After a mini hiatus, I’m back to blogging with a mood board sparked by all the inspiring images I’ve come across this Fall. Knits, mixing patterns, bright colours, bold jewelery and interesting coats are high on my radar right now which leaves me staring at my boring wardrobe, aching for more. Hooray for SALE season and SANTA!
A while back, I came across this photo of a pair of beaten up American Flag Converses by John Varvatos. Despite combing through all online shops and looking for them in every city I visited, I couldn’t get my hands on any. This is when I decided to make my own pair.
Step 1: Preparation is the first and most important step. You need all white Chuck Taylor Converses, 2 paint brushes, a pencil, an eraser and some acrylic fabric paint (red and blue). I picked Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs as the soundtrack for the sunny DIY afternoon in my studio space.
More photos and instructions below.
Standing in the crowd while watching the legendary Paul Simon play a two hour set, was beyond surreal. There were moments where I was consciously aware that I had to soak it all in and smile through quite possibly, my last chance to see Simon live. The 69 year old fedora donning gentleman, took a few songs to warm up to the crowd and likewise, for the (older) crowd to warm up to him. His voice, though a little weaker than from his younger days, was positively applauded with great execution on many classic songs we grew up loving. One of my highlights was a very special moment when a fan was invited on stage to perform Duncan. Watching her experience what will be one of her top five moments in life, was amazing. Favourite songs included Hearts and Bones, Slip Slidin’ Away, The Only Living Boy In New York and of course the double encore when he played The Sound Of Silence. In his final song, Boy in the Bubble, Simon willed us not to cry as he left after a rare evening of magic and wonder.
On a cold Saturday this past March, I had the opportunity to do a portrait photo shoot for Julia Belluz, a Toronto-based journalist and Jamila Jamani, an entrepreneur with an interesting background in finance and fashion branding. With Julia’s apartment as a backdrop, we spent the afternoon taking head shot after head shot, playing with different outfits and accessories. Aside from reminding me how much I love photography, it was inspiring to be around these ambitious, creative and positive individuals.
Check out the portraits below.
This documentary on the legendary street-fashion photographer, 80 year old Bill Cunningham of the New York Times is a must, must, must see. I’ll try not to give too much away but learning about Bill by following him through the streets of New York City on his 29th Schwinn bicycle, seemed like the most natural way to connect to the pure and genuine person that he is. His quirky personality and sweet French Accent completely captured me and the honesty with which he spoke brought tears to my eyes a few times. As soon as the documentary was over, I wanted to watch it again and something Bill said resonated deep within me; ‘Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.’
Another photo below
Comment » | Fashion, New York, Photography, Review, Womenswear
Icelandic designer Jet Korine, has created a triad collection of eco-friendly and natural garments with some covet-worthy pieces. As the name suggests, the second installment entitled Life Coat Collection, is hand sewn and designed to last a lifetime. Each coat is individually coloured using dyes from insects and flowers followed by an Icelandic sea soak and then laid out in the sun for a natural finishing process.
More photos available below.
Combine Scott Sternberg’s creative genius with the Californian rock-climbing lifestyle in the 70s and you get a great Fall/Winter ’11 collection. Boy, Band of Outsiders‘ menswear-inspired collection for women, has a series of chic but relaxed tomboy looks that feel like a calm balance between style and comfort. Beanies, ponchos, wool blazers and little splashes of colour make next Fall seem so much more appealing even though we haven’t hit Spring yet.
More photos available below.
Dutch illustrator Raymond Lemstra, combines emphasized tribal drawings and sculptures with a Japanese twist to create images that are simply intriguing. The immense detail, colour schemes and almost awkward nature of the illustrations make them look like they’re part of another world, bringing a sense of wonderment to the experience.
When describing his work, Lemstra says it best. “In childhood, one encounters and experiences many things for the first time. Through curiosity and imagination, these moments are lifted to almost magical heights. As you get older, new impressions become more scarce and it’s a rare experience to be suprised by anything. I try to bring back the sense of wonder we remember from being a child, bridging the young and mature, by creating a contained fantasy world populated by my characters.”
More illustrations below.
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Finally there seems to be a solution for those irritating little breakouts you find yourself faced with before a big date, job interview or wedding. Mario Badescu’s Drying Lotion is an excellent overnight blemish treatment. The balanced combination of salicylic acid and calamine lotion both disinfect and soothe the spot, markedly reducing its size by the morning. Tried and true, this one’s a keeper.
Available at Delineation in Toronto.
My biggest issue with Winter, aside from the apparent coldness of it all, is the concept of bundling up. I suffer the claustrophobia of a rolled up sausage and I don’t like it. I’ve realized that given the morbidly low temperatures, this is rather unavoidable. I’ve found that the best way to make it feel better is to look good and with that, comes accessories.
Tucked away in a little town in France, the Fabre family has been in the business of glove-making since 1924. Using the finest materials, secret dyes and four generations in the trade, its no wonder why they have perfected the art of creating a second skin. Their credibility is further undeniable after collaborations with the likes of Chanel and Christian Lacroix. Whether its short driving gloves or over-the-elbow lace ones, they satisfy both men and women all year long.
At the end, all that remains to be said is thank God for those cheetah print Maison Fabre gloves I got in Paris this past summer .. they help .. really, they do.