All posts tagged: Toronto

I want – I got visits CBC’s In the Kitchen with Stefano Faita

You don’t say no to the photographer that put you on the webpages of Women’s Wear Daily. So when the lovely James Teen offered me a tiny bit of Kitchen TV stardom I said yes, yes and yes. The show James works on is called CBC’s In the Kitchen with Stefano Faita. You may have seen it. Me, I never heard of it before. I didn’t even bother to Google it after I accepted. I went on my merry little way until a friend mentioned that Stefano, the host was pretty hot. Not going to lie, I hit up Google immediately after that nugget of information. Ha. The episode was called Stefano’s Restaurant-Style Dishes and it originally aired on November 6, 2012. I heard through twitter about it, ha. Ha ha. I just got informed that my appearance on @cbcinthekitchen is on TV right now!!! — Anita (@geekigirl) November 6, 2012 @geekigirl nice work! It was great to have you on our show and you can watch the episodelater here: ow.ly/f4JqC #iksf — In The …

i want: Peplum Moto Jacket by Sacai

I got to touch the Sacai Peplum Moto Jacket in person at Holt Renfrew the other day. It’s so beautiful. I love Chitose Abe’s take on the moto jacket with the addition of the peplum back and the choice blue striped fabric. It’s available online at Barney’s and also available in Khaki Green. images: lyst.com

Shan Swimwear 2013 Preview

Did you know that some of the world’s best luxury swimwear is made in Canada? Montreal based Shan was started by Chantal Levesque in 1985. The brand is now carried in over 500 stores across 25 countries including Harrod’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. Shan is found in some of the world’s most luxurious hotels like Sandylane in Barbados and the Wynn in Las Vegas. Toronto has its own standalone Shan store in Yorkville as well as Miami, Montreal, Laval and St. Sauveur. Shan takes pride in it’s Laval based production and state of the art facilities. Everything is hand sewn by staff that have been trained for many years learning the Shan standard of quality. The Shan customer is someone who is looking for quality in workmanship and materials. Chantal’s hard work has paid off and she received the Designer of the Year,2011 award by the International Mode City Show in Paris. The Quebec Chamber of Commerce also recognized her contributions and she received the Mercuriades Award in 2012. Chantel and her Vice President, Jean-François …

Take My Picture by Garage Magazine

Street Style photography and blogs really pushed buttons this season with Suzy Menkes’ going off about in her article “The Circus of Fashion” . I had my own opinions that didn’t agree with hers and I felt that all the bloggers she called out in the piece worked damn hard and are the exceptions to the rule. Dasha Zhukova’s Garage Magazine examines the phenomenon with a story documentary called Take My Picture. It’s quite interesting and definitely worth the 10 minutes.

Kara Ross Spring Summer 2013 Preview

Kara Ross is Queen of the exotic skins. This award winning designer is known for her luxury clutches made of out of a colourful assortment of skins like lizard, python, alligator and ostrich finished with a clasped made from coloured stones. Kara is a certified GIA gemologist and she puts that experience into her handbag and jewellery designs. To compliment the skins, Kara uses mother-of-pearl, labradorite, black onyx, rock crystal and hematite gemstones. Kara by Kara Ross jewellery uses alternative materials like jet, marcasite, lava, wood and chalcedony to create her statement making jewellery in addition to traditional materials like resin, crystal, Malachite, Lapis, Tiger’s Eye, Amethyst, Turquoise and Onyx. I attended a preview of the Spring Summer 2013 Kara Ross Handbags and Kara by Kara Ross Jewellery. It was the first time I got a look at the product in person and I’m such a fan of the handbags. I love the Art Deco inspiration in the shape and the clasp design. The skins are so unique and colourful with all kinds of colour …

