McStyle

*Photo: Getty Images [The Cut]

When it was announced that February's Fall/Winter fashion week in New York would be co-sponsored by McDonald's, a few well-shaped industry eyebrows were raised. The brand saw it as the perfect place to debut a new "collection" of their own: a new line of "higher-end" coffee-based beverages. But would Anna Wintour be caught dead with a cold hand wrapped around a cup decorated with a golden arch? Doubtful, or so we thought.

The sponsorship persisted, and well over 13,000 espressos and coffees were served to America's most fashionable high society types during the week. It seemed like the final nail in the coffin of luxury, a solidification of the new frugality we'd been hearing so much about. It seemed even the most fashionable have been forced into budget cuts by the over-looming recession. 

The sponsorship was to be for a single season, but according to Crain's, the McDonald's marketing team was pleased by the push they'd made into the world of fashion, and is considering continuing the partnership with IMG, who puts on fashion week. 

With vacation collections running down boardwalks on beaches overseas, and Men's week in Paris getting closer with every announced closure, we thought we'd heard the last of McFashion. Then it was announced that the company is making another move into the world of fashion, this time in Canada. 

While the heavyweights are busy showing collections in showrooms, rolling out spring diffusion lines, and laying low with hopes they can ride out the recession, up in Canada, it's a long time until the next Toronto Fashion Week. With this in mind, McDonald's decided to throw a show of its own. 

On June 23 the company will host a luncheon in Dundas Square, complete with a fashion show and a taste test of its new "line" of specialty salads. The brand enlisted a slew of Canadian fashion-types to act as brand ambassadors and spit out style advice to the customers lured into the square by the promise of free greens with dressing on the side. Project Runway castaway Lucian Matis, as well as CityLine style consultant Lisa Rogers and Kavi Kavi design trio Monika, Dipika, and Ravika Gupta will be showcasing their work for the McCrowd, as well as looks they pulled together with the less affluent McDonald's customer in mind. 

Whether this will work to draw in stroller-salad moms and their happy-meal-McChildren is yet to be proven. But then again, no one thought the fashion week sponsorship would be a hit, and McDonalds is taking a cut out of Starbucks upmarked coffee market share. So yes, I will take fries with my fashion.

*Full story in Marketing Magazine's Daily AM for today, June 11

Mr. Matis 

Photo by Arline Malakian. Courtesy of Lucian Matis. [Torontoist]

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Just in case you were hiding under a rock, had better things to do, more pressing things to talk about or more "important" sections of the paper to read, here's a look at the week that was, in fashion.

Adam Senn did something this week that Whitney Port and Oliva Palermo do very rarely. His job. Adam, an actual model, walked the runway for D&G at their Oscar Wilde inspired fall/winter show in Milan.

People talked about what Michelle Obama wore for the most of the week. The reviews were mixed. And throughout most of the inauguration all I could think about was the Vogue cover rumour. That, and Aretha Franklin's suspiciously large (and fantastic) hat.

The rumours about an Anna Wintour 60-minutes special are likely a pr move either to keep people talking about Vogue or an actual attempt to soften Wintour's ice-queen image. Don't worry Anna, though we're afraid of you (and convinced you may have superpowers), we love you dearly. Long live the queen.

Designers in North America are worrying about their bank accounts, canceling parties and showing collections off-site to avoiding the steep prices of Fashion Week, but things in Sao Paulo's textile industry aren't so bad.

In Milan news, NYT fashion critic Guy Trebay wrote the best line printed in the style pages since all the other sections started using the word "recession". Dark times call for dark coats.

Thom Browne staged something of a human instillation to showcase his men's line in Florence. Innovative concept, beautiful clothing and immaculate execution. Very Anthony Goiciolea. Well played, Mr. Browne.