ELLE Canada - March 2025

SPRING REFRESH

THE LATEST FASHION & BEAUTY TRENDS HITS

THE HIGH NOTES

CYNTHIA ERIVO

MARCH 2025

COVER STORIES

58 BEAUTY Switch things up with spring’s top hair and makeup looks. BY KATHERINE LALANCETTE

83 FASHION Find out what trends are in store for your spring closet. BY JOANNA FOX

98 CELEBRITY Cynthia Erivo wowed us in Wicked—and she’s just warming up. BY SAMUEL MAUDE

116 PROFILE Former NFL player Laurent Duvernay-Tardif on changing up his career. BY ELISABETH MASSICOLLI

STYLE & FASHION

34 STYLE Utilitarian goes chic. BY MONICA AINLEY

37 SHOPPING Sporty and stylish.

38 STYLE Coach creative director Stuart Vevers is transforming the brand one iconic bag at a time. BY RANDI BERGMAN

40 STYLE These new clothing boutiques are elevating  our shopping experience. BY JOANNA FOX AND TRUC NGUYEN

44 STYLE New bridal trends that will have you saying “I do!” BY SUMIKO WILSON

47 SHOPPING Do denim differently.

48 STYLE Canadian-British designer Erdem Moralıo lu opens up about his Montreal roots. BY JOANNA FOX

51 STYLE Ten questions with fashioncontent creator Isabelle Allain. BY JOANNA FOX

52 STYLE The history of Chloé’s success. BY RANDI BERGMAN

122 STYLE Canadian brand Milo & Dexter on crafting quality with a conscience. BY ERICA NGAO

123 SHOPPING Men’s essentials for the transitional season.

124 STYLE Celebrity stylist and fashion-world creative

Carlos Nazario is moving into winterwear. BY JOANNA FOX

BEAUTY & WELLNESS

67 BEAUTY The best products out there, according to ELLE editors worldwide.

BY KATHERINE LALANCETTE

76 BEAUTY Healthier, more gorgeous hair in just two easy steps. BY LESA HANNAH

78 HEALTH Discover how homeopathy can help enhance your day-to-day. BY JULIE MATHIEU

79 BEAUTY A guide to finally giving your hands the attention they deserve. BY KATHERINE LALANCETTE

80 BEAUTY Cara Delevingne on looking after herself from the inside out. BY THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU

128 SHOPPING Men’s grooming go-tos to take his routine to the next level.

BY KATHERINE LALANCETTE

FEATURES

54 MUSIC Canadian musician Alessia Cara on her latest album. BY SUMIKO WILSON

104 TRAVEL Hitting the slopes in Whistler Blackcomb, B.C. BY SOPHIE BANFORD

107 ART Two critics explore the difficulties of the art world in their new book, PoorArtist BY ROBB JAMIESON

113 DESIGN Swap your home bar cart for a coffee counter.

126 PROFILE Actor Kit Harington shares the work that fuels him as well as the women he’s loved and learned from.

BY DEVIN GORDON

EVERY

MONTH

23 PUBLISHER’S NOTE

FRONT ROW

ON THE COVER

Cynthia Erivo is wearing a jacket, skirt and belt by Louis Vuitton, earrings by Harry Winston, a hat by Binata Millinery and her own nose ring. Photographer Felix Cooper Stylist Patti Wilson Makeup artist Keita Moore (The Only Agency) Manicurist Gina Oh Editorial producer Dana Brockman (Viewfinders)

The Jewel of LIGHT

OUR LATEST JEWELLERY CRUSH IS THE NEW Ice Cube collection FROM CHOPARD. IT HAS PURE LINES, A UNIQUE STYLE AND A SASSY JOIE DE VIVRE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PIECES ARE WORN STACKED. WE EXPLAIN WHY THIS LINE IS, QUITE SIMPLY, A MUST-HAVE

The Ice Cube collection loves to play with light. It will light you up inside and out with its 100 percent ethical gold. You can wear a chic jewellery stack by mixing the three different golds and the diamond pieces. The square geometric design is inspired by ice cubes. Caroline Scheufele, the creative soul of Chopard, dreamt up the collection, and her workshop brought it to life.

A TRUE FASHION STATEMENT

Bold and versatile, Chopard’s Ice Cube jewellery—bracelets, rings, pendants, earrings—goes with everything, whether day or night. Wear it over a sexy-chic black turtleneck like Bella Hadid, in casual mode with jeans and sneakers or with a designer suit, because great jewellery is the fashion linchpin of any look. Add an Alpine Eagle watch to the mix for a refined edge. The answer to the age-old question “What should I wear?” is now clear: a piece, or several, from the Ice Cube collection, of course.

WHEN AESTHETICS MEETS ETHICS

and mathematical precision. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details, which is why the meticulous polishing work is carried out by hand by the brand’s artisan polishers—heirs to an ancient skill acquired over years of practice—for a finish that’s as shiny as a mirror.

ARCHITECTURALLY URBAN

THE SCULPTURAL, GEOMETRIC

The sculptural, geometric design that’s emblematic of the Ice Cube collection embodies an urban elegance. Like the titanium armour of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, which turns to liquid gold in the rain, Ice Cube pieces are architectural gems that play with light.

DESIGN

THAT’S EMBLEMATIC OF THE Ice Cube COLLECTION EMBODIES AN URBAN ELEGANCE.

Gifting usually involves a good deal of thought and care, especially if you are ecoconscious. Just like all of Chopard’s watch and jewellery creations since 2018, the Ice Cube collection is crafted from 100 percent ethical gold that’s acquired from responsible suppliers who meet the highest international environmental and social standards, with special attention paid to small artisanal mining communities. The result is jewellery that’s as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside.

TRADITIONALLY MODERN

For more than 160 years, Chopard has been universally recognized for its Fine Watchmaking and Haute Joaillerie creations. In creating the Ice Cube collection, the most sophisticated finishing techniques were used to achieve uniformity

WHEN JEWELLERY BECOMES A WORK OF ART

“Less is more,” declared Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the father of minimalism, when talking about his architectural vision. The same is true of Ice Cube. A simple ice cube is the inspiration for this refined collection. Never before has a jewellery collection so closely resembled an artistic movement. It’s evidence of the power of simplicity.

TOTALLY FESTIVE

What if life were a party? The Ice Cube collection is an entire philosophy for those who love to make the most of every moment. It is unisex and has no boundaries. Whether you’re dancing the night away at Silencio in Paris, partying at Coachella or indulging yourself (gratitude starts with you!), the Ice Cube collection is all about joie de vivre, positivity and carpe diem—a clear invitation to celebrate every day.

ON GEORGE: ICE CUBE pendant and rings in ethical 18k white gold, ICE CUBE earcuff in ethical 18k yellow gold and ALPINE EAGLE watch in Lucent Steel™, 41 mm (CHOPARD) and trench coat and turtleneck (Emporio

ON ARINA: ICE CUBE bracelets, rings, and earrings in ethical 18k white, rose and yellow gold and diamonds (CHOPARD) and dress (Stella McCartney).

ON JEANNE: ICE CUBE earrings in ethical 18k rose gold and diamonds (CHOPARD) and dress (Hugo

Armani).

Boss)

ICE CUBE bracelets, rings and, earrings in ethical 18k rose, yellow and white gold and diamonds and ALPINE EAGLE watch in Lucent Steel™ and ethical 18k rose gold, 33mm (CHOPARD) and mini dress (Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini).

ON JEANNE: ICE CUBE necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings in ethical 18k white gold and diamonds and ICE CUBE earcuff in ethical 18k rose gold (CHOPARD) and blazer and top (Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini)

ON ARINA: ICE CUBE pendant, bracelet, earrings, and rings in ethical 18k white, yellow and rose gold and diamonds and ALPINE EAGLE watch in ethical 18k rose gold and diamonds, 33mm (CHOPARD), bomber jacket (Karl Lagerfeld) and trousers (Philosophy by Lorenzo Serafini)

ICE CUBE bracelets, rings, earring, and earcuff in ethical 18k white, rose and yellow gold and diamonds (CHOPARD), cotton dress (N°21 by Alessandro dell’Acqua) and suede jacket with fringes (Polo Ralph Lauren)

ON ARINA: ICE CUBE bracelets, rings, pendants, earring, and earcuff in ethical 18k white, rose and yellow gold and diamonds (CHOPARD) and satin jumpsuit with wool turtleneck (Polo

ON GEORGE: ICE CUBE pendant in ethical 18k rose gold, ICE CUBE rings in ethical 18k white and rose gold and diamonds and ALPINE EAGLE watch in ethical 18k rose gold, 41 mm (CHOPARD) and faux leather jacket and cotton T-shirt (N°21 by

Ralph Lauren)

Alessandro dell’Acqua)

ICE CUBE pendants, rings, earrings, and earcuff in ethical 18k white and rose gold and diamonds (CHOPARD) and blazer and silk bustier (CAROLINE’S COUTURE)

PUBLISHER SOPHIE BANFORD

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JOANNA FOX

BEAUTY DIRECTOR KATHERINE LALANCETTE

ART DIRECTORS ANNE-SOPHIE PERREAULT (INTERIM), SAMANTHA PUTH (ON LEAVE)

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS ALEKSANDRA KRAKOWIAK (INTERIM), MARIE-EVE DUBOIS (INTERIM), LAURENCE FONTAINE (ON LEAVE)

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR SARAH AKLI

DIGITAL DIRECTOR CYNTHIA QUELLET

DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGERS PATRICIA KAROUNOS (INTERIM), MELISSA FEJTEK (ON LEAVE)

CONTRIBUTORS

MONICA AINLEY, MACA ATENCIO, RANDI BERGMAN, DUGGAN CAYER, THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU, JANE FIELDING, DEVIN GORDON, LESA HANNAH, ROBB JAMIESON, PÉNÉLOPE LEMAY, MIMO MAGRI, ELISABETH MASSICOLLI, JULIE MATHIEU, SAMUEL MAUDE, ERICA NGAO, TRUC NGUYEN, CIARA RICKARD, SUMIKO WILSON

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In Search of Beauty

EVERY MORNING WHEN I READ THE NEWS, a little grey cloud forms over my head—when there’s not a lump settling in my stomach. With everything going on in the world, it’s hard to resist the urge to wrap myself in a blanket and hide from it all (especially during our cold winter). But since I have to make a living, (try to) inspire my staff and manage a household, surrendering to my anxiety is not an option. To offset what I read in the newspapers, I look for what is beautiful and make the conscious decision to turn my gaze to what elevates me instead of dwelling on what weighs me down. In a time that’s saturated with images and events that are often anxiety-provoking, cultivating a state of mind that’s focused on gentleness and beauty is essential. It’s a mode of survival—and resistance.

Various studies and theories support this approach. The concept of biophilia, for example, suggests that humans have an innate connection with nature and that being surrounded by natural landscapes or elements reduces stress, improves mood and enhances feelings of well-being. The psychology of art and beauty suggests that exposure to well-designed artwork or spaces can stimulate positive emotions. The Danish philosophy of hygge emphasizes creating comfortable and

aesthetically pleasing environments to promote a state of happiness and tranquility. A study conducted by the University of Exeter in the U.K. even showed that offices decorated with plants or artwork increase employee satisfaction and productivity. And according to the theory of emotion (or the savouring theory), surrounding ourselves with beautiful things amplifies positive emotions by helping us savour the present moment.

Searching for beauty is not a very complicated task. Just take a break to enjoy a steaming cup of tea in a pretty porcelain mug; let an inspiring song fill the house; reorganize a corner of your space to make it a cozy refuge; watch the sunset through the window while taking deep breaths; go for a walk in the early morning to witness the world waking up; put on an outfit that makes you feel strong and confident; get creative in the kitchen with a colourful dish that delights all the senses. Each of these actions is an act of resistance in the face of the monotony and sadness that surrounds us. It’s a way to regain control over our mood.

In these pages, we offer you a huge dose of beauty, creativity and inspiration. I deeply hope that this issue will do you the greatest of good.

Sophie Banford , publisher @sophiebanford

TEXTURE TIME

FAUX-FUR COAT, ZARA ($199, ZARA.COM)

March

What’s on the ELLE editors’ radar right now.

CREATIVE RESILIENCE

When Montreal gallery Bradley Ertaskiran first brought Dominican-born, New Jersey-based artist Bony Ramirez to town in 2021 for a show, art fans were immediately struck by his distorted and stylized depictions of black and brown bodies situated among symbolic Caribbean flora and bathed in the bright colours of the region. This winter, Ramirez has returned to the gallery for a second solo presentation, LE GRAND CORAIL, which runs until March 1 and includes about 30 new paintings and smaller works on marble tile. The exhibition explores how outsiders perceive the Caribbean through colonial and often sexualized stereotypes. “His work reminds us that the body, like the land, carries histories of violence and beauty, of resilience and exploitation,” says Auttrianna Ward in the gallery’s press release. “It demands we see the Caribbean not through the lens of an outsider but as a world alive with its own stories, voices and truths.” BRADLEYERTASKIRAN.COM

LA DOULEUR D’UN HOMME (2024) BY BONY RAMIREZ

GEOMETRY LESSON

Dermatologists often refer to the “triangle of youth,” a V shape made up of high cheekbones, plump cheeks and a defined jawline, with the chin serving as the apex. As we age, this triangle tends to become inverted, with the cheeks getting flatter or hollow, the jawline drooping and the chin broadening. Now there’s a new solution to this phenomenon. Introducing AVÈNE’S NEW DERMABSOLU INTENSIVE RESHAPING NIGHT CREAM . The velvety formula is spiked with powerful actives like bakuchiol (a botanical alternative to retinol), niacinamide and pro-ceramides to firm up the skin and visibly redefine facial contours. Clinical studies showed a significant reduction in sagging as well as improvements in nourishment and brightness. But here’s the real kicker: In just one month, the product promises to redesign your youth triangle—and it does it all while you sleep.

AVÈNE DERMABSOLU INTENSIVE RESHAPING NIGHT CREAM ($79, SHOPPERSDRUGMART.CA)

Shine Bright

TIFFANY & CO. recently unveiled its newly reimagined Canadian flagship in Toronto’s Yorkdale mall, and she is a beauty. The store dazzles at first sight with a scintillating facade made up of 32,000 glass bricks framed in polished aluminum. The inspiration? “Diamonds in the rough,” a nod to the storied jeweller’s ability to transform raw gems into exquisite works of art. The inside is equally awe-inspiring, covering a whopping 743 square metres and brimming with references to Canada—including a modern interpretation of the maple leaf in the form of a custom light sculpture by architect Hugh Dutton—to underscore the house’s deep connection to our country. Other highlights include the High Jewellery Salon, home to Tiffany’s most exclusive collection in Canada, as well as the Jean Schlumberger gallery, an homage to the late Tiffany designer touted for his intricate, timeless creations. Throughout the space, glittering display cases in mother-of-pearl, nickel and rose gold spotlight a treasure trove of Tiffany icons, from Elsa Peretti “Bone Cuffs” and “Return to Tiffany” Heart Tags to some of the purest, most expertly crafted diamonds in the world—all just waiting to be slipped into that legendary blue box. TIFFANY.CA

HOLLYWOOD TRIP

We’ll give you one reason to watch THE STUDIO, Apple TV+’s latest buzzy show: Catherine O’Hara. Here’s another: The comedy was co-created by Seth Rogen, who stars alongside fellow Canadian O’Hara. That should be more than enough to get you to add the series—which follows a newly appointed studio head (Rogen) trying to walk the line of corporate demands and movie-making ambitions...while wanting to be liked by celebrities—to your watch list, no? Mark March 26 on your calendar.

Long Live the Skin!

Last year, ESTÉE LAUDER premiered its cutting-edge Skin Longevity Institute in China, and this February, the innovative retail concept was established in its very first Canadian home, Montreal’s Rennaï beauty boutique. For more than 15 years, Estée Lauder has been pioneering research in the skin-longevity field. The new institute brings those findings to life and allows Canadians to experience their benefits first-hand. Try out the state-of-the-art iMatch Skin Analysis Pro, the brand’s most elevated diagnostic device. It allows Estée Lauder’s certified Global Pro Estheticians to study your skin in detail and develop customized skincare treatments. And what heavenly treatments they are! The proprietary services pair products from the premium Re-Nutriv range with targeted massage techniques and facial tools to achieve peak results. You’ll emerge looking and feeling wonderfully refreshed thanks to the fully immersive experience: Everything from the lighting to the music to the room temperature has been specially devised with longevity science in mind. It’s a treat for the skin and the senses. RENNAI.COM

A THING OF BEAUTY

Immerse yourself in the timelessly alluring world of CHANEL at the house’s new beauty boutique in Montreal’s Royalmount mall. Dedicated to scent, skincare and makeup, the space sprawls over 110 square metres and serves as the ultimate luxury-beauty destination. Discover an exclusive array of the brand’s much-sought-after products, find your perfect perfume match in the fragrance library or benefit from personalized guidance from an in-house expert. There’s even the intimate “Espace Confidence,” where you can get a one-on-one skincare or makeup-application consultation. Don’t feel like sampling products IRL? Do so virtually with “Chanel Try On,” a very nifty interactive tool. Combining the best of technology with Chanel’s time-honoured savoir faire, the store is a veritable paradise for beauty lovers. CHANEL.COM

NEW DIRECTIONS

In fashion, the only constant is change. And thanks to a slew of new hires—and high-profile departures—at top fashion houses like Chanel and Bottega Veneta over the past few months, we can expect major vibe shifts and even more newness in the seasons ahead. Here are the appointments we’re most excited about.

MATTHIEU BLAZY AT CHANEL. The former creative director at Bottega Veneta was announced as the new artistic director at Chanel in December after much industry speculation. Blazy is expected to show his first collection for the French house at Paris Fashion Week this fall.

LOUISE TROTTER AT BOTTEGA VENETA. Trotter left Carven after less than two years to take over Bottega Veneta’s top job, formerly held by Matthieu Blazy. Prior to joining Carven, the British designer worked at Lacoste and Joseph.

SARAH BURTON AT GIVENCHY . Burton, who famously designed Kate Middleton’s wedding dress while at Alexander McQueen, was appointed last September as the new creative director of Givenchy, overseeing both menswear and

womenswear. She will present her first collection for the label at Paris Fashion Week this month.

HAIDER ACKERMANN AT TOM FORD . The Colombian-born French designer, who is also Canada Goose’s first-ever creative director, was recruited for the top job at Tom Ford last fall. Ackermann’s first collection for the brand is expected in March 2025.

