Tag Archives: fashion

HOME TOUR: FASHION ILLUSTRATOR JAMIE LEE REARDIN

As a very proud Ryerson Fashion Graduate, I love seeing where my fellow fashionistas have ended up. In school I was so lucky to connect with some lovely women who have since been at my wedding, have cuddled my kids and generally been lovely a support system as we all pursued our creative fields.

Please meet one of those ladies, Jamie Reardin, now an LA based fashion illustrator. Her work has garnered the attention of international fashion icons and recently Taylor Tomasi Hill and Lauren Santo Domingo hired Jamie to draw their top customers in their recent purchases.

Jamie was kind enough to share a few images of her space- I love how effortless it feels. And I know I’d like to live beachside right about now! I love her, her personal style and commitment to building her personal brand. I’ll let Jamie tell you how her style is also communicated in her space. Enjoy!

My beachside studio is in Hermosa Beach, CA. While my basic furniture was purchased from stores like Target and HomeGoods, it is my collection of books, magazines, and kooky knick knacks that truly reflect my personality.

I do my best to decorate my space with anything that inspires me, relying on bright colors, floral prints, and fresh flower arrangements to create an enchanting place where my imagination can roam wildly.

My oversized vision board is somewhat of a centerpiece in my studio. A place to pin down my inspiration and and bring me back to where my illustration style stemmed.20130124-201400.jpg20130124-201413.jpg20130124-201424.jpg20130124-201433.jpg

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Connect with my beautiful friend Jamie on twitter and Instagram @jamieleereardin. All images courtesy Jamie Lee Reardin

#THEKITREVEAL

Happy New Year! If you are following me on Instagram you may have noticed a few pink influences in the last few months. That is because I am working on what is going to be a beautiful new space for The Kit. The Kit is a lovely digital book of fashion, beauty and health goodness- and they’ve hired me to give their Toronto offices at One Yonge Stret an overhaul. Since I enjoy dressing myself as much as I love dressing a room this is a great fashionable fit for our team.

It all started with a design plan wrapped in a little pink bow:
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That includes some beautiful ikat:
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And some glamorous wallpaper:
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Some bling:
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And a custom piece designed by me produced by the lovely Staci Edwards over at Switch Studio:
photoI am thrilled and honoured to be working on this feminine fun project with the lovely editorial team of The Kit. Looking forward to revealing it soon- follow along on Twitter and Instagram #thekitreveal. 

 

HOME TOUR: MARIKA BROSE

Meet Marika Brose, the blonde bombshell behind Brose (available at Holt Renfrew nation wide). A veteran of the high fashion industry, this global design guru has held positions at Chloe, Prada, Armani, Pink Tartan, The Bay and Bloomingdales in Paris, Milan, Toronto  and New York respectively. Inspired by vintage and couture influences, strong women and all things pretty, Marika brings simple, strong and feminine silhouettes to women who want to look great with little effort. Her home in downtown Toronto is very similar- it is stylish and strong but doesn’t feel overly contrived. A mix of vintage and modern pieces, favourites for me include her living room storage unit (the word “look” cleverly juxtaposed under an art piece that reads “below”), her open concept “closet” (ladies, it looks more like a boutique than a closet) and her gorgeous “Mykonos” terrace with furniture handmade by her boyfriend. On asking her how she has developed her design style (a question I get asked all the time about my interior design work) she muses, “You have to trust your gut.” Great advice for your closet and your home from this Toronto style icon.

Connect with Marika on twitter @marikabrose

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SUITELY SUITED: ROCK MY SOUL

While I normally use a model condo suite for this weekly feature (where I pair a room with my favourite fashion finds) I am so inspired by the home of Amy Migicovsky, the talented designer behind Rock My Soul pillows (I’ll be featuring her home in one of my weekly home tours soon). I’ll save most of the love fest for when I post the multitude of colourful photos I took of her space. Until then, I bring you an easy-breezy, colourful ensemble, reminiscent of the textures, colours and laid back attitude in Amy’s home. 1) Mary Norton ostrich purse 2) Emilio Pucci Spring 10 dress 3) Costa Blanca X cut out peep toe dress sandal.

(PS- FYI Costa Blanca X is currently having a 50% off sale, I just purchased a pair of strappy suedes for $19.99. Fistpump!)

Mary Norton image from bagwiz.com, Pucci dress image from style.com, Costa shoe image from retailer site.

HOME TOUR: MONICA MEI OF AIME LUXURY

Meet Monica Mei, the creative genius behind the label Aime Luxury. Her line is a mix of sophisticated silhouettes and sustainable fabrics. Last fall I had the pleasure of designing the set of her SS10 Toronto Fashion Week show. This lovely lady creates her couture out of an equally lovely condo in downtown Toronto. Fabulous features include hardwood floors laid on the diagonal to emphasize the unique angles in this corner unit, expansive windows revealing a spectacular view, and smart condo size furniture pieces allowing her to work by day and leisure by night.

