FFW + Le POP! @ Nyood! Fantastic Event, Great Success!

Well! Our much anticipated event, Le POP!, has come and gone! And what an amazing pleasure it was, in literally every sense of the word. Packed full of so much creativity, Nyood Bar echoed and buzzed with the vitality of everyone attending and participating in our celebration of local fashion! We can only hope that you somehow made it out and joined the party!

Everything from casual clothing to jewelry of majestic quality was hosted as part of Le POP! by artists in and around Toronto. Gems in the city, in the country, and so much fantastic talent! It was an amazing experience for me not only to curate and help host, but to take part in and meet so many great people.

Here are some photos of our event.

We had an amazing turn out! The food was incredible, the music was great, and the company was probably the absolute best. I'd like to thank every artist and business that participated and lent their energy, time, and talent: Emily Woudenberg, Sheri STRanger, Shireen Nadir, Homegrown Boutique, Trend Trunk, Fashion Forward, Killigrew, Leilanni, and Dutch Blonde. I'd also like to thank Gillian Downes, who's not only the name behind Frugal Fashion Week, but also put together everything at Nyood; which leads me to my next big thank you - Nyood Bar. Wow! What an amazing space and what fantastic music and people. A big thanks to Nyood for handling all of us rushing in and out, and providing amazing service the whole day through. An enormous thank you as well to Angela Li, the powerhouse behind our Editorial, and every team member involved therein - Spot 6, Homegrown, Candace French, and Gillian. And I'd also like to thank everyone who was just wonderful enough to show up to the event and deal with me during all this organization and creation. I really do have the greatest friends in the world that just happen to be amazing people and amazing artists all the same. You inspire me everyday, and I am so privileged to know each and every one of you.

Our event was a hit! Le POP! may even be featured in an online publication sometime soon. Local fashion, local news, local coverage? Now that's pretty fierce. We hope you enjoyed not only our small event but the rest of Frugal Fashion Week as well Toronto.

Much love,

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3, 2, 1...POP! Frugal Fashion Week is Here!

The secret is out! Frugal Fashion Week is finally upon us! Are you excited? We are! Over the years this Fashion Event has grown in success and size thanks to Gillian Downes' tireless effort and her love of all things fabulous, affordable, and most certainly local.

Tomorrow is our Le POP! celebration at Nyood! Local designers and artists will be gracing the restaurant floor with one-of-a-kind pieces that include jewelry, clothing, accessories, and more in an impromptu Pop-up Shop on Queen West! We will be OPEN to the PUBLIC and offering walkers-by and brunch-goers alike the chance to peruse, try-on, and even purchase these fantastic designer pieces! So come on by and support local fashion!

Le POP! features an in-house brunch to those eager to get a delicious meal in with their shopping. Call ahead at Nyood Bar to make reservations or purchase a brunch ticket online! If you don't feel like the eggs and benny or the mimosa, that's fine too! Come by anyways and take a look at our fabulous shop.

Le POP! will feature:

Emily Woudenberg

Leilanni

Dylan Dias

Sheri STRanger

Shireen Nadir

Homegrown Boutique

Dutch Blonde

Killigrew

S. Wesley Harris

Can't wait to see you there!

Le POP! Brunch & Boutique

Saturday, July 28th, 2012 from 11:00am - 4:00pm @ Nyood Restaurant & Bar

1096 Queen Street West

Toronto, Ontario

M6J 1H9

(416) 466-1888

Buy a Brunch Ticket!

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HUDSON Jeans Celebrates 10 Years Cabaret Style! EXCLUSIVE

Iconic, denim-centric powerhouse, HUDSON Jeans, is celebrating 10 Years in the industry with a fantastic new campaign starring the one and only Georgia May Jagger. No stranger to the HUDSON name, Jagger has become the figurehead of the brand's colourful new direction for the Fall/Winter 2012 Season - Cabaret! Developed as not only an homage to Paris, the birthplace of Cabaret; HUDSON's new approach is meant to personify it's creative evolution and progressive success as a leader in the world of denim, and we think it's fantastic.

