/ Thoughts from the Editor-In-Chief, Fall 2013

by Hina P. Ansari

Thoughts from the Editor-In-Chief, Fall 2013

Oct 17, 2013

A story told, stitch by stitch

When I travel, I make it a point to do two things: a) visit a local vintage or consignment store, and b) purchase a fashion item by a local designer. My wardrobe is filled with gems from vibrant vintage stores, local artisan stalls, bustling markets and select designer studios of the world.

My finds include a vintage silk cheongsam gown from San Francisco, a distressed treated handbag from Tokyo, a vintage floral floor-length frock from Prague, a pair of beaded cork wedges from Budapest, and my latest acquisition, a fantastic knee-length fall coat from Spain by way of Medellín. They get introduced to my existing pieces and, thankfully, they play well together.

The reason I make these predetermined side trips when I’m travelling is it’s such an haute haven of history. From one stitch to the next, I’m told seductive style stories, which are wonderfully weighed down by history, delightfully whimsical or incredibly innovative. I discover a world of similarities and differences; like a fabric choice, a cut, a silhouette and an overall aesthetic that threads that city’s fashion scene together.

Many factors play into what trickles down from a country’s runway to reality. It can be cultural or religious. It can reflect economic status or political stance. Discovering such tomes when you come across a local designer’s interpretation of a trend — to me — is priceless. It’s a sociology, anthropology, history, economics, political science and creative writing lesson all rolled into that one brilliant trench you found in the design studio of the Colombian couturier or in the back of the dusty vintage store in Brooklyn.

Fashion 101 dictates that your focus be on Milan, Paris, New York and London to gauge what trendsetters declare. That’s true. However, just as the world isn’t flat, the fashion world isn’t about what comes out of a handful of cities. Tailored tales continue to be told (and retold) in little neighbourhoods or big metropolises, beyond valleys, and across borders. Everywhere.

That struck a chord when I recently visited Medellín, Colombia, to attend Colombia Moda 2013 — the country’s fashion week, and the second largest in Latin America after Brazil’s São Paulo Fashion Week.

From the front row, I relished in the style sensibilities of the local fashion community who presented their Fall/Winter 2013 season. (Yes, their fashion week is more immediate than the traditional six-month lead-time).
The runway dazzled with their must-haves for the season. Moda mavens doned skyscraper stilettos, studs and florals.

Meanwhile we were producing our Fashion & Style Issue. What better way to heighten your fashion senses than by being exposed to a new culture of couture when already in a fashion state of mind? It gave us a chance to really bolster and expand on our already stellar fashion and style repertoire in time for the fall season.

In addition to our trend reports from Milan, Paris, New York and of course South Asia, our designer profile special includes a focus on Canadian design duo Greta Constantine (page 58) and India’s milliner maven Shilpa Chavan (Hats Off to Shilpa Chavan, page 54). We delve into the darkness with our fashion spread (Blackout, page 62) and ensure your wardrobe has the season’s key essentials with Monika’s Must-Haves (page 40).

In the holiday spirit, this issue includes fantastic holiday-themed recipes (Simple & Scrumptious, page 122); fab tea ideas (Remixing the Tea Tradition, page 118) for your entertaining pleasure; and of course, ways to burn it all off (Fitness with Achal, page 116).

As I plan my next fashion adventure (stay tuned!), I want you to note how important it is to occasionally break free from the local mall mantra and explore beyond the doors of your home, the stop sign of your street and even the limits of your town or city. Because you never know where your next style story will come from . . . and that’s the most exciting thing of all.

Best,

Hina P. Ansari
Editor-In-Chief

_{PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDY LEE, HAIR AND MAKEUP BY BREE}

Hina P. Ansari

Author

Hina P. Ansari is a graduate from The University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario). Since then she has carved a successful career in Canada's national fashion-publishing world as the Entertainment/Photo Editor at FLARE Magazine, Canada's national fashion magazine. She was the first South Asian in...