All posts filed under: Events

I want – I got x Bombay Sapphire Cocktails

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It’s not every day you have Olympic themed cocktails created just for you in cleared out bar. This terrific experience at Suits in the Trump Tower was thanks to Raj Nagra, Bombay Sapphire Master Mixologist. I filled out a questionnaire about my food tastes a week before the event and Raj came ready with three Olympic cocktails for me. He was so bang on with every drink, they were a delight. I’ve included  the I want – I got x Bombay Sapphire Cocktails so you can try them at home. You want to, believe me. BRONZE – Macchiato Martini 1 part (30 mL) Bombay Sapphire 1 part (30 mL) Tia Maria 1 part (30 mL) Espresso Pinch Sichuan pepper Method: Shake with ice and fine strain Glass: Cocktail Garnish: Milk froth and nutmeg SILVER – Cucumber & Dill Smash 2 parts (60 mL) Bombay Sapphire 2/3 part (20 mL) Agave nectar 6 chunks Skinned cucumber 1 thumbnail Deseeded jalapeño 1 Large sprig of dill ½ Fresh lime Pinch salt Method: Muddle cucumber & agave nectar …

60 Years of Designing the Ballet & The Tutu Project – Till September 2, 2012

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The Design Exchange is hosting two exhibits for The National Ballet of Canada: 60 Years of Designing the Ballet and The Tutu Project. Both exhibits will be at the Design Exchange until September 2, 2012. 60 Years of Designing the Ballet This exhibition offers an intimate look at the design of one of Canada’s most celebrated treasures – the National Ballet of Canada. The exhibition is organized thematically – highlighting the various ways in which the ballet as an institution is designed through hundreds of items from the ballet’s archive. The exhibition provides a private invitation into the world of one particular company. This exhibit brought me right back into The Nutcracker world again. I had to snap a photo of the Cannon Doll costume sketches and swatches. There are a lot of costumes to check out and set pieces to see up close and personal. You can even try on a tutu and try out ballet moves right in the exhibit. Admission is $10.20 for the 60 Years of Designing the Ballet exhibit. The …

Rodarte at The Room

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Rodarte designers, Kate and Laura Mulleavy visited Toronto for a Personal Appearance and party at The Room in The Bay. The excitement was building up in the weeks preceding the event because Toronto hasn’t had any major designer visits recently (No, that Kim K person doesn’t count as a designer). As with most of these events, I don’t care about what everyone is wearing because I’m touching the designer’s samples. I love the opportunity to feel the garments and examine the workmanship. Rodarte’s clothing is so well made and the materials are lush. I didn’t even speak to Kate and Laura. I had no interview questions. I didn’t want to do the “I really like your work” and subsequent photo opp. I feel a bit sorry for designers in these situations as I liken it to being in a Zoo. They seemed happy to meet fans and take pictures before being whisked off to dinner with VIPs I really like the Van Gogh print dresses from the Rodarte Spring Summer 2012 collection. The Fall Winter …

geekiviews: Bring It On: The Musical

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I was in LA when I first found out that a there is musical based on the movie Bring It On. While driving to the Getty Museum, I noticed little Bring it On: The Musical flags attached to streetlights. How long this will take to migrate north, I thought starting out the window. Well, Six months is the answer because Bring it On: the musical is now playing in Toronto thanks to Mirvish. I’m not a fan of the teen movie genre. I avoid watching as much as possible. Of course, I enjoy a few like The Breakfast Club, Heathers and Pretty in Pink. So when I sat down to watch Bring it On for the first time I thought I would hate every minute. I hadn’t yet jumped on the Kristen Drunst bandwagon yet and she was just that kid from Interview with a Vampire grown. Bring it On was great to my surprise. The musical isn’t the same story as the movie but follows a lot of the themes and adds crazy ensemble …

Roger Vivier: Process to Perfection – May 9, 2012 – April 7, 2013

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Roger Vivier: Process to Perfection – May 9, 2012 – April 7, 2013 at The Bata Museum To wear dreams on one’s feet is to begin to give a reality to one’s dreams. -Roger Vivier Roger Vivier: Process to Perfection focuses on the designer who was renowned for the bejewelled and elegantly sculptural shoes that he created throughout his life. Many of his innovations, such as the needle, choc and comma heels are as important in fashion today as when he first introduced them. Vivier’s career was established in the 1950s when he became the shoe designer for Christian Dior. During his time with Dior his shoes were the epitome of mid-century glamour and Vivier’s early training in scuplture at École des Beaux Arts is evident in the sculptural heels and toes he designed for Dior. After Dior’s death, Vivier continued to produce elegant footwear for the House of Dior but in 1963 he set out on his own. Among his many successes include the pilgrim buckle shoe popularized by Catherine Deneuve, which sold in …

