RACHEL SIN

Micalla wasn’t the only designer who has showcased collections on the runway, and one who really rocked it out this season was Ottawa-native Rachel Sin.
Sin is an architect-turned fashion designer, and through her stream line, classic with a twist
collection, Sin truly depicts a demand for quality that embodies her architectural background.
”I think as an artist what drives you each season is to create something more beautiful than the last,” Sin says. “My day job as an intern architect has taught me to open my eyes and pay attention to everything and every detail.”
Sin decided to start her own clothing line in Ottawa because she saw the need for growth and
development in the industry.
“The limited choice in clothing in Ottawa was what drove me to start my own line,” Sin says. “I think by providing women with an option (clothing that is beautiful and wearable) will inspire people to dress up and go out.”
Because this wasn’t Sin’s first time around a runway, it was more straightforward for her this season.
“The second time around it was easier, because I knew what to expect. Within a month you have to arrange for a casting call and several fittings with models,” Sin explains. “Then there’s shoes, hair style, make-up, most of which I choose from flipping through magazines. We collaborated with Montreal hair accessory designer Shoshanna Finn for Halo, which really completed the look and created something totally unique for the runway. After you’ve done all the prep work, you’re running around making sure that everything runs smoothly and as planned.”
Sin agrees that although it’s a lot of prep work, it’s well worth it. “It is definitely a high being back stage with the models and get ready for the show,” she says. “It’s always a crazy month before the show and you are also trying to promote the event at the same time but I would definitely do it again.”

MICALLA

“We have a wonderful group of clients in Ottawa that really appreciate our designs and for the first time we were given the opportunity to showcase our pieces to a larger group of discerned consumers and industry,” says Camilla Jørgensen, designer behind the stunning jewelry line known as Micalla, based out of Montreal. “We were very excited.” Micalla is no spring chick to fashion week, which is why it was so special to have their designs showcased in Ottawa this year.
MICALLA has been in the designers’ showcase at Semaine de la Mode in Montreal and at LG Fashion Week in Toronto since 2008.
According to Jørgensen, It takes about six to eight months from inspiration to execution. “The details vary from actually making and designing the pieces, to finalizing the concept,” she says. “Once done, the detail that lies in finding models, music, lighting, make-up, etcetera, takes approximately six to eight weeks.”
For Micalla’s fall/winter 2010 collection titled ‘Sunset’, Jørgensen brought 1950’s Hollywood glamour into the 21st century. With crystals and rare gemstones, her pieces exuded elegance and femininity; perfect for the modern day movie star.

ZENA FARES
For others, this was an entirely new way to showcase their collections.
Zena Fares, also an Ottawa-native, get her start at the renowned Richard Robinson School of Design right in the downtown capital.
Fares decided to partake in OFW this year in hopes to promote her designs, “I thought it would be good exposure for me,” she says. “And hopefully get my designs in Ottawa Boutiques.”
Her collection this year radiated sex appeal and feminine strength. From leather, to silk to wild prints, Fares was fearless for Fall/Winter 2010.
“Before showcasing a garment I always ask myself if I would wear it,” she explains. “My inspiration is trying to get a touch of glamour into every piece of clothing. I want ladies to dress up even if it just to go to the office.”

RANDY OLSEN

Another rookie onto the Ottawa scene this year was Randy Olsen. New to the design world, Olsen soaked up every minute of OFW.
“This was an amazing experience for me as it was my first fashion week,” he says. “I loved working with the models I chose and the people who
organized the event. I am so happy that I finally participated.”
Olsen’s Fall/Winter collection included a wide variety of colour, textures and shapes. From a black jumpsuit to a plunging red dress, Olsen showcased his talent in differing facets.
“My inspirations came from everything,” says Olsen. “Whatever I liked, I just did, much like Franco Moschino. Even if something like certain colours or fabrics were not on trend that year, he would just go with it. That’s what I did. If I liked something and it looked good, I went for it.”

OFW was a huge success in our Nation’s
Capital. I think we all can agree on the fact that Ottawa’s fashionistas will look forward to next season and what it and the city have to offer.

There is nothing more enjoyable than inviting a group of friends to enjoy an evening filled with martinis and delicious cuisine, while Michael Buble plays in the background. Hosting has become the new obsession for recently emancipated young adults and people alike. A hostess is essential for every event and has one goal in mind: to create a socially enjoyable environment.

But the art of hosting is more than delegating what goes where; it’s to make sure your guests have a good time they’ll remember. Here are a few tips and ideas to help you become a top hostess.

Tips

1. Plan according to your space.

If you know your cozy place can hold only six or seven people comfortably at a time, only invite that amount. Making your guests feel comfortable is one of the top priorities for the hostess. Arrange the party area so that you and your guests can move around smoothly.

2. Set the Mood.

Music, candles, and aroma; these three items are essential. They can change the ambiance and mood of an atmosphere instantly. Jazz, Indie and contemporary music are perfect mood setters to a party.

