Fashion – Page 3 – Suzanne Wexler

The curious rise of mega-heels

Fendi peep-toes, $795, about six inches. Photograph by: Marie-France Coallier, The Gazette.

*This article was on Most Read list of The National Post and the Montreal Gazette. It also appeared, in full or in part, in The Vancouver Sun, Ottawa Citizen, Global TV Edmonton, Windsor Star, dose.ca, and more.

Last month, my boyfriend and I were strolling on New York’s Upper East Side when a thwack of thunder sent us running for shelter at Orsay, a posh bistro. Cocktails!

As our drinks made their way across the floor, so did a pair of six-inch black stiletto pumps — jaw-dropping in their height — followed closely by a tiny pair of patent Mary Janes.

The pumps were worn by a sleek-looking, petite mommy accompanied by her smartly dressed daughter. They were soon joined by another decked-out duo.

A play date over tuna tartar and six-inch heels?

I’m so happy we could finally get together,” said one woman as she kiss-kissed the other hello.

The toddlers took off squealing through the bistro.

Through rainstorms and recessions, heels have been soaring to absurdly decadent heights — from four-inch stilettos to six-plus inch pumps.

To add extra height, toe areas are stacked with platforms measuring anywhere from one-to-two-inches, which are either exposed in tiers or hidden with fabric.

And while one might expect skyscraper heels in Manhattan, they’ve also been kicking it in Canada.

The over-the-top trend is not coming down anytime soon — even though critics of the look are aplenty. (Vogue’s editor-at-large, Andre Leon Talley, has called high high heels towering torture chambers.)

“A woman just came in and bought three pairs of (our highest) shoes,” said Ivry Rosenstein, surrounded by tissue paper.

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Refashion beloved pieces so they look like this season’s must-haves

Hossein Padar turned a vintage Missoni Size 10 blazer into a Size 4. Photograph by: JOHN KENNEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE.
*This article appeared, in full or in part, in The Montreal Gazette, The National Post, The Financial Post, The Ottawa Citizen, The Times Colonist, The Edmonton Journal, Global TV Regina, and more.
I have a leather jacket that’s been rebuilt twice already. Each time it costs about $100. I just can’t seem to part with its perfect fit and buttery worn leather — or justify spending $600 on a new one. New boots or shoes? All it takes is $24 to make a pair of vanity heels downtown-proof with a set of rubber treads. That way my darling soles will remain intact until irreparable scuffs do us part.

Behind-the-scenes tailors and shoemakers make this one-woman fashion show go on.Like a modern-day Scarlett O’Hara weaving her drapes into a gown, I’m a diva who will always dress to impress — even if my fortunes or circumstances dictate otherwise. And my need for these trusted helpers is hardly rare.

The best wardrobes I’ve seen are amassed by ladies who conquer their inner fashion victim with the help of a tailor. Perhaps she’s too stout, too shapeless or too lopsided underneath it all? Or maybe she’s an impulse buyer who needs to spruce up all those non- returnable items? No matter — she knows exactly where to turn to stay on top of her game.

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Part I, Sultry and Sleeveless; click for part II, History of Asymmetrical

One-Shouldered Dress on BCBG Runway.

*This article appeared, in full or in part, in the Montreal Gazette, Vancouver Sun, National Post, The Edmonton Journal, Global TV, and more. With special thanks to shrimptoncouture.com!

The one-armed Jane — Tarzan’s gal pal — is coming on strong this summer on the runways, red carpets and Winners outlets near you.

Asymmetrical tops pull the eye in all sorts of directions, from the arm to the neck and up to the face, so all that extra effort had better point our gaze somewhere worthwhile. For edgy gals, it may lead our eyes to a flower or even a turban — which is what Kate Moss wore with her silver asymmetrical mini Marc Jacobs dress to a gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in May.

But ladies who can direct our eyes toward something symbolically large — like toward hope, to a baby, or a dashing new president — are the ones who’ve truly dazzled in asymmetrical in the last year.

Think of Michelle Obama at the Inaugural Ball in January with her white chiffon Jason Wu gown. The new president’s goofy smile said it all: “How good-looking is my wife?” a charmed Barack Obama asked the press that night. Like a moving statue — not a dinky trophy — the first lady’s dignified drape swished as she danced. Her bold character, paired with that classical dress, made her the perfect embodiment of a Greek goddess.

Other memorable asymmetrical looks this year were worn by breast cancer survivor Christina Applegate at the Screen Actors Guild awards (in green) and Heidi Klum, who donned an off-the-shoulder disco silver mini dress, with a cape, to the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards in June. Her look was radiant, especially with her enormous pregnant belly.

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Graffiti Avant-Garde Art

SKAM painting Louis Vuitton store (*This article appeared, in full or in part, in The Vancouver Sun, The Montreal Gazette, The Edmonton Journal, The Calgary Herald, and more.)

It’s been sprayed on trains and scrawled across skyscrapers. This year, it was even splattered on Louis Vuitton handbags.

When, exactly, did graffiti get so glamorous?

Painters like Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) and Keith Haring (1958-1990) first brought graffiti into the avant-garde art world during the ’80s, though both passed away as their careers were launching.

Today, second generation vandals-turned-artists are earning critical respect and commercial success in the worlds of art and fashion in Canada and worldwide, leaving many hooligans with trickster smiles on their faces.

One by the name of Banksy (b. 1974) from the U.K. fetches up to $500,000 for his graffiti-inspired artwork. His pieces include a reproduction of Andy Warhol’s portrait of Marilyn Monroe, but using Kate Moss’s image instead; another piece features a live elephant painted like wallpaper. Despite his successful tongue-in-cheek gallery work, Banksy continues to post his graffiti all over the world in places like New Orleans, London and Israel. He keeps his identity secret to evade police and border patrols.

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Flipside of Friperies (or second-hand shops)

*This article appeared in The Montreal Gazette. A Montreal friperie guide appears at the bottom of this story.

As a young teen, I used to travel up St. Laurent Blvd., across Mount Royal Ave., then down St. Denis St. looking for the most nondescript, perfectly dishevelled frocks: tattered jean shorts, maybe a plaid buttondown to synch around my waist. I was inspired by earlier 90s vibes, when flashy logos were like darkness visible. To me, these thrift-stores represented the few leftover threads of anti-consumer angst – not a dwindling economy.

Yet since the economic downturn, secondhand shops are getting a double take from both buyers and sellers. This time it’s not Kurt Cobain-revival grunge nabbing the attention. Rather, it’s the high-to mid-end consignment stores, a.k.a. friperies, coming into the spotlight.

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