Blazer: Sandro (similar here and here) // Shirt: Aritzia // Watch: Michael Kors // White Gold Ring: Gift from Italy // Rhinestone Bracelet: Gift from Italy // Chain Bracelet: Club Monaco (similar) // Gold Ring: Vintage // Rhinestone and Gold Rings: Aldo // Shorts: H&M (similar here and here) // Shoes: Alexander Wang // Bag: Balenciaga

It’s been three weeks since I finished university and I can already feel the effects of my academic absence in a variety of ways: my style is slowly becoming more structured and feminine, my make-up is becoming less dramatic and dark, and my mind is restless without having to complete mandatory readings on a daily basis. I don’t really have any objections to any of these changes, but nonetheless as they are occurring, I feel as if I’m watching them through someone else’s eyes – looking into my own life from the outside. I won’t be abandoning my combat boots and piercings all together at any time soon, but the transition from university appropriate clothing to workplace appropriate clothing feels quite stark for me.

Way back during those blessed two weeks of midsummer temperatures in Montreal (remember my completely inappropriate sartorial choices here?), these photos were taken in one of the many shady alleywas in Le Plateau, a very hipster neighbourhood northeast of Montreal’s downtown core. Often a bustling area of the city in the late evening and early hours of the morning due to the proximity of some of the best clubbing and restaurants in the city, a trip to the area in the early afternoon lends itself to a much different atmosphere: a kind of calmness and tranquility amongst the metres upon metres of colourful graffiti as people are still waking up from going out the night before. Always looking to embrace and synthesize both classic and edgy style, I decided to pair my all-time, super versatile Sandro blazer with my beloved Alexander Wang Creeper boots (they work in all seasons!). Now that Montreal has fallen into cooler weather once again, keep an eye out for this blazer and these boots to make another comeback with some thick scarves and colourful jeans…

Jacket: Mackage // Tank: Aritzia // Watch: Michael Kors // Rings (left hand): Aldo // Swirl and Tiger Rings: Aldo // White Gold Ring: Gift from Italy // Cuff: Juicy Couture // Skort: Zara // Tights: Wolford // Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell // Bag: Miu Miu

Photos by Jules Testard

Despite moving to Montreal in 2009, there are many areas of this beautiful city that I haven’t explored to my satisfaction yet. I really have no excuse either, because some of these areas like Dorchester Square aren’t even that far from McGill. Undoubtedly, the resurgence to get to know this great city a bit better is spurred by my impending absence from it over the summer. I have quite a few mixed feelings about packing up my life in Montreal and moving to Toronto for the summer, but it’s a necessary and rather monumental step in furthering my career and growing, both professionally and personally. At best, it will be the leap that jump starts my future. At worst, it will be an important lesson that teaches me when to follow my gut instincts and when to be logical.

Dorchester Square was one of these hidden gems that I often passed when walking down Rue Peel towards the Old Port. I always knew the square existed but I never really took the time to stop and glance at the monuments located within its grassy borders. As a little kid growing up in Ottawa, Canada’s capital, I became used to at a very early age of seeing monuments and memorials at almost every turn. I always loved running up to the metallic plaques and reading about what each statue or monument and imagined transporting myself back to that time period, that moment. Wearing an outfit comprised of mostly monochromatic pieces like my favourite Mackage jacket, Miu Miu Matelasse bag and this drool-worthy Zara skort, the stone, oxidized copper and grass backdrop seemed like an appropriate backdrop. Speaking of war memorials and monuments, I’ll be in Ottawa for a few days this week for a variety of meetings. Despite leaving my hometown many years ago, returning to Ottawa brings a kind of happiness and calmness to me that can only be attributed to going back to your roots.

“When I first moved to New York and I was totally broke, sometimes I would buy Vogue instead of dinner. I felt it fed me more.”

Between rent, bills, and nightlife, fashion can be a hard component to squeeze into any young woman’s monthly budget, especially when living in a thriving metropolis.

This is part of the reason that I’m so excited to announce a new start-up from Montreal that helps us budget-conscious, fashionable girls trying to save a little money here and there. Générale & Luxe, a new, curated fashion dollar store acknowledges that not all fashion needs to be expensive – some things like cute bracelets and sunglasses shouldn’t have to break the bank! In a world of high mark-ups on designer goods as simple as a pair of sunglasses or plastic bracelets, it’s nice to have equally attractive alternatives without paying mostly for the brand name. And plus, purposefully saving on some items allows for you to put that money towards a new pair of quality shoes or a classic cocktail dress. Curious to know the inspiration behind this unique idea, I caught up with Cassandre, the founder of Générale & Luxe.