WORN Fashion Journal presents: The Beach Ball! – May 12, 2012

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WORN Fashion Journal presents: The Beach Ball! – May 12, 2012 It’s been a long and moderate winter. But just because we weren’t buried in snow doesn’t mean we can’t kick up some sand. Have you been sighing for shorts? Silly to step into strappy sandals? From sundresses to seersucker, unpack your summer best early at our Issue 14 Launch Party, The Beach Ball! On May 12, 2012, celebrate the release of WORN Fashion Journal issue 14 in sunny style. The Dovercourt House 805 Dovercourt Rd. (just one block north of Bloor St.) Bare-legged at 9 p.m. Sweaters back on at 2 a.m. Get a little colour: Butterdream Sweets will keep things bright with rainbow macaroons Get teas’d: Pina Colada cocktails made with real tea from Tealish (quantiteas limited) Get snapped: You’ll be your own best souvenir in our postcard themed photo booth And when the sun goes down, get off that rock, lobster, and do The Swim. Ride a wave of sweet summer sounds as our DJ spins a mix of oldies guaranteed to …

Citizens by Natalie Castellino – Till May 5, 2012

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A few months ago photographer, Natalie Castellino asked if I would be one of her subjects in a photography exhibit she was planning. She wanted to get an “intimate look at the subject, a moment that the viewer wouldn’t naturally have.” It sounded like a fun project to be part of so I accepted. Last Thursday was the opening party for her exhibit called Citizens at the Red Bull 381 Projects space. Through a collection of 20 portraits, photographer Natalie Castellino captures an intimate side of some of Toronto’s most influential. The project, entitled ‘Citizens’, will be on display at Red Bull Gallery in Toronto from April 26th to May 3rd 2012. “I have always been passionate about portraits but my work to date has been more abstract and staged,” says photographer, Natalie Castellino, “This collection came together very organically, each subject chose their environment and was shot in their natural element of comfort with minimal direction.” Through Citizens, Natalie was looking to bring a focus to success within the city of Toronto. “There is …

Chanel Shade Parade at Holt Renfrew

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Chanel and Holt Renfrew are celebrating nails. This month you can get a complimentary shape and polish with one of Chanel’s expert manicurists at the Chanel Shade Parade nail bar. Come experience the world of Chanel beauty at Holt Renfrew! We are proud to present Chanel’s Shade Parade, a short film featuring a chorus line of fingers decked out in the brand’s luxe lacquers. The cabaret-inspired video showcases some of the French fashion house’s most-coveted nail polish shades with an adorably chic twist. With all of the well-manicured hands and snazzy choreography you can’t help but want to join the shade parade! You need to call and book an appointment for your manicure. Space is very limited. Dates, locations and phone numbers are below. Bloor Street (416-922-2333) and Vancouver (604-681-3121) February 27th to March 4th Calgary (403-269-7341) March 12th to 18th Chanel invited me to experience the Shade Parade a few weeks ago. I literally squealed when the email from Chanel Canada landed in my inbox. Finally the day was here, my first Chanel event. …

Couture with Heart – March 6, 2012

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Couture with Heart – March 6, 2012 With the excitement of Toronto Fashion Week at hand, homegrown atelier Alya Couture distinctively celebrates the fine art of made-to-measure, and International Women’s Day, with high design and a gallant cause. On Thursday, March 8, Alya Couture showcases its grand collections and Fall 2012 line in a unique fundraising event and fashion show for Plan Canada’s “Because I am a Girl”, a revolutionary social movement established to empower girls and women and lift entire nations out of poverty. Fashion house Alya Couture reveres the splendor of women and magnificent garments through superb fabrics, exquisite design, and the time-honoured tradition of all things handmade. Maher Alami, visionary and premier designer of Alya Couture, pays homage to women and creativity by reaching out to a wider audience for the “Because I am a Girl” initiative, with an exclusive evening show, reception and fundraiser at the ultra chic W Studio, 160 Pears Avenue, Suit 310, 6:00-8:00pm.

I played a Cannon Doll in The National Ballet of Canada’s The Nutcracker

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Just when I thought things couldn’t get more exciting and random in life I get an email from the National Ballet. They have invited me to take part in this season’s performance of The Nutcracker as a Cannon Doll. Traditionally, the National Ballet asks Toronto luminaries, personalities and politicians to join the production in this small role. For those of you not familiar with The Nutcracker story, the Cannon Dolls are colourfully costumed, Russian Petrouchka dolls in Act I who shoot a cannon into the audience to begin the battle scene. James Kudelka’s 1995 version of this evergreen seasonal classic is a perfect gem of a ballet, affectionate and reflective, at once cheeringly traditional yet freshly attuned to the rhythms and accents of the contemporary. Rarely have the dreamscapes and wonder of childhood fantasy, the allure of spectacle and the mood of reverie been integrated in such a seamless blend of dazzling stagecraft, virtuosic choreography and ravishing design. Kudelka’s gentle re-shaping of the narrative releases the story (based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Christmas tale) into new …