Whether you're a lover or a fighter, it’s all about the confident, sexy, and strong Renaissance woman this season. Gladiators are becoming more glamorous than casual, conquering the arena as the showstoppers of 2015, as shown by Dsquared2 and Stella McCartney. Following are mules and flatforms, with emphasis on the ankles, fringes, leathers, and feathers showcased by Oscar de La Renta. Reptile, paint, and floral prints are details used for texture, and added metal hardware on boots are giving a cowboy presence this season. Ethos Of Mystique Gladiators serve as a designer’s muse. From the unusual fabrics to the buckles, zippers and prints, imaginations continue to soar on the runway. The Hybrid Mule Refreshed and altered with whimsy, hardware, and laces, the mule is anything but boring! Lucite Vision Lucite heels are featured heavily this season and the material sculpturally pops up in unexpected ways. Bow Ties Whether it's a bow in the front or a tie in the back, sculptural, lavish or soft bows are everywhere! Floral Decor From prints to embroidery, the floral touch reminds us that spring and summer are finally here! Spaced Out Flatforms 90s refreshed soles get the height without discomfort as subtle sneaker elements are added. Flirty Fringe & Feathers Fringes are edged out with beaded details and hardware; feathers add a sexy flirty feminine touch. Curved heels On high and low heels, trendsetters are sacrificing comfort for the added interest and edge. Weave On The new weave has everyone excited, adding playfulness, texture and diverse designs.                  

Colour Trend Indulging all the senses, marsala, the universal earth-warming hue of wine, enriches us with confidence and stability in all things this season.

- Photography by Corrie Side - Art direction by James Kershaw Every woman wants to have the best skin possible, and every season new skin preparations are introduced to help her achieve that goal. One of the first areas to show the effects of aging, which is also one of the most neglected, is the neck and décolleté. Two new products are now available to deal with that issue: Elizabeth Arden's Prevage Anti-Aging Neck and Decollete Firm & Repair Cream. Its combination of Idebenone technology, theotaine, and a vitamin E derivative creates a powerful anti-oxidant blend. Tightening polymers promise to instantly tighten and firm, while hyaluronic acid, shea and palm butters fight dryness and nourish the skin. Clinique’s Repairwear Sculpting Night Cream aims to “visibly tone and lift from cheeks to jaw and create a new smoothness in the neckline.” The cream contains a complex of ingredients including acetyl hexapeptide-8 that improves natural collagen production, coleus barbatus extract that helps sagging contours, and white birch extract and vitamin C that fight environmental damage caused by UV exposure and free radical damage. The other part of the face that is a concern for many women because it readily shows the signs of aging is the eye area. Nuxe Paris recently launched a new range of skin care products, Merveillance Expert, which includes Lifting Eye Cream for Visible Lines. This eye area preparation utilizes botanical caffeine and tetrapeptide-5 to help reduce puffiness and dark circles. Clarins Paris introduces a newly reformulated version of one of their top selling items, Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate. This revamped formula has been fortified with organic extract of harungana from Madagascar, known for its exceptional replenishing power, and guarana extract from the Amazon with lipolytic properties that reduce under-eye puffiness. Silk tree extract from Asia helps prevent glycation and slows the formation of dark circles due to the aging process, and escin from horse chestnut has draining benefits. Nuxe Paris has identified a key cause of skin aging: a protein found in the fibroblasts called vimentin. Labratoire Nuxe discovered molecules in the daylily, a flower that has never before been used in cosmetics, that act on this protein. The Lifting Serum is fortified with 100% pure natural hyaluronic acid that forms a water soluble barrier on the skin's surface to moisture and slow dehydration. The Correcting Cream is available in formulas for normal and for dry to very dry skins. Nuxellence DETOX Detoxifying and Youth Revealing Anti Aging Care, another new launch from Nuxe Paris, improves skin detoxification with passionflower and silk tree while you sleep. Nuxe claims a revived, fresh and rested appearance with continued use. Lise Watier launches her newest skin care innovation, Age Control Supreme La Crème Sublime. This skincare product fights key signs of aging with an exclusive age-defying complex with Canadian plant extracts and is targeted for women aged forty and up seeking to recover a more youthful radiance. Age Control Supreme contains Labrador Tea, recognized as one of the most powerful antioxidants compared to others used in the cosmetic industry. Another indigenous plant extract ingredient is Rumex, which imparts radiance, brightens and slows down the formation of age spots. The cream is meant to be used both day and night with the company's Crystal Day and Black Night Elixirs.

