I don’t do much on I want – I got that deals with video games. People send me links to their iPod/iPhone apps but nothing from any of the game companies. That was until the invite to the Xbox 360 holiday preview came through email. Jackpot! There were all types of games at this preview event like the new incarnations of Halo, Fable and Mortal Combat. The Kinect for Xbox 360 system impressed the hell out of me. I want a Kinect Xbox 360 system. I NEED a Kinect Xbox 360 system.
Kinect for Xbox 360 brings games and entertainment to life in extraordinary new ways — no controller required. Simple to use and fun to play, Kinect for Xbox 360 allows owners to jump into Kinect-enabled games for any type of play, and the Kinect Hub puts your favourite movies and TV programs, music, live sports, and social networks all in one place. The Kinect sensor recognizes you, responds to your gestures, listens to your voice and works with every Xbox 360 console.
That’s right, NO FREAKING CONTROLLER. Your body is the controller and it’s incredible. The controls are hard to get used to and interacting with Kinect is clumsy but you can see from the product specialists that it just takes getting used to. The game that most responsible for me wanting a Kinect for Xbox 360 is MTV Games’ Dance Central. That’s right, you dance! It’s awesome.
This game is like crack. I danced to Poker Face by Lady Gaga and Funkytown by Lipps Inc. It was delightful. I wanted Singstar before, now I want this. My movements are recorded synchronized with great precision for the game, just amazing.
“Dance Centralâ€â„¢ is the most immersive full-body, controller-free dance video game with fun choreography for beginners and experts. With more than 650 moves and more than 90 dance routines from professional choreographers, you’ll be able to rehearse and perform from your living room.
Microsoft, revealed 10 new artists and songs from the highly anticipated Dance Central™ on-disc track list exclusively for Kinect for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Hot hits and classic dance beats from artists like Cascada, Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Nelly Furtado, Kool & The Gang, Technotronic and more will soon let players get their groove on while performing routines from professional choreographers in the first full-motion body tracking dance video game.
Check out this demo from E3. Crack I tell you, crack.
See what I’m saying! How can you not love this game.
Winner of the E3 Game Critics Best Original Game and Best Motion Simulation Game, as well as more than 30 additional awards and nominations, Dance Central is a full-body, controller-free dance video game with fun choreography for beginners and experts. Whether rehearsing in Break It Down! or owning the dance floor in Perform It!, players will be introduced to more than 650 moves in the game and more than 90 dance routines created by professional choreographers. In addition, players can earn achievements, unlock new character outfits and venues and progress through the dance ranks. Dance Central even gives players a calorie-burning tracking option so they can turn all that fun into an actual workout. In Dance Battle, players can challenge friends to an epic living room showdown.
Unfortunately, this won’t be coming out until the holiday season. The Kinect will launch with 15 titles. Hello Microsoft, you’ve swayed me back to the darkside of videogame addiction. I’m ready to be consumed by game again. It took a controller-less product to break this long silence between us.
If you ever have visited a Hermès store you’ve seen the ornate tableware for sale. I’ve never even thought of asking the prices because that would just be silly. When viewing the Foot Ball film installation at Hermès, I had total access to go crazy with the Olympus E-PL1.
Alexander Wang visited his fans in Toronto last week at Holt Renfrew. There was a public personal appearance in the afternoon and a private party in the evening. I was at work during the day so I went to the party.
I wasn’t too star struck by Alexander and I managed to get a quick hello and photo with him. He’s just one of those beautiful people. The man has a flawless complexion. He was also very good at working the crowd and talking to everyone.
Holt Renfrew setup the 2nd floor with a ton of Alexander Wang merchandise and samples of the Fall 2010 collection. I’m a lover of the Wang accessory. The shoes and bags are always a hit. I wasn’t all that jazzed about this Fall 2010 Ready to Wear collection back in February but after seeing some of the pieces that Holt Renfrew is picking up in person, I have to say I’m a fan. Great pants and blazers are everywhere. It seems to be a trend, I didn’t care much for Spring Summer 2010 until I saw it in person too.
You can see a slideshow of hi quality images from the Alexander Wang event in Toronto event after the jump.
Hermès had a small party to feature a special film installation called Foot Ball created by artist Marcus Tomlinson. The fall 2010 Hermès shoe collection was the inspiration for the film. There was a preview of the upcoming Fall 2010 accessories collection also.
Every shoe has a thousand and one tales to tell, and Marcus Tomlinson believes each one, following them step by step. In his enthusiasm for Pierre Hardy’s designs at Hermès, the artist, photographer and maker of animation films has become their messenger: “His shoes strike a perfect balance between design and craftsmanship, between tried and trusted skills and what seems to me is a very limpid form of inspiration.”
Patiently and passionately, the artist has composted FOOT BALL, the film of an imaginary day in the life of a part of shoes. And so there are, filching fragments from our own lives – step by step, with measured tread, from a standing start, or dragging their feet.
The installation will be available for public viewing in the Hermès Bloor Street store until July 31, 2010. I took some video of the installation.
Then I found a link to the complete video online so that if you can’t visit the store you can still see what the Marcus Tomlinson installation is about. View the film here
Repping with the Hermès scarf - image: Dwayne Evans
This was my first invitation to an event at the Hermès store. I was very excited as I’m such a huge Hermès fan. It also gave me an excuse to go wild with the Olympus E-PL1 in the store without question. I have tons of photos from that I will be sharing in other posts. I could stare at the scarves forever in that store, they are so vibrant and beautiful. The prints are so intricate that I’m just amazed at the craftsmanship and time required to make one. They are works of art. There was a little photobooth set up so you could play a little dress up in Hermès with photographer Dwayne Evans. Dwayne took the shots of me in Polysh Magazine and it was good to reconnect with him. I have some other shots I have to track down from him to post. They are fun too.
