Keeping it Cool with a Scandinavian Summer - OOTD

Zara toque, coat by Calvin Klein, turtleneck by Pull & Bear

I was beginning to feel like my winter wardrobe needing a helping hand getting out of the dark colors of the season. I mentioned in a previous look ("Ice Queen" which was in collaboration with The Noteworthys) that I'm getting over my winter blues with just that - shades of blue.

Zara toque, coat by Calvin Klein, turtleneck by Pull & Bear, pants by H&M

Oxblood has really dominated the Fall/Winter scene for the past few years, but now it's time to let bolder and brighter colors shine. Splashes of color seen here with the pastel blue toque by Zara and printed pants by H&M uplift a winter wardrobe and create a bold (but still warm!) look. Keep the look simple but classic, letting the colors act as accessories. Seen here the Pull & Bear black turtleneck and grey coat by Calvin Klein create a canvas for my chosen shades of blue.



What color are you adding to your winter wardrobe? Let me know in the comments below!

Au - Stay Gold

There's always something to see in Toronto. Here's what caught my eye this past week:

On the bathroom wall at Betty's

Tile work at Queen's Park Subway Station

Perfect lighting at Sarah's apartment

An old building in Yorkville

Christmas has come to Chapters Indigo!

What are your favourite places in the city?

A #DecadeofGlamour with Marciano

The lovely girls of Lotus Leaf and Marciano were kind enough to extend an invite to Marciano's 10th anniversary celebration. A #DecadeofGlamour was hosted by Fashion Magazine and Jenny Javonovic of Crazy Style Love. I've always been a fan of Marciano's bold use of color, and trendy statement pieces. And given the overwhelming turnout for the event I can safely say I'm not alone.



The whole store as a awash in glitz and glamour, from the crisply dressed waiters serving Barefoot wine, to the dolled up store associates in their sleek Marciano outfits.



I got a first hand look at the new Marciano. The store manager explained to me that Marciano is embarking on a brand new marketing strategy, literally knocking down the divide between Guess and Marciano to create a new seamless shopping experience that cross-promotes each brand. While I consider myself a Marciano girl, the combining of the two stores opened up a whole world of awesome denim I never before considered.



The Marciano side of the store offered guests a makeover courtesy of Winks Eyelash Boutique, while on the other side, Guess was buzzing thanks to the DJ, and a fun pop-up photo-booth stocked with fake moustaches and boas. I even ran into fellow blogger-in-arms, Awesome Jenn Jenn.



I tried with all my might to be objective and not give in to the beautiful new arrivals on display. Marciano is so tailored to my fashion style. Dramatic, bold and riddled with vintage touches. From shoes, to accessories, to clothing everything caught my eye.



Ultimately, my efforts were all in vain. I fell in love with a killer floor-length red gown with a plunging neckline and happily surrendered my credit card.

(Pst! You can buy this Arabella Draped dress online here)

I received a special gift with my purchase and was overwhelmed by Marciano's generosity.



I loved the bangles but they are just too big for my arms. I absolutely love the John Freida Frizz Eaze Nourishing Oil Elixir. I use it every day and my hair has never looked better. The "Wear Me/Wash Me" laundry traveller is super cute and it will definitely come with my on my next trip. It's kind of ingenious.

A #DecadeofGlamour was a roaring success. Not only was it a beautiful celebration of 10 years of fantastic fashion, but it introduced a sure-to-be successful new store idea. The combining of Marciano and Guess will introduce customers to the sister brand they may not be familiar with and inspire fashionistas everywhere.

Happy 10 years Marciano!

Good Morning

These past few weeks have been crazy and I feel like I've been neglecting you all! I'll make it up with a storm of updates.

In the meantime, good morning!

Touring Niagara with iYellow Wine Club

It's no secret that I do champagne taste on a beer budget. But one of the things I learned through the iYellow Wine Club is that great booze is a matter of personal taste and fantastic wine does not need to necessarily come at a premium.



I wrote a little while ago about my experience with iYellow and their #winemakerraw event with Flat Roof Manor. As someone who feels embarrassed after spending more than 10 minutes in the wine aisle the club is my help-line. But after having been invited to travel with them to Niagara I realize that they are much more than that. Not to be dramatic but the iYellow Wine Club is a revolution in wine culture.

iYellow is about making wine education accessible to a new generation. Founder Angela Aiello's aim is to build the club members' confidence, but also to educate the wine industry about the dangers of turning young and emerging vinophiles into vinophobics. With the success of iYellow she hopes to have a positive effect on wineries' approach to newbies like me. After travelling with her and her team I can already tell that her influence is helping turn over a new leaf for wine culture.

Wine with iYellow is social and fun. The iYellow Wine Club is a place where you can taste wines from all over the world, learn about the wines you love and meet other wine lovers! The wine club plans regular events, tours and wine school classes for you to attend a la carte and you can also learn on your own via their website You learn to better identify your tastes, how to pair what with what and make friends along the way.





