WRITING PORTFOLIO

A feature story about muses (National Post)

The last feature story I wrote for the National Post was a full-page fashion feature about some of history's most famous (and in some cases totally eccentric and amazing) fashion muses. It was published in the Weekend Post back in April and I totally forgot to blog about it...oops. It never made it on to the website, which is kinda weird because everything normally goes straight to the web these days and little is ever actually filtered out. The story must have just been overlooked (sad face). But whatever. My story made it to print in one of Canada's biggest national newspaper, if not the biggest (nice job Layne.) So I don't feel too bad about it. Since there isn't an online link, I guess everyone will just have to enjoy the lovely photos I took of the article in the paper. If you're feeling adventurous you can try and zoom in/piece the paragraphs together. Bahaha have fun!

Hi byline! I miss you and love you. You're really pretty <333



Can't remember all the great fall trends from the Toronto Fashion Week F/W 2013 runways? Have no fear! I have them all noted down for you in the Fall Trend report I wrote for the National Post last season.

After the fashion packed week of Toronto's World MasterCard Fashion Week, after all the runway reviews, makeup reviews, hair reviews, designer profiles, trend profile, bla bla bla, no sleep no sleep, I was asked to put it all together to create this ULTIMATE FALL TREND LOW DOWN!

Here are the trends!



Fall Fashion Flashbacks - Mackage, VAWK and Caitlin Power F/W 2013 shows at Toronto Fashion Week (National Post)

Guess what tomorrow is everyone!
It's October, which means fall fashion is here! YAY! Layering! Fall colours! Fall fabrics, patterns and actual clothing! Yes, yes, yesssss, don't get me wrong, I love the summer and its trends. I even wrote a fun summer trend report a few months back for the Post. You can check it out here! It's all about the crazy music festival attire we all love to flaunt around in during the hot days of summer.
Actually, it's a good read for right now. Think of it as a checklist of the things you should be putting away to make room for all the fall loveliness! Bye crochet denim mini shorts... see you next festival season :(

Coachella
Photo: National Post


Yes, I know. I suck at pumping out blog posts. And yes, I realize that blogging about Fashion Week almost two months after the fact takes away from the newsiness of it all but come on people, I'm a busy girl. With the constant running around and hours and hours of fashion writing for the Post, I just haven't had the chance to pay attention to my lovely little blog. Fear not! I now have some free time and I will use it to bring my readers up-to-date on all my fashion adventures! Yaaayyyy I'M EXCITED!

First things first, remember that National Post feature I wrote about the behind-the-scenes of the Laura Siegel runway show? Well if you don't, scroll down a bit.. it's all there. During the commotion and last minute fixes backstage I managed to record a little video of all the fun. Check it out! (Please excuse the terrible quality.. I have zero knowledge of techie things like how to upload a video...pffffff I'm an idiot I guess)




It was my first feature for the National Post and it took two days of documenting to complete - my behind-the-scenes story about the young and talent designer Laura Siegel. It was published in this weekend's paper and seeing it in print made me want to cry. Yeah, you'd think seeing your published work would get old but I'm still such a noob that seeing my byline in black ink on paper still makes my heart fall to my stomach.

yeah sorry it's kinda blurry.. I was really excited.
National Post Weekend Edition. March 23 2013

Toronto Fashion Week Day 1 - Chloe comme Parris, Pink Tartan and a few drinks (National Post)

Now that it's all over, I can finally sit down and write about my Toronto Fashion Week F/W 2013 adventures! Even though I'm still working on runway recaps and so on I've decided to put some time aside for the blog. Yay blogging!

Here goes nothing...

Day 1 of Toronto's World MasterCard Fashion week opened up with yet another amazing collection by Chloe comme Parris. The Gordon sisters sent a 90s-grunge inspired line down their fall 2013 runway and yet again I wanted to own every single piece of it. Every little detail, down to the punk-rock braids in the models' hair, was perfect. If for some reason you have no idea what I'm talking about and you have yet to set your eyes on the beauty that is the Chloe comme Parris fall line, please do so now. KayThanksBye.




MY WORK WAS ACTUALLY PUBLISHED IN PRINT THIS WEEEEK!

There. I got it all out. I'll stop yelling now. IT'S JUST SO EXCITING! After years of writing articles for student papers and magazines, and magazine websites, I finally got an feature story published in an actual national newspaper. One of my favourite university profs once told me that your first print piece should be something you treasure and that it's totally not a loser thing to frame it and put it up on your wall as inspiration. I might just do that. I'd need to find a big frame though. It's kind of a full page spread (bahahhahahh!!!).

Prep a Porter, a designer rundown by Elayne Teixeira-Millar
published in the Tuesday March 19 2013 edition of the National Post.

It's official! Toronto Fashion Week is back for another F/W season, which means I will be a busy bee all over again. This time though, I'm affiliated with a major newspaper! No more rushing around to make sure I get a good seat by the front row. I AM THE FRONT ROW. I can now casually walk in late and straight to my lovely reserved National Post seat next to whatever major blogger/editor-in-chief/Canadian celebrity. Have I mention that my life is pretty good right now?