- Photography by Corrie Side - Art direction by James Kershaw Each year there are specific signals mother nature sends out to let you know Spring has arrived. Fragrance houses also send out their own signals of a new season ahead with the launch of their newest offerings to entice the consumer. Spring 2015 looks to be another good one with a variety of perfumers launching all new scents, as well as new versions of established favorites and limited editions available just for the season. Launched by couturier Loris Azzaro in 1962, the French fashion/fragrance house of Azzaro debuted his first women's scent, which he named Couture, in 1975. This spring, the house launches another in a long line of Azzaro fragrances, Pour Elle Eau de Parfum. The scent is described as a sensual floral, woody-amber. The scent opens with cardamom and lemony-spicy notes, with a  classic floral heart of rose and lily warm, and base notes of olibanum incense and cashmeran wood. The fragrance is packaged in a refillable bottle and will debut in stores in late April. The venerable British house Burberry adds to its growing collection of fragrances with Burberry Brit Rhythm For Her Floral. This new version opens with notes of Sicilian lemon, orange and orchard fruit, has heart notes of Egyptian jasmine, lotus blossom and dewy lilac, and warms to base notes of ambery woods, driftwood and musk. See by Chloe Si Belle is the French fashion house's newest fragrance. The scent's top notes of neroli and birch leaf warm to milky gardenia petals and orange blossom and has a base of white musk. Eau de Gaga by Lady Gaga, the second fragrance for the recently engaged entertainer and fashion risk-taker is "for the adventurous woman and the man who loves her." It has top notes of sparkling lime, a heart of white violet and a base of instinct leather. Elizabeth Arden launches two new scents this season; both are variations of their original scents. Green Tea Bamboo has notes such as lemon, grapefruit, tamarind tree leaf and bamboo, warms to a heart of green tea, cucumber and violet leaf, and has base notes of orris root and mastic. Untold Eau Fraiche opens with mandarin and juicy pear calmed with white tea, a floral heart of jasmine, lily of the valley, freesia and orange blossom, and ends with notes of vetiver, cashmere wood and musk. Juicy Couture's Hollywood Royal star-encrusted bottle holds juice with top notes including candied apple and pear, heart notes of white petals, and base notes of cashmere wood, soft musk, vanilla and marshmallow. This spring, all of the limited edition fragrances come from fashion houses. Valentino debuts a limited edition version of their best seller Valentina with Valentina Pink Eau de Parfum. Housed in a matte finish opaque pink bottle, the scent opens with strawberry and blackberry musk, has a heart of centifolia rose and peony, and warms to a base of amber, praline and cashmere. Nina Ricci's Les Delices de Nina Eau de Toilette is inspired by strawberry candy. It has top notes of lemon, tangerine with a hint of raspberry, its heart notes are strawberry candy accord, mara strawberry, white caramel and gardenia, and it warms to a base of praline and white musk. The opaque pink apple-shaped bottle is topped with "melting" gold that symbolizes caramel. Marc Jacob's Daisy Eau So Fresh Sorbet edition opens with juicy mandarin, apple blossom and lotus flower, has a heart of magnolia and jasmine, and warms to creamy woods and musk. The Daisy Sorbet has top notes of pink grapefruit, pear and passion fruit, heart notes of wisteria, jasmine and Muguet, and base notes of violet wood and sheer musk. Thierry Mugler launches a new limited edition of their global top seller, Angel. Angel Eau Sucree Eau de Toilette is presented in a familiar star-shaped flacon. This edition's bottle has textured points which makes it appear to have been dipped in granulated sugar. The scent opens with red fruits sorbet, warms to caramelized meringue and finishes with notes of patchouli and vanilla.  

