Preloved Perseveres

A new message from Shelley Whelan of Preloved: 

While we have sadly lost our flagship store of 13 years in the blaze that tore through the treasured block along Queen West, we want to reassure our valued customers that Preloved will persevere!!!

As of Wednesday, February 27th, we will be setting up a temporary location just around the corner from the store.  Come check out the gorgeous spring ’08 styles that weren’t destroyed in the fire! Or just drop by for a visit, we would absolutely love to see everyone!!!

We wish to thank everyone for their incredible support this past week.  We’ve received a ton of totally thoughtful and heartfelt messages that we are eternally grateful for!  We couldn’t do this without you!

The Details…

Address: 24 Ryerson Ave, Basement Suite (same location as our warehouse sale!)

Hours of Operation: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays from 12-6pm

Contact: 416.703.1936

Preloved Won't Let a Fire Stop Them

It was another sad day for Canadian designed and manufactured clothing companies. One of Toronto's best loved reworked, redesigned vintage stores, Preloved was destroyed in a 6-alarm fire today.

Shelley Whelan sent this message to all the members of her Facebook group today:

"As most of you probably know by now, our beautiful store perished this morning in the totally surreal 6-alarm fire along Queen West. Luckily, all of our staff and neighbours are safe:) Rest assured that it won't be long before we're up and running full-force again! We wish to thank everyone for their incredibly kind words of encouragement and continued support."

I'm sure they will rise from the ashes and Preloved will be loved again. The Style Box wishes Shelley and the staff at Preloved all the best. We'll be letting everyone know about the grand opening of the new store when it happens!

It's About the Suspenders

Have you seen the latest video clip from Kanye West?

Holy crazy, sexy, ________ (fill in the blank.)

WARNING: It is quite violent at the end - but OMG - the body on that woman! Yowzah!



Suspenders are soooo hot right now!

Annie Thompson Closes Her Doors

The Canadian market for designers must be really tough these days. Another Canadian designer is shutting up shop. Long-time Queen Street West resident, Annie Thompson is closing her store at the end of March this year to focus on her life as an artist.

"I can do anything I want in the world of art," Thompson reported to the Globe & Mail. "In fashion, I have to consider people and sizes and production and financing. Doing art at this point in my career is refreshing. It means I can focus on one person - me."

This isn't the first time a local designer has switched direction to the art world - Sunny Choi announced in December she was doing the same.

Is there any hope for our new generation of talented designers?

Linda Lundstrom Files For Bankruptcy

After over three decades, Canadian designer, Linda Lundstrom is closing her doors. The designer filed for bankruptcy protection on January 21st. Approximately 100 workers employed by the design company and manufacturing business are now going to be out searching for new jobs - some of whom have worked with her for over 20 years.

Her clothing was sold in over 350 North American stores, but it was her signature LaParka wool coat which debuted in 1986 that she was known for - over a twenty year period she produced over 150,000 coats!

Her remaining stock is being sold at liquidation at her two Toronto boutiques starting this week. Read more in this Globe & Mail article.

What will she do next? Check out her blog, Linda Lately to find out.

In a market which embraces fast fashion like Zara and H&M, it has become increasing hard for Canadian designers to produce and market their products. We need to support our local designers more. Buy Canadian! Wear it proud!

Shopgirls Gallery Boutique Grand Opening

Parkdale seems to be the place to open a boutique. Shopgirls recently claimed its own place in-between the art galleries, local bars and independent galleries. Most of the items in the boutique are one-of-a-kind, handmade creations from over thirty local designers and artisans. This Saturday they are holding their grand opening party to celebrate - it's always dangerous to mix booze and shopping, but what a great excuse to combine both!

Do Not Miss This Show!

One of my favourite bands, Dragonette is touring this summer with another of my fave Toronto bands, Fritz Helder & the Phantoms.



Get your tickets here.

Fergie Gets Photoshopped for MAC's Viva Glam VI

Fergie is joins Dita Von Teese, Deborah Harry, and Pamela Anderson as model for the MAC Viva Glam Campaign.