MICHAEL RIDER AT CELINE. The former Polo Ralph Lauren creative director was hired to replace Hedi Slimane at Celine in October. The American designer is no stranger to the brand, having worked there for a decade as ready-to-wear design director.

JULIAN KLAUSNER AT DRIES VAN NOTEN. Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, one of the original  Antwerp Six, retired from his namesake label last June. Klausner, who has worked for the house since 2018, was elevated to the top job in December and will oversee both the men’s and women’s collections.

Good Fortune

In images filmed in 1955 by CBS, CHRISTIAN DIOR can be seen reaching into his pockets to reveal the various talismans he always carried: gold charms bearing a four-leaf clover and lily of the valley, respectively, the metal star he found on the street on his way to meet the financier who would that day agree to back his label and, finally, a small piece of wood he confessed to touching several times a day for good fortune. When Francis Kurkdjian, perfume creation director at Dior, saw the footage, he felt an immediate kinship with the late couturier. “I have always found Christian Dior’s superstitious nature deeply touching,” he says. “It speaks to me as I share it in an atavistic way but also because I have a ‘taste’ for it.” Indeed, the perfumer admits that he likes to slip a cube of sugar into his jacket pocket before important work meetings. Bois Talisman, his latest fragrance for the house, pays homage to his and Dior’s superstitions, combining smoky cedarwood with luscious vanilla and gourmand notes that evoke confectioner’s sugar. The resulting elixir is warm, comforting and exquisitely elegant. And who knows? It might just bring you luck!

READING NOOK

We basically haven’t stopped thinking about Scaachi Koul’s first collection of sharp, hilarious and perceptive essays, One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter , since it came out, so it’s a good thing her second book is finally about to hit shelves (March 4). In SUCKER PUNCH, Koul offers a raw, unforgettable examination of what happened when everything in her life suddenly and irrevocably changed—she got divorced, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and she lost her job—and the various fights that occurred in the process.

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RETAIL THERAPY

Sustainably minded indie fashion label UNCLE STUDIOS , founded by Allegra Shaw and Shirin Soltani, recently opened its first bricks-and-mortar store, on Ossington Avenue in downtown Toronto. At the brand’s new flagship, you’ll find well-made takes on basics like T-shirts and jeans alongside Oeko-Tex-certified knitwear and tailored-in-Portugal wool coats and blazers. Plus, there’s a small coffee bar at the entrance as well as cozy corners and cute seating to encourage lingering.

SOUND BREAK

With the winter thaw still a few weeks away, is it too early to call the song of the summer? Probably, but these three musicians—who are all releasing their third records—are still pushing for new pop heights. And with a little bit of luck, maybe they could be early contenders. Long-time Brooklyn musician Bartees Strange’s HORROR (February 14) is an album about facing your fears. Strange teamed up with Taylor Swift super-producer Jack Antonoff to create a powerful indie-rock album that fills you with a sense of empowerment and deals head-on with the difficulties of navigating an uncertain world. On February 21, Canadian musician and bona fide triple threat Tate McRae returns with her hotly anticipated new album, SO CLOSE TO WHAT. Even though McRae has already shot to top-tier pop status—and has made an SNL performance—she remains hungry and ambitious on this new album with dance-floor-ready bangers begging for number-one-song status. And L.A.-based American musician Sasami has gone through an amazing evolution ever since embarking on a solo career after leaving her original band, Cherry Glazerr. Her classical conservatory training and rock foundation have been growing with every new release, and BLOOD ON THE SILVER SCREEN (out March 7) is no exception. Grand cinematic lyrical imagery fits perfectly with the crashing and propulsive indie-pop beats just begging to break through to a larger audience.

SASAMI

How YSL

WReal LOVE

BEAUTY is taking a stand against intimate-partner violence in Canada and beyond.

ITH VALENTINE’S DAY ON THE HORIZON —a time for love notes sent, sweet nothings spoken and thoughtful gestures made—YSL Beauty is shedding light on a critical but often shrouded element of some romantic relationships: intimate-partner violence.

This focus is part of a global education program and awareness campaign called Abuse Is Not Love, an essential initiative that the French beauty brand has embarked on since 2020. With a staggering statistic—one in three women will experience intimate-partner violence in their lifetime—driving its efforts, YSL Beauty has committed to supporting non-profit organizations around the world to help as well as educate two million people on the signs of abuse by 2030.

Last year, the scale of this life-changing cause reached our country, bringing a wide range of meaningful endeavours with it. Perhaps the most significant was the first of a threeyear partnership between YSL Beauty Canada and Women’s Shelters Canada (WSC). With the experts from this national organization leading the effort, YSL Beauty Canada’s financial support has meant that the Abuse Is Not Love curriculum can reach an ever wider audience.

Case in point: The beauty brand held its first conference, in partnership with WSC, at the University of Toronto in November 2024, focusing on educating 40 students on the issues of intimate-partner violence. This year, the program

aims to expand its reach by training more young people on the signs of unhealthy relationships through visits to a minimum of three Canadian campuses.

The Abuse Is Not Love commitment also comes close to home for the beauty brand. In 2024 alone, YSL Beauty Canada educated more than 200 internal employees on the signs of abuse in romantic relationships.

Think you could recognize these relationship red flags? Here’s a refresher:

IGNORING (when someone uses their anger to punish their partner by ignoring them)

JEALOUSY (when someone shows suspicion about everything their partner says or does)

CONTROL (when an abuser exerts power over how their partner moves through the world, like how they dress or where they go)

ISOLATION (when someone is forced or manipulated into cutting ties with their loved ones, which can happen subtly and gradually, often without their initial awareness)

INTIMIDATION (when someone instills fear in their partner so they’re always afraid to stand up for themselves)

Together, with this knowledge in hand, we can prevent violence against women everywhere—a cause that’s always worth fighting for.

style

MAKE IT WORK

New takes on utilitywear give spring fashion a functional twist.

By MONICA AINLEY

SPRING DRESSING IS ALL ABOUT COMPROMISE. With warmer temperatures just around the corner but not quite here yet, stylish layering of sturdy, weather-ready fabrics is a natural wardrobe solution. For the spring/summer 2025 season, designers brought cargo details and khakis back to the fore, adding an androgynous edge to light, feminine pieces.

Of course, barn jackets, Barbours and shackets—updated with various cultural references—have become synonymous with gen-Z cool kids of late. And pocket-heavy combat trousers and drawstrings may well take you back to some questionable wardrobe choices of the ’90s, but for new-season layering, such associations aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Fuss-free army-style and workwear neutrals don’t have to be saved for weekendwear, either; the spring/summer runways offered these references on office-worthy garb and even potential partywear, suggesting that utility dressing has grown up.

Just ask Hermès creative director Nadège Vanhée, who scattered utility touches throughout her collection. She made a case for khaki jacket-dresses by arranging them nonchalantly on the models, belting them to mark the waist just so and then elevating the whole look with tall leather riding boots. Shorter utility jackets were layered over sheer evening skirts or paired with flared trousers and heels, affirming that functional fabrics needn’t be reserved for outdoor treks.

BURBERRY

SACAI

GUCCI

IN THE BRITISH ISLES, A LITTLE FUNCTIONALITY—LIKE WATERPROOFS OVER EVENINGWEAR—IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY IN FASHION, BUT AN EYEBROW OR TWO MAY WELL HAVE BEEN RAISED IN LONDON WHEN CARGO PANTS STRODE DOWN BURBERRY’S RUNWAY.

Meanwhile, Sacai’s Chitose Abe creatively repurposed utilitarian shapes using the deconstructionist talent she’s best known for. A forest-green parka was split and reconfigured into a dress with exposed shoulders. Another parka was tossed over a couture-reminiscent ruffled dress. A boiler suit was made sexy with strategically placed panels. And there were giant weather-ready black boots under eveningwear. “Anyone can dress up by wearing Sacai’s one-piece garments,” Abe told WWD after the show. With these hybrids, anyone can dress up and walk to the party—or take the subway.

In Milan, Sabato De Sarno presented his latest for Gucci, Casual Grandeur—a title that’s an ode to Jackie Kennedy, referencing a phrase that was once used to describe her iconic style. It’s an apt description, both of the beloved 1960s First Lady and the collection, which emphasizes versatility, mixing glitz with low-key staples and giving khaki itself a ’60s twist, with green miniskirts and shorts paired with practical workwear up top.

In the British Isles, a little functionality—like waterproofs over eveningwear—is sometimes necessary in fashion, but an eyebrow or two may well have been raised in London when cargo pants strode down Burberry’s runway. Yet paired as they were with glittering “going-out tops” and cropped leather jackets, the humble cargoes managed to look like elevated partywear for the fashion-forward. There was definitely ’90s nostalgia present—though not enough to be fully worthy of MTV.

Brits will know that utility staples go back a lot further than Christina Aguilera and Tupac; they can be traced to the Utility Clothing Scheme, which was introduced during the Second World War in response to a U.K. shortage of clothing materials and labour due to wartime austerity. The scheme was put in place to standardize the production, sale and purchase of clothing and took a variety of measures to ensure the availability of fabric and basic items, no matter the customer’s financial circumstances.

About a year later, in response to public misconceptions around austerity-regulated specifications and the impacts these would have on fashion, designs for a stylish “Utility

Collection” were commissioned in 1942 from big-name London designers of the time, including Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell. Featuring simple lines and minimal trimmings, utility fashion was a surprise hit. It included a range of dresses, coats, jackets, trousers and shirts made of cheap, hard-wearing fabric and was particularly embraced by the public following a March 1942 edition of Picture Post magazine that featured Deborah Kerr modelling the looks.  Similarly, “battle dress”—including the cargo pant—first appeared on members of the British Armed forces circa 1939 and was introduced in North America in the mid-1940s. The cargo’s signature large pockets were originally designed to hold field dressings, maps and other essential items but have come in handy for dads on holiday ever since. Soldiers, tourists and the aforementioned ’90s and ’00s pop stars aside (who didn’t want a pair of cargoes when the first All Saints album came out?), Paris fashion houses have been playing on khaki and army references for years. Designer Isabel Marant, a key tone-setter of the French capital’s streets, has long integrated safari-style jackets and cargo pants into her low-key, mildly-dishevelled-chic aesthetic for over a decade.

If you’re looking to dress up a beige or olive-green cargo pant for early spring, here’s a tip: Freshen it up with timeless cuts and sophisticated neutral colours up top. You can’t go wrong with a navy peacoat or knit or a white button-down shirt. Plus, cargo pants are easily propped up by a mid-heeled boot for an endless-leg effect. Invest in a pair with spacious thigh pockets—the perfect storage for your keys, wallet and lipstick. (You’ll no doubt want to contrast that army garb with a bright red or coral lip come evening.) Plus, with all that pocket space, you can ditch the purse—which is very useful on a day out with young children, as this writer can attest.

For khaki coats and utilitarian outerwear, take a cue from Sacai and layer them over feminine dresses for evening— because it’s all about the mixed metaphors—or wear an olivegreen army shirt under a sophisticated menswear-inspired coat to add interest while still keeping warm. Minimalist, functional layering is ready and waiting to carry you through the season, whatever your daily battle might entail.

Radical OPTIMISM

Coach creative director STUART VEVERS on keeping fashion fun.

By RANDI BERGMAN

IN ONE OF MANY VIDEOS OF CONTENT CREATORS OBSESSIVELY documenting Coach bags, TikToker Carly Rivlin holds up the brand’s viral Swing Zip shoulder bag—a reissue of a minimalist style from 1998—and gushes, “The first thing I will say is I fucking love this bag.” She has accessorized the black leather version with an oversized cherry charm, has stuffed it with everything from an e-reader to a water bottle and is fawning over its stylish practicality. It’s Mary Poppins’ carpet bag but built for the scrolling era—indeed, more than five million users stopped to marvel at its magical powers. Elsewhere on the app, you’ll find rapper Cardi B bringing her followers (and her Birkin bag) along for a shopping spree at her local Coach store, singer PinkPantheress gifting her quilted Coach Tabby bag to a fan mid-performance and countless other videos tagged with

#coachbag in which young fans and self-described “Coachies” show off their collections. Offline, bags frequently sell out, translating hype into consistent growth for the 84-year-old brand at a time when many of its competitors struggle to break through. Gen-Zers, like millennials before them, have fallen head over heels for Coach.

At the centre of the brand’s perma-ssance? Creative director Stuart Vevers, who was born in Yorkshire, England, and has helmed the brand since 2013, infusing it with the joyful realism fans love it for today. “I think Coach offers something different from traditional luxury,” he says via Zoom. “There are moments of playfulness and creativity as part of what we do, but it’s always quite down-to-earth.” Vevers is calling from his home, a townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a few days after Coach’s buzzy

spring/summer 2025 show atop the High Line. (An adorable runway note: The twin toddlers Vevers shares with husband Benjamin Seidler, River and Vivienne, gleefully jumped to their feet to join him in his post-show bow.) He radiates a calm that belies the frenzy of fashion week and seems pleasantly surprised that it all went over so well. He shouldn’t be, though—he knows how to give the people what they want.

Before Coach, Vevers was known for It bags he created for top brands—like Givenchy’s rounded Pumpkin shoulder bag and Luella Bartley’s Gisele top-handle bag—and for transforming both Loewe and Mulberry from sleepy houses into hot hot hot names on everyone’s lips. At Coach, he introduced ready-to-wear and established the brand as a go-to for affordable luxury. “A lot of my career had been a constant strive for perfection, and at Coach that shifted,” he says. “It’s actually the personal and the human that are much more appealing to me; the idea of perfection doesn’t hold much desire.” Vevers likes his designs to be well worn, and he can trace many of his successes back to pragmatic starting points. He recalls the first conversation about the now iconic Pillow Tabby (a plush version of the brand’s buckled shoulder bag), which took place on a Zoom call with his design team during the throes of the pandemic. Everyone felt like they needed a hug. “It was a conversation between people, and we needed to be comforted,” he says. Et voilà: a next-gen It bag for those who were feeling the same way. For his spring/summer 2025 collection, Vevers explored the American classics that are being discovered and recontextualized by today’s youth—from shrunken and beat-up bomber jackets

made from upcycled leather to candy-coloured silk swing dresses with jagged creases and raw hems to “I NY” T-shirts scribbled on with pen. “To me, as a designer, it’s really inspiring to see those archetypes through the new gen eration’s fresh eyes,” he says. On the runway, everything looked worn and deeply loved, like the ultimate hand-me-downs from your coolest aunt. And the accessories were just so much fun. Scuffed-up sneakers were topped with novelty charms made from cassette tapes (“A lot of people asked, ‘Will gen Z know what they are?’ But I found most did,” he says), while giant hand-held coin purses were covered in stickers.

The coin purses were inspired by a 1969 design by Bonnie Cashin, Coach’s first creative director and the visionary behind some of the brand’s most iconic—and still referenced—bags from the ’60s and ’70s. “On my very first day at Coach, my now husband gave me a framed photograph of Bonnie from The Baltimore Sun, and she still sits behind my desk and keeps a watchful eye on me,” he says. “One of her sayings was ‘Design is for living,’ and I always think that is very representative of Coach.” Cashin’s pieces are among those archived at Coach HQ, where an extensive collection is stored in temperature-controlled cabinets for the team’s reference. Many of the styles, which date back as far as the 1940s, feel so current and delightful that they’d surely pop in any 2024 context.

While Vevers often goes back into said archives for inspiration, he’s not bent on replicating each style. “I have a lot of respect for the creativity that has been part of Coach’s history, but sometimes it’s good to go into the archive, get a feeling and then just walk away and look to the future,” he says. He has channelled the idea of reinvention into the sustainable practices he’s brought to the brand, like Coach (Re)Loved, which allows customers to shop pre-loved bags or trade theirs in to be recycled, and the Coachtopia sub-brand, which uses leather scraps and eco materials to create new pieces. Both initiatives are in good company with another sect of Coach diehards on TikTok: the fans mining thrift stores for old styles that they bring back to life with soap and a little TLC. “There are young people walking around with Coach bags that happen to be 50 or 60 years old, and it’s a testament to the [brand] that those pieces can have second, third and fourth lives,” says Vevers.

In 2034 and beyond, the youth are likely to still be fawning over Coach bags. Pillow Tabbys, Swing Zips and oversized coin purses will be unearthed from tomorrow’s thrift bins, their appeal still holding up. “We’ve worked really hard to get to this place—it’s not just chance,” says Vevers. “There’s also something about the new generation seeing us with fresh eyes and feeling an authentic connection. We are being true to who we are and honest about who we are, and that takes some vulnerability.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2025 COLLECTION

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS

How a Toronto clothing store is creating a new way to consider fashion.

By JOANNA FOX

I FIRST HEARD ABOUT ABSOLUTELY FABRICS THROUGH A STYLIST who was looking for some pieces from Berlin-based brand Ottolinger for an ELLE Canada shoot. Then more and more in-the-know fashion people began to reference the Toronto shop, the designers it was stocking—including Christopher John Rogers, Diotima and Vaquera—and its unique shopping events. So when I was finally introduced to owner and creative director Kaelen Haworth last September, I was thrilled to put a face to the name and get the full story behind her very cool concept store.

After growing up in Toronto, Haworth moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design and ended up living there for 15 years. Over that period, she started her eponymous womenswear label, Kaelen, showed at New York Fashion Week and saw her designs worn by celebs like Selena Gomez and Mindy Kaling. But right before the pandemic hit, she decided to shutter her business and move back home with her husband and two young sons to figure out the next chapter.

“During that time, I was sort of toying with the idea of the store,” Haworth tells me over the phone.

“Toronto has great retail, but there’s definitely space for more.”

Haworth had been doing some creative consulting and styling while trying to figure out how to make Absolutely Fabrics a reality when she discovered the perfect space. Thanks to her established connections to the New York fashion scene, her knowledge as a designer and her talent for editing and curating clothing items, the store began to take shape. “Because I have been on the other side, I [was] thinking of it in a way that maybe other people [don’t], which is how do we actually create partnerships with the designers?” she explains. “And how do we work through all the PR and the marketing and figure out who actually has a viable business, who’s making really beautiful things and who has buzz? But first and foremost, are the clothes good?”

With a selection of pieces by up-and-coming and often-hardto-find-here designers, the store opened its doors on Queen Street West in September 2023 and immediately took off. “I want it to be about discovery,” she says. “It’s great if you know some of the brands and they bring you to the store, but I also want you to spend time here and discover something new and try stuff on.” An avid fan of vintage clothing, Haworth also wanted pre-loved pieces to live alongside more current collections. “I think it’s the way people shop now,” she says. “Yes, there’s a nice feeling when you find a vintage piece that’s a little bit rare and special, [but I think it’s also interesting to see and showcase the fact that [these pieces] stand the test of time and look like something you might buy from a present-day designer.”

