One of the best packing tips I’ve ever received is to always bring a silk scarf. Why? Because you never know when you’re going to need it. What if your luggage gets lost in transit and you’re left with only a white t-shirt? A brilliantly coloured neckerchief will instantly elevate your outfit. What if you misread the weather report, and instead of the balmy temperatures you dressed for, it’s a scorching sunny day? A slinky square of fabric makes the perfect impromptu bandeau top. And God forbid you get trapped in a tower Disney Princess style, and you miraculously remembered to pack fifty scarves. You can tie them all together and escape your evil stepmother equivalent.
So, if you need a style refresher or just some warm weather dressing inspiration, here is how to style a silk scarf this summer.
The classic
Photography by Getty Images
The silk scarf is an iconic accessory for a reason: everyone has worn it. From Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday to Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, celebrities have embraced the neckerchief to add a little oomph to any ensemble instantly. The key to making this trend feel current is in the silhouette. Embrace oversized proportions with a large blazer and pair it with a simple under-layer, like a slip dress or high-waisted shorts.
The bandana
Photography by Getty Images
After nearly 20 years, the bandana is back. On the heels of the late ’90s/Y2K resurgence, this stylish staple is making its triumphant return, along with low-rise jeans and tube tops. To transition the look from teeny bopper to refined boho babe, try organizing your outfit around one colour, as seen above. Alternatively, a linen button-down blouse will look charmingly retro without venturing too far into costume territory.
The TikTok trend
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The word “scarf top” currently has over 1 billion views on TikTok, so yes, you could say it’s pretty popular. Countless videos go into great detail on how to style a silk scarf as a makeshift blouse, but we recommend doing a few test runs at home before venturing outside. For beginners, start with this triangular shape, and work your way into more advanced and skin-revealing combinations as your knot tying skills improve.
Bonus: The bag
Photography by Getty Images
Many of us only have a few bags in our closets, so it can be hard to make them feel fresh. Luckily, silk scarves provide the perfect remedy to handbag fatigue. Whether the material is hanging down the side or tied around the straps, it’s an easy way to breathe new life into an old item.
Cannes brings together everything we love in one magical place: film, fashion, beauty and meme-worthy moments (will anything ever beat Timothee Chalamet resting his head on Tilda Swinton’s shoulder?). The festival may have fallen a little short on the latter but it was a glamorous event nonetheless. And after all, isn’t everything just more beautiful against the backdrop of the French Riveria?
If you missed any of the action, we’ve compiled the best moments from the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.
Only Cannes can give you Anne Hathaway 2.0
Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway. Photography courtesy of Getty Images
Cannes has a new princess. Who would have thought the media-shy actor would be the most talked about celebrity of the festival? When she wasn’t turning heads on and off the red carpet in her many outfits, Hathaway’s chemistry with her Armageddon Time co-star, Succession’s Jeremy Strong, stole away social media’s attention (the film also got a seven-minute standing ovation!). Only Paolo (the infamous hairstylist from The Princess Diaries) can give you a princess, but only Cannes can give you the new Anne Hathaway.
Bella Hadid serves old-school glamour
Bella Hadid and Marc Kalman. Photography courtesy of Getty Images
You can’t really turn back time, but Bella Hadid found a way…with the help of Law Roach. The stylist pulled several vintage dresses from the archives of Versace and Chanel for the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. First was a black gown designed by Gianni Versace for his Spring 1987 collection. Then a plunging gown created by Donatella Versace for the house’s Fall 2001 collection. Next was a black-and-white poofy Chanel number circa 1986 and a sleek white Gucci dress by Tom Ford from 1996. To top it all off, the supermodel was pictured posing on a terrace for boyfriend Marc Kalman in a blush chiffon dress from Versace’s Fall 2003 collection, proving she can indeed pull off fashion from any decade.
Call it the Rihanna effect: at Cannes, Adriana Lima’s baby bump was the main event. For her first appearance on the red carpet, the supermodel wore a cutout black Balmain gown that perfectly accentuated her belly. But she didn’t stop there. Lima followed it up with a revealing Robert Cavelli gown and a bejewelled cutout yellow dress. Given the festival’s strict (and arguably archiac) dress code, her outfits made a powerful statement.
Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber are in love
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler. Photography courtesy of Getty Images
Austin Butler may have had one of the buzziest premieres at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, but it was one sweet moment on the red carpet that caught social media’s attention. At the premiere for his film Elvis, Butler and his girlfriend, model Kaia Gerber (daughter of Cindy Crawford), stole a glance and a kiss. To paraphrase Elvis himself, it must be “burning love.”
Deepika Padukone does it all
Photography courtesy of Getty Images
Was Deepika Padukone the busiest woman at Cannes? The Indian actor and jury member was at just about every major red carpet, and she slayed them all. With her stylist Shaleena Nathani, Padukone came to the French Riviera with an arsenal of stunning outfits (like her all-black feathery Louis Vuitton gown and ruched dress by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, paired with a pearl collar). Even with her packed schedule, Padukone raised the bar with every red carpet appearance.
