Canadian designer and past Project Runway Canada competitor Lucian Matis knows just what every fashion lover needs this summer. We have the exclusive on Lucian’s summer style tips and trends, the all-important base for under any look, and what trend he just is not falling for this season.

Lucian Matis’ top summer 2012 fashion must-haves:

1. A great pair of sunglasses. Sunglasses shown here are from Lucian’s line, Lucian Matisse Eyewear.

2. A good bra!

3. A wonderful fragrance to complete the look. (Try Philosophy Falling In Love Summer Eau De Toilette).

4. An oversized handbag. (Like this Warehouse Diamond one).

5. Above the ankle capris. (Cropped ankle pants by M Missoni seen here).

6. Bold, bright colour. Lucian says, “I am in lust with all bright, bold and vibrant colours- excluding neon!”

7. Scarves and hats for summer. “I love scarves and hats for the summer”, Lucian tells us. “Despite the fact that spring/summer seasons are hot, I do believe that these two items not only make you look fashionable but they also protect you from the heat.”

And the trend Lucian’s not wild for this season? “The one trend I think is really silly is the pajama look worn in public”, he says.

Related: Interview with Lucian Matis on his Fall 2012 collection

Banana Republic and California designer Trina Turk have paired up for a fun new summer must haves fashion collection. Banana Republic paired with Turk in hopes of bringing that effortless California style to their stores.

They have included pieces for every summer outing from long print maxi dresses, cute cocktail dresses, chic office pieces, bright beach wear, and accessories to match.

Related: Sneak Peak At Banana Republic’s Fall 2012 Collection

Pieces range in price up to $160. The 60-pieces capsule collection will be available in Banana Republic stores around the world in June 2012 and online.

Cameron’s Androgynous Chic

Cameron Diaz made masculine look sexy in Stella McCartney separates at te recent premiere for her new movie What To Expect When You’re Expecting, and you can copy her boy-meets-girl look with our affordable options.

Boy-Meets-Girl

Cameron went against the usual red carpet routine, opting for a different kind of formal in tailored menswear separates. We love how Cameron’s sexy vibe shines through in the simple look, as she has the effortless beach girl thing down pat even at 39. With her tousled blonde bob and glowing smile, Cameron can make anything look sparkly.

Related: See Cameron’s Sexy Harper’s Bazaar UK Cover

Get Cameron’s Look

Channel Cameron in our J. Crew structured white blouse and Stella McCartney trousers. The key to keeping the look feminine is making sure you leave those buttons undone as Cameron has, and add sex appeal through nude stiletto pumps in glam patent like this Aldo pair. Polished accessories and confidence make this an ideal way to step out of the box, and into sexy menswear, for the next time you just don’t feel like wearing a dress.

[Photo via Startraks]

Coral was the must-have hue at a special Calvin Klein & euphoria Calvin Klein hosted Canees Film Festival party this week when both Jessica Chastain and Diane Kruger arrived wearing sweet pink party dresses. While their dresses were different, they chose to wear the colour in very similar ways.

Jessica Chastain wore a sleek, minimalist long sleeve coral Calvin Klein dress. With her hair pulled back and the no fuss look of the dress this is an easy and simple look.

Related: Diane Kruger’s Stunning Aqua Gown At Cannes

Diane chose a sexier route with her low cut, full-skirted Calvin Klein coral dress. Her dress gave a curvier feel and her pulled back ponytail was a tad messy for a more relaxed look.

Both ladies chose gold hard case clutches and white shoes to accessories their look (Diane chose strappy Givenchy sandals, while Jessica had t-strap Elie Saab pumps).

Which Cannes coral dress do you prefer: Jessica or Diane?

[Photo courtesy of Coty]

IN THE MIX

Fashion designers and stars like Scarlett Johansson are mixing their prints and proving that the head-to-toe pattern trend isn’t going anywhere. Runway collections have flaunted the blending of digital, graphic and floral prints into one busy yet wearable look for the past few seasons, and while we approached this trend carefully for a while, we are thinking its time to embrace the once outlandish idea of piling on the print.

Read also: Scarlett Mixes Prints

CERTAIN FUTURE

Designers showed fall collections that ensured the digital print wave and mixed prints would be a forerunner for fashion’s near future. Mary Katrantzou does mixed prints beautifully in way that makes the varying patterns look like they pour into one another. The Met Ball dress worn by Elizabeth Banks was from Mary Katrantzou’s fall 2012 collection, and caused heads to turn with it’s unexpected elements. Proenza Schouler, also champions of the print, mixed simlilar prints in varying scales for a new twist on the trend.

PERFECT COMBO

If you want to experiment with mixing prints, take our tips, and hints from Scarlett’s Preen Fall 2012 look she wore on the red carpet, and keep colours in the same vein, mixing up the scale of the print or the texture of the fabric, instead of pairing entirely different colours and patterns. Also, add touches of grounding solids like Scarlett’s red shoes to keep the look from being dizzying.

