Fall 2013 with Rudsak / Preview Event #Stardust

A couple of days ago I had the unique privilege of experiencing Rudsak, one of Canada's premiere and most sought-after Design Houses, present their Fall 2013 Preview here in Toronto at the beautiful Templar Hotel; uniquely titled Stardust. Before I start ranting about the beauty of design and how incredible it all is, I should speak first about the impact Rudsak carries with it, and why that in itself is cause for celebration enough.

Hailing from Montréal, and ruling it, Rudsak has been an inspirationally powerful brand since it's inception almost two decades ago. Possessing an aesthetic that bases itself on rich, luxurious materials; Rudsak often manages to balances the fine line of Canadian rustic-heritage with inner-city, youthful polish. Clean lines, brilliant palettes, and an urban edge balance out a traditionally strong aesthetic of functional luggage-wear and seasonally practical outerwear. The quality of their leather, being known for the way they use it, is unmatched in our market - and you honestly can't appreciate it (which is something I quickly learned) until you see it.

The Fall 2013 Preview event I attended was guided by Matt, a representative of the iconic brand, who carefully, methodically, and passionately guided us through a variety of staple looks for Rudsak's Autumn. From the get-go I was immediately smitten by the quality of the leather. I saw Rudsak present this season at World MasterCard Fashion Week but I had no idea how incredible the pieces actually were until I saw them up close. The Moto-Jackets were fiercely cut, inky black, and detailed in a Gold Lamé-esque fabric and Faux-Pony in the most brilliantly rich Oxblood. The structured boning, clasps, and zips were an embrace of a past era - 70's disco meets 90's grunge, as Matt would say, in tandem with the line's name; Stardust. And also, quite clearly, in tandem with the 90's elements we've been seeing trend enormously in Fashion this Season.

Despite the awesome aesthetic of the Collection, I was more impressed by the amount of design intelligence. Every piece in Rudsak's arsenal of leather and coats were multi-functional and incredibly detailed - from the fabric choice to the piping to the way it's worn. They are extremely high quality and you can easily get two, even three looks from almost every one of their classic Winter pieces. Many coats were multi-layered; featuring unique button closures, texturally diverse leather, nylon, and fur; and the option of removing, adding on, or altering at least one part of the coat as you wear it. Brilliant design composition - both functional and beautiful; quality meets grace, it's really quite awesome!

One of my favourite pieces of the entire presentation was a beautifully striped, cowl-necked Winter dress. It was textured in intricately lined strips of leather with black mesh in between, but it cut and curled around the curves of the body in bold triangles and shapes, creating form through it's texture. It was a beautifully detailed pieces that you could easily dress up or down in the richest black, which was a huge palette theme for the entire Rudsak showcase. Love!

Some of the best pieces of the entire showcase were the accessories. Boasting a brilliant mix of fur lined hats, chic, iPhone sensitive leather gloves, and both wax-coated and chalkboard-finished leather satchels in the richest colours. Like we've said before, Rudsak is famous for their luggage-wear, and this season's Collection is no exception. The quality of the bags are bar-none, and yet they remain totally affordable in a high designer market. Finished cleanly or distressed, the wax-coated leathers are luxurious to the touch as well as the sight. I highly recommend investing in some of their luggage if you're being introduced to Rudsak for the first time; it will give you a sense of the quality of the leather without the price tag of a full Winter coat. But, chances are, if you love the bag as much as I know you will, you will probably get the coat to partner!

Rounding out the entire showcase was a diverse mix of new Rudsak Menswear. Matt was quick to point out that Rudsak is interested in investing more time in Menswear, which, as a person who is an advocate for the evolution of Men's Design, was thrilling for me. He presented us with more brilliant black knitwear, some of which were wax-coated in glossy finishes that mirrored their brilliant coats; as well as a unique and quality collection of powerful bubble coats and classic Moto-cuts. We were smitten from beginning to end.

