Elle Canada - The Elle Word

Krystin Pellerin and Gregory Prest in You Can’t Take It With You, courtesy of Soulpepper Theatre Company.

“What is this strange feeling that I’m feeling?” says Canadian actor Gregory Prest, who’s trying to describe the foreign emotion that’s washed over him lately during rehearsals for Soulpepper Theatre Company’s production of George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart’s You Can’t Take It With You. Then it hits him. “Oh, love!” he blurts out, laughing.

It’s not that Prest— a National Theatre School grad who hails from Pictou, Nova Scotia—is incapable of displaying emotion. In fact, he’s as affable and charming in person as he is tortured and conflicted on stage—well at least going by the menacing and dark roles he’s taken up in recent Soulpepper productions. “I never get to play this sort of thing, somebody other than a tortured or dying young artist,” he tells me one morning in the lobby of the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto’s Distillery District. “It’s wonderful.” Read the rest of this entry

1. Heather Marks & Zombie Boy
Eran Elfassy and Elisa Dahan, the brains behind Canadian label Mackage, brought back some homegrown talent to open and close their Fall/Winter 2012-13 runway presentation. Calgary-native and international super model, Heather Marks, set the tone for the dark and brooding ambiance with her equally powerful strut. After the brigade of mixed leather, wool and fur ensembles the show’s big finale featured the brash swagger of Montreal-born Zombie Boy (recently seen alongside Lady Gaga in her “Born This Way” video).

2. Dead man walking
Stepping in to the Fermenting Cellar in Toronto’s Distillery District (30 min before show time) to see Zombie Boy’s handler leading him down the catwalk during dress rehearsal, shouting: “Sashay! Sashay!” We’re not surprised that the tatted-up Rick Genest (a.k.a. Zombie Boy) who closed the Mackage runway, didn’t sashay.

3. Carnival fare
Set in the scene of an underworld circus, bathed in deep blue and purple light, the Mackage carnival was in full force. Pink candy floss, ice cream sandwiches, two-bite caramel apples and mini-corndogs circulated through the fashion crowd, while hoopers and stilt walkers performed.

To see more images from the event keep reading. Read the rest of this entry

Could you ever put a price on owning a piece of fashion history? Of course you can! And your best shot at snapping up iconic celebrity garb – think a Marilyn Monroe cocktail dress or Madge’s bustier -  is at exclusive auctions hosted by world-renowned houses.

Today, the luminous ivory lace gown Audrey Hepburn wore in the 1953 film, Roman Holiday – and then to Academy Awards that following year where she won for “Best Actress” – goes under the hammer by Kerry Taylor Auctions. The famous frock, designed by legendary Hollywood costume designer Edith Head, is expected to fetch anywhere from £40,000 – £60,000 ($64,330-$96,495).

In that spirit, we take a look back at some of the more illustrious celebrity auctions and what the infamous pieces eventually sold for. Although we may never be able to actually afford the purchase of a Liz Taylor jewel, what’s the harm in a bit of fun bidding?

Audrey Hepburn’s Hubert de Givenchy dress, Christie’s, London.

The satiny LBD Hepburn wore as Holly Golightly in the opening scene of the 1961 film, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, fetched £467,200 ($923,187) in 2006. Its original cost was estimated between £50,000 – £70,000 ($98,800 – $138,320).

Kate Middleton’s sheer dress, Kerry Taylor Auctions, London.

In April, the see-through number that the Duchess of Cambridge wore to the university fashion show in 2002 (and allegedly caught Prince William’s eye) sold for £78,000 ($125,443) – 10 times its expected worth.

Princess Diana’s Victor Edelstein dress, Waddingston’s, Toronto.

Speaking of princesses, Princess Diana’s midnight-blue silk-velvet dress by Victor Edelstein  – worn to the White House state dinner in 1985 during a dance with John Travolta – sold in Toronto for $800,000 in June. It was auctioned as part of collection that included 14 of the Princess of Wales’ dresses.

Elizabeth Taylor’s luxe jewelry collection- Christie’s, New York.

The New York-based auction house just added a special online-only sale of 950 pieces from Elizabeth Taylor’s regal closet. With four categories – fine jewelry, fashion and accessories, costume jewelry and decorative arts and memorabilia – the online sale, which includes 22 handbags by Dior and Valentino, takes place on Christie’s website from Dec. 3-17th.

