L'Oreal Fashion Week Goes Dutch: Gsus Sindustries

Posted by Jade
Filed in Fashion & Style
October 26, 2008
Gsus Industries Fashion WeekL'Oreal Fashion Week's Day 4 was significantly warmer, and I'm not just talking about Thursday's spring-like weather. The second So You Think You Can Dance Canada's (and Mississauga native) Blake McGrath started somersaulting down the runway to Santogold's "Creator", temperatures rose inside the tent as Amsterdam-based urban brand Gsus Sindustries threw a 15-minute party, complete with Traci Melchor, golden bikes, a lot of skin and a good dose of models making out.

A Minute with Carlie Wong at L'Oreal Fashion Week

Posted by Jade
Filed in Fashion & Style
October 24, 2008
Backstage at Carlie Wong's L'oreal Fashion Week showProject Runway Canada's youngest competitor, Carlie Wong, showed her Spring/Summer 2009 collection at L'Oreal Fashion Week's Day 3. A sea of white, black and grey silk cocktail dresses and tailored jumpsuits filled the 15-minute set, along with sleek LG mobile phones that were reworked into wristlets and necklaces. I'm not going to start stringing two cellphones into a dangling neckpiece but at least they thought of something cute, and not just the usual holding-the-phone-up act I've seen too often in sponsored shows.

I snuck in backstage after the show and spoke with Carlie about glamorous gangsters, shiny cellphones and shaking off that reality TV image.

Mellinda-Mae Harlingten at L'oreal Fashion Week

Posted by Jade
Filed in Fashion & Style
October 22, 2008
Mellinda-Mae Harlingten's Spring Summer 2009 collection at Toronto Fashion WeekSome girls just seem to have it all and Vancouver-based designer Mellinda-Mae Harlingten is one of them. At only 27, she's graduated with honors from London College of Fashion and she's showing at L'oreal Fashion Week for the second time. Oh and she's gorgeous (she's the one modeling in these pictures).

Mellinda-Mae's Spring/Summer 2009 collection will be shown on Oct. 24, Friday at 6:00 pm. Inspired by 1970s bohemia and Native American beauty, Mellinda-Mae calls her collection "From Earth to Air". "To me, both of these ideas bring forth a feeling of nature and a harmonious closeness to the earth." Leafing through her lookbook, the use of soft neutral tones and light flowing fabrics styled with hippie-chic accessories evoke a "Summer of Love" feel. I could definitely see girls on Queen West donning these once we're back to double-digit weather.

L'oreal Fashion Week 2009 Preview: Afshin Feiz

Posted by Jade
Filed in Fashion & Style
October 21, 2008
Afshin Feiz at L'oreal Fashion WeekAs a girl, stepping into The Sutton Place Hotel's Rosedale room for British-Canadian Afshin Feiz's model fittings this afternoon was like being a kid in Willy Wonka's wonderland. Racks were filled with the most feminine pastel chiffon dresses and breezy suits adorned with intricate ruffles, juxtaposed with chains. The 26-piece collection, dubbed "Sometimes You Just Have To Let Go" will be shown this Friday, 8:00 pm at L'oreal Fashion Week's The Studio at Nathan Phillips Square.

A Night at the (Royal Ontario) Museum: Sleepovers!

Posted by Jade
Filed in Arts
October 13, 2008
Exploring the Royal Ontario MuseumSleepovers always hold a certain fascination for kids. When I was younger, I always thought it would be pretty darn cool to get locked in a shopping mall and get access to all the toy stores and ice cream shops after hours. After watching the Ben Stiller flick, a museum would be equally amazing - but hopefully without the dinosaurs and miniatures coming to life.

On Nov. 7 to 8 and Dec. 5 to 6, the Royal Ontario Museum will be holding the ROM Sleepovers, two giant slumber parties that promise to live out fantasies of sleeping under gargantuan fossils for children and adults alike.

Brian Hamill's Raging Bull & Manhattan at Pikto

Posted by Jade
Filed in Arts
September 12, 2008
Film stills photographer Brian Hamill by his iconic shot from Woody Allen's ManhattanA conversation with the legendary Brian Hamill about his forty-plus years as a film still photographer will inevitably make its way to the director he's closely associated with - New York's son Woody Allen.

"Back in the mid-70s I was sitting in [famous Upper East Side eatery] Elaine's one day, and Woody was there," he told me last night at the opening of his exhibit Raging Bull and Manhattan at Pikto. "He was looking at me the whole time then he asked someone 'who is that guy?' It turned out that I was the brother of his friend and I was a unit still photographer, so I met him and he offered me to take pictures on his set. I asked him, 'Did you want to see my work first?' and he said he didn't need to."

I thought this was weird (I would think Woody Allen staring at me would border on both flattering and uncomfortable) but the director's instinct proved right. Shortly after, Hamill was shooting on the Annie Hall set and went on photographing every Allen film since 1977.