Evan Biddell Wants You

by Jenna Rocca
The oh-so-controversial winner of Project Runway Canada is looking for "creative people" to assist him in a new and apparently exciting project operating out of Toronto. He writes:
Live in TO? Wanna get your hands dirty? Can you rip it up on industrial machines? Can you cut?Draught? Like the beer...
email your resume to info@evanbiddell.ca
You may remember him from the show as the dapper lad who didn't take himself too seriously, finished things rather quickly, and ended his runway show by showing his middle finger to the audience. Here's a hilarious (courtesy of the America's Next Top Model theme song) mashup of all of his outfits from the show, including his final collection, to get you up to speed. Scan to 4:30 min to see the final collection with diegetic sound.
Check out his fun website, particularly the "bamboo" section which contains a rather lovely RTW collection (see image).

Spring 2008 Trends

Backstage at L'Oreal Fashion Week is always chaotic, but this time it was even more so. Eddie Maleterre, key makeup artist and spokesperson for L'Oreal Paris, hardly had any time to chat, but he spoke to us about what the trends are for Spring 2008. Want to know what colours you should be getting? Hear what Eddie has to say:

I have to agree with Eddie when it comes to the yellow eyeshadow. Yellow is literally the hottest colour right now. Who should wear it? If you're the person who jumped on board when it came to black nail polish, and dark red lipstick, then this is for you. You're always setting the trends, and find out the newest look before any of your friends, and yes, now you're wearing yellow eyeshadow too.

Stay tuned - I'll be telling you my favourite yellows soon.

Mellinda-May Harlington at L'Oreal Fashion Week

Another new designer showing this season was Mellinda-May Harlington who originally hails from Vancouver. Here's what Mellinda had to say about the inspiration for her collection:

You'd think that doing an Edie Sedgwick/Twiggy kind of eye would be easy but this was more deliberate. Take a look at the short video showing the steps that went into the look:

The entire look probably took at least 15 minutes to finish and the end result is absolutely beautiful. The makeup artists used liquid and cream eyeliner, and finished with a white pencil that really made the black stand out.

Overall, the Mellinda-May's collection was super-wearable and definitely for the everyday girl.

Here's the face chart for her look:
And the finished look on one of the models:

Carlie Wong at L'Oreal Fashion Week!

Fashion week sounds glamorous and fun, but it's also a lot of running around and making sure you're on your game. This year, I scored a few designer interviews which were so fun. Here's a bit of my chat with Carlie Wong. For those who may have missed it, she was on Project Runway Canada, and though she didn't win, many of the Toronto fashion community were interested in what she would show.

The end collection was a gamut of evening wear.

But don't take my word for it: hear what Carlie had to say about her own collection and her style!

Carlie wanted a strong look and a strong look is exactly what she got, check out her models.


Personally, I think a dark mouth and a dark eye was a bit of an overkill, but I can certainly see that the two of them together create something that's strong. It's very vamp which matched the dark evening dresses that Carlie designed.

I know that many people were wondering what lipcolour was used on the models -

it's a blend of two L'Oreal HIP High Intensity Pigment Lipcolours: 768 Brave and 868 Extrovert.


I loved the dark lip, and think that it could work for fall, but I'd definitely skip the smoky eyes.

I love that Carlie has her own beauty signature, something that she's known for, and she's not afraid to wear long falsies whenever she wants to make an impact. Will we be seeing more of Carlie Wong's ideas at fashion weeks to come? Time will tell...

Hits from L'Oreal Fashion Week

If I've been quiet about L'Oreal Fashion Week this season, it's not because I've no material. It's mainly because I've found the fall makeup to be a little uninspiring. I'm done with the smoky eye, and I know that it's very "fall" but I just don't think that it's still here the way it was a few seasons ago.

That said, I did see a look that I absolutely loved last night, and that was for the Andy The Anh show. Check it out:

I mean, it could just be because I have a thing for teal and turquoise, but I think it also has to do with the pop of colour, which I feel is a more modern way to do a smoky eye. It's not just using brown instead of black, or even blending with a grey.


I also think that this is a look that would look good on anyone and with anything. Note that the look is even more dramatic because of the false lashes, but they don't make or break the look. It's more important that you blend the colours and pair this with a truly neutral lip.

I found this look to be so inspiring. For the street, I wouldn't take the colour as high and perhaps skip the eyeliner underneath. Love it.