La Liz’s most iconic pieces -  including the 33.19-carat diamond ring Richard Burton gave her in 1968 – have been journeying on a three-month international tour since September and are available through a live auction on Dec. 13 at Christie’s. The collection of 269 fine jewels up for bid is estimated to be worth more than US$30 million.

If money were no object, which item above would you want to personally own?

"David (LaChappelle) left this photograph of model Jodie Kidd at my door as a thanks for all the support we gave him on FashionTelevision," says Beker.

Jeanne Beker, famed fashion journalist, author and host of FashionTelevision is premiering her personal art collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s annual Collector’s Series showcase. ELLECanada.com caught up with Beker before opening night to talk about her favourite pieces and the mystery behind Yves Saint Laurent’s eyes.

Do you have a favourite piece in the collection?

“These pieces all mean something special; to me and my girls. Growing up in our house, for them, there was always an artsy vibe because of all the interesting things we had on the walls. When I was growing up, for my parents— who were immigrants and Holocaust survivors— art was something they would never consider buying. It was like the ultimate extravagance and only the fancy people had art in their homes. My mother used to just have these petit point tapestries that she would hang up.  That was the art that I grew up with.”

Has your views on art evolved alongside your career?

“I have an eye that’s a little more adventurous now or enjoys to be challenged where maybe earlier on things were a little safer. One of my more recent acquisitions was this piece that I got about three years ago in Dublin by an Irish artist named Patrick O’Reilly. He works mostly with sculpture but he does a lot of interesting three-dimensional pieces, like this one:

Patrick O'Reilly

I was visiting his studio with a friend of mine, designer Louise Kennedy, and I just fell in love with that piece because it seemed so alive. It seemed like something from the bottom of the sea. I boldly hung it—where it still remains—over my fireplace.”

What can this collection tell us about you?

“These are images that are so personal to me -  whether they were gifted or I spent my hard-earned dough on them – that they really serve as kind of a visual diary: the places I’ve been to, the people I’ve known, my evolving aesthetic over the years. To see them, first of all, out of context, is pretty damned strange, but it’s also incredibly thrilling that I can share that.”

Is there a story behind this Yves Saint Laurent portrait?

“I love this portrait of Yves Saint Laurent. This was a gift from Andre Rau and the gallery who represents him in San Francisco. This is one of the most important designers of the past century and a true tormented genius. It’s really wonderful to see this contemplative portrait and wonder what goes on beneath the eyes.”

Portrait of Yves Saint Laurent by Andre Rau

(The Collector Series with Jeanne Beker opens Tuesday November 29 at 6 p.m. and is on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Art Rental + Sales Gallery, at 481 University Avenue, until December 16th, 2011)

Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight…

Last night leading luxury jeweller BIRKS invited media and select guests to their tony Bloor St. boutique in Toronto to discover timepieces and jewels from Van Cleef & Arpels Paris atelier. The exquisite collection of cocktails rings, bracelets and necklaces have the power to stand alone; but fittingly each carefully curated piece has a story, and who better to tell the tale than the house’s most revered patron, Nicolas Luchsinger (Vice President and Heritage Curator).

We stole a few precious moments with Monsieur Luchsinger to ask what his five favourite sparklers are of the entire array; naturally not an easy feat as one, or five, is truly never enough.

Set in 18K featuring one cushion-cut diamond, black spinels (Price upon request.)

The “Abstraction” Ring
“This is from our newest High Jewelry collection called Bals de Légende which draws inspiration from five of the most iconic masquerade balls of the 20th Century. This particular ring is based upon the famous Black and White Ball hosted by Truman Capote in 1966. Not only is the mounting great (which makes a 15.54c ring very wearable) but the stone is an antique stone from the mythical mines of Golconda; quite phenomenal.”

Set in 18K white gold featuring 20 diamond clover motifs ($29,400).

The Perlée” Diamond Clover Bracelet
“A very wearable piece which still discreetly shows our infamous Alhambra motif in a subtle way, and the fact that it is in rose gold makes it so contemporary and youthful.”

Swiss mechanical movement timepiece set in 18K white gold featuring diamonds and “contre-jour” enameling ($88,000).

