I understand star power. I get that certain celebrities have a built-in fan base that retailers are interested in tapping into. What I can’t wrap my head around is how and/or why just because someone is famous it's assumed that they are capable of designing a fashion line? In certain cases, like say, Gwen Stefani with L.A.M.B. or Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen with The Row and Elizabeth & James, these stars have proven their talent. These ladies all had an inherent personal style to begin with, though. What about the “celebrities” that couldn’t put an outfit together on their own to save their life? Just because Avril Lavigne can sing, does not mean that she can dance or act and it most certainly doesn’t mean that her name should be slapped onto a clothing line….

Now that New York Fashion week has wrapped up for another season, the fashion folks are making their way across the pond to see what London, Paris and Milan have to offer for Autumn/Winter 2010. While plenty of trends emerged at the New York shows (see which trends Flare magazine foresees here), most were pretty predictable—new uses of fur and leather, strong military influences and a clear minimalist vibe. What most of us fashionists weren’t expecting to see, however, was the abundant use of socks on the runways. Yes, that’s right folks, socks of all shapes and sizes (not to mention colours) were the go-to accessory for Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Rag & Bone, just to name a few. See for yourself after the jump.

In this day and age, when beautiful faux furs are rampantly available, I would never encourage anyone to buy a new one. When it comes to vintage pieces, however, I can’t quite decide whether I’m cool with them or not—I mean, the animals have already died, so shouldn’t we wear them for as many generations as possible so it wasn’t completely in vain? Get your chance to sound off about it after the jump.

Hairdressing 101 has taught us all that bobby pins should be hidden to the best of your abilities when creating a glamorous look. But times, they are a changing, and starlets like Diane Kruger and Lauren “LC” Conrad are demonstrating how easily regular old bobby pins can add a hint of intrigue to your look.

One of the best things about being a style blogger is that you have almost immediate access to paparazzi shots and can, therefore, be up to the minute on new trends as they emerge. Late last week both Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore arrived at premiers of their new movies rocking cutting edge looks that are sure to make their way into the mainstream this holiday season. All week I wished that Lucy Liu would show up at some event looking spectacular so the Charlie’s Angels trilogy would be reunited. Alas, she did not, so Liu’s role has been recast (at least for our purposes) with…. Kristin Cavallari! Check out this week’s fashion inspiration after the jump. 

Those clever Swedes over at H&M are at it again, lining up yet another epic fashion collaboration and bringing the wares of luxury retailers to us regular gals. The chaos at these unveilings is also usually of epic proportions (though the Canadian ladies are notably more calm and collected than their European counterparts) and I wouldn’t expect anything less now that we are going to have a crack at snapping up pieces from—wait for it—Jimmy Choo! What woman in her right mind wouldn’t be lining up to get their hands on a pair of Choo’s for a fraction of the regular price? Check out my favourite pieces from the collection after the jump.

In all honesty, when I see Whitney Port marching the streets of The City I am usually too distracted by her giraffe-like legs to notice what’s happening with her makeup. At a recent NYC event, however, Whitney was giving serious face. I am admittedly a sucker for a retro winged eyeliner look to begin with, but Miss. Port’s modern gold streak on her lower lash line gives this classic (perhaps, a little predictable?) look the edgy juxtaposition it needs to be deemed covetable. I caught up with Vancouver freelance makeup artist, Marlayna Pincott to get the tips and tricks needed to recreate the look on our own. I’m planning on giving it a test drive this weekend then storing it under “Hot Holiday Looks” for the upcoming party season—now if only Marlayna could guarantee me Whitney’s legs to match. 

Spring may still be a long way away, but  with the recent surge in floral accessories hitting the retail landscape you could have fooled me. Don’t misunderstand me here, it is by no means time to start whipping out the Balenciaga inspired floral prints. It is time, however, to start considering the power of pretty petals.

Big hair is back in a big way. Whether it’s cropped and pompadoured a la Rihanna, perfectly coifed like the ladies on "Mad Men" or slightly disheveled and freshly-romped like the catwalk muses at the recent Louis Vuitton show. I recently caught up with Justin German, Pantene’s Consulting Stylist and co-owner of Shagg Salon in Toronto, to talk about the hairstyles that he foresees making an impact this Fall/Winter (and not to mention holiday) season. German couldn’t be more adamant about the appeal of big sexy hair. “I’m loving big, mussed up Brigitte Bardot inspired looks, floppy pompadour styles and even looks that are a little bit Elvisy, but with a feminine twist,” he says, “The important thing here is to not be intimidated by the style and realize that it’s all about the imperfect; Realistically the look should only take 15 minutes max to create.”

If you’ve hit the mall in the last few weeks you may have noticed a certain new print popping up on the racks. In my opinion, you can never really beat the real deal when it comes to black lace (it certainly turns up an outfits sex appeal in an instant), but it can be very delicate and, therefore, not always ideal for every day use…unless you own a dry cleaning business? Enter the new lace alternative: the lace print. Now you can achieve the same luxe look and feel, but with the silk, cotton, cashmere and even polyester incarnations you won’t have to worry about snags or the damage to your credit rating.