Look Who We Ran Into

Last night in the tents at L'Oreal Fashion Week we were introduced to Amanda Brugel from MVP: the Real Lives of Hockey Wives! I took a quick minute to ask her about the makeup she loves and here's the video!

Backstage at L'Oreal Fashion Week

As per usual, I am covering L'Oreal Fashion Week in Toronto right now! I was just backstage taking a look at the makeup being done. Does your makeup table look like this?

This is the table for lead makeup artist Eddie Maleterre.

On another note, I've been taking down interesting quotations that I hear. I'll share the best ones with you at the end of the week but I can't help but post this one down. I'm watching Eddie work and I hear a journalist (obviously new) say: "OH wow, and all the makeup is L'Oreal!"

It was cute. It has to be L'Oreal since they are sponsoring the event, though once in a while you see the artists pull out something a little different.

Many more pictures and interesting stories coming soon!

Contest Time

In honour of L'Oreal Fashion Week, you could win a L'Oreal Superior Preference Dream Blonde Hair Colour Kit. The kit is a complete care system that includes shampoo and conditioner that will last you into your colour's life so that your hair remains healthy and shiny.


The colour being given away is 8A Medium Ash Blonde, and all you have to do is enter the details in the box below. Good luck everyone! Contest ends on Friday.



Also: I will be twittering from Fashion Week! Find CanadianBeauty on twitter and follow me!

L'Oreal Fashion Week - What to Expect

This year, I’ve been in correspondence with an American woman who won L’Oreal Fashion Week tickets through Vogue magazine! She was excited nonetheless, and wanted to know what kinds of outfits to pack and what to expect from Fashion Week.

My response to her must have been disappointing to say the least. She wanted to know if there would be a red carpet, about the kinds of celebrities that would be attending, and whether people got very dressed up.

L’Oreal Fashion Week grows every year - more and more designers show while there are some designers who move on to larger markets in New York and abroad. In recent years, its received even more attention because of its move to tents at Nathan Philips Square. Last season, I saw all sorts of non-industry people try to get into shows and buy tickets. Some were content to just hang out in the tents and watch the shows on the flat screen TVs and hoped to bump into models and Jeanne Beker.

With that in mind, it’s still a very low-key event and it’s on a small scale. You don’t need to be overly dressed up to attend shows, and the fact of the matter is that unless you’re in the front row, you won’t be captured on camera much at all.

And the celebrities? Well, they’re local. And I’m not talking Shania or Celine here. Think more MTV VJ’s and the like. It is exciting for some to see those celebrities, but if you’re from out of town and are unfamiliar with them, then the thrill will be lost on you.

As with all fashion weeks, security is tight. You need a ticket of some sort to see the shows, and going backstage means getting special permission.

If you plan on attending Fashion Week, relax and have a fun time. It is probably one of the most unpretentious fashion weeks you’ll ever go to.

Fashion Weeks Past

A couple of days ago I went to pick up my pass for fashion week which made me think of the Fashion Weeks I’ve already covered.

I remember the very first fashion week that I went to. I was so green, with absolutely no idea of what to do. I just had this vague idea that “hey, wouldn’t it be cool if I could go backstage and watch them do some of the makeup?” So that’s what I did!

I knew nobody from the “scene” and just went to the tends, shook hands with people, and did my own thing.

I did have a strange experience though.

I ran into a woman who worked in marketing for a very large and well-known company. She was friendly we chit-chatted for a few minutes, and then I went my own way and she went her own way. Upon parting, we exchanged cards.

As I walked to my seat and waited for the show to commence, my phone rang. I looked at the number and didn’t recognize it but answered anyways. I had given out a lot of cards that week.

It was the marketing person I had just met. She’d only had a ticket to the earlier shows and didn’t have one for the later ones. Did I know anyone who wasn’t going to use their pass? No? Well… what was the procedure in case I “lost” my pass. Of course I didn’t know, I begged off the phone and hung up. Clearly this lady wanted me to pretend I had lost my pass while giving it to her instead. This from a professional woman who I had met minutes earlier.

Needless to say, I was shocked. I hadn’t realized until how valuable a media pass was. It not only allowed you to attend all the shows, but it guaranteed you a seat! A season later, I learned that everyone wants a pass and getting one can sometimes be pure luck.

This year media passes are being restricted even more and yes, I still got one.