There are a few key trends each season that steal the show and resonate with a fashion-focused few, and the truth is that only a vast minority of people are privy to that group. But when you break down a trend to its wearable root, you're left with pieces you'll love and love to wear. Styling becomes less of a chore and pairing pieces together comes naturally. I decided to do something a bit different this season: instead of prattling off trends that you'll never be able to fully incorporate into your budget, I've broken it down into Bankable-Budget-Breakers, Quantity-Over-Quality and Call-A-Friend. To make this completely "shoppable," there are items you need—period, items that will slay a trend but will not break the bank, and trendy pieces you know your fashion-forward bestie has in his or her closet and now’s the time to borrow them. The Bankable-Budget-Breakers Any style-starved sister will tell you that suede is the biggest trend this season and that vintage borrowed suede looks tired and worn—adjectives you never want to have surrounding you come spring. Suede skirts, dusters, over-the-knee boots, and gloves are all items that will dip you in that 70s chic trend that swept runways from NYC to Paris. Theory, Halston, Gerard Darel Gucci and SAINT Laurent Paris have all embraced the trend and it's definitely one you're going to have to invest in too. Remember, time does suede no favors, especially if it's pig skin or if it hasn't been properly stored. Quantity-Over-Quality I'm the first person to justify an impressive price tag when shopping, but sometimes it's simply not necessary when fast fashion retailers have caught up to the trend. You can save a few pennies and it's perfectly okay. However, these next trends are going to be a flash in the pan or are already on their way out, so if the less-than-stellar style only lasts a season, you're not out a whole lot of cash. A gummy-soled sandal. We've all seen them in bulk at places like Forever 21 and Aldo. Spending a fortune on a Giuseppe Zanotti sounds like a fun Saturday afternoon, but it's totally not necessary to achieve this look. Another trend that can be achieved cheap and cheerfully is head to toe print. Be it a jumpsuit, maxi dress or slammin' separates, you can get this look for a tiny fraction of what it would cost off the runway. The Call-A-Friends You know them well: that close pal who invests in trends like they're going out of style; you know they're fashion hills to die over and you have probably saved them from a few unfortunate fashion faux-pas in the past. Well, your expert styling advice comes with a price, it's time to call in some favours. If ever there was a time to wear culottes, that time is now. Those bell-bottoms she has need a serious hem job...think mid-calf. Convince her to turn wide legged pants into culottes, and then convince her to borrow them. Unlike previous seasons, the more pleats up top, the better. Cool culottes are the mini skirts of last spring so you know what they say: beg, borrow or steal. Let's focus on borrowing. Other borrowable items include any shoe with a chunky heel and thick sole. Compliment that shoe with a wide waist cincher or thick belt wrapped around your hips over your high-waisted culottes.      

The Bankable-Budget-Breakers Investing in a quality can be a sure fire way to be a classic gent, but hitting trends on the head can be tough from a bespoke perspective. Custom suits can be made from thousands of swatches, but which ones will make you stand out in the right way for Spring 2015? When I went to Hong Kong last year, all the men were wearing bright, eye-catching cobalt blue. It dotted the financial district like sastrugi after a blizzard. Guess what just made its way to North America? Cobalt blue. Since last year, the color has only gotten brighter, but this season, think slate blue instead of sky blue or navy. Aside from suiting, invest in a solid pair of loose fitting lamb leather shorts or a leather shirt. This bad boy style is guaranteed to get you noticed in all the right ways. Quantity-Over-Quality After you've spent all your budget on a new suit, it's time to trick out your spring style with easy to buy quickies like a brown and white, or blue and white gingham shirt, a washed leather work style boot and an over-sized scarf. It doesn't have to be cashmere to be stylish. Wear it over your coat and hide the tassel ends to give it a captivating street style look. The Call-A-Friends Call up your buddy and tell them you're showing up with a six pack of his favourite drink. Then, while he's guzzling back, watching the game, it's time to "mission impossible" his closet! Your mission: grab all the holey shirts and sweaters you can find for the 90s grunge revival trend. Truth is, he won't even know you have them until he sees you on the popular page on Instagram wearing his old throwaways. Other things to borrow? Vintage sunglasses and paisley bow ties.    