What inspired you to start Générale & Luxe (G&L)? 

I wanted to start a business that I could be passionate about and that I was knowledgeable about.

Why did you choose the name “Générale & Luxe ” for your shop? The two words sound somewhat contradictory, no?

The name Générale & Luxe (French for general and luxurious) comes from my personal aesthetic and philosophy on life. On any given day I will wear really expensive items with incredibly cheap ones. I’m not into the vintage thing so my cheap items are usually from the dollar store or the bargain bin. I always splurge on shoes, bags and jewelry so I’ll be wearing $400 shoes and the rest of my outfit could be like $15.  I always look polished because I make sure to put on at least one really luxurious piece.  It’s the same in my house, I have Philippe Stark Ghost chairs that cost me $500 each, but then my glasses are from Walmart.  Also, the stuff I sell is surprisingly good quality. So I feel like I’m giving my customers the most luxurious of general stuff.

How would you define Montreal style? How do you see Générale & Luxe having a role in the Montreal fashionista’s life?

I like Montreal because although right now we’re heavy with the hipster/vintage look, I feel like people can just wear whatever and it fits into the MTL fashion landscape. Montreal women are some of the most stylish women on the planet, so I definitely feel if anyone can get what I’m trying to do, it’s them. We’ll be doing a pop-up in Montreal (and Toronto) this summer, so I’m excited to get my customers’ reactions first-hand.

What made you decide to keep all of your products under a $5 price point?

I wanted to target girls like me, and girls like me know it’s not about the price point. Whether it cost $5 or $500, if you have no style, you have no style. The fact that most products are made in China means that whether something costs $5 or $50, it was most likely manufactured the same way, with the same quality of materials. The difference is in the mark up. Keeping things under $5 lets my customers save money on little random items, which allows them to splurge on other things, be it Louboutins or their rent.

Where do you see Générale & Luxe in a year’s time?

We’ll be adding more products. Right now G&L is in a Beta phase. I’m giving myself one year to refine my concept and give the company an extremely polished look. I want to change how women define cheap.

Check out Générale & Luxe at http://www.generaleluxe.com/ and stay tuned for future updates and special offers!

Sunglasses: Ray Ban // Sweater: Mackage // Shirt: Aritzia // Watch: Michael Kors // Gold Ring: Editorial Boutique // White Gold Ring: Gift from Italy // Ear Cuff: ASOS (similar here and here) // Leggings: Aritzia // Bag: Gift

Photos by Jules Testard

Taking pictures on McGill’s green, expansive campus is one of my favourite things to do in the spring and summer – and why not? Considering that McGill campus is blanketed in a fluffy layer of snow for almost an entire semester, you can’t blame the straggling student population from flocking to the hills of Lower Field and basking in the sun. After a particularly bipolar spring, Montrealers have been blessed with midsummer-like weather over the last two weeks that has raised spirits and hemlines alike. Despite the recent turn of the weather, I always have a habit of dressing in contrast to the weather – light spring jacket in the middle of the snow? Not a problem. No jacket in a blizzard? Why not? In this summer edition of wardrobe inappropriateness, I’m naturally inclined to gravitate towards leather pants – perfect for twenty-five degree temperatures, no? To be fair, they’re the comfiest pants I’ve ever worn and just felt right on a relaxed, sunny afternoon. I decided to forgo a scarf, given how warm I knew I would already be and opted instead to bling up my look with aviator Ray-Ban’s and my favourite ear cuff.

Photos by Nazia Iqbal

Alright, I’ll admit it – I really have done a complete 180 degree turnaround in regards to my feelings about florals. Long before the purchase of the Stylestalker jacket in my previous post came this beautiful Aritzia Wilfred Palais Blouse that I fell in love with when I was in Toronto for World MasterCard Fashion Week. I think the only reason why I came to love this blouse rather instantaneously was because of its loud print: no delicate, pastel flowers here, just explosions of colourful peony prints that reminded me of the flowers that grew around my childhood home in Ottawa.

