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Thursday, April 22, 2021

The Most Iconic Oscars Looks Ever, As Chosen By FASHION Editors

The 2021 Oscars are right around the corner and while the ceremony will look different this year because of the ongoing pandemic, there will still be a scaled-back red carpet (because who couldn’t use a little fashion fantasy right now?). In anticipation of the April 25 ceremony, FASHION Magazine editors chose their picks for the best Oscars dresses ever. Read on for why these unforgettable Oscars looks will go down in history.

Cher in Bob Mackie (1986)

best oscar dresses ever: cher in bob mackie — Photography via Getty Images

And the award for Fashion Revenge goes to…Cher! The Bob Mackie creation might not be so shocking today, but in 1986 it ruffled more feathers than in the headdress that topped the wild and witchy look. Miffed at not being nominated for her role in Mask, the singer asked Mackie for a design that would convey her annoyance for not being taken seriously as an actress.Two years later she beat Meryl Streep, winning Best Actress for Moonstruck. —Bernadette Morra, editor-in-chief

Billy Porter in Christian Siriano (2019)

best oscar dresses ever: billy porter — Photography via Getty Images

We’ve seen many women sport tuxedos and suiting on the red carpet, but Billy Porter’s turn in a custom “tuxedo dress” by New York-based designer Christian Siriano stole the show in 2019. No stranger to going completely — and authentically — OTT with his event ensembles, Porter’s captivating look (a velvet tuxedo jacket and frilled, french-cuffed shirt mixed with a lush full-length velvet gown) was a major move forward for the notion of genderless dressing during one of the world’s most-viewed moments. A breath of fabulous fresh air, indeed! —Odessa Paloma Parker, fashion news director

Gemma Chan in Valentino Couture (2019)

best oscar dresses ever: gemma chan — Photography via Getty Images

Simply put, this Valentino Couture gown that Gemma Chan wore to the 2019 Oscars is a statement. There’s no hiding when you have a starched, ruffled collar emerging from billowing layers of punchy pink taffeta. But Chan wears it almost nonchalantly, thanks to the hidden pockets which she later revealed were holding cookies and rice crackers, a little something to get her through the three-hour ceremony. —Sarah Mariotti, contributor

Céline Dion in Dior (1999)

best oscar dresses ever: celine dion — Photography via Getty Images

Céline Dion goes down in the fashion hall of fame for her backwards and backless tuxedo and matching hat by John Galliano for Dior. More than 20 years ago, the look received backlash and was considered inappropriate on a red carpet dominated by glitter and gowns. Looking back, Dion’s game-changing ensemble was way ahead of its time — traditions and rules are meant to be broken! I hope we have more of these moments going forward in Hollywood. —George Antonopoulos, fashion and creative director

Halle Berry in Elie Saab (2002)

best oscar dresses ever: halle berry — Photography via Getty Images

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m guilty of using the word iconic far too loosely, but Halle Berry’s Elie Saab number at the 2002 Academy Awards (the year she won Best Actress for her role in Monster’s Ball and became the first Black woman to win the award!) is definitely worthy of the title. Between the jaw-dropping (for 2002, at least) sheer panelling, the silk skirt in that unforgettable rich burgundy shade, the beautiful embroidery work and Berry’s pixie cut that’s equally iconic (sorry but also undeniably true!), it’ll forever be a red carpet look that lives in my head rent-free. —Souzan Michael Galway, acting beauty director<

Lauren Hutton in Halston (1975)

best oscar dresses ever: lauren hutton — Photography via Getty Images

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m longing for a ridiculously glam night on the town, but I could cry a river gazing at this disco dream on gap-toothed babe Lauren Hutton. The magic of this Halston look is that while it’s emblematic of the disco era, it would look just as fun at a fancy fête today (swapping the chubby fur for a faux option, naturally) as it did in 1975. Those layers of pastel rainbow chiffon! The plunging neckline and skinny belt! I may have COVID-induced Saturday night fever, but someone get me on a dance floor, stat. —Jennifer Berry, digital director

The post The Most Iconic Oscars Looks Ever, As Chosen By <em>FASHION</em> Editors appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Dreaming of Getting Away? New Toronto-based Loungewear Line Anushka Inspires Travel Fantasies

“Everyone’s dreaming about travel,” says Anya Georgijevic, creative director of the newly launched resortwear line, Anushka. Georgijevic is an avid globetrotter who calls Toronto home. And it’s there, pre-pandemic, where she started musing on an approach to a fashion label that spoke to wanderlust and liberation. Bodily, that is.