Rudsak continues to be an International leader in leather design hailing from a Canadian market. I couldn't be more proud nor impressed with the aesthetic, incredible quality, and amazing functionality of their Fall 2013 Collection that continue to keep Rudsak at the forefront of amazing fashion. It was an absolute pleasure!

Visit Rudsak in Downtown Toronto at the corner of Queen & John and invest in some fantastic Winter wear today. Show your support for Canadian Fashion and Canadian talent!

315 Queen Street West

Toronto, Ontario

M52 2A4

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Day 1 at World MasterCard Fashion Week / Chloé Comme Parris

Opening night at World MasterCard Fashion Week saw iconic, sister-lead Design team, Chloé Comme Parris, return to the tents with an epic Fall 2013 Runway presentation. Embodying an attitude, aesthetic, and feel that was a nod to an unrefined and urban 90's era look; Chloé presented gunmetal graphics, over-sized fits, and schoolgirl stockings re-imagined to a classic soundtrack.

We were enamoured from the very beginning. Strutting out to Nirvana, knits tied around their waists, thigh-length dresses and over-sized moto-jackets; easily adaptable, retro fits. But, I should say, smartly adapted for a modern Fashion era by using mirrored graphics, patterned stockings, shiny shoes, and fantastic, glossy leather! An awesome palette of dark olives, sheer, and black dominated the Runway; while the 90's came out brashly in midriff cut tees, spaghetti-strapped dresses, and brazenly cut coats. I can't really say too much beyond that. Describing the Collection as is is the best I can do; and just saying that I absolutely fell in love with the feel. It felt like looking into the past a little bit, but it was so modern and wearable in today's evolving market. Listening to the music and seeing the girls; sweaters around their waists and braids in their disheveled hair, took me immediately back to Summer in the 90's; just cooler. It was wicked, urban, so hip, and it didn't pretend not to be. It wasn't subtle, but it was unique. A wicked presentation.

Credit for the amazing photos to George Pimentel and FLARE

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The Top Trends of the Season! Looks for #Spring2013!

Spring is slowly dawning upon us! And that means it's time for some Spring cleaning; not only for your home, but for your wardrobe! Spring is an exciting time of year; inspiring renewal, growth, and newness with the birth of a new Season. 2012 is gone and it's time to actively embrace all that 2013 can offer for you! An updated wardrobe is a personification of that energy; and not to mention a flattering way to appear on-trend, significant, and socially aware.

So, with that being said, what should you look for this Season? This Spring we are seeing a lot of fantastic trends start to materialize in a variety of diverse ways! Straight from the Runways of some of the greatest designer showcases last Season to even the re-emergence of some 2012's most popular colours. Gone are the days of single trends and single looks. Here is my list of some of the Top Trends of the Season! What are the hottest looks for Spring 2013?

1  /  Jail Time

Monochromatics couldn't be hotter this Season. Black and White are back with fearlessness in a new way; with stripes, blocks, geometric shapes, and eye-catching orthogonals. The colour combination itself is probably the most iconic of Spring; having been the tones of choice for the last few seasons during most of the Fashion Week circuit. However, the patterns are certainly new! From Marc Jacobs to Michael Kors; stripes, lines, and lined prints of all kinds are perhaps the most prominent visual trend this Spring.

2  /  Paintbox 

It's All Colour Everything girls! Pops of colour here and there to add visual boldness will always be in style; but what's the hottest trend for colour beyond that? Match on match, bold on bold, pop on pop! We absolutely adore these bright, bold, paintbox hues that are layered and layered on one another. A total appreciation of the brilliance of colour - we are seeing Reds on Reds, Blues on Blues, Yellows on Yellows, and everything in between. Colour on Colour is an extremely confidant and fearless appreciation of colour; it takes power to pull off, but I am a firm that everyone can do it with the right attitude. And, in a sense, Colour and Colour is a real nod to a retro-era look of matching hues with hues to create balance. Remember that time when your Mom would wear that lavender cardigan with those lavender nails and that lavender bracelet? It's back, just with more boldness! The bag, the coat, the necklace, the shoes! It works, and it's fierce.

