Guests of the sixth annual Zareinu (Za-ray-nu) fundraiser at the ROM enjoyed an array of looks from Nada Shepherd and Thien Le's FW09 and SS10 collections. Jeanne Beker hosted the annual event which has already raised over $200,000 for the one-of-its-kind Jewish education centre offering support to families raising children with special needs. For almost 20 years, Zareinu has celebrated the individual strengths of special needs children and advocated their acceptance in the community.

The first host of Fashion Television gave a heartfelt speech about her feelings around the centre's importance in the lives of these families: "My Dad brought me up to believe you should not be afraid and to never give up and these kids never give up."

Leading up to NADA's showcase, clips from Fashion Week featured Kelly Drennan from Fashion Takes Action, loved local designer Brian Bailey, socialite Shannae Ingleton, and jewellry designer, Shay Lowe, expressing their support. Zareinu student Shayna's mother became weepy when recounting the story of her daughter's experience at Zareinu:

"Thank you for making Shayna's life and the life of other children and families immeasurably better."

The penthouse at the Burroughs Building staged a stylish showcase last night of fabulous frocks donated for silent auction by designers and local celebrities. At The Frocktail Party, bartenders shook up blue cosmos while well-dressed guests bid on dream dresses by designers like Dolce and Gabbana, Greta Constantine, Betsey Johnson, and David Dixon. The flapper-style gown above was donated by Leah Miller, who wore the dress on So You Think You Can Dance. All proceeds went to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

ET Canada's Cheryl Hickey donated the gorgeous black lace Mandalay halter number. Sushi rolls and salmon lollipops kept the crowd from getting too tipsy on cocktails and after the bidding war ended, a DJ spun beats by Michael Jackson and Prince, keeping the "well-heeled" crowd moving.

Sexy ladies lit up the dance floor (left), and handbag designer Brook Alviano rocked a red dress which she constructed completely from vintage fabric. Ali Reid, in an art deco-inspired shimmer dress, helped organize the event.

Michelle Reagan and the Style Box's Gail McInnes looked sharp (left), while the F-List's resident style maven, Leesa Butler, looked fashionably fabulous as usual;

The Beauty Boutique pampered with hair and cosmetics makeovers (one guest averted an eyelash emergency); Peach Berserk founder and designer, Kingi Carpenter, showcased her own designs on herself and a friend. The red taffeta explosion with sheer sleeves and full skirt stood out like a pretty confection. Dashing Dev, wearing a chainmail veil, and beautiful Belinda, founding photog of Kamshuka (second from left), brought amazing attitude to the event.

We know about the 3 Rs of eco-consciousness: reduce, reuse and recycle. We KNOW style and sustainability aren't mutually exclusive. We also know eco-chic has gone beyond the trend phase, but it's not yet a given. As Summer Rayne Oakes quipped: "One day we'll wake up and green will not be the new black. It will be the new invisible."

STEP (Sustainable Technology Education Project), a student-run initiative at the University of Waterloo advocating sustainable design, technology and lifestyle, says Fashion is now the fourth dimension in eco-responsibility.

To promote its position that the fashion industry must take steps to normalize sustainability (be renewable, leave a light ecological footprint, and be chemical-free), STEP is hosting R4, an eco-friendly evening of fashion and discussion. Working with Telio fabrics, established and emerging local talent including Aime by Monica Mei (pictured above at LG Fashion Week), Thieves by Sonja den Elzen (below), and Carrie Hayes, will showcase eco-chic as a viable haute couture alternative which hopes to become the norm.

Designer Evan Biddell will make an appearance as a judge for the student design competition, along with Kelly Drennan of Fashion Takes Action, and The Style Box's Gail McInnes and Amanda Brugel. Agency Vert, Donna Bishop's green styling agency will make sure everything down to the hair and make-up is eco-friendly. Even what the models walk on will be in keeping with the theme: runway flooring made of salvaged bamboo and side panels fashioned from organic cotton. Enjoy it all while sipping organic beer and wine. The exciting eco event throws down November 20th, 8 pm, at the Atlantis Pavilions by Ontario Place.

Aime photo courtesy Alexander Willink.

Warmth. Wonder. Joy. Magic. Love. Sharing. That's how Holt Renfrew embraced the season at the annual unveiling of its holiday window display.

Snowmen and penguins donned Alexander McQueen, Michael Kors, Lanvin, Gucci, and Ralph Lauren in the stunning snow-filled scenes, against a backdrop of sweet sentiments which also describe the feelings evoked in the viewer. 

And continuing on into the store, another emotion, this one seasonless and enduring... DREAM.

 In advance of the drapes dropping, Leslie Feist kept the waiting crowd warm as a last minute addition after planned performer, Kristin Chenoweth, cancelled.

In a plain black suit and knit cap, the singer was relaxed and easeful with the crowd, a pleasant diversion from the inevitable cold.

In 1911, Edward Steichen took the first fashion photographs (images were formerly illustrated) for Art et Decoration magazine, shooting a collection of dresses by French designer, Paul Poiret. From 1923-37 Steichen was the chief photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair and the AGO exhibit Edward Steichen: In High Fashion focuses on that high point in his career.

He photographed designs by Chanel, Lanvin, and Schiarapelli, among others. A 1925 image of a draped crepe Chanel evening gown with pearl choker looks positively contemporary, as does a low-backed lace shimmer gown with drop waist fastened by black ribbon. The designer's vision is unparallelled, every piece still relevant today.

