Lauren Elan - Spring 2012

Top L-R: Monet, Elise, and Bennett

Toronto-based jewelry line Lauren Elan is designed by the talented (and very stylish - check her instagram!) Lauren McMillan, and has been one of my favourites for a long time. If you follow me on Pinterest, I'm sure you will have noticed some of her lovely baubles making their way on to my accessory wishlist. Lauren Elan pieces always make a statement but at the same time are so irresistibly versatile that you end up wanting to incorporate them into every outfit. 


Lauren's latest Spring collection has recently launched, and I was thrilled to see so many new beautiful pieces, especially those featuring my favourite colour, turquoise. Gorgeous! The designer herself was kind enough to take a few minutes from her busy schedule to answer a few of my questions about her take on this latest offering - Thanks so much Lauren!

What were the trends, images, experiences that inspired this latest collection?

The current collection was greatly influenced by rich textures, vibrant colours, and mixed materials. Neon, brights, and sparkle is always something that I try to work into the collection, so when I'm in the creating process, I look to incorporate as much of it as I can!

The Kensington

 If you had to pick one favourite piece from among your newest creations, which would it be & why?

The Kensington is my current favourite as 'fluoro lime' is my absolute favourite colour of this season (see my pinterest board haha). It's a definitely an investment that looks great with something as simple as jeans and a casual tee, to a fancier dress with hair pulled back. Luckily, I don't have a tonne of this colour in my wardrobe, so it's easy to add to a look and not be worried that I'll be overwhelmed with lime. It's a great 'clash' colour.

L Top to Bottom: Elena, Lily, & Briah

Who do you envision wearing these baubles? Who, in your mind is the Lauren Elan ''girl''?

I find that my choice of bauble changes so much with the mood i'm in for the day, that I created pieces that you can wear on that day that you just want a classic chain bracelet, or throw on something major if you need to add some pizazz to wake yourself up. 


Statement jewellery can sometimes be a bit of a risk, so I think that the 'Lauren Elan' girl is someone who is okay with stepping outside the 'safe' zone of fashion and wearing something that she can make her own, not wearing a look that everyone else has on. 

I'm already filling up my summer wishlist with these gorgeous pieces. My one must-have from the spring offerings? The Elise! Hoping to snap that lovely necklace up, and stat.

Which of these lovely accessories is your favourite?

Lemon Fresh

Anyone who knows me (or my shopping habits) well knows that a large percentage of my wardrobe comes from Canadian fast-fashion label Joe Fresh, and so when the folks at Flare posted a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-rolled-out Spring Collection, I had to share.

Once Christmas and New Year's have come and gone I start feeling ready for spring to hurry up and arrive, already. These bright happy pieces from the gang at Joe Fresh have definitely brightened up an otherwise dreary winter day.

I don't know if I'll dress in head to toe citrus-y lemon yellow (although I will note that lemon was far from the only colour on the Joe S/S '12 runway) come spring, but there are definitely a few pieces from this glimpse of the spring line on my radar. Namely the classic blouses with snazzy colourful collars, maxi skirts, and hopefully the adorable striped dress above.

If this preview is any indication, I'd say spring at Joe Fresh will be looking pretty darn good.

Update, Update! Peep even more goodness here and here- some fabulous pieces that I loved on the Spring runway including the Finnish-flag tunic and these amazing platforms



Photos via @FlareFashion

LGFW: Juma Spring 2012

I am heading to Toronto first thing tomorrow morning to catch a few shows at LG Fashion Week (most excited for Joe Fresh and Sarah Stevenson), but I had to share the amazing technicolour prints that were presented last night by brother and sister design duo Alia and Jamil and their eponymous line, Juma.

Unfortunately I couldn't sacrifice a whole week of work at the library to see all the fashion shows I would have liked to, and this time round I wasn't able to catch Juma live. Luckily for those of us that couldn't be there in person, the FDCC (Fashion Design Council of Canada) posted some fantastic photos of the Juma presentation on their facebook page.

There were some wildly bright and colourful prints that walked the runway in various incarnations, as well as a revival of a print and texture from their Fall collection although this time on a lighter grey background (a little easier for spring wear than fall's black). The easy flowing shapes of many of the garments made me think they would fall easily into the wardrobes of any model-off-duty.

Another look that caught my glasses-wearing eye were the crisp white frames perched on the noses of a few of the models. I have been on the hunt for new glasses and I must say I'm feeling more than a little inspired to try a snow-white pair to change things up.

I have consistently been impressed with the original prints from Juma, and the looks for spring were no exception. Although I have yet to add any Juma pieces to my wardrobe, there are certainly more than a few looks in this spring collection that have made it onto my wishlist.

And perhaps the best part of the Juma presentation? If you are a fan of what you saw, you can already shop the runway (albeit only a select few looks and accessories) via The Peacock Parade.


Photos via FDCC FB Page