north shore news 8 FASHION Glamour gowns top trends for grad Sarah Woodend Contributing Writer FASHION forecasters say graduates will be glamming it up this year. This vear’s trends for dresses mean many girls will be arriving at gi adua- tion wearing corsets with ful skirts or sexy, fitted gowns with intricate designs. Lin Rockwell, owner of Phoenix and Ramantique stores located in Park Royal's south mall, says grad-wear is still being influenced by gowns like the ones worn in the movie Titanic. This year she has seen more of an emphasis on glamour and clegance than ever before. Grads are looking for intricate and omate Edwardian-style gowns with corsets and billowing ‘skirts. She says biack is still the colour of cheice for about 40% of her cus- tomers, but niany are looking for pas- tels. The most popular formal-wear line sold at Phoenix this vear is Rex Lester from Los Angeles which tends to be designs cut to the curve of the body, creating clean, ciegant lines. Other top designers this year are Laundry by Shelli Segal which is a smaller cut of ciegance, ABS which designs traditional gowns and Sue Wong which provides a different style with Renaissance paintings on short dresses, that give an air of ‘20s and *30s romance. ‘Teens are also looking tor practical, long-term investments, leaning toward dresses they will be able to wear again, particularly ac millenniam parties. “These are dresses vou can wear tor the millennium -— if you can do both thar’s ureat. Thewre thinking ahead to the millennium and dressing accord: inghy” she says. Diana Holden, manager at Bryan's Fashions in Capilano Mall, describes the trend in dresses this vear as “pooty, Victorian, princess dresses.” Her store has also seen a revival in corsets attached to full, foor-length skirts. This style comes from recent peri- od movies like Shakespeare in Love and Elisabeth. This was apparent at the Academy Awards held) last Sunday | with Gwyneth Paltrow in her pink formal dress with tull skirt by Ralph Lauren. She won best actress for her perfor- mance in Shakespeare in Love, which also picked up an Oscar for best cos- tume design by Sandy Powell. Jennifer Lopez walked down the red carpet in a strapless dress with form-fitting bodice and full skirt by Badgley Mischka, Uma Thurman went for a two-piece, silver taffera gown by Chanel with a billowing skirt. Kevin Lorage, who works at ‘Leone is seeing the Titanic influence of glam- our in shawls this year. He recommends a shawl Jike the See Cover page 18 Grads glitter with tiny gems Sarah Woodend Contributing Writer AS far as accessories go, you can’t sparkle enough on prom night this year. Kelli Sanderson of Vixen & Doll, distributors of jewelry and hair accessories, has just released the grad accessory for grad-night hair. They're called Pixie Dots. These free-floating rhinestones are the latest in hair jewels. They're tiny gems thar attach to hair with velcro — perfect to weave through short hair or to accent an up-do. Similar stones studded Geena Davis’ hair at last Sunday’s Oscars. Sanderson says this year’s accessories are all about standing out against your outtit. “Any way to add glamour and sparkle to your hairstyle,” she says. Pixie Dots are available at Aritzia in eight differ- ent colours and are held in fuzzy litle containers JOCELYN Laws of Argyle secondary school models this lavender, corseted prom gown by Be Smart from Bryan’s Fashions with hair by Hair Mode. NEWS photo Mike Wakefield PIXIE Dots, in fuzzy fruit contain- ers, are this year’s grad accessory. See Pretry page 16 | Speizg Stock Is Wevel oo Brand Name FINAL CLEARANCE | | | | | : ee Frames ON a ye : _ Day, ; . § ae Offer expires April 30/99 SELECTED STOCK BEGINS MARCH 24-31 MATERNAL INSTINCT’ Urban Maternity Wear CAPILANO OPTICAL 9802517 FICAPILANOMALL Vista Vision 872-2221 e777 W. Broadway, Van. located in Reaching every desttey on the butersei