The real magic of Absolutely Fabrics is about offering shoppers something they can’t get online or anywhere else. Haworth adds value to the experience by having a super-knowledgeable staff and hosting events, pop-ups, special dinners and in-store shopping experiences with designers present so that customers can actually interact with the people creating the clothing they buy. Taking things a step further, Haworth just launched an in-house line, starting with a hoodie and matching sweatpants.

“I think it’s important that we also think about people who just want to engage with the store and feel a bit of that community,” she says. To that end, Haworth is working on evolving the brand matrix, connecting with new designers and introducing them to the fashion community in Toronto. “What really gets me excited is these beautiful brands with interesting stories and clothing that is gorgeous and wearable,” she says. “It’s [about] bringing people into these worlds and having them understand why they’re buying this and why they’re going to have it for 20 years. I think that’s so important.”

SHOP TALK

Looking for other curated shopping experiences? Five fashion stylists share their favourite bricks-and-mortar stores across the country.

By TRUC NGUYEN

MANY OF US SHOP MOSTLY ONLINE and via our phones these days, browsing e-comm websites like it’s a side hustle and heedlessly adding things we’re coveting (thanks to social media and Substacks) to our carts. But there’s still something so compelling about an intimate in-person retail experience, especially at a boutique or space that offers a distinct point of view and well-curated selection. You might discover a new brand, try on (and fall for) something that’s a little out of your comfort zone and even get advice from the fashion pros behind the edit. To find out about great bricks-and-mortar shopping experiences, we asked five in-the-know stylists across Canada to share their latest retail discoveries. Here are seven newish boutiques and studios they’re raving about, from a by-appointment-only vintage shop in Montreal where you can find Galliano for Dior snakeskin booties to a Toronto lifestyle concept store that carries Lemaire alongside By The Namesake.

MONTREAL

TAKE THREE 5594 Boulevard Saint Laurent

The brainchild of Alexandra Di Campo, Kim Belley and Sarah Power (each of whom had been selling vintage under their own brands for several years), Take Three opened last June. Shoppers will find both vintage items and new garments by local designers and artists, and the boutique also offers limited on-site alterations upon request. “It’s one of the most interesting new boutiques in Montreal’s Mile End,” says Amanda Lee Shirreffs, a Montreal-based editorial-fashion stylist. “[The owners] have perfectly curated an exciting selection of vintage while also showcasing the city’s buzziest new designers.” Look for knitwear by Made to Be Mad, sculptural garments by Genève-Florence and jewellery by Soie Lait.

LE PALAIS 5555 Avenue de Gaspé

Last summer, Oriane Valiani of Vestibule Vintage and Hanna Allan of Le Sleepover collaborated to open vintage boutique Le Palais. “If you’re looking for rarities like fall/winter 2000 Dior snakeskin booties, this is your place,” says Shirreffs, adding that the showroom offers “a very thoughtfully curated selection at reasonable prices.” She notes that private shopping appointments have to be booked via Instagram.

CENTERPIECE 6250 Rue Hutchison #305

Shira Hershkop, a fashion stylist and consultant in Toronto, says this shop is her newest obsession. “It really is more than just a furniture store; it feels like a lifestyle brand,” she says. “Julia, the curator behind this Montreal gem, has a remarkable eye for design, filling her shop with unique 20th-century collectibles and vintage furniture you won’t find anywhere else.” Founded in 2020, Centerpiece opened a studio space in 2023 and began offering in-person shopping by appointment last year. The shop carries vintage furniture and objects as well as new items like kitchen essentials and tableware by Alessi and Sabre Paris, rugs by Catalog Three and lighting by Colin Chetwood. “We like to say that our collections are where art, joy and style coalesce,” says founder Julia Johnson, who has a background in fashion and also works as a creative director.

“Folks can expect to find 20th-century vintage furniture and decor with a sophisticated sensibility and [featuring] interesting colours, textiles, forms, craftsmanship and materials.”

TORONTO

SMOKING VINTAGE

514A Annette Street

“When I get the urge to update my wardrobe, I like to start at Smoking Vintage,” says Hershkop. “Though it’s small in size, the shop is inviting and the selection is impressive. There’s a constant rotation of new items, making it a shopping staple [for me].” Owner Alex daCosta, who describes herself as a lifelong clothes lover and vintage collector, opened this permanent retail location last September after previously selling vintage clothing by appointment and at pop-ups. The west-end Toronto boutique specializes in “effortless, flattering and interesting” archival runway pieces from the mid-’90s to the early 2000s, although daCosta strives to have something for everyone. “[The store has] a playful and feminine curation of designer

and non-designer vintage clothing and accessories with a spotlight on Italian brands,” says Skye Kelton, a fashion stylist who works between Toronto and New York. “Alex is so good at helping you find a memorable piece that perfectly suits you. I always leave with something that makes me feel special.”

RIVER CROSSING 754 Queen Street West

“River Crossing is a Toronto-based lifestyle concept store featuring a curated blend of emerging and established global brands,” says freelance fashion and television stylist Queenette Olu. “Showcasing high-end pieces from designers like By The Namesake and artists like Nathalee Paolinelli, it provides a unique shopping experience for those seeking timeless, artistic luxury in both fashion and decor.” Founder and owner Leah Mersky worked in the art world before opening, last spring, this elegant gallery-like Toronto boutique, which offers home goods as well as new and vintage fashion sourced from around the world. “[This shop] is a place I typically go to to find inspiration,” says Hershkop. “There is always something new and interesting to look at.”

VANCOUVER

MINE & YOURS 2061

West 4th Street

Leila Bani, a stylist and consultant in Vancouver, highly recommends a visit to the Kitsilano location of designer resale and consignment retailer Mine & Yours. “The space is beautiful, the staff are exceptional and, of course, consignment contributes to extending the fashion life cycle,” says Bani. The 164-squaremetre store, which opened in the fall of 2023, was designed by Fay Mihailides Design to look luxurious but also feel “like your best friend’s closet.”

NEIGHBOUR WOMEN 93 West Cordova Street

The first Neighbour Women opened in 2015, and in December 2023, the boutique was moved to a larger location on West Cordova Street in Vancouver’s Gastown neighbourhood. “The women’s store is in a historic single-storey building that was built in 1910 as a branch of the Union Bank of Canada,” says co-owner Karyna Schultz. “The space had beautiful details already, and we worked with Olivia Bull and Dan Garrod of ODDO to redesign the interiors for our needs.” Bani is a fan. “[It] is such a beautiful space, and the selection is brilliant,” she says. “They carry lust-inducing brands such as Lemaire, CFCL, Bode, Julia Heuer and Our Legacy.”

RIVER CROSSING, TORONTO

To Have and to Hold

We break down the bridal trends that will be making their way down the aisle—and into your feed—this year.

By SUMIKO WILSON

WEDDINGS ARE MICROCOSMS

No journey down the aisle exists in a vacuum, not even for the most unconventional bride. When Kamala Harris, mimicking her mother, said, “You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you,” she could very well have been referring to bridal fashion. Trends appear, explode and dissipate. But there always comes a point when they re-emerge, either presented in a reimagined form or simply viewed in a new light.

During Bridal Fashion Week last fall, when New York City was engulfed in a sea of white lace, chiffon and tulle, designers showcased collections that were heavy on ’90s and ’00s references with a Victorian twist. Danielle Gulic and Yvonne Reidy, owners of Toronto bridal concept store Loversland, noted that many of this year’s bridal trends have a subtle undercurrent of nostalgia. “It’s [taking] things of the past and adding contemporary elements to them,” explains Reidy. “[It’s] a weird little blend of the past and the future.” The duo agree that this year’s bridal buzzword is “romance.” Apropos, yes, but also evocative: Throughout Bridal Fashion Week, delicate lace and high-concept corsetry reigned supreme. So, with the help of Gulic and Reidy, we broke down some of the trends we’ll be seeing everywhere for this year’s bridal season.

TIGHTEN UP

If the abundance of cinched waists is any indication, we’re still in the afterglow of John Galliano’s Maison Margiela spring/ summer 2024 couture show. The corseted bodice is also part of the signature stamp of Wiederhoeft, the Gothic go-to for Instagram’s most stylish brides. Gulic attributes the rise in bridal corsetry to the omnipresence of cameras on the big day as well as brides’ growing sartorial awareness thanks to social media. “I always say that ready-to-wear has a great influence on bridal,” she says. “Because photos and content are [always focused on] the bride, I think being in a corset and a structured top makes them feel in there and cinched.”

Millie Bobby Brown wore two corseted gowns (out of her four total looks) for her under-the-radar nuptials in Tuscany last spring. The Galia Lahav design that she wore for her ceremony was a custom variation of the brand’s “Anais” dress featuring a corseted drop-waist bodice and a fishtail skirt. After saying “I do,” she slipped into a number from Valentino’s fall/winter 1993/1994 collection, which she sourced from vintage-bridal salon Happy Isles. At Bridal Fashion Week, the corseted “Hotham” gown by Australian brand Kyha Studios hearkened back to the shape of Brown’s second gown, with its elegant high neck and cap sleeves.

LUST FOR LACE

Yes, lace has always been a go-to for brides looking to add an ultra-feminine touch to their look, but the fabric has recently peaked in popularity. For their 2025 collections, designers like Emilia Wickstead and Rime Arodaky embellished dresses with hints of lace, giving the timeless fabric a contemporary edge. “For girls who are really on-trend, I think they’re going full-on lace,” says Gulic. “But people are also trying a lace-trim veil or a lace sleeve. I think those are great ways to tiptoe into the trend. For a lot of girls, lace is still scary.” However, this is not your grandmother’s lace. “When a lot of girls think about bridal lace, they’re thinking appliqué, but these are very, very soft and very floral.”

FORMER GIRLFRIEND

WIEDERHOEFT

The “Jade” gown by Former Girlfriend, an emerging Canadian bridal brand, offers a sensual take on the trend, with soft-washed and layered Chantilly lace adorning the structured silhouette. When paparazzi photos of Lana Del Rey’s Louisiana ceremony were released last fall, the internet was abuzz trying to find details on her gown. The dress, which was designed by Cinq, featured a scalloped ruffled neckline and a full skirt. While the brand later confirmed that it was a custom creation for the singer, it did resemble Cinq’s “The River” dress, which features ivory cotton lace all over. “Cinq has been doing lace for the last little bit, and they’re not doing it in a traditional way—they’re pleating it under tulle so it’s layered,” explains Gulic. She cites Del Rey’s dress as a prime example of this. “[The brand] is doing a really good job [of] making lace in a way you haven’t seen done before—it’s not like in the ’80s or ’90s.”

THAT’S A WRAP

This year, you can expect scarves to continue rising as the must-have bridal accessory du jour, and Alex Cooper is partly to thank. After exchanging vows in Riviera Maya last spring, the Call Her Daddy host changed into a draped flowing dress from Alexander McQueen’s 2003 Irere collection. The photos showing her strutting into her reception as her dress—and accompanying scarf—flowed in the wind rivalled a ’90s Sandals Resorts commercial (in a good way). At Loversland, Cooper’s bridal moment is a popular reference point for 2025 brides, says Reidy. But bridal scarves are continuing to evolve. “Last year, it was more silk satin; now we’re seeing lace, tulle and crepe [scarves], plus they’re longer,” she continues. “Right now, we’re getting into fabrics that look a bit more stiff,” adds Gulic. “They hold

that volume.” The texture and material are key factors in how the scarf will ultimately sit. “A silk-tulle scarf is going to sit a lot nicer than a satin scarf,” says Gulic. “And with the thickness, it is a bit about where your neckline hits.”

At her preview during Bridal Fashion Week, British designer Sassi Holford paired her drop-waist “Alexis” gown with a floorlength silk scarf. Meanwhile, Hera Couture’s latest collection featured scarves styled with a number of strapless designs, including the pleated satin “Rouge” two-piece. The scarf can be a way to add versatility to a bridal look without needing an entirely different gown, but there is much to consider. “Some dresses call for [a scarf], and some don’t,” says Gulic. “It’s a great accessory. Another thing we’ve seen in the past few years that’s not going anywhere is the accessory—the add-on. It goes back to [having] multiple looks. Not everyone’s an influencer who [can have] seven looks, so for a lot of girls, the silk scarf is a great way to elevate their look and separate the evening reception from the ceremony.”

SHEER ELEGANCE

Sheer was spotted all over the runways—from Issey Miyake to Loewe—at the spring/summer 2025 ready-to-wear shows, and bridal is swiftly following suit. Whether it’s sheer organza, sheer tulle or a “naked dress,” this trend will appeal to the more daring brides. “We’ve seen it so much on red carpets, and I think for the bold brides, a sheer moment has been popular for some time,” says Reidy. “It’s something that we’re going to continue to see if they want to wow their guests.”

Sheer wedding gowns can be both elegant and irreverent, creating a sense of duality that feels very now, with a clear nod to the ’90s. (Remember Kate Moss’ iconic shimmering sheath?) The latest collection from Vancouver-based brand Tempête includes a high-neck mesh dress, while New York City brand Honor’s recent offerings have whimsical twists, with one gown made of see-through silk organza being embellished by ruffles, puffed sleeves and a Victorian-lace lining and another featuring a beaded, embroidered corset over a textured sheer dress.

For brides who aren’t so keen on feeling exposed for their ceremony, a sheer number can be an exciting outfit change for a reception or afterparty. And if visible undergarments feel too risqué, delicate sheer elements can introduce an ethereal air, adding depth and intrigue to a look. Case in point? The “Kylie” dress from Sophie et Voilà pairs a crepe mini with a floor-length silk-organza skirt, and the brand’s “Kaia” design does the reverse, combining a see-through silk top with a duchess-satin lower half.

HONOR NYC

DENIM REFRESH

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Canadian-born designer ERDEM MORALIO Ğ LU looks toward the future while drawing inspiration from the past.

By JOANNA FOX

FOR ANY MONTREALER WHO FOLLOWS FASHION , the name Erdem Moralıoğlu evokes a strong sense of pride. The journey of a local boy who moved to London, England, and went on to succeed in the fashion industry on an international level is the ultimate haute inspirational tale. With his independent namesake brand, Moralıoğlu has been awarded numerous prestigious fashion accolades, collaborated on a collection with H&M and become a highly anticipated name on the runways at London Fashion Week and was also appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire. More recently, Moralıoğlu attended the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (of which he’s a past winner) in Toronto to honour supermodel—and good friend—Linda Evangelista with the Vanguard Award, which was bestowed in celebration of her lasting influence in the industry and beyond.

Full disclosure: In his late teens, Moralıoğlu used to hang out in the kitchen of my family home with my sister and their friends in between classes at Montreal’s Marianopolis College (which is a CEGEP—a two-year pre-university college system exclusive to Quebec). He was funny, kind and extremely smart and always took the time to talk to me, even though I was just the younger sibling lurking around and trying to be cool around the college kids. As I got older, his name often came up in conversation with mutual friends. His accomplishments became our accomplishments by proxy—we took pure delight in the fact that someone from our hometown was making their way up the global fashion ranks.

Already touted as a fashion legend, the now 47-year-old is known for his feminine silhouettes, combining romanticism with contemporary sophistication and playing with fabrics, intricate floral prints and delicate embroidery. His designs focus on contrast and layering and have been worn by everyone from Kate Middleton to Kate Winslet.

Born in Montreal to a British mother and a Turkish father, Moralıoğlu and his twin sister, Sara, grew up in a picturesque neighbourhood just west of the city. From a young age, the designer knew that he wanted to pursue a life in fashion. “I think it was [as soon as] I was given a piece of paper and a crayon,” he says. “Most kids would draw a tree, and I would always draw a woman. I understood proportions and drew waists, dresses and skirts.” As he got older, he would watch anything related to fashion on television and was particularly drawn to Yves Saint Laurent. “I understood that there was a world out there where people made clothes and that was a living and a career. And I knew that it was a world I wanted to be a part of.”

After CEGEP, Moralıoğlu went on to Toronto Metropolitan University (then Ryerson University) to pursue a bachelor’s degree in fashion before moving to the U.K. to attend London’s Royal College of Art. (As a new grad, he sold his first collection to Barneys in New York City.) He interned for

Vivienne Westwood, got a job after graduation with Diane von Furstenberg and moved to New York but ultimately made his way back to London, where he launched Erdem in 2005 and now lives with his husband, architect Philip Joseph. But it has been a long and often challenging journey. The secret to staying motivated? “Coffee!” he replies, half joking. I spoke with Moralıoğlu about Montreal, making his mark, his inspirations and his spring/summer 2025 collection.

GROWING UP IN MONTREAL, WERE YOU INSPIRED BY THE FASHION THERE? “I grew up in the suburbs, and I would sit in front of the TV in my basement, seeking out anything I could find that would take me to the world of fashion. From a young age, I was obsessed with FashionTelevision with Jeanne Beker and Tim Blanks on Fashion File. I was always captivated by the worlds they were showing me.”

WAS THERE SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE WHO ENCOURAGED YOU TO DREAM BEYOND THE CONFINES OF YOUR HOMETOWN? “There were so many people who helped me along the way. I always knew that I was going to leave at some point; I just had to figure it out step by step.”

WHEN YOU WERE STUDYING AT CEGEP, WHAT KIND OF CAREER TRAJECTORY DID YOU IMAGINE? “The time that I was at Marianopolis was really instrumental in where I would end up going. I spent two years in the liberal-arts program studying art history, English literature and philosophy. There was something so open and free about the course that allowed me to explore pursuing design.”

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE SPOT IN MONTREAL WHEN YOU COME BACK TO VISIT? “I’m married to an architect, so the Canadian Centre of Architecture is close to my heart. The Habitat 67—a dramatic series of concrete cubes built in the 1960s—is one of my favourite buildings in the world. It’s where Leonard Cohen filmed his music video for ‘In My Secret Life.’”

WAS THERE A PARTICULAR CATALYST IN THOSE EARLY DAYS THAT MADE YOU REALIZE A CAREER IN FASHION WAS POSSIBLE?

“In all honesty, Montreal itself didn’t have a huge amount in the way of fashion. I always found myself looking outside, although there were some designers doing interesting things at the time, like Ezo. To me, the catalyst was watching everything happening in London and Paris in the ’90s.”

DID YOU EVER HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE CAREER PATH? “I was always really interested in the history of art. If I hadn’t become a designer, I would most likely have been involved in the art world in some shape or form. I was always fascinated by museums and curation.”

