Ah, Gay Xmas, AKA Pride … its just around the corner. To support fellow members of the Queerio community is always a good thing when getting ready for our once a yearly celebration. In my opinion, you can never start getting ready too early. Here are a few gems worth shares, tweets and likes for your fellow Queerios! You may have started wondering where you are going to get your a custom T shirt, a new hair cut, or who might be looking for volunteers for the Pride Festival. I also consulted with my resident fashionista, Cee from The Art of Wor on tips for Pride 2012 and on “what to wear.”

Diamond Rings, aka John O’Regan, has been adding some fierce androgyny to the electro-pop scene for some time now and only now has the Juno Awards stood up and taken notice of him.  With the masculine baritone coming out of the mouth of a lip-glossed, eye-shadowed skinny hipster, O’Regan has captured the hearts & nominations of the Juno Committee, having been nominated for a New Artist of the Year award.

I had the chance to speak to Diamond Rings regarding his nomination, his new album and the evolution of Diamond Rings, the fashion forward artist.

Aspiring Blogger asks:

I’ve been reading fashion blogs/lookbook-ing/polyvore-ing (etc) for a while now and have decided it’s time for me to take the next step and get myself to fashion fame via the internet. Any ideas? I don’t expect to become famous immediately…but it wouldn’t hurt either.

Mica says:

AB – Fashion bloggers are a dime a dozen these days, so you really need to bust balls in order to get yourself any readers (other than your mom). Here are my top tips on how to make it happen:

Single grrlz listen up! Valentines day is next week, and it doesnt have to be the day from hell. Whether you are straight or queer minded this day for lovers can really stink. For some going out and buying yourself your own sweet smelling soft petaled roses will do the trick to get over the hump to gain back any slipped confidence you may have in your singledom. Here are a few ideas that are worth tweets, likes and shares.

Screw the idea that Mr or Mz Right will be the only ones who can give you a piece of jewlery that means something to you. I believe, that jewlery can be a personal investment, in yourself. You don’t have to wait until someone buys you bling. You just have to OWN it, when you wear it. i decided to consult with cee, who is a styist, personal shopper, a visual merchandiser, AND a fellow queer grrrl who sports some serious bling.

Guys, I don’t think you get it yet. Stop with the infinite layers of clothing and tailored to perfection shirts and coats, all you need to be wearing is your favorite pair of jeans, a loose fitted Tee, and a little bit of confidence and right away you’ll feel fresh and relaxed and people will defiantly notice how good you feel in your own skin. Ladies, this also goes for you to. Ditch the sticky face, throw your hair up, jeans and a Tee, you’re golden. On the season finale of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills we got a quick peek at Camille dressed down in jeans and a loose fitted LS top…WOW what a babe. The make up and Disney silk just adds 10+ years.

They are fashionable people, doing fashionable things.

There is a serious shift happening in Toronto’s fashion landscape where tiny boutiques & studios are popping up all across town. With excellently curated lines, adorable shops & a fun online presence, it’s heating up over who has the hottest wares.

ReiaStudio is a new love of mine. Although their collection selection is relatively small, it’s so well curated that you want to buy the entire line. Carrying labels like Tilo Scarves (you might recognize from Mila Kunis in Black Swan), Rita D., Dennis Merotto (Lida Baday’s previous senior designer and now a must-watch up and coming designer), and their newest Liebeskind Berlin. Every piece in the store is beautiful and curated with care.

Do you know what chiptune is? Anamanaguchi’s music comes from the same vein as the structured videogame tones from a hacked 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) that create those familiar arcade beeps and bloops that were constantly in the background for most of our childhoods only with more of a punk rock edge.

I spoke with drummer Luke Silas. from the band on the telephone all the way from Miami, Florida.  Anamanaguchi are making their way to Toronto on January 21, 2012 with Extreme Animals and Moon King at Wrongbar (http://embracepresents.com/event/anamanaguchi/).  While he took in the warmth on his vacation, we had the chance to discuss what the band was really all about.

