Italian label BULGARI—best known for its coveted jewellery and accessories—is collaborating with Greek designer MARY KATRANTZOU on a line of handbags and minaudières (available April 15). “I feel that the Bulgari woman and the woman I design for have a lot in common,” says Katrantzou. “They are both strong, daring and elegant.” The collection, Serpenti Through the Eyes of Mary Katrantzou, incorporates the iconic elements—luxury materials and snake-head hardware—that made Bulgari’s Serpenti Forever an instant success, and the designer, known for her jubilant and poetic maximalist prints, brings to life a message of optimism, rebirth and change.

Combining the intense pigmentation of a lipstick, the radiance of a gloss and the moisturizing power of a balm, Chanel’s new ROUGE COCO BLOOM lip colours have arrived just in time to add some pop to that pout for spring. The patented formula coats the lips in a vibrant shade (there are 20 to choose from) and, thanks to microdroplets of oil, makes them shine for up to eight hours. Now that’s something to smile about!

Price: $52

What’s the best, most sustainable way to keep your kicks looking brand spanking new? Why, with SHOE LAUNDRY, of course—an eco-friendly kit that includes a natural cleaner, a bamboo brush and a reusable cloth. This spotless idea is courtesy of Amir Alam, a Toronto-based research scientist and DJ (he has even toured with The Weeknd) who decided to jump into the world of sneaker maintenance while his music career is on a pandemic pause.

Price: $40

Made with statement resin and polymer-clay pieces that bring punches of 1980s colour all the way into 2021, each pair of earrings crafted by former printmaking student Amanda Sampson at Ottawa’s NIGHT MOVES ATELIER serves up a hefty dose of pep. If you like your jewellery less bold but still beautiful, she makes plenty of small cotton studs decorated with pretty geometric and graphic patterns, and they start at an oh-so-affordable $10. The eclectic designs extend beyond the lobes too—they can be found on cute hair clips as well as trinket trays that help keep all your adorable goods in one safe spot.

 

 

For her seventh album, DADDY’S HOME, released on May 14, Annie Clark—a.k.a. St. Vincent—took a personal turn by touching on her father’s incarceration and subsequent release from prison. “Daddy’s Home collects stories of being down and out in downtown NYC: last night’s heels on the morning train, glamour that’s been up for three days straight,” says Clark. With the album’s first single, “Pay Your Way in Pain,” and its accompanying music video, the ever-evolving artist leads us through a fierce funk romp that feels like being in a ’70s time warp.

Often seen perched on the noses of Kiernan Shipka, Spike Lee and Dan Levy, California- based GARRETT LEIGHT CALIFORNIA OPTICAL eyewear, made by a stylish father-son duo, has been a frame favourite since it launched in 2010. Now, with a few beloved lines under its belt, the brand has finally headed north of the border and opened an outpost in Toronto. Book an appointment at the Queen Street West shop to get a pair of oversized sunnies or round metal glasses customized to fit just right—or bring the two options together with a pair of fashion- forward clip-ons that won’t remind you of your grandmother.

Price: From $200

This ONE WILD LIFE by Angie Abdou is out just in time for Mother’s Day. The author of The Bone Cage, a Canada Reads finalist, pulls us into a wilderness memoir that recounts how one summer she headed out into nature once a week with her daughter in an effort to move the girl’s focus away from team sports and confront her growing shyness. Anyone who has ever been pushed to do something outdoorsy because it was good for them—or who has been the parent doing the pushing—will find this sweet tale about a growing and changing parent-child relationship all too familiar.

Read more:
What’s on the ELLE Editors’ Radar for April
What’s on the ELLE Editors’ Radar for February-March

Text: Théo Dupuis-carbonneau, Joanna Fox, Marouchka Franjulien & Caitlin Stall-paquet.
Photography: Taka Nonaka Hill (B. Valenzuela), Royal Gilbert (Fermé), Zackery Michael (St. Vincent), Walt Disney Studios (Cruella) & Barcsay Photography (Garrett Leight)