British cool, London fab, American sweetheart? Youthful, modern, oh so trendy, and still new; HUDSON is launching 4 brand new, statement pieces as part of this new campaign in correlation with 4 fantastic seasonal videos documenting each personality; each style. The entire campaign is an artistic blitz; featuring artists, musicians, and collaborators as part of the project and part of the HUDSON dream. Do you love it? We do! DylanInTheCity will be featuring each new video as they go live right here! So keep it locked for everything exclusive direct from HUDSON.

And to make it just that much better - here are a few EXCLUSIVE Sneak Peek pictures of some of our favourite looks from what's to come with HUDSON's brand new Fall/Winter 2012 Collection!

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Hobeika Fall/Winter 2012-2013; Sheer Brilliance

Georges Hobeika recently presented his brilliant and simply unforgettable Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012-2013 Collection at Paris Fashion Week. Now, before I type anything else, just watch.

Do I really need to say anything at all? Hobeika materializes absolute vision; his gowns are like something out of a magnificent dream. They flow as if part of the air itself; and the jeweled elements, the plunging necklines, the immaculate detailing...it is fashion at that rare moment where the craft itself meets absolution. Every element, every line, every texture; and the palette! Flaming, magenta reds, deep forest greens, lavenders and soft blues; the entire showcase is a pristinely composed masterpiece. From the floral detailing on the lace to the over-sized, billowing neckties that cascade just off the shoulder.

Hobeika is an artisan beyond artisans; he is a magician at the very least. 

I can say nothing more than thank you.

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Video Thanks to My Beautiful Dressing
Click HERE for an HD VERSION

Homegrown Boutique 1st Anniversary @ Epique

I had the privilege and pleasure of attending Homegrown Boutique's fabulous and private Anniversary Event at Epique Lounge this past Thursday in Yorkville. It was intimate, inviting, yummy, and everyone looked fantastic. We had candy, cookies, great drinks, and even the opportunity to see some of Homegrown's beautiful dresses on display.

Homegrown is exactly what it implies; a wonderful boutique in celebration of Canadian talent. Owner Michelle, who is a total sweetheart and a fantastic woman, consciously houses Canadian designers new and old, upcoming and established, in a blaze of taste. She represents not only the immense amount of talent in this city, in this country; but also distributors who actually care about supporting local fashion.

Homegrown Boutique carries a variety of fantastic Canadian designers including Emily Woudenberg, Anu Raina, Denis Gagnon, Zoran Dobric, Melissa Népton + many others. Stop by and check them out at 16 Cumberland Street, Lower Level, M4W 1J5 in Toronto, and get your hands on some brilliant local gems for the season.

Happy Anniversary Homegrown Boutique! 

Here's to many more years of fabulous dreams and fabulous success.

Michelle + Homegrown will also be participating in our upcoming local fashion showcase, Le POP! at Nyood! Everything from one-of-a-kind, hand-made accessories to designer clothing will be available for purchase in our impromptu Pop-Up Shop on Queen West. Support local talent and pop by!

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Milan Fashion Week, Spring 2013 Street Style Feature

Outside Salvatore Ferragamo in Milan, from Michael Gleissner.
Did you spot the infamous Dello Russo in her stunning Peter Pilotto?

Ultimate Class, Ultimate Luxury, Ultimate Style

It's pretty common for me to be obsessed with fashion as a form; as in, what it signifies, what it evokes, and if it is unique, interesting, and bold. But there is more to fashion than obtuse individualism or striking newness; there is also epitomic luxury, quality, and craftsmanship. 

