|
|
|
by The Backseat Stylers | December 28th, 2012 
Samantha and Caillianne Beckerman of Beckerman Bite Plate, Toronto
As occasional style bloggers, we’ve come to a less than obvious conclusion: style blogging isn’t easy. Put on some clothes, snap a photo or two and call it a day, right? Not quite.
So much thought goes into the production of a personal style shot that will keep readers coming back for more. The look: arm party or no arm party? Ankle booties or platform pumps? Hair up or down? The location: this graffiti wall or that one? Open field or busy city street? The pose: look straight at the camera or whimsically away from it? Lean in this doorway or sit on that park bench? It’s enough to make your head spin, but those who do it well have it down to a fine art.
That’s why this year we left the personal style blogging to those who do it like they mean it, and launched The Canadian Street Style Lookbook. There are some seriously stylish folks across our fair nation, and we wanted to introduce them to you. And, as 2012 comes to an end, we decided to take on the impossible task of rounding up our 10 favourite looks from the year.
From fabulous Lookbook regulars like Nelia and sisters Caillianne and Samantha to less frequent but no less chic contributors like Anya and Sydney, we’re in awe of just how sartorially gifted these 11 bloggers are. We bow down to your abilities to keep the outfits creative, the backdrops fresh and your bodies perfectly posed from week to week.
To all who were featured in the Lookbook this past year, thank you for the incredible blog fodder. We can’t wait to showcase more of our favourite bloggers, as well as some fresh new faces, in 2013!
Nelia Belkova of Style Blog, Toronto
Vanessa Hong of The Haute Pursuit, Vancouver/Beijing
Anya Georgijevic of I’m The It Girl, Vancouver
Anik Lacasse-Richard of Montreal In Style, Montreal
Continue reading →
by The Backseat Stylers | December 21st, 2012 
Justyna Baraniecki of Chameleonic, Ottawa
There are two incredible street style photos this week that literally made my jaw drop.
Justyna is an obvious one – she looks like a 7-foot-tall goddess who has just stepped out of a fairy tale. Her lace blouse is gorgeous, but it’s her full-length skirt, comprised of layers of sheer red fabric, is the highlight of her look. The clothing, the pose, and the snowy background combine for a breathtaking image.
Another stunner this week is Aliya in her dark denim shirt with contrast stitching, gold skirt, and chic hat. The brim of her hat swooping over her face makes her look rather mysterious, don’t you think?
Jen Tam of Her Waise Choice, Vancouver
Aliya Akhmedeeva of Click To See More, Montreal
Lisa Dengler of Just Another Fashion Blog, Toronto/Zurich
Continue reading →
by The Backseat Stylers | December 5th, 2012 
The sight of just about anything wrapped in Tiffany blue is always exciting, so when an invitation to a private soirée for me and my best blogging buds arrived, you can be sure it elicited a chorus of squeals. Nelia of Style Blog, Kimberly of The Souls of My Shoes, T and me were summoned recently to the Tiffany & Co. flagship on Bloor Street in Toronto for the boutique’s first ever private viewing session.
Dressed in our finest LBDs – the perfect backdrops to diamonds, diamonds and more Tiffany diamonds – we arrived at the store for our big date with the lovely Andrea Hopson, Vice President, Canada at Tiffany & Co. The next few hours were a blur of jewelry, cake and champagne, all the ingredients for a lovely evening spent behind the heavily-secured doors of a closed Tiffany boutique that was open exclusively just for us. Our very own sparkling playground for the night!
We took full advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, adorning ourselves with stunning piece after stunning piece. Diamond this, 24-karat gold that…it was the stuff of dreams. We paraded around in Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard, tried on Jean Schlumberger‘s insanely gorgeous bracelets, and pretty much died over a $22,000 gold Elsa Peretti bone cuff that none of us could bear to part with.
We even held an impromptu photo session in the leather goods section – Andrea included! – complete with oversized Tiffany sunglasses, chic Tiffany handbags and, of course, our usual duck faces. It was, undoubtedly, one of the most surreal experiences of my blogging career to date. Thank you, Tiffany & Co., for hosting us. It’s been a week now, and I’m still pinching myself!
  
T, Kimberly Lyn, Andrea Hopson, Nelia Belkova and me
 
Continue reading →
by The Backseat Stylers | November 30th, 2012 
Vanessa Hong of The Haute Pursuit, Vancouver/Beijing
As temperatures drop further and further down the thermometer, the wardrobe rotations of Canada’s style bloggers are getting darker and darker. Out with the colour-blocking, in with the black. But when everyone’s wearing black on black on black, a vibrant pop of colour is an uplifting sign that we may be chilled to the bone, but our sartorial spirit refuses to be dampened.
