Summer 2021 is inching closer, bringing with it hot temperatures and a slew of fresh footwear trends including all kinds of sandals. It’s time to release the toes! Look to Spring 2021 ready-to-wear shows from designers like AGL and Kenzo where chunky lug-sole sandals and colourful mules walked off of runways and onto the street style scene overseas. These statement kicks will get you ready for the restaurant patio (once those reopen coast to coast — fingers crossed) or your condo balcony. If you’re looking for an adventure, Nike and Suicoke are the brands to get you geared up for a summer outdoors. Turn to the utility sandal to transform feelings of wanderlust into hikes and camping trips — a single Velcro strap is all you need and you’re treetop-bound. Below, we break down the top sandal trends and summer shoes for women.
Utility sandals
A fuss-free adventure shoe won’t only take you places, it will remind you of those sweet, sweltering days at the theme park and Geocaching missions with friends.
Bite Beauty’s first-ever whipped blush has just launched! The Daycation Whipped Blushes feature four super easy-to-apply, buildable shades that promise an irresistible post-vacation glow (whether real or faux). The four shades, Coconut Rum, Watermelon Marg, Melon Mojito and Hibiscus Slush, are a must for summer. Formulated with papaya extract for an added glow, these ultra-comfortable blushes are also vegan, clean and long-lasting.
Everyone’s favourite new minimalist makeup brand, Merit, has just launched a series of Bundle Sets specifically curated to make getting ready in the morning easier than ever. Offering consumers the choice between a Five Minute Morning Kit that includes all seven Merit products (mascara, balm, lip stain and more), a Cheek Kit, Skin Kit, Eye Kit and more, the Merit Bundle Sets also conveniently offer shoppers 20 percent off of the regular retail price of the products.
Sol de Janeiro’s new dry shampoo is about to become your summer staple
We all love and rely on dry shampoo, but if you’ve ever wished your go-to fave could use a bit of a scent upgrade, then you’ll love Sol de Janeiro’s just-launched Brazilian Joia Dry Shampoo. With hints of Cheirosa ‘62, the brand’s signature — and dare we say, iconic — scent made popular thanks to the beloved Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, you can spritz your hair with notes of salted caramel, pistachio and vanilla, all while giving it an oil-absorbing refresh.
Leave it to Rihanna to make body butter exciting. Fenty Skin’s Butta Drop body butter is a whipped oil body moisturizer that delivers serious, long-lasting hydration and leaves skin looking healthy and glowing. Made with seven different oils (like coconut, sunflower, jojoba and more), plus mango and shea butters, this mega-nourishing cream has a subtle, floral-fruity scent that’s perfect for warmer weather. Bonus: Fenty Skin Butta Drop comes in refillable packaging.
Drake is giving away free candles from his Better World Fragrance House collection for Mother’s Day weekend
A candle from Drake’s Better World Fragrance House
In honour of Mother’s Day this weekend (you didn’t forget, did you?) Drake has partnered with Uber Eats Toronto and Vancouver to offer a free candle from his scented candle line, Better World Fragrance House. From May 7 to 9, when users in Toronto and Vancouver order a minimum of $50 from a select list of restaurants hand-picked by Drake on Uber Eats, they’ll get a free candle! In Toronto, the restaurants on the Drake-approved list are: Shoushin, Sushi Masaki Saito, Tachi (Assembly Chef’s Hall), Sotto Sotto Ristorante, Pai, Byblos, Mamakas Taverna, Bar Koukla and Cactus Club Cafe. And in Vancouver, if you order from Anh and Chi, Medina Cafe, West Oak, The Greek by Anatoli, The Greek Gastown, MeeT on Main or Vij’s, you’ll automatically get a candle in one of four scents — Sweeter Tings, Williamsburg Sleepover, Muskoka or Good Thoughts — with your order.
From launches and collabs to reimagined goods, lots went on in the fashion world this week. Here’s everything you might have missed…
Global fashion retailer SSENSE launches a kids department
Photography courtesy of SSENSE
World-renowned fashion platform SSENSE has expanded its offerings to kids, from newborn to age 14, with apparel, shoes and accessories. SSENSE kids department launched on May 5 with over 15 brands and collaborators, including some exclusively designed capsules. Collina Strada, Dime, Museum of Peace & Quiet and Rave Review are some of the labels already available, and new arrivals will be uploaded regularly to eventually include over 80 brands. You can expect to see mainstream high fashion houses like Balenciaga, Gucci, Versace and The Row roll out some childrens’ pieces, as well as kid-centric brands like Bobo Choses, JELLYMALLOW and The Animals Observatory.
