Against the stunning backdrop of the Alps and the Dolomites in northern Italy, the opening ceremonies at the Milano San Siro Stadium will unite athletes, spectators, and dignitaries from around the world to honour diversity, sportsmanship, and the Olympic spirit. 

Related story: Pantone Colour of 2026: Cloud Dancer

Fashion on the world stage

With Italian design heritage and major luxury fashion brands supporting their national teams, the six Olympic Villages, which will host around 2,900 athletes across the region, will be the place to be seen. Olympic team uniforms now appear appropriate on international fashion runways as well as on the podium.

As the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics arrive in Europe’s snowy playground from February 6 to 22, the 116 events on the ice and on the slopes are becoming a major style showcase.

The Olympic team kits blend sporty and cultural styles, with opening-ceremony outfits reflecting national heritage. Many are designed by luxury fashion houses, including Ralph Lauren for Team USA, Emporio Armani for the Italian Team, and Ben Sherman for the British Team. 

Team Canada to take on the Games in performance and style

Watch for performance apparel from Lululemon, made for Team Canada and designed to excel on ice and at high altitudes, functional and stylish. 

Available for purchase at Lululemon, Team Canada jackets and accessories tell Canada’s story by drawing on the country’s landscapes and environment. They feature topographic map prints, bold maple leaf designs, and colours ranging from deep red to iceberg-inspired greens and blues.

Performance tailoring blends with modern silhouettes to create head-to-toe looks inspired by city style, using fabrics such as Merino Wool, Jacquard, and Translucent Glyde to elevate the Olympic & Paralympic uniform.

Lululemon’s Team Canada accessories are popular

The most popular Lululemon Team Canada items are accessories, especially scarves and toques, which are almost sold out.

Whether elaborate and symbolic or sleek and technical, each uniform is a symbol of national identity. For this year’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes, practicality is as important as appearance, if not more so.

Milano Cortina Opening Ceremonies

The opening ceremony features highlights including the parade of nations, artistic performances celebrating Italian heritage, and the much-anticipated lighting of the Olympic cauldron. 

The 2026 Milano Cortina Opening Ceremonies are scheduled to be broadcast live on CBC on Friday, February 6^th, at 10:30 AM PST. 

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Following two hugely successful European pop-ups at Moebius in Milan and The Court in Rome, the team at Chinatown’s award-winning Laowai is pleased to present its latest pop-up partnership, featuring one of the world’s most acclaimed cocktail bars. 

On Monday, October 30, Laowai will play host to Hong Kong’s critically acclaimed Penicillin at Laowai x Penicillin.

Hailed as a world-class watering hole and listed at #71 by the World’s Best Bars, Penicillin’s husband-and-wife team of Agung and Laura Prabowo are travelling to Vancouver to produce an evening of cocktail magic alongside Laowai Chef Phong Vo’s street-bites inspired menu. 

Laowai x Pencillin Tickets

Tickets* for both the 8:30 pm and 11 pm seatings are now available via Eventbrite. The 6 pm seating is sold out. General Admission: $30 for an individual reserved seat, includes welcome cocktail. VIP: $300 includes a reserved booth, full cocktail card and dumplings for four people.

*Ticket pricing does not include ticketing fees and taxes. 

Related story: Cornucopia, Whistler’s celebration of food + drink

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Fashion history tells us that social disruptions such as political and economic events like the great depression and World War II have had far greater influence on fashion than seasonal trends.

During World War II, everything from food to steel to fabrics was rationed for the war effort so our parents recycled old clothes and even curtains to make new things for their children.

Christian Dior’s New Look

The post-war years gave birth to Christian Dior’s extravagant New Look which was defined by long skirts with corset waists. This type of extreme European elegance would not have been politically acceptable during the war.

Above Photo: Duomo of Milan | Daniil Vnoutchkov on Unsplash

Luxury retail therapy is real

Today, Athleisure may encourage more people to adopt the same look in public regardless of what activity they’re engaged in, day in and day out. But for the wealthy, luxury retail therapy is very real. WWD reports that upon reopening, the Hermes boutique in Guangzhou, China brought in sales of US $2.7M in one day. While many of you continue to lounge in your leggings, the luxury sector is more resilient than most people realize.

We are all eager to return to normality – to get outside, connect with family and friends, travel beyond the borders Covid-19 has imposed upon us. Doubtless, a revival of personal style will be part of this journey. 

Australians take out the bin

Consider some of the ways that Covid-19 has already influenced fashion. In Australia, for example, women are dressing up in their wedding gowns to take out the garbage. The pictures they’re posting on Instagram – hauling trash cans to the curb in swathes of white silk, satin and chiffon – are a cheeky reminder that, these days, your bin goes out more than you do. We all have to create our own opportunities to dress up.

New York street photography evolves

Meanwhile in New York, street fashion photography has been replaced by demure images of Kate Middleton-style looks taken at home and posted each Sunday on Instagram. Though the content may have shifted to a more reserved aesthetic, even in the middle of a pandemic, many still crave those ‘likes’. 

So, fashion is still part of our lives, a way to express our moods and identities even during the most challenging of times. We will survive Covid-19 and it will change the face of fashion. 

Together, we will celebrate life and personal style once this has passed. I, for one, can’t wait to see what the next stage of fashion history will look like.

Be kind, stay home and stay safe!