“I GREW UP FASCINATED BY BOOKS AND HAVE ALWAYS FOUND INSPIRATION IN WHAT I READ.”

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT THOSE EARLY CAREER DAYS? “I lost my parents when I was quite young. It was very difficult to navigate those early years without them there. It was an exciting time but also a really sad time.”

YOU’RE A GREAT FAN OF HISTORY AND LITERATURE. WAS THERE A PARTICULAR NOVEL OR CHARACTER THAT INFLUENCED YOUR EARLIEST WORK? “I grew up fascinated by books and have always found inspiration in what I read. It typically starts with a passage that captivates me. I’m not necessarily searching out a theme, but my eyes are always open, and I usually know when it could lead to something interesting. Early on, I was really interested in the works of the Bloomsbury Group—which is [funny] as I now live in Bloomsbury. My earliest inspiration was Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, [which is about] a character who shape-shifts, time-travels and changes gender.”

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOU HAD “MADE IT,” SO TO SPEAK? “There have been so many incredible moments that I will never forget, but I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I have made it. However, [recalling] moments like my first collection being bought by Barneys, my first British or American Vogue cover and opening my first store in London does make me stop and realize how far I have come.”

DO YOU HAVE AN EARLY “PINCH ME” MOMENT? “It’s hard to pick just one, but something that was very special was being included in the Met exhibition in 2019. It was very surreal to see two of my outfits in the exhibition. And, of course, any time I dress Madonna is always a ‘pinch me’ moment.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE EVOLUTION OF YOUR DESIGN AESTHETIC? “My design aesthetic is informed by contrasts. I have always been fascinated by contrasts: something feminine combined with something masculine, something beautifully finished combined with something undone, something heavy combined with something light. Although my design aesthetic and muses can change from one season to the next, that language and handwriting is consistent throughout my collections.”

CAN WE TALK A BIT ABOUT YOUR SPRING/SUMMER 2025 COLLECTION? I ’VE HEARD YOU SAY THAT THIS JOURNEY HAS BEEN LIKE A THREE-PART ARC, CONCLUDING WITH THIS COLLECTION. “Yes, I see this collection as the final part of a trilogy, which started with Deborah Mitford, followed by Maria Callas and then Radclyffe Hall. I was fascinated by Hall’s book The Well of Loneliness and particularly the idea of gender. In the show, I wanted to explore the push and pull of masculine and feminine dressing.”

WHICH PIECES MADE YOU HAPPIEST? “The tailored looks I made in collaboration with Savile Row tailor Edward Sexton. It was wonderful to create something so overtly masculine.”

WHAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WITH THIS COLLECTION? “With every collection, the biggest challenge is time—there is never enough. I suppose every collection has its own challenges and it’s about how we overcome them as a team. But no matter how difficult it is, we always enjoy the process.”

WHAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE PROUDEST MOMENTS OF YOUR CAREER THUS FAR? “I am proud of so much of what we have been able to do, but one of the main things is remaining independent for almost 20 years. That comes with its own challenges, of course, but also freedom and creativity.”

WHAT ADVICE MIGHT YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT? “Keep calm and carry on. No matter what, pursue your dream.”

Your go-to bar?

“Right now, I’m obsessed with lychee martinis, especially the ones at Lure Fishbar in New York. In Montreal, I love to pop into Double’s for a drink and to play pool with friends. It’s so much fun there.”

Clothing brand for everyday wear?

“For high end, I always find myself wanting to wear Isabel Marant. For more affordable pieces,

Favourite spring/ summer 2025 trend?

“Boho chic, or romantic chic, like what we saw at Chloé. You could also see some notes of it at Isabel Marant and McQueen. I’m inspired by that style right now— romantic is big, and I’m really loving it.”

Where do you get your style inspo?

“From runways and online shopping. And I follow a few content creators who I think are inspirational, like Livia Nunes Marques (@livia), Olivia Pezzente (@oliviapezzente), MV Tiangue (@mv.tiangue) and Veneda Carter (@venedaacarter). I also love to find emerging designers on Up Next (@upnextdesigner).”

Favourite consignment shop?

“If I want to shop in person, I love James Veloria in New York. It’s hidden in Chinatown, and it’s amazing. For online shopping, I love VSP Consignment. It’s Canadian, which is cool, and the prices are really good.”

10 QUESTIONS WITH Isabelle Allain

Meet the 26-year-old Montreal-based fashion-content creator who is better known as @izzipoopi and now calls New York her second home. Oh, and she’s a Scorpio.

By JOANNA FOX

Best style advice?

“Wear whatever you want! Also, one [approach] that I’m integrating [into my wardrobe] now is mixing the old with the new. I don’t personally love a full vintage look, but some vintage mixed in is really fun and easy.”

Best spring/summer 2025 runway show you saw?

“I loved Prada. It was a lot of old with the new, and I thought it was surprising and interesting—there were so many textures and colours that were not expected. It was really good. Other strong shows were Loewe, Louis Vuitton and Alexander McQueen.”

Best budget-friendly beauty product?

“It’s boring, but I have never cheated on my Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. I’ve been using it for at least seven years.”

If you could steal someone’s wardrobe, whose would it be?

“[Canadian actor] Taylor Russell’s because she has so much custom Loewe. Or Kate Moss’— she has such great gems.”

Designer piece you have been dreaming about lately?

“The gigantic Alaïa ‘Sphere Cuff’ bracelet. It’s so beautiful. And I’m also obsessed with, like, the huge McQueen shearling jacket. I’m having a McQueen moment.”

THE COMEBACK FILES

CHLOÉ

Chemena Kamali’s latest collections for the house have ushered in a new era of its bohemian codes.

By RANDI BERGMAN

IN MARCH 2024 , after Chemena Kamali debuted her first collection as the new creative director of Chloé, fashion obsessives erupted in a resounding proclamation: “Boho is back!” The showing of fluttery, flowy ruffles on minidresses, sheer caftans and capelets for fall/winter 2024/2025 felt like a slam dunk for those who’d been stashing away their hobo bags in anticipation. Images of its star-studded front row—including Sienna Miller, Liya Kebede, Jerry Hall and Georgia May Jagger—sporting identical wooden platform

wedges went viral, inducing a sudden desire in many of us to switch out of dainty kitten heels and into major clunkers. Following the show, Kamali’s brand of boho chic was everywhere: Suki Waterhouse opened for Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour last August in head-to-toe ruffles, Daisy Edgar-Jones fangirled out with a variety of Chloé looks while promoting Twisters last summer and Miller—the ultimate OG Chloé girl—was repping the house as if it were 2005 again. And in some corners of the internet, it was 2005 again—and

1999 and 1984. Many of the brand’s former (mostly female) designers were experiencing their own resurgences, from Hannah MacGibbon’s “Marcie” bag peaking in demand on the resale market to Stella McCartney’s horse prints finding new celebrity fans. In an era of micro-trends, it felt like a mass reclamation of what Chloé does best: that je ne sais quoi

Founded in 1952 by Egyptian-born Gaby Aghion, Chloé is one of the original ready-to-wear houses. It brought a youthful bohemian sensibility to high-end fashion at a time when hats and gloves were still de rigueur for women. Aghion, who reportedly identified as a communist (hey, so did Miuccia), believed in radical simplicity for the everyday and hired a series of young talents to design according to her vision. In 1966, she teamed up with Karl Lagerfeld, who would establish the house as a major player with styles that epitomized Parisian chic. During his 24-year-total tenure (from 1964 to 1983 and then again from 1992 to 1997), Lagerfeld created designs that celebrated a more relaxed form of luxury than he’d come to be known for at Chanel.

Throughout the years, Chloé was a springboard for some of fashion’s biggest talents—in 1997, a fresh-out-of-school McCartney took over from Lagerfeld and gave the house a sexier sensibility, with bias-cut dresses and cheeky prints (banana

appliqués over the breasts on a T-shirt with the words “Keep your bananas off my melons” down the back for one). When Phoebe Philo, who had been McCartney’s assistant, took over in 2001, she re-established Chloé’s firm grip on boho, catapulting the brand to the height of its popularity in the mid-aughts with styles that melded romanticism with pared-back simplicity. (For millennials, images of Mischa Barton shielding herself from the paparazzi with Philo’s Paddington bag have become core fashion memories.) Many followed, including MacGibbon, Clare Waight Keller and Gabriela Hearst, each of whom put their own spin on the house codes. Aghion died in 2014, having built one of the industry’s rarefied incubators for women.

Back in the present day, Kamali’s ability to channel the Chloé girl is in part a result of her own incubation with the house—she started as an intern two decades ago and worked on Philo’s and Waight Keller’s design teams. For spring/ summer 2025, Kamali kept the boho streak going with lacy boudoir-ready layers that were shown alongside gathered and oversized outerwear. It felt like a page out of Lagerfeld’s book. (In fact, his spring/summer 1977 and 1978 collections were on Kamali’s mood board.) The collection, like Kamali’s approach, goes beyond nostalgia: It’s a confident evolution of the house’s carefree spirit, which, at this moment, feels so right.

GREATEST HITS

If you’re looking to start your own Chloé archive, take a walk through its designer hall of fame.

KARL LAGERFELD

Lagerfeld often combined flowing fabrics and loose silhouettes with bold, sometimes surrealist prints. One of his most famous designs was a mesh-and-crystalviolin-embellished dolman-sleeved dress (for spring/ summer 1984, his final collection of his first stint for the house) that straddled the chic-camp divide. His Chloé pieces are harder to come by on the vintage market, so consider them collection-builders.

VIOLIN DRESS, CHLOÉ BY KARL LAGERFELD ($6,099, 1STDIBS.COM)

STELLA MCCARTNEY

“The spring/summer 2001 bias-cut pieces are so flattering for a woman’s body, and that’s a major reason why they sell so well,” says Brandon Veloria of New York/Los Angeles designer vintage boutique James Veloria. “They’re flirty and fun, but they also look good on.” Arguably McCartney’s most famous collection for the house, it featured a slew of horse (and banana and pineapple) prints that shimmied up skirts and cascaded down dresses.

“KEEP YOUR BANANAS OFF MY MELONS” TOP, CHLOÉ BY STELLA MCCARTNEY ($495, JAMESVELORIA.COM)

After Kamali’s debut, the popular resale platform Vestiaire Collective sold a record 2,000 Chloé pieces in one month, in part thanks to Philo’s iconic “Paddington” bag, a heavy padlocked shoulder bag that was the subject of paparazzi fascination when it debuted back in 2005. The archive is so popular that Vestiaire has officially partnered with Chloé to buy back eligible products equipped with a digital ID and resell them.

“PADDINGTON” BAG, CHLOÉ BY PHOEBE PHILO ($1,358, VESTIAIRECOLLECTIVE.COM)

PHOEBE PHILO

STILL HERE

A decade after ALESSIA CARA’s defiant debut, the star’s fourth LP reaffirms her enduring and authentic imprint on pop music.

By SUMIKO WILSON

IN ORDER TO FIND HER NEW SOUND, Alessia Cara needed to be silent. After releasing In the Meantime in 2021—her third album in five years— the Grammy winner found herself grappling with a bout of writer’s block. Having first picked up a guitar at 10 years old and debuted a single at 18, the 28-year-old Canadian songstress wasn’t unfamiliar with the affliction. But this time, she approached things differently.

“I had to just wait it out,” she says over Zoom. “On some occasions, writing your way through a funk can be good, and I have done that in the past, but this time around felt different. I felt like I just needed time away from [songwriting] until I missed it again.” During this self-imposed sabbatical, she turned to the past, keeping 1960s and ’70s greats like Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin on heavy rotation. Songs from the era inspired her to pick up her pen again. “Music felt a lot more honest and passionate back [then] because of the lack of all those extra things we have today that make it feel not as pure—all the extra pressures,” she says. “I tried to approach [writing] the way I think they used to approach it: by being honest and doing it for the love of [the craft].”

Since bursting onto the scene, Cara has asserted herself as a musician who places substance over sparkle, with storytelling at the core of her artistry. A devoted student of pop, she listened to the likes of Hilary Duff, the Black Eyed Peas and Rihanna on her first iPod while growing up in Brampton, Ont. But since the onset of her career, she’s been keen on carving out a new way to be a pop star—without the frill of crafting an extravagant persona, the need for constant reinvention or a reliance

“I just had to reshape my relationship with music again in a way that felt pure and innocent—like how I did before I started doing this professionally.”

on calculated stunts. Ten years, four albums and a Grammy later, she hasn’t wavered from this formula—and it’s worked.

In order to return to songwriting, she had to channel her roots as a music fan first and foremost. “I’ve been doing this for so long, and sometimes when you make your hobby or passion the thing that is also your livelihood, it can be really hard to maintain the purity in that because there are all these other factors. Then you start to resent it,” she explains. “I just had to reshape my relationship with music again in a way that felt pure and innocent—like how I did before I started doing this professionally. Just reconnecting to why I started it in the first place.” The result is Love & Hyperbole, her introspective fourth LP, out on February 14. Over the course of its 14 tracks, Cara gradually sheds quarter-life angst for an enlightened sense of self-assurance. The album opens with “Outside,” in which she details feeling restless and isolated in L.A. In “Clearly,” the final cut, she sings from a more grounded, triumphant space. The album’s arc mirrors her own experience over the past three years. “I started the process feeling really resentful of a lot of things in my life—not only careerwise but personally as well,” she shares. “I just felt really stuck. I was like, ‘I don’t know what to do with all of this or where to go from here.’” Time, she says, was the only true solution. “I just had to go through life and open myself up again to a love of music, love of life in general and romantic love as well.” Song after song, Love & Hyperbole weaves together Cara’s journey to a more peaceful juncture in her life.

Cara’s candid, contemplative lyrics have always read like diary entries, drawing closely from her shifting perspectives as a teenager, then as a young twentysomething and now as a woman experiencing her Saturn return. Her full-length debut, Know-It-All , which turns 10 this year, stood out for its infectious indictments of toxic beauty standards (“Scars to Your Beautiful”) and teenage popularity politics (“Wild Things”). Three of its songs landed on the Billboard Hot 100, and the album earned her a Best New Artist win at the Grammys—a first for a Canadian musician. The lead single was “Here,” a sultry, soul-sampling dispatch from a subpar rager. It thrust Cara into the pop pantheon as a champion for the outsider along with contemporaries like Lorde—think “Royals”—and Taylor Swift in her “You Belong With Me” era. For Cara, “Here” represents a time capsule. She wrote the song after attending a high-school party so uncomfortable that she had to call her mother and ask her to pick her up. Within a week, it had amassed over 500,000 streams. Back then, Cara was on the universally frustrating precipice of adulthood. Today, she’s on the brink of a new decade and entirely at peace with it. “I’ve developed a lot more wisdom,” she explains. “Back then, I was really resistant to a lot of things. I was more closed off and a little bit more pessimistic. I identify with parts of her but not all of her. I think I’m a lot more open and more extroverted than I used to be. I think that just comes with growing up.”

PHOTOGRAPHY, ALEX LOUCAS

Supinder Wraich

This Canadian talent is making her presence known.

By PATRICIA KAROUNOS

WHEN SUPINDER WRAICH STARTED FILMING season one of CBC’s hit police procedural Allegiance, she thought a lot about her character, naturally. Sabrina, the protagonist of the Canadian drama, which is set in Surrey, B.C., is a talented and ambitious rookie cop eager to prove herself. So, as Wraich puts it, “every situation was new, uncomfortable and kind of scary,” which informed how the Toronto-raised actor and writer, who is also known for her role on acclaimed Canadian dramedy Sort Of, approached every scene. But when audiences actually got to watch it, they kept remarking on one thing: “People, particularly my younger female cousins, would come up to me and be like, ‘Oh, my God, Sabrina’s such a badass!’” says Wraich. “I was like, ‘Really?’ Because that’s not how I intended to play her.”

When it came time to film season two, which is currently airing on CBC and CBC Gem, Wraich couldn’t forget their words. “Having a little bit of that voice in my head and just knowing what [Sabrina] means to young women—especially in my circle of young brown women—I’ve been protective of some of those moments,” she says, pointing to a stunt scene in a car that initially had a male character behind the wheel. “Previously, I wouldn’t have advocated for something like this, but I was like, ‘No, Sabrina’s in the driver’s seat.’ Sometimes I worry about saying things like that because I never want it to [seem like it] comes from a place of ego; it comes from a place of knowing that my cousins watch this show, and if there’s going to be a badass stunt, I want them to see [my character] doing it.” It’s just one of the things that’s different about this season of Allegiance, which finds Sabrina promoted to detective and showcases exactly why Wraich is an unforgettable presence.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

“For the first season, it kind of felt like we were doing this thing in a bubble, so, in an odd way, I almost feel like I had more nerves when we started season two. For season one, there were no expectations. I equate it to writing your first book—you can take as long as you want to write it, but then comes the second one, and it’s like, ‘Oh, there’s [an expectation] I have to meet now.’ When we started filming season two, I went up to one of the producers and was like, ‘Something feels off.’ I was second-guessing my performance. And she was so lovely. She was like: ‘No, it’s just season two. You’ve done this before.’”

LAYERED STORYTELLING “With a story like this, I think it would have been harder to get greenlit if it weren’t told within the world of a police procedural. There’s a secret sauce—an element of familiarity with the story of the week. There’s going to be a crime, and the crime is going to be solved, but while you’re in this familiar story, you’re meeting this unfamiliar family and character, who, as it so happens, is just like everybody else in certain ways. But there are nuances to this family and the legacy of this family. I love the elements of Sikh history that sneak in [through] the police procedural.”

FINDING YOUR CALLING “I grew up watching a lot of TV, like many children of immigrants. Maybe some of [my interest in acting] came from there—just watching Saved by the Bell and being like, ‘How do they do this?’ I remember going to university, taking an acting class and having to read a monologue, which was probably the first time I’d really tapped into my soul and [turned] it inside out. It was somebody else’s story, but I got to say something about myself that had never been expressed before. I remember thinking: ‘Wow, whatever this thing is, it feels so good. I need to do it more.’”

OWNING IT “Writing really came out of necessity. There weren’t a lot of parts for South Asian women. I remember getting emails [about] auditions and hoping for a part like Sabrina, then opening one up, reading it and being like: ‘Oh, okay. I’ll go, but this isn’t exciting or fulfilling.’ So that’s [why I started] writing, and then I fell in love with it. You’re just in your room, on your laptop—then cut to months of hard work later and there you are, filming this thing you saw in your imagination. I love writing for that reason, because when you get to see it get made, it’s kind of wild. It’s like: ‘I did that. Nobody said I could. Nobody told me what to do. I just did it.’”