Repping with the Hermès scarf
The riding boots were my favourite shoes of the fall collection. They are perfect. New to fall are the lacquered wood bracelets. They are fun, stackable bracelets in a variety of colours and sizes. They are a lower price point than most other bracelets in the Hermès family. Some of the new scarf prints that caught my eye are Cent Plis des Miao and Ex Libris en Camouflage. I also have my eye on a proper scarf ring and I’m loving the Bolduc ring in Palladium.
Oh my god, I better not miss this flight. I’m standing in line for security checks; it’s 7:30am. It’s Monday morning and I’m hoping to catch my 8am flight to New York. I’m impatient and freaking out. I clear security without much time to spare and I’m running to gate 151, hoping that boarding hasn’t closed yet. I didn’t even close the clasp on my bright pink sandals. Amazingly they don’t fly off my feet. I slow down a bit when I see a lineup of people at the gate. Thank god, still time. I laugh to myself. This is the start of an amazing day. I love my life.
I’m going to New York City for the day. I leave Toronto at 8am and I the return flight is at 7:30pm. This trip is the product of a fucked up week, to put it mildly. The day after the earthquake I receive an email from Foujan at Matchstick. There may be the potential for a blogger to be sent out to NYC to join Charles Khabouth owner of Ink Entertainment and Alessandro Munge of Munge Lunge Design Associates for a part of their furniture shopping trip on Monday June 28th, the email reads. All expenses paid, of course. My eyes pop out of my head. Wow, wow, wow. What a great opportunity. I say yes before I even clear it with my boss. I know she’ll be cool since I would be working from home on the 28th due to G20 crap. If she’s not, well I’ll have to get inventive. It didn’t get to that point and I had my Boss’s blessing to have fun. Charles is working on his Bisha Hotel and Private Residences project and Munge Lunge are the interior designers.
Real estate development leaders Sam Herzog and Mel Pearl (Lifetime Developments) and Nightlife impresario Charles Khabouth (INK Entertainment.) introduce a new private label hotel and residence brand that will redefine modern luxury. Named after Khabouth’s childhood nickname, Bisha represents that voice inside all of us that pushes us to do things differently and to live by our own rules.
Rising to 41 storeys and designed by award-winning Wallman Architects and Munge Leung Design Associates, Bisha will be a coveted new address in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District. Glamorously forward and seductive, Bisha will offer a unique medley of the best in design, art, food, music and culture. Located on Blue Jays Way, just south of King Street, Bisha will be tastefully modern, unapologetically free spirited and undeniably cool.(source)
Lifetime Developments are also behind the Four Seasons Private Residents, Liberty Market Lofts and M5V Condo projects. At IDS10 Munge Leung & INK Entertainment were part of The Ultimate Space Designers installation. This would be the world’s first look at the Bisha aesthetic.
I was extremely nervous about hanging out with Charles and Alessandro. It’s amazing how much Charles has indirectly been part of my youth. I’ve spent many hours in his clubs and restaurants. I have no idea what to expect from them. What if we don’t get along? What if they think I’m annoying? My heart was beating a mile a minute.
The day was jam-packed and we visited the following places: (Each link leads to a post on each location. Read them all to get the full story)
We also stopped for lunch at the famous Balthazar. In true french bistro style I had a traditional ham and cheese sandwich and it was delicious. The place was packed and I’m amazed we were able to get a table so quick. Lunch was a total spur of the moment decision as we were driving by. We had a quick peek at Trump Soho Hotel in between visiting The Crosby Street Hotel and Todd Merrill Antiques. I wasn’t all that jazzed about the decor but the front door made of leather was pretty. There was one stop where I didn’t take any pictures or even write down the gallery’s name. It was in your standard New York city warehouse but we had to check in with security first. On the third floor was this gallery. It consisted of a room with a giant glass box in the middle. In the box were several chairs and tables on display. It felt very clinic and strange. We didn’t ask about prices here.
Trump Soho
The last three stops of the day were the Ace Hotel, John Vavartos on Bowery and the Tom Ford store. I was super excited about being in the exclusive Tom Ford store drooling over ultra lux menswear.
Ace Hotel Lobby and Stumptown Coffee
The Ace Hotel (20 West 29th Street) lobby reminded me more of a coffee shop than hotel. There were a ton of people sitting around all staring at their laptops. It was a bit bizarre as no one was really talking to each other. Stumptown Coffee is the cutest little coffee shop I’ve ever seen. I love the art deco light fixture that wraps around the bar.
Formerly the Breslin Hotel, the historic property that houses Ace Hotel New York has always been full of life. Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen were neighbors; “Diamond Jim” Brady (the inspiration for Marlon Brando’s Guys & Dolls character) was a regular; visionary filmmaker, musicologist and painter Harry Smith lived there, too.
The John Varvatos store was very cool. It was the legendary rock club CBGB. The store has kept the rock club aesthetic.
John Varvatos at Bowery 315 Bowery New York
The Tom Ford store was beautiful. Of course, I wasn’t allowed to take pictures inside. I’ve tried to track down a few shots for you online asthey are very protectiveof their image. There is an octagonal room in the back called the fragrance chamber. The prices are crazy expensive in there. However, watching the staff removing ties from their protective plastic layers takes away from some of the luxury.
