Prom Time with Fashion Crimes

There is no doubt that Fashion Crimes is THE prom destination in Toronto. We sat down with owner and designer, Pam Chorley to get the inside scoop on how to get prom ready!

1.As the designer behind the majority of dresses found at Fashion Crimes, where do your inspirations for your designs come from?

My designs are inspired 24/7 by anything and everything. I never sit and think, hmmm, what will I design today. It just doesn't happen that way! Its architecture, nature, a story-anything that gets me thinking. In fact, I never turn off. I eat, sleep and dream fashion and design. But it is always motivated by selfishness. Meaning, what I want to design, see develop and wear, so it evolves.

2. FC offers many services such as Layaway which allows us shoppers to pay for our cherished goods over a 3 month time span as well as a Made-To-Measure option where you can get your perfect one of a kind dress. I also heard that FC offers a Prom Registry service! Can you tell us more about how this works?

The Prom registry began quite a few years ago when I thought that girls were coming here for a reason- to be unique and find something amazing that is not available anywhere else. That said, if another girl showed up on that oh so special event in the same dress from FC, she would feel so devastated.

So we check which school the fashionista attends and we double check that no one else has already purchased that dress from that school. If so, we refuse to sell the dress even if they still want it-that wouldn't be fair to the original buyer/owner of the fab creation!! As the primo prom destination, we decided this year to not even sell dresses of similar colour. The girl buys the cutie-pie fuschia dress and we won't sell a red one of the same style. We feel you would look too similar. The girls love it! It's just like red carpet events where celeb's handlers/stylists are aware of the other dresses attending the events; you don't see two celebs in the same dress.

3. Is it true that FC is a one stop shop for your next special event?

Yup. Head to toe one stop shopping. Our stylists have the whole look in mind and can accessorize you to suit your vision of the dress you choose. Whether you want your look to be red carpet glam, sexy cocktail, chic, retro, or cutting edge, we have the pieces to transform the dress you've chosen. I'm sure we have the largest costume jewellery collection in the city!! Cocktail rings the size of doorknobs, rubber lace neck collars, massive one of a kind Swarovski neckpieces, discus shaped plexi glass bangles, and vintage collections re-made into unique modern looks. Our earring collection is jaw dropping. Along with this we have the under pieces, the foundations (the Spanx collection) to make you and your dress look it's best. We have cover ups and cocktail jackets to match dresses and mohair wraps with massive ostrich and bead trims. Cocktail hats, hair accessories to make an outfit pop are a mainstay. Also we have tons of clutches to compliment any look. There are lots of custom and one of a kind purses that are knockouts (Karen Wilson makes one of a kinds for us)!

4. What are some of the top trends for this current prom season? What is your favourite prom look?

This year it is short. Bright. Empire. Strapless. Full or bubble bottom mini dresses. Amazing textured vintage inspired fabrics…embellished embroidered with beads and flower appliqués. Not flashy, not trashy. Modern/retro chic. And FUN!

Fashion Crimes
322 Queen St. West, Toronto
www.fashioncrimes.ca

Odd Molly 2010 S/S Photoshoot with Helena Christensen

Once again the beloved brand Odd Molly teams up with supermodel Helena Christensen! Check out these behind the scene exclusive shots from their 2010 spring/summer campaign.

"It's a lovely brand with a design that really lives up to the love-courage-integrity brand values. And a design to easily fall in love with. It is by all means an honour for me to work with Odd Molly"-Helena Christenen

Current Obsession: Studs

Studded waist cincher by Canadian-made company Brave.




Studded distressed shorts from Topshop.

Studded sandals from Urban Outfitters.

Let's talk studs (and I'm not talking about men here). Studs are everywhere this season which makes me really regret getting rid of my beloved Bedazzler I had as a kid. But the good news is that you can still get one at http://www.mybedazzler.com/! Studs are a great way to give your look a bit of an edge. Whether you buy the studs already on the piece or are feeling crafty and want to do it yourself (hmmm maybe this could be a future DIY post), they are a great way to update your wardrobe.

Hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge: A contest involving studs will pop up on Eat.Live.Shop. soon!

Recipe: Ice-Cream Sandwiches

What's better than homemade ice-cream sandwiches on a warm spring/summer day? Not much if you ask me! I made these delicious treats last weekend for a BBQ we were having and they turned out great!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons hot water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

(I used 1 cup of milk chocolate chips and 1 cup of Reese's Peanut Butter chips)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at at time and then stir in the vanilla.

3. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt.

4. Stir in flour and chocolate chips.

5. Drop by large spoonfuls onto lightly greased pans.

6. Bake for about 10 minutes.

*Eat.Live.Shop. Tip: Take out the cookies while they still look under-done. Once they cool, the cookies will harden up a bit and will be perfectly cooked!

Filling

Vanilla ice-cream

Chopped peanuts, pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1. Scoop ice-cream in the center of one cookie and top with another cookie. Press the cookies lightly together.

2. Roll the sides of the sandwich (the ice-cream part) into the chopped nuts.

3. Freeze the ice-cream sandwiches for at least 1 hour before devouring.

Alternative options:

-Use store bought cookies for a quick and easy treat.

-Make different types of cookies such as peanut butter cookies or chocolate fudge cookies.

-Use chopped smarties, M&M's or Lifesavers for a different flavour around the sides of the sandwich.

Subscribe to Eat.Live.Shop.

I finally figured out how to set up subscribing to my blog-only 4 months later! For updates to Eat.Live.Shop you can either sign up for an RSS Feed or you can get updates sent directly to your email. Just look to the right-hand side of this post to click on or fill in the necessary info! xoxo

DIY Art

My boyfriend and I moved into a very cool loft space earlier this year. Originally the building was built for pharmaceutical manufacturing and later became an upholstery warehouse before being converted into lofts in the mid-1980's. Our loft has original hardwood floors, 12 foot ceilings and a huge skylight-we absolutely love it! Being on a bit of a budget, we decided to experiment with some DIY projects that turned out great! I will post them all in the next few weeks, but to kick it off here is some art work we created using stretched canvas, molding gel and acrylic paint.

*Photography by Jessi Allen

Sunglasses Galore

Me with some Michael Kors teal framed shades.

Alyssa is wearing an aviator style from Hugo Boss.

Alex sporting some Marc Jacob aviators.

With 30 degree celsius temperatures in Toronto today (yipee), my girlfriends/colleagues and I got a little sunglasses happy. Our good friends at LF Optical allowed us to play around with some of our favourite shades!

LF Optical
2782 Dufferin Street, Toronto
416-782-3007

Patio and BBQ Season

I was inspired to do a posting on patio and BBQ season after the warm temperatures we got in Toronto today. Oh how I love warm summer nights sitting on a patio (either in my backyard or at a restaurant/bar) and just relaxing drinking a glass of wine. Here are some great finds for your patio:

These solar powered paper lanterns from IKEA are a great inexpensive way to add some punch to your patio.

I love the super cute patterned plastic dinnerware from Kitchen Stuff Plus which are only $3 each!

This calming, relaxing set has been put together by West Elm and has me dreaming about living by the beach.

DIY Tie Dye

Here's a great little video from ELLE Girl Magazine on how to make your own super cute tie dye dress. You can also use this technique for any plain white tee, undies, socks, etc. Enjoy!

Happy Victoria Day Canada! I'm off to watch fireworks!

Current Obsession: Flowers, Flowers and More Flowers

I'm back from The Big Apple and it was short and sweet, but I still have the shopping itch. I spy with my little eye, I want something floral! I love these little vintage inspired floral prints found on everything from bags to shoes to dresses. These are some of my favourites that I found, but you can also find some great floral pieces at any good vintage store. Happy hunting!

Floral dress from Urban Outfitters.

Eat.Live.Shop Tip: This dress would be perfect paired with a little jean jacket and a great pair of black or cognac boots.

