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Fun_friends_and_fashion_a_holi.zip (3096 KB)

One of the highlights of being a blogger is meeting other like minded people. In Toronto, we have a great community of fashion bloggers, designers, stylists and writers. Our city is a small enough microcosm that the networks between people are closely connected, usually one or two degrees of separation, yet at the same time large enough to reach outside the province/country and gain serious global recognition.

I was invited by Danielle Meder of Fashion Final to attend a small festive gathering at LIV by Au Lit, a fashion and home decor store whose aesthetic focuses on luxury and European style.

Here, 20 of Danielle’s favourite fashion friends were gathered sipping wine, nibbling on mini cupcakes, browsed the shelves of LIV and of course talked about fashion.

We were all brought together through our shared experiences; we attend many of the same events in the city, love to write, take pictures, express and share our thoughts and insights about fashion. This is a group of people who absolutely love what they do and have a passion for fashion.

It was great to see some old friends and finally meet (for the first time) the faces some of Toronto's fashion bloggers, writers and stylists. Here’s the roll call of attendees as provided by Danielle:

• Afiya Francisco of The Style House
• Briony Smith and Danah Abdulla of blogTO
• Rea McNamara of EYE WEEKLY and Metro
• Emma Yardley of Canadian Living
• Johanne Durocher and Rachel of Fashion In Motion
• Jennifer Campbell of FASHION Magazine
• Gail McInnes
• Anita Clarke of I want – I got
• Jen Tse
• Linda Gaylard
• Nathalie Atkinson and Elyse of National Post
• Ashley Bartlett of She Does the City
• Afiya Francisco of The Style House
• Stefania Yarhi of Textstyles
• Tricia Campbell
• Renee Williams of Yahoo Canada Life
• Eden Spodek of Bargainista
• Kimberly Lyn of The Souls of My Shoes (that’s me)

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For those of you who are wondering what to see and do this weekend, I highly recommend an outing to the fourth annual Scotiabank Nuit Blanche taking place tomorrow from sunset at 6:55 p.m. on Saturday, October 3 to sunrise on Sunday, October 4, 2009, at multiple venues throughout Toronto celebrating contemporary art.

One very fashionable stop I hope to make during Nuit Blanche is at the 2009 Iconic Power Design Competition & Trunk Show, being held in the Fermenting Cellar of the Distillery District. This event is run by Art of Fashion, "a not-for-profit organization created to give rising Canadian designers opportunities for exposure and to help elevate the profile of the Canadian fashion design industry" (Artoffashion.org).

Well-known judges for this event include some of Canada's most talented and well known figures in the fashion and retail industries such as David Dixon, creative director of David Dixon Inc and Brian Bailey, creative director of Brian Bailey Design/Project Runway Canada Mentor. There will also be an opportunity for all of you shopaholics go nuts and purchase jewellery and clothing from over 20 Canadian designers/exhibitors.

Event description: 2009 Iconic Power Design Competition & Trunk Show

Date: Saturday October 3 to Sunday October 4, 2009

Price: Free admission from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.

Location: The Distillery District, Fermenting Cellar, 55 Mill Street Building 6 & 7

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Karim_Rashid_book_signing_in_T.zip (541 KB)

A few months ago I was introduced to the designs of Karim Rashid, while at the Scott Schuman event at Holt Renfrew, and after learning about Rashid I instantly became an admirer of his body of work and design aesthetic.

A brief biography: Karim Rashid is a well-known Canadian industrial designer who specializes in architecture and interior design. He has well over 3,000 designs in production, is featured in 20 permanent international gallery collections and has won over 300 awards, such as the coveted Red dot design and the Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award. Some of his client work includes the Oh Chair for Umbra, the interior of Morimoto restaurant in Philadelphia, the Dirt Devil KONE and shoes for Melissa Plastic Dream.

What I like most about Rashid is the variety of projects he participates in and his knack for creating beautiful multifunctional pieces accessible for purchase by all people and not just the financial elite. Many of the principles of art, architecture and fashion go hand-in-hand all requiring creativity, imagination, talent and the ability to transform ideas into objects for use. Rashid's efforts "to make design a public subject" is appealing across all areas in the world of design, and in 2001 Time named him the “most famous industrial designer in all the Americas.”