Pont des Amoureux watch
This romantic piece tells a story of two lovers meeting for a Parisian rendezvous at both 12 noon and midnight each day for a magical kiss. This theme reminds me of Alfred and Estelle Arpels and their beautiful love story which resulted in the birth of our Maison. The piece also brings together the remarkable works of Jean-Marc Wiederrecht and Dominique Baron who bring their expertise to the timepiece as the best among the world’s movement creators and enamellers, respectively.”

Set in 18K yellow gold featuring coral and chrysoprase (Price upon request.)

“Estate” sautoir (Circa 1970s)
“This beautiful and chic colorful sautoir is a masterpiece of our 1970s creations showcasing a great design. It is so representative of a time period where jewelry was worn a very casual way.”

Set in 18K white gold featuring round-shaped diamonds and pink sapphires (Price upon request.)

“Birds of Paradise”

“This contemporary reinterpretation of a theme so dear to the VCA where birds and nature have been such a great source of inspiration to our House since the ’20s.”

If money were no object, which piece would you buy?

Style savant

By: Ava Baccari

Leandra Medine (centre)

Sporting turquoise polka-dot jeans and sky-high wedges, Leandra Medine is walking proof of her highly-popular blog, The Man Repeller. Her decidedly courageous fashion pairings — think harem pants, jumpsuits and jewelry that “resembles violent weaponry” – is oft embraced by women, but has very little positive affect on the men. Shocking. The good news, however, is that instead of eschewing these trends us girls love and men hate, Medine celebrates them and encourages all of us to flaunt our boyfriend jeans and shoulder pads with aplomb.

So it seems fitting that Holt Renfrew invited the New York-based blogger to Toronto on November 8th to host the launch of their new blog Holts Muse, which covers the latest in women’s fashion both on the runway and in the streets. Dozens of girls lined up (in leopard print wedges and fedoras, natch) to chat with the sartorial stylist and ELLECanada.com was on hand to capture some images of the frenzy.

Which guest do you think sports the best “Man Repeller” look of the night?

Madelyn Chung and Aimee Laurel

D’Loraine Miranda and Melissa Bennett

Svetlana Berg

Kate O’Reilly, thetrendinstigator.com

Samara, howtolookfabulous.com

Kayla Chobotiuk

Go, Canada

Today the Hudson’s Bay Company revealed the London 2012 Olympic Apparel that will outfit our athletes at the upcoming Olympic Games in London. Inspired by the idyllic landscapes of our nation (and the inherent adventurer in us all), the collection is heavy on the Canadiana influences: the Maple Leaf (first seen at the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games); “patches”  (in reference to the patches sewn on travellers’ backpacks), and, of course, the quintessential red-hued toque. The prices are perhaps the most inspired, as the whole collection goes from a mere $15-$100.

Here’s a sneak-peak of the collection (available today at The Bay, Zellers and online at: www.thebay.com). What will you buy to support our athletes and the upcoming games?

(The London Summer Games happen July 27–August 12, 2012.)

Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian have tweeted their support for sister Kim following the announcement of her split from husband of 72 days Kris Humphries.

Day 10: I Heart a Day at the Spa

1 screening, and 1 party to go…and then 24 hours of much needed sleep; but first, a spurt of rejuvenation to bring my skin back to life for the final festival lap courtesy of The Spa at the Hazelton.

A favourite amongst stargazers, The Hazelton is a celebrity-preferred festival home away from home (not to mention nighttime hangout) where stars including Madonna and Bono stayed this TIFF. Today, it’s where I (like many a celeb before me this festival) turn for a time out and a much needed signature Valmont facial from one of the hotel spa’s expert technicians. And like magic, the Valmont Purifying Pack mask with its Kaolin clay, Pink algae extract and Burdock extract smoothes out my pores while calming my skin before the technician rolls out a cool 100% collagen mask over my face, treating me to a scalp and hand massage while the mask does its work. The result: I no longer need the aid of 5 pounds of concealer to get ready for the evening’s events. Thank you Valmont for bringing this tired festival-goer back to life, or at least making her look alive.

Magic moment of the day: Falling asleep 10 minutes into the facial with tired, zombie-esque skin and waking up less than an hour later refreshed with a bright dewy complexion.