With so much focus on H&M's upcoming collaboration with Maison Martin Margiela circulating the net, it's quite possible that you've missed the exciting news about another designer/fast-fashion retailer team-up that is deserving of some serious attention: James Long for Topman. James Long's collections somehow manage to reconcile youth with sophistication and his line for Topman continues with that tradition with seven different styles of knits. Playful polka dots, cut-and-sew designs, fuzzy textures, and colorful, powdery plaids make for a balanced collection that this BRUNETTE can't wait to get a piece of when it hits stores on November 12th.
Less than two weeks ago, while THE BRUNETTES were busy observing the Spring/Summer runways of World MasterCard Toronto Fashion Week, major retailer H&M held an exclusive event in New York City’s financial district for its upcoming launch of the Maison Martin Margiela with H&M collaboration. The exclusive event was attended by models, celebrities and fashion personalities who were all given the opportunity to pre-shop the line before it hits stores on November 15th, while A-listers such as Julianne Moore, Kanye West, Sarah Jessica Parker, Selma Blair, Alan Cumming, and Mena Suvari arrived to the soirée in complete looks from the collection.
The party itself was thrown in an abandoned building that, unlike the beautiful statement pieces of H&M’s Margiela collection, was a little worse for wear. The setting provided the perfect backdrop however for the avant-garde aesthetic that Margiela’s clothing is famously known for. The line was presented to guests by means of interpretative dance against a backdrop of surreal art installations rather than on a catwalk. One observer commented on the transformation of the building as like being in a wonderful dream sequence.
Although THE BRUNETTES may not have been on the
guest list for this fashion fiesta, we can’t hold back our excitement regarding
our invitation to the Toronto version of this event happening the evening
before the label’s launch.
Montreal's Duy Nguyen ofDUYtook home the national accreditation at theWMCFWMercedes-Benz Start Up2012. The designer was chosen by an expert panel that included Holt Renfrew's Barbara Atkin, Fashion Magazine's Bernadette Morra and Fashion Television's Jeanne Beker among other big names, beating seven others for the prize. From his sharply tailored silhouettes to his textured knitwear pieces, the designer's fresh collection married sleek structure along with an air of easy elegance.
Honorable mention also goes to THE BRUNETTES' favorite Christopher Bates who gave the audience a cheeky take on dapper dressing with debonair suiting and lipstick patterned shirt collars.
THE BRUNETTES met with the designer after his show to congratulate him on a stellar collection, pose for some photos, and get the inside scoop on his inspiration.
Although the upcoming Maison Martin Margiela with H&M collection doesn't arrive in stores until November 15th, that doesn't mean you can't get an early look at all 105 pieces before they hit the shelves. THE BRUNETTES, like many other fashion enthusiasts, have been waiting to see the collection in its entirety since news of the collaboration was merely a rumor. Well, we finally got our hands on this still life image gallery of the complete Maison Martin Margiela with H&M lineup, which also includes one more piece of vital information: the prices (listed here in Canadian dollars). So print screen here and start crossing must-haves off your checklist, because the crowds will surely be queued up hours before stores open their doors for this one.
Exaggerated proportions, striped patterns and cool hues are worn beautifully by model Adrian Volkova in this 'Lost and Found' editorial from issue 05 of BITE Magazine.
