Drew colours
The Fashion Crimes team was so inspired by the lace overlay and bold colour of Drew Barrymore’s Whip It! red-carpet piece that they created the “Drew” dress ($899, 322 Queen West, 416-592-9001, fashioncrimes.ca) with a similar boat neckline and 1950s shape. The Alexander McQueen original was edgy, while the Fashion Crimes homage is entirely wearable.
Michael Watier
Newton’s law
Don’t get us wrong, we love an over-the-top gown with a 10-foot train as much as the next guy. But the little pixilated floral dress Thandie Newton wore to 2008’s RocknRolla premiere showed off her fearless approach to red-carpet frocks. For a more feminine take on a printed cocktail pick, try Betsey Johnson’s watercolour floral pencil dress ($345, 102 Yorkville, 416-922-8164, betseyjohnson.com).
Kathryn Gaitens
Partying Patti
Of all the actors on these pages, only the incomparable Patti Smith achieved style icon status with an effortless look – the white shirt/black blazer signature she wore at a private Gardiner Museum TIFF concert two years ago. To create that look, we paired Smythe’s box pleat blazer ($575, Holt Renfrew, 50 Bloor West, 416-922-2333, smythelesvestes.com) with a sleeveless button-up ($52, American Apparel, 338 Yonge, 416-977-8005, americanapparel.net) and Foxy Originals’ Trillium necklace ($40, foxyoriginals.com).
Michael Watier
Hyped Hathaway
When Anne Hathaway stepped out to promote Rachel Getting Married at the 2008 fest, the fashion blog buzz was all about her fetishy Brian Atwood footwear, not her 80s Jean-Louis Scherrer dress. Similarly skyscraping Atwood heels are available at The Room (The Bay, 176 Yonge, 416-861-9111, thebay.com) and this Bijou dress ($895, 672 Queen West, 416-504-7126, cabaretvintage.com) is part of Cabaret’s vintage-inspired collection.
Kathryn Gaitens
Oh’s opener
This BCBG number ($309, 50 Bloor West, 416-642-1606, and others, bcbg.com) might not share the pleated fabric and feather underskirt of Sandra Oh’s Blindness opening dress, but it does come in a similarly greigey colour with a built-in belt.