Steichen's subjects included popular actresses and models of the time including his muse Marion Morehouse whom he photographed for the first time for Vogue's November 1929 issue. Morehouse later became a photographer herself and embodied the "flapper" spirit that represented a bold new femininity: an integral element in Steichen's photographs of women for Vogue and Vanity Fair.

"It didn't matter whether the sitter was a statesman, a writer, a poet, an actor, a prizefighter, or a musician--they were all interesting." -Edward Steichen

Last season at LG Fashion Week, Lucian Matis presented us with an enchanted forest escape where models wore antlers for headpieces and adopted fawn-like postures. At the Spring/Summer 2010 collections, Matis got into the spirit of Halloween with a macabre mood featuring corpse-like make-up and head harnesses resembling the headgear of an electric chair victim.

The palette saved the show from being too horror-inspired: Matis avoided black in favour of muted shades of lavender, yellow and baby blue. The element of shine also lifted the atmosphere with plenty of sequins, studs, and rhinestone embellishments.

The first look was a bias-cut tank dress with water colour-esque illustration of a clown and violin. The music, too, evoked  the creepier elements of an old-time travelling circus.

Using classic elements like bias-cut, draping, Bishop sleeves, and eschewing the trend toward shorter lengths, Matis creates an eerie kind of romance. Accessories included a chain-mail tie, motorcycle chain on a gold, floor-length gown, and mutli-strand metallic pearls. Ribbons were criss-crossed over tops and around the ankles like bandages. Dramatic cowl necks draped down to the waist and again at the low back. Studded shoulder straps emulated the encrusted headpieces.

The show stopper featured Monika Schnarre in a Grecian-style white floor-length creation, sprinkled across the chest in rhinestones and draped with a sash (perhaps an allusion to her pageant-winning past; we are talking about the youngest Supermodel of the World). Schnarre was spared the head harness and instead wore a rhinestone-studded collar and her hair was in soft waves rather than flattened and fastened down like the rest of the cast.

Image courtesy Alexander Willink.

GotStyle, the one-stop shop for menswear in Toronto, presented a completely Canadian showcase featuring local celebs like Michael Landsberg and Ben Mulroney, a Canuck soundtrack, and a roster of Canadian designers from the celebrated men's shop on King Street West. Owner Melissa Austria evokes the essence of an exclusive men's club at GotStyle with flat screen TVs, club chairs, and a female-staffed day spa.

Featured designers included Vancouver's Christopher Bates with ultra masculine, crisply-tailored casual wear, Costa Pavlou (who treated the crowd to some gymnastic moves on the runway), Bustle, Red Canoe, Skmpeez, and Gregory Allen.

Representing the store's wares from formal suits for the office, to leisure wear, to swim, the highly-anticipated show brought lots of energy to the runway and pleased the receptive crowd. A fun time featuring fine clothes and a cool concept in menswear retailing.

Brandon Dwyer was relaxed backstage before his SS10 showcase and the collection relected that easy breezy approach to life. More like cruise wear than Spring/Summer (and really, do we even have a Spring in Toronto?) the feel was beachy and cool, right down to the peaceful ambience of the capacity crowd.

Head pieces by Midence Oliu Millinery added fabulous flair to the simpler looks and hair was crimped into soft waves.

Bubble hems and diamante-encrusted corsets wowed, while many commented that the showstopper came, not in the finale, but in this sheer cream gown with rosette-enhanced collar and sprinkled with Swarovski crystals.

Just Cavalli, the youth-oriented line introduced by the Italian designer in 1998, comes to us courtesy of Luxury Life Brands, the North American distributor which also represents Ed Hardy and Christian Audijier.

The sparse audience at the 1 pm show was treated to a skin-filled start to the final day at LG Fashion Week. Fit boys and girls came down the runway in underwear, bikinis, and board shorts. Since there was nothing new design-wise, the focus was on fun--had this been an evening show, the crowd would have gone wild.The sea green cutout one-piece was the only garment where design was of interest. The rest of the show consisted of basic black bikinis, tie-dyed board shorts and halter dresses. An Elvis-esque model straight out of a 50s beach blanket movie rocked some tighty whities. The womenswear seemed more cougar than girly: leopard-print one-piece halters with cage heels, for instance, just needed a pool boy and an absent husband to make it complete!

This show was great for the models because the looks were so unworthy of discussion, the focus was securely on them.

We couldn't wait for NADA. After a showcase last season that thumbed its nose at the recession and presented a Fall/Winter collection based on excess and drama, the crowds at LG Fashion Week were buzzing about what Nada Shepherd would come up with for Spring.

While NADA still delivered, the showcase lacked the power of last season. The theme was Infatuation, and, by her own confession, Nada's mind is "in the gutter" and her collection reflected all those boudoir elements including tons of black French and hand-painted lace over nude and white underpinnings. Lace stockings and those with seams up the middle drove the point home and accessories made a huge impact in the form of multiple pearl strands with gigantic beads and chains hanging down secured by silk ribbon.

Hair in stiff beehives and heavy eyebrows conflicted with the come-hither mood the designer was attempting to evoke, and baby blue pastels were present for Spring.

A somewhat cliched version of feminine sexuality which relied heavily on black lace.