Vanessa‘s bright yellow sweater, Caillianne‘s multi-coloured tie-dye pants and Nelia‘s emerald green statement necklace brightened up their ensembles this week, and put a smile on my face too.
Kimberly Lyn of The Souls of My Shoes (with George Antonopoulos) by George Pimentel, Toronto
Caillianne Beckerman of Beckerman Bite Plate, Toronto
Nelia Belkova of Style Blog, Toronto
Continue reading →
by The Backseat Stylers | November 29th, 2012 
“It’s like Narnia out there!” said Paul Hardy, “But it’s good weather for lots of winter coats.” Spoken like a true Canadian fashion designer, but he was right. With the scenic and snowy Prince’s Island Park in Calgary as our backdrop, fashion media types from across the country had gathered at the River Café, one of the finest restaurants in the city, to kick off the 10th anniversary celebrations for Mr. Hardy last month.
Prince’s Island Park, Calgary
The designer had teamed up with Tourism Calgary and Travel Alberta to fly in editors and bloggers from Toronto, including Anita Clarke of I Want – I Got, Nelia Belkova of Style Blog, Lisa Ng of The Hip & Urban Girl’s Guide, and yours truly, to experience the very best Calgary has to offer, both sartorially and gastronomically.
Enjoying our first Calgary snowfall
Having checked in at Hotel Arts the night before and filled our stomachs with a delicious meal of bison and hot apple cider, among other delights, at brunch, we were off to do some sightseeing before the evening’s grand fashion show and after-party extravaganza.
Bison striploin at the River Cafe in Prince’s Island Park
“Sightseeing” for a gaggle of fashion bloggers is synonymous with “shopping”, and so we found ourselves visiting the local Holt Renfrew and The Bay department stores, wiling away the afternoon on the most frivolous of pastimes. Calgary, it turns out, has much to offer a fashion blogger with a few dollars burning a hole in her pocket.
Shopping at Holt Renfrew Calgary
Later that day, the weekend’s main festivities began, including a cocktail hour hosted by former Dragon’s Den star W. Brett Wilson (who, by the way, had Real Housewives of Vancouver‘s Mary Zilba on his arm), Paul Hardy’s Spring/Summer 2013 fashion show and, of course, an after-party attended by the who’s who of the Calgary social set.
Christopher Turner, Nelia Belkova, Stefania Yarhi, Lisa Ng, Anita Clarke and me
The runway presentation, what we were really all there for, featured an incredible line-up that ranged from fierce leather looks to jaw-droppingly gorgeous gowns, with live musical accompaniment courtesy of The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and singers Paul Brandt and Greg Sczebel.
Amongst the scrumptious food and drink, lively music, wonderful company, and snowstorm to boot, it was the fashion that stood out the most – and that’s really saying something. I went into my very first trip to Calgary knowing embarrassingly little about Paul Hardy and his work, but I left his fair city a fan. That ruffled leather top and leather pencil skirt combo? Made for me. And well worth the cross-country flight to see up close and personal.
Continue reading →
by The Backseat Stylers | November 26th, 2012 
Photo booth fun with Nelia Belkova and Richard Fabregui
Over-the-knee stiletto boots or patent leather brogues? Python-print skinny jeans or metallic brocade skirt? My wardrobe presents me with rather critical sartorial choices on a daily basis, and, frankly, I relish in every single one I’m called to make. As a legitimate fashion addict, I enjoy debating such things as the merits of purchasing an oxblood leather doctor bag for everyday vs. a skull-clasp minaudière for evenings out, and making the decision that’s right for me and my closet, i.e. both! An equally important choice is which credit card I use to make those fabulous handbag purchases, a decision that just got a whole lot more exciting.
Chatting with chef Mark McEwan
Meet my next must-have acquisition: the new Choice or ChoicePlus Card from American Express. At the launch event on November 5, I was treated to an evening of choose-your-own-adventure fun, wherein my choices led to a night of cocktails with chef Mark McEwan at his restaurant Fabbrica, stylish caricatures and caviar manicures by The Ten Spot at Browns Shoes, and some good old fashioned shopping and photo booth shenanigans at Roots. It was a creative and clever way to remind me and the other attendees just how much fun it is to decide your own fate, sartorial or otherwise.
The likeness is uncanny
The freshly-introduced Choice and ChoicePlus Cards present me with the same power of choice that I have over my closet rotation. Where do I earn rewards? How do I redeem my points? I decide. These new offerings from American Express are designed to fit your lifestyle and unique shopping habits. You have the freedom to earn points everywhere you use your Card and the power to choose five places from over 100 retailers where you want to earn double points. As you collect your points, you have the power to choose how you’d like to use them. In other words, you can shop and earn points wherever you like and reward yourself with the things you love.