Navigating the Electronic Music World with Better Living DJ’s Music has always been a key indicator of the characteristics that define a decade. The 60’s saw The Beatles pave the way for popular culture and the 90’s saw Nirvana lead the underground grunge community to mainstream praise. It’s now 2015 and like clockwork, music is showing its cultural flags. It’s the electronic music decade. And house music, the genre’s originator, is back in full force. Here, 4/4 beats and bass propelled grooves fill the musical landscape. Pair these constructed tones with house music’s broad drops, melding rhythmical patterns and layered vocals and the result is contemporary electronic music. So where does Edmonton-based DJ and production duo, Better Living DJ’s, fit into this electronic music declaration? Well to start, the resumes of members Kurtis Schultz and Keith Walton read like a how-to book for an aspiring DJ-producer. Their strength as a pair is easily heard in their most recent release, the EP "Love Alive" from Vancouver-based record label Filter Records. The track, featuring vocals by Canadian singer Julie Adams, is bound for international attention if the strong buzz surrounding its release is any indication. As part of their 2015 plan, Filter Records will also release the original production "Game Tight," which features a remix by John Glassey. Add the March 2015 launch of the duo’s EP "Take Me Higher" that features another performance by vocalist Adams, and Better Living DJ’s are prepped for expansion. "2015 will really define a new direction for us," said Walton. Loving The Underground They’ve had their sights set on this moment since their 2012 inaugural year, one that found both men out of typical employment after they chose to pursue music full time in lieu of "working for the man." Both Schultz and Walton quit their nine-to-fives and immersed themselves in the world of music production. At the duo’s initial encounter at a friend’s rooftop party, a partnership blossomed instantaneously. Schultz explained, "Monday morning we were in the studio working on our first track. Since then, we’ve been working together continuously." Schultz’s history as a drummer naturally brought out the four-beat rhythms necessary for a pursuit in house music production. His previous producing partner had moved to L.A., leaving an opening that Walton quickly embraced. Walton’s entrance solidified the pair’s direction as house music producers. "As soon as we got together, it was obvious that house music was what we were going to be making," Schultz said. "It just felt natural." Easily falling into the rhythm of the genre, Schultz elaborated on the skills he acquired from his drumming background. Walton’s admiration for the music was formed on the dance floors of early underground house shows. He remembered, "I felt like every DJ I saw had a different message. After, I realized I had a message of my own and wanted to take people on a musical journey." Their backgrounds brought the contrasting dynamics into their production procedure and were a necessary component in the music that began to flow from their studio sessions. "Keith and I have strengths in different areas musically," Schultz said, "so it’s been great to help each other along the way. We each bring something unique to the table." Not to be overshadowed by her male collaborators, Julie Adams provided the powerful vocal touches that drive many of Better Living DJ’s productions. She was an essential part of the track’s overall direction. Recalled Walton, "Julie is one of the most talented vocalists we’ve ever encountered. After listening to her perform with her band Unwed Mothers, of which Kurtis is also the drummer, it seemed inevitable that we would collaborate in the house music realm." Outside of the studio, weekly residencies and continuous show bookings keep their schedules full and serve as a platform to test their personally-produced material. "There’s nothing better than playing out your own songs to a responsive crowd," Schultz expressed. "It changes what DJing is, because you’re not just playing someone else’s tunes anymore; it becomes a performance." It is these performances that both men consider to be their artist outlets. Walton explains, "It’s raw and poetic. It’s a form of communicating without ink." Like the musical heroes that shaped the decades before them, house music artists, including Better Living DJ’s, are driving this generation’s musical direction. As awareness for the genre grows and electronic music tracks are accepted into rotation on mainstream radio stations, these two guys are standing in the perfect position to take this house music trend to new heights. There are new rules and formulas for success as fresh players emerge to elevate the entire game. But it’s a game that these two fellas sure know how to play! Now that sounds like a better-lived life to me. Good luck guys—house music anxiously awaits your next production.

