Winter Holiday Countdown: E is for Everything You Didn't Shop on Boxing Day

By: Tamara Arnew

It's a little late to go Boxing Day shopping. However, considering the love-hate thing we have with the holiday, the tardiness might not be something to lament over. For those who work retail, another year has come and gone while vowing to give the slip to next year's festivities and for those who live for the line-ups, we hope you have lots of treasures to tell us of the barter and buy on. For both sorts, we've put together a list of some happily off of the hemline shopping that you might still like to get up to in the week before it's back to the books. 

FADE OUT DRESS BY MINK PINK AT PHILISTINE
PHOTO CREDIT: PHILISTINE ON FACEBOOK

PHILISTINE QUEEN WEST STOREFRONT
PHOTO CREDIT: PHILISTINE.COM

For those still in Toronto, Parkdale vintage Philistine is still in free shipping and sale mode both online and in the store. For those who haven't been, it's worth a peek: the shop was voted "Best Vintage" by Now Magazine and blogTO the last three years running. For something potentially androgynously motivated, a little too cool but not too hip and found in just the right moment, this is your New Years outfit search with some impromptu revisions. 

FEATHER GRAY NAILS BY NAIL KANDY
PHOTO CREDIT: NAIL KANDY ETSY 

RAINBOW CONFETTI NAIL POLISH BY NAIL KANDY
PHOTO CREDIT: NAIL KANDY ETSY

If you happened to miss out on the Toronto Etsy Street Team's Christmas Marketplace, hosted earlier in the month of December, never fear because the vendor list and lookbook can be found here. The best part is that you can shop each online on their individual Etsy pages. For shopping local, handmade in the city nail polish by Nail Kandy is as good as gold for adding a bit of confetti and the uncommon to the last of your holiday ensembles. Other style statement making in the marketplace artisans include These Woods, Fitzy Design and Feathers of Gold.

INSIDE GRAVITYPOPE AT OSSINGTON AND QUEEN
PHOTO CREDIT: TORONTO LIFE 

INSIDE GRAVITYPOPE AT OSSINGTON AND QUEEN
PHOTO CREDIT: TORONTO LIFE 

Footwear fiasco for the festively inclined? gravitypope at Ossington and Queen is a fixture from out of town Edmonton and although their Boxing Week Sale is still going on online, if you own more then a "few" pairs of shoes this storefront is well worth wandering to Toronto west-end for. The fact that Fall/Winter merchandise is much less then usual and that all anyone needs to start the New Year off is a so-far-untrodden-on pair of pumps — no more excuses needed to forgo the fashion grounding gravity we were holding onto. 

Sources: Toronto Life, Now Magazine, blogTO, gravitypope.com, Philistine.com, Etsy, Toronto Etsy Street Team 

Toronto's World MasterCard Fashion Week: Q&A With Humber Students Bonice Large and Petar Petko

By: Tamara Arnew

Last week, from October 21-26, World MasterCard Fashion Week took over Toronto's David Pecaut Square in a flurry of white tents, Fall street style, and Spring/Summer 2014 Collections from Canadian designers. Bonice Large and Petar Petko were among the Humber Fashion Arts Program students who were invited to attend shows over the course of the week. They shared their experiences and insights into WMCFW through personal social media channels, as well as with the Humber Fashion Arts Student Blog.

DAVID DIXON SHOW AT WORLD MASTERCARD FASHION WEEK
PHOTO CREDIT: BONICE LARGE 

DAVID DIXON SHOW AT WORLD MASTERCARD FASHION WEEK
PHOTO CREDIT: BONICE LARGE 

Bonice Large
Which shows did you attend?
"David Dixon, Soïa & Kyo, Caitlin Power, Rudsak, Stephan Caras, Bustle and Mikael D."

Describe one of the shows you attended and things you observed.
"The visual presentation the played at the beginning of the Mikael D show was a highlight for me. The projection of geometric, edgy, kaleidoscope-esque shapes playing in the smoked filled room was a powerful way to set the mood for the show. 

I also enjoyed the way David Dixon wove aspects of the children's book his collection was inspired by, into his show. Before the show began quote's from the book played across the star speckled screen. I noticed in many of the shows the designers working with the concepts of leather, sheer, cut outs, and metallic gold in their designs."

HUMBER FASHION ARTS STUDENT BONICE LARGE
PHOTO CREDIT: TORONTO LIFE 

BONICE LARGE IN STREET STYLE TREND REPORT
PHOTO CREDIT: TORONTO LIFE

What did you take away from attending the shows as a student?
"When attending David Dixon's show, I was photographed by Toronto Life and the photo of me was featured in a Trend Report Article —I was honoured to be featured and it was a great way to start off Fashion Week. 

As a student attending Fashion Week it was a great experience to see such large scale productions featuring innovative fashion, executed with a level of excellence. I loved seeing how all the attendee's dressed to express themselves of to the rest of the industry. I had the opportunity to go back stage after many of the shows, exposing myself to yet another aspect/side of Fashion Week and the creative industry."

What are your observations on the fashion industry in Canada (and especially in Toronto) from attending WMCFW? Has attending the shows influenced your perspective?
"It was interesting to attending the fashion shows and seeing more or less the same group of people attend all the various shows. Having so many important and creative people in the industry gathered together, in one space, viewing the collections, gave the air an almost electric energy. For me, WMCFW was as much enlightening to see the designers concepts, as it was inspiring to feel a taste of the magic of creating."

BACKSTAGE AT THE CAITLIN POWER SHOW, WMCFW
PHOTO CREDIT: BONICE LARGE  

MIKAEL D SHOW AT WORLD MASTERCARD FASHION WEEK PHOTO CREDIT: BONICE LARGE

MIKAEL D SHOW AT WORLD MASTERCARD FASHION WEEK
PHOTO CREDIT: BONICE LARGE 

Petar Petko

Which shows did you attend?
"I was fortunate enough to attend a few shows like: Beaufille, Laura Siegel, Travis Taddeo, JNBY, Mélissa Nepton, Sid Neigum, NARCES, Stephan Caras, Bustle and Mikael D."

Describe one of the shows you attended and things you observed.
"One of the shows I attended was a studio show of Laura Siegel. I observed a lot of pattern cutting and mixing of similar colour pallets. Light fabric accentuated by showing of a lot of skin by either, shortness of the pieces, or aesthetic style of the textile. I also noticed the use of scarves to emphasize the colour palettes that matched."

What did you take away from attending the shows as a student?
"Well as a student, I was able to experience what my career world will look like two times per year. I learned the importance of being friendly because you will never know who your boss might be. But the most important piece of information I learned is that it is alright to talk to strangers while waiting in line—because of that I met a girl who has 2 million followers on Pinterest."

What are your observations on the fashion industry in Canada (and especially in Toronto) from attending WMCFW? Has attending the shows influenced your perspective?
"My observation on the fashion industry in Canada is that it seems no one wants to lead and everyone wants to follow. There was a lot of fur outfits worn by attendees and it saddens me to think these people don’t think about these poor animals and the conditions they go through in order for someone to look good. I won a Kenneth Cole leather biker jacket and seeing all that fur worn has made me think of giving up the jacket.

I definitely think more students should attend shows just to experience what Fashion Week is all about and to experience being surrounded by real fashion industry people."

You can see the Laura Siegel Studio Show (with Petar sitting front row!), and other shows from Toronto's World MasterCard Fashion Week here, on WMC Fashion Week's YouTube Channel.

Thank you to both Bonice and Petar for their contribution to the Humber Fashion Arts Student Blog. For more photos, you can find Bonice Large on Instagram @bolarge.