LA LA LAND: THE HIPSTER TRAILS (VitaminDaily.com, May 2013)
Skip the glitz and glam of Rodeo Drive, and hit up some of Los Angeles’s cooler spots.
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ATELIER: RAISING THE BAR (FLARE, May 2013)
At Bao Bei, Tannis Ling has hit on a dazzling mix of ancestral Chinese food and innovative cocktails, and haute-hungry Vancouverites can’t get enough.
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INTERVIEW: EDDIE BORGO (imtheitgirl.com, March 2013)
Eddie Borgo’s relationship with stylists is a significant one. Before transitioning into jewellery, the young designer worked as a styling assistant, and shortly before launching his own collection, he was creating custom editorial pieces for industry’s top stylists. It wasn’t a surprise that the line was an instant editorial hit. The new Spring 2013 collection is inspired by one of Borgo’s styling heroes, Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, whose armloads of accessories helped define the supermodel era and brought costume jewellery back in the high fashion mix. Big, bold, and gold, Eddie Borgo takes us back to a time when, for many of us, fashion was first discovered. I met up with the star designer himself during his visit to Holt Renfrew in Vancouver.
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THE BAY STAGES THIERRY MUGLER RETROSPECTIVE IN VANCOUVER (FLARE.com, November 2012)
A peculiar cyborg creature—a half motorcycle and half cowgirl, with a leather whip to boot—provides a nostalgic greeting at the From Thierry Mugler to MUGLER retrospective, on display at The Room at The Bay in Vancouver. “Too Funky!”, many exclaimed as they approached the mannequin, referring to the 1992 George Michael video in which the ensemble appeared. The exhibition is a rare chance to come face to face with Thierry Mugler’s legendary work. The designer, dubbed by the French media as the “createur du shoc” (creator of shock), very much defined the 1990s aesthetic—when amazons ruled fashion pages and stomped runways—and retired at the beginning of the new millennium. These days, the name Mugler is again part of our fashion discourse. The label is now helmed by creative director Nicola Formichetti and womenswear designer Sébastien Peigné, who were in Vancouver to discuss the enduring influence of Thierry Mugler and how the Mugler woman has changed. “It was Jerry Hall,” laughs Formichetti, thinking of the barely-there sequin “Angel” gown from the 1995 fragrance advertisement. Often the notion of wearabilty wasn’t a priority for Thierry Mugler.
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STRAND & DELIVER (FLARE, December 2012)
With their hands in music, art, nightlife—and especially hair—underground snipsters are tearing up the salon scene coast to coast.
WEST COAST: BARBARELLA
Along a seedy stretch of Vancouver’s East Hastings Street stands The Waldorf Hotel, a hard-to-miss ’60s-style modernist reno with a tiki twist. Marked by a re-pro of its original palm-tree neon sign, it’s undergone a crack-to-kitsch makeover by new owner Thomas Anselmi, and in two years has become the place where gourmet food carts congregate, Douglas Coupland lectures and electronic star Skrillex DJs—with drop-in guests Katy Perry and Lady Miss Kier. Today the hotel’s 16 rooms aren’t even for rent; they’re perpetually occupied by the talent.
In addition to being Vancouver’s official compound for all that’s current in art, music, culture, fashion and cuisine, it’s also the place to get your hair cut, thanks to Anselmi’s wife, Laure Elaine, 35, owner of Barbarella salon. Her first location on Main Street quickly gained a cult following for unisex fades and dirtbag shags when it opened in 1999. Now, she’s cutting and colouring Generation Gentrified at the second outpost, which replaced the lobby’s original barbershop. When she’s not applying candy-floss pastel highlights, she’s dolling up models, singers and dancers for the hotel’s host of special events, including their now-legendary parties.
It may require a very late-night appointment to crash the Waldorf’s most desirable fete of the year. It’s the impossible-to-get-into New Year’s Eve party. Last year dancers swanned to an orchestra of David Lynch–inspired tunes on an indoor skating rink. Hotel rooms were transformed into peep-show-style installations, and the secret concert was Grimes.
Who knows, you may even spy Debbie Harry lookalike Laure Elaine performing. She’s a singer–songwriter/video producer in her spare time and once collaborated with Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan until she put her music career on hiatus two years ago to have a baby. But that was before the hotel’s recording studio was built, just a hop-skip-jump from behind the salon chair.