3. Be prepared for anything… absolutely anything.

While your intentions are to have a perfect evening, unexpected things can happen at anytime, from an extra friend-of-a friend showing up, to overnight party guests. Make sure you are prepared, whether it means having extra dinnerware ready or setting up a room for crashers. By mentally preparing yourself for the unknown, you become a responsible and mature party host.

Ideas

1. Pick a Theme

A part of being a hostess is being creative in planning your event. A great hostess will have a specific theme for the event to get guests involved. You can choose to have a specific theme such as the decade’s, or a more contemporary setting. Based on your theme you can decorate your home accordingly and even tailor your food menu to your theme.

2. Involve your guests

You know that person who is
always asking: can I help you with anything? Let them! Being the hostess doesn’t mean you have to do all the work yourself. If you know your friend makes a delicious cosmopolitan and is willing to help, let them assist you with bartending. People love to help, especially when they’re having fun doing it.

3. Games and Party Favors

Think back to the birthday parties you attended as a child. In most cases, the party was filled with fun games and treats. This is basically the same idea as hosting. As a hostess, your event needs to offer guests some type of entertainment. It can be a game of charades, Pictionary or a game related to your theme. As well, offer your guests a type of memento, like a Polaroid snapshots or a goodie bag to take home.

With spring giving us a sneak preview of the warm weather we’ll receive this summer, its no wonder the excitement is starting to build for this years’ summer fashion. From bright and bold colors to floral patterns, it isn’t too hard to imagine how much brighter this summer’s fashion will be. At Fashion Weekly, we’ve come up with the top summer fashion trends to suit every personal style.

Nautical

Tapping into the nautical style of the pier, this trend uses horizontal stripes, navy and white color combinations and golden and silver accents such as buttons or threaded details.

Military

Military is all about the wearing shades of dark green, desert hues and camouflage patterns. This trend emphasizes tailored pieces and structured linings. Stella McCartney is just one of the many designers to combine the tough
patterns of military with a feminine touch.

Denim

Denim is a stylish and easy look to accomplish this summer. Whether ripped or tattered, light or dark, blue jeans have returned as an easy fashionable statement to follow. Basic denim pieces to have this summer are denim boyfriend shorts and the classic, yet, chic denim jacket.

Floral

This romantic, flirty and fun trend shows up in almost every spring/summer 2010-fashion show. It takes a piece of the beautiful garden scenery as inspiration. Ralph Lauren’s spring 2010 ready-to-wear collection is one example of a designer who uses floral patterns.

Although summer weather can be extremely hot, our Canadian summers are known to change from sunny to cool instantly. Here are a two winter items that can be mixed with your new summer wardrobe.

The Boyfriend Blazer

A blazer is the perfect topper for any outfit. Pair with a flowing summer dress or jean shorts for a sophisticated and preppy look.

Jeans
Every woman owns a pair of jeans they feel and look amazing in. With denim making a comeback this summer, it isn’t too hard to take advantage of this trend. Try to use your jeans from last winter and pair with a casual summer white button up blouse.
Trying each and every summer fashion can be tempting but there are some DO’s and DON’T’s to summer fashion.
Do
- Wear bold colors; don’t be afraid to wear reds, greens or blues as long as it is
coordinated against a like or neutral color.
- Mix patterns! This summer is all about fusing different patterns in one outfit.
- Accessorize! There is a lot to choose from this summer and accessories are a perfect way to finish your desired look.
Don’t
- Don’t go overboard on a trend. Dressing in denim doesn’t mean from head to toe. Use one to two signature pieces and incorporate basic staples such as the plain white t-shirt or khaki shorts.
- Don’t wear a style that you don’t feel comfortable in. You know your body better than anyone else. If you don’t feel comfortable wearing a short floral skirt, opt for a style with the same appeal.

Photos from Style.com & HnM.com20

Rocky Mountain Soap Company

Rocky Mountain Organic Body Scrubs are satiny, full of moisturizing qualities, refreshing and 100% natural. Let’s face it, lots of brand out there may be organic but they don’t have that extra energy that make them exciting The Rocky Mountain Soap Company is exactly the opposite. With its funky packaging, great product and natural ingredients it’s the perfect match for any bath time and not to mention bath décor!

Reitman’s is SOOO Hot this Summer

We love pop of bright colours to make the summer feel even brighter. Reitman’s has a super comfortable and stylish collection that can attract a wide range of different women body types. Cute capris, nice light breezy cardigans, summer dresses and pops of elegant accessories and footwear.

Thomas Sabo

The Charm Club Collection 2010 by Thomas Sabo is just truly charming! They have a selection of tropical charms like beach sandals, sunglasses and cute palm trees which would be the perfect match with any summer outfit whether you are out to a patio lunch or lazing at the Waterfront in style.

PlastiChic

A mega find in a micro body is the PlastiChic Italian silicone rubber watches. This is ideal for summer, o hassle , no sweat marks- these plastic watches are light easy, summery and a perfect match with any outfit because they come in literally every colour! Celebs like David Beckham and Kirsten Dunst are wearing them and so should you- mega cute!

