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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Yes WU Can!




by Paul Frost

When Michelle Obama, now the First Lady, walked onto the stage for her husband's Inaugural Ball, she looked stunningly beautiful. She wore the gown designed by a young talent named Jason Wu. Wu said he designed the dress with "hope, a feeling of newness, a dream like quality to the gown and making a moment of history".

Like everyone else that night, Wu was sitting at home eating pizza with friends and taking in the monumental moment. What he didn't know was that the first lady was about to glide out wearing his design. Michelle Obama gloriously wore the white, one-shouldered ball gown that Wu had hopefully dreamnt into creation for this very moment in history.

Wu had no warning, not even a hint that Michelle would be wearing his design.
Wu was working with Ikram Goldman from Ikram in Chicago, to design a dress for Michelle for a formal occasion. The only memo he got was that the dress had to sparkle.

Jason never had the opportunity to meet Michelle but when he finished the dress, he personally delivered it to Chicago. The dress laid on his lap during the entire flight.
Wu recalled "there was no way I was checking it in." So when Jason was watching the Inaugural Ball he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Michelle wearing his one-of-a-kind gown.

This truly shows the kind of woman Michelle is and the kind of First Lady she will be. She could have picked anyone from Valentino to Armani, as she undoubtedly had all the fashion houses hoping she would choose one of their gowns. But she went with a young designer of 26 years old, probably knowing that this moment would change his life as well.
All this power in one dress, its incredible.

Jason Wu was born and raised in Taipei and came to Vancouver when he was a boy. At age nine he learned how to sew, draft patterns and sketch. He later went to study fashion in Tokyo and finished his senior year of high school in Paris, where he realized his dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Next, Wu enrolled in the prestigious Parsons School of Design. Parsons alumni includes Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, Narciso Rodriguez, the list goes on. In January 2008 and July 2008 he was nominated as a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

Now, Jason is gearing up for Fashion week, his sixth show, and biggest one yet. He will have more press then ever before and be one of the hottest and most anticipated shows. The world knows who he is now and will be waiting to see what he will do next. Fingers crossed Michelle will be at Fashion week sitting in the first row at Jason's upcoming show.


Saturday, January 24, 2009

Penny Arcade - Interview

Penny Arcade is Toronto's newest vintage hot spot. It's a lovely and convenient addition to the still blossoming Dundas West vintage stretch that is home to stores like Apt. 909 and Marylou Flamingo. The store held an opening night celebration for friends, vintage shoppers, and partiers.

Store owner Rachel Sheehan was excitedly reviewing outfit choices when fashionMovementz arrived at the store. Her friends were setting up a cold weather comfort food spread of Tim Horton's donuts, macaroni, and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Perusing the shop, you will find a perfect selection of vintage gear and a most impressive display of quirky trinkets. One of the many display shelves is home to ultra-wintery old copy of The Call of The Wild and a popcorn bucket holding neat old sunglasses.

Next to this interesting little shelf is a framed page of The Old Man and the Sea with some of its text replaced with clever curses in pen. And we haven't even seen the art yet!

Click here to read on for the interview with Sheenan

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Winter Bootin' Balance

by Jacquie Burton

“Luxury need not have a price, comfort itself is a luxury.”
-Geoffrey Beene, designer.


When it comes to choosing winter gear for a northern climate, Torontonians who put forth the right kind of effort are capable of balancing style with warmth and comfort.

Unfortunately, the choices involved with dressing for sub-zero temperatures are not far removed from those one must make when it comes to junk food. The desirable and fun option always turns out to be the impractical one that will contribute to you becoming ill in some shape or form.

Many of us simply deny the winter weather and venture out into icy chaos wearing platform or stiletto heels. Some women are in fact quite skilled in the art of wearing heels during the winter.
I'd like to be able to get some usage out of my fall platforms, at least on a Saturday night in the next few months. But most of us know that heels + booze + icy sidewalks = a very unglamorous wipe-out.

I am guilty when it comes to suffering for the sake of fashion, but like most people, I don't want to consider myself "fashion victim".

Balance is what we strive for in our lives, and our looks. This balancing act is inevitably more difficult during the post-holiday months.

This winter we are noticing a visible shift to more practical fashions.

Apparent to anyone who looks at what strangers are wearing on their feet, the Sorel boot is ubiquitous. This proves that for many folks, Sorels are no longer considered the dorky monstrosities of the past.

Click here to read more









From top: Men's and Women's Sorel, Red Wing 875, The Timberland Boot Co. Counterpane lace-up, Men's and Women's Frye.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Melodrama and Fashion from "The Hills" to "The City"



As much as it pains me to admit, I am already hopelessly addicted to MTV's The Hills spin-off The City starring Whitney Port.
Whitney started off as Lauren Conrad's co-worker/gal pal on “The Hills”. She caught my eyes with her fashion-forward ensembles, long blond hair, and even longer legs. Back in these days, Whitney was most definitely my girl and I always thought she was leagues ahead of Lauren in terms of style.


Viewers can tune into “The City” for some New York City fashion and socialite action. Best of all it is Brody and Spencer FREE. (Don't even get me started on "Bromance"!)
It isn't that I didn't enjoy the sunny California scenery on “The Hills”, it's that I can live without the Heidi-Spencer drama. In fact, I don't think anyone wants to see that two-headed monster ever again.