Zara.com Now Shipping to Canada or I’ll Never Step Foot into a Zara Store Again

It’s absolute genius at how Zara can make every single piece of clothing look desirable on their newly launched Canadian ecommerce site. I’m floored. Zara is my favourite of the fast fashion shops but nothing ever looks this good in the store. That’s right folks, you can get Zara shipped to your door anywhere in Canada starting March 6, 2013. To celebrate the launch Zara blanketed the city with $150 gift card according to all the tweets and Instagram post I saw last week. I too received this lovely gift which allowed the recipient to shop at Zara.com ahead of the national launch on March 6th. Zara does everything right when it comes to a great online experience. My key indicators are as follows: Easy to Navigate – Must have a simple, intuitive menu system No animation or auto playing music Simple, uncluttered interface with lots of white space Multiple large, high resolution photos of the item from many angles including a detail shot On figure and off figure images Fabric description and composition Item …

Le Cercle Montparnasse - The Spoke Club - Wednesday, Mar 6 2013

Chatting with I want – I got at The Spoke Club and Soho House

March is the month of panel discussions for me, I have two. Unfortunately, they are a private member clubs but if you are a member of either establishment bring some non member friends and come out. UPDATE: I’ve added start times 🙂 Le Cercle Montparnasse – Wednesday, Mar 6 2013 at 8pm Inspired by the dynamic conversations between artists in the early 20th century Paris that were the catalyst for over 100 years of creativity, this inaugural event features our Cultural Curator Raji Aujla as she sits in conversation with some of Toronto’s most loved online fashion writers, Anita Clarke, Hannah Yakobi, Jen McNeely and Sharad Mohan. Spoke Club 600 King Street West Toronto If you are a member of The Spoke club you can rsvp for this event on the Spoke Club website. Soho House Toronto – March 12, 2013 at 7pm A cross section of current cultural contributors encouraging commentary on the cultivation of contemporary Canadian creativity. Examining commanding culture and technology, this first evening convenes with pop culture and fashion expert Elio …

Kania Spring Summer 2013

Kania Spring Summer 2013 Lookbook

I enjoyed opening the Kania Spring Summer 2013 lookbook, the images are beautiful. Kania is the brainchild of Ottawa based Stacey Bafi-Yeboa. She is a former Broadway dancer and that experience heavily influences her designs. Kania is designed and manufactured in Canada. The Spring Summer 2013 Kania collection is called Tropical Luxuriance. Stacey brought in Tanzanian model, Herieth Paul who moved to Ottawa when she was 14. Welcome to a world where fashion meets dance and where fantasy is reality. A private island where you can escape the ordinary and be submersed in luxury. Steamy nights and hot summer days rule your world. You’ll sense the relaxed beauty of the Caribbean and be transformed into the glamour of an African queen. As you step into paradise you’re ready to let go, to let loose, to be noticed, to be free. Is it a dream? No … you’ve just entered the island of KANIA… get ready to experience…TROPICAL LUXURIANCE(source: press release) Stacey’s dance background is evident in the clothing. Everything is sexy but comfortable looking. Stacey …

Chatting with Dorothy Vogel at the Reel Artists Film Festival Opening Night

I didn’t realize I would be meeting an art world superstar on Thursday but I found myself sitting across for Dorthoy Vogal talking about art, booze and Downton Abbey. It was the Opening Night party for the Reel Artists Film Festival. The 10th-annual Reel Artists Film Festival presents a selection of international feature-length and short documentaries that address challenges and questions raised by artists both in front of and behind the camera. Through these films, subjects are revealed, experimental processes unfold, and events are staged. With these three categories in mind—subject, process, event—RAFF handpicked works by artists who play with the idea of documentary and show how cross-disciplinary connections can revitalize the medium, reigniting its creative potential.(source: press release) Opening night was a real treat as the Real Artist Film Festival brought Megumi Sasaki and Dorothy Vogel to celebrate 10 years of the festival and their new movie Herb & Dorothy 50×50. Megumi Sasaki’s Herb & Dorothy premiered at the Real Artist Film Festival in 2009. It documented the lives of Herb and Dorothy Vogel …