Every city girl wants to stay flossy and fresh to death despite the season.  Every city girl has that one person they trust with their everything: hair, nails, brows, hell – teeth.  Girls taking getting prepped seriously and men, take note: we have a place for you to impress your ladies for a special day or for an upcoming Valentine’s Day treat.

Nestled in the Rosedale neighbourhood – I found Beauty Bar (1114 Yonge Street).  Specializing in all things beauty, including (but not limited to) nail services, Brazilian waxing, skin care and electrolysis.  Plus, newly added to the team is Joe in the hair department. I had the opportunity to speak with Sofia and Mimi, two fiercely beautiful ladies who told me they would be able to help me prepare for a night out on the town.

Having just recently turned 19, up and coming Toronto based photographer Alice Xue already has a very beautiful portfolio. Focusing on fashion and beauty, Alice captures the youthfulness that surrounds her.  With every photo feeling as though it was taken effortlessly, on a warm summer day with a cool breeze, there’s nothing pretentious about her work.

Hey, hey, hey it’s Pinkie as we all know I eat, sleep, & breathe fashion… sooo I decided enough with my sporadic fashion & beauty post!!! Its time to bring my peoples the 411 on the fashion & beauty frontier from trends to scandals… Pinkie’s got it covered!!

“Swing, Sing and Shine” is the name of the game for Swarovski Spring/Summer 2012; with the flashing lights of the paparazzi and click of the camera as the inspiration for the season… can you say ACTION.  The collection tells a story of a versatile young lady who is growing from an ambitious student into a glamourous leading lady ready for the spotlight; the tale comes to life with modern and vintage styling, in soft pastels colours, spherical and floral references, which is a nod to the golden era of the ‘60s.

When you look outside there is no denying it we are about to stare Jack Frost dead in the face, but when it comes to land of fashion (which I live in) its hot as hell with Spring & Summer trends.

For Spring/Summer 2012 H&M took all the essentials one needs for the season and gave them a fluid but tailored silhouette, the pieces have the look and feel of modern styling, with soft touches. For the season H&M decided to stay on the lighter end of the spectrum with a whites, neutrals taking centre stage, with some fruity colours for the perfect accent.

That’s it party peeeople… it’s officially the last day of LG Fashion Week/Toronto Fashion Week. I have crammed my feet into five inch heels for five days straight, performed ten wardrobe changes, survived purse swathing and hangovers. All in the name of fashion!!! The last day of LGFW was jammed packed so I decided to man up and  hit the tents for the whole day.

Adrian Wu

Perfect way to start the last day of LGFW was with a splendid presentation from Adrian Wu, we packed the bright airy studio the natural light from the sun streamed in and highlighted the orchestra. Then the models began to float onto the runway littered with red, green and blue polka dots as the balanced on what seemed to me stilts rather than shoes, while being engulfed by an orbital head piece (can you believe Adrian made everything). As the designs paraded the studio with organic tones, rope & hand painted details with mounds of voile resembling bubbles and flower petals.  I felt as tho I was transported to a tea party and I left my couture gown at home . It wasn’t until I popped backstage Adrian told me his thought process for this season was conceptualized with the help of quantum physics… you heard correct, physics. Where I interpreted the petals and blooms they were really “creatures of the photons” – electrons, photons, neurons. Who knew physics could inspire such great designs!!

Anu Raina

Its seems the trend of vibrant colour and print is running rabid like a wild beast during LGFW and Anu Raina grabbed it by the horns and made it hers. When I popped backstage to ask her where her wonderful mind came up with all theses lovely designs and rich colours,  she told me it the collection was heavily influenced by a trip to the island Murano with her family. While in Murano, Anu was able to observe the glass artisans at work as they created unique designs her favourite being chandeliers and the ancient sand cast method which was translated into the colour and print for her S/S ’12 collection. Anu Raina hit all the right notes for Spring/Summer colour, print and wear-ability.

