- Makeup + styling by James Kershaw - Photographs + Digital Art by studio-e.ca Orange Crush Cosmetic houses are enamored with the colour orange this season. As a result, a wide array of beauty products are available in varying intensities of this sun-kissed hue. Bold, intense, colour saturated items scream CHIC!, while sheer lightly pigmented products whisper the message. This spring every feature from eyes, cheeks, lips, even nails can be dressed in this citrusy colour. Could it be love? Maybe. Or just a crush. Haute Chocolate Cosmetic houses always have an ample supply of rich chocolaty hues available. This spring they are an ideal contrast to the season’s acid bright and pretty pastel garments and the perfect compliment to the ubiquitous ivory, beige and camel items in store each spring. Bobbi Brown’s Rich Brown matte and Chocolate Shimmer Wash eye shadows accessorized with Clinique’s Intense Chocolate Quickliner for Eyes creates a warm smoky eye. Jane Iredale’s Chemistry In Touch Blush imparts a dewy pink chocolate gleam to the cheeks with a formula enriched with cocoa extract that emits an intoxicating chocolate scent. Layer Clarins’ Chocolate lip liner pencil with their new Gloss Prodige in Chocolate for a sexy deep nude mouth. A dark lacquered manicure is de rigueur, OPI’s "Suzy Says Da!" would be ideal or "Chocolate Moose" for those seeking something more subtle. The Ultra-Violets Whether you seek a 1950’s inspired ultra-feminine, classic look or an avant-garde, futuristic one, this bluish purple is one of the season’s coolest colours for fashion and beauty. Violet can be found in every category of cosmetic in a wide variety of finishes and intensities. Eyes are accentuated with shimmer and matte shadows (Clarins), and elongated with pencil, cream or liquid liners (Clinique). Cheeks radiate an ethereal lavender glow (Yves Saint Laurent). Whether you crave lips of lavender or a pout of purple, there is a wide range of items available to achieve the desired effect such as lip plumpers (Jane Iredale), glosses (Clarins), lipstick/gloss/balm hybrids (Bodyography, Clinique). Nail this season’s chicest look with amethyst hued polishes (SpaRitual, OPI)

The catwalks were awash with color and prints, with the atmosphere one of true summer fun in the sun. Innovative materials and the reinterpretation of traditional ones, such as the net processing on leather, was an overreacting trend. What was most significant however were the more architectural innovations and the reworking of traditional tailoring and proportions, which together bring to light a new fashion for spring/summer 2012. Nomadic Chic We are absolutely in love with this trend! We call this trend “Nomadic Chic” because it takes inspiration from a global collective from Japanese tailoring to American heritage. This trend definitely looks to push an individuals style by opening their eyes to cultures, places and people beyond their immediate proximity. We live in a multicultural environment which is precisely why we picked this as one of our 4 major trending categories. There are no real rules on how to achieve this look aside from taking a deeper look into your culture for inspiration and that of your friends. Fight for Bright Moving forward from the very masculine blue, other brights lit up the catwalks in Milan/Paris. Parrot greens, oranges and highlighter yellow contrasted with warm hues of berry. The trend is easy to wear: interpret it with knitwear or even leather, while for the more daring a few tailored suits in bright fluo pink color made an appearance on the spring/summer 2012 catwalks. All Meshed Up See through mesh knitwear seems to be man’s alternative to lace for women in spring/summer ’12. Sexy yet sophisticated, these knits are the perfect way to show some flesh and keep cool in the summer heat. Why not embrace the trend further and move onto netwear? In Dolce & Gabbana’s spring/summer ’12 collection the net is presented in different sizes, colors and materials and used either transparent or lined for jackets, trousers, shorts, T-shirts, bomber jackets, tracksuits and sweaters. Printed Elegance Prints, prints and more prints! If there is one trend you pick to follow this season then this is “it”. Almost every brand this S/S is indulging in some variation of this trend. Whether you’re mixing plaids with stripes, prints with plaids, solids with prints, or prints on prints, there are no limits to what you can do. How do you nail this look? Well, though this trend appears to have no rules we do suggest maintaining a base color scheme when creating your ensemble. This will enable you to piece together the right items for the perfect look.