As I’ve stated ad nauseum, you will never see me wearing a completely feminine look: over the last few years, I’ve worked hard to achieve balance throughout my life – maybe blame it on being a Libra? Given the role of fashion in my life, sartorial choices are by no way exempt from this balance, so it shouldn’t be surprising that my first instinct when I see a floral top is to pair it with lots of leather. I’m still unsure as to how I’m going to reconcile my love for these faux leather pants with the hot, humid summers ubiquitous to Eastern Canada, but I can promise that all of you will be hearing about it very soon. This summer will be full of new challenges in a variety of areas of my life – I’m not sure if I’m ready for all of them at once, but what’s worth living in life if you’re not continuing to be challenged, learning and growing?

Blazer: Stylestalker // Shirt: Aritzia // Watch: Michael Kors // Glasses: Versace (similar here and here) // Cross Ring: Aldo (similar here and here) // Knot Ring: Aldo (similar here and here) // White Gold Ring: Gift from Italy // Bracelet: Editorial Boutique // Cuff: Aldo (similar here and here) // Pants: Hudson // Boots: Jeffrey Campbell // Bag: Aldo (similar here and here)

Since the beginning of this year, I’ve noticed a lot of transitions occurring within myself. One of them undoubtedly has been a process of maturing, sartorially speaking. While I still love drawing thick black eyeliner under my eyes and wearing spiked shoes like these (and these), a few adaptations are understandably required as I transition from university to the workforce. I’ve mentioned several times on the blog that I’ve never been the biggest fan of florals – in fact, until very recently, I didn’t own a single piece of clothing with a floral pattern!

I slowly started to embrace this feminine pattern again, for the first time since my childhood, when I discovered this gorgeous Stylestalker blazer from Editorial Boutique. Never one to embrace femininity without a little edginess added into the mix, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the exposed rose gold zippers and the brocade nature of this piece. Ever since my rose gold addiction began well over a year ago, I’ve been able to procure a nice little selection of pieces in this mainstay hue that I love mixing and matching with gold and silver. Rose gold capped combat boots, rose gold zippers on a jacket, rose gold jewelry…there might be a lot of significant changes going on in my life right now, but my love for rose gold and striking a hard/soft balance seems to be here to stay.

When I tell people I would like to pursue a career in fashion, a lot of people note that working in fashion usually doesn’t lead to the same career fulfillment as being a doctor or teacher would. Sure, there are lots of glamourous events and it’s an immensely stimulating industry from a creative aspect, but at the end of the day those of us involved in the fashion industry aren’t exactly saving lives through what we do. While many people who are not involved in the fashion industry may crudely make this observation, it’s a bit of an outdated stereotype these days given the numerous collaborations between charities, designers and retailers all around the world making a noticable difference in our societies.

That’s why I’m such a fan of charity events that combine the powerful effects of philanthropy with fashion and design, such as Montreal’s annual Heels & HeART Wearable Art Charity Fashion Show. This glamorous soirée brings together industry professionals, fashionistas, art lovers, media guests, and generous individuals for a fashion show unlike any other.

Combining fashion, art and charity this event showcases one-of-a-kind pieces created by emerging local designers competing for best themed design. Past judges have included notable experts like designers Marie Saint Pierre, Dinh Bà and Dimitri Chris, magazine editors for Dress to Kill and Flare, luxury womenswear boutique owners, and media personalities like Nicole Jones for CTV City Lights. All net proceeds from the event benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, an organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and patient services to help those battling with blood cancers live better, longer lives.
Tickets are $40 each and available for purchase HERE ! So why not come out to a glamourous and luxurious evening while contributing to a worthwhile cause? Perks include a gift bag for every guest and door and raffle prizes!

Hat: ASOS (similar here and here) // Jacket: Anastasia Lomonova // Shirt: Aritzia // Spiked Bracelet: Aldo (similar here and here) // Chain Bracelet: Editorial Boutique (similar here and here) // Watch: Michael Kors // Ring: Gift from Italy // Swirl Ring: Aldo // Jeans: Zara (similar here and here) // Shoes: Pedro Garcia (similar) // Bag: Balenciaga (similar)

Photos: Nazia Iqbal

When I was in elementary school, I remember being forced to run out in the fields that surrounded our school in southwestern Ontario as part of our biweekly gym classes. I absolutely hated it – I’ve never been the athletic type, but the situation was made worse by the unbearable humidity and heat that often accompanies September in eastern Canada. Whenever I would run, I would forget my surroundings, push myself and just remember that the running had to end at some point.

