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I want – I got A Week in Review – Roots x Douglas Coupland, Celine, Sitamaa Spa and Svedka plus this week’s sales and events

Perfect a film by Ruth Hogben featuring Celine Fall Winter 2010 - 2011

Perfect a film by Ruth Hogben featuring Celine Fall Winter 2010 - 2011

A weekly roundup of stories from I want – I got.

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Look out for these new sales

Events This Week

geekiviews: Sitamaa Spa

I had an amazing treatment at the Sitamaa Spa in Yorkville. It funny how it took a New York based twitter friend, @michellejoni to let me know about it. Michelle works at SpaWeekDaily.com and contacted me with a Spa review opportunity. I love the spa so I said yes. I was amazed she was working with people in Toronto.

The owner is 15 year industry veteran, Vaidehie Mistry.  She is a regular guest on the Steven and Chris show.  She’s also active on the speaking circuit holding lectures and seminars on skin care and beauty treatments.

Sitamaa Spa

The Sitamaa Spa aims to be a knowledge centre for its clients. The environment is stark white which is deliberate. The client is to focus inward while at the Spa therefore the environment has minimal distractions. Vaidehie believes it’s time to refocus on the self. The Spa is there to make it easy for that serenity and concentration to happen.

I had the Kyoshi Detox Wrap ($95). You are given disposable underwear to wear and the treatment takes place on a heated table. The heated table is a very nice touch. The last time I had a body treatment was years ago but I remember there wasn’t a heated table. I get cold very easily so I was really happy to have this to keep me warm.

Invigorate your skin with this detoxifying treatment. Kiyoshi, meaning pure, is inspired by the bathing rituals of Japan. Steaming herbal compresses are applied along the liver meridian to draw out toxins. Sake yeast, Wasabi extract, nutrient rich seaweed and circulation-boosting red pepper all work synergistically to detoxify and rejuvenate your body and spirit.

The beginning and end of the treatment was signaled by a single chime. It began with a Tranquility spray that contained things like rosewood and sandlewood. Then a Jasmine body scrub for exfoliation and prepping the skin for mask penetration was applied. After the body scrub was the mask. It contained Sake yeast, wasabi extract and red pepper. These all have detoxifying properties. I was then wrapped with plastic and allowed to sit and mediate in the darken room. I had two hot compresses placed in my hands and then transferred to either side of my neck. I got to take these home after the treatment for home use. They contained lemon and ginger herbs. It’s weird being immobilized in these wrap treatments but it’s also kind of cosy. The mask was removed with hot damp towels. A final massage with ginger body oil finished off the treatment. This body oil isn’t available for consumer use and can only be found at Sitamaa. It also had detoxifying properties.

I have to admit, I felt really good after the treatment. My skin was very soft and I smelled amazing. A friend said I was glowing later. I loved that the Aesthetian talked only when she had to and left me to my own devices.   She was also sensitive to people’s comfort levels with the treatment.  It’s a vulnerable situation to be almost naked on a table for a treatment for some people.  The take home hot compresses were a nice touch. You put a bit of water on them and heat them in the microwave. After the smell goes, you can open them up and use them in the bath to get the last of that essential oil and smell.

Sitamaa carries Comfort Zone skincare, Akhassa skincare and Jane Iredale mineral makeup. They offer a full range of services from body, face, hand and footcare to threading.

Sitamaa Spa is one of many spas involved in the upcoming Toronto Spa Week, October 11-17, 2010. Amazing spa treatments will be available for $50. Sign up on spaweek.com to be kept in the loop.

SITAMAA Day Spa
55 Bloor St W.
Toronto
Tel: 416-920-SITA (7482)
email: info@sitamaa.com
Hours :Mon – Wed 10-6pm,Thur – Fri 10-8pm,Sat 9-6, Sun 11-4

images: courtesy of Sitamma Spa

Svedka Vodka Launch

Svedka Vodka Launch

So Svedka launched in Canada. There was a party held at Parts & Labour. It was there I learned of Svedka’s mascot. It is one of the most bizarre product mascots I’ve seen, a sexy fembot.

SVEDKA‟s futuristic branding is the platform on which SVEDKA_Grl, the world‟s first fun & flirtatious spokesbot, was born. She was designed in 2005 by Stan Winston, the mastermind and visual effects supervisor behind The Terminator and Jurassic Park.

As fembots go, the Svedka _Grl looks good. I’m just having a hard time trying to reconcile how this sells vodka.
The New York Times wrote a story that talks about the marketing plan.

Early this year, SVEDKA debuted its first television commercial in the US. The “Soul Train meets the year 2033” future/retro themed commercial was directed by Francis Lawrence (whose credits include Lady Gaga‟s “Bad Romance” video, Britney Spears‟ “Circus,” Justin Timberlake‟s “Rock Your Body” and Gwen Stefani‟s “What You Waiting For”) and features a cover of the Jackson 5 classic song “Dancing Machine.”

The bizarre commercial is burned into my head now. It was on repeat during the event. I guess a small blessing was that the accompanying music couldn’t be heard.