[Photos Via Startraks and Style.com]

Whether you call her Duchess Catherine or Kate Middleton, we absolutely adore her in this pretty pastel pink dress by the New Zealand designer, Emilia Wickstead. The demure yet stylish pink dress was the perfect choice for the Queens’ Diamond Jubilee luncheon at  the Windsor Castle which took place earlier today. We like the minimalist , clean lines of the long sleeved dress with pleated skirt ending  just above the knee. In just over a year, Kate Middleton has become the most stylish and elegant representative of British fashion.

See all coverage on Kate Middleton’s winning fashion looks.

We love Brooklyn Decker’s beach girl looks and effortless style, and her red carpet looks often follow in her summery style sense too. Brooklyn loves minimalist, fresh dresses to complement her naturally glowing makeup, and this simple strapless white dress is an easy look to emulate for warm summer evenings.

Brooklyn wore her Calvin Klein maxi to the premiere of What To Expect When You’re Expecting. A basic white strapless maxi dress complements every figure, and our Gap version is even more flattering with its waist cinching tie middle. The look is pure grecian goddess with gold accessories like Brooklyn’s and we love a chunky gold cuff like this J. Crew one. Blue nails remind us of the mediterranean sea, so finish the greek goddess look with a few coats of shiny cerulean like this My Favourite Jeans shade-adore it!

The perfect mix of clean white minimal pieces and beach wavy hair is all you need to be as gorgeous as Brooklyn Decker this summer under the sun or the stars.

[Photo via Startraks]

From style city to style city, here’s what’s been going on or coming up in your world of style, fashion and shopping:

TORONTO: Topshop announced plans to expand their store on Toronto’s Queen Street. The store-within-a-store teaming with The Bay must be working, because more space ( a new 19,000 sq. ft location) and room for more Topshop collections is in the cards. The more, the better, we say! Read more at Blogto.com.

NEW YORK: New Yorkers kicked off the fab with the launch of Fab.com’s first pop-up shop at 142 Wooster St., where customers got a sneak peek at products from the Quinze & Milan Pilot collection. Ongoing until May 26, New Yorkers can also view an exhibit from fashion photographer Lillian Bassman at the Staley-Wise Gallery on 560 Broadway. The exhibit is based on the late photographer’s book, Lillian Bassman: Lingerie. Read more at nymag.com.

LOS ANGELES: It was a big week for fashionable Californians as Otis College of Art and Design marked 30 years of fashion design with an annual black-tie gala, fundraiser (raising $1.1 million) and student runway presentation, while over in San Francisco, Sarah Burton, Philip Treacy and others were honoured at the Academy of Art University annual fashion show and awards ceremony held at The Cannery. Read more at apparelnews.net.

VERSAILLES: Everything was resort-worthy and Elizabethan in Versailles when Karl Lagerfeld showed an opulent Chanel Cruise 2013 collection in the French paradise. The collection reflected a concoction of eighteenth century meets modernity. Lagerfeld has been working on the collection for over a year, so the location of the show and party that followed were as expected. Read more at fashioncollections.org.

[Photo Via Style.com]

The drama of the 65th Cannes Film Festival began last night (May 16) with the opening dinner event, and stars hit the red carpet proving that lace can be nice, and lace can be not-so-nice. Eva Longoria looked gorgeous and ethereal in feathery black lace, and we loved her look. On the other hand, French socialite Mouna Ayoub showed exactly how not to wear lace in a painfully bright, see-through orange and black dress.

Read: Diane Kruger Shines In Cannes

Eva Longoria wowed us in her very French up-do and Alberta Ferretti gown. She looked subdued, subtle and sexy in the panelled nude and black dress, which floated over her figure beautifully. Eva was one of our best dressed picks for the Cannes opening night in this look and we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Read: Eva Longoria Looked The Part At White House Dinner

French business woman Mouna Ayoub may not be a household name, but her day-glo orange lace failure will surely be household fodder. We don’t know what she was thinking in this  Halloween inspired costume complete with black bodysuit and black elbow length gloves. At least she looks happy? This look makes us think of Fergie’s orange-red lace see-through dress at the Grammy’s, and we suggest leaving that risk to Fergie in the future. At least Fergie is an entertainer!

Diane Kruger impressed the crowd at the Cannes Film Festival when she arrived in this gorgeous billowing Giambattista Valli Couture gown. The aqua dress with its light airy fabrics that floated in the wind alongside her gave Diane an ethereal look to her.

She kept her look pristine with blonde hair pulled back into a bun, soft makeup, silver jewelry and a Judith Leiber clutch.

What do you think of Diane’s Cannes red carpet style?

[Photo via Startraks]