Flare, Falter, Fame

This is old news, but if any of you follow Canadian fashion magazines, you'll know that Flare underwent a change of lead in June 2012. Lisa Tant, the Editor-in-Chief of eight years, known for her daring foray into social media, left to become publisher of HELLO! Canada. Yes, HELLO! Canada, otherwise known as a celebrity gossip magazine. I can't speak for other fashionistas, but although the job position is a step up, the magazine is a definite step down. Imagine going from working in the throes of high fashion, to working for a magazine tripping over its heels to obtain photos of celebrity babies.

Now, there was talk about her sudden move being due to an earlier Tweet where she leaked details of Lady Gaga's top secret fragrance. Of course there's no confirmed link between the two, but working in media, you have to be extremely careful of what you put out. Especially in her position, she was a pretty high profile figure, basically acting as the face of the entire Flare brand, and being known as Canada's Anna Wintour.  But fast forward to Flare's new Editor-in-Chief: Miranda Purves, former fashion editor at Elle. I've only read through a few of the issues under her direction, and I'm not quite impressed yet.  Flare was initially my favourite Canadian fashion magazine because of Tant...she added personality to the publication that the other magazines lacked. Purves has not won me over yet, but I look forward to getting a better picture of her style this summer by catching up on the latest issues of Flare.  (Update: After going through a couple issues, I find this new Flare to be a little lacklustre.  Purves rarely shows her face in her Editor Letter, and although that is an admirable and humble attempt at making the magazine more about the entire team, I feel a loss of connection to the Flare brand.  I find her Letters fairly straighforward and the content average.  Nothing yet is making me say, "Hey, that's really great," but time will tell whether Flare comes back shining.)

But anyway, back to Tant. If you think the story ends there, you're wrong. In early November 2012, Tant was named Holt Renfrew's Fashion Editor, a position made specifically for her.  It turns out the job at HELLO! Canada just didn't demand enough creativity from her. Opportunities come at the strangest of times.  Even when you think you've got your career down, you never know when you'll be whisked away on another exhilarating adventure. This whole ordeal just reminds me to keep going after what I want.  Doors may constantly seem to be closing in my face, but all I need to do is reach out and give them a tug in my direction.

Image Source: Tant, Purves

Fame Game

With time to finally catch up on all the fashion magazine reading I've missed in the past four months, I'm here to share a spread from the October 2011 issue of Flare Magazine, titled Fame Game.  What struck me about this spread was not the model or the fashion.  In fact, I found the looks to be dull and average - your typical glamorous photoshoot.  None of the photos really made my jaw drop, but what made me linger a little bit longer on each page instead of swiftly flipping through them was the theme.  As any person familiar with the process behind putting together a fashion spread knows, a theme that ties all photos together is key.  For Fame Game, the theme was, well, climbing the oftentimes slippery ladder of fame.  Below is a look at the spread, with respective captions above each photo.

The sheer reality is that you haven't really made it until your face is plastered on a Times Square billboard.

J'adore the star spangled spotlight, but it's lonely at the top.

Dress to impress - today it's almost famous, tomorrow it's Internet sensation.

A little snakeskin and late night scandal never hurt anyone.

Overexposed and underdressed: essential elements of Youtube fame.

Piling on the fashion hits creates a magnet for the paparazzi.

A woman in traffic stopping red becomes the only woman in the room.

Generally, photos in a fashion spread all have a similar feeling, but Fame Game branches off by jet setting us all over the place.  I found the use of the billboard, Youtube interface and TV screen to be very creative, but at the same time, the spread as a whole was incoherent.  I felt like I was looking at 7 individual photos instead of an entire spread.  Even the story only loosely tied all the photos together - how did she go from being plastered on a billboard and being "at the top", to becoming a Youtube sensation?  Maybe that was the idea, to show how fame is just one big confusion.  Nonetheless, a spread about the reality of fame is an idea worth commending.  Fame may be a game, but it's a deceiving game where the winners don't always play by the rules.

Image Source: Fashion Photography, noirfacade

RSVP Fabulous

Throughout the existence of my blog, I have probably only shared two fashion magazine spreads with you.  While the majority of fashion magazines continually present us with amazing spreads month after month, there are only a handful of spreads that truly stand out for either their creativity (such as Vogue's Monster Inc.), or quite simply, their pure beauty (such as Flare's Love in a Snap).  So since you can see that I am sharing yet another fashion spread, you can be sure I'm only sharing it because it's special.  Below is a spread from the May 2011 issue of Flare, titled RSVP Fabulous.

What I love about this spread is the atmosphere they've created.  It's not your typical photoshoot with one or two models on the page; this spread actually takes the reader into an intimate party setting.  Generally, the models aren't staring at the camera, and it even seems as if they are oblivious to it.  Also, I admire the use of a bright setting, instead of your usual dark club-style scene, which makes this almost like an afternoon lunch party (albeit a very glamorous one).  Lastly, the gorgeous cocktail dresses alone are enough to make this spread a hit.  There's a wide variety of labels featured, from a H&M dress, and a beautiful blue sequin French Connection dress, to a Lanvin gown.  One word: fabulous!