SPRING/SUMMER 2025

TREND REPORT

From natural, luminous skin to light-blue eyeshadow and undone ripples to ultra-primped updos, the latest hair and makeup looks invite you to be as bold—or as bare—as you dare.

By KATHERINE LALANCETTE

HEAT WAVE

A sweep of terracotta blush (call it “blonzer,” a blushbronzer hybrid) high on the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose gives you that post-vacation glow—sans sun damage. A few faux freckles render the illusion even more convincing.

Cut Above

Considering a chop? There’s no better time to go for a bob, a.k.a. the haircut of the moment. Whether they’re pin-straight, curly, banged or parted in the centre, there’s simply no going wrong with shoulder-grazing locks right now.

Blue Crush

A rainbow of eyeshadows brightened up the spring/summer runways, but the most popular hue of all was undoubtedly blue. From powdery mattes to frosted shimmers and robin’s egg to navy, every iteration of the colour was spotted adorning peepers.

MARQUES’ ALMEIDA

LUISA BECCARIA

LUISA BECCARIA

PINKIES UP

Presenting a nail trend that Queen Elizabeth II would have approved of. The late monarch was famously loyal to Essie’s bestselling Ballet Slippers, an elegant pale-pink polish. Similar shades graced fingertips at a bevy of shows, making the case for a timeless blush mani.

BLURRED

LINES

Give your lipliner a break and try out the season’s diffused pout. Simply dab on your colour of choice with your finger and lightly smudge the border for an effect that suggests you’ve just enjoyed a really great kiss.

ULLA JOHNSON

PAMELLA

Come Undone

It’s not quite “bed hair”—more like “nap hair.” As seen on the woman who’s got more interesting things to be thinking about than flyaways, tousled, kinked, gently dishevelled ’dos exude charming effortlessness.

J.W.ANDERSON

CHLOÉ

LIGHT-BULB MOMENT

The goal: a complexion so luminous, you’ll look like you’ve swallowed a Glow Stick. The key: a creamy, translucent highlighter devoid of any glitter swiped onto the high planes of the face—the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, the temples, the Cupid’s bow and the browbones.

SHIM-SHIMMERY

Who says you should save the sparkle for the holidays? Keep the party going through spring and summer with a twinkling touch on your lids, be it in the form of a frosted shadow or a glittery cat-eye.

InFull Bloom

Florals for spring? We know, we know—groundbreaking But instead of confining them to prints on your clothing, try incorporating them into your strands with a fetching flower barrette or clip. It’s a surefire way to dress up even the plainest ’do.

CAROLINA HERRERA

ALICE + OLIVIA

LAQUAN SMITH

EMILIA WICKSTEAD

RETRO GRADE

Bouffants, beehives, pompadours… The runways served up a veritable history lesson in ’50s and ’60s hair. For a take that’s more wearable than costumey, try embracing a little volume or jazzing up your bun or blowout with some swingy face-framing pieces.

CHERRY BOMB

Red lips never go out of style, but for a decidedly spring/summer 2025 way to rock the look, ditch the matte finish and opt instead for a highshine scarlet gloss. Bonus points if you team it up with matching nails.

Night Owls

Whenitcomestoeyelinerthisseason,smudgesandimperfectionsarewelcome, nay highly encouraged. The vibe: sooty peepers à la “indie sleaze.”

(Pictureearly-aughtsItgirlsthelikesofKateMoss,AlexaChungandtheOlsen twinsinlastnight’smakeup.)So,goahead,getmessy.

GUCCI

ERMANNOSCERVINO

LUISDEJAVIER

CHRISTIANSIRIANO

HEAVY METAL

Keep your finger on the pulse with a chrome mani. As an all-over lacquer or a glimmering accent on nude nails (on either the tips or the perimeter), silver polish proves surprisingly versatile. Dare we even call it a neutral?

This is hair that means business. At many shows, the season’s suiting was paired with slicked-back strands twisted into a low bun. It’s a quick and easy ’do (just douse your mane with gel and tie it back) to consider for your next in-office day.

Working Girls

Beauty shelves teem with products that promise to enhance this or transform that—but which ones actually live up to the hype? Editors from the 50 ELLE magazines around the world were determined to find out. They put hundreds of foundations, fragrances, face masks and more to the test to crown the best of the best. And the winners are…

By KATHERINE LALANCETTE

Dior Forever Skin Perfect Multi-Use Foundation Stick

($70, HOLTRENFREW.COM)

This nifty stick makes skin look sensational. That’s thanks in large part to its blurring technology, which swiftly deletes anything you’re not fond of while imparting the most natural, glowy finish.

“[For me], a multi-functional foundation stick is an essential tool for touching up. However, I used this one in the morning, and it lasted all day without needing a touch-up!”

– Lettie Tseng, beauty director, ELLE China

YSL Beauty

YSL Loveshine

($56, YSLBEAUTY.CA)

Take the nourishment of an oil, the sheen of a gloss and the colour payoff of a lipstick, put them together and you get YSL Loveshine—an all-inone lip product that checks every box.

“The shine is unreal! I love how you can build up the colour from sheer to bold, but my favourite thing about this is how amazing it makes your lips feel: plump, juicy and satiny smooth.”

– Katherine Lalancette, beauty director, ELLE Canada

Makeup

Chanel Stylo

Ombre et Contour

($50, CHANEL.COM)

This is an ultra-blendable crayon that makes adorning your eyes easier than ever. (It’s truly impossible to mess up.)

Use it as a liner along your lashes, a shadow across your lids or a kohl pen on your waterlines.

“Whether you’re going for a quick daytime eye or a more dramatic evening look, this product is perfect. If you’re looking for a reliable, easyto-use eye-makeup option, I highly recommend giving it a try.”

– Barbara Huber, beauty director, ELLE Germany

Burberry Goddess Eau de Parfum Intense Spray

($181 FOR 50 ML, SEPHORA.CA)

This moodier take on Burberry’s much raved about Goddess fragrance contrasts the decadence of vanilla with the warmth of patchouli and the freshness of lavender. The result is sexy, sophisticated and guaranteed to draw compliments.

“A sweet and seductive dream composed of powerful notes for an intense and memorable scent imprint. Extra points for the refillable bottle!”

– Monika Kassai, beauty & health editor, ELLE Hungary

Fragrance

Nails

Hermès Les Mains

Hermès Nail Polish

($63, HERMES.COM)

Leave it to Hermès to take our manis to luxurious new heights. The brand’s polishes go on like a dream, delivering full coverage in a single streak-free coat. The staying power is remarkable, and the shine is out of this world.

“In shades picked exclusively from Hermès’ library of colours, these are some of the prettiest nail polishes ever made.”

– Kathleen Hou, beauty director, ELLE U.S.

Leonor Greyl Sérum Énergisant

($170, SSENSE.COM)

Your scalp is in for a real treat with this gorgeous serum. Massage it into clean, damp roots to reduce thinning and protect against damage. And worry not: Even on extra-fine strands, it never feels heavy or greasy.

“Although it may sound unbelievable, this serum really helps with hair regrowth. It has restored my confidence in my hair. The smell is so pleasant that you feel like you’re at a spa.”

– Petra Windschnurer, editor-in-chief, ELLE Slovenia

Hair

($539, SEPHORA.CA)

No more fumbling with a brush and a dryer—this twoin-one tool makes styling your hair a breeze. Seriously, it yields such salon-worthy results, your hairdresser might think you’re cheating on them.

“The bristles detangle while the heat smooths and adds volume all in one easy step. My hair comes out looking sleek and fabulous, and I get to spend less time in front of the mirror—a win-win!”

– Kannagi Desai, beauty editor, ELLE India

Kérastase Première

Bain Décalcifiant

Réparateur Shampoo

($55, KERASTASE.CA)

A must-have for anyone with hard water in their

Caudalie Vinoperfect Instant Brightening AHA Micropeel

($51, CA-EN.CAUDALIE.COM)

Let’s hear it for instant gratification: Powered by alpha-hydroxy acids, this foaming peel-cleanser reveals a smoother, more luminous complexion in less than a minute. Bonus: It’s gentle enough to use daily.

“It only takes a few seconds for its ingredients to loosen stubborn dead cells and help your complexion breathe and regain its radiance.”

– Elisabeth Martorell, beauty editorin-chief, ELLE France

Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Night Power Bounce Creme Moisturizer

($168, ESTEELAUDER.CA)

You can count on this cream to make you look rested and radiant, no matter how tired you’re feeling. Its plumping properties amp up skin’s bounce to give the face a more lifted appearance. Who wouldn’t want that?

“This is a special cream that creates beautiful skin overnight. When I wake up in the morning, my skin feels soft and moist.”

– Asako Matsui, digital deputy editorin-chief/beauty director, ELLE Japan

Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Serum

($160, LANCOME.CA)

Hydrating hyaluronic acid joins forces with prebiotics and probiotics to strengthen your skin’s microbiome and give you a more youthful look. The term “anti-aging” doesn’t do this serum justice. “Time machine” might be a more apt description.

“Within the first week of application, I noticed an improvement in skin radiance and texture. As the days go by, fine lines fade and the complexion gets a real boost.”

– Marie-Noëlle Vekemans, digital editor-in-chief/beauty director, ELLE Belgium

Skin

Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask

($90, CLARINS.CA)

Think of this mask as a cold plunge for your face. It cools skin on contact and perks up the complexion in minutes.

Meanwhile, a cocktail of powerful plant extracts works to tighten and brighten.

“Inspired by cryotherapy, this mask offers an instant cooling effect that feels so good and really soothes and depuffs my skin, leaving it looking radiant.”

– Kaira Van Wijk, beauty editor, ELLE Netherlands

Body

L’Occitane en Provence Almond Milk Concentrate Body Cream

Aveda Invati Ultra Advanced Exfoliating Shampoo Light

($50, AVEDA.CA)

Specially formulated for thinning hair, this exfoliating shampoo banks on wintergreen-derived salicylic acid to banish pore-clogging residue. And while it may be tough on buildup, it’s supremely gentle on strands.

“It leaves my hair feeling refreshed, light and bouncy thanks to its natural, ecoconscious ingredients. Plus, it has a subtle refreshing fragrance.”

– Chatlina Cheyjunya, editor-in-chief, ELLE Thailand

Dr. Hauschka Regenerating Intensive Night Serum

($140, DRHAUSCHKA.CA)

Powered by an olive extract, this serum goes to work while you sleep, supporting the skin’s nightly regeneration process. By morning, you’re met with a more supple and toned epidermis.

“A ‘does it all’ serum that combines the best of nature and science to boost radiance and tackle fine lines.”

– Amelia Bell, senior site beauty editor, ELLE U.K.

Ilia Lip Sketch

Hydrating Crayon

($36, THEDETOXMARKET.CA)

This pencil achieves what used to seem impossible: punchy matte colour that doesn’t dry out your lips at all. It performs double duty, serving as either a liner or a lipstick, and doesn’t budge for a full 12 hours.

“The Lip Sketch Hydrating Crayon is loved for its blend of rich, vibrant colour and nourishing hydration. Its creamy formula glides on effortlessly, keeping lips soft and moisturized.”

– Younie Tsang, content director— beauty, ELLE Hong Kong

GOING THE Extra MILE

Conditioner is already a non-negotiable after you shampoo, but hair masks and leave-ins are equally deserving of a spot in your mane arsenal. Here’s a look at how to take your regimen to the next level.

By LESA HANNAH

MASK IT UP

Serving up intense nourishment, hair masks are “like conditioner on steroids,” says Olivia Colucci, hairstylist and owner of Toronto’s Twentyseven Studio. While they’re designed for anyone with extremely damaged hair—such as bleached-blond locks that are brittle—others can also benefit from a deep treatment that will hydrate, strengthen and repair. “It can be someone who swims a lot, someone whose hair is naturally a bit more porous, someone who does a lot of heat styling or someone whose hair texture has changed over time,” says Cindy Duplantis, a hairstylist at Chatters Hair Salon’s Mississauga location. Or if you double cleanse your hair or use a clarifying shampoo, a mask can sub in for conditioner to replenish the moisture that’s been stripped out.

Even if your locks are in great condition, there’s no reason not to use a mask once a week, especially if your hair is long. “I always say focus on mid-length to ends,” says Duplantis, referring to the section that tends to endure (and show) more wear. “You’re always losing your natural sebum just by brushing your hair or putting it back in an elastic, which can cause stretching, pulling and breakage.” Plus, the oils produced by your scalp often don’t reach the bottom of your mane, hence it tends to be drier. When in the shower, wring out as much water as possible before coating your strands with a mask to get maximum saturation of the product. The payoff will be hair that’s noticeably smoother, glossier and healthier.

LEAVE-IN LOVE

Often readily dismissed, leave-in conditioners could easily be crowned the unsung heroes of the hair-care world. Most people likely feel they don’t need one if they already use a conditioner. But while everyone should be using conditioner (“every, everyone,” says Colucci), moisture is inevitably being wicked away from your hair, whether through blow-drying, sleeping on a cotton pillowcase or even just pulling a sweatshirt over your head. “You’re constantly losing moisture,” she says. “The leave-in conditioner is going to pick up the pieces and add it back in.”

Beyond that, these products offer other benefits: They act as a detangler and provide heat protection. A leave-in can also revive your hair on no-wash days. “If your hair is looking a little dull and you want to restyle it, you can mist in a little leave-in conditioner,” says Duplantis. Unlike straight water, the leave-in will restore moisture. “It’s one of my favourite things to do because my hair’s naturally curly,” she adds. “It gives me that smoothness and pliability when [I’m] using a round brush.” A leave-in also proves a great quick fix for static during the colder months, as it neutralizes hair’s electrical charge. While most are sprays, leave-ins can also be formulated as lotions or creams. (These richer textures are ideal for thicker hair.) Which one to choose is really a matter of personal preference. But Colucci swears that once you find the one you like best, you’ll never look back. “It’s gonna be a game-changer.”

Flower POWER

Harnessing the healing properties of nature, homeopathy is said to help alleviate everything from seasonal allergies to hot flashes and joint pain.

By JULIE MATHIEU

IF YOU’VE EVER STROLLED THE AISLES of a French pharmacie on a mission to stock up on not-sold-in-Canada beauty favourites, you might have been surprised to find shelffuls of homeopathic remedies nestled among the face creams and cosmetics.

While in Canada homeopathy remains a subject of debate, in France it is recognized as a practical complementary therapy. In fact, drugstores often have on staff a pharmacist who specializes in homeopathy and can advise patients on how best to treat an ailment.

That’s what I learned on a recent trip to Lyon, France, the birthplace of Boiron, a leader in homeopathic medicine. I had the opportunity to visit various pharmacies in the region and tour Boiron’s cutting-edge facilities.

The original laboratory was established in 1932 by twins Jean and Henri Boiron, who strove to produce homeopathic medicines of the highest quality. Pioneers in research and manufacturing processes, the brothers helped advance this therapy and contributed to its worldwide recognition.

More than 90 years later, their legacy lives on as Boiron Laboratories continues to develop innovative solutions for a whole host of conditions, from teething pain in babies to menopausal night sweats. “Our mission is to offer every patient worldwide homeopathic medicines that are effective, beneficial and safe,” says Daniel Dereser, president and CEO of Boiron Canada.

Founded more than 200 years ago by German doctor Christian Samuel Hahnemann, homeopathy is based on the principle of the law of similars, also known as “like cures like,” meaning that an illness and its symptoms can be treated with a natural substance known to produce similar symptoms. These ingredients are used in tiny doses, in accordance with the belief that when a homeopathic product is diluted, it is less likely to cause side effects* Instead, it is said to trigger the body’s natural defences and generate a curative effect.

Homeopathy can also be used in conjunction with conventional medicine as part of a holistic-care approach. For example, some cancer patients rely on homeopathy to lessen the side effects of chemotherapy and some pregnant women opt for homeopathic medicines to manage their symptoms.

The manufacturing of such remedies begins with the selection of raw materials. Plant substances are macerated in a solvent to create a mother tincture, which is then diluted and potentized

(vigorously shaken) before being made into a variety of forms, such as liquid drops, granules or small pellets.

Take, for instance, Boiron’s popular Arnicare range, which features freshly harvested Arnica montana as its star ingredient. Recognizable by its sunshine-yellow blooms, this plant has been used for centuries to quell aches. The Arnicare homeopathic medicines, which include a cream, gel and roll-on as well as tablets, were developed to relieve pain and aid resorption of bruises, contusions and inflammatory oedema brought on by injuries or surgery.

The latest addition to the line is Arnicare Flex, a light, fast-absorbing cream formulated to temporally mitigate symptoms associated with arthritis pain in adults or soothe minor sprains and strains in adults and children from 10 years old. It’s fragrance-free, non-steroidal and made with 100 percent naturally sourced medicinal ingredients. Even the cap was specially designed to be easy to open and close during arthritis flare-ups.

Despite some health professionals’ reservations on this side of the Atlantic, many Canadians continue to turn to homeopathy. Indeed, a survey conducted by Harris Interactive found that 10.6 million Canadians used homeopathy in 2022 and 83 percent of Canadians who had used homeopathy in their lifetime were satisfied with it**

As Dr. Christelle Besnard-Charvet, a gynecologist and homeopath in Lyon and head of pathology and R&D-ASM at Boiron, puts it, “Homeopathy responds to an essential need: to care for patients beyond the simple treatment of illness.”

FINGER FOOD

They are one of the most-hard-working parts of the body, yet we often neglect to care for them. Here’s how to give your hands the nourishment they deserve.

By KATHERINE LALANCETTE

IT ALL STARTED WHEN KIARA BLANCHETTE was shopping at Urban Outfitters as a teenager. A woman spotted her from across the store and went up to her. “Oh, my God, you have beautiful hands!” she gushed. And thus began Blanchette’s unlikely side gig as a hand model.

The woman in question was Émilie Sanscartier, owner of Le Manoir nail salon in Montreal and founder of Gelcare polishes. Blanchette’s hands have since starred in numerous campaigns for the line as well as for other brands.

“I also do regular modelling, but I do more hand modelling than anything else,” says Blanchette, who is a content creator as well. “Honestly, it’s pretty fun!”

The job requires her to keep her paws in pristine condition. “Émilie’s like: ‘Don’t open any soda cans! Don’t help anyone move!’” Blanchette says with a laugh. In the words of Essie Weingarten, creator of Essie nail products, “Nails are jewels, not tools!”

