Just got back from America’s Next Top Model LIVE, a shopping, fashion and beauty event going right now at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto.  The event features several hundred vendors ranging from clothing and accessories to beauty products as well as fashion shows and even wine and sushi bars.  Many of the vendors have hands-on booths or change rooms for those who want to try on clothes.  There are also demonstrations, talks as well as personal appearances by  bloggers and style personalities such as Jay Strut, Elaine from Toronto Beauty Reviews as well as Alannah O’Neill (Elle Canada).  Sutherland Models is also holding its model search at the event.

So which vendors should you definitely check out?  Here are three on my list:

Henkaa: This dress company literally makes versatile dresses.  For under $200, you can purchase a dress and create myriad of different styles, ranging from simple and casual to formal chic.  There are three styles – mini, short and long, but some 24 colours.  Another good thing is that it’s pretty much one size fits most.  The same dress fits sizes 00 to 14.  And it’s maternity-friendly, too.  If I had heard about them three years ago, I would definitely have recommended this line for my bridesmaids!

African Butterfly: Say goodbye to elastics!  These gorgeous comb clip hair accessories, which come in several sizes and shades (as well as ones for fine and thick hair), are created by women in South Africa who are part of the Upliftment Program, which improves the quality of life in their villages/communities.  These clips are fair trade items.

Swirls Cupcakes:  This isn’t a beauty or fashion line per se – it’s dessert!  Swirl started out as a cupcake company, but now creates all sorts of cakes, including those made to resemble handbags, shoes and more.  There are many different flavours – some of their “specialty” cupcakes include the Big Apple cupcake (apples baked into the cake with cinnamon buttercream) and Black Forest cupcake (chocolate cupcake with cherries and vanilla buttercream).  They had samples of mini cupcakes available for attendees to take and all the cakes are nut-free.

Note of warning:  Some vendors, particularly beauty/hair product companies, are very, very aggressive.  The worse was a woman from a nail buffing line literally wouldn’t let me ask questions – she grabbed my hand, took off nail polish and started buffing my finger.  Ummm, I didn’t say that you could do my nails.  I just wanted more information.