Connect with Monica on twitter @AimeLuxury

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Photos by Scott Poborsa.

HOME TOUR: FINAL FASHION’S DANIELLE MEDER

Meet Danielle Meder, fellow Ryerson School of Fashion graduate and author of the immensely popular blog Final Fashion. Final Fashion takes you into the world of this Toronto based fashion illustrator, with intriguing and thoughtful commentary on local fashion, media and culture. It is a Toronto fashion blog well worth reading, for Danielle’s intelligent insights and for her delicious illustration eye candy.  Walking into this downtown loft space is truly getting a sense of Danielle’s creative mind: illustration supplies, muslin samples, fashion projects and press badges are all casually on display in creative vintage storage units or on other like found objects. It is comfortable, lived in and well-utilized. Favourite pieces for me include her garment rack suspended from the ceiling in her bedroom (such a smart use of her voluminous ceiling heights), her vintage dresser and her gorgeous and textured work space.

Connect with Danielle on twitter @finalfashion

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Photos by Eleni Nikoletsos

SUITELY SUITED: SOUTH BEACH CONDO

Clink your cosmos, strap on your stilettos, the original four fashionistas are back. The anticipated movie Sex and the City 2 opened this week- with part of the movie taking place in Abu Dhabi, no doubt we are going to see exotic influences trickle into our North American decor. To pay tribute I bring you a tour of South Beach Condos & Lofts at Parklawn & Lakeshore designed by II X IV. While you won’t see camels in this west end Toronto residence, you will most certainly get the feeling of sand and ocean. Favourite features for me include the fresh use of white, the multitude of glimmering surfaces in the model suite, and the use of fuchsia as an accent colour (very SATC).

In a new weekly feature I call Suitely Suited (I’ll turn a condo model suite into an outfit) I’ve paired the suite with a 1) Halston Heritage dress (this is the dress featured in the SATC2 posters available exclusively at The Bay), a 2) cha cha purse, 3) Christian Louboutin shoes, and 4) Nicole Kagan earrings.

Condo images from South Beach Condo website, all other images from retailers

HOME TOUR: BECKY SIMPSON

Meet Becky Simpson, Associate Buyer, Women’s Modern Collections for The Bay. I consider  myself lucky to know Becky because a) she has an incredible wardrobe to borrow from b) she’s a true and loyal friend and c) she lives in this fantastic loft at Yonge and Wellesley.  This is a true loft in every way- Becky had her kitchen installed from scratch and lived without hot water for longer than she’ll admit. When this girl isn’t pouring over sales reports or the latest issue of InStyle, her loft turns into her studio for her custom encaustic art pieces- check out the Brooklyn bridge piece behind her sofa. My favourite parts of Becky’s space include the many personal art touches that adorn her walls, her hot pink washroom (a great colour for a small space) and her shoes so cleverly stored on a leaning ladder.

I’ll be chatting with Becky about her gorgeous custom art pieces in a post to come soon.

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Photos by Eleni Nikoletsos.

HOME TOUR: ALISON GOODWIN

Meet Alison Goodwin and her hubby David Heden. The photo of this smashing, fashionable couple was taken on their way the the AGO Massive Party, just days after they had their baby girl, Hudson (can you say Heidi Klum?). If you think they look fabulous here, wait until you see their space. Alison, director of The Village Gallery (a chic  art gallery in Port Credit)  curates her home with gutsy and elegant panache.  I had the pleasure of touring their Liberty Village Loft in downtown Toronto.

Walking into this loft space is like stepping into a treasure chest. A really chic, luxurious, dramatic and well-edited treasure chest. Favourite pieces of mine include a custom-made bar height dining table, exquisite lighting, and of course, the many carefully selected art pieces adorning the home.

Speaking with Alison you can see her passion for great art. She reminded me that art on the wall is not an afterthought it can be the soul and spirit of the space.

I’m going to let the photos largely speak for themselves. Prepare to be breath taken!

Connect with Alison via twitter @artbeyondwalls 

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Photos by Eleni Nikoletsos.

HOME TOUR: AMY BURSTYN-FRITZ

Marketing exec Amy Burstyn-Fritz was kind enough to let me have a peek at her gorgeous mid-town Toronto condo. Founder of the Textile Museum of Canada‘s Style Advisory Council, this Louboutin loving lady dresses her condo in the same way she dresses herself: simple, timeless pieces with delicate, fashionable embellishments.  A polished space from top to bottom (like Amy), we can learn from Amy’s decorating approach the importance of knowing when to stop- her 2 bedroom condo feels light and bright thanks to careful editing. For more of Amy’s stunning and stylish space, take a peek at some of my favourites.

Connect with Amy via twitter @amyjac

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Photos by Eleni Nikoletsos.