SVEDKA‟s “R U BOT OR NOT?” campaign will launch into Canada with an upcoming marketing campaign including online, print and various out of home mediums. Online will be an important media vehicle to drive home the brand message, through banner ads that link to SVEDKA‟s Facebook fan page, which is a destination point for all SVEDKA content, as well as a place where consumers can vote on the “BOTTEST” pictures.  The “R U BOT OR NOT?” message will invade bars across Canada with signature SVEDKA cocktails including the HOT_BOT, COSMO_BOT and CELEB_U_BOT. SVEDKA will also launch its successful Adult Playground 2033 event series, touting the BOTTEST bars in Toronto and Vancouver, celebrating each venue with a VIP party.

The Bottest picture eh. I can only imagine.  The vodka is nice enough and is available for $24.95/750ml bottle.

From the Soul: Caribana Art Exhibit at The Royal Ontario Museum, July 23 – August 13, 2010

From the Soul: Caribana Art Exhibit at The Royal Ontario Museum, July 23 - August 13, 2010

A New Song By Izzy Ohiro, Mother By Garett Campbell Wilson, Soul Cry By Sonia Farquharson

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) joins in the excitement of the Scotiabank Caribana Festival and presents From the Soul: Caribana Art Exhibit, July 23 to August 13, 2010, Canada’s largest ever single juried display of works of art by African Canadian artists. Curated by renowned African Canadian artist and activist, Joan Butterfield, the exhibition is produced by the Association of African Canadian Artists, in conjunction with Scotiabank Caribana and the ROM. From the Soul will be on display in the Museum’s Bronfman Hall, Level 2 during the citywide festival, which takes place from July 15 to August 15, 2010.

More than 160 works on canvas, several Caribana parade costumes, three dimensional bronze sculptures and award-winning ceramic pieces by 49 artists will be on display. Ms. Butterfield said, “This collection of works will arouse the conscious, still the mind and soothe the soul. Our goal is to attract a new and expanded audience to this exhibition with the hope of inspiring others with the message of courage, love and respect prevalent throughout the displays. Art is an expression of life around us and a powerful way to bring difficult topics of discussion out in the open.”

Plastik Wrap Presents Stuntkid aka Jason Levesque

PLASTIK WRAP ™ Presents Stuntkid » aka Jason Levesque

Plastik Wrap Presents Stuntkid aka Jason Levesque

Jason’s work regularly depicts “pin up” style girls with elements inspired by both the beautiful and ugly parts of the natural world.
“Aquatic life” is a collection of underwater, deep sea inspired illustrations with fashionable flare.

Please join us for the opening reception on August 5th.
Plastik Wrap boutique, 2235 Dundas st. West
From 7.00 pm till 11.00 pm

Perfect a film by Ruth Hogben featuring Celine Fall Winter 2010 – 2011

Perfect is a film by Ruth Hogben for Showstudio. It features clothing from the Celine Fall Winter 2010 – 2011 collection. It’s basically Celine porn, you need to watch it on the Showstudio website.

Perfect a film by Ruth Hogben featuring Celine Fall Winter 2010 - 2011

Reduce, refine, define. Phoebe Philo’s A/W 2010 Celine collection is a Minimalist mantra for modern dressing. Next season, perfect isn’t a noun, it’s a verb.(source)

image: showstudio.com

Versace Menswear Spring Summer 2011

Versace Menswear Spring Summer 2011

I received an email with some photos of the Versace Menswear Fall Winter 2010 – 2011 show from a person at enternewmedia.com. I guess Versace has contracted them for their social media campaign. I skimmed through the photos but didn’t really pay much attention. It’s almost a month later and I was looking through some images and rediscovered the Versace collection. I’m really liking the ’80 rockabilly style Donatella Versace was channeling this season.

Versace Menswear Spring Summer 2011

I found a video of the collection, it’s not the best quality but it has the original soundtrack (which is kick ass).

There are a couple men’s styles that I gravitate to. Rockabilly is one. It all starts with the pompadour, what a great hairstyle. Hello, creepers, so kick ass. I also love the slim, lean silhouette. I love a straight up suit on a man. The only requirement is that is fits well. It could be a Zoot Suit or a boxy Armani gangster suit. It’s one of the reasons why I love working in the financial district. Even though you see more ill fitting suits than excellent fitting one.

images: courtesy of Versace

Douglas Coupland x Roots Launches at Bloor Street

Douglas Coupland x Roots Launches at Bloor Street

The Douglas Coupland x Roots collaboration is now on sale at the Bloor Street Store.

Douglas Coupland x Roots Launches at Bloor Street

The ROOTS X DOUGLAS COUPLAND collection includes apparel for women/men/children, accessories, leather goods, design items, furniture, limited editions, original art and a series of pop-up stores. This is the first time Douglas Coupland has designed fashion wearables. He is best known as the internationally best-selling author of “Generation X”, “JPod” and “Generation A”.

Douglas Coupland x Roots Launches at Bloor Street

Douglas Coupland x Roots Launches at Bloor Street

Douglas Coupland x Roots Launches at Bloor Street