Extravagance and sophistication covered fall/winter runways in tailored silhouettes, lavish details and outrageous patterns. The more drama the better this season, whether it be a head-to-toe white ensemble or geometric prints layered to the max. White Out This surprising trend coined ‘Winter White’ strutted down the runways of fashion’s heaviest hitters including Alexander Wang, Chanel and Proenza Schouler. The all-white ensembles have us yearning to pull of the sophisticated look and adding the neighborhood drycleaner on speed dial. Geometry Lesson The only textbook you need for this tutorial is a glossy copy of PHABRIK. Math inspired prints from triangles, squares to hexagons have the trend-hungry mixing and matching from top to bottom. Most noteworthy was Prada’s flawless execution of the trend with pantsuits and coats covered in geometric, boldly coloured prints. If It Ain't Baroque Designers take us time travelling to the Renaissance with ornate embroidery, gold detailing, lace trims and luxurious fabrics. Large chandelier earrings and gold accessories act as icing on this already indulgent cake. Silhouettes are modernized, but peplums and angled shoulders hint at over-the-top shapes of past eras. Fur Sure Draped over the shoulders of countless models at fashion weeks around the globe, the fur stole claimed its title as the Fall 2012 fashion accessory. But models had no fear of flying red paint, as more designers went the faux route to appease conscious consumers. Play with fur to add texture and dimension to your fall ensembles. The Pant Suit The woman’s pantsuit has returned edgier than ever. One of the most versatile investments in your wardrobe, the pantsuit offers a fierce, powerful appeal. Exchange the pants for jeans for more casual attire that still looks polished.

- Photographer: Javier Ortega - Hair: Joseph Dimaggio for L’Oreal Professionnel - Hair assistant: Jessica Swanson - Makeup: Anneliese Tieckn - Model: Aurelia Ford Models NYC - Nails: Julie Kandalec for Zoya - Art director/Stylist: Sandra Sing Fernandes - Location: Paramount Hotel New York

Designing Outside of the Box Sitting at a small, circular table adorned with a telephone and a lone sketchbook, Stanley Carroll appears poised yet inherently at ease. The designer — who first launched his eponymous label three decades ago — has the air of an accomplished creative-type, speaking confidently yet modestly about his long list of accomplishments. The most notable of which, however, is his resolve to honour artistic integrity above all else. “In being the kind of designer that I try to be, the focus is primarily creative,” Carroll says from his Edmonton studio. “You’re working in a professional environment so you have to address the realities of a commercial industry, but at the crux you’re trying to make a creative statement that’s true to you. If I don’t think a dress is exemplary of my style, I won’t use it no matter how good it is.” This dedication and self-assuredness has come to define the designer, whose aesthetic is a rare breed of minimalism peppered with European sophistication. The latter comes from a childhood spent in Holland, before Carroll relocated to Canada with his family at age 16. “The minimalistic aspect of my clothing is what makes it believable, while the European twist is what keeps it interesting,” he says. “My brain will always lean towards a European mindset of dressing for a number of reasons. Stylistically, I think Europeans tend to be a bit more comfortable in their skin and are more inclined to experiment, which really inspires me.” Apart from European street style and café culture, Carroll’s influences vary seasonally and encompass everything from travel and literature, to pop culture and even his own life. This season, Carroll sums up his sartorial offerings in three words: Happy, whacky and eclectic. The latter stems from the diverse fabrics Carroll sourced from around the world, lending equal parts whimsy (think dresses covered with airy clouds) and ethnic appeal (sari materials and tribal-inspired prints) to the collection. “The fabric story is bigger for me this season that usual, so there’s more print and a lot more colour than I normally use,” he says. “I still experiment with shape and volume, but this use of fabric has provided a new aesthetic for me.” The designer could have based his company out of a more fashion-forward city, yet true to maverick form, he chose instead to call Edmonton home. This calculated move speaks not only to Carroll’s individuality, but to his rejection of prescribed industry standards as well. “I’ve always found it very limiting, and after a while you start to question why things are done a certain way,” he says. “So there are a number of things that I looked at that the industry does for understandable reasons, but I decided it’s just not for me.” Like limiting himself to creating on a seasonal basis, or even selling his collections through retailers. Instead, the veteran designer creates on an ongoing basis, opting to sell his work online and through pop-up shops, a method he finds particularly successful. “The one great advantage to living and working in a place like Edmonton is that there are no rules; if I were in Toronto I would have been stylistically pigeonholed a lot sooner, where looks and markets are determined for you. You might do well commercially, but creatively you work in a box.” And if there’s one thing that Stanley Carroll is not, it’s creatively stifled. “What you encounter each and every day will to some extent impact you, and people who work in creative environments tend to develop their voice this way,” he says. “Simply put, inspiration comes by waking up every morning and looking around.” Style blogger Andrew Eirich credits Carroll as a major influence, and has admired his work since he first saw the designer present his Spring/Summer collection at Western Canada Fashion Week last year. “Stanley has a chicness and simplicity to his designs that make them incredible and timeless. The ease and elegance of his clothing stems from his natural ability to understand and create great fashion,” Eirich says.     Models: Andrew & Elizabeth Makeup: Amber Prepchuk Photographer: Richard Siemens

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.

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

Designer Profiles - Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary

- Photographs by Greg Swales - Makeup by James Kershaw - Styled by Sandra Sing Fernandes - Megan M at Modemodels

On most occasions, the first music notes of a fashion runway show set the tone for the collection that ensues. In Todd Lynn’s display for his Autumn/Winter 2011/12 collection at London Fashion Week, one had to wait until the final parade of models to the sound of T. Rex’s song “The Children of the Revolution” to understand how the designer intended his message to be summed up by the audience. After all, this was a song that, when it was released 40 years ago, was popular with teenagers while some elements of society regarded it as essentially pro-communist propaganda. In the expanding luxury market propelled by affluent consumers in emerging post-communist economies, Lynn’s established reputation for designing leather and fur garments rides the zeitgeist wave of the successful process of merging creativity and profit. Lynn has had a penchant for leather and fur for quite a while, and his latest designs using these materials in shades of beige, black, grey and maroon are no exception. The collection’s repetitive examples of footwear and tailoring (as evidenced in the numerous trousers with draped fabric over pockets, dresses with asymmetric sleeves, and several high-necked, zipped up jackets) contrasted with some original designs that are worth noting. In fact, despite relying on the reiteration of commercially safe designs, Lynn’s talent was at its strongest in the elegant high-top trainers for men, deconstructed garments with pleated fabrics, overcoats fastened diagonally, and stylish zipped high gloves. Having developed an image as a designer of rock and roll cool garnered over years of making clothes for artists in the music industry, Lynn may see 2011 as the year that marks a turning point in his career. In truth, this is not a collection for the children of the revolution. These are garments for the former rebellious children who have grown and now turn to designers like Lynn for items of clothing that exude luxury and creativity.

- Shot on location at The Art Gallery Of Alberta - Photography by Studio-e.ca - Hair Davines Artistic Team -Kelly Bula, Simone De Nault, Sara Murphy, Sandy Tang - Make up by Tonia LaRiviere, James Kershaw - Stylist Sandra Sing Fernandes - Models: Ashley S, Ashley Z, Anita, Dara-Lynn.M, Adeaza, Courtney, Angelica