A New Generation of Women’s Travel Guides You will not find a ‘must-see or do’ list of the top tourist attractions in Heather-Stimmler Hall’s naughty travel guides, but you may find an exclusive boutique hotel or a swanky bar etched with some glamorous history in which to have a cool cocktail in. The American-born author helps women travel independently to the sexiest cities on the planet - Paris and New York - with style, grace, and sex appeal. Heather shows you the slicker side of city life; daring lingerie shops, luxurious hotels, sensuous spas, and romantic restaurants are just a small part of the seductive path she leads you on. Although described as ‘naughty’ travel guides, these books are more about discovering your sensuous and adventurous side rather than misbehaving. But when in Paris it is not just all about tempting lingerie and cabarets. There is advice for what to wear from ‘Petite Brigitte’ (an insider Parisienne view), who describes the fashion as an ‘mélange of artless elegance’ which should encompass silk scarves, tailored white shirts, and flattering white jeans in a dark rinse. There are also recommendations for erotic photographers, body art salons, clubs where you can be a dancing diva, and sexy shoe shopping. More than just your regular tourist guide, these suggestive handbooks provide insight to your inner ‘femme fatale’; perhaps provoking you to explore other areas of the city you may not have previously considered or even knew about. The most famous vintage dealer in Paris, Didier Ludot’s shop overlooking the gardens of Palais Royal, will let you discover 1960’s Givenchy dresses and Hermes bags in pristine condition, and when you’re hungry the decadent Laduree ‘salon de the’ serves up the most exquisite pastries in a sumptuous atmosphere. Or get a custom corset made at Cadolle on rue St-Honore. Herminie Cadolle was the inventor of the bra who freed women from the constraints of the corset, then reintroduced it to the fashion world after World War 1. These are just a few of the hidden gems to be discovered in Naughty Paris. More and more women are traveling alone for business and for pleasure, and they have individual, feminine requirements. According to Wanderlust, even married women are traveling more often alone or with girlfriends. Of course the main concern is safety, but there are still many fun adventures to be had. This is where Heather’s recommendations reflect the strong, independent women of today, as it is foremost a lady’s guide, for girls who are ‘no longer girls but who still want to have fun’. On their own terms, of course. Written with a sophisticated flair, there is nothing seedy or vulgar about the recommendations in this guide. The author has done her research and is refreshingly informative with punchy and clear descriptions of what to expect if you do decide to cross that adventurous line; her writing is as seductive as the content. For the woman who is curious but a bit shy, this book will potentially open up new exciting doors of adventure, or provide them with a perfectly indulgent itinerary to follow. Heather provides the best solo-female-friendly places to go where you can feel wildly independent without being harassed. She also suggests the necessary ‘girly weekend’ places to rendezvous with your gal pals, or the best places for intimate dining a deux with your partner. Beautifully designed and photographed, it was named the Best Travel Guidebook of the year in the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Awards, but be aware; there is a racy side to this book if you so choose to read, and it is fascinating. You can take what you want from this guide and leave the rest. Perhaps just reading about it is enough…but as the saying goes; “what happens in Paris, stays in Paris”. Heather Stimmler-Hall is a travel journalist and creator of the blog Secrets of Paris (www.secretsofparis.com). She has also recently released Naughty New York with the help of eight local experts and journalists. All of the major online booksellers carry the Naughty Paris Guide, including Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, Borders, and Powell’s, as well as the Kindle edition on Amazon.

- Art direction by James Kershaw - Photographs + Digital Art by studio-e.ca Choosing the correct foundation is crucial for a successful makeup application. An incorrect choice can throw off the entire look. Skin type, colour, tone, the amount of coverage desired and the appropriate fInish all need to be addressed. Cosmetic houses have responded by offering a variety of foundation types, in an wide range of colours. Clinique’s new Stay Matte Oil Free Makeup will be available in 20 shades when it arrives in stores in May, their Even Better Concealer, launching in April, will come in twelve shades. Jane Iredale offers two dozen skin perfecting colour options for their mineral powder Pure Pressed Base. Clarins’ Ever Matte Oil Free Makeup SPF15 was recently introduced into the marketplace with a companion Ever Matte Shine Control Mineral Powder Compact, ideal for those wanting a long wearing shine free finish. The house’s aptly named Instant Light Brush On Perfector imparts a moist, light reflective finish around the dry, delicate and often dark under eye area. It’s never been easier to ensure that all your beauty bases are covered.