Now, I worried that I it might be awkward hanging with Charles and Alessandro all day but it was really chill. You could tell that they have been friends for a long time as they were all jokes, all day. They have been friends/worked together for 15 years. I easily fell into their joking manner and rolled with the punches. There wasn’t any beating around the bush about prices and things were discussed openly. After my first few heart attacks the talk about price didn’t faze me too much. Well, that was until we hit up Flos. I had a heart attack and almost died of laughter.I was associating with a different level of luxury and I had a lot of learn. I managed to find myself talking with Charles and Alessandro about prices. We mused about observations on how the length of the story a sale associate had about a piece was directly proportional to the price tag. It was also interesting to talk about the huge price different between the same Paul Evans table at two different stores. It was a difference of $30,000+.
After Tom Ford, I said my goodbyes to Charles and Alessandro. I had to catch my 7:30 flight and they had more exploring and shopping to do. I really wish I could have spent the night and saw some of the NYC nightlife. I hopped in a cab to LaGuardia and chuckled to myself. What a random and extremely fun day, how lucky I am.
I’d like to thank my hosts Charles and Alessandro for putting up with me on their shopping trip. I had an amazing opportunity to learn a little about their plans for Bisha and other upcoming projects in Toronto. Bisha is hoping to bring New York style hotel culture to Toronto. In New York, hotels attract locals for entertainment as well as tourists. The Standard and the Ace hotel are good examples of this. Most people’s ambitions I would write off, however Charles seems to have the magic touch and I believe there is some good stuff coming our way soon. I’m very excited about his Le Bistro project that will be open this fall. It’s a Parisian bistro that will open in Yorkville with a large streetside patio. Le Bistro will be taking over the spot occupied by Dynasty Chinese Cuisine on Bloor Street.
Random things I learned about Charles: He has the name of his kids tattooed on his arms. They are very tasteful and I like them. Charles takes his son to board meetings with him occasionally. He hates snakes and things shaped like them.
Random things I learned about Alessandro: He has an iPad. He travels extensively but loves Toronto and wouldn’t live anywhere else. He throws all eating rules out the window when he goes for his weekly dinner visits to mom.
Let me give you my outfit breakdown
Black Dress courtesy of Spanner, Toy Watch courtesy of Toy Watch, Necklace by Aldo, Sandals by Marais from Chasse Gardee
This is the first post in the series called I want – I got’s Bisha Adventure in New York City. Be sure to read the I want – I got’s Bisha Adventure in New York City series. I want – I got would like to thank Matchstick and Bisha for providing for all travel expenses on this day trip to NYC.
Our first stop was at The Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District. This is where Charles and Alessandro were staying.
They enjoy The Standard and mentioned how busy the hotel usually is. The dinning rooms are packed and the patio is pretty busy. It’s the kind of hotel that attracts locals as well as tourists. I’m always hearing about this and that party at The Standard on the blogs.
Bottom: Charles and Alessandro prepping for the day
Charles took me on a little tour of the hotel, showing me the patio and restaurants.
Artwork on the wallsRight: the view of The High Line from the hotel room
The hotel room had the most incredible view of Hudson and the very cool High Line Park.
The High Line was originally constructed in the 1930s, to lift dangerous freight trains off Manhattan’s streets. Section 1 of the High Line is open as a public park, owned by the City of New York and operated under the jurisdiction of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. Friends of the High Line is the conservancy charged with raising private funds for the park and overseeing its maintenance and operations, pursuant to an agreement with the Parks Department.
When all sections are complete, the High Line will be a mile-and-a-half-long elevated park, running through the West Side neighborhoods of the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. It features an integrated landscape, designed by landscape architects James Corner Field Operations, with architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, combining meandering concrete pathways with naturalistic plantings. Fixed and movable seating, lighting, and special features are also included in the park.
Access points from street level will be located every two to three blocks. Many of these access points will include elevators, and all will include stairs.(source)
Top: another view from the hotel room. Bottom: the large patio
Soon our driver in his black caddy picked us up and it was the beginning of the day’s adventure. The Standard looks so very cool and it’s on my list of hotels to check out in New York.
R 20th Century represents a distinguished group of historical and contemporary designers whose work is among the most innovative and finely crafted of their time.
Zesty Meyers and Evan Snyderman founded R 20th Century in 1997 to realize their combined goal of promoting a closer study, appreciation and preservation of 20th and 21st century design.
R is currently developing exhibitions and publications on the designers it represents — a diverse program that includes work from North America, South America, Europe and Asia produced between 1945 and today.(source)
Evan walked us through the store and talked about some of the artists they represent. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and cute. I was really intrigued by artists Hugo França, Jeff Zimmerman and David Wiseman.
Hugo França creates functional and sculptural work from discarded wood found in Brasil.
Finding wood left behind by deforestation requires constant scouting in the Trancoso, Bahia, area. Finding his way on foot, by donkey or canoe, he relies on the Pataxo Indians, local loggers and on his own knowledge of coastal southern Bahia, which he acquired during the fifteen years he lived there.
As long as the wood has not suffered irreversible damage, all parts of the tree may be utilized. Unearthed roots, trunks and branches are transformed by the artist into one-of-a-kind objects.
Due to the tremendous weight and difficulty in transporting the raw material, the first cuts are executed where the trees are found. And so begins the first signs of tables, benches, chairs and consoles.(source)
Sculptor, David Wiseman attracted my fashion side because of his work with Dior. The second floor ceiling in the Shanghai Dior store features 500 porcelain lily-of-the-valley blossoms handcrafted by David. Bronze, glass and crystal are also incorporated into his work.