Side parts, edgy liner and more experimental beauty
Millennials, rejoice! The side-part made a comeback at Cannes. Camille Razat, Bella Hadid and Winnie Harlow all walked the red carpet with their hair to one side. But these aren’t the bangs of your youth. Take Devon Ross, who gave the trend a punk spin with beads and a burgundy stained lip courtesy of hairstylist Peter Lux and makeup artist Emma Day for Pat McGrath Labs. Other notable looks: Iris Law’s slit eyebrows, under eye liner (see: Indya Moorse and Andie McDowell) and natural textures (à la Ophély Mézino).
With Pride just around the corner, Toronto-born LGBTQIA2S+ brand Dew of The Gods is teaming up with Trans Lifeline, a North American trans-led organization that provides trans people with community, support and the resources they need to survive and thrive. To make the partnership even better, the gentle skin care brand will be donating 100 per cent of all sales from its Dew x Trans Lifeline Pride Set between June 1 and June 7. The duo includes the Frozé Iced Rosé Body Wash, a sea salt body scrub great for optimal tan management and silky smooth skin, and the brand-new Frozé The Royal Face Wash (it officially launches June 1), formulated with squalane and blended into a gentle cream. These two products are the perfect excuse to think about your favourite summer drink while doing your skincare routine.
After a successful launch last year in the U.S., Ami Colé has officially arrived in Canada. The clean beauty brand, founded by former beauty exec Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye, provides a line of “no-makeup makeup” specifically designed for melanin-rich skin. Named after her mother and inspired by her Senegalese background, everything about the brand is personal. The multifunctional products, like the Skin-Enhancing Tint and the Lip Treatment Oil, are made locally in Harlem with premium, non-toxic ingredients such as baobab seed extract, hibiscus extract and passionfruit seed oil.
British makeup artist extraordinaire Isamaya Ffrench announced news of her eponymous Isamaya makeup line via Instagram this week. Known for her surrealist and grotesque makeup looks, the surprise makeup line, which launches at the end of June, is sure to feature some unexpected products. Not many details about the launch itself have been announced, so we can’t wait to see what Ffrench teases next.
The year: 2000. The place: Lululemon. The item in question: the ‘Shape jacket.’ The iconic Canadian brand is digging into its archives and rereleasing this and more past products from the early 2000s through to 2011, including more fan favourites like the ‘Astro pant,’ ‘Inspire crop’ and ‘Still pant.’ Each month a new and improved article of clothing will be revealed from the Lululemon Y2K vault and available to purchase in limited quantities via its app, instore and online. Not included: your old workout soundtrack with songs by Britney and NSYNC.
BOSS X PHIPPS is the sustainable collection you didn’t know you needed
Photography courtesy of BOSS
On paper, BOSS and PHIPPS might seem like an unexpected pairing. But according to Marco Falcioni, senior vice president, creative direction for HUGO BOSS, “our values are very much aligned – even if our aesthetics are different. As brands, we both want to pave a more sustainable way forward in an industry which is still creating too much waste.” Enter a genderless collection crafted using responsible materials and leftover fabrics from the BOSS archives. The assortment combines the tie-dye and provocative slogans that PHIPPS has become known for with the quality and innovation that BOSS is synonymous with.
A Top Gun collection comes to Canada thanks to Christopher Bates
Photograph courtesy of Paramount Pictures
If you are feeling a need for speed, then Christopher Bates has got you covered. In honour of the new film Top Gun: Maverick, the Canadian designer has teamed up with Paramount Pictures on a collection of bomber jackets, T-shirts and sunglasses that Tom Cruise himself would approve of. And with Father’s Day coming up, this could be your solution for finding the perfect gift.
Jillian Harris proves she’s the queen of collabs with Melanie Auld Jewelry
Photography courtesy of Melanie Auld Jewelry
Jillian Harris, the queen of Canadian collabs, is back, and this time she’s working with Melanie Auld Jewelry. The duo recently released ‘Adorned,’ a collection of initial earring charms and studs in vermeil, sterling silver and 14kt solid gold. So whether you want to wear the letters of a loved one or simply celebrate yourself, there’s something here for everyone.
There are only 150 pairs of these Moscot x Saturdays NYC sunglasses
Photography courtesy of Moscot
Glasses brand Moscot is teaming up with Saturdays NYC just in time for summer. According to the press release, the collaboration is inspired by the two brands’ “shared deep-rooted New York City heritage and active urban lifestyle” and features a singular style, the Tomo. But you’ll have to be fast because only 150 are available to purchase online and in-stores at MOSCOT and Saturdays NYC.
Smash + Tess and The Birds Papaya release a new romper
Photography courtesy of Smash + Tess
Looking for that perfect transitional spring to summer outfit? Thanks to its recent collab with Canadian influencer The Birds Papaya, Smash + Tess is making a pretty convincing argument for embracing a romper. Available in pink and black, the ‘Kimi Coveralls’ are made from a woven Tencel, cotton, and spandex blend for a super soft feel and an effortless drape.
