Judy Inc’s Joelle Litt tells us her must haves for packing light and covering all your bases!  From frizz-less locks to soft lips, to accessories and light weight attires;  Joelle has you ready for the beach in no time!
“It’s that time of year to migrate South and soak up some sun”.  While she packs for Tulum, her favorite beach-side destination, Joelle points out her top 10 picks for packing lightly and making sure you are covered for absolutely any occasion.

1 – Golden Brown
You’re going to be showing some skin, so wear it well. This organic product doubles as a hair frizz fix. (Available at world.ca)

2 – A grown-up swimsuit
No strings attached. Of course I packed a few string bikinis, but sometimes you need to feel a little bit more sophisticated.

photo: richard dubois, styling: joelle litt

3 – A great hat
Two-toned Coach. Look it up.

4 – A light wrinkle-free pant
A great pant can make any tank top look elegant. I opt for print and volume.

photo: mike lewis, styling: joelle litt

5 – Maybelline Baby Lips
Sun protection and colour in one! Leave your makeup bag at home. All you need is to toss in some mascara too. (Available at Shoppers Drug Mart)

6 – A neutral sandal
Go for a barely there sleek design. I always wear a two-toned, black & brown leather sandal (by Sam Edelman). They are perfect with denim cut-offs on a lazy afternoon, and classic with a dress at dinner.

7 – Printed scarf
Check out Tilo’s prints – triples as a beach wrap, headscarf and even a bag accessory.

8 – Big bold earrings
I ONLY wear earrings to beach-side dinners. Must say, they do look beautiful with beach hair!

photo: timothy lee, styling; joelle litt

9 – Lightweight long fitted black dress
The beach version of the LBD. Mine is cotton BCBG typically worn with combat boots. However, leave the heavy combat boots in the city.  This piece will take you from lunch to dinner.

photo: richard dubois, styling: joelle litt

10 – iPad
Leave the laptop at home… How else will you follow our Judy Inc Blog?!

In ode to the infamous book, here are Judy’s top fall picks inspired by the shade of grey.

Jacket – Iro/ Tee – Iro/ Ankle boots – Alaia/ Draped long sleeve – T by Alexander Wang/ Bag – YSL/ Mini skirt – 3.1 Phillip Lim/ Knit dress – Vanessa Bruno Athé/ Pants – J. Crew/ Beanie – Stella McCartney/ Long sleeve – Derek Lam/ Plaid skirt – J.W. Anderson

With copious magazine covers, campaigns and gracing the runways more times than seems humanly possible, Joan Smalls is definitely deserving of her supermodel status. The Puerto Rican beauty  has come a long way from her beginnings as a struggling catalogue model. In 2010 Ms. Smalls was selected by Riccardo Tisci, Givenchy‘s head designer, who was then booked exclusively for the fashion house’s haute couture show. The now 24 year is now ranked the 2nd most successful model in the world and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

In this article for Harper’s Bazaar Uk, fashion writer Derek Blasberg interviews the supermodel on her new contract with Estee Lauder, her undeniable determination, and her plans for the future.

The most glamourous and important fashion people were all in attendance to fete the exhibition and book launch of Chanel’s Little Black Jacket at London’s infamous Saatchi Gallery. The launch that celebrated Mlle. Chanel’s most iconic piece includes an accompanying campaign that features some of the most equally stylish and  influential women. The LBJ models were not only styled by Carine Roitfeld, but were specifically selected and shot by Mr. Lagerfeld himself. Chanel’s leading ladies that attended the star-studded soiree, all honoured the night’s theme by wearing a Little Black Jacket or head-to-toe Chanel of course.

Here are some of our favourite ensembles of the night:

For those of you who don’t know who The Sartorialist is, he is as some may say, a pioneer in street style photography.  Scott Shuman, who founded the street style blog thesartorialist.com back in 2005, has been catapulted into fashion fame and entrepreneurship. With his blog, Shuman has established a name for not only himself, but for the several fashion editors, stylists and models that are his subjects. His trademark off-duty candids have arguably created the present-day craze of street style stars.  The next thing you know, Shuman has shot editorials and campaigns for the likes of Vogue Paris, Vogue Italia, GQ and DKNY. In 2009 his first book simply entitled The Sartorialist, was published. As a compilation of the site’s most popular images, the book went on to sell over 100,000 copies worldwide.

After accomplishing all that in 7 short years, what else could there possibly be left to achieve. Well that’s easy – publish another book! Though this one is quite the stretch from Shuman’s first publication, which focused on fashionable New Yorkers and star editors. The Sartorialist: Closer will feature an entirely global and almost incognito approach to street style photography. No famous-fashion-industry-insider’s, only a platoon of fresh faces, with styles unbiased by the trends that rule the blogesphere. It is global style in its purest form. And this is exactly why we love Mr.Shuman aka Mr. Sartorialist so much. Because he doesn’t follow trends, he pioneers them.