Fashion is about evolution redesigning and rediscovering, creating new and revisiting the old. The revival of the 20’s with the Drop waist lines at Etro and Alberta Ferretti and the peblums at Yves saint Laurent shows the remix of the past, present and future of fashion. From Global traveler to Pastel princesses shows the eclectic styles of today and our direction of the fashion for tomorrow Bold Bouquets Florals are back again for spring/summer with more color combinations than ever. Mixing prints like at Dries Van Noten and Antonio Marras, and clashing color at Mary Katrantzou are the way to get your flower fIx this season. Pep Squad In a celebration of the female silhouette more collections than not had peplums involved. Whether soft like Céline, Acne and Yves Saint Laurent, or bold statements like Cushnie et Ochs and Jason Wu, the hips are where it’s at this season. Shine On Shiny fabrics and jewel colors are the loud and proud choice for those looking to make statement this summer. Be it green cellophane trousers like Theysken’s Theory or shimmying satin at Giorgio Armani, you really can’t shine too much. Gatsby Glamour With Baz Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby hitting cinema screens this year, the roaring Twenties is back in vogue. Gucci lead the charge with its deco flapper dresses with Ralph Lauren and Etro close behind. Global Traveller Bottega Veneta was hailed as one of the best collections of the season by editors, but there were plenty of others getting in on the tribal action too Donna Karan, Burberry Prorsum and Etro to name but a few.

As it celebrates its third anniversary, label adidas SLVR continues to successfully reinvent casual and sports fashion in the form of a sleek and elegant collection of men’s and womenswear for Spring/Summer 2012. Under the creative direction of Dirk Schoenberger, the label’s current collection includes a series of minimalist garments where divergent shapes and themes abound to create flattering silhouettes. This is achieved in the contrast between clothes such as wide-legged pleated trousers and tight shirts and jumpers, or by resorting to asymmetrical hem lines contrasting with precise vertical and horizontal stitching. In addition, traditional tailoring is deconstructed by removing sleeves from suit jacket, by exploring the design possibilities of the staple white shirt, or by introducing fastening strips or zips in unexpected parts of a garment.

Photography: Harry Fellows www.harryfellows.com Styling: Cannon at Judy Casey www.judycasey.com Model: Paris at Muse Management Makeup: Chico Mitsui for NARS cosmetic Hair: Kozmo at Bryan Bantry Manicurist: Krysty Williams for Picture Perfect Nails First Assistant: Ijfke Ridgley Styling Assistant: Amber Stolec & Jorge Rublacava Location: Loft 402 www.loft402.com