Floral skirt from Topshop.

Floral printed clutch wallet from Urban Outfitters.

Floral print shoes by Irregular Choice.
Eat.Live.Shop Tip: I love the idea of these shoes paired with a distressed rolled up boyfriend jean along with a basic white tee and cropped blazer.

New York Time!

I'm off to New York for the long weekend! Lot's of yummy food, tons of shopping (of course) and Jersey Boys on Broadway will all be involved-can't wait!

Matthew Williamson Summer Collection for H&M

Time for round two! If you missed the opportunity to grab some Matthew Williamson for H&M during the spring drop on April 23^rd, you now have another chance to grab one of his signature style pieces which are full of colourful patterns and ethnic influences. Today marks the day for the summer drop which will be available in 1700 H&M stores and in addition to some great summer frocks and swimwear pieces, you will find the first ever Matthew Williamson menswear collection available. So grab your boyfriend and head to an H&M store for some serious shopping!

My New Sam Edelman Shoes

I love the Sam Edelman gladiators I just got. They're perfect to wear with my distressed boyfriend shorts, cute summer dresses or with my new harem pants!

http://www.samedelman.com/

Recipe: Buttermilk Apple Muffins

I had some left over buttermilk that I bought for the Green Chile Corn Bread last week, so I was searching for a yummy recipe to try out to use the leftover. I found this Buttermilk Apple Muffin recipe and they turned out great! They were soooo good. I made on batch on Saturday and had to make another on Sunday because they were all gone.

Click here for the recipe.

Target x Anna Sui

After the successful collaboration with Alexander McQueen earlier this year, Target has decided to continue with their Designer Collaboration series. According to WWD's report this week, the 2^nd designer to participate in Target's Designer Collaboration Series will be Anna Sui.

Anna Sui quotes,"Target was very respectful of my craft. They want the product to be completely Anna Sui. If you maintain quality, partnering with a mass retailer will only help you. What I, and other designers who partner with mass retailers, hope to gain is stronger name recognition and simply more people wearing our designs. In this economy, I am really fortunate to be able to offer the fashion-eager public affordable, yet high design."

Using materials such as metallic jacquards, herringbone, silk chiffon and fun detailing that includes tulle, lace and sequins, Sui draws inspiration for the line from the CW's popular show 'Gossip Girl' . The line will be reflective of the four main characters' style and unique approach to fashion. Expect to see the line in Target stores September 13^th.

Recipe: Green Chile Corn Bread

I made corn bread for the first time the other night and I must say it was delish! It has a nice kick to it with the green chiles, but it's still pretty mild. Enjoy!

Makes 12 squares

1 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fat-free buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 (4 ½ ounce) can diced green chiles, drained
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray.
   


2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, cumin, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Combine the buttermilk, eggs, chiles and melted butter in another medium bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Gently stir in the cheese. With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter to the pan and spread evenly.
   


3. 
   
   Bake until the edges are golden and have pulled away from the sides of the pan, 20-22 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack, 10 minutes. Cut into 12 squares and serve warm.
   
   
   
   

   They're only 135 calories and 5 grams of fat each!
   

Get Kelly Ripa Ripped

Love her or hate her, I don't think many people can argue that Kelly Ripa is seriously ripped! She must be doing something right with that super toned body especially after 3 kids. After watching her do one of her workouts a few months ago on Live With Regis and Kelly, I'm completely hooked! Check out this ABC medicine ball routine that works your body from head to toe. Enjoy!

Alexander Wang x The Gap

Teen Vogue chatted with Patrick Robinson, Executive Vice President of Design for The Gap, and mentioned an upcoming collaboration with Alexander Wang!

"We have Alexander Wang doing the next CFDA collaboration, like what we did with the white shirts last year, only this year it's with khaki. He did this incredible motorcycle jacket in khaki that's going to be under $100. It's coming out on June 16th, so get ready!"-Patrick Robinson

Hmmm I can use a khaki motorcycle jacket in my closet...

Click here for the full article.