This week TFW jumpstarted with The ShOws, the two-day runway event that hosts Canadian-born international designers/design houses like Comrags, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Tanya Taylor, Steven Tai, and Jeremy Laing. I was sent to cover Day 2 of the ShOws (the better of the two-days in my opinion--- Jeremy Laing is so effing cool) for the National Post.




Hi Everyone!

I have some amazing news. I have (almost) officially graduated from Ryerson University's school of Journalism and I am (almost) now set loose on the fashion world to report the shit out of it! I say 'almost' because until I get that lovely diploma in June, Ryerson still technically owns me... BUT with that said, I no longer have to go to lectures or write tests or do lame class assignments. I've upgraded in life! I am now the newest edition to the National Post's Arts & Life section - specifically the Style section! I am working closely with my editor, Toronto's fashion and style guru, Nathalie Atkinson and getting as many byline as possible and it's totally amazing.

Yes, I am unpaid. And yes, I have a cubicle. But WHATEVER, right? I'm working the fashion beat for one of the biggest newspapers in North American! Guess what my very first assignment was... "Elayne, could you do a write up of Paris Fashion Week? It's due at 5p.m. Thanks" My response: "Ummm HECK YES!"

Walked in the door and saw this sign in the lobby. I was so excited I had to take a photo... the secretary thought I was an idiot... It's okay though. I'm cool with it

H&M's star-studded February - Beckham and Georgia May Jagger (Dress To KILL mag)

With February comes H&M's new sexy just-in-time-for-Valentine's-day celebrity collaborations. First off we have the launch of David Beckham's new ad campaign for his underwear line. Woohooo more half-naked photos of Becks! And guess what, now there's a video! What more can a girl ask for! It's nasty, cold and miserable in February - at least now we have sexy David photos to warm us up. (oh baby oh baby... I went there. HA!) If you have no idea about the Beck-man's lovely undie line check out my latest Dress to KILL article. It's just a little blurb, but there are photos to enjoy.

Photo: designscene.net

Greta Constantine S/S2013 and my lifetime supply of gum (Dress To KILL magazine)

During Toronto Fashion Week, I was asked by Dress to KILL magazine to interview the two creative minds behind Greta Constantine. The designer-duo didn't actually show their Spring/Summer 2013 line during the designated World Mastercard week of fashion wonders. Instead, they opted to hold off till November and do their own thing in Toronto's cobblestoned Distillery District. I wrote a little something about their line for DTK so take a look here if you're interested in sexy form-fitted dresses for spring 2013. Also, their wonderful PR people put together a fun behind-the-scenes video for us, which is also up on the DTK website.

Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill of Greta Constantine
Photo: Toronto Life



A few weeks ago I was invited to Emily Woudenberg's super exclusive pre-Fashion Week launch party at Nyood Restaurant's (soo good.. I went with my parents and Foodspotted the shit out of my meal) super sexy upstairs lounge on Queen West. The Toronto-based jewelry designer had the whole place set up as an exhibit to showcase her new Art Deco-inspired S/S 2013 jewelry line, Paragon.



A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Corrine Anestopoulos of Biko jewelry at the Toronto One of a Kind Spring Show and Sale. The Toronto-based jewelry designer launched her Spring/Summer 2012 collection, entitled A Light Odyssey Into Tomorrow online (at ilovebiko.com) in February. The new colourful designs are a great addition to this modern nostalgic jewelry brand.




Last month I went to the fancy Gladstone Hotel in ever-so artsy neighbourhood of West Queen West to see what the artsy artisans of Toronto had in store. (I like the word 'artsy'....nbd) The Gladstone's Artists & Fleas Market, an event created by the hotel's creative director Jeremy Vandermeji took place in the hotel's rustic Victorian ballroom. The place was full of artists and their craft, art, and designs. The one artist that really caught my eye was Emily Woudenberg of WOUDENBERG jewelry. Her latest collection of custom-made concrete jewelry, SLAB by WOUDENBERG, was so incredibly cool that I just had to write an article about it. So I did, for Dress To KILL. Give her a read ;).


photo: emilywoudenberg.com

A few days after Fashion Week was over and done with, I got a call from my editor at Dress To KILL magazine. I thought my runway adventures were over (for this season at least) but NO! He wanted me to go to a secrete/super exclusive/only-for-the-fashion-elite runway show at the super glamourous Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Ruffian runway at The ShOws
photo: Elayne
Adrian Wu goes political for Toronto Fashion Week F/W 2012 (Ryerson Broadcast News)

Adrian Wu goes political for F/W 2012
by Elayne Teixeira-Millar

On day two of Toronto Fashion Week,  21-year-old designer Adrian Wu sent models down the runway in puffy flannelette gowns and V for Vendetta masks. Shaped around the quote "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people" from James McTeigue's 2005 film V for Vendetta, the collection entitled Hierarchy of Needs, Wu explains, has a more political aspect then his previous season. While his garments are intricately designed and beyond creative, Wu left his audience inspired but confused. Canadian fashion model and celebrity, Stacey McKenzie loved the artistic aspect of collection but admits to not understanding the collection's theme or reason behind the political quote. Fashion TV intern Dana Marson felt the same.







Cold weather is here and it's time to get out that winter coat. Fashion reporter Elayne Teixeira-Millar takes us on a style tour around the Ryerson University campus to see what student's are wearing this season.