Last stop, Toronto: Flare ends this year’s World Runway Tour

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MAXINE LOWE

It’s not every day you can get done up to the nines. But you could have if you were invited to Flare’s second annual World Runway Tour event at the Design Exchange Museum in Toronto on Oct. 25.

The event, presented by TRESemmé, showed the latest trends for fall/winter 2013, which included makeup, hair, clothes and accessories. Guest were able to enjoy themselves with drinks and colourful appetizers, like cookies decorated with different covers of Flare.

Cupcakes, caramel corn and cookies galore were available at the desert table.

“The event features so many new trends for the season and some of the new products from Esteé Lauder,” said Kelly Clark, a cosmetic techniques and management graduate and current Flare intern.

Guests were also able to get their makeup and hair done with the latest fall trends by TRESemmé and Esteé Lauder.

Guest gets her makeup done with the newest products from Esteé Lauder.

Raffles of Sorel and Esteé Lauder footwear were set up around the bottom floor for guests to enter.

“I heard about the event through work and I thought it would be a great opportunity to check out this year’s latest trends, especially since it’s fashion week,” said Alesha Russo, a guest at the event. After an hour and a half of mingling, guests were guided to the top floor of the museum for Flare’s runway show.

More than 100 people were in attendance at the show, which began with videos of Esteé Lauder’s new products and a behind-the-scene look at Jenny Packham’s fall/winter show (presented by Canadian actress Shenae Grimes). Demos on stage were done by celebrity stylist Susana Hong and makeup artists from Esteé Lauder.

Celebrity stylist Susana Hong shows the audience how to achieve Jenny Packham’s runway hair look.

Host Jennifer Valentyne, of Breakfast Television, introduced Flare’s newest fashion director Tiyana Grulovic, who was dressed in Dries Van Noten and Fendi, and showed all of the upcoming trends. “The event is where we show a presentation and talk about the best trends of the season. We give our readers some behind-the-scenes info on what happened at fashion week,” said Grulovic.

Trends shown included mid-century oversized coats, punk, plaids, thigh-high boots and bulky fur mittens. The night ended with a runway show, with looks by Holt Renfrew and raffle prizes.