INTERVIEW: JOE MIMRAN (VitaminDaily.com, October 2012)
We caught up with Joe Mimran just moments before his not-to-be-missed Joe Fresh Toronto Fashion Week presentation, and chatted about the ’60s story behind the spring collection, his knack for simplicity, and the joy of working with a true fashion icon.
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MEXICO CITY IN STYLE (VitaminDaily.com, October 2012)
It would take years to explore one of the world’s largest cities, so this time we focused on Mexico City’s vibrant food and design culture.
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INTERVIEW: TATA HARPER (VitaminDaily.com, September 2012)
I had the pleasure of speaking with Tata Harper at Kiss & Makeup while also receiving a mini facial at the same time (now, that’s the kind of multi-tasking I can deal with). Being the perfect mascot for her organic line, Tata radiates natural beauty and has that amazing halo-like glow about her that makes one say, “I’ll have what she’s having.” Originally from Colombia, Tata, a former industrial engineer, has quickly garnered attention from natural beauty enthusiasts everywhere, including myself.
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SUBVERSIVE STYLE (FLARE, September 2012)
The late Tobias Wong gets his first retrospective, Object(ing): The art/design of Tobias Wong, at the Museum of Vancouver. Wong is notorious for his expropriation of iconic luxury goods, and dozens of his infamous pieces will be on display. Among the stoppers are Ballistic Rose, a handmade ribbon corsage constructed from bulletproof ballistic nylon, and Sun Jar, where he achieved the impossible task of bottling sunshine.
VISIONARY: MARY KATRANTZOU (FLARE, August 2012)
Athens-born Mary Katrantzou, 29, burst onto London’s design scene just four years ago with her captivating trompe l’oeil prints. Seamlessly integrating digital patterns into playful silhouettes, her signature dresses come splashes with everything from oversized perfume bottles to koi ponds and, most recently, pencils and typewriters. Katrantzou’s imaginative creations have made her a fashion favourite earning her a Swiss Textile Award in 2010 and the Emerging Talent honour at the British Fashion Awards in 2011. With successful Six Scents perfume, Longchamp and Topshop collaborations under her belt, the young designer (her main collection is sold at The Room at the Bay) is getting ready to expand her rapidly growing business.
ECO FASHION WEEK (FLARE, July 2012)
Earth-friendly fashion struck a strong style note in Vancouver.
THE BEST PRINTS FOR SPRING 2012 (ELLEcanada.com, April 2012)
Everything from delicate blooms to a cacophony of clashing prints are ruling runways this season. Here are our top print fashion trends for Spring 2012.
Vivid florals, tropical motifs, geometric zigzags and exotic animals make for some of the most intriguing prints of the Spring 2012 season. The most ingenious ones are oversized, from Proenza Schouler’s large daffodils to Dries Van Noten’s picturesque landscapes. This year also marks a full-on print revolution with many designers collaging several, often clashing, prints together for a very colourful seasonal statement. We have Mary Katrantzou mixing anything and everything in a fun but very dare-to-wear manner. Eager to sport your favourite print head-to-toe? Prabal Gurung and Peter Som are right with you, with their sharp floral suitings.
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BB CREAMS: DO YOU NEED ONE? (ELLEcanada.com, April 2012)
The latest beauty buzz word you need to know: BB cream. What exactly makes these beauty balms the talk of the beauty world, and should you be including it in your beauty routine? We dig deep to find out.
Think of BB creams as the next generation of tinted moisturizers. Also known as a blemish or beauty balm, BB cream is a multitasking product that combines many of the components you are probably already using. It’s a moisturizer, a primer, and a foundation, all packaged into one convenient little tube, sometimes even powered with an SPF protection.
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DAPHNE GUINNESS by Valerie Steele and Daphne Guinness (2011)
I didn’t write this book, but I was quoted in it. (Still counts for something, right?)
An icon was originally an image of a sacred person worshipped by his or her followers. There is undeniably an element of enthusiasm boarding on worship in the popular response to celebrities. Consider the blog imtheitgirl.com referring to “style-icon-daphne-guinness”: “There are normal people and there is Daphne Guinness. Ms. Guinness is the ultimate fashion fantasy where everyone wears couture 24/7 and has ridiculously perfect bone structure. I like this world and therefore I love Daphne.” She also proudly sites Vanity Fair journalist A.A. Gill, who argued that “[Daphne Guinness] has never had a look, never once, never remotely, that was anyone’s but her very own.”
