one hundred foot line

the ottawa media is going nuts for the latest addition to the national gallery: a huge, in the vertical sense, outdoor sculpture by american artist roxy paine. the stainless steel piece has people in a frenzy for numerous reasons - it cost over a million dollars, it's supposedly unpatriotic, and, most importantly, it is meant to be a tree, but does not have any leaves or branches! perhaps we should have commissioned a child instead. then everyone would get it.

threeasfour

what i've never understood is why there aren't more celebrities wearing threeasfour. i've always really appreciated their innovative technical approach to design, but i feel that apart from when they show they disappear completely off the fashion radar. and because of their limited palette the pieces are not hard to wear. i would be all over them personally!

i love this dress

this narciso rodriguez dress is just so simple and beautiful. it falls with ease and is so effortlessly chic.

galliano

i much preferred galliano's namesake collection. great colours, layering and showmanship. i also like the baggy pants for a change. criticism of his shows always speak about wearability, yet when you dissect the looks and strip away the dramatic hair and makeup, they're really quite wearable, save for a few looks which only the daring would wear anyway.

dior

the nautical theme didn't grab me, but the dresses were oh so desirable.

burberry prorsum

loved the burberry collection. pretty and tough at the same time, christopher bailey still stuck to its roots with the jackets (although the studded ones not so much!), injecting the silhouettes with bits of colour through bright belts. oh how i want a proper leather jacket...

lanvin

one shoulder; wrinkles vs. non; draping; volume; the female bow-tie; and finally, hardware. this is what we learned at lanvin. the palette was mostly muted but i thought the real showstoppers came when he took a risk with colour.

jeremy scott

scott's collection was a homage to the club girls, from both yesteryear and today, and their d.i.y. aesthetic. the result was clothes modelled after shopping bags and garbage bags. the pop art references were fun, but mostly lacked substance. the tire-track dress and the number below did catch my eye...

balmain

i've always loved christophe decarnin's rockstar aesthetic and i would wear every single thing from this collection, however i do feel like the entire show was a bit one-dimensional. i mean, how many ripped t-shirts, studded jackets and skinny pants can a person show? he needs to branch out and show us something new, something he hasn't already done.

louis vuitton

for me, it's always a toss-up with marc jacobs. this season his major influences seemed to be the seventies and orientalism, with a particular fascination for zebra and giraffe prints. the pieces certainly made for a great show, yet the wearability is questionable. the most innovative piece was the flowing zebra-print evening dress, complete with a clever cut-out for the leg, a great twist on the thigh-high slit.

mcqueen

sarah burton clearly has what it takes. after last year's tragedy, many wondered what was to become of mcqueen's line, yet burton clearly understands his vision and is able to express it in a beautiful manner, bringing together his love of nature and fantasy, while referencing the past and the future simultaneously. these are my favourite silhouettes; i especially love the gothic romanticism of the lbd, a piece which i fear will be overlooked in the media but is a wonderful new take on the iconic look.

balenciaga

overall, spring 2011 was not my favourite collection due to the boyishness and my aversity to the cut of the sleeves witnessed throughout. (never the most flattering, in my opinion.) however there were some highlights. my favourite looks included the opening houndstooth coats, the red pleather jacket worn by carolyn murphy, and the mid-show print dresses. the closing look on gisele was a great new technopunk take on the cocktail dress.

in the pink

amana khan's article on india's pink sari wearing gangs speaks of the 'mini revolution' that's happening amongst some of the poorest women in the country. the gulabis are not looking for violence, but they are trying to earn respect from men, and have the desire to walk the streets without having to fear for their safety. having been in india, i certainly understand what it's like being female and dealing with the constant staring, touching, and grabbing from a large portion of the indian men. being foreign, i was treated in a different manner from the indian women, however the gulabis main concern is domestic abuse, something which affect two out of three married women in india. the gangs will threaten abusive husbands to either stop or face the consequences. keep it up, ladies! http://www.slate.com/id/2260797

oprah

i recently finished oprah, a biography by kitty kelley. it's a fascinating look at one of the most powerful woman of our times. despite her appearance of being very forthcoming about her life, kelley reveals much that oprah has kept hidden. it was interesting to read about her life in her early career versus now, and the privacy lockdown that has occurred since those days. most current and former employees of harpo, inc. were not willing to speak about their boss due to fear and the incredibly binding legal documents that all are now required to sign when working under her. here's an idea oprah, let's get kelley as your final interview. now that's great television.

"whiskey please...

...i neeeeeed some whiskey please..." ida maria's confessional lyrics worked their way into the soundtrack of india where they beautifully complimented the landscape of insanity. rough and gutteral, she brings to mind a young pj harvey. suddenly her song 'oh my god' seems to be popping up everywhere.

rococo

for some unknown reason, i never really listened to the arcade fire before. heard, yes. but not listened. well now i'm listening. constantly. i'm not smitten with all the songs on their album, yet those that i like, i adore. current favourite: rococo.

the diana f+ around asia

as a mentioned a while ago, the diana is an unpredictable camera. i took a few films around asia and was disappointed, but unsurprised, when endless photos did not turn out. these are my favourites, especially the one in beijing, where the boats are given a haunting appeal.

some kids were playing on this bike around angkor wat in cambodia

a funny still-life at angkor wat

the boats frozen in the summer palace moat in beijing

one of many street dogs in mcleod ganj, india, home of the dalai lama

tibetan prayer wheel in mcleod ganj

great sign for a buddhist temple!

a monk going for a walk in the woods, mcleod ganj

momos: the ultimate tibetan food

the end of a desert meal in rajasthan, india

camelprints

it's it

mr. schuman calls it the shoe of the season. rightfully so. the valentino shoe has the right balance of edginess and femininity. it's the shoe for the rockstar and the priss. i've always been infatuated with studs due to the attitude of rebellion associated with them. over the years i've purchased numerous studded shoes; the closest thing i have to these are a pair i picked up in korea, black with gold studs that criss-cross over the top of the foot. not quite though, not quite.

ashley rowe

a few years ago when i volunteered at toronto fashion week, ashley rowe was responsible for coordinating all of the volunteers. always incredibly stylish in a low-key manner, and very driven, i wondered what had happened to her. as it turns out, she's now launched her own brand ASHLEY ROWE (prior to that she had miss rowe). the capsule collection includes the aptly named the dress, the jacket, the pant (baggy), the pant (wide leg), the skirt, and the t. i want it all, but most of all the jacket. i'm drooling.

amanda lew kee

new ryerson grad amanda lew kee is the talk of toronto. her gothrock sensibility is injecting some well-needed attitude into the canadian fashion scene, something we really haven't seen since izzy camilleri. a black on black palette is a risque start, however her work with leather and her layering techniques make the look anything but boring. can't wait to see her showing at the lg fashion week...

pucci dres

everyone's going nuts over emma stone's appearance in a pucci dress, but i'm not quite sure why. i love the dress, however it's not right for the starlet - it does nothing for her figure, dwarfs her personality, and she looks physically uncomfortable. wrong girl.