Rashid will be at Indigo – Bay & Bloor in two weeks to sign copies of his new book Karimspace: The Interior Design And Architecture Of Karim Rashid.

Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009

Location: Indigo - Bay & Bloor, 55 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON

Time: 7:30 p.m.

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Taste_of_the_Danforth_in_style.zip (1175 KB)

I spontaneously ended up at Pilaros’s Taste of the Danforth this past Friday to have dinner with my good friend Corrinne, who writes a great blog which you should check out called Changing My Tune. 

While waiting for a 45 minute dinner reservation to kick in, we decided to pass the time by checking out a new shoe store across the street called BALISI that instantly blew our minds. Corrinne and I hadn’t even taken five steps into the store when our eyes lit up and a shoe fest for the feet cometh before us.

The footwear on display were carefully chosen to appeal to hip and young crowd the Danforth is increasingly attracting to the neighbourhood. What really caught my eyes were a pair of red, peep toe, sling back Vivienne Westwood heels named Lady Dragon made out of PVC. Yes, you heard me. The shoes are made of PVC which is now becoming the latest trend taking over the world of footwear, breaking the traditional norms of shoe construction. Surprisingly the Lady Dragons were comfortable and when I inquired about breathability of the material the sales associate showed me the insoles were lined, apparently with some kind of substance (don’t ask because I have no idea what it was).

Don’t know how Corrinne and I made it out of BALISI without purchasing a pair of shoes, especially when their summer stock was discounted up to 50 per cent – I tell you it took the strength of steel. However, to satisfy your curiosity about our little adventure into the various stores on the Danforth I’ve included a few pictures with this post… PVC shoes included.

N.B.: to read more about the emergence of plastic shoes Toronto Star Stylist, Derick Chetty wrote a recent article called Pretty in Plastic.

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I_go_to_the_AGO_tag_Art_Galler.zip (133 KB)

This past week I had the opportunity to finally visit the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) since its renovation. Frank Gehry definitely created wonders on the exterior and interior of the building. I remember when a lot of fuss was made over the architectural changes to the structure of the building; city counsellors, news media, the public and everyone and their grandmother criticized Gehry and the direction CEO Matthew Teitelbaum was taking project Transformation AGO. In the end the finished product surpassed everyone’s expectations and critics called “Mr. Gehry's AGO a restrained masterpiece, and a reminder of the power of architecture to reinvent ideas, institutions and cities” (Globe and Mail).

However, I digress… while walking through the AGO and its galleries, looking at each painting and sculpture I was reminded of three things:

1. Art and beauty is in the eye of the beholder
2. When you think you have an open mind art always takes you further, beyond expressions, emotions and expectations
   
3. I need to go to art galleries more often

This is very much what you have to keep in mind when seeing new fashions appearing on the runway, particularly when haute couture designs take clothes to an imaginative and often abstract level – they may not always be practical but they are beautiful works of art.

I’ve included some pictures of items featured in the AGO’s galleries which use fashion to transform the perception of everyday items we wear. In order they are:

• Image #1 – Tears Dress by Elsa Schiaparelli (1938), Surreal Things exhibit
• Image #2 – Shoe Hat by Elsa Schiaparelli (1937), Surreal Things exhibit
• Image #3 – Sole Reunion by Willie Cole (1955), Contemporary exhibit
• Image #6 – Mother and Child by Willie Cole (1955), Contemporary exhibit

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Ever since I heard there was a documentary called The September Issue which tells the story of Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue and the development of the magazine’s 2007 September edition I’ve become a bit obsessed about when the movie will be screened in Toronto.

After months of seeing news coverage of The September Issue premiering at film festivals around the world, such as Sundance and Edinburgh, they’ve finally announced a release date for Canada… sometime in October 2009. UGH! Why do we have to wait so long. I was hoping the movie would be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year so I could repeat my luck from last year’s attendance of Valentino: The Last Emperor.

In the meantime, we’ll have to satisfy our fashion fixations by keeping up-to-date on the latest news of the film through its pages on Facebook and Twitter, and download ringtones from the movie. Double ugh!

(Video from YouTube)

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A_moment_with_Scott_Schuman_Th.zip (8351 KB)

Wednesday was a busy day for me but one of the highlights was meeting Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist at Holt Renfrew.