Digging the Future of Vertical Gardens By Denise Eichmann More and more businesses today are looking to green walls as a way to add natural beauty while dramatically improving energy efficiency by moderating indoor air temperatures and humidity levels. A green wall, which is also referred to as a living wall or vertical garden, is a wall that is free standing or part of a building that is partially or completely covered with a vegetation facade. Every inspired landscaper digs their shovel into their soul and plants their own nature into their work. Green walls provide an inspired palette for landscape architects to harness and cultivate the joyful power of nature to best serve their clients. As living walls are becoming “de rigueur” as the environmentally-forward plantings that every green conscious business desires to visually showcase its’ green initiatives, shoddy systems with poor long term performance are quickly flooding the market. Designing, building and installing beautiful yet functional and environmental beneficial green walls takes experience and practice. In a buyer beware marketplace, it is important to invest in a living wall system that has a proven track record of sustainability and to select an installer who has a well documented history of successful installations with full scale maintenance capabilities to warrant both plants and irrigation. Living plants require water, nutrients and light to survive. High quality commercial vertical gardens come complete with their own “life support” system which is comprised of a supporting structure to hold the plants vertically, a growth medium to ensure plant longevity, an irrigation/ fertilization system to deliver the correct amount of water and nutrients, and a drainage system to properly dispose of or re-circulate the spent water. Proper selection and design of a system for a particular locale necessitates plumbing and electrical considerations. Understanding the lighting needs required for the selected plants is also crucial for sustainability. I believe there may be countless reasons why vertical gardens are an important addition to any commercial property. However, for the purposes of this article, I limit my exuberance to my top reasons to invest in a living wall: Breath of Fresh Air – Vertical gardens provide a net positive impact to the environment over their life span. Foliage plants of indoor vertical gardens significantly improve indoor air quality by moderating temperature and humidity levels and filtering the air to remove harmful volatile organic compounds. VOC’s are “chemicals” which have significant vapor pressures which can be dangerous to human health and have adverse effects on the environment. The EPA has found concentrations of VOC’s in indoor air that is commonly 2-5 times greater than what is found in outdoor air. Sources of anthropogenic (man-made) VOC’s include new furnishings, wall and floor coverings, and office equipment like printers. In the span of a year, a 50 square feet vertical garden can consume as much CO2 as a 14’ high tree with as much as one pound of dust removed from the air per square foot. Sign Post Value of Living Wall – Living walls can provide a living barrier that gently guides people to where you want them to go. In many buildings there is a need to channel pedestrian traffic towards landmarks including check-in desks, escalators and common passageways. This is particularly important in premises with large, open areas such as those found in airports, hospitals, universities, and other large commercial spaces. Living walls provide natural divides and reference points that make any space come alive with vitality. Striking a Pose - Interior space planning is a fashion-driven business, and nothing “strikes a pose” more handsomely than an artful living wall. Interior living walls bring nature indoors, important especially in urban areas where the average person spends more time inside commercial or residential buildings than outside with nature. People are naturally attracted to plants and gravitate toward living walls where the sensory experience is captivating. Where else, other than the tropical plant houses of botanical gardens, will you see the variety of exotic and unusual plant species that can be found in some vertical gardens. If you have the green-light to move forward on your living wall, keep in mind the following factors which are crucial to the garden’s longevity and success: Location, Location, Location –The location of your living wall is significant. Not only from a visual standpoint but from a mechanical point of view. Is your desired location accessible to plumbing and electrical? What is the infrastructure of the supporting wall – is the green wall framing attaching to concrete, metal or marble? With the right infrastructure in place, nearly any location can be accommodated but the budget may be higher for a green wall location far from water lines and with no natural light for example. Plant Selection is Key – Your selection of featured green wall plants should be based upon microclimate conditions, plant growth habits, and the availability of light. An exterior north facing wall requires an entirely different plant palette than a south or west facing wall. For example, featured plants on exterior walls in the arid southwest climate differ from what can be used in the cold Midwest. Plants for interior walls are chosen to reflect low, medium and high light scenarios. Interior tropical plants require a minimum of 10-12 hours of at least 150 foot candles of light per day to flourish. In a typical commercial hotel environment, there are on average about 30-40 foot candles of light vs. 5,000 to 10,000 foot candles of light that can be found outside on a bright sunny day. Interior Plants that thrive in low light (75 to 150 foot candles) include the Scindapsus and Philodendron genus such as the Silver Satin Pothos, Neon Pothos, Goldon Pothos, Jade Pothos, and Heart-leaf Philodendron. Medium light thriving plants (100-250 foot candles) include the Dallas Fern, Cretan Brake Fern, Rabbit Foot Fern, Begonia and Peperomia species. For environments with maximum light (150-250 foot candles), plants such as the Alocasia Amazonica, Hawaiian Schefflera, Hedera Ivy, Purple Waffle Plants and Creeping Fig are ideal. The average person today spends about 90% of their time indoors with about half of the world’s population living in cities. Green walls improve a building’s air quality and enhance the emotional and physical well being of the people who come into contact with it. Green walls act as acoustic barriers which can counter the noise pollution which plagues urban dwellers. Green walls harmonize buildings with nature and provide a living canvas for green wall professions to add the beauty of nature to any man-made structure. What are you stairing at? By Liz Nandee Tired of looking at your staircase without pizzazz? Here is a unique look at taking stairs, whether leading to a basement or garage, entrance or landing. Here are some examples of things to look up too.