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In front of the main entrance, brightly blazing white lights spelled out the signature “VFW”. To hordes of fashionistas, influencers and others ‘in the know’, this signified that local and international designers had descended on the city to showcase their talent over seven fabulous days.

Bright Lights & White Tents

The large white tents, which created the perfect backdrop for the fashion collections, provided a unique energy and excitement to the local community and we hope that this will be VFW’s new home.

Vancouver Fashion Week Spring Summer 2019 Collections

Monday evening was Vancouver Fashion Week’s Opening Gala which featured single ensembles by over 20 designers as well as two designer collections. Phuong My’s stylish collection of women’s evening wear kicked off VFW’s first year at its new location.

Phuong My

Vietnamese-born My, a graduate of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, launched her label in 2013, catering to stylish Asian women, including many celebrities.

Her collection at VFW featured luxury materials and shaped gowns of the sort that would be found on the red carpet in Asia and the Middle East.

Having exhibited her designs in New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Singapore, Perth and Dubai, she now has 30 retail locations in 20 countries stretching from France and Italy to Dubai and Southeast Asia. With her international credentials and global reach, this up-and-coming style superstar was just the right designer to launch Vancouver Fashion Week’s new downtown location.

Above Photos: Phuong My | Simon Lau

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Like many fashion trends, rose gold first appeared on the European runways. In 2012, designers like Roberto Cavalli and Jimmy Choo offered rose gold pieces which have evolved into the metallic looks that we all see today.

Pop culture also played a significant part in this color phenomenon. The release of Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014, with its luxurious pink interiors, captivated audiences worldwide and reinforced the burgeoning trend.

Next was the introduction of the Apple iPhone 6S in September of 2015 which came in four metallic hues. The rose gold version exploded on the mass market. Millennials everywhere wanted a rose gold phone and 40% of pre-sales were for the rose gold model. As a result of its apparent popularity, in 2016 the color became the Pantone Color of the Year under the signature name of Rose Quartz. Today, you can still purchase a rose gold iPhone 7 at the Apple store.

Millennials of both genders have been in love with this unique pink shade – also referred to as Millennial Pink. A truly gender-neutral colour, actresses in all pink gowns and actors in head-to-toe pink suits are now part of the red-carpet scene in Hollywood.

Instagram feeds are a testament to the ubiquity of rose gold. The color can be found everywhere on the popular app, from posts on beauty, fashion and jewelry to images featuring home décor, wedding cakes and bridal couture.

Though the Pantone Color of the Year for 2018 is lilac, my European luxury fashion designer colleagues tell me that rose gold continues to be their number one seller especially for jewelry and accessories. In Europe, consumer researchers report that women perceive rose gold as feminine and elegant with a superior value. In Italy, rose gold kitchens are now all the rage.

Walking the fashionable streets of London, Paris and Milan this summer, you will inevitably find rose gold on the well-dressed set. From the runways of Europe to the Instagram feeds of celebrities and influencers, rose gold is still the color to beat. We haven’t tired of it yet. On the contrary, we can’t seem to get enough.

Now, where is my Swiss watch?

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Like the New Year, spring is a time of rebirth and renewal and, in the world of high fashion, the return to captivating glamour is the revival we’ve been waiting for. As one of the top fashion trends for spring 2018, this polished elegant look will resonate with both the new and the old money crowd.

Fashion designers no longer market trends. As consumers now desire clothes that reflect their personal style, designers tend to offer up various looks from which their customers can choose. However, there are some dominant themes running through the Spring 2018 collections. Though they are by no means homogenous, the runways of New York, London, Paris and Milan do give us a sense of direction this spring.

Starting last fall, several fashion designers began eschewing expensive casual attire such as sneakers and sweat suits, offering chic elegant pieces instead. This spring, the trend continued and it seems the fashion pendulum is swinging back to a more polished wardrobe.

In my book, glamour never truly went out of style. But there are several looks from the spring runway collections that point to women dressing up – rather than dressing down – to feel fabulous as we enter spring 2018.

Top Spring Fashion Trends 2018

Disco 2.0

For those who miss the psychedelic haze of the sex-driven club scene of the 70’s and the strobe-lit crystal balls spinning to the soundtrack of Saturday Night Fever, you’ll be pleased to know that disco is back. Mini dresses and catsuits covered with sequins were all the rage with Spanish designer Paco Rabanne. Inspired by the Paris club scene, the Rabane look is perfect for partying and dancing all night long in style.

Busting Out

Some call it the Kardashian effect. Designers continue to present plunging necklines, including sexy waist deep v-necks and low cut square necks, for women of all sizes. New to the mix this spring is the bustier which Alexander McQueen’s collection offered with decorative colored stitching, ruffles and feathers. Still revealing, while celebrating the sensuality of the female form, the bustier provides sex appeal to those who perhaps aren’t quite ready to try a bodycon dress with a deep v-neck.

Glamorous Sheer

When it comes to long skirts, make it sheer. Using tulle and net, Christian Dior and Dries van Noten made transparent, light and airy dressing the dramatic look of the season. Multi-layered or worn waist high, this revealing fabric ensures a glamorous entrance to your next party.

Stylewise, it’s time to break out your heels and dress up! The casual attire of seasons past has undergone a metamorphosis and now awe-inspiring glamour and glitter is what spring fashion is all about.

Above photo: Anna Bella

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