Days leading up to the event Toronto’s fashion literati were tweeting and blogging about Schuman’s appearance; how big the crowd would be, the long line ups to meet him, and the type of outfits (and attitudes) to be seen. Nathalie Atkinson, the National Post’s resident style columnist wrote an amusing article about this called Sartorializing Toronto.

Surprisingly on the day of the event there was a mid-size crowd with approximately 50 to 70 people gathered in the menswear section of Holt’s. Most attendees were able to have a brief word and take a picture with Schuman – yours truly included. He’s a very personable gentleman, a great conversationalist, and managed to put his admirers at ease. You could tell he is passionate about his work and was genuinely interested in meeting his faithful readers and learning a little bit about their lives. In addition, he carried a copy of his upcoming book The Sartorialist which will be released on August 18, 2009. You can pre-order it through Chapters.Indigo.ca or Amazon.com.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the event especially if you saw Scott Schuman at The Drake after party – I heard it was quite a scene with all the people!

N.B: I had two meetings on Wednesday and therefore went with the business look; grey pants from H&M, shirt from Club Monaco, Longchamp tote, and shoes from Japan – simple and clean.

(Images from Kimberly’s camera)

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I just received an e-mail from Holt Renfrew announcing Scott Schuman, The Sartorialist  (one of my favourite fashion blogs/bloggers), will be in Toronto on July 22, 2009. Please see the event description below.

Hope to see you there!

Scott Schuman Personal Appearance
Holt Renfrew Toronto - Bloor Street
50 Bloor Street West, Menswear Entrance ON 1

Wednesday July 22, 2009
12:30-2:00PM

Meet The Sartorialist Scott Schuman, a leading authority on style for both men and women. His photos have become iconic representations of modern fashion and how it is interpreted.

Schuman launched his blog: The Sartorialist, in 2005 as a way to connect the way clothes are sold to the way they are worn. “I’ve always felt that there was a disconnect between what I was selling in the showroom and what I was seeing real people wearing in real life,” he says.

View a selection of his photographs in our Toronto - Bloor Street store between Wednesday, July 22 - Wednesday, July 29, 2009.

(Image from Holt Renfrew)

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If you have an opening in your schedule on Wednesday, July 15, I recommend you stop by the Bata Shoe Museum’s ‘Til 10 event, it’s guaranteed to be an exciting evening. See you there!

Location: 327 Bloor Street West, Toronto (Bloor Street West and St. George)

Phone: (416) 979-7799

Time: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

RSVP: to get on the guest list and skip the line-up e-mail rsvp@batashoemuseum.ca

** Licensed 19+ event. ID is required.

Event description: see the Bata Shoe Museum in a whole different light! On Wednesday, July 15, the BSM is staying open late to let you experience a one of a kind night. Experience the culture and beauty of our galleries and see our new fashion and celebrity exhibits! Relax in our elegant ‘Til Ten lounge or sip cocktails on our intimate candlelit patio. Take in a series of high-flying aerial performances by dance theatre group Anandam, who will display their skills in our 40 foot high foyer. Don’t miss your chance to experience the fresh and fun side of the BSM during “Til Ten”!

Check Thesoulsofmyshoes.com in a few days to read my review of this event.

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Last year several friends and I had the opportunity to attend the North American première of Valentino: The Last Emperor during the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). This documentary gave viewers the rare glimpse into the personal life and work of famed Italian courtier Valentino Garavani – for me it was an emotional and very moving experience. At the end of the movie the house lights went up and the crowd was utterly shocked and overwhelmed with emotion to see the icon himself, Mr. Valentino, had attended the première. The audience instantly took to their feet and gave him a standing ovation lasting for several minutes; my hands hurt from clapping and my eyes were tearing up but I didn't care since this was a once in a life time opportunity to be near, let alone in the same building as Mr. Valentino (sigh). To read a little more on the event the Toronto Star covered the movie première in an article here.

For those true fashion lovers if you haven’t had the opportunity, I highly recommend seeing this movie because it will move you and make you love Mr. Valentino even more.

Valentino: The Last Emperor opens today (July 10, 2009), in Canada at:

• Varsity Cineplex, Toronto
• Cinemark Tinseltown, Vancouver
• Cinema Du Parc, Montreal

For other locations please go to the movie’s official site here.

(Video taken from www.valentinomovie.com)

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