Earn double points on the purchase of a new fall/winter wardrobe at my favourite stores, and then redeem for a sunny getaway from the cold with TripFlex rewards? Sounds perfect to me! I’ve been tasked by American Express with test-driving either the Choice or ChoicePlus Card over the coming months, and I can’t wait to take it out for a spin on my upcoming holiday fashion shopping expedition. Stay tuned for my next report! In the meantime, read all about the Choice and ChoicePlus Cards here and check out this cute introductory video here.
xx, S
Sponsored by American Express Canada
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?
Continue reading →
by The Backseat Stylers | November 19th, 2012 
Twins!
Diesel officially launched its third boutique in Canada last week, and yours truly was right in the mix of the celebrations. Or, rather, my doppelgänger was! I had been invited to participate in a blogger style-off pitting me against Jay Strut, Nelia Belkova and Julio Reyes-Cocka, and I’d dressed my little mannequin friend exactly as I’d dress, well, myself.
Having the entire spring/summer 2013 preview collection at my disposal, I started with a metallic black leather collar, added a white button-down and black pleated skirt with cool zipper detailing at the waist, and then finished the look off with a pair of metallic silver ankle booties, plus a double-wrap leather bracelet for good measure. Shera, as I’ve affectionately named her (after a flubbed PR email that addressed me as “Shera” – not my name!) looked pretty damn fierce, if I may say so myself.
She’s got tough competition though, between Nelia’s sequins and pleats, Jay’s denim vest outfit, and Julio’s leather and lace pairing. Give me – and Shera! – some support if you dig our black, white and silver ensemble by tweeting at @DieselCanada and letting them know that @backseatstylers‘ look is where it’s at. The contest closes on Black Friday, November 23 at 9:30 p.m., so vote before then and you’ll be entered to win a $1,000 Diesel shopping spree. Thanks in advance for the love and good luck with the giveaway!
 
Julio Reyes-Cocka, Nelia Belkova and me
Shoppers voting for Shera, obviously (yup, that’s the story I’m going with)
Jay Strut
xx, S
Image Credits: George Pimentel
by The Backseat Stylers | November 9th, 2012 
Liz Clark of Elizabeth Victoria Clark, Toronto
When it comes to accessories, have you ever thought about wearing a glove-shaped coin purse necklace around your neck? Donning a turban to protect your head from the fall chill? Or hanging a cat sweater casually over your handbag? No? Me neither. But this week’s round of personal style bloggers made just these bold choices for their accessories, and they all look amazing!
Caillianne worked a Maison Martin Margiela at H&M (launching next week on Nov. 15!) glove necklace and a vintage turban into a killer black-and-white ensemble that balanced chic on top with sporty on the bottom. The Beckerman clan can always be counted on for creative ways to accessorize.
There are tons of animal sweaters these days that are super cute and not at all kitsch (though I personally enjoy kitschy sweaters), and Alyssa shows us a fun way of wearing one – without actually wearing it. Hanging a sweater over your handbag is a genius solution because then you can have two amazing tops on you rather than just one (this would be the opposite of ‘less is more’ but would achieve the same effect – a brilliant outfit)!
Alyssa Lau of The Ordinary Peoples, Edmonton
M’c kenneth Licon for Lookbook.nu, Vancouver
Anonymous, Halifax (Image Credit: Melissa Jane Dube for Fashion East)
Continue reading →
by The Backseat Stylers | November 2nd, 2012 
Ania Boniecka of Ania.B, Calgary
It’s already November but I’m still searching for that perfect fall jacket. I have had my mind set on a quilted bomber jacket – Vanessa’s is perfect! – but this week’s street style has me thinking that maybe just one fall jacket isn’t enough….
M’c kenneth took advantage of the chilly weather to layer an elegant dark green coat over a wool blazer. I myself layer my jackets as fall nears winter – usually a leather jacket underneath a fall jacket – and admire how M’c kenneth’s look has presence but isn’t bulky. Another fan of layering is Justyna, who wore a wool jacket underneath an on-trend fur collar jacket. Her lovely vintage cherry-printed dress put a smile on my face.
On those rare warmer days, a blazer can provide just the right amount of warmth. Nelia donned a sophisticated tuxedo jacket over a beautiful brocade peplum suit, while Krystin looked super cute in her polka dot blazer, striped blouse, and bowtie.
Nelia Belkova of Style Blog, Toronto
M’c kenneth Licon for Lookbook.nu, Vancouver
Anik Lacasse-Richard of Montreal In Style, Montreal
Continue reading →
|
|
THE BACKSEAT STYLERS BY T & S
|