An artist's exploration of youth + beauty Beauty and fashion can feel like a fleeting thing, escaping from the grasp of your fingers as you try to catch on. Artist Fiona Maclean has been exploring this feeling, offering her interpretation of youth and sexuality in her vibrant paintings. A life long artist, Maclean was originally from New Zealand and is now based in Australia. Maclean describes her art as an attempt to capture something intangible, using the canvas and paint to immortalize the image and keep it young forever. Influenced by music, the persona of the subject, or even her own sentiments, her art is dynamic and focuses the viewer on an emotional experience. Looking back, moving forward Growing up, she loved creating art and had a great fondness for books and images, using drawing as a doorway to a dimension of imagination and otherworldliness. This element of fantasy is still alive in her art today, but now accompanies her technical accomplishments gained from her studies at art school. Maclean pursued an artistic career early, painting large-scale paintings of famous people in her parents' living room as a teenager. She transitioned from living room portraiture to honing her skills as a fashion illustrator, contacting magazines and working for free, getting featured in local fashion magazines. Maclean received recognition from several international fashion illustration publications including Great Big Book of Fashion Illustration and Cutting Edge Fashion Illustration. She decided to concentrate more on painting and fine art and started attending the Parsons School of Art (The New School) in New York City in 2005. Though her studies were interrupted by a family tragedy and her art career put on hold for a couple years, she completed two Artist Residencies in Painting and Illustration at the New York's School of Visual Arts in 2010, thus allowing her to take a new direction in her career. In the last few years, Maclean has been catching the attention of the art community with her paintings, helping her gain more recognition as an artist. Currently, she is combining her artistic explorations with her travels, producing such work as her Barcelona-inspired La Chica de El Born series. Next, Maclean plans to pursue some new ideas for projects, reintroduce fashion illustration and experimenting more with large-scale paintings and illustrations. She hopes to combine her artwork with collaborations with the fashion houses and music industry that provide so much inspiration to her.

- Photography by Corrie Side - Grooming + Art Direction by James Kershaw - Model Travis D. at PHABRIK model + artist management The modern man likes to pamper himself just as much as his female counterpart with new skin care innovations and fragrances. Spring/Summer 2015 doesn’t disappoint as a variety of new items are entering the marketplace, but be on your toes as some of the new scents are special editions only available for a limited time. Jimmy Choo, the famed footwear design house, launches Jimmy Choo Man, its inaugural scent for men. The fragrance opens with lavender and mandarin essence, warms to notes of geranium and pineapple leaf with base notes of patchouli and amber-based woods. It is housed in a smoked glass flask-shaped bottle. The face of the scent is Kit Harington of Game of Thrones; he embodies the Jimmy Choo man: masculine, seductive, and with an innate sense of style. The house of Thierry Mugler is known for their tradition of launching limited edition versions of their best-selling A*Men scent every year. A*Men Ultra Zest is this year’s scent, described as a fresh, colourful creation. It is presented in the classic bottle shape, this time in a startling, vivid matte orange hue. The scent opens with notes of mandarin, blood orange and ginger, warms to notes of cinnamon, coffee and black pepper, and has bottom notes of vanilla, patchouli and tonka bean. One of the limited edition scents launching this Spring is Valentino Uomo Edition Noire, which follows a very successful debut last year of the original. This edition, housed in an opaque matte black version of the original faceted glass bottle, has notes of coffee, gianduja cream, musky white leather, cedar and bergamot. Mont Blanc’s Legend Special Edition, also available for a limited time, is a fresh version of its original with top notes of bergamot and lavender, heart notes of green apple and violet, and base notes of raw wood accords. It is presented in a deep blue glass version of the original bottle. Burberry, the British fashion house know for its iconic plaid and the invention of the trench coat, launches Brit Rhythm For