Ermenegildo Zegna's Spring/Summer 2013 Men's Collection, presented during Milan Fashion Week, is the crispest and richest looking collection I've seen all season. With an earthy, rich palette that includes a mix of aubergines, navy blues, camel leathers, and purple velvet; and the pop of a graphic print here and there in a pant, a proper shirt, or a pocket square; Zegna's showcase boasts resort-like luxury on an urban level. Beautiful, spring trenches that are almost feather light simply flow off the form while grounded by fantastic triangle totes that are so on-point for the season.

But most impressive of all, I'd have to say, would simply be the basic sport coats and blazers. The jackets in this collection are pristinely cut; they almost look like stoic, architectural sculptures. Everything from the subtlest print, a bold button, or the softest, glistening sheen throughout is not only well thought-out, but incredibly well executed. Everything has such taste and class, but everything isn't boring or forgettable in the least; conversely it's remarkable, interesting, and completely intentional to the finest detail. I'm officially impressed and officially obsessed with investing my money in brilliant suits this season.

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Official Release! FFW/Le POP! Editorial Campaign

I talked about our exciting project, Le POP!, as part of Frugal Fashion Week not too long ago here! As part of the design team behind the showcase, I also helped arrange an Editorial shoot throughout the streets of Toronto as way of promoting the designers involved as well as the event itself.

Opting for a voyeur-esque take on traditional Editorial, Angela Li and I came up with an aesthetic that boasted un-posed softness; an urban celebration of youthfulness and an homage to street style through Toronto's diverse neighbourhoods of West Queen West and Kensington Market. Bold prints, bright colours, and iconic hardware dominate our looks this season. View the campaign in its entirety below.

Photography by Angela Li 

Styled by Michelle Baboolall 

Makeup by Candace French 

Hair by Dylan Dias

Featuring Jessica S. and Kayla of Spot 6 Management

Featuring pieces by Emily Woudenberg, Shireen Nadir, Sheri STRanger, S. Wesley Harris, Killigrew, Dutch Blonde, and Denis Gagon + select pieces by Homegrown Boutique.

Come by Nyood Bar for Le POP! on Saturday, July 28th to get your hands on some of these one-of-a-kind, brilliant pieces - and support local design!

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Circumsolar, and Fragments of Dying Light by Sruli Recht

Icelandic designer Sruli Recht's Spring 2013 Collection, and collaborative runway show with artist Tony Orrico, is a brilliant, hidden gem. Recht, clearly a man of performance, seems to use fashion as a way to transcend fashion itself. In an almost spiritual display of living art, Recht's collection beams unique character in subtlety and movement. 

I absolutely love the flowing knits; long and over-sized, moving over the body in an almost robe-like fashion, is completely on-point for the season; not to mention his Earthy palette. There is also a unique diversity to his collection; presenting everything from tailored lapels to over-the-shoulder sweaters, and high-cut summer shorts to baggy linens. I absolutely love everything about it; it is bold, interesting, and almost primal sometimes; though it delivers itself with taste and softness. And I believe it's modest enough to make sense without being overwhelming. We don't lose the fashion, even though the art itself is so interesting and large, and I think that's incredibly important.

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3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2013 Menswear

Phillip Lim continues to be my dream designer. His taste for simplicity and modern form is a style essence  that I greatly associate with. He is consistently the designer who closest embodies what I believe I'd come to create had I a Collection of my own. There's no shortage of brilliance here. Softly-layered coats, over-sized dress shirts, and white on white on beige. Mmm, I could never miss a power pigment wearing any of these; not to mention those fantastic trousers! The Fashion World's obsession with ombré has given way to bold, orthogonal patterns, graphic printing, and textural overlay. Taste, taste, taste; and those bags! I'm swooning Mr. Lim, I'm swooning.

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Alexandre Vauthier Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

Ok. Before I start gushing and obsessing I need to say that I saw this first on JayStrut, who by the way has immaculate taste, and I instantly fell in absolute love. So much so that I needed - needed - to post it here. It is simply too beautiful not to.