If you want a closer peek into Scott’s world of sartorial perfection, than pick up “The Sartorialist: Closer”, available on August 29^th.

Take a peak behind the scenes with Julie Harris as she beautifies GIRLS actress Allison Williams before the Style Awards last night on the eve of NYC Fashion Week! Love the makeup Julie, especially the deep wine lips!

Photos courtesy of Allison’s Fashion Week diary exclusively on USA Today

Join Grolsch blogger and Judy Inc stylist Amy Lu as she celebrates Toronto International Film Festival 2012. Amy and photographer Kevin Gonsalves will cover TIFF events for Grolsch as the official beer sponsor of the film fest.

Follow @GROLSCHatTIFF and @amylustyle for updates on TIFF news AND fashion of course!

During the height of the recession in 2009, Vogue decided to create a shopping event called Fashion’s Night Out in order to push the people of NYC to come out and support the fashion industry. The concept proved to be such a success that it is now not only an annual event, but it has gone global too.

This year Toronto will join the likes of Paris, Australia and Brazil, to name a few, for the shopping extravaganza that begins tonight, September 6th. During the event, dozens of Toronto’s best boutiques and biggest retailers will keep their doors open way past regular hours to encourage customers to let loose, and open their wallets.

Though there are no special discounts, FNO is an amazing excuse to come out, dress up, shop and enjoy a party atmosphere full of free food, drinks, DJs. And this is all in good company of course, with special appearances made by models, designers and local celebrities. FNO is the perfect opportunity to show up and support the retailers and designers that you love.

One of the night’s biggest events and undoubtedly the most fabulous will be a street party hosted by Holt Renfrew.  Bloor Street, from Yonge St. to Bay St., will be closed off until 11 pm and will additionally celebrate the department stores 175^th anniversary.

From Yorkdale Mall and Hazelton Lanes, to smaller boutiques across the city, there will be no shortage of fabulous stores to enjoy good company, good cocktails and amazing clothing of course!

To see the list of all retailers included in Toronto’s first Fashion’s Night Out, check out: http://fno-toronto.com/participants.html

It is no surprise that leather has always been a hot commodity in any fashionista’s fall wardrobe. But this upcoming season’s lust for leather has been taken to new levels. Gone are the days where leather is strictly worn as a means to show you are hardcore and rebellious.  The leather ensembles that were shown on the fall 2012 runways were of polished and feminine proportions. From demure skirts to peplum jackets; the more leather, the more chic. Take a look a Judy Inc’s picks of the best pieces of the season.

Black jacket, Miu Miu/ Peach coat, The Row/ Mint green jacket, Acne/ Two tone dress, A.L.C./ Black legging, The Row/ Paneled long sleeve, Reed Krakoff/ Quiilted mini skirt, Balmain/ Black shorts, Isabel Marant/ Booties, Alexander Wang/ Red pants, Balmain

 In an era where the whole world seems to be suffering financially in one way or another, a large chunk of the fashion industry seems to be either recession proof or just plain oblivious. Designers are continuing to produce dresses in the tens of thousands AND up. Just within the past decade, prices for runway clothing only seem to be collecting more zeros. But, this is not to say that there is not a large market for 5 figure, ready-to-wear ensembles. Retailers and e-commerce sites can’t seem to keep these items in stock for more than a week. Take a look at this interesting piece on Style.com and learn why in the midst of a great recession, women are willing to pay $2,000 for an off-the-rack Balmain blazer and the effect that this has had on couture.

Read it here: http://www.style.com/trendsshopping/stylenotes/082112_Five_Figure_Dress/#page-1

photo courtesy of Style.com

For such a luxurious and celebrated fashion house, it is quite surprising that the folks at Dolce & Gabbana have never produced a couture collection – that is until now.  Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana will show their first ever couture collection on July 9th in Sicily, which was reportedly chosen far away from other couture cities in order to keep hungry critics away. The show, with a very exclusive invite list, will only include select/important clients in addition to 3 news outlets. The boys of Dolce & Gabbana have decided to focus their efforts and creative energy on the creation of this collection now that their lower priced line D&G is finito. According to Vanessa Friedman from FT, this choice was presumably made, as it is a safe choice during tough economic times. “To me, this suggests the brand buys into the current thinking that says high luxury is a safe haven in a recession-plagued world (there are always rich people who want really special products and will pay for them)” says Friedman. Regardless of the motives behind the line, we are eager to see what this Italian duo will come up with. Expect sensuality, drama and opulence. Vive la Couture!