Micalla

Once again Micalla shows us why they reign superior when it comes to all things bling. The presentation started with a splendid short film, starring the infamous “Remus” with a litter of beautiful cats indulging in the finer things in life.  Their S/S ’12 collection entitled “I ? Remus” was a mixture of  classic vintage, with modern lines, bold statement and colour all the things a fierce independent women embodies. Camilla Jorgensen designer for Micalla said, “This season’s collection parallels the decadent lives of cast to women who enjoy all of life’s pleasures.” If this is the life of a feline that count me in and don’t forget the gold Swarovski shrug.

Baby Steinberg

Reuse, reduce, recycle redesign is the name of Baby’s games, with a collection entitled “Remnant” if your wondering about the title it’s because all materials/fabric used to make each garment are 100% recycled. Let’s be honest I was a little apprehensive about the collection, but boy was I in for a surprise. The show opened with a man singing & playing the accordion (I know caught me off guard as well) the show began with a mix n match of pieces, from dresses embellished in feathers, to sexy chunky knits, and even crochet. What I loved the most was Steinberg’s decision to ditch the finale walk and have her models pose in her designs on platforms so we could have a closer look, ingenious!!

Cydelic by Choryin

For Spring/Summer 2012  Choryin Coi went out of this world with a collection named “Aliens“, yes I said Aliens!! The studio presentation opened with a short film starring model Renée Thompson, before models hit the catwalk rocking  futuristic garments. They featured transparent cutouts, what seemed to be horn embellishments, but my personal fave was the bad ass print which wasn’t quite animal (I just can’t put my hands on it). Really tho who could pay attention to the clothes… when you had those killer handbags made of horn handles, massive exotic feathers, animal hide, shells, and I think even insects!! Let’s just say it was oddly alright in a ET kinda way!!

Lauren Bagliore

I’m all about simplicity, easy,versatility and that is what Lauren does best with her designs. Bagliore’s collection entitled “Le Strade della Descostruzione” embodied deconstruction, from the asymmetrical cuts which created fluidity, to the architectural detail visible in knots of the jersey to heavy layer. As simple as the designs were you certainly could pick up a sense of Asian aesthetics and refinement.

David Dixon

What more can one say about the man himself… I happen to be a huge fan I own his shoes, gowns, Barbie line (I love him), and with his S/S ’12 David shows why we love him so much. His opening jersey gown in canary yellow was simply breath-taking on Naro and with every step she took it seem to flow like water in a stream. Soft details such as delightful silk laser cut flowers which adorned cotton skirts, and chantilly lace layers were just the perfect touch. I truly appreciated the range of pieces from bustiers to skirts, and jackets in between; Dixon had all his bases covered.

Denis Gagnon

Denis, Denis, Denis… can this man out do himself? Well, he sure did with his Spring/Summer presentation which began with a short film entitled “Nuit Nouvelle” starring fresh-faced girls romping in foggy woods as the genius himself sipped bubbly and watched his creations from far.

To the clothes… What better way to close the Fashion Week Festivities than with red-lipped models skipping and frolicking down the runway. Denis introduced a whimsical collection that was a little bit city and little bit country. The bright garden-print flooded the runway from suits, to capris, to clutches and even backpacks. Black and white, coupled with softness and edge are apparent skorts, blouses and tent dresses… and the slight infusion of men’s tailoring with the tuxedo style jacket, FIRE!

In true celebration, Gagnon concluded the presentation with two female models — one wearing a tuxedo-style shortall, the other in a white-sleeved ensemble with bouquet and all. They hit the catwalk arm-in-arm and stopped to partake in a quick smooch.

As fast as it came is as fast as it went!! I once again had a wonderful time meeting many wonderful people, enjoying great conversation, having joyous laughs and sipping many glasses of wine. From the bottom of my pink heart I would like to thank everyone that made my LFGW memorable and unforgettable! Now its time to sleep & rest my feet!

XOXO…Pinkie