Tuft Love...(Hollywood Glamour for the 21st Century) - By James Kershaw - Photography: Ernest of studio-e.ca Old Hollywood had a major impact on many facets of life in it’s heyday during the ‘30’s and ‘40’s. Edith Head created the fashion everyone craved, Max Factor, the glamorous faces everyone envied and the set designers of the era, the ultra luxe environs that everyone coveted. That sophisticated mood was created with tufted furniture pieces upholstered in velvet, leather or fabric. White metal accessories and mirrored surfaces upped the glam quotient. Eight decades later, the look is still relevant and desired. Juxtaposed with the wood beam ceilings, exposed brick or rough textured cement block walls and smooth polished concrete floors of the modern urban loft, the mood is decidedly 21st century. The look works equally well with a variety of architecture styles. Most will opt to introduce a few select pieces into their space, such as the uber chic Marc Antonio “Melrose” velvet sofa with it’s exquisite Swarovski crystal button tufted back at Posh at Home or the gleaming white deep tufted Phillips Collection “Crystal” ottomans at Inspired Home Interiors. What could be more Hollywood than a movie premiere spotlight? The “Sunset” by Four Hands will instantly add a silver screen feel to your space or create that certain “X” factor with the Nuevo “Prague” stainless console table or the Mobital high gloss “Stark” office desk. Hooray for Hollywood! ECO Glamour - By James Kershaw - Photography: Chris Chan Chic, smart, desirable, and exciting, are all words that can be used to define glamorous. What is considered glamorous in the 21st century? Taking care of the planet we inhabit! When decorating and maintaining our personal spaces, using items that will have the least detrimental effect on the environment is glamorous (and necessary) now. The use of non-toxic products, recycled goods, *up cycled materials ( *Taking lowly, everyday objects or materials and elevating their status through innovative design) A perfect example is 180 Design’s metal washer pendant light. Every room in the home can benefit, formaldehyde free FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified flooring and non-toxic paint, (free of volatile organic compounds) for all. Recycled glass and concrete counter tops in the kitchen, bar and bath, in the home office, a desk set, clock or MP3 ready radio made from sustainably harvested woods. Smart, attractive, live able and yes, glamorous environments achieved with a clear conscience. Green is the New Black - By Mark St. James - Marquis of Fashion The three environmental R’s have never been so chic! While many of us grew up with the mantra of “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” amidst Saturday morning cartoons, the idea of Eco-friendly production is taking the fashion industry by storm. Droves of designers and brands are hopping on the latest trend and appealing to the environmentally savvy consumer by incorporating biodegradable fabrics, recycled or organic materials, boasting fair trade policies, and ethical treatment of workers. Sponsors and designers during the Spring/Summer 2012 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, New York (who used only post-consumer recycled paper for invitations) were adamant that “Green is here to stay!” On a local front, Vancouver is currently taking the Eco lead in Canada by hosting the biannual: Vancouver Eco Fashion Week (EFW), sponsored by Aveda. The EFW mission statement may be found on their website (www.Ecofashion-week.com) and includes their commitment to promote environmentally conscious trends in fashion, educate consumers about environmentally sustainable practices,and generate direct economic benefits for local environmentally friendly fashion. Major players and long time Eco Fashion advocates have been rallying support for improved sustainability in the fashion industry. Veterans include: • Luxury jewellery designer John Hardy, who’s very mission statement, is “Greener Every Day” (The John Hardy line is exclusively produced in a self sustaining factory compound in Bali). • Designer Stella McCartney, who’s clothing and cosmetic lines are completely vegan. • Marc Jacobs, who has recently begun advertising his incorporation of biodegradable fabrics into his collections, has termed Eco fashion as “a megatrend,” and said: “It’s a mentality, a way of thinking about business.” • Orsola de Castro, founder of: From Somewhere, which makes clothes out of the recycled offcuts of luxury materials. Along with her partner, Filippo Ricci, she curates Estethica, an initiative in association with the British Fashion Council that showcases Eco-fashion brands. •Aveda (run by Dominique Nils Conseil), one of the fastest growing brands in cosmetics giant Estee Lauder Companies Inc’s portfolio, has gone so far as to offset 100 percent of its electricity with wind power. But as any fashionista will tell you, the fashion scene can be a fickle one; does this new megatrend have what it takes to become as innocuous as the little black dress or the crisp white dress shirt? Or will it land up in some tragic 70% off bin? If consumer opinion and the draw to purchase Eco friendly merchandise holds out, and the industry lays out a standardized policy for what passes for Eco friendly materials and practices, it may just have a fighting chance.

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