Alexandre Vauthier's Haute Couture Fall Collection, for the 2012/2013 Season, is a consistent, glistening showcase of sculptural shapes and hard-edged, textural golds. Every piece is so crisp, it is ultimate chic! And the white, on white, on white, on fur is to die for. I know I said it last season too, but I can't escape it, it's too perfect. Monochromatics are still in season and Vautheir has not only proven that, but he has taken it to an entirely new level of sophistication and presence. Superhero metallics, almost costume-like in their reflection of light; create intense, visual pieces that gracefully cascade off the body like spun gold. Edged Smoking jackets lined with jewelry are like architectural gems to the majesty of those like McQueen himself. And that snow white fur...take me to heaven, all I need is this.

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Frugal Fashion Week + Dylan Dias = Le POP!

It's finally happening! Yes, I know I've been a bit quiet about the new things that I've been planning, and I know it's been a long time coming...but I just wanted to be sure it was the right time to announce it. And it is, finally! So pay attention, it'll be hard to contain the awesome.

I've recently partnered with Frugal Fashion Week after being contacted by founder Gillian Downes (who, by the way, is such a sweetheart) to help curate an art and fashion show in the city. Together, we've created a fantastic, inspiring, and powerful showcase of local artists in an effort to encourage, support, and expose Toronto fashion talent! Designers from every corner of the city; some you've probably heard of, some you never have; all under one roof for one day only - exhibiting one-of-a-kind pieces in a Pop-Up Shop!

Le POP! will be taking place on Saturday, July 28th from 11:00am - 4:00pm at West Queen West's chic and hip Nyood Bar. We will be a hosting a special brunch for guests who'd like to come by, enjoy a mimosa and a delicious breakfast, as well as peruse the designer collections! The brunch is ticketed and purchase details can be found here. However, the Pop-Up shop in itself is FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC. So please, if you're in the area, come out and support some of Toronto's newest and best design talent. They are all so wonderful, they deserve it.

I've said time and time again that Toronto, as a city, is a hub of artistic potential. I see so much inspiration walking through and then beyond these streets - there is so much talent here. The problem is Toronto as a business sector, when it comes to fashion, has much further to go. The market isn't alive, and as a result, many of Toronto's greatest artists end up unrecognized and unsupported from distributors who have real influence in this city. It's not that it isn't there, it's that it has nowhere to go. Le POP! is a small exhibition of real talent, yes, but the reason I signed on to this project to begin with is because it's doing something that I believe in. Local artists are an integral part of the cultural fabric of this city, and I will always try my best to support the ones I know have it.

This year? Oh, it's just too fabulous. Killigrew, Dutch Blonde, Sheri STRanger, Emily Woudenberg...just to name a few. And did I mention I will be showing as well? That's right, the Dylan Dias empire is expanding! Don't hate! I'm releasing a collection of fabulous silk-printed scarves during Le POP! They are colourful, bold, energetic, and perfect for the season! And they are all designed and finished by me. Want a piece? Pop on by!

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Louis Vuitton Presents: LA is a Man

Louis Vuitton by Jean-Clean Thibaut: "When Los Angeles is a Man".

One in a series of upcoming short films that personify the energy of cities through gender and physicality; with brilliant narration.

"From the hill, suspended above the starry skyline, L.A. appeared to me as a whole. 

He's a lonely and secretive player, blazing and unrefined, dedicating himself to his dreams - and incidentally ours - with a disconcerting ease. 

He has the nerve and imagination of one who has nothing to lose, always walking a tightrope. His weaknesses are concealed.

Untouched by criticism, L.A. works in faith and finds his way to a new era, the one he imagines being his own future. The burning ease of his achievements has something of prodigality and childishness. Each sense of his life is the most important. L.A. is fated to be young forever, eternal. He walks through the night, striding along, indolent while unrestrained, with the style of a gifted kid.

In my mind a far-fetched idea is growing slowly; it seems L.A. gave me this blind confidence to turn things into art, without ever looking back. L.A. drove me where I have never been before."

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