There’s a scene in the original Jumanji movie where a young Alan Parrish (Robin Williams) visits his dad’s factory, The Parrish Shoe Company. One of the workers, Carl, pulls him aside to reveal his latest creation: what appears to be a replica of the Air Max 2 Nike Charles Barkelys. “This is the future,” he says. “If I can get Wilt Chamberlain to wear them, I predict there will be a pair of these in every closet in America.” Alan then mistakenly destroys the shoes, a rather large piece of equipment, and Carl’s career.
That was 1995. In the years leading up to that moment, some of today’s most sought-after sneakers were hitting the shelves (and closets) of America and beyond. (The Nike Air Jordan 1 OG Breds, released in 1985, are valued at some US$94,000 today — and that’s just the lowest asking price, per DealA.)
We may never know the resale value of Carl’s fictional shoe, but it’s safe to say he had the right marketing strategy. Whether the kicks did indeed represent the future of sneaker design is up for debate.
No longer a practical construction of canvas and rubber, sneakers have come a long way since their invention in the 19th century. Today, manufacturers are sourcing nature-based materials like mushroom leather and sugarcane foam. New technologies like 3:D printing are being used to create bespoke and accessible sneaker design. And designers are now dabbling with footwear’s final frontier: the metaverse.
These innovations are the focus of a new exhibition at Toronto’s Bata Shoe Museum, called “Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks.” Some highlights include the Nike MAG self-lacing sneakers, a biomorphic boot by Scry designer Zixiong Wei and Ekto VR’s motorized boots for wear by VR users.
FASHION spoke to Elizabeth Semmelhack, director and senior curator of the museum, about the history of sneaker design, what the future holds and how shoe construction could affect the resale market.
What are some of the most interesting or promising sustainability-focused materials or techniques in sneaker design right now?
I think that some of the most promising new materials are nature-based. Allbirds’ sweet foam, an EVA foam replacement made from sugarcane, is being used for the soles of their shoes and the company has made the “recipe” open source rather than proprietary to encourage sustainability. Mushroom leather is also an exciting new material that is very environmentally friendly. Using the root systems of mushrooms, breathable, leather-like material can be easily grown and used to make footwear. After use, it can also be sustainably discarded.
How do you expect the materials being used to make shoes will evolve?
I think we will move toward more bespoke design, meaning that consumers will be able to get shoes that more perfectly fit their unique feet and more perfectly align with their individual aesthetics. I also think that 3:D printing will increasingly be used to make remarkable designs. Scry, for example, is using this technology to make truly sci-fi-looking footwear.
Elizabeth Semmelhack. Photography courtesy of Ryan Emberley/The Bata Shoe Museum
The resale market for (certain) sneakers is booming! Why do you think this is?
I actually find this very interesting. The term “investment” originally meant “to clothe” and so sneakers as an asset class makes perfect sense. We have long been encouraged to buy “investment” pieces for our wardrobes but only recently are some of these items seeing actual monetary returns.
How do you see that appetite evolving?
This is perhaps a bit more challenging to foretell. Currently, much of the value of resale sneakers is related to their rarity but also to their history; a pair of original 1985 Air Jordan 1s is a perfect example. However, most sneakers from the 1970s onward are extremely fragile. The materials they were made from are deteriorating, impacting not only their resale value but also our ability to preserve them for the future. We are working on trying to solve this problem at the museum as so many of the sneakers in our collection are important cultural objects.
What’s the value in a virtual sneaker, by comparison?
The value of virtual sneakers has been growing exponentially, market corrections aside. Certainly some virtual sneakers can be worn by one’s avatar in the metaverse as a virtual flex, but their real value is specifically as collectibles or investments.
What role will the metaverse play in the future of sneakers?
If you consider the Jordan drops in Fortnite, Nike’s acquisition of RTFKT and their creation of Nikeland or Adidas’s foray into the metaverse, it appears that sneakers have a central role to play in the metaverse. What I am even more excited to see is how footwear design will evolve in virtual reality. Given that footwear isn’t required in virtual spaces — there is no practical reason for shoes in VR — the possibilities for footwear design are endless.
Is accessibility and inclusivity becoming a more important part of shoe production?
Yes, both are increasingly being addressed by brands. The Nike Go Flyease is a perfect example of universal design that meets the needs of a range of wearers. It is designed to be easily slipped on and off and is also highly desirable as an item of fashion. The move toward unisex sizing is another shift that allows for greater inclusion.
What’s something few people know about the history of sneaker production?
That when sneakers were first created in the middle of the 19th century, rubber was extremely expensive, and that the first sneakers were made for lawn tennis, a pastime of the privileged. I think that many people marvel at how important sneakers are today as signifiers of status but I feel like they have simply come full circle.
Swipe through the gallery below to shop FASHION‘s favourite kicks that represent the future of sneaker design.
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Women's Balenciaga/Adidas Triple S Trainers in White