David Wiseman
Wiseman, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate who majored in furniture design, started out with work that was often small in scale — porcelain pomegranates, anime-inspired deer hat hangers, resin castings of fallen branches and a series of off-kilter yet delicate faceted vases in bronze, porcelain and crystal. More recently (thanks to an ambitious ceiling installation, completed several years ago, of porcelain cherry blossoms and intertwined plaster branches), Wiseman has focused on larger-scale projects, including limited-edition chandeliers, for a range of clients from residential to retail. He painstakingly slip-casts the porcelain flowers and fruit himself and works closely with Zalman Aronow, a skilled metal worker, on the branches and blossoms for chandeliers, fireplace screens and wall pieces.(source)
Jeff Zimmerman - right: Leaf cluster hanging lamp
Jeff Zimmerman’s handblown glass light fixtures are stunning. Words cannot describe the “Leaf†cluster hanging lamp. It’s just stunning and it should be when it comes in at around $80,000. It’s also made to order.
Jeff Zimmerman leaf cluster hanging lamp
His work evolves and involves idea-based design. His custom work encompasses sculptural chandeliers, lighting environments and glass wall interiors as well as abstract vases and mirrors. Through R 20th Century, Jeff creates site-specific commissions for an exclusive clientele.(source)
Craig Van Den Brulle is the owner of the upscale Craig Van Den Brulle furniture store in the Nolita section of Manhattan, which opened in October 2007. Van Den Brulle has been in the home furnishings industry for over 10 years. In 1997 he opened Capitol Furnishings; the celebrated boutique featuring 20th Century home furnishings and his own “urban classic†designs. Capitol quickly became an essential shopping destination for the city’s most influential architects, interior designers and collectors.
Van Den Brulle has now expanded from the original Capitol Furnishings to a 3,000 square foot flagship store which is just one block away on Elizabeth Street. He is the designer of the VAN DEN BRULLE signature collection, a line of upscale furniture and home essentials inspired by clean lines and modern simplicity.
In addition to selling home furnishings, Craig Van Den Brulle buys modern designer pieces from the 1930’s to the 1980’s. They also have a rental service for the film, television, and magazine industries. To complete this total service shop, Craig Van Den Brulle also does design consulting and custom design work in upholstering, lighting, plating and restoration. Craig Van Den Brulle also has a small line of in house furnishings for sale.
Charles and Alessandro are customers of Craig Van Den Brulle so it wasn’t surprising that the young man remembered them as we walked in. It seems these stores attract cute young men as their employees. I wasn’t complaining.
The store was densely packed with an eclectic mix of 20th century furnishings. It’s one of those stores that you can spend hours in discovering new things. You can find artists like Paul Evans, John Widdicomb, Nils Landberg and de Majo IIluminazione.
The Crosby Street Hotel is an eclectic and quiet place with tucked away patios. During the day it’s cheerful and bright but I could see it being quite romantic in the evenings, especially on the huge back patio.
Top: Back Patio, Bottom: Lobby
CROSBY STREET HOTEL is situated on a quiet cobbled street in the heart of New York’s vibrant SoHo neighbourhood. There are 86 bedrooms and suites over 11 floors. Each has high ceilings and full length windows. Interior design by Kit Kemp reflects a fresh, contemporary style. There is The Crosby Bar, a private leafy garden, guest drawing room, several stylish private event and meeting rooms, a luxurious 99 seat screening room and fully equipped gym(source).
I learned the Crosby also has a state-of-the-art screening room with 99 seats. The setup uses the most advanced technologies with 3D capabilities. Of course there is a Sunday night film club too.
Back Patio
We didn’t see the rooms but I really love the ambiance, decor and layout of this hotel. Photos on the website show floor to ceiling windows in the rooms and some suites that have terraces. I really want to stay here, it’s so lovely.
Todd Merrill is located in a building with beautiful stone carvings. It was another store that was packed to the gills with furnishings.  You always were discovering something new that was missed in this store.
Todd Merrill Antiques features American and European vintage furniture, antiques and lighting from the 1920’s to the 2000’s. Including rare and unique furniture by Paul Evans, Karl Springer, James Mont, Gio Ponti, Adnet, Fornasetti, Venini, Tommi Parzinger, LaVerne, Vladimir Kagan and many more.
Todd Merrill Antiques has opened a new 4000 square foot shop focusing on American and European designer furniture and lighting from the 1920s through the 1980s, at 65 Bleecker Street in New York City. The new showroom is on the ground floor of the Bayard-Condict Building, New York’s only building by esteemed architect Louis Sullivan. The historic landmark space is located at the top of Crosby Street at the intersection of Bleecker Street, and looks directly down into the heart of Soho.(source)
It was at Todd Merrill that I finally began to understand how important Paul Evans is.
Paul Evans (1931 – 1987)
Pennsylvanian Paul Evans studied sculpture and silversmithing at several institutions, including the Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 1951, while working as an artist in residence as a silversmith at the working history museum Sturbridge Village near Springfield, Massachusetts, Evans frequented artisan Phillip Lloyd Powell’s shop in New Hope, PA and asked Powell if he could put a few of his own pieces on display. In 1956 Evans moved permanently to New Hope and his acquaintance with Powell turned into a business and creative partnership.
In the late 1950s Evans began making copper chests with decorative doors, followed by sculpted steel-front cabinets that revealed Evans’ unique way with welding. Evans and Powell had big break when they had a two-man show in 1961 at America House, an exhibition eld at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York, now named the Museum of Arts & Design. In 1964 Evans became the designer for furniture manufacturer Directional. With Directional, Paul Evans introduced his highly collectible editions such as the Argente series, Sculpted Bronze series, and the very popular Cityscape series.
Most Evans pieces were signed, and all of the custom items have a signature and a date. Paul Evans took a unique approach to furniture making, a combination of handcraft wedded to technology that anticipated the limited edition art furniture of today, such as the work of Ron Arad. More particularly, the artist’s relationship with Directional set a unique standard for creative manufacture by insisting every piece is made by hand, finished by hand, supervised by the artist at each step of production, one piece at a time.(source)
I understood that I was seeing his work in many of the stores we visited. I also immediately understood the appeal of his unique metal furniture.