Him Eau de Toilette Intense. It is an intensified version of the house’s best-selling scent launched in 2014 and is described as a sensual scent with a masculine smoky and leathery accord. The scent opens with cumin seed and pepper oil, includes heart notes of amber and patchouli, and finishes with guaiac wood and tonka bean. Calvin Klein unveils Reveal Men, the masculine edition of the women’s scent launched last fall. The fragrance’s composition includes notes of crystallized ginger, pear brandy, suede, agave nectar and golden amber. The scent is represented by actor Charlie Hunnam, best known for his role as Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy. Once he has chosen his fragrances for the season, the modern man's thoughts may very well turn to his complexion. Clarins Paris launches two reformulated and repackaged men’s skin care products this June. Clarins’ research has found that due to higher levels of testosterone, a man’s skin is up to 25% thicker than his female counterparts. With a naturally more dense collagen fibre network, the skin requires increased energy to produce dermal fibres. The updated products include gymnema, which regulates the energy of skin cells, along with bison grass (a signature ingredient of ClarinsMen), which stimulates energy regeneration. It also includes organic goji berry to boost energy production, avocado peptides to stimulate collagen synthesis, and organic oat polyoses to tighten the skin surface. Clarins’ Revitalizing Gel fights the signs of aging such as dullness, fine lines and loss of tonicity, improves hydration with double hyaluronic acid and maintains a fresh matte appearance with zinc gluconate combined with tapioca powder. The Anti-Fatigue Eye Serum contains escin from horse chestnut and caffeine which stimulates lipolysis and microcirculation. Their draining properties help reduce dark circles and puffiness.

- Photography by Corrie Side - Makeup, styling + art direction by James Kershaw - Model Lauren B. at PHABRIK model + artist management Tropical corals, ravishing reds, luscious berries, popping pinks and over-the-top oranges embellish the season's most fashion forward lips and bring a healthy flush to cheeks. Textures range from matte to glossy, coverage from sheer to opaque. Giorgio Armani's Flash Lacquer Crystal Shine Gloss in Maharajah or Pink Blush is a great example of a sheer bright. Elizabeth Arden's Beautiful Colour Moisturizing Lipsticks are now available in eight new shades with a velvety matte finish. Clarins' new Instant Light Lip Balm Perfectors offer sheer glossy colour with the benefit of mango and shea butters to nourish and protect. Sure to become a cult fave item is the beauty house's new Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil, a treatment that is rich in luxurious oils such as hazelnut (an ingredient in all Clarins' face and body treatment oils), as well as mirabelle plum and organic jojoba. Many beauty aficionados are now playing with the concept of contour and highlight. Sculpting a cheekbone has never been easier. Clinique has stepped up this Spring offering not only the Scupltionary Cheek Contouring Palette in four colour coordinated compacts, but also two new shades of their wildly successful line of Chubby Sticks. Hefty Highlight and Curvy Contour were designed specifically to achieve the desired effect. Lise Watier's Expression Blush trio can be used to add structure to the face; the brown hue in the hollow of the cheekbone, rose for a healthy glow and orange on the temples to illuminate. This spring, eyes are enhanced with earthy neutrals in a variety of finishes, or awash in a range of verdant greens. Yves Saint Laurent's new Couture Variation 10-colour Eye Palette 1 Nu features shimmering, satin and matte finish shadows in a variety of depths and intensities. Their new Couture Eye Primer will make sure the shadows stay fresh and crease-free all day. Jane Iredale's Getaway Eye Shadow Kit, inspired by a weekend in the country, offers a generously-sized highlighter with four easy-wear neutrals in both shimmer and satin finishes. Giorgio Armani offers Eye Tint Fluid Eye Colour Film in Cold Copper or Gold Ashes for those seeking a neutral eye makeup effect. They are also releasing the Eye Tint in Emeraude, which exemplifies this season's trend for green hues eye makeup products. Clarins Garden Escape offers two shades of spring green with soft pinks: a white and a taupe. The eyes can be further enhanced with their Intense Green Crayon kohl. Lise Watier's Palette Expression combines green tinged blues with a shimmering bronze and soft citrusy pastels. A season to think big!