Twice a day, she applies Caudalie’s Vinotherapy Hand & Nail Repairing Cream ($22, sephora.ca)—“I like hand creams that don’t stay too greasy so you can still use your phone and it’s not a slippery mess,” she says. She buffs her cuticles with Gelcare’s new Body Scrub Bar ($28, lemanoir.com) and regularly moisturizes them with oil. “In general, we focus just on this,” she says, pointing to her face, “and we forget the hands.”

Amy Welsman couldn’t agree more. Her Toronto-based company, Paume, is all about creating a top-notch skincare regimen for the hands, including a

renewing serum ($52, mypaume.ca), a probiotic balm ($30) and an overnight hydration mask ($46).

“Historically, a lot of hand care has been driven by scent rather than ingredients,” notes Welsman. “You’d be buying your hand cream from a candle company, not really giving any thought to what was in it.”

She wanted to change that, which is why Paume’s formulas are packed with the sort of high-performance ingredients—vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, to name a few—you’d usually find in premium face products.

For the record: They smell amazing, all boasting the brand’s signature citrusy-herbal essential-oil blend. But more importantly, they show a hearty dose of TLC to this oft-forsaken body part.

“Think of the number of things you do with your hands,” says Welsman. “You’re exposing them to chemicals, you’re cleaning, you’re getting manicures under UV lamps—you’re doing so many things that are damaging to this skin, which is very delicate.”

Indeed, similar to the under-eye area, the skin on the tops of our hands tends to be quite thin and contain fewer sebaceous glands than, say, our arms or face, which makes it more prone to dryness and quicker to show signs of aging.

That’s why prevention is key, says Welsman, as reversing dryness, crepiness or hyperpigmentation can be challenging. It can be as simple as smoothing on hand cream daily and remembering to wear sunscreen or gloves when stepping outside. A weekly coat of a strengthening treatment can also do wonders when it comes to keeping nails healthy. Consider French brand Vitry’s new Pro’Diamant Nail Repair Care, which is infused with actual diamond powder to fortify talons and enhance their shine.

And if you’d like to go the extra mile, maybe take inspiration from Welsman, who, every now and again, will give her hands an at-home spa treatment before heading to bed. She’ll use Paume’s soft-boar-bristle brush ($32) to gently clean and exfoliate her hands and cuticles—think of it as dry brushing for your fingers—before reaching for the brand’s serum (it’s great for fading dark spots), repairing balm and deep-conditioning mask. Finally, she’ll lock in all that moisture with Paume’s organic-cotton overnight gloves ($16).

The bottom line: Our hands work hard for us, so why not show them some thanks with a little pampering? As Welsman says, “Once a week, it’s such a nice thing to do.”

MULTIHYPHENATE

A true pop-culture chameleon, British model, actor and style icon CARA DELEVINGNE can now add “L’Oréal Paris muse” to her list of accomplishments. We recently spoke with the talented beauty about her best wellness and makeup tips.

By THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU

WHAT IS YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF L’ORÉAL PARIS? “L’Oréal is definitely one of the first brands I can remember being aware of. When I was five years old, I would walk around pretending I was Claudia Schiffer, and the one thing I really remember is the smell of Elnett, because my granny loved [that hairspray] so much. She would be very proud [to know that I’m a L’Oréal ambassador now].”

WHAT DOES THIS COLLABORATION MEAN TO YOU? “When people ask me about my ideal party [guest list], it would be, like, literally the L’Oréal Paris women, which is pretty amazing. And I also love the age range [of the brand’s spokespeople]— from late 20s to 80s. These women are completely individual but also share something in common.”

YOU’RE RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE LOOKS AT THE MET GALA YEAR AFTER YEAR. HOW DOES MAKEUP ALLOW YOU TO EXPRESS YOURSELF? “I’m someone who really values welldone makeup that’s very simple. But then I also love a bold statement, which I did at the Met Gala. Fashion is fun, and being able to do makeup that’s really understated and natural-looking is as much of a skill as it is to [be able to] create this kind of new, avant-garde crazy look. I don’t know if I have any specific favourites because, honestly, I try to have fun with it every time.”

WHAT DOES YOUR EVERYDAY BEAUTY ROUTINE LOOK LIKE? “I really love to experiment with different skincare [products]—I like to try everything. The one thing I always use is the Revitalift serum because it’s super moisturizing. Depending on what city I’m in, my skin is usually very dry, and that [serum has a lasting effect], which is very helpful. I always have tweezers and a facial spray [in my makeup bag]—I just love how it makes my makeup dewy again. I also have a tube of Lash Paradise mascara. I really love the brush, and the way it’s, like, winged out is great for [preventing] clumps.”

WHAT’S YOUR BEST BEAUTY TIP? “I just always want my eyes to shine the brightest, so I like using eye drops and applying a light eyeliner along the lower waterline to brighten my gaze. Then maybe I’ll add a little shimmer just on the inner corner of each eye to add an extra hint of light.”

YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY OPEN ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE PSORIASIS. OVER THE YEARS, WHAT HAS MADE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE TO YOUR SKIN HEALTH? “I think looking after myself has made a very big difference. It’s about de-stressing in some way and not [putting] too much stress on the body and [mind]. I’m not a doctor, but for me, the thing that helps the most is understanding what’s going on emotionally. I also love Ayurvedic medicine, which talks a lot about fire in the system—usually with skin-irritation issues—and opting for a non-inflammatory diet and staying away from nightshades.

But again, at the end of the day, skin is the biggest organ, and you have to love it either way.”

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? “I think I prioritize what my heart wants. I don’t think I prioritize happiness, because I can’t be happy all the time. [That state] just doesn’t exist. Your actions go up and down. Luckily enough, I have a job that I adore and [that allows me] to create. And for me, creating is the opposite of anxiety. The biggest lesson I think anyone can [learn] is that every single person is creative. Even if you don’t do it as a job, there are always things you can do to express yourself. And to me, that is amazing.”

HOW DO YOU VIEW YOUR CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND WHAT TYPES OF PROJECTS WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLORE IN THE FUTURE?

“I don’t feel like I stopped modelling to start acting; it’s just that it’s one of the things I am able to do and still do. I think I can continue to work with brands that I really align with and [take on] roles that I believe in. I try not to have any expectations or too big goals because I like to remain present. I used to have all these dreams, and I think it’s great to have dreams, and I love being able to just fantasize about stuff, [but] at the same time, I try to just appreciate where I’m at.”

CARA’S ESSENTIALS

“I miss the days when I would get ready with my friends and play with makeup and just take, like, two hours because I’d take it off, put it back on and do different looks.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2025

TREND REPORT

Welcome to the latest fashion season, which is full of high energy and a fresh-start attitude. Here’s to soft power, feminine freedom and a dash of much-needed escapism. Here’s to joy.

By JOANNA FOX

A sweet rainbow of sugary shades marshmallow pink, sherbet lemon, pistachio green—is yours for the picking. Keep them interesting à la Rabanne, with exaggerated silhouettes, Coperni, with edgy accessories, and Acne Studios, with contrasting finishes.

Candy

Shop

RABANNE

LOEWE

CHLOÉ

COPERNI

ROCHAS

CHANEL

Feathers

Tactile “touch me” textures make up this season’s feathered looks, which can be found everywhere from Chanel to Loewe. Let your closet take flight with extravagant plumes and tufted trims, or why not…

ULLA JOHNSON

Fringes

shimmy and shake in cascading fringes, slinky spaghetti loops and dazzling metallic tassels? Expect to see Dior and Proenza Schouler dresses on the coolest red-carpet regulars.

MISSONI

PROENZA SCHOULER

PROENZA SCHOULER

Underdressed

VALENTINO

MIUMIU

MARINE SERRE

CHRISTOPHERESBER

Underdressed

Too pretty to keep undercover, delicate bras and underwear as outerwear herald the return of lingerie dressing. Think winsome rather than raunchy—whites, frills and lace—with bloomers making a comeback at Chloé, an homage to Madonna’s conical bra tops popping up at Dolce & Gabbana and a new spin on sheer-bridal brilliance at Marine Serre.

STELLA MCCARTNEY

Flower Girl

Turning to a romantic antidote for troubling times, designers are heading out into nature and returning with a bombardment of floral prints and patterns. Find them bursting into bloom on Loewe’s bouncy crinoline dresses, on Prada’s wallpaper posy slip and all over Michael Kors’ retro blossomed bandeau and matching skirt.

MICHAEL

Hold On

How do you carry your clutch? Whether it’s tucked under your arm (Ferragamo), gripped in the crook of your elbow (Fendi) or clasped in hand (Gucci), a capacious clutch or slouchy tote is best held close.

MIU

FENDI

AMIPARIS

CHANEL

EMPORIO ARMANI

ERDEM

HERMÈS

THE MOOD

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Barefoot boho glamour floats into the warmer season with a flurry of ruffles, jangly belts, exuberant colours and an overall sense of effortlessness. Whether she’s on the shores of Ibiza, in the markets of Marrakesh, surfside in Costa Rica or under Goan palms, the bohemian girl makes her mark everywhere she goes. No one does it better this season than Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren and, of course, our boho queen, Chloé.

THE LOOK

COLLEGE DAYS

A+ for attitude. To put the cool in “back to school,” preppy codes—think pleated skirts (Prada) and striped blazers (Coach)—are remixed with sporty elements, like polo shirts, rugby tops and varsity jackets (Off-White).

HOW TO WEAR IT THE MIX

A high-low blend of instinctive and eclectic pieces is the way to go. Forget the rules and throw an anorak over a dazzling dress à la Prada, team tailoring with bike shorts as seen at Tod’s or channel Ann Demeulemeester and pair boxing boots with a delicate lace dress.

TOD’S

TrenchRules

When building a forever wardrobe, invest in a great trench. A pitch-perfect blend of ease and elegance, the crowd-pleasing belted coat surpassed “trend” status long ago. The everlasting appeal is in its versatility. With versions at every house, from Burberry to Lemaire to Loewe, it can be laid-back or luxurious, sleek or scruffy—just stick with a classic colour for added longevity.

LITKOVSKA

DOLCE& GABBANA

DIOR

BURBERRY

LOEWE

LEMAIRE 16ARLINGTON ERMANNOSCERVINO

STELLA MCCARTNEY

MAX MARA MAITREPIERRE

Go Sheer

Wispy organzas and fluid, tissue-fine silks were made for hot days and balmy nights. The brave will bare all beneath, but a visible bra is also on the money.

Boss

Corpcore dress codes —structured blazers, flowy trousers, button-down shirts and the occasional tie— continue to rule the runways. But today’s boss woman isn’t just about owning the nine-to-five; whether it be through Bottega Veneta’s harmonious colour palette, Chloé’s lacy details or Stella McCartney’s structured skirts, corpcore looks have five-to-nine potential too.

CHLOÉ

RABANNE

Moves

SAINT LAURENT

STELLA MCCARTNEY

ROLE

FOR WICKED STAR CYNTHIA ERIVO, EVERY CHARACTER SHE PLAYS IS A CHANCE TO KNOW HERSELF MORE DEEPLY.

By SAMUEL MAUDE Photographer FELIX COOPER Stylist PATTI WILSON

C ROLE MODEL

ynthia Erivo’s Elphaba has micro-braids. They’re new for the character, who was made iconic on Broadway with straight hair under her pointy hat. But when Erivo was cast in the film version of Wicked, a role that earned her a Golden Globe nomination, her first ask was that the witch have a textured hairstyle. “It connects to who I am underneath the skin,” says Erivo. “There’s a complete connection between me and her—we’re not just erasing who’s playing this character.”

Helping to create this Elphaba—from her freckles to her eye colour to her nails—was a detailed process that “allowed me to really fall in love with this woman,” Erivo tells me as we sit on a couch at the Equinox Hotel in New York. It’s not an opportunity she would have envisioned for herself. There has never been a full-time Black Elphaba on Broadway. (Alexia Khadime remains the only Black woman to play the part fulltime; she held the role in the West End in London, England, from 2008 to 2010 and has been back in it since 2023.) “Why would that change for the film? I couldn’t even dream about wanting it,” says Erivo. “When you’re in this skin and you walk around, you are immediately an ‘other.’ It was a really wonderful experience to step into this role, outside of my own

skin and into [that of] someone else who has also been ‘othered.’ It’s important to know what it feels like. I hope that this shifts and changes things across stages.”

Born and raised in the Stockwell neighbourhood of London, England, Erivo trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before appearing as Deloris Van Cartier in the U.K. tour of the Sister Act musical and later landed the role of Celie Harris in the 2013 revival of The Color Purple in London’s West End. When the show moved to Broadway more than two years later, she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. “When I played the role in London, it changed the way people saw me there,” says Erivo. “When I did it on Broadway, that jump-started everything.” Wicked has allowed Erivo to bring her theatrical roots to the screen in a robust way, singing live and doing her own stunts. “I feel like I was heading right here without realizing this is where I was heading,” she says. “I don’t believe that everything happens just by chance. I’m aware of how much of a gift this is.”

ON WORKING WITH ARIANA GRANDE “I’ve gained a sister. At this point, we speak almost every day. Both of us were blown away by how connected we were immediately. I remember the first day we got to come together. It was at [director] Jon M. Chu’s house, and Stephen Schwartz [who wrote Wicked ’s music and lyrics for both the OG Broadway musical and the film] was over. He played some

songs for us, and we sang together for the first time. It worked. It’s a very intimate thing to sing with someone. There’s a really beautiful dance—I need to follow you; you have to follow me. It was one of the most gratifying things to know that there was someone who was that open and available, because she was, and that meant I could be as well. We also had a beautiful relationship off-screen. We had really beautiful conversations—some that were not easy, but that’s what makes relationships. Those hard conversations you can have with someone that mean you have to be vulnerable are [what] make you close.”

ON STAYING TRUE TO HERSELF “I don’t know that I had the language when I was a kid. I knew I wanted to be an actor. I knew I wanted to be a singer. I knew I wanted to be successful. Those are the things that were very clear to me. I don’t know that I would have imagined it like this. It’s wonderful—not just because of the things that it comes with but because I got to do it as me. To be at this point and feel very much like myself and also be open to whatever growth may come feels really wonderful.”

ON THE WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD WHO HAVE INFLUENCED HER “Michelle Yeoh, because of how active and physical she is and because she’s been able to combine dramatic acting with stunts and physicality. Whenever I’m around her, I’m like the kid who’s at her feet saying ‘Tell me everything—I want to know everything.’ She just has so much knowledge, and she’s so welcoming. Cicely Tyson. The daring and the wanting to keep playing, keep expanding and keep trying different things. At one point, she was bald herself—she just shaved it all off. I love that, and it’s probably what inspired my decision to shave my head, which is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for myself. Barbra Streisand, because she’s a true Renaissance woman. To be able to direct, act, sing, write—to do all of those things and do them spectacularly... She’s just one of those women who are totally themselves, and I’m in love with that.”

ON THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN HER QUEER AND CATHOLIC IDENTITIES “I have a deep belief that God makes people as they’re meant to be. The rules that people have for themselves [and then] put upon others have nothing to do with me and my faith. I can’t allow the narrow thinking that some Christians or Catholics have [about] faith to affect how vast I think it can be. Faith is so big—so much bigger than set rules. As the times change, we are also meant to change. If me loving someone makes you upset, then we have to refocus. I think the main rule that we’re all supposed to follow is [that we should] love one another as [we] would love [ourselves]. That’s it. That’s the big overarching thing. Am I making space to care for other people, be kind to other people and be as good to other people as I would have other people be to me? If those are the things I’m following, then I think I’m following my faith.”

JACKET, SHIRT, PANTS AND BOW (NINA RICCI BY HARRIS REED), HAT (ESENSHEL), NECKLACE (DOLCE & GABBANA), HEELS (MARC JACOBS) AND RINGS AND NOSE RING (ERIVO’S OWN)

WINTER Wonderland

By SOPHIE BANFORD

An unforgettable mountainside getaway at Whistler Blackcomb, North America’s largest ski resort.

lifestyle

THE SPECTACULAR SNOW-CAPPED summits of Whistler and Blackcomb—two towering behemoths in British Columbia’s majestic Coast Mountains—are the setting of one of the mostsought-after ski experiences in the world. With their exceptional annual snowfall and impressive number of marked ski runs (there are more than 200), it’s no surprise that millions of skiers from across the skill spectrum flock to WHISTLER BLACKCOMB every year.

I’m just one of said millions to have had the good fortune to explore the resort’s extensive, winding slopes, which are nothing short of perfection for an intermediate skier like me. And thanks to the 3,300 hectares of skiable area, there are always more evergreen-lined trails and awe-inspiring alpine panoramas unfolding before your eyes.

If you want to cover more ground, you can summit-hop from Whistler to Blackcomb via the famed Peak 2 Peak Gondola—it gives you the opportunity to do more runs in less time and provides spectacular views of the valley below. You can do it alone, but guides are available for hire to help you find your bearings on these immense mountains. It’s worth noting that the resort also offers a free 90-minute group orientation session for intermediate and advanced skiers every morning of the winter season.

But a visit here isn’t just about taking advantage of all that fresh powder—there’s just as much to do off the slopes as on them. Here’s where to stay, how to unwind and where to eat and drink while on a Whistler Blackcomb winter getaway.

STAY

The stylish wood- and natural-stone-clad lobby of the FOUR SEASONS RESORT WHISTLER instantly puts your mind and body in vacation mode. With its chalet-chic vibes, this exceptional five-star hotel is made for snug relaxation after a day of shredding the slopes. The mountain views from my spacious room can only be described as “stunning,” while the sumptuous bedding, cloudlike pillows and flickering fire made the space feel more like a wellness escape than your typical mountainside accommodation. The team at the Four Seasons Resort Whistler have thought of everything to make your stay as seamless and worry-free as possible, right down to booking and preparing any ski or snowboard equipment you’ll need. After carving powder, you can entrust your snow-covered gear to someone on the Ski Valet team, and you’ll find it fresh and ready to go early the next morning. Before setting off on your alpine adventure, though, be sure to fill up on the hotel’s abundant buffet offerings, which include fresh fruit, artisanal pastries and vegetarian as well as gluten-free options—not to mention a selection of Canadian gourmet foods.