Paul Evan table
Just like Craig Van Der Brulle, Todd Merrill Antiques is a full service shop. They purchase premium designer name furniture from the 1920’s through the 1980’s. Todd Merrill also offers customization and restoration services using their collection of master craftsmen in America on mirror or metal work, lacquering, gilding, wood refinishing and upholstery. Yup, they rent to film and television productions too.
Moss is one part of a space that holds three stores. The other two are Flos and Moroso. This trio of stores were my favourites on this trip.
In 1994, former fashion entrepreneur Murray Moss opened Moss in a small gallery space in Soho, with a determination to transform the public perception of industrial product design. The store quickly became internationally known for its product selection and presentation, with clients ranging from highly informed design professionals, to celebrities, students, and tourists with maps.
The shop grew and evolved — expanding to nearly 7000 square feet in late 1999 when Moss’s partner Franklin Getchell joined the company. Together they expanded the product base to include furniture, especially from Italian manufacturers, lighting, watches and jewelry, books, tabletop and a significantly increased focus on the studio work of the designers we offered(source).
Moss also has a small section of unusual jewellery and watches. It’s just as eclectic as the other offerings in the store. They aim to have more than just home furnishings for sale which attracts a diverse clientele. Moss carries designers like Established & Sons, Tom Dixon and Studio Job. I love the inflated metal stools by Oskar Zieta.
Many of the stores we visited were small and jammed packed with furnishings. Moss felt like a museum. There was lot of space and plenty of things in glass cases. I really liked the sparse white background in the store design. It allowed the bright, crazy pieces stand out on their own.
I had a few mistakes with the video option on the Olympus E-PL1. However, I’ve posted that mistake because it gives you a bit of an idea of the store.
Moroso is another store that makes up my favourite trio with Flos and Moss. This was the first store that had a lot of textiles on display that we visited. The standout fixture was the huge white couch with the large, intricate black and white drawing behind it. The drawing’s historical style contrasts with the modern furnishings around it. It’s really interesting to see how each store is incorporated invisual displays. Items from Moss, Flos and Moroso are together throughout the three separate spaces. That collaborative sales pitch isn’t something I see often and very effective considering the niche placements of each store.
Right: Paper Planes by Doshi Levien
The best way to introduce ourselves? Just telling you what we do. Since 1952 MOROSO has been designing its sofas, armchairs and accessories with wellknown designers such as Ron Arad, Carlo Colombo, Enrico Franzolini, Marc Newson, Toshiyuki Kita and Patricia Urquiola. MOROSO has been constructing its sofas and armchairs aiming at top quality. For its quality, the company was the first producer of upholstered furniture in Italy to receive on 24 June 1994 the ISO 9000 certification for firm management and the ISO 9001 certification for design, production and customer service. (source)
Flos occupies the corner of the shared building with Moss and Moroso. It’s home to some seriously hot looking light fixtures. You can find designers like Philippe Starck, Jasper Morrison and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni here.
Today Flos is an international organization that offers a complete range of residential, commercial and even custom-made lighting products that can be seamlessly integrated in any office, hotel, or store, together with a specifically designed line of informative materials, among which a corporate manual.
Flos contract division assists architects with the know-how it acquired over its forty years of experience not only as a manufacturer, but also as a specialty lighting systems designer for a wide-range of challenging environments, such as museums, stores, and theatres.(source)
Left: Yes, there is a giant lamp in the store. Right: Hooo!!! & Haaa!!! Lamps
The store itself is quite minimal with a few tables. Most pieces are displayed on shelving built into the walls. The standout item in the store is the oversized Kelvin LED lamp design by Antonio Citterio with Toan Nguyen in 2009.
The Hooo!!! & Haaa!!! Lamp By Philippe Starck, Jenny Holzer, Moritz Waldemeyer and Baccarat was incredible. I had gotten used to hearing numbers in the five or six digit range but I still almost hit the ground when the price tag of $126,000 was announced. There are 9 lamps in existence. Hand made Baccarat crystal is the body and custom LED by Moritz Waldemeyer were used. Jenny Holzer provided the text on display. You can’t customize the text, I asked. There is a table top version of the floor lamp for a more reasonable $12,000. You can see more photos of the lamps on Moritz’s website.
I also loved Philippe Starck’s Gun lamp series. I’m weird like that though. Alessandro confessed to me that he owned these lamps and that they were sexy. Ha, I can’t complain with that assessment.
Flos USA – Flagship Store
152 Greene Street
New York
I had to check out the super cute installation by FriendsWithYou at Queen’s Park for Luminato. It was like an acid trip came to life; floating mushroom and pill shaped objects with happy faces.
Magic, luck, and friendship are the qualities that FriendsWithYou, a visual arts collective based in Miami Beach, seek to spread throughout the world. Now, in an unprecedented spectacle created just for Luminato, they invite Toronto to come out and play.
FriendsWithYou turns Toronto into Rainbow City, a delightful explosion of colour and jubilant energy. Led by the Rainbow King, Luminato 2010’s Festival mascot, a host of celestial characters transform Queen’s Park with larger-than-life dimensions of giant totems, bounce houses, and inflatable friends. Meanwhile, emissaries from this magical world fan out across Toronto to spread their universal message.
The trusty Olympus E-PL1 was there to record some video
I wish random installation like this were more common in the city.
Mark Fast returned to Canada to be part of the Luminato festival of Arts and Creativity. He has the honour of presenting in the one of the best installation venues in the city, the Brookfield Place Allen Lambert Galleria. It was two years ago that myself and some friends were part of the Toronto’s Mille Femmes installation during Luminato.
Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity will present a free landmark installation in partnership with Lancôme by London-based Canadian knitwear designer Mark Fast. Commissioned by Lancôme in celebration of their 75th anniversary, The Ascension of Beauty will be presented in Toronto’s Brookfield Place Allen Lambert Galleria throughout the 10-day festival from June 11th to June 20th.
Fast welcomes the challenges of such a largescale project, which will see him outfit architecture in rope sculpture and fashion a dress of lycra, viscose and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. Said Fast, “The knitwear I have created is symbolic of the elegant structure of the rose and I have derived my inspiration from its delicate confidence. Its layers extend off the body emulating the delicate petals held together by the stem. The exhibition will encompass a rope structure that represents the emotion the Lancôme woman evokes. In my mind and my design, she encompasses the whole space and she is an inspiration to all people who behold her.”
The installation was beautiful. It did a great job of using the length of the atrium.
Mark Fast is available at The Room (The Bay Queen Street).
I didn’t know what to expect when I said yes to a smart Expeditions in The Distillery District. The description read as follows:
smart is presenting an urban curated ride & drive that will guide people to discover Toronto’s art/theater/music/culture in rogue areas of the city that they have yet to experience. This ‘never-been-done-before’ experience will feature live art installations, musicians, fire twirlers and additional surprises around every corner. Instead of just educating the city where they can experience this culture, we are going to show it to them LIVE via multiple vignette’s including the Distillery District, parking lots and warehouses – all from behind the wheel of a smart fortwo.
It was a very clever take on the test drive. After filling out some information and checking my driver’s license, I was sitting behind the wheel of a smart fortwo. There was a group of four cars and we followed the lead car on our adventure. We found ourselves driving to different spots around the area where we would stop for entertainment. There was the drive-thru art museum which featured little enclosures you had to drive through. Works from local artists hung on the walls of these enclosures. We then parked in front of an old building. Two parkour trained kids came out and started jumping all over the cars to music. It was pretty fun. We then drove to movie set where jazz, ping pong, fire dancers and drummers entertained us. I know, it’s a weird description so that’s why I took a video with the trusty Olympus E-PL1.
The whole experience was about 30 minutes from start to finish. It’s amazing to see smart create this whole experience for a simple test drive. The smart fortwo is a cute little car that handles nicely. I really hate the review mirror, it’s tiny. I’ve always thought of smart cars as a second car, never as a main car. It’s not practical in my mind but good for city driving. It would make a great second vehicle.
smart Expeditions is setting up locations in different parts of the city for the next few weeks in June if you want to try it yourself. They have appointments during the day and evening. Be sure to check the schedule at smartExpeditions.ca.
There was small group of people to gathered to see the Haider Ackermann Fall 2010 fashion show at the ROM. It was a real treat. 119 Corbo is the exclusive Toronto retailer for Haider Ackermann and they were responsible for bringing him to the city. Holt Renfrew Calgary and Vancouver will carry Haider in the fall.
I wrote about the Haider Ackermann Fall Winter 2010 show during Paris fashion week. This presentation wasn’t the full collection but it was amazing to see the pieces up close. Haider is a master of materials. The draping and architectural details were phenomenal. The collection and music almost brought a tear to my eye. It’s the same emotional reaction that I get when I go to the symphony or opera. I wish I had the access to play and touch the clothing. I’m going to have to befriend Linda Perisa, owner of 119 Corbo.
My photos were completely shit. I still have to learn how to take good low light shots with the Olympus E-PL1. The two shots I’ve posted are not what I intended but I like the result. I didn’t talk to Haider or get a photo with him. It was a bit of a scramble and I just on looked from afar. I love his relaxed style and fantastic boots. Since my photos turned out crap for the most part I’m providing you guys with the full length Paris show on video.
The Diego Suede Studded Bucket Bag by Alexander Wang is my ultimate Spring Summer 2010 Bucket Bag. I was playing with it at Holt Renfrew and fell in lust with this bag. The hardware is beautiful and it’s pretty heavy and solid. I appreciate the masculine qualities of Alexander Wang handbags. My aversion to animal print is slowly being broken down. I love that there is a short and long strap for the bag.
You can purchase this bag at Holt Renfrew or online at shopbop.com.
If you’ve ever wondered how to climb the social ladder with grace, how to feel confident in every situation, or even how to make a lasting impression (but not the kind that lands you on the latest “Worst Dressed Listâ€)—Derek Blasberg is here, with quotes and secrets from all the socialites so girls everywhere can learn how to have class.
This hilarious handbook will provide everything you need to know about fashion, socializing, dating, and etiquette. With tons of practical tips and tools for learning to flaunt what you’ve got, dozens of specific how-tos, common no-nos, and huge blunders that even smart girls make, this tongue-in-cheek book will train you to be a lady, and not a tramp!
The people watching at the party was very interesting. There were a lot of scenester kids around dressed to the nines. I love that. They make fashion fun and I’m glad someone is there to take it seriously because I’m lazy in that regard. I came to the party from the office and had those restrictions. I obsessed over Jeremy Laing’s assistant, Sarah. She was wearing one of the pieces from the Fall Winter 2010 – 2010 collection and it looked stunning on her. She is the only girl I know that can fully rock the orange Prada-esque lipstick.
Suzanne Rogers approached me as I was waiting for Derek to get a photo and say hi. She knew my name (we’ve met once and I’m really sure she didn’t remember) and said she was a fan of I want – I got. Needless to say I was in complete shock. I had no idea I was on the radar of socialites. It was pretty special because I’m a Suzanne Rogers fangirl.