3  /  Denim Nation

The Return of Denim is probably the most exciting Spring trend for me this Season! Denim has been an obsession of mine for a while; there are few other materials that can be equally unique, worn by anyone from any style story, and still exist as a classic neutral while constantly re-inventing itself. The birth of Denim, particular the Jean, is arguably the single most prominent and significant contribution to Fashion in Fashion history; at least medium-wise! We are seeing Denim on Denim everywhere - in dark, light, acid, grunge, torn, and ombré! It's 90's, a little retro, youthful, and energetic! A throwback to a simpler time, Denim is both nostalgic and totally new. Experiment with cut-offs, embellishments, Denim accessories, and even layering Denim onto modern looks with more chic fabrics! The most versatile fabric of this Season.

4  /  Sheer Brilliance + Heavy Metals

It's all Sheer and it's all fabulous! Sheer was especially popular during much of the Fashion Week circuit for the Spring 2013 Showcases last year. Light, flowing fabrics that were opalescent, translucent, and soft; in dresses, blouses, and pants (and even creeping into the creation of some ultra-modern transparent accessories!). We absolutely love the femininity of Sheer - it's brash, uninhibited, and sexually powerful though it remains itself a very soft touch. Perfect for layering for Spring, Sheer allows endless ways to layer tones and textures upon one another; while providing every opportunity to show some skin for the Season! And what's Sheer without Metal? Metallics couldn't be hotter for Spring! We've seen them the last few seasons but they are back in a brash display! Foiled, bright, and in full head-to-toe glam; Metallics have managed to take centre-stage beyond just accessories alone.

5  /  The Mod Club

Remember all that retro we keep talking about for Spring 2013? Yeah, it's real, and it's more than just the 90's and the 80's. Designers are also pulling out fantastic Mod elements from the 60's into bright, bold, graphic design palettes for the Spring 2013 Season! Boldly cut, graphic dresses dotted with geometric lines of equal boldness are dominating, powerful elements directly from the Mod era. From Balmain to Vuitton, we are seeing Paintbox tones and Mod shapes - it's about confidence, colour, having fun and being young at heart. Yet another bold and powerful way to bring in the newness of Spring for 2013.

6  /  Leather Vision

It's Leather baby, and it's back! The single hottest material for Fall 2012 is back and totally new for Spring 2013! Yes, that's right, Leather AND Spring! Could it get any better? Designers are using the medium in new, lighter ways - Leather t-shirts, skirts, maxi dresses, and Bermuda shorts! It's all Spring, it's all athletic, and it's all glossy, rich, seductive, and brilliantly Leather. We absolutely adore this trend. Our favourite Fall fabric re-creating itself in a Spring wardrobe? What's not to obsess over? And it's not just the material, it's the boldness! Just like Denim and just like Paintbox Colour, we are seeing Leather layered on Leather take centre stage! It's about bold, bold, bold this Season! Don't hold back.

7  /  It's Too Big

Over-sized, over-dramatic, and too big! We love it when that top is a little too big; bagging over those great skinny-cut pants or that fantastic skirt. Over-sized shapes have been trendy since last Season and there's no shortage of the awesome. Another retro-nod to an 80's-90's era aesthetic, over-sized shapes evoke youthfulness in a more modern, stylish, and chic way with blouses, dramatically-cut overcoats, and perfect trenches. We love it big! And that's what she said...about her clothes!

8  /  Emerald City

Emerald is THE Colour of the Season! So much so that we can't fit it all in here! This is here to remind you that it's ALL Green and it's ALL fabulous. Stay-tuned for a full forecast about the brilliance of Emerald and the many different ways you can sport this iconic colour on my next Trending for Spring 2013 Post! For now, here's a taste of Oz.

Remember, it's not just what you wear, it's how you wear it! Look for ways to make these fantastic Spring 2013 trends uniquely yours! You will always look your best when you feel your best. Happy Spring!

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