Hellenistic-Inspired Finery

Though the style of clothing during the Hellenistic period was similar amongst Greeks, the accessories were what set them apart. The more intricate the adornment; the higher the class. 

This spring season we are seeing gold exotic, Hellenistic-Inspired necklaces that catch the eye and light up the night! With or without a pop of color, these gleaming gold necklaces are sure to be worthy of a goddess. So grab a hold of your gold jewelry and prepare to make a statement! 

 F. Stop: 5.6 ISO: 400 Shutter Speed: 4

 F. Stop: 5.6 ISO: 400 Shutter Speed: 4

 F. Stop: 5.6 ISO: 400 Shutter Speed: 4

 F. Stop: 5.6 ISO: 400 Shutter Speed: 4

Bustlin' Boys

Each season at Toronto Fashion Week, Bustle lives up to its name, putting on an energetic, vibrant and playful show with no shortage of beautiful men.

This season was absolutely no exception. Designers and creative directors Shawn Hewson and his wife Kim took a more sophisticated approach to the collection by focusing on mixing textures rather than patterns and colours. This season their muse was a  “Scandinavian Fisherman.” Set to a picturesque Scandinavian scene, perfectly coiffed and fitted boys clad in quilted pants/vests, toques, luxurious sweaters and trench coats sauntered down the runway. Shawn and Ruth also like to showcase their garments on women, so two gorgeous girls strutted down the catwalk after the boys, fish and hook in hand. But literally... Shawn had one of the models walk down the runway with a real fish. Bustle never goes half-way that’s for sure! Personally this is my favourite Bustle collection yet. The pieces and combinations of plaid and quilted patent leather were on point, and looking at all those boys isn't too hard on the eyes either. Here are some behind the scenes shots of the F/W '14 show.

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1/100  f/4.8  ISO 400

1/100  f/4.8  ISO 400

1/125  f/4.8  ISO  400

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Watch the full runway show here.

Daywear Dress: Modern Day Rococo

Anyone that goes through the Fashion Design or the Fashion Communication program at Ryerson knows that you have to go through First Year Fashion Design course part 1 and part 2. Part 1 is more dreaded, at least for me, having to construct the 'Big Shirt' and the 'skirt' coming off of little to know sewing experience. Once you get passed that, part 2 of the course consist of constructing your own dress from scratch with all of the elements you learned in part 1 of the course. This experience can be both stressful and exciting at the same time.

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I decided to complete this course in my second year and this is where me and my fellow classmates spent a lot of our days, weekends, and nights, creating this final piece. The requirements of this dress were that it had to consist of a waist seam, a collar, set in sleeves, open vertically all the way via buttons, consist of 3 manipulations, western or side seam pockets, and could not be shorter than a certain length depending on the size of your dress (petite 8, regular 10, or plus size 16).

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The theme and inspiration for my dress was my love for patterns and colors therefore looking at what I think was one of the 'cutest' era in art, the Rococo period. My take on a modern day twist was incorporating African prints and infusion both themes for this dress. The requirements for this dress got a lot of dresses looking like 1950s dresses which I did not mind at all since I love that period in fashion. I just reinforced that by keeping my design nice and simple with a peter pan collar, gathers at the sleeve and a yoke by the waistline.

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I'm happy with the way my dress turned out and just happy to be 'almost' complete with this course. Learned some valuable dressmaking skills that I can use for my personal use in the future.

SUITS

Recently I've had a major thing for men in formal clothing. This is possibly the effect of binge watching the show "Suits" on Netflix. If you've watched the show before I think you'll understand my feelings.

 Of course, this gave me an idea for a fun photo-shoot with the boyfriend (why not, right?). I played around with the photos a little bit on photoshop and here are the results. Enjoy!

ISO 400, f/4.5, 1/15

ISO 400, f/4.5, 1/15

ISO 400, f/4.5, 1/15

I will be posting more pictures from the shoot on my personal blog. If you are interested to see more from the shoot please check out: http://golden-allure.org/

xo, Nivetha

#MEOW

Ever wonder why you can’t get your basic cat eye to look as glamorous as you would like? 

I used to have the same problem...  

Today I will give you insight on a few tricks that can glam up your winged eyeliner.

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First, start off with highlighting the corners of your eyelids with a light application dark shade to the upper corner of the your eyelid. 

 F/5.6       1/125      IOS 3200

Proceed with drawing on your favourite style cat eye.   

F/5.6       1/125      IOS 3200

Apply white eyeliner around along the bottom eyelid. IF the white eyeliner seems a bit thick, rub a little off with a dry Q-Tip.

F/5.6       1/125      IOS 3200

Finish off with a touch of silver/glitter/metallic eyeshadow in the inside corner of your eye. Proceed to apply mascara and your enhanced cat eye is complete! 

Simply PUUURRRfect. 

#meow

Cozy Up

Winter has been dragging on for too long. We're getting tired of having to wrap ourselves up to our necks with layers. But it looks like we'll have to bust out the layers for a little bit longer as spring just doesn't want to grace us with its presence.

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So why not have a little fun with it?


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This coat basically serves as a coat and a scarf, there's not much else you'll need for this time of year.

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Snuggle up, friends! :) 

Dear Toronto, Let the Sun Shine!

With winter finally coming to an end and the weather warming up, it's time to hide those boots and get the spring shoes out! Here are a couple of shoes I am coveting this spring!

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These L.K. Bennett Palma Glitter Sandal (above) are very feminine and elegant. The textured leather knit accentuates the sparkling glitter making it the perfect shoe to wear with an evening gown. Another feminine yet neutral pump is the L.K. Bennett Stila Pump (below), the blush colour of the shoe makes it very wearable and versatile for many outfits. Wear it with a dark skinny jean with a white top for an office appropriate look.

1/25, F 4.0, ISO 125

1/25, F 4.0, ISO 125

The Michael Kors Carson Sandal is an all time favourite! The turquoise and white bands along with MK's signature silver accents give the shoes an edgier twist to it that makes it a perfect statement piece. Wear it with skinny white pants for a fresh look.