Comparisons between fashion and interior design have been made throughout the decades; but for Georgijevic, the correlation takes on particular significance since prior to founding her brand, and her years spent as a style and design-focused writer and editor, she studied architecture at the University of British Columbia. Fast forward to years later when she was earning a Master’s of Fashion Studies degree at Ryerson University, where she found herself approaching her class work with an architect’s eye.

“I’d draw garments as a planned view,” she says. “Then I’d cut [them] apart and rearrange things and re-assemble them.” As her design chops developed, Georgijevic gravitated towards creating flamboyantly voluminous garments — pieces that “encase the body differently than a structured garment, yet are very sculptural.” Designs, one can see, that are reminiscent of those worn by Elizabeth Taylor, one of Georgijevic’s style icons, in movies like the much-maligned Boom!.

“She wore some amazing things in that film,” Georgijevic asserts, adding that as an ’80s kid, the decadent glamour of the 1970s — from Bianca Jagger’s ensembles and disco duds, to stylized cinematic offerings like the James Bond franchise — were extremely potent in helping her form a fashion point-of-view (Georgijevic is also the creator of the social media account What Alexis Wore, which catalogues the looks of Dynasty’s most notorious fashionista).

anushka toronto — Photography by Renata Kaveh

Combining these luxe and free-spirited references with the intention of crafting garments that speak to ease of wear and a go-anywhere attitude, Georgijevic conceived of a variety of ideas for Anushka’s offerings — about 20 designs to start — but has launched with two to begin with. The pieces, which are available for pre-order so as to avoid wastefulness, are produced by a small team in Toronto. They are currently made from one of the more eco-minded materials out there, linen, which is renowned for its durability and low-impact cultivation process (the flax plant that linen is derived from is less resource-intensive than other plants used in textile-making).

The Vera robe dress — which Georgijevic says took influence from her grandmother in both name and design, as it’s based on a dressing gown she used to wear — has a particular of-the-moment appeal given that it intertwines elegant detailing with a sense of self-soothing. But the idea is to eventually wear Anushka’s pieces beyond the confines of one’s home — whenever that is — and feel confident you’ll look wonderful whether poolside, sightseeing or going out to dinner.

“I’d like to encourage a bit more glamour,” Georgijevic notes about her label, referencing its inspiration point of “resortwear with city flair.” And to this end, there’s another consideration in the effortless appeal these pieces possess — one that’s much closer to home for this creative. Georgijevic gave birth to her first child last Spring, and says that she wore mostly kaftans and tunics throughout the Summer.

“As a new mom, it’s nice to have something very simple that you feel polished wearing,” she says of how these chic, amply-proportioned designs would attract busy mothers as well as world travellers. She says that there are many people she’d love to see wearing something from Anushka, calling out Chloë Sevigny in particular. “I’d love to see her wearing one of my pieces while strolling down the beach with her baby.”

With such modern style mavens present in mind during her design process in addition to icons past, Georgijevic says she aims to contemporize sack-like garments and make them appealing to a hip new generation. “I want people to see kaftans in a new light,” she says, referring additionally to why she chose Renata Kaveh — a Toronto-based photographer with a decidedly sensual approach — to capture her inaugural designs. “They ended up looking very alluring,” Georgijevic says. And if travel is just a desire for the foreseeable future, at least we can harness the appeal of freedom with our clothing for now.

The post Dreaming of Getting Away? New Toronto-based Loungewear Line Anushka Inspires Travel Fantasies appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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15 Aesthetically Pleasing Gifts for the Treat-Loving Taurus in Your Life

Taurus season has entered the group chat, and we’ve got you covered with 15 hand-picked gifts for this pleasure-chasing earth sign.

As the zodiac sign that sits comfortably in the middle of the spring season, they’ll surely get a kick out of anything that connects them with nature and shows off the bucolic beauty of the world — just don’t ask famously chilled out (read: lounge-loving) Taurus to do *too* much at once. And don’t forget to make your gift beautiful — sensuous Taureans are all about aesthetic, after all. Hook them up with a bountiful bouquet of fresh-cut flowers from Toronto’s Crown Flora or a pair of floral Crocs that will make tending the garden a moment rather than a chore. AnZa’s artful concrete espresso maker is perfect for the sign that is equal parts creative and practical. Pamper the luxury-loving Taurus in your life with an elevated goat hair body brush from Shaquda or a dainty ring from Bluboho — they love to be spoiled!

Click through our favourite gifts for that special Taurus.