Derek was very sweet. He signed my book and took a photo. He worked the room like no one’s business and spoke to everyone there. It was really amazing to watch. Towards the end of the night, Derek took one of his photo heads and placed it on Jason’s drawing, it was hilarious. It was a fun little event and thanks to The Room for providing copies of Classy for all the attendees. I haven’t read mine yet, but it looks like a fun little book.
I took a day off work and attended the Holt Renfrew Fall 2010 Womenswear preview. It was a chance to see samples of the fall merchandise and learn about upcoming fall trends according to Holt Renfrew.
Fall 2010 Holt Renfrew Women’s Trends
The Masculine Topper
The Reefer
The Fur Trimmed Parka
The Vest
The Masculine Shirt
The Feminine Blouse
The Slim Leg – legging or cigarette; looking newest in prints
The Fuller Pant – masculine, pleated or military influenced
The Shorter Skirt
The Longer Skirt
The Knit Dress
The Long Sleeve Dress
Fall 2010 Holt Renfrew Women’s Accessories Trends
The Oversized Beret
The Knit Hair Band
The Loop Scarf – fur or knit
The Pendant
The Brooch
The Extra Long Belt
The “Stash” Bag
The Iconic Satchel
The Lace-up Boot
The Wedge
The Loafer – high or low heel
The Pointy Toe Pump
New Designers – 6126, Carven, Christ Shearling, Cinzia Rocca, Cosabella, Dylan George, Eight Sixty, Fuzzi, Helen Morely, Hudson Collection, Jane Post, JNBY, Lounge Lover, Marlies Dekkers, Michael Michael Kors, One Teaspoon, Pleasure State, Red Valentino, Son of John, TEXTILE, TwentyCluny, Gareth Pugh, Chloe, Peter Pilotto, Victoria Beckham, Rag & Bone/Jean, Rag & Bone/Shirt, Current Elliot x Marni
New Footwear Designers – Givenchy, Dr. Martens, Rick Owens, UGG Jimmy Choo, Donna Karen, Alexandre Birman, Rachel Comey, La Baccarina, Mou, My Ferragamo, Rosegold
New Jewellery Designers – Givenchy, Jenny Bird, Fruitz, MCL (Matthew Campbell Laurenza), Kate Spade, Brunello Cucinelli, Donna Karen, Fiona Paxton, Lee Angel
New Handbag Designers – Givenchy, Kate Spade, Akris, Carven, Badgley Mishka, Clara Kasavina, Stuart Weitzman
I am super stoked for Givenchy accessories. Shoes, handbags and jewellery oh my! Holt Renfrew will also be carrying my denim obsession, Current Elliot x Marni. It looks even better in person. Rick Owens shoes are coming, I die!!!!
Winston is a cute little dog that I’ve gotten to know recently. I took some great photos of him with the Olympus E-PL1 and I wanted to share. He’s so damn adorable.
I went on the Heineken Behind the Lens Tour which is a guided tour of Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival exhibits. It was a fun way to see more exhibits at the festival in a group setting.
Join us each Saturday afternoon in May for the Heineken Behind the Lens Tour, an exclusive interactive tour of Scotiabank CONTACT. Go behind the scenes with top photographers and other culture mavens as they share curated insights on fascinating photography from an insider’s vantage point. Each tour, located in one of Toronto’s unique neighborhoods, will end at a local watering hole for discussion, snacks and the opportunity to enjoy a cold Heineken.
Barbara Kruger’s Untitled (It)
At this stop in the tour we had one of the curators talk about various aspects of the installation. This piece covered the entire length of the façade. It’s the first time the façade has housed an installation. It’s a combination of words and images using her signature font and stock images chosen from her personal library. It’s slightly ambiguous where you ponder what this “IT” is. You also wonder which words accompany the photos. It looks like advertising, which is deliberate in order to get people thinking. We were told it’s one of the biggest pieces she’s created. We also learned a bit about the installation. It’s vinyl attached to glass and took 10 days to install. Check out this Barbara Kruger Installation Video on the AGO Art Matters blog.
Art Gallery of Ontario
May 1–August 30, 2010 (This goes till August so there is plenty of time to see it)
317 Dundas St W
Toronto
As CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival recognizes the influence of Marshall McLuhan on the 30th anniversary of his death, this biographical exhibition hosted at the University of Toronto’s Art Centre’s art lounge supports the adjoining The Brothel Without Walls exhibition by examining Marshall McLuhan’s life and thought in relation to photography. Utilizing archival material, this exhibit looks at McLuhan’s reflections on the photographic medium, while examining representations of this influential scholar in art and media.(source)
Probing McLuhan was in the lounge area of the University of Toronto’s Art Centre. It felt like a museum display and I didn’t think it was part of Scotiabank CONTACT for some reason. Unfortunately, I didn’t spend much time taking in all the information from it.
The Brothel Without Walls
The Brothel Without Walls was a group exhibition featuring Susan Anderson, Evan Baden, Douglas Coupland, Jessica Dimmock, Marina Gadonneix, Clunie Reid, Stefan Ruiz, Joachim Schmid and Christopher Wahl. It was the most disturbing of all exhibits I’ve been too. It’s a definite must see in my book! There were many photos that produced strong reactions from me. They were wonder or unease.
The exhibition title is derived from McLuhan who in 1964 wrote of the photograph as “The Brothel without Wallsâ€. McLuhan described photographs as “dreams that money can buy†which could be “hugged and thumbed more easily than public prostitutes.†Co-curators, UTAC’s Matt Brower and Scotiabank CONTACT’s Artistic Director, Bonnie Rubenstein have brought together 9 Canadian and international photographers whose works give form to McLuhan’s concepts helping us to grasp the cultural role of photography, not in isolation, but in relation to our general media culture, and more specifically television and the internet.(source)
Evan Baden’s Technically Intimate series of photographs is a look at teens and internet pornography. Evan recreated the scenes of young women making taking photos and using webcams to show them having sex or showing off their boxes. The room settings in the photos clearly evoke the world of a young teen girl with lots of pink, stuff animals and posters of Britney Spears.
