This past October, I had my 2nd ‘Cinderella Experience’ (read about the original one here); once again, I was picked up by horse-drawn carriage limo, and flown in to Toronto to attend some fabulous World Mastercard Fashion Week events … but first, I needed to figure out what to wear.
Wanting to look stylish – but not overly done – was obviously key, but I needed to stay true to my own personal taste as well as be comfortable. The perfect solution: black – as in “you can never go wrong wearing” aka “the editor’s uniform” – which came in the form of black skinny jeans paired with a black pleather peplum top, topped off with my beloved black leather moto jacket by Theory, and ending with something a bit outrageous, Brian Atwood black cut-out high heeled booties. What did I say about black?
In case you’re wondering, I wore Essie’s ‘Belugaria’ as a full mani (previously reviewed here) and Essie’s ‘First Dance’ (previously reviewed here) as my pedi choice.
Limo #2 picked me up at the downtown Toronto airport and after making a quick stop to pick up one of my companions for the day, we then proceeded directly to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel (Toronto), where we enjoyed the most incredible lunch at TOCA. Great food and even better company – how could things possibly get better than that? Why, with the next stop: the fashion tents!
The rest of the day seemed to whizz by in a blur of sights, sounds, scents and action – always SO MUCH ACTION. Backstage at these events is literally a hive of activity, and I absolutely LOVE it! I even got to meet (and hug) Bullseye, the Target mascot (although he was covered in a majorly thick layer of white powder, so the hugging was kept to a minimum).
In the midst of all this organized chaos, I was able to fit in a couple of 1-on-1 interviews with the heads of both makeup (Grace Lee) and nails (Rita Remark), as well as take in 2 amazing shows from my excellent vantage point of the front row, which, by the way, came with awesome perks: a gorgeous (and totally handy) creamy beige umbrella from Soïa & Kyo, and an elegant Pandora Jewelry Roll from Caitlin Power (I now have something chic to store my pieces in when I travel!).
The first show, Soïa & Kyo Spring/Summer 2014, took its inspiration from an escape to a rooftop garden where the play of light as well as some earthier tones were the key elements here, with a perfect balance of sophistication and minimalism present in the lines of all the pieces shown.
The second show, Caitlin Power Spring/Summer 2014, was inspired by the designer’s recent trip to the French Caribbean, where the vibrancy of island colours fused with the futurism and career woman aesthetic the brand is known for.
I can honestly say that I found that both shows presented beautiful yet totally wearable clothing, and if my budget were just a little (a lot) larger, I’d be snapping up everything I saw in a heartbeat. Check out the shots of some of my fave pieces, below.
As the day came to a close (for me, at least), I had a few short moments to say my goodbyes to all my fairy Godmothers, before being whisked off to limo #3 which took me back to the airport – even as I was still trying to process and absorb everything that took place in a span of less than 24 hours. It all seemed pretty surreal, as I arrived back home with the last limo of the day (yes, that’s #4 and may I say for the record, that I can SO get used to travelling this way, lol!), but I had the sore feet to prove it! I did wear these spectacular booties for over 12 hours, after all – small price to pay for sexy footwear AND the ability to show off my freshly done pedi.
Saying a simple “thank you” doesn’t seem to come close to expressing my deep gratitude to everyone involved that helped make this day happen, but there you have it. Knowing that I was the only media flown in specifically to partake of the events that day, is another humbling feeling and yet I’m also so proud of myself – just shows that hard work & dedication really do pay off.
The day began with a luxury ride and killer heels (thank you Brian Atwood, for creating these beauties)
I was born to ride with this baby (my don’t-mess-with-me jacket by Theory)
Perfect stitching and attention to detail, gets me every time
Lunch at TOCA with these amazing ladies = perfection! (The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto)
Eye, mouth & nail-candy with Essie’s Mint Candy Apple lacquer & specially created Mint Candy Apples by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (and yes … both managed to come home with me)
WMCFW Spring 2014 & Maybelline
Backstage makeup prep stations
This is what Makeup Heaven must look like (thanks to Maybelline!)
Backstage hair prep action in full swing
It takes a village of (Redken) hair products …
Jorge Joao (lead hair stylist) working on a model while his team looks on (and learns … always learning …)
So happy to finally meet some of my fellow bloggers (Toronto Beauty Reviews, left & Ella Pretty Blog, right) face to face!
Grace Lee (lead makeup artist), working her magic on the day’s unannounced guest star: supermodel Erin Wasson
Interview time with the ridiculously gorgeous Erin Wasson
Here, Grace Lee prepares a model with the look she created for the Soïa & Kyo show (1 of 2 shows I later attended)
A closeup look at the nail looks for the Soïa & Kyo show – all created by Essie’s lead nail tech, the crazy talented Rita Remark (detailed nail post coming soon!)
Front row at the Soïa & Kyo runway presentation
Front row at the Soïa & Kyo runway presentation
front row perk from the Soïa & Kyo show
Meet Bullseye, mascot for Target – and probably THE best behaved dog I’ve ever seen!
As if I’d resist a photo op with this cutie …
A close look at the nail look for Caitlin Power (detailed post on this look to follow as well)
the Caitlin Power nails, as worn by one of the models
Front row at the Caitlin Power runway presentation
Front row at the Caitlin Power runway presentation
front row perk from the Caitlin Power show
Backstage interview with Caitlin Power
with my moto sistah, Rita Remark (Essie lead nail tech) as gorgeous as she is talented. Extremely talented.
with Grace Lee – this woman’s spirit is just so incredible … seriously.
This day would never have been possible, if not for this stunning woman beside me … thank you, is not enough!
Adieu, WMCFW — until we meet again!
Not much left to add that I haven’t already said, other than how welcome I was made to feel from the minute I landed in Toronto – scratch that, even before I got there. My first foray in the world of runway fashion combined with the backstage pandemonium, was back in March of this year (WMCFW 2013) and that left me reeling – I was so much better prepared to enjoy (& revel) in the experience this time around. The only problem? I can’t wait to do this again. And again. And … well, you get it.
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