As the summer’s hottest and often most important fashion accessory, the statement sunglass has truly made a bold comeback. Tortoise shell, white, acetate, glittered frames and frameless shades are literally just the border. Shape is what really allows this accessory to define your trendiness and individuality. The standout shapes that dominated the catwalks for summer 2012 were the Cat-Eye, the John Lennon style Round Frame, and the large D-Frame sunnies. Whatever shape suits your fancy, you are sure to stand out.

Take a peek at Judy Inc’s picks of this season’s best.

Cat-Eye: Yves Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, Elizabeth and James, Selima Optique, Prism

Round Frame: Carven, Illesteva, Thiery Lasry, The Row, Illesteva

D-Frame: Illesteva, Oliver Peoples, Linda Farrow Luxe, Super, The Row

For those of you who can not wait for Carine Roitfeld’s much anticipated magazine CR Fashion Book, you are in for some good news.  Apparently the fashion icon is just as antsy about the September release of her solo venture, that she has decided to release the first instalment “Issue 0″, as a mini insert in the July issue of V Magazine. The first issue entitled “The Youthquake Issue” will be released July 5th and will most likely feature Roitfeld’s edgy and sexual aesthetic. You can never really anticipate what this creative genius will come up with next, just know that it will undoubtably include the most coveted and immaculate clothing.

Here is the link to the behind-the-scenes video of one of the upcoming editorial shoots including photographer Sebastian Faena and Ms. Roitfeld in action. http://crfashionbook.com/

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but it in this case it’s worth a whole lot more.  29 year old, Canadian photographer Gian Carlo Drueco has been bravely battling cancer. His story has inspired and affected many, so much so that his peers have decided to lend their talented hands to help raise funds for their friend. Several of Canada’s distinguished  fashion, commercial and fine art photographers — such as Chris Nicholls, George Whiteside, Geoff Barrenger and Colin Faulkner — have donated their original artwork and prints to a silent online auction on www.32auctions.com/shine2. The auction, made up of 29 pieces, will run from June 22 until June 28th.

Check out Drueco’s personal journey throughout his battle at http://gianandmichelle.tumblr.com/

Wednesday night was a big night for Samsung and for Judy Inc. In honour of the launch of the new Galaxy SIII phone, Samsung threw 3 massive parties simultaneously in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.  VIP’s and guests alike were treated to delicious snacks and drinks, and more importantly to acrobatic performances, beat-drummers, speed painting artists AND a private concert by Cobra Starship in Toronto. A few Galaxy pros were on hand to show give tutorials on the new phone which includes 2 Gb of RAM, an 8 megapixels camera, Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, a larger display screen, and improved overall software and add-ons. And of course Judy Inc was there every step of the way by providing incredible hair, makeup and body painting.

Check out the futuristic launch and the stellar works of our artists below:

Event photos via thegate.com

If anyone has the ability to open a boutique that has the perfect mix of old and new, contemporary and no-name must-haves, it’s Nicole Manek. With the fashion background that Manek has, it seems only natural that opening her own boutique - House of Manek - would be in the cards. The stylist and costume-designer, whose newest endeavour includes hosting Slice TV’s Make Me Over, Make Me Under with Judy Inc‘s own David Clemmer, uses her knowledge and vast resources to dress customers the way she dresses her clients. The Dundas Street West store is stocked with a range of contemporary lines, hand selected vintage pieces and one-of-a-kind items that come from Manek’s days in the movie industry. The much buzzed about boutique carries denim from popular labels like J Brand and the slightly more budget-friendly but equally hip SkarGorn. Accessories and jewellery brands include new labels like Orly Genger, in addition to discontinued designer pieces from Yves Saint Laurent to Christian Dior. Every last label and item – specifically selected by the esteemed owner – embodies individuality and character, just like Nicole herself.

Life of Manek, 1504 Dundas St. W., (647) 347-2635

Acne

3.1 Philip Lim

Celine

Chloé

The Row

Valentino

Stella McCartney

So we guess sometimes rumours are true. Cult label Maison Martin Margiela has officially confirmed that they are indeed the most recent label set to collaborate with H&M. The Parisian fashion house that is synonymous for its avant-garde and often non-commercial approach to design, is definitely a bold choice for a collaboration with the mainstream retail giant. But for Margiela groupies, such as we are, the prospect of being able to afford such unique and somewhat intangible designs is beyond exciting. The collaboration, set to hit stores November 2012, is sure to evoke a frenzy of discussion more than just mere rumours.

Check out the official video here:

The best of the new Resort collections for 2013:

Calvin Klein Collection

Theyskens Theory

Balenciaga

Proenza Schouler

Reed Krakoff

Belstaff

Suno

If you are into wearing designer clothing for a fraction of the cost, then you will really enjoy this informative video. Watch stylist and former Kell On Earth star Andrew Mukamal, give you an entertaining lesson on how to create your own version of last season’s coveted Givenchy sweatshirt – professional do-it-yourself style!