Susan Anderson photographs child beauty pageants in the U.S. This exhibit featured images of young pageant girls that were taken before or after the competition. The photos included the ages of the models. It was very disturbing and creepy looking at these doll-like children. They didn’t seem human. Well, that’s not completely true, the girls that looked clearly pissed off looked human. That was about the only amusing thing about the photos.I don’t understand the obsession with pink frosted lipstick and these kids. All the clothing was sequined and blingly to the hilt. My sense of general unease for the photos increased when I discovered that the girls were not posed by Susan. They chose the poses themselves.
Jessica Dimmock’s brilliant series of photos turns the camera on the Paparazzi. She makes the hunters the hunted and documents their strange habits and relentless stalking. I love that each photos includes the name of the actors each paparazzi was stalking when the photo was taken.
Stefan Ruiz’s Factory of Dreams is a series of photographs taken at the Televisa Studios in Mexico City. This is where many Spanish language soap operas are created. This series takes a look at the show Amarte es mi pecado (Loving you is my sin). The photos are fascinating. I’ve never seen a television studio and didn’t realize the scale and complexity of it all.
University of Toronto Art Centre
May 1–31, 2010
15 King’s College Circle, Main floor of Laidlaw Wing
Toronto Creative Commons
Guillaume Cailleau’s Creative Commons grouped a bunch of television sets together in the Spirit House at the ROM. The TVs displayed flickr rotating images of the ROM from a small group of amateur photographers with photos licensed with the Creative Commons. That allows someone to share, copy, distribute and transmit the images. Each television focused on a specific aspect of the ROM like the exterior, a dome ceiling or a window. The users were given credit for the contribution. This exhibit immediately made wonder if any of my photos were used.
Royal Ontario Museum – Spirit House (No charge to see the exhibit)
May 1–31, 2010
100 Queen’s Park
Toronto
The trip ended up at Hemmingway’s in Yorkville for some cold Heineken.
There is still two weekends to go before the end of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. Plenty of time to get out and see some art.
Disclosure: This one is a series of posts about the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. The organizers have asked me to share my experiences at the exhibits with you and get the word out about this event in exchange for fee. The Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival runs from May 1 – 31, 2010
CONTACT is an annual month long festival of photography with over 1000 local, national and international artists at more than 200 venues across the Greater Toronto Area in May. Founded as a not-for-profit organization 14 years ago, CONTACT is devoted to celebrating, and fostering an appreciation of the art and profession of photography. As the largest photography event in the world, and a premiere cultural event in Toronto, CONTACT stimulates excitement and discussion among a diverse audience that has grown to over 1.5 million and is focused on cultivating even greater interest and participation this year.(source)
The Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival exhibit by Hermann & Audrey is held in The Baitshop and I’m obsessed with it. There is a huge skateboarding ramp as soon as you walk in. The ceilings are high with exposed beams, ductwork and brick. The Baitshop makes me want to throw a party or an event. The space is just that inviting.
The exhibit features photographers Steve Carty, Javier Lovera, Stefania Sgambelluri, Jalani Morgan and Cory Vanderploeg. These photographers will collaboration with artists Skam, Jon Todd, Derooted’s Simon Rojas, Smakstudio’s Scott McIntyre and Kimmy Yun to create 40 pieces challenging Marshall McLuhan’s theory of Hot and Cold media.
In Understanding Media, Marshall McLuhan defined photography as a ‘hot’ medium, characterized by single sense stimulation with a high degree of data. According to McLuhan, absorption of the ‘hot’ message requires minimal involvement on the part of the viewer. ‘Cold’ mediums, by contrast, are low in data because little visual information is provided, thus putting the user in a more active role of filling in the gaps. Hermann & Audrey’s exhibition reacts against McLuhan’s principles by demanding viewer involvement in the process; suggesting that the consumption of still images can be ‘cold’.
There was an interactive element to many of the pieces in the exhibit and some even required active physical participation. Other pieces are fusions of other art forms with photography. The result is an ubercool collection featuring urban street culture influences like skateboarding, graffiti and music.
In addition to the exhibit, there is a Live Art-Making & Expert Speaker Panel on Thursday, May 13, 7PM at The Baitshop Gallery.
Community Art Project. A night of creation and exploration, festival-goers and the community are invited to participate in the production of a large-scale communal art project. Directed by the artists, participants will be given the tools to collaborate and contribute to the making of a innovative art piece. Back inside, an expert panel of photographers, art directors and brand strategists discuss today’s photographic landscape focusing on when does art end and commercial begin.
The exhibit is open to the public and it runs from May 6–31, 2010
Thurs – Fri 4 – 9pm
Sat 12 – 9pm
Sun 12 – 5pm
or by appt.
Disclosure: This one is a series of posts about the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. The organizers have asked me to share my experiences at the exhibits with you and get the word out about this event in exchange for fee. The Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival runs from May 1 – 31, 2010
CONTACT is an annual month long festival of photography with over 1000 local, national and international artists at more than 200 venues across the Greater Toronto Area in May. Founded as a not-for-profit organization 14 years ago, CONTACT is devoted to celebrating, and fostering an appreciation of the art and profession of photography. As the largest photography event in the world, and a premiere cultural event in Toronto, CONTACT stimulates excitement and discussion among a diverse audience that has grown to over 1.5 million and is focused on cultivating even greater interest and participation this year.(source)
There was small group of people to gathered to see the 
.
Barbara Kruger’s Untitled (It)
Probing McLuhan