Granger’s G-Max Odour Eliminator

Another awesome find this summer is the Granger G-Max Odour Eliminator that makes those offensive summer snadlas, runners, shoes etc fresher by a few sprays here and there. Its compact small packaging is perfect fit for your purse or man bag(lap top case?). On the run and don’t want to reek- just a quick spray will do the trick!

Gillette Fusion

Lots of men go clean shave or a tidier look for the summer. Let’s face it, it’s hot, sweaty and a cleaner look just looks- well cleaner! Gillette’s Fusion ProGlide shaving system is fantastic. For men who can stick to a regime (or their better halves make sure they do)- the Intense Cooling Lotion and Face wash are great add ones to the Hydra Gel and shaving blade process. It will leave your skin feeling tighter, cleaner and fresher.

Whether you’re a Mary-Kate fan or an Ashley lover, it’s hard to deny that these trendy twins have made a huge impact on the fashion world and show no signs of stopping. The Olsen twins were voted Style Icons of 2010 at the Elle Style Awards in February, where Ashley wore a vintage Christian Lacroix gown with Fendi platforms while Mary-Kate wore a black Lanvin dress with Bulgari jewellery and a Proenza Schouler clutch. The sisters coordinated their looks with flowing tulle trains to complement their dresses.
From the “boho-chic” look that was popularized by the Olsen twins years ago to their constantly evolving unique looks today, Mary-Kate and Ashley are always one step ahead of everyone when it comes to trends. So it is no wonder that they were snagged as the faces of Badgley Mischka in 2006 and started their own fashion lines “The Row” and “Elizabeth and James,”both of which are hugely successful among fans, critics, and celebrities alike.

In the Fall of 2008, Mary-Kate and Ashley released “Influence”, a coffee table book which features “the most interesting, challenging, creative people we know — the ones who helped pave the way for us and our generation”, said Ashley in an interview. The book features photographs and interviews with world-renowned designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Diane von Furstenburg.
While they may often be criticized by PETA for wearing fur and by critics for not washing their hair, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have created an unquestionable mark in the fashion world. Having come a long way from their days of matching outfits on the red carpet, the Olsen twins (along with fashion powerhouses Alexander Wang and Jason Wu) were inducted into the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) last year, only solidifying their status as international trendsetters and talented designers.

This morning Betsey Johnson told me to be alive and beautiful, I talked to a fashion
student in Russia and Lily Allen showed me a picture of her new car. And it all happened through Twitter and Chatroulette.
These two viral forms of communication are engaging people around the world, and
ntroducing the possibility to communicate with whomever you please. But the question is: will you tweet or will you chat?
Twitter is quickly becoming one the most influential messaging systems. At every second and every minute, someone in the world is updating or ‘tweeting’ their status. Hey, even Fashion Weekly is twittering away.
But most importantly Twitter is connecting us to those people we secretly daydream about: celebrities. From what they ate for breakfast to promoting their latest movies, celebrity tweeters are opening the doors to their personal life through their tweets.There are hundreds ofcelebrities who have become tweeters, and the number continues to grow.

For me, contacting a celebrity on twitter is one of the first official and unpractical ways I’ve used to know what is going on in my favorite celebrity’s life. Actors, musicians, athletes, and
fashion designers, have all flocked to Twitter to express themselves to family, friends, and their fans.
But the communication doesn’t just stop at reading their status or visiting their Twitter page, you can also send them a response. They may or may not tweet back, but this way of communication has definitely made fan snail mail and e-mail look ancient.

But if you want to take it a step further and come face to face with a celebrity, then Chatroulette may be for you.
Celebrities ranging from the Jessica Alba, Ashton Kutcher and Nicole Richie, have all been reported to use the popular instant chat website. The site, which randomly selects participants for you to talk to, even has screens on the left hand side for cam-to-cam viewing.

Of course the site doesn’t guarantee you that you will talk to a celebrity, but you never know whose face may appear in the screen.
Of course Twitter and Chatroulette are not only to follow a celebrity or hope to come face to face with them, any person is free to participate. For now though, I will still continue to tweet and chat, and hopefully experience this new one-on-one celebrity chat with Joel Madden. Hey, you never know.

Photos from nicspic2608.files.wordpress.com / ugandaninsomniac.files.wordpress.com

In an effort to mark the 50th year of the Chanel handbag, the French Luxury Goods Company recently created an exhibit, “Chanel Mobile Art.” This was a futuristic pavilion created by the architect Zaha Hadid. The Show features the work of 20 International Artists with the original Chanel 2.55 bag as their inspiration, in sculptures, photographs and videos. The artists include Yoko Ono, Stephen Shore, Pierre & Gilles, and Nobuyoshi Araki, among others. According to the official website the artists work is inspired by the elements that give the quilted 2.55 bag its identity. “Their unique visions, unexpected interpretations […] reveal the multiple facets or this emblematic bag in all the artistic expressions.”

Architecture’s inspiration is not only limited to Clothing lines. Renowned architect Frank Gehry collaborated Tiffany & Co. a couple of years ago to launch a jewelry collection featuring
earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. The upscale line has a contemporary edge. From clean, elegant, and modern Torque bangle to simple and modern earrings.