After a long day on the slopes, nothing is more soothing than a visit to the hotel’s spa. Built around wellness, this sanctuary in the snow draws treatment inspiration from the untamed nature that surrounds the property, with spa-care products starring British Columbian staples like Douglas fir and sea

clay. The spa also boasts skincare treatments for faces that have recently been exposed to freezing weather, an alpine-mint massage to soothe aching feet, a cedar sauna and eucalyptus steam room to help muscles loosen up and an outdoor hot tub that’s perfectly nestled among majestic conifers and powdery snow. FOURSEASONS.COM

EAT + DRINK

In the heart of Whistler’s pedestrian village, the acclaimed WILD BLUE RESTAURANT + BAR, which offers dishes that spotlight sustainable seafood and top-tier local ingredients, is a beacon for foodies. In 2018, its chef, Alex Chen, won Iron Chef Canada and was named Chef of the Year by Vancouver Magazine. In 2023, Air Canada’s enRoute magazine placed Wild Blue in the number two spot on its list of Best New Restaurants. The menu at this eatery is a harmonious fusion of the cuisines of France, coastal Italy and the Pacific Northwest, so guests are invited to indulge in fare such as fresh West Coast oysters, house-made pasta and grilled fish. It’s all complemented by a carefully curated wine and cocktail selection. WILDBLUERESTAURANT.COM

A stone’s throw away, BEARFOOT BISTRO is famous for an experience you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere: the Grey Goose Ice Room vodka tasting. At -32°C, this celebrated tasting room is the coldest in the world, offering the ideal conditions in which to savour 50 varieties of vodka from across the globe. Visitors don house-provided parkas, choose a vodka and sip while experts expound on the distillation and filtration processes behind all the flavour profiles. It’s a multi-sensory experience—one that demonstrates exactly how sub-zero temps can both elevate flavours and attenuate the burning sensation that typically comes with drinking straight alcohol. The dining experience at Bearfoot Bistro is not to be overlooked either; it’s brimming with local ingredients and (hot!) dishes that you’ll be talking about long after your meal.

BEARFOOTBISTRO.COM

If you’re feeling famished but also unwilling to stray from the cozy luxury you’ve grown accustomed to, I recommend heading to the Four Seasons Resort Whistler’s SIDECUT STEAKHOUSE

Ever since it opened, the restaurant has been delighting visitors with its modern twists on traditional steakhouse offerings and the freshest products the West Coast has to offer. Under the leadership of executive chef Sajish Kumar Das, Sidecut invites guests to choose from an array of expertly-hand-cut Canada

Prime Grade steaks as well as seafood sourced from the glacial waters of the Pacific. Among the specialties of the house is the prestigious and ultra-tender A5 Wagyu from olive-fed cattle raised on the Japanese island of Shōdoshima. This perfectly marbled delicacy is carefully prepared with house-made sauces and spices for a flavour combination that’s unique to the restaurant. SIDECUTSTEAKHOUSE.COM

BEFORE YOU GO

Daily shuttle service between YVR and the many hotels of Whistler Village is available and easy to come by.

Prices vary according to the time of year. An adult day pass starts at about $250.

The current ski season at Whistler Blackcomb wraps up in May 2025.

QUEST FOR SUCCESS

A new book, POOR ARTISTS, explores the trials and tribulations of navigating the art world.

By ROBB JAMIESON

IT’S BEEN 10 YEARS since U.K.-based art critics Gabrielle de la Puente and Zarina Muhammad started their website, The White Pube, as a way to publish their revolutionary writing on art and the greater art world. Its name a cheeky play on the famous London-based worldwide gallery chain White Cube (and the sterile “white cube” method of presenting art in neutral white-walled gallery spaces), the site serves as a place for the duo to call out nepotism and racism in the U.K. and the industry. They approach their writing with a sense of play and humour that never punches down, always maintaining a whip-smart criticality and clarity. As former artists themselves, de la Puente and Muhammad have a style that seems to have absorbed some of the rule-smashing open creativity of contemporary-art-making, and it comes across in Poor Artists: A Quest Into the Art World. The book reads like a story, with a mix of magical realism, dialogue from anonymous interviews with art-world professionals and personal stories. Its main character, Quest Talukdar, journeys deep into what it means to be an artist in an increasingly expensive world. Basically, it could very well be the best way to get a sense of what it’s like to be an artist today. We caught up with The White Pube twosome to ask them a few questions about their new book.

Do you think the experience of being an artist has evolved much? “Making something for beauty, not profit, and so having to rely on the finances of the rich...sounds familiar. It used to be the church or the aristocracy, and then it was powerful individuals. In the U.K. now, it’s the government. In other countries, celebrities adopt artists like pets or artists have to seek sponsorship for exhibitions and music projects from businesses like Red Bull. Same animal, different beast, and until we sort the problem of financial inequality between people, this will just carry on. That’s why we write about the Basic Income for the Arts scheme in Ireland in the book. It’s a pilot [project] giving 2,000 artists a weekly payment of €325 [CAD$484] from 2022 to 2025. If it works, God, every poor artist is going to want it, including us.”

The book gives these very engrossing perspectives of people wading through the art world—it’s at times funny, awkward and upsetting. Is it all a big social nightmare? “In the interviews we did with artists, it was clear how many people are sick to death of the networking pressure that comes with being part of this industry. Artists just want to focus on their art. They don’t want relationships with all these various acquaintances that they wouldn’t want to spend time with in their personal life to become a distraction from their art or a threat to their progression as an artist. These stories went toward creating characters like Valentine, who in the book is secluded in his castle. We’ve met some terrible people who could have saved us financially if we had pretended to like them. Fortunately, we are bad liars so we could never do such a thing.”

Did you also think of Poor Artists as a great opportunity to introduce people to art you love? “When we pitched it to our publisher, we said we wanted it to be the book we wish we could have read 10 years ago. We both knew nothing about how money operates in art, so that’s part of the education we wanted to offer in the form of this weird textbook. The other side of it is the art itself. Good art gets lost in the conversation when we’re all too worn out to talk about anything other than money, rent, health care and political violence. We wanted to soften the blow a little by bringing it back to the reason we’re critics, the reason curators are curators and the reason galleries exist in the first place: art. The artworks listed in the chapters are all Gabrielle’s personal favourites, chosen specifically because they are [pieces] that aren’t just paintings on a wall but [also] artworks that have become lore or gossip—that have become bigger than themselves. They also hopefully ground the surreal plot of Poor Artists in the real world so that readers understand that they have the power to do surreal things themselves, and maybe then we can work together to change the face of this unequal reality.”

POOR ARTISTS: A QUEST INTO THE ART WORLD BY ZARINA MUHAMMAD AND GABRIELLE DE LA PUENTE ($34, AMAZON.CA)

ZARINA MUHAMMAD AND GABRIELLE DE LA PUENTE

Gut CHECK

Prioritizing gut health is the wellness movement of the year. Discover the easy routine you can introduce to support your gut.

AS EACH NEW YEAR BEGINS, so does the list of well-meaning habits—the promises to get to the gym four days a week, give up alcohol and never touch fast food again. Of course, it’s a lot easier to make a list than it is to stick to it. But if there’s one goal worth giving yourself for 2025, it’s to focus on gut health.

More than a fad, gut health is a growing area of research. “While we once thought the gut’s primary role was to digest and absorb nutrients, we now understand it is pivotal for whole-body wellness,” says Andrea Hardy, a registered dietitian and member of the ACTIVIA Gut Health Board. “Gut health isn’t just the absence of disease; it’s the feeling of digestive wellness, a balanced gut microbiota and proper digestion and absorption of nutrients.”

Of course, many people experience symptoms like bloating, gas, discomfort and rumbling—all signs that their gut may be out of whack. Thankfully, there are many ways to improve gut health, like getting enough fibre (found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and pulses), prioritizing water intake and reducing highly processed foods.

One of Hardy’s favourite easy-to-follow tips is to eat something “living” every day. “Fermented and probiotic foods offer an opportunity to introduce beneficial bacteria that can help maintain a healthy gut microbiota,” she notes. ACTIVIA, the pioneer of probiotic yogurt, contains more than one billion probiotics* per serving, making it an excellent addition to a gut-positive routine.

*With more than 109 CFU Bifidobacterium lactis —a probiotic that contributes to healthy gut flora—per serving.

PROBIOTIC PLANNING

Bring your gut-health goals to life with Hardy’s favourite quick and easy recipes that contain probiotics, fibre and polyphenols.

ZESTY BLUEBERRY

PROBIOTIC YOGURT BOWL

With the flavour of a lemon-blueberry-poppyseed muffin, this breakfast bowl is a delicious way to have probiotics.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup ACTIVIA Vanilla Probiotic Yogurt

• 1½ tsp poppy seeds

• 1½ tsp chia seeds

• z est of one lemon

• ½ cup blueberries

METHOD

• Pour the ACTIVIA Vanilla Probiotic Yogurt into a bowl.

• A dd the poppy seeds, the chia seeds and half the lemon zest.

• S tir, and then let the yogurt rest for 5 minutes to allow the chia seeds to absorb the fluid.

• Top with the blueberries.

• S prinkle with the remaining lemon zest.

ANDREA HARDY

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

KIWI-RASPBERRY BREAKFAST BOWL

This morning bowl features probiotics as well as flax and kiwi, two high-fibre ingredients that can help improve digestive regularity and comfort.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup ACTIVIA Plain Probiotic Yogurt

• 1 golden or green kiwi, sliced

• ¾ cup raspberries

• 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

METHOD

• Pour the ACTIVIA Plain Probiotic Yogurt into a bowl.

• Top with the sliced kiwi.

• A dd the raspberries.

• S prinkle with the ground flaxseeds.

FOR MORE GUT-FRIENDLY RECIPES, VISIT ACTIVIA.CA/EN/RECIPES

According to clinical studies, two servings of ACTIVIA per day for 14 days may help reduce the frequency of minor digestive issues** (think bloating, gas, discomfort and rumbling) when eaten as part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Thanks to these findings, the ACTIVIA Gut Health Challenge was born. This year, four members of the ELLE team gave the twoweek challenge a try and discovered it was an easy and delicious way to prioritize their health. Here’s how they integrated ACTIVIA into their busy schedules and how the new habit impacted their gut well-being.

**Activia® may help reduce the frequency of minor digestive issues like bloating, gas, discomfort and rumbling when consumed twice (two servings) per day for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

ALEX PAPINEAU, 37

In her third trimester of pregnancy, media creativity director Alex started to notice symptoms like heartburn, constipation, insomnia and fatigue. She decided to take the ACTIVIA

Gut Health Challenge as an opportunity to pay attention to her body and take charge of her diet. Alex incorporated probiotic yogurt into her day by mixing ACTIVIA into smoothies and overnight oats. After 14 days, she felt fantastic. “I felt significant improvement in my digestion, with minimal bloating or gas,” she says. She also found the single-serving containers were convenient when she needed a snack on the go.

MARIE-ANDRÉE PICOTTE, 36

“I feel like I’m always running out of time,” says Marie-Andrée, a full-time marketing and distribution director and boy mom. The result? Stress and digestive discomfort. Despite her busy schedule, she found that ACTIVIA was easy to eat twice a day—especially when she made it a family habit. “My child and partner have started eating yogurt as a snack too,” she says. Over the two weeks, she noticed a decrease in her digestive discomfort. “The versatility is perfect for my needs, and I love the taste: flavourful and not too sweet.”

SARAH AKLI, 28

Editorial coordinator Sarah is always on the go. So when it comes to her health, she loves taking small daily actions (like eating yogurt!) rather than following an elaborate routine. She’s lactose intolerant, so she started eating lactose-free ACTIVIA in smoothies and yogurt bowls with ingredients like fruits, coconut flakes and chia seeds. Though she began the challenge with some tummy trouble, she felt major improvements after 14 days of probiotic consumption. “My digestion felt more normal, and the heavy feeling after meals was reduced,” she says. “I felt lighter and less bloated.”

CHANTAL DURAND, 58

A project manager and mom of three adult sons, Chantal chose to drink ACTIVIA smoothies before workouts and eat a serving of yogurt after lunch or dinner. “I loved the taste and rediscovering the joy of having yogurt for a snack or dessert,” she says. When she started the challenge, she was experiencing significant gas and bloating. By the end of the first week, her discomfort had started to subside. After two weeks, she reported: “My gas is still present but less frequent, and my bloating seems to have improved. I’m happy I rekindled this good habit.”

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A STYLISH COLLECTION INSPIRED BY TRADITIONAL HERITAGE

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery debuts its signature jewellery series: the Rouge Collection. Inspired by the passionate hues of red and the auspicious symbol of good fortune (福), the creations fuse cultural heritage and contemporary elegance to foster shared emotional bonds that transcend time and space. The pure-gold diamond necklace in the collection combines gold, natural diamonds and enamel to give daily looks a chic and playful touch. The stylish design of the flexible pendant allows it to sway gracefully with your movements, helping exude personal glamour and create a fashionable daily outfit. (CHOWTAIFOOK.COM)

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ASTROLOGY

ARIES

MARCH 21 – APRIL 19

Deep regeneration and realignment make you shine. Everything seems to be pointing toward a metamorphosis— from your personal style to the way you identify yourself. But how do you embrace change without losing your essence? This month, welcome renewal while listening to your intuition.

TAURUS

APRIL 20 – MAY 20

Your month is taking shape under the influence of some introspection. Several chapters end, which seems to bring you a dose of serenity and perhaps a touch of nostalgia. A return to your tried-and-tested tools and your spiritual practices happens at just the right time. The coming weeks will be ideal for clarifying and realigning your priorities.

GEMINI

MAY 21 – JUNE 20

Your core interests and your ambition are in conflict throughout the month. You seem to oscillate between the desire to pursue an exciting professional opportunity and the need to ground yourself in the familiar. If some twists and turns lead you to different circles, take the chance to present yourself to the world in a new light.

CANCER

JUNE 21 – JULY 22

This astrological season invites you to review your fundamental beliefs. Are you still committed to your convictions? Are they really in tune with the person you are right now? Your professional reputation will be put forward and even tested. Get ready for the role of a lifetime—one that will lead you to your true vocational destiny.

LEO

JULY 23 – AUGUST 22

The pace of life slows down this month, helping you focus inward. The financial sphere is particularly present, calling on you to balance your spending with what feeds your self-esteem. Keep an eye out for travel opportunities or academic projects that will refresh your spirit. This dose of inspiration could lead to renewed faith and different perspectives.

PISCES

FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 20

This season, your alliances are redefining you. As a narrative about your assets unfolds, the energy of the moment pushes you to identify what brings value to your life. A relational pivot seems to be in the air: Is it time to say goodbye to certain collaborations? Take inventory of the things and partnerships that are truly worth their weight in gold.

By MIMO MAGRI

VIRGO

AUGUST 23 – SEPTEMBER 22

March is your chrysalis month, and you feel its tremors like a sculpture in creation. This progression can make you feel on edge, especially if your sensitivities are stirred by relationships and alliances. This season may lead you to question some of your commitments. Welcome what is revealed; you are in full bloom.

LIBRA

SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 22

You comb through your relationships and commitments all season. In whom and in what should you invest more energy? Collaborations that no longer serve you may well dissipate on their own. Take the time to read between the lines before you sign up—every “yes” will have a huge impact this month.

SCORPIO

OCTOBER 23 – NOVEMBER 21

March is all about the tools and routines that fuel your growth. Which environments and lifestyle habits can help optimize your daily performance? Your body guides you to the answers, which have themes of procreation, ambition and friendship and also add colour to the coming weeks. “Care” and “discipline” are your keywords.

SAGITTARIUS

NOVEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 21

Your romances trigger a whirlwind of emotions and inspiration. This astrological season invites you to reassess your needs as the initial passion fades. How can you grow through your connections? A revelation related to your career can mark this period. Allow yourself the necessary gestation time to anchor your projects.

CAPRICORN

DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 19

Your household is getting a little makeover right now. Whether it’s through a new presence or an alteration of your home’s foundations, this period calls for a renovation of your own roots. Think about the notion of family, and take care of what grows in your intimacy realm throughout the month.

AQUARIUS

JANUARY 20 – FEBRUARY 18

The mental headache of the next few weeks may call into question some past decisions. With your energy fizzing in all directions, it’s wise to filter your emotions before you express yourself. Your relationship with money also adds to the mix. Use your communication skills strategically to boost your prosperity in other ways.

LAURENT DUVERNAYTARDIF

is changing up his game

QUIET STRENGTH

Former NFL player LAURENT DUVERNAY-TARDIF who’s now involved in public health and the educational success of young people through his namesake foundation—opens up about his work, masculinity and sense of style.

By ELISABETH MASSICOLLI

Photographer GARRETT NACCARATO

Creative director OLIVIA LEBLANC

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is a man of many talents. Not everything he touches necessarily turns to gold, but when he chooses to invest or commit, he does so with all his humanity, authenticity, generosity and passion. Following a nine-year stint as an NFL player, which included a Super Bowl victory with the Kansas City Chiefs, Duvernay-Tardif bravely left the world of sports—first when he opted out of the 2020 season to volunteer at a Quebec long-term-care facility during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and then again after playing the 2021/2022 season for the New York Jets—to famously immerse himself in health care with enthusiasm and curiosity. A dedicated professional who wants to share information around well-being, he’s been working with Merck Canada to raise awareness among men about human papillomavirus (HPV) and how to prevent it. We spoke with Duvernay-Tardif, who was recently appointed to the Order of Canada, about leaving football, promoting sexual health and what makes him proud.

Making the decision to leave football to devote yourself to health care must not have been easy. How did you know it was the right time for this transition? “Leaving football to go fully into the field of public health was something I did little by little. I was able to step away from football without it being brutal or without being forced by an injury or a ‘we don’t need you anymore’ type of situation. In the NFL, you’re often told that they’re looking for someone better, younger and cheaper to replace you. To have been able to be in control of my decision to retire was a huge privilege that reduced any bitter taste [that can be left] by an abrupt end to a career.”

You’re very involved with Merck Canada in the fight against HPV and the promotion of sexual-health awareness. What motivated you to make this a priority? “It came naturally because health in general has always been something that’s close to my heart. I recently collaborated with Merck Canada on a campaign called ‘Know HPV,’ which I’m very proud of. This campaign looks at the barriers that prevent men from having open conversations about HPV and their sexual health. It’s designed to bring about

discussions through a light and fun concept—to approach the subject in an authentic way. The goals are to show that we can talk about it simply, as we would with friends, and to encourage more people to ask questions about their health. During my football career, I was fortunate enough to build a platform that now allows me to reach a large number of people. And it was always clear to me that one day I would use this platform to talk about public-health issues. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in Canada, with approximately 75 percent of sexually active Canadians being exposed to it in their lifetime. We talk about prevention for women but very little for men, even though they can also suffer serious consequences in some cases, such as the development of certain cancers, including head and neck cancers.”

