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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 | October 15th, 2012 
Beckerman sisters
Hermès sure knows how to throw a party. The purveyor of the world’s most coveted silks and, of course, the holy grail Birkin bag threw a Swinging Silk dance bash last week in Toronto. Many of the city’s most fashionable arrived sporting their favourite silks at the brilliantly decorated Berkeley Church for a group swing dancing lesson, as well as a temporary tattoo station and requisite photo booth.
Classic 90 x 90 scarves hung from the rafters as partygoers including FLARE and FASHION‘s respective editors-in-chief Miranda Purves and Bernadette Morra, socialite Suzanne Rogers, and the perpetually, perfectly in costume Beckerman clan danced the night away. The dress code was specific and most adhered to it: silk scarves, skirts and ballet shoes for the ladies and slicked back hair and tuxedo or zoot suits for the gentlemen. Yours truly decided that a tux with a twist was in order, as did Nelia Belkova, my partner-in-crime for the evening.
Check out the gallery below for shots from one of the most fun events in the city so far this year. If they have you lusting for a new Hermès scarf, you’re in luck, because the company recently launched its Canadian website and is offering complimentary ground shipping until November 2, 2012.
And while you’re waiting on that unmistakeably orange box to arrive on your doorstep, give this fascinating piece on Kermit Oliver, the American artist designing scarves for Hermès, a read.
 
Nelia Belkova, Ryan M. Cheung and me
 
Suzanne Rogers
 
HELLO! Canada’s Lisa Tant and Shrimpton Couture’s Cherie Federau
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by The Backseat Stylers | June 29th, 2012 
Ryan M. Cheung, Toronto (Image Credit: Stefania Yarhi for Textstyles)
I’m excited to announce that Jentine is the first person from Hamilton – where I live – to be included in The Canadian Street Style Lookbook! I live near the McMaster University campus, where the meaning of casual chic extends to wearing pajama pants in the middle of the afternoon, but Jentine is an example of the stylish Hamiltonians who focus more on the “chic” in casual chic. Her autumn-hued Marc Cain bustier crop top and thrifted Ralph Lauren cobalt skirt are a perfect pairing!
If the boys on campus dressed more like Ryan and the girls like Kelsey, I think I would be more interested in going to school. I’m completely envious of Ryan’s Ben Sherman gingham shirt and shoes, and love the vintage feel of Kelsey’s look. Her scalloped suede bottoms (Is it a skirt? A pair of shorts? Who knows!) are beautiful.
I imagine that my style will be similar to Alyssa’s look once I’ve become a successful professional in New York City, working in a contemporary art gallery and visiting my future friend Grace Coddington at the Vogue offices during my lunch breaks.
Alexandra Grant of To Vogue or Bust, Toronto
Alyssa Lau of The Ordinary Peoples, Edmonton
Kelsey Dundon of The Anthology, Vancouver (Image Credit: Sherry Lu)
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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 | May 7th, 2012 
As soon as I passed through the orange lacquer doors into the packed press preview of Tory Burch’s first Canadian boutique at Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre, I knew I was in for a fun night. Within the gorgeously decorated space – filled to the brim with what the designer herself describes as “beautiful things that don’t cost a fortune” – fashion aficionados intensely debated what their first Tory Burch in-store acquisitions on Canadian soil would be.
Bold colours and delightful prints were enthusiastically embraced by the more sartorially adventurous. After careful deliberation and polling, Nelia Belkova of StyleBlog.ca settled on the coveted Robinson Mini Chain Bag in an eye-catching orange. Meanwhile, Liv Judd, Shopping Editor for LOULOU Magazine, is reportedly enjoying the spring weather in her new pair of Tory Burch flats, made in a to-die-for yellow snakeskin.
In addition to all the vibrant colour, there was a strong selection of classic garments and accessories in pastels and neutral tones. I myself was drawn to the Small Suede Briefcase and the Owen Jacquard Dot Pant, though I ultimately went with an Angelique silk blouse (one can never have too many blouses). The thoroughly enjoyable shopping experience I had was in no small part due to the tremendously friendly, helpful, and efficient staff.
The Tory Burch boutique is now open to the public, so be sure to pay a visit!
The infamous mirrored accessory wall, a feature of all Tory Burch boutiques
Flare Magazine’s Mosha Lundström Halbert
S would love these whimsical cherry-print pumps
Blogger Gracie Carroll giving the Owen jacquard dot pants a try
 
Flare Magazine’s Ryan M. Cheung, undoubtedly texting his friends about the iPad-equipped seating areas
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THE BACKSEAT STYLERS BY T & S
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