Held at the Oakridge Center on September 22, 2011, the Style Night event was hosted by Flare magazine Editor-in-Chief Lisa Tant who introduced an engaging season of colorful fashion. The seasonal event for women helping women was made possible by Oakridge retailers, sponsors and volunteers.
Two large screens on each side of the tented runway allowed attendees to discover designer creations as Lisa Tant guided the audience through the fashion sparks of the latest fashion weeks.
Fall Trends 2011
First, a classy Lisa Tant apologized for her black dress before launching a runway of models in striking bright colors. For a woman in the midst of fashion weeks worldwide, and for all women on-the-go, she confirmed the lasting impact of the famous little black dress, equally endorsed that evening by Oakridge Manager Mary-Jo Johnston.
As for the collections, Tant gave an insider look from Paris, London, Milan and other venues in flashbacks pinpointing the trends:
- Bright pink neon colours from pants to toppers
- Chokers
- Coats with fur sleeves, cocoon shapes, and capes
- Colourful faux-furs
- Elegant camel and caramel colours
- Embellishment with metallics, sequins, fur, feathers
- Fedora and other hats
- Seducing lace, corset belts, patent leathers
- Shoes with an attitude
- Snakeskin shoes, bags, belts and as adornment
- Suits à la Savile Row and the LBT (little black tux)
- Textured nails
- Ponytails for a sleek look
- Wild prints from animal to floral, and mixed to notice-me
Insider Facts from the Fashion Weeks
- Altuzarra showing how to wear a parka over a dress
- Aquilano Rimondi and textures
- Balenciaga in the November issue of Flare magazine
- Balmain in gold glamour
- Céline in a simple style and a new boutique in Paris
- Chloé and a green python dress
- Denis Cagnon and hot pink tights with an all black outfit
- Dolce Gabbana and tiger prints
- Giambattista Valli about black on white and black and white
- Givenchy and sheer pieces (from growing up with eight sisters?)
- Greta Constantine with capes and lifestyle creations worn by designer Victoria Beckham
- Gucci’s 90th anniversary (2012) with a film on the family saga and the opening of a Gucci museum in Florence
- Haider Ackermann seen by Lagerfeld as the new Chanel designer (Janet Jackson seen in one of his pieces)
- Isabel Marant with Parisian chic sweaters and sequined pants
- Jean-Paul Gaulthier and silver wigs (and a fashion retrospective in Montréal, Dallas and San Francisco)
- Jil Sander stepping out in printed boots
- Marc Jacobs working at Vuitton now and at Dior soon?
- Marie Saint Pierre and the hat trend
- Max Mara in red head-to-toe and tough love shoes
- Michael Kors with soft looks on its 30th anniversary
- Milan fashion colors in emerald green, berry, rust
- Missoni and knits among the latest stint at Target
- Oscar de la Renta as one of Lisa Tant's favourite designers
- Prada’s parade of reds and yellows and a love for python
- Shoes like cars in hot wheels
- Stella McCartney’s minimalistic style in neutral colours
- Tom Ford and thigh-high zebra boots
- Versace coats and a collection with Chanel reminiscent of the 90s.
And then, of course, there were Alexander Wang, DKNY, Dries van Noten, Jason Wu, Lanvin, Nina Ricci, Proenza Schouler, Valentino and many more.
Finally, Lisa Tant shared the “innovative” creation of British designer Christopher Kane: A wool dress embellished with sheer, PVC, panelled collar and belt, filled with colourful oils that bubble with body heat.
Social Media and Fashion
A trend becomes viral should a celebrity endorse it. After the self-inflicted demise of Thierry Mugler, Lady Gaga installed her own stylist and friend Nicola Formichetti as the designer for Mugler’s new ready to wear Fall 2011 collection. Paired with the launch of a remix of her song Born this Way, will Lady Gaga’s stint revive Thierry Mugler’s name? “With her 10 million followers, all is possible,” Lisa Trant says.
Furthermore, as the Editor-in-Chief of a fashion magazine, Lisa Trant says in her blog, “Social media is the first place I’ll look for a potential candidate.”
From Lisa Tant’s Q&As
- Wear a fedora with a coat, in a colour, and remove it indoor.
- Prefer the more comfortable new style of wedged boots instead of over the knee.
- Visit H&M and Zara for affordable fashion.
- Invest in a good coat, not made from non-lasting cheap fabric.
- Rest assured that a tie is still stylish, and a favourite of Canadian designers.
- Splurge on a great printed dress this season.
Ah, shoes! Shoes are a woman’s power tools and can be intimidating. If you head for a meeting “with big executive guns,” Tant says, “Wear Prada and they won’t say a word!”
Find the Trends at Participating Retailers
As for the event planning, it was the result of coordinating the runway producer & stylist with dressers, key hair and make-up, assistants, and the following retailers:
- Aritzia (blouse, dress)
- Brown Shoes
- Coach (bags)
- DKNY (dress, shoes, purse, cape, pant, blouse)
- Guess by Marciano (skirt, shoes, boots, bustier)
- Hugo Boss Woman (necklace, bag, shoes, dress, blazer, coat)
- Ingeldew (boots, bag)
- Judith & Charles (clutch, blouse, pant)
- Maxmara (dress, sweater, pant, boots, coat, skirt, belt)
- Michael Kors (jacket, skirt, tank, bag, boots, jewellery)
- Nine West (shoes, clutch)
- Rodeo Jewellers
- Stuart Weitzman (boots, shoes)
- Swimco (bathing suit)
- Talbots (coat, dress, hat, bag, gloves, necklace)
- The Bay (shoes, jacket, bag, dress, coat, hat, necklace, studded boots, clutch)
- Wearelse (boots, dress, scarf,
- Zioni (belted dress)
Sponsor Cointeau Introduces its Fall Cocktail Trends at the DFS fundraiser
The French brand gave out Cointreau cocktail recipes from Vancouver trendy lounges. Presented in martini glasses, the delicious cocktails greeted attendees with their stylish colours while appetizers were being passed around.
Last but not least, the event ended with the drawing of raffle tickets including a shopping spree of $1,000 at Oakridge Center. With a Corioliss hair straightener as a door prize, all attendees received more than the $25 event ticket.
Sources
- Dress for Success Organization: International website.
- Dress for Sucess Vancouver (DFS).
- Flare: Canada’s Fashion Magazine. October 2011.
- Flare magazine online.
Marie-Claude Arnott - Marie-Claude Arnott writes about topics that interest her, from experience and with passion.