What impact do you hope to make? “My goal is not to tell people what to do but simply to start the discussion—to raise awareness. Too few people, especially men, know how much HPV affects them. I think the fact that I—a man who has played a sport that is perceived as very masculine—talk openly about sexual health can perhaps help break some taboos and encourage

“DURING MY FOOTBALL CAREER, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BUILD A PLATFORM THAT NOW ALLOWS ME TO REACH A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE. AND IT WAS ALWAYS CLEAR TO ME THAT ONE DAY I WOULD USE THIS PLATFORM TO TALK ABOUT PUBLIC-HEALTH ISSUES.”

other people to educate themselves and take care of themselves. If it [encourages] them to think and get information, whether from professionals or other reliable sources, then I will have achieved my goal. In fact, there are now HPV tests with self-sampling for women that will soon arrive in some provinces, but there’s nothing yet for men—hence the importance of focusing on prevention. This includes the proper use of condoms and healthy lifestyle habits, such as limiting alcohol, avoiding smoking and [getting] vaccinated.”

Can you tell us about the Laurent DuvernayTardif Foundation? “The foundation, created in 2017 with my partner, Florence-Agathe DubéMoreau, has a mission to encourage educational success through the arts and sports. For us, this combination is an incredible tool to engage young people, motivate them and keep them in school. The idea is simple: to offer stimulating activities that develop not only skills but also self-confidence and a sense of belonging to a group. We work in environments that are significant in the lives of children, such as school and summer day camp. Personally, team sports have taught me so much: [how to] work with others, communicate and learn from failures. One of our main programs, The 6th Period, allows us to add a weekly period to the school curriculum [so that] Grade 5 and 6 students can participate in sports workshops as well as artistic activities [while being] supervised by our passionate facilitators—and all for free.”

What makes you most proud of this philanthropic work? “Seeing the direct effect on young people. When you arrive at a school or day camp and see children flourishing—faces smiling, eyes shining—it’s priceless. Giving young people from disadvantaged backgrounds a chance to discover their passions and grow is what motivates us to continue. In the years to come, the objective is to reach even more communities in order to multiply these magical moments and offer these opportunities to as many people as possible.”

As a role model for many young men, how would you define a healthy and caring masculinity? What actions do you recommend to encourage this? “It must be recognized that masculinity is a social construction, just like femininity. As a society, thanks to the work of many women, we have learned to recognize a wider range of feminine expressions, but we men are still too often locked into codes: You have to be strong, go to the gym, be dominant. It’s time to broaden this vision and value the diverse ways in which masculinity is embodied. I grew up in football locker rooms, an environment that was perceived as very manly. Still, I saw a multitude of ways to be a man. The strength of the team was [due to] the acceptance of differences. This way of acting can be transposed to a large scale by promoting inclusion, respect and the freedom of everyone to live masculinity in their own way. By remaining prisoners of rigid constructions, we hurt ourselves. Men don’t often talk about their challenges, they consult [health professionals] less than women do and they face high suicide rates. We urgently need to break down these barriers. I see dialogue and education as good ways to continue to move forward.”

How would you describe your relationship with fashion, and what are your favourite shopping addresses? “For a long time, my relationship with fashion wasn’t easy. With my imposing physique, shopping was often frustrating because I couldn’t find suitable clothes. But in recent years, everything has changed thanks to a stylist, Maude Bélisle, who helped me discover Quebec brands. Working with designers like École de Pensée and independent artisans has really transformed my experience. It’s not just shopping; it’s a human relationship that is established, and I find pieces that fit me and make me feel good. I’m not looking to dress like a rock star but rather to have a style that is both elegant and accessible and that looks like ‘me.’ Now I know my ‘guideline’ better, which makes my choices more natural. Thanks to this evolution, I see fashion as a tool of expression and a pleasure rather than a burden.”

For more information on Duvernay-Tardif’s HPV-awareness campaign, visit knowHPV.ca.

MILO & DEXTER

The Montreal-based brand designs pieces to last a lifetime.

By ERICA NGAO

JOBAIR JABER WAS FIRST INTRODUCED to the fashion industry while studying business at McGill University in Montreal. “My network was full of creatives,” he says. “I helped out on production and worked on freelance projects here and there.” Those early experiences nurtured a vision that Jaber had for a minimalistic, utilitarian capsule collection. But it wasn’t until he was in the U.K. completing a Ph.D. in industrial psychology that he realized he would regret not trying to make this dream a reality.

So in 2020, Jaber put his degree on hold and flew back to Montreal. As he was doing research into production, the idea of using Canadian-sourced materials and local manufacturing stuck out. Soon, his initial concept shifted to align with this notion, and he began to focus on a farm-to-garment theme inspired by enduring heritage styles that are made with the best textiles possible. “I was slowly shifting my own beliefs about the place I wanted to have in the fashion industry, and I started to fall in love with making things in Canada as a principle,” says Jaber. “We’re staying close to this heritage idea of connection to a Canadian identity, but we’re trying to let the materials speak for themselves.”

Milo & Dexter pieces are made to be a permanent part of your wardrobe rotation. When designing things like cozy cable-knit turtleneck sweaters and classic wool blazers, Jaber turns to a variety of sources for inspiration: costumes in films like The Banshees of Inisherin and Maestro, vintage pieces and even his parents’ closet. But it’s the use of Canadian wool that sets the label apart.

thousand tours for people to show them how things are made, because we really have an open-door policy,” he says. “The next stage is to go to the farm and see where the sheep are.”

TEAM EFFORT

“Back in the day, there was this idea that you wanted to keep trade secrets. Modern entrepreneurship is full of collaboration. In a field where you need creativity and people to think outside the box—especially in Canada—that’s something we need to keep doing to strive forward together. I’m hoping it’s a win for everybody if we revive industries, bring back innovation and retain talent coming out of schools.”

PURPOSE OVER PROFIT

“This clothing is made to be passed along to your kids and then their kids,” he says.

“If someone doesn’t like the garment, you put it back in the soil, and it’s just going to decompose.”

Jaber, who sits on the board of the Canadian Wool Council, spent two years learning about the country’s wool production—or lack thereof. This led him to connect with yarn producers and organizations advocating to shed light on a forgotten industry. Now his goal is to educate consumers on where their clothes truly come from. “We’ve done a

“I went to business school, and you get taught to focus on financial metrics and processes. The beautiful thing about being in a cultural, artistic field is you can mirror those things. I’ve given myself and the team a chance to not be so driven by purely economic gains and to see how we can actually change things and put our values first. Sometimes it’s more difficult and gives us slower growth, but at least we can all sleep well at night. We’re not putting products out in the world that are harmful or have any sort of negative effect. We’re actually just going back to tried-and-tested ways of making things that have been thrown out or forgotten, and we’re trying to keep that heritage alive.”

CLOSE TO HOME

“If you’re a consumer, what’s better than knowing that you can trace your product back to a farm? I have this belief that we’re all going to slowly move into that new paradigm. In our supply chain, we’ve taken into account that we want retailers to be involved. And by ‘retailers,’ I mean small independent boutiques, because they are the fabric of a great economy and society. In small towns and big cities, they have really great [insight] into what people—especially that conscious consumer—are looking for because of the conversations they get to have with their communities.”

JOBAIR JABER

Naked Truths

Pushing boundaries in Slave Play, which ran last year in the West End in London, England, and the spicy third season of Industry, KIT HARINGTON has left Jon Snow in the dust. The British actor, 38, fields our questions on the work that fuels him and the women he’s loved and learned from.

By DEVIN GORDON

We have to begin with the sexual proclivity of your Industry character, Sir Henry Muck. Did you learn about this before you signed on for the role?

“I thought it was great. [Laughs] People have kinks! This play I’m doing right now is all about that in many ways, and in drama we should, if it’s the right place, discuss them. And who am I to say no or shy away from a character who has those kinks?”

This new season of Industry seems emblematic of a cultural shift in the use of nudity onscreen—less female nudity and more male nudity. What do you make of that?

“I think the swing back to looking at nudity from the male perspective is actually a really good one. I’m not one of those people who subscribe to the thought of ‘Well, now it’s the men’s turn.’ But if the script deserves it—and I think with Henry, it certainly does [as] he’s peacocking, he’s trying to get this girl and he’s showing his bits—I think it’s appropriate.”

Have there been moments in your career when you felt objectified by women?

“Yeah, I certainly have. I still don’t like it when I see young male actors described in articles as ‘heartthrobs’ or ‘hunks.’ And I have experienced objectification by women at the stage door or on the street in life. It’s just kind of a fact, and it’s not comfortable.”

Aside from your mother, name a woman whom you admired growing up.

“Emma Thompson. She’s just an emotionally incredible actress and a very, very, very smart woman who’s written and produced. She was sort of an idol of mine.”

Name a female singer you can’t help but sing along with.

[Laughs] “God, I’m going to sound so poncy. Joni Mitchell. Stevie Nicks on ‘Landslide.’ What’s the name of the Joni Mitchell song that plays in one of the scenes with Emma in Love Actually? ‘Both Sides Now.’”

Tell us about the first time you got dumped.

“Wow. I got dumped by Emma Moore. In the U.K., we have a charity day where you come in wearing a non-school uniform, and the theme [that year] was 1970s hippies. I came in wearing socks and sandals, and she sent someone over to me to dump me, and I cried. I said, ‘Why?’ And she said, ‘Because you’re wearing socks with sandals.’”

How old were you?

“I can’t remember, but probably too old to cry or wear socks with sandals.”

What would 38-year-old father of a daughterKit Harington think of 23-year-old budding star Kit Harington?

“Oh, I’d be very wary of him. I look back now at how full of myself I was. Underneath, totally insecure. If that boy walked through the door with my daughter...there would be a few careful words said to him— which he wouldn’t listen to.”

“PEOPLE HAVE KINKS! AND IN DRAMA WE SHOULD, IF IT’S THE RIGHT PLACE, DISCUSS THEM. WHO AM I TO SAY NO OR SHY AWAY?”

JUST WARMING UP

Celebrity stylist and fashion-world creative CARLOS NAZARIO is taking on the elements with Canadian outerwear brand Moose Knuckles.

By JOANNA FOX

WHEN I MEET CARLOS NAZARIO, he’s casually sitting on a couch made of repurposed winter coats in Moose Knuckles’ new boutique in Montreal’s luxury shopping centre, Royalmount. He’s wearing a gorgeous dark-green leather bomber jacket that he designed for Moose Lab, the brand’s new platform for creative collaborations, which launched with Nazario’s capsule collection. He tells me that even the TSA agent at the airport complimented him on it. It’s a testament to Nazario’s innate talent and how he always seems to nail the look.

Whether he’s styling Naomi Campbell, Kendrick Lamar or Miley Cyrus for Harper’s Bazaar, breaking barriers by becoming the first Black stylist to style a cover for American Vogue or helping shape the future of fashion as Moose Knuckles’ global artistic director, Nazario is embracing it all. “It’s been so fun collaborating with new people and learning new things,” he says of his role with the Canadian brand. “[I love] the exchange of energy and meeting people who think about things differently than [I] do and see the world differently than [I] do.”

Nazario joined Moose Knuckles over a year ago but only released his 12-piece Moose Lab collection at the end of last year. He reimagined some of the brand’s signature looks through a new lens, combining functionality with serious swagger and taking inspiration from iconic cold-weather military apparel, ’90s fashion trends and his own personal style. “I’ve really learned how important outerwear is to people and how much it can mean,” he says. “I’m from New York, where for at least five months a year, you’re wearing a coat. You spend a lot of time on the street, you spend a lot of time commuting and you spend a lot of time just out among people. So I think not only does your coat need to be really warm but, if you’re a fashionable person, it needs to do some of the work for you. It also [needs to give] that feeling of completion—when you put on the coat, it’s saying whatever you want to say.”

With an emphasis on premium materials like leather, Mongolian wool, down and shearling, this collection bridges the gap between high-performance outerwear and high-end fashion. From chic jackets, like the shaggy oversized shearlings, to a leather flight suit and standout accessories to match, each item embodies Moose Knuckles’ drive to redefine the landscape of luxury cold-weather clothing. “Every time I wear something, it’s my new favourite,” says Nazario. “But my ‘real’ favourite is probably the long black shearling coat. It’s really the quintessential statement piece: Throw it on over anything and you’re dressed. When I close my eyes and think about my dream coat and how I want to feel right now—cozy and glamorous but easy—that’s the one.”

fascinated by] the way she was able to navigate the world and the sense of confidence she gained from the hair and the red lip and the coat and the heels,” he explains. “It was [about] the way you can communicate [using] an item of clothing, whether it’s communicating that you’re part of a certain group or that you’re not. And I think when I started delving into the reality of maybe working in fashion, I became obsessed with imagery and pictures and the way we can communicate with the audience through the images we make. That’s probably my favourite part of what I do.”

“I’ve really learned how important outerwear is to people and how much it can mean.”

In his role with Moose Knuckles, Nazario hopes to double down on the foundational world the brand has built. When he was first approached about working together, he was intrigued by the people Moose Knuckles had already collaborated with, such as the designer (and his friend) Telfar Clemens, who founded the trail-blazing label Telfar. “To me, that said a lot about the ethos of the brand,” he says. “[It’s] the idea that although we are all from different corners of the world, we can all be part of this one vortex. I really believe in the connecting force in fashion, and I want to bring a deeper connection to the fashion community and the creative community. I want to really reimagine what an outerwear brand can be and what role it can play in the fashion vortex. I’d love to just really push the boundaries of what a fashion brand can be, how we can collaborate, who we can collaborate with and how we can provide a service to our audience.”

Growing up in Queens, N.Y., Nazario would watch his grandmother meticulously put herself together every day. It was that transformative power he witnessed that has always intrigued him and eventually led him to a life in fashion. “[I was

As Nazario is always looking forward, it’s no surprise to learn that his favourite fashion era is the future. “I’m not a nostalgic person,” he confesses. “I always like to take hints of what has inspired me but really push it forward and try to do it in a way that hasn’t been done before. I don’t love the past; I love the potential of what the future represents.”

PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF MOOSE KNUCKLES

SHOPPING

Vitamin E and a trio of conditioning oils—almond, jojoba and grape seed—will make his beard silky to the touch, while the exquisite scent (this is Tom Ford, after all) will leave it smelling irresistible, with earthy notes of oud wood, sandalwood and pepper.

TOM FORD OUD WOOD CONDITIONING BEARD OIL ($85, HOLTRENFREW.COM)

This featherlight body lotion serves up a boost of hydration along with an energizing cooling sensation. (It feels particularly nice after a post-workout shower.) The formula sinks right in and gives the skin a fresh, subtle aroma. JACK BLACK COOL MOISTURE BODY LOTION ($40, GETJACKBLACK.CA)

A touch of this pomade makes pretty much any cut instantly look cooler, imparting volume, a roughed-up texture and a gritty finish. It’s 100 percent foolproof (just tousle the hair and go) and lasts all day.

POMADE ($21, MATANDMAX.COM)

CLEAN Cut

High-performance grooming essentials to give his routine an upgrade (and get him to stop using your stuff).

KATHERINE LALANCETTE

It’s a fact: Hair health starts at the root. That’s why this serum banks on peptides, proteins and yeast extracts to act at the cellular level, balancing the scalp, reducing dandruff and regulating GROOM HAIR SERUM ($55, LESINDUSTRIESGROOM.COM)

Just the ticket for those with an appreciation for the great outdoors: a green, woody mélange that recalls an invigorating trek in nature with herbaceous hints of lavender and coriander atop a warm base of cedarwood and patchouli.

GUILTY ESSENCE EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY

($129 FOR 50 ML, SEPHORA.CA)

Whereas some foams can be drying, this serum calms and softens the skin with nourishing botanicals. It lathers up beautifully, providing maximum razor slip for the closest shave possible.

Bonus: The scent—a mix of sandalwood and neroli— is absolutely divine.

AESOP MOROCCAN NEROLI

SHAVING SERUM ($53, AESOP.COM)

Like magic, this non-shiny balm bathes lips in moisture while remaining totally invisible. And though it’s packed with rich emollients like jojoba, shea butter and vitamin E, it feels weightless and not at all sticky.

CHANEL BOY DE CHANEL LIP BALM ($54, CHANEL.COM)

It’s no wonder this balm is a bestseller. The texture is light and non-greasy, the finish is matte and the benefits are plentiful: It irons out lines and wrinkles on the face and neck, tightens up sagging skin and helps block pollution.

REDKEN BREWS CLAY

CLARINSMEN LINE-CONTROL BALM ($68, CLARINS.CA)

COVER STORY

BINATA MILLINERY binatamillinery.com

DOLCE & GABBANA dolcegabbana.com

ESENSHEL esenshel.com

HARRY WINSTON harrywinston.com

LOUIS VUITTON louisvuitton.com

MARC JACOBS marcjacobs.com

NINA RICCI BY HARRIS REED ninaricci.com

SCHIAPARELLI HAUTE COUTURE schiaparelli.com

P. 116

QUIET STRENGTH AMI simons.ca

BALENCIAGA balenciaga.com

COS cos.com

HERMÈS hermes.com

ISSEY MIYAKE isseymiyake.com

LEMAIRE michelbrisson.com ssense.com

REALITY CHECK

FOR MIU MIU’S SPRING/SUMMER 2025 SHOW, Polish artist Goshka Macuga transformed Paris’ Palais d’Iéna into a makeshift printing plant, complete with newspapers whirling above on conveyor belts. Dubbed The Truthless Times, the fictional publication featured a QR code linking to “We’re in the Endcore Now,” an essay by Shumon Basar. In it, the British author muses on the disorientation of our era: constant dizzying change, blurring boundaries between fact and fiction (real deal or AI deepfake?) and a persistent, gnawing feeling that the end is near but not quite here yet—and so we wait. Amid all the doom and gloom, Miuccia Prada offered reassurance in the form of a collection celebrating singularity and self-expression. (Because when nothing feels real anymore, what’s realer than being your true self?) The whole thing read as a cheerful jumble of shiny fabrics, punchy hits of colour and irreverent mash-ups: a sporty swimsuit paired with a pleated skirt and knee-high socks, Western belts slung low over a diner-waitress-esque dress. It was chaotic in the best sense—fun and unserious rather than unsettling. As the house expressed, “Miu Miu continues to build its world of diverse and fierce individuals, true characters inhabiting its clothes.” The show’s casting couldn’t have better personified the ethos, with creatives such as actors Willem Dafoe (who closed the show) and Hilary Swank, Canadian singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin, rapper Little Simz and fashion icons Alexa Chung and Cara Delevingne all “walk[ing] in their own truth,” as the brand put it. In a world where trend cycles spin out at an exhausting speed and TikTok “-cores” perpetuate a sea of sameness, Ms. Prada leads us back to solid sartorial ground, encouraging us to block out the noise and simply dress from the heart.