One blistery Saturday morning at the end of October we embarked on our tour. We visited three vineyards in total, and had a wee pop into Upper Canada Cheese on our way back to Toronto.

Flat Rock Cellars was our first stop, a beautiful vineyard founded in 1999. Winemaker Ed Madronich believes in progressive viticulture practices. Flat Rock is a gravity flow winery, a technique which allows for the wine to stream from winery levels whereas traditional one-level cellars use pumps or mechanical force. This allows the wine to gently extract color, flavor and tannin.

Winemaker Ed Madronich

Next we stopped for lunch at Inniskillin, the grandfather of all Niagara vineyards.



Inniskillin is perhaps best known for their icewine, the very first made from Niagara grapes. Not to brag but Canadian icewine is world renowned. My favourite was the Cab Franc, which is really no surprise as that's my favourite grape period. Lunch was served in the cellar among the vintages along a dark and dimly lit harvest table. It was gezellig, to use the Dutch word.



The last vineyard we visited was Southbrook, an impressive modern winery with a long imposing wall hiding the rows and rows of vines. The mentality at Southbrook is very holistic - their practices should benefit the land. I mean, they have sheep who roam the vineyard for goodness sakes. This holistic view is what makes their vineyard so charming, and their wines so unique. And to be quite honest I was surprised, but so very pleased that their sommelier was barely in his late 20s.





Niagara is changing. It's a destination for 20-somethings, and touring with iYellow has its perks - they can show you the ins and outs you wouldn't be able to even peek at on your own. They host these tours frequently, and the cost of tickets is always reasonably priced (especially when you factor in that a glass of delicious Inniskillin icewine can cost you $45). Check out their website and get on their mailing list! I'll meet you at the Cave.

In Collaboration with The Noteworthys Part II - A Night on the Town

I've met so many admirable people this year, among the lot is Nundini Krishan founder of the up-and-coming "The Noteworthys". The Noteworthys is a Toronto-based network which connects clientele to designers.



I'm particularly excited about their project and you can stay in the loop by signing up early here.

I was asked to take part in their very first photoshoot where I got to bring a little of my own personal brand to the scene. In this, part II of my collaboration, I wanted to showcase a feminine look perfect for an evening of cocktails.



This look challenges a conservative color-palette by using surprising textures. The black turtle neck which I found tucked away in the heart of Chinatown has a modest cut, but it's the intricate lace detailing that surprises and delights with hints of skin. It definitely isn't meant for the faint-of-heart and could be easily paired with either a nude or black cami for a more subtle look. The skirt I've chosen to pair this lace number with is from H&M and is made of sweater-material. It's a short fluted skirt which gives the outfit a hint of volume without going overboard.

I didn't want to draw away from the neckline of the shirt, or the detailed lace and so complimented this look with a sleek jeweled headpiece with matching earrings. The sunglasses found in Kensington Market at Bungalow create a little bit of edge to an otherwise feminine look with the dramatic frames. The shoes (unseen) were my favourite silver stilettos from Aldo and I finished this outfit with a mixed metallic clutch and a dark shade of red lipstick bringing in just a suggestion of color.  (You can see them here in my look from World MasterCard Fashion Week).

Would you wear this outfit? Stay tuned for Part III coming up shortly!

Collaboration with The Noteworthys Part I

I've said it once and I'll say it before: NOW is the time to live in Toronto. Just this past year I have met so many interesting people, and made life-altering connections. Some weeks ago I had the opportunity to work with the up-and-coming "The Noteworthys", a Toronto-based network which connects clientele to designers.



I'm particularly excited about their project and you can stay in the loop by signing up early here.

I was asked to take part in their very first photoshoot where I got to bring a little of my own personal brand to the scene.



I like to have fun with my fashion and this 90s throwback croptop and overalls combination is just that. The sneakers make it a little more current as the white lowtops which were all the rage this Summer have carried into Fall nicely. The oversized nature of the overalls make a big (ha) statement about shape and silhouette: the loose fit creates an androgynous look, but the form-fitting crop top brings in an element of girliness.





My friend Krys, pictured above with me, introduced me to founder Nundini of The Noteworthys. This collection of photos is just the first in a series of three. Collaborating with her and her team was such a wonderful experience. It's great to be a part of a Torontonian movement to make fashion more accessible. This city really is in the midst of a creative surge and I couldn't be more excited to live it first hand.

Mortician Lace - Fall Lookbook

Let's talk about two of my favourite trends for the new season: all over lace tops get an overhaul in delicate detailed beauties and metallics continue to be the new neutral.

I have for far too long kept my blacks at the back of my closet. With skin as fair as mine it's pretty easy to get washed out, but this lace turtleneck find in black has me digging through my wardrobe. I love this night-on-the-town look because it's edgy, but still fairly casual. The distressed denim makes the otherwise avant-guarde outfit more approachable, and the glimpses of metallic compliment the black without drawing too much attention.


What are your favourite looks for a night on the town? Let me know in the comments below.