clarke and Kimberly Lyn.
Yours truly spent the evening photographing the city’s most sartorially endowed, sipping champagne with my fellow media types, and chatting about Kirsten Dunst’s unexpected Met Ball dress (Rodarte, of course) with the designers themselves. Clad in a Manish Arora dress (fit for a hippie wedding) and navy velvet Loeffler Randall shoes (something blue?), I sought to rectify the Rodarte-less situation happening in my closet. When I asked the design duo about any upcoming collaborations, though, the answer was a disappointing no: “Right now, we really need to focus on our next collection,” Kate said. I’ll take that as a ‘maybe’.
In the meantime, The Room at The Bay is the source for all things Rodarte. And with The Room’s spring sale just around the corner (a little birdie told me so) and my pocketbook at the ready, I may just get my hands on my very first piece of Rodarte yet.
 
Flare’s Ryan M. Cheung, Glam Canada’s Aya McMillan and Flare’s Fiona Green
Kate Mulleavy, The Room Creative Director Nicholas Mellamphy and The Bay Fashion Director Suzanne Timmins
I Want – I Got’s Anita Clarke and Front Row Mag’s Michelle Bilodeau and Rachelle Saevil
Me with The Souls of My Shoes’ Kimberly Lyn
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by The Backseat Stylers | April 2nd, 2012 
On March 31, the Royal Ontario Museum played host to the Young Patrons’ Circle’s annual fundraiser and Toronto gala season highlight, Prom at the ROM. This year’s soiree was a circus-themed affair that included performances by an illusionist and aerial acrobats, chicken and waffles and corndogs on the menu, and a fortune teller who commanded line-ups throughout the evening. It was a fun-filled evening for a great cause, made all the more enjoyable by guests who showed up in their circus-themed best.
I had not one, but two Lucian Matis dress sightings, one fresh off the Fall 2012 runway on the lovely Alesia and the other a personal favourite from Fall 2011 on Rebecca Leung. I also spotted my first Mary Katrantzou x Topshop dress, and felt just a twinge of regret over not having snagged one myself. In between, I spied everything from basic LBDs to outlandish headpieces, but all was made up for by the very last style shot of the evening, Megan Loach in a stunning turquoise Ungaro gown and Margiela clutch.
As for me, what could be more perfect for a circus-themed night on the town than my very ringmaster-esque McQ jacket? All I was missing was a bow tie; that is, until my fairy godfather for the evening, Marcus, lent me his beloved Cor Sine Labe Doli ceramic gold bow tie for the occasion. I was sans top hat, but the accessory on my arm, a dapper Mister BSS, rather made up for it, I’d say. We had a wonderful time at Prom Circus, he and I.
   
On me: McQ by Alexander McQueen jacket (last seen here) / Topshop dress / Gucci shoes / Cor Sine Labe Doli ceramic bow tie (last seen on Marcus Kan here) / Chanel bag
xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | December 3rd, 2011 
Knot PR’s Amy Burstyn Fritz in a Calla Haynes skirt
On October 21, T and I had the pleasure of attending the Canadian Opera Company‘s eighth annual fundraiser, Operanation 8: A Muse Ball in Toronto. Despite having given opera a few sadly unsuccessful tries in the past (in hindsight, War and Peace in Russian wasn’t a very good starter opera), T was excited about the opportunity to see headliner Rufus Wainwright perform live and I was lured in by the promise of a fashion installation curated by RAC Boutique owners Glenna Weddle and Faith Orfus. Neither disappointed.
Featuring incredible, muse-inspired looks by Canadian designers Calla Haynes, Joeffer Caoc, Arthur Mendonça and Ashley Rowe, RAC’s installation was rivalled only by the partygoers’ own stunning ensembles. From lady in red Amy Burstyn-Fritz to a Mary Katrantzou-clad Megan Loach, the Operanation crowd was as well-styled and sartorially inspiring as the installation itself. In between style snaps, T and I also managed to eat, drink and dance the night away. In fact, we had so much fun that we vowed to give opera another proper try…or at least to attend Operanation again next year!
Designer Arthur Mendonça with a model in his design
RAC Boutique’s Faith Orfus
I Want – I Got’s Anita Clarke in a breathtaking Alexander McQueen Spring 2010 shawl
Red lips and white sequins
The Room at the Bay’s Megan Loach in Mary Katrantzou Spring 2011
xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | June 1st, 2011 
Blogger Kimberly Lyn, Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, blogger Nelia Belkova and me
Last night, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the designers behind womenswear and accessories label Proenza Schouler, dropped by for a visit at The Room at the Bay in Toronto and charmed the pants off the city’s fashion set. Bringing with them pieces from their Fall 2011 collection, the duo made the 200+ crowd swoon with their obvious design talent and – let’s face it – boyish good looks and down-to-earth charm. Most of us present, including yours truly, were reduced to schoolgirls with crushes.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jack and Lazaro, and wish I could tell you that there was witty banter or intelligent debate. Unfortunately, all I can recall of my starstruck moment was a cheery “Welcome to Toronto!” on my part, some discussion around how gorgeous and comfortable Nelia Belkova’s Proenza shoes are, and a hurried group photo session snuck in before the rest of the partygoers lost patience. There was the shaking of hands too and, needless to say, I haven’t washed my right hand since. I kid, of course.
Boyband-like appeal aside, the designers’ Spring and Fall 2011 collections were intriguing in their own right. There were PS1 bags galore, but what stole this fan’s heart was a certain printed neon yellow top, spotted on a lucky mannequin, and the matching tweed skirt on The Room’s Megan Loach. Proenza or not though, reception attendees showed up in their surprisingly colourful Tuesday best, taking full advantage of the city’s scorching temperatures (finally!) to don their couped-up summer fare, with Liz Cabral’s Prada SS10 printed beach scene skirt and Suzanne Rogers’ Rodarte SS11 Ming print dress leading the charge.
As for me, I deemed my Proenza Schouler Fall 2011 pieces entirely too warm for the 40-degree weather and settled for a 3.1 Phillip Lim dress and silver patent Louboutins to match. I don’t think Lazaro and Jack minded though – there were far too many usually too-cool-for-Schoul fashion folks fawning over them for them to notice anyway.
Proenza Schouler’s signature PS1 bags in black and raspberry suede
Stylist Tricia Campbell Hall, Kimberly Lyn and blogger Anita Clarke
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THE BACKSEAT STYLERS BY T & S
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