Those childhood memories are rather analogous to the ones I have of my last year at McGill University: juggling a challenging course load and a budding career in the fashion industry, dealing with a few interpersonal crises here and there, and as corny as it sounds, deciding on who I want to be. While I have mixed feelings regarding my last four years at McGill, I can’t deny the impact Montreal has had on my style, personality, and attitude towards life. After writing my last exam of McGill yesterday, drinks at the campus bar were in order to celebrate the transition from student to alumna. In my four years at McGill, I had never quite seen the sun hitting the iconic Arts building with such a beautiful orange glow and immediately knew it would make the perfect backdrop for a few photos. After several cycles of freezing-to-sweltering weather over the last month, Montreal seems to have finally decided to embrace spring, which finally permits me to enjoy it too without freezing my butt off.

You probably remember this Anastasia Lomonova jacket from my rave review of her Spring/Summer 2013 colelction – a one-of-a-kind sample that I knew I had to get for spring. I decided to keep my outfit rather relaxed, being extremely sleep deprived and all from exams by breaking out the white jeans and wearing my favourite, dainty Pedro Garcia ballet flats. Keep an eye out for this jacket, I suspect I will be wearing it to death as much as I did with my Maison Martin Margiela x H&M booties this past winter…

Jacket: Aritzia // Tank: Martin Lim (similar) // Watch: Michael Kors // Ring: Gift from Italy // Bracelet: Club Monaco (similar) // Claw Ring: Editorial Boutique // Earrings: Juicy Couture // Belt: Aritzia // Skirt: Travis Taddeo (similar here and here) // Tights: Wolford // Boots: Jeffrey Campbell // Bag: Louis Vuitton

One of my personal blogging pet-peeves is when bloggers post content from events weeks late, long after the fashion world has since moved on to the next big launch, collection, or movement. Given how demanding academia has been for me over the last three weeks, I’ve succumbed to my own pet peeve by regrettably posting my last photos from World MasterCard Fashion Week now. I was debating about even publishing them at all, but I couldn’t resist sharing these photos as this was my favourite outfit of Toronto’s fashion week. On my third day and the final day of World MasterCard Fashion Week, I decided to show my Canadian pride by wearing as many Canadian designers as I could in one outfit: a 100% silk top from Martin Lim (you probably remember it from here, here and here), a feather skirt from Travis Taddeo, and a crepe blazer from Aritzia. In a time when fast-fashion is so overly emphasized in our culture, it’s important to support our own country’s designers, who often create more unique and well-made pieces than more popular designers. Regrettably, I won’t be able to attend FAToronto next week, but expect to see a lot more Canadian fashion on the blog in the months to come…

Hat: ASOS (similar here and here) // Vest: Jimmy Choo x H&M (similar here and here) // Shirt: Paul & Joe // Glasses: Versace (similar here and here) // Earrings: Juicy Couture // Cuff: Juicy Couture // Silver Ring: Aldo // Watch: Michael Kors // Ring: Gift from Italy // Pants: Aritzia // Boots: Zara // Bag: Balenciaga

I’m well aware of how woefully neglected this blog has been over the past few weeks – as soon as I returned from World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto at the end of March, I was immediately thrown into an onslaught of missed lectures, piles of readings, and focusing on my last final exams of my undergraduate degree. The glamourous presentations and runway shows; the late nights editing pictures and debating about what to feature (you can read my posts from this edition of World MasterCard Fashion Week here, here and here); the sprinting down to David Pecaut Sqaure in four-inch heels – all of those moments seem as if they belonged to another lifetime as I write this from the confines of one of McGill’s libraries late at night, hundreds of kilometres away from all of the magic that accompanies Canada’s biggest fashion week.

For the second day of World MasterCard Fashion Week, I decided to wear something a little more comfortable than the previous day.  I was so happy this past season to see Aritzia bringing back their uber-soft and supple Japanese faux leather fabric in the form of leggings and pants in a multitude of colours for the spring. Naturally, I gravitated towards the multipurpose black version and decided to add lots of jewelry, faux fur and raw silk for a luxurious look. It’s a far cry from what I’ve been wearing over the last few days as I write my papers and study, but I know this brief hiatus will all pay off in the very near end.