To close out our month of Great Gatsby inspired cocktails, we at ELLE Canada decided to do the most decadent thing we could think of: create a champagne fountain. So we asked our friends at William Ashley China to send over their most beautiful crystal champagne saucers, and we (very carefully!) got to work.

To create a champagne fountain, you will need:
1 tray
Identical saucers (we used 10 saucers in all)
Chandon champagne

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This week, we’re test-driving Daisy Buchanen’s favourite cocktail: The Mint Julep. Not familiar? It’s the drink she makes her husband when they have their blow out in the Plaza Hotel: “I’ll make you a mint julep,” Daisy says to Tom. “Then you won’t seem to stupid to yourself.” Ouch!

But don’t worry–this afternoon, we’re drinking under much happier circumstances: because hey, it’s a Friday afternoon, and it’s almost June. Cheers!

You will need:
2 oz of bourbon (We love Bulleit Bourbon!)
2 tsp of simple syrup
mint leaves

Click through to see how to make the Mint Julep…
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Hold on for dear life, people: the French 75 cocktail packs a punch. This boozy delight was first named after a .75mm handgun–because apparently, that’s how hard this drink will hit you. Of course, with the ELLE Canada team couldn’t resist seeing whether the drink lives up to its name. The verdict? It’s a good thing tomorrow’s Saturday. Ka-pow.

You will need:
1.5 oz of champagne (we used Chandon)
1 oz of Tangueray gin
lemon
0.5 oz simple syrup

Click through to see how to make the French 75
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In honour of The Great Gatsby’s release today, we’re celebrating with a month of jazz-age cocktails as fabulous as the Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin flick. Every Friday, we’ll post a Roaring ’20s-inspired hooch recipe to help you curate a cinq-a-sept that Daisy Buchanan would be proud of.

This week, we’ve recreated “The Moët Imperial Gatsby,” a champagne cocktail made with green chartreuse that’s currently exclusively available Manhattan’s swank Plaza Hotel. Cheers!

You will need:
1 bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne
1 bottle of green chartreuse (available at the LCBO)
sugar cubes
lime
Beautiful champagne flutes (we especially love these elegant crystal glasses from The Hudson’s Bay company!)

Click through to see how to make the Moët Imperial Gatsby cocktail
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Yes, those high heels are made of chocolate. We ate macarons that were the exact same shade of pink as the frocks at Missoni. (This is how the magic happens, people)

Every season, after our style team returns from the international fashion shows, we get together to hash out the key trends and top moments from New York, London, Paris and Milan. This season, in the midst of Toronto Fashion Week, we stopped in at the DEQ lounge at the luxe Ritz-Carlton hotel for inspiration. One of our key findings? We wish we could have every meeting there!

Click through for more pics…

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A look from Laura Seigel’s collection

If there’s an art to layering, then Laura Seigel is Picasso. (Her bohemian collections always make me want to run home and wear every single piece of my wardrobe simultaneously!) This season, the designer’s palette was mostly rust and olive, with cream accents, and featured hand-knit pieces as well as super slouchy harem pants. Our verdict? It’s a collection made for Jessa from Girls.

Click through to see more of our favourites from Day 2 of Toronto Fashion Week.

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The Comrags finale at the shOws

It’s shOwtime! Comrags’ Joyce and Judy, and London-based designer Jean-Pierre Braganza kicked off Toronto Fashion Week at the Andrew Richards Designs space last night. Post show, the designers sounded off on their Fall/Winter 2013 collections.

Comrags

Joyce: “Judy and I really like vintage things, and what’s really fun is to find something special and mash it up. We found beautiful fabric and created a collection that’s chopped and exposed.”

Judy: “Joyce and I don’t like anything too precious—so when we created pieces for this collection, if they looked too pretty, we would wash the garments after they were made and wouldn’t press them afterwards to get the look we wanted.”

Click through to hear more about Day 1 of Toronto Fashion Week

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The invitation to the Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2013 show. All photos by Denis Desro.

Dolce & Gabbana’s Fall 2013 presentation was definitely one of the highlights of Milan Fashion Week. Inspired by 12th century Venetian and Byzantine mosaics in a cathedral in Monreale, Sicily, the show was a gorgeous, gilded masterpiece. Denis and I went to the Dolce & Gabbana showroom to get a closer look at the collection.

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André Leon Talley outside the Armani show.

Experience Milan Fashion Week through the eyes of Denis Desro, editor-in-chief (fashion), of ELLE Canada and ELLE Quebec.

Donatella Versace at the Versace show.

The gorgeous Pucci showroom.

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Down in front! The most famous bob in the world, belonging to Anna Wintour (of course) obstructs my view at Jil Sander.