She's even "created" her own lipstick shade, VI Lipglass, which will be available in March. (I'm sure she just picked from a bunch of colours that they already developed. )

I have to admit she looks good - nothing like a great creative team, good lighting and a bit of photoshopping.

My fave Viva Glam girl will always be Dita Von Teese - now that's a lady who can never do wrong!

Stellar Stella

Ok, admittedly I'm not one to pay a whole whack of money for a handbag, but Stella McCartney's new line of bags and accessories for LeSportsac are farkin cute! They are only available on a pre-order basis, and can only be delivered to the continental United States, Canada, Alaska, Mexico and Puerto Rico. My fave design is the Pop print - I've always had a thing for blue and orange together.

Spice Invasion at Holts

Spice City is all a buzz about spotting of Spice Girls. Yesterday my phone kept ringing with updates on which sections of Holts they were shopping in. Hoards of fans stalked them around the store. I'm not into stalking, so I stayed home waiting for the next update.

Posh apparently had her personal stylist pre-shop for her. She told a sales assistant that her sons were having a great time here and were especially loving all the snow. (Well, at least someone is.) A truck came to pick up all Posh's merch (estimated $50,000 worth) - now that's how you shop! The girls ended up staying in the store after it closed. General consensus was that they all love Toronto and they were saying how everyone was giving them their space and not hassling them. (Canadians are so polite.) Then they ate in the Holt's cafe where supermodel, Gisele Bunchen joined them. One of those scoopers was I Want - I Got who gives her insights on her blog.

They are playing their first Toronto show tonight. I'm going tomorrow!

To be honest, I feel a little Spiced out.

New York Fashion Week Kicks Off Today

New York Fashion Week officially started today. Canadian designers showing this week include Jeremy Laing and Arthur Mendonça, Here's a link to the full schedule.

Local bloggers, Danielle Meder of Final Fashion and Henna Singh of Canadian Beauty are down there - check out their blogs for the updates and all their insights. And of course, Style.com for all the images from the shows.

Sad, But True

Hadley Freeman once wrote:

“Working in fashion means that you'll dress like a lunatic, you'll never meet any straight men, and you'll be broke as hell."

New Kylie!

Just released today! Kylie's single second, Wow.

The video reminds me a bit of Spinning Around and In Your Eyes mixed with a bit of Daft Punk.

The song is OK, but I really wish Speakerphone was the next single - that is my fave track.

I still loves ya Kylie!

Canada Gets Sexier With a Little Provoking

Canadian girls just got sexier!

One of the world's sexiest and stylish lingerie brands, Agent Provocateur, just opened their first Canadian store in Vancouver. With plans to open in Montreal and Toronto later this year, we're getting ready to chuck out all our La Senza crap!

Spring/Summer 2009 Trend Forecast

Ever wondered how designers figure out what colours, fabrics, silhouettes, inspirations are gonna be "in" next season? (Take for example, the whole African inspired feel of a lot of collections and the "art-as-clothing" kinda trends for Spring.)

Most designers - and all major design companies - put hundreds of thousands of dollars into trend forecasting services each season to be sure they are in line with what is going on. Which does end up explaining how many major lines produce lines with similar running themes. Of course, other things influence what determines what becomes mainstream trendy: hollywood, music, world events, etc.

It is a fascinating process. Hundreds of "trend scouts" trek all around the world's major cities, keeping track what's new on the streets, what is happening culturally, politically and socially. All this info is reported back to the trend services located in major cities like Paris, London and Milan who then process and sort through all that information and produce trend books, sorting everything by story and theme. (That's just the simplified version of it.)

Don't have $250,000 a year to subscribe to one of the services? Well, the Toronto Fashion Incubator has their Spring/Summer 2009 Trend Seminar presented by Promostyl coming up on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 at 5:00pm and 7:00pm.

To buy tickets, you have to be a member of TFI, but seeing as membership is only $130 for a year, and the seminar is only $25 - I just saved you $249,845!

Join TFI and get your ticket fast - i hear there are only about 10 or so left!!!