SSENSE kids is taking this expansion as an opportunity to also give young creatives a space to direct their own campaigns and content. Stay tuned for the second part of the launch on May 13, which will reveal a video featuring teen drag queen Desmond is Amazing, 9-year-old producer and DJ Evan Kozin, 11-year-old skater Fay DeFazio Ebert, and 12-year-old artisan Jonah’s Hands.
Joe Fresh and body positive activist Roxy Earle release a limited-edition swimwear capsule
Photography courtesy of Joe Fresh X Roxy Earle
Joe Fresh and Toronto native Roxy Earle, founder of Luxurious Roxy, have teamed up to launch a limited-edition swimwear capsule. Coming May 13 to select retail stores and joefresh.com, the lineup will feature a one-piece swimsuit, a bikini, a tunic-style cover-up and sandals.
“It’s an honour to work alongside the Joe Fresh team and create a swimwear collection that women of all shapes and sizes can feel confident wearing,” says Earle. “Together, we have developed beautiful pieces that truly embody the #MySizeRox movement, which aims to promote body positivity and inclusivity for all body sizes.”
Reformation re-launches shoes, with a sustainability focus
Photography courtesy of Reformation
Reformation launched its second shoe collection this week, this time putting a greater emphasis on sustainability and supply chain traceability. The brand has outlined three main areas of focus: leather, plastic and end of life. Reformation is using best-in-class water, energy and chemical management practices, and has cut down the use of virgin plastic in their shoes by 75 percent.
Compared to everyday shoes, dress shoes are typically more difficult to recycle, given the number of components and materials used. Reformation has made sure that 100 percent of this elegantly-designed collection is recyclable. Plus, the brand has made the act of recycling a breeze. Reformation has partnered with Looptworks to develop a first-of-its-kind take-back program, and is also offering resale options through Thredup.
Arc’teryx welcomes Nicole McLaughlin to their global ambassador team
Photography courtesy of Arc’teryx
High-performance outerwear brand Arc’teryx announced its first-ever design ambassador, Nicole McLaughlin. McLaughlin’s new position with the brand is quite the fit, given her alignment with circularity mindset and lifestyle. Since 2018, the New York-based designer has grown a captive audience through her artistic approach to reimagining and repurposing landfill-bound products, including things like tennis balls, bras and dental floss containers. Across her multi-year partnership with Arc’teryx, she’ll host a series of workshops and Arc’teryx Academy events. This will offer attendees the hands-on opportunity to create something from their own “waste” materials.
Dr. Martens and Rick Owens drop the second instalment in their two-part collaboration
Photography courtesy of Dr. Martens X Rick Owens
Few do grunge like Rick Owens, much like how no one pulls off punk quite like Dr. Martens. Earlier this year, Dr. Martens and Rick Owens teamed up to design a two-part collaboration, and today the design duo will share their second instalment. Three new shoes that are a bold and eccentric remix of classic Dr. Martens styles have hit the market: the 1460 Bex Taupe, the 1461 Bex and the gladiator-inspired Gryphon Sandals. The 1460 Bex Taupe is a suede boot with Pentagram lacing system (using 2.5 metre-long shoelaces!), while the Gryphon Sandals effortlessly welcome warmer weather. Somewhere in between the two sits the loafer-style 1461 Bex, a taller and bolder version of the original 3-eye Dr. Martens shoe.
Prada introduces sustainable ready-to-wear denim
Photography courtesy of Prada
This week Prada began its rollout of the Organic Denim Washed collection, which is part of its May 2021 Issue collection (their equivalent to Pre-Fall 2021). The small capsule includes a button-up shorts romper, a button-up shirt, a dress and a pair of jeans, all in a classic, true blue denim. To maintain a high level of sustainability and low environmental impact, the Italian luxury fashion house sourced fabric using 100 percent Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified organic cotton that was farmed without pesticides and fertilizers. As well, the dying process uses less water than standard dye methods, saving 10L of water for every linear meter of fabric.