Image Source: Chris Nicholls Photography

Love in a Snap

I was meaning to post this several months ago, but exams and other posts have taken precedence.  Back when I was going through the February 2011 issue of Flare, I found myself marveling at their fashion spread.  Seeing as it was the February issue, Flare had done a romance spread called Love in a Snap.  The dresses featured were just as beautiful and artistic as the background (especially the pink and black Chanel), and there was a very heart-warming, soft connection portrayed between the two models.  Here's a look at the spread:

Lisa Tant, the editor-in-chief of Flare magazine, called this her favourite romance spread of all time.  I couldn't agree more.

Image Source: LB Blog

Fashion Week Diary

After posting Elizabeth Cabral's Fashion Week Diary, Fashion Cappuccino asked to see photo-blogger Tommy Ton's diary, and I have finally gotten around to posting it!  The text is once again taken from the September 2010 issue of Flare.

Tommy Ton spends little time in his hometown of Toronto.  Instead, fashion weeks from Sydney to Paris keep this plane-hopper busy capturing the festivities for his popular Jak&Jil blog, style.com, and Flare.  Along the way, this accessory magpie has earned a front-row seat at top shows and elevated the art of photoblogging.

NYC February 13: Backstage at Alexander Wang, Natalia Vodianova shares a moment in the spotlight with her kids. 

NYC February 13: A vampy, very Tom Ford-inspired finale from friend and emerging designer Joseph Altuzarra.

NYC February 17: Reed Krakoff's debut is the surprise hit of Fashion Week.  Utilitarian minimalism done right.  I hear nothing but praise from the press.

NYC: Leopard is making a huge statement on the feet of many fashion insiders.  This over-the-top statement is done perfectly.

NYC: It's all about downsizing your handbag.  The key silhouette is the Céline box purse, seen slung over the shoulder of every fashion editor.

NYC: I am lucky enough to be at the exclusive debut of the Olsen twins' runway show for The Row.  Minimalism at its best!

Paris March 5: Natasha Poly at Isabel Marant in one of the most coveted essentials of the season: the shearling jacket.

Paris March 8: The day of the Kenzo show is the highlight of my fashion month.  All the models come out wearing hats from the runway and the light is perfect for model portraits.

Paris March 10: Marc Jacobs celebrates the female form at Louis Vuitton.  It's all about the Bs: busts, bustiers, bows and bombshells!

Paris: My favourite show subject of the season is 16-year-old Swedish model Frida Gustavsson.

Milan: In between shows I am invited to Anna Dello Russo's apartment.  It's beyond anything I've ever seen before.

Image Source: Photo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 

Fashion Week Diary

Right now, I'm making my way through the September 2010 issue of Flare (I know, I'm behind!).  I came across a fascinating spread in the magazine called Fashion Week Dairies.  It consists of four diaries written by four fashion influencers during Fall/Winter 2010 fashion week.  Below is my favourite one written by Flare's fashion director, Elizabeth Cabral (this is taken word-for-word):

Between 85 fashion shows and multiple showroom appointments, Elizabeth Cabral has an action-packed week.  She juggles tracking the top trends and blogging about the shows for flare.com, with nights out on the town.  All the while, she must look photo-ready for the street-style snappers.

NYC February 11: A relatively light first day of shows, but a great evening at Oliver Theyskens book launch at Barneys.

NYC February 12: I check out the Canadian contingency in New York.  Jeremy Laing shows fur for the first time - fabulous!  And Rita Liefhebber makes her dramatic debut in a truck in a Chelsea lumberyard.

NYC February 15: I arrive at the Armory 45 minutes early for the Marc Jacobs show - can't take any chances since he started five minutes early last season.  The entire set is made of cardboard and all the models are lined up underneath a huge brown paper box that Jacobs tears open.

NYC February 16: Photoblogger Tommy Ton snaps my boots for Style.com today.

NYC February 18: I feel like a Ping-pong ball going between Chelsea and the Bryant Park tents all week.  Love seeing Kristen McMenamy at Calvin Klein.

Paris March 3: Just got off the overnight flight to Paris and heading straight to the Dries Van Noten show.  Also, trying to plan my wardrobe for the week - intimidating when you're with a thousand of the world's best-dressed fashion lovers.

Paris March 4: I attend the exclusive Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb anniversary party at Le Meurice Hotel.  Grace Jones is singing "Welcome to the Jungle" on the stage for a who's who fashion crowd.

Paris March 5: Serious insomnia last night and I have a 10 a.m. Roland Mouret show in the Marais district.  I decide to take the subway but get lost upon exiting.  I finally find my way and just make the opening of the show.  Unfortunately, I've lost my seat, but at least I'm standing in good company - next to Christian Louboutin.  The next show, Lanvin, is absolutely stunning!

Paris March 6: A few days into Paris fashion Week and the major trend are obvious: fur, military, minimalism and a sea of camel and grey.  I'm conceptualizing editorial shoots in my head already.  This is when I'm most inspired.

Paris March 8: Two important showroom appointments today: Tom Binns jewelery at the Hôtel de Crillon (where I share an elevator with legendary photographer Mario Testino) and Balenciaga (the highlight of my week).

Paris March 10: Finish the week with a close-up look of Alexander McQueen's last collection at his showroom.  His pieces are so beautiful, I'm speechless.  I especially love the winged booties.  So inspiring and so very sad.

The other three diaries are from makeup artist Simone Otis, top model Alana Zimmer, and photo-blogger Tommy Ton.  If you want to take a peek into one of the other three diaries, just let me know which one!

Image Source: Photo1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12