Oh Haiiiiiiiii Opening Ceremony Fall 2010

Opening Ceremony's Fall 2010 book is out and all I've got to say is: why you got to do this to me? Tati Cotliar - my fave model of the mo - is jumping around in the most exceedingly covetable pieces I have ever seen (since this morning at least) like she don't give a flying hoot that the rest of us mere humans can't even see them in the flesh (or, cotton) for a few months! Waving those silver platform booties in my face and then telling me I can't have them until at leaaaaast July (at which point I will invariably huff and puff about spending so much cash that I potentially miss my chance to actually purchase them in my size...) seems particularly cruel, Humberto.

Until I get my greasy paws on these puppies (eww), I spose the best I can do is stare/dream/pick my faves with a pink arrow/re-post them unoriginally/die inside.

Can We Hang Out With You, Jeremy Laing?

Jeremy Laing is a pretty serious designer. Seriously amazing is one thing of course, but he's also introspective where needed, to the point and non dependent on affected awkwardness, uber-hipster tendencies or the word 'like' (he's got me there, that's for sure). Still one of the only internationally acclaimed still-based-in-Canada designers, the wonder boy was ahead of me by a few years at fashion school in Toronto and people were still talking about him. His impeccable tailoring ability, his sleek geometric aesthetic, and most of all his quiet ability to get attention.

These days, I'm still fawning over Jeremy. At parties I'm always awkwardly waving like "remember me? please?" Thankfully, he ignored my lameness for long enough to talk to me about his latest collection, growing up wanting to be an artist and his favourite bands at Coachella. Enjoy!

Your fall collection was definitely one of my faves so far - but I thought it was quite a divergence for you, with all the fur and textile use and what not. Do you agree? Did you do it intentionally? I think it was an evolution, certainly, and on purpose, but not divergence. A lot of the shapes and construction methods are variations of pattern-making techniques I've been developing season after season. We did use more fabrics, and more prints, in order to create a rich and layered palette, and in terms of new categories we added both fur and knitwear, as well as a range of tees, all of which have been performing really well.

If you had to pick your top three influences for yourself as a designer, what would they be?

method, material, and make.

Did you always want to be a designer or do you look back and kinda go, what the hell? I always wanted to be an artist, in the loosest sense, to have ideas and to manifest them. For a while I wanted to own an antique store, which would still be fun, but would probably be more of an early mid-century design shop.

Frank (Jeremy's partner) tells me you guys were just in LA, I went a few times last year after having no interest and now I'm totally hooked! What did you think? Was it the first time? I loved LA, and found a lot of parallels to life in Toronto. I liked how different the neighbourhoods are, how close you are to "environment" be it beach or hills. I could definitely see myself living there, though I would have to learn to drive.

You documented a little bit of your LA experience for Vogue.com and included in that journal is a bit about Coachella. What did you like best about the festival? I love The Gossip, Fever Ray, The Specials, Grizzly Bear and my friend Owen Pallett's show. It was my first time at a multi-day festival and I found it both fun and exhausting. The crowd was huge and freaked me out at times, but the chance to see so many great shows made it worth while. I loved the landscape around Indio, where the festival takes place, and the Palm Desert where we stayed. The burnt brush, wind farms, and the weird oasis of country club golf courses in the middle of the barren mountains were amazing sights.

What's your favourite city you've ever been to? Where have you not gone that you want to go to? Growing up I always fantasized about Paris, and I do love it still, though it's become a place to go for work, not leisure. I sort of grew up in western Europe, so I've seen most of it, but haven't been very far East. I'd love to go to Morocco, Shanghai, Tibet.

If you could live in any period - when would it be? Now seems just fine to me!

Are you ever jealous that you can't wear your own designs? Ever thought about designing for men? All the time! I'd love for there to be something in all this for me! I
get pestered all the time about doing some Mens, and someday I will, for sure.

Who are you favourite designers for men and/or women? Past or present.
I love Dries and Rei, both for their singular vision and the way they run their businesses. I love Balenciaga and Vionnet, M. and Mme. respectively, for their mastery of skill and resulting innovations in construction. I love Westwood for her history of forging her own path. I love Jil and Helmut for their rigor.

You are a famously Canadian designer, choosing to show in New York but never to move. Is it that you love Canada or are you just more comfortable at home? A bit of all of the above. It would take an overwhelming change in circumstances to move my business anywhere, but even then I might stay. I do love Canada.

What/where do you love about Toronto?

The food, the island, the art and indie music scene.

What are most looking forward to for summer? Cottage visits, Taco parties on Toronto Island, working on my Spring collection, riding my bike...

Can you describe your style without using phrases like boho chic,
old Hollywood glamour or anything with a twist? My clothes are for women who don't need ruffles and bows to feel pretty.

*Profile picture by Max Abadian. Collection shots by Thomas Kletecka/Collective Edit

Oh, the crazy things imprisoned Club Kids say....

"As far as I know, there isn't really a nightlife. There's sort of a skeleton of what was

there but nothing substantial, nothing to be proud of. I read in a few magazines every

once in a while about something happening in Williamsburg or whatever,

but nothing seems to last very long"

-Michael Alig on the current state of nightlife in New York

to Christopher Bollen in the April issue of Interview.

And just in case you forgot who the Club Kids were, see what happens

when crazy meets crazy on the Joan Rivers Show!

Reading Rainbow: Grace Kelly Style

Everything has been coming up All American lately, and while the resurgence of some fashion icons begs the question "Where have you been?" or even worse "Who are you?", the resurgence of Grace Kelly more appropriately begs the question, "Wait, did you ever leave?" Us Postmodern fashion-inhalers have gotten so addicted to trolling for new inspirations, never satisfied enough to admit, "Yes, she was perfect. That's how we all should look forever and ever" that we kind of skip over the basics of glamazon 101, a course which begins and ends with the kind of style embodied by Grace Kelly.

The lovely folks over at Abrams sent me a copy of the new book Grace Kelly Style, which accompanies the current exhibit at the V&A in London, Grace Kelly, Style Icon which is on until September 26th. Split into the three public phases of Miss Kelly's legendary life, the book profile's Grace's style from her explosion onto the screen as a Hollywood star to her fairytale marriage to Prince Ranier of Morocco to her eventual role as Princess of Morocco. Ranging from her calm and cool tucked sportswear and circular Ray Bans by day to her stunning columnar on set dresses (my absolute fave of which being the dress she gets rip roaring drunk in with Bing Crosby and then Frank Sinatra in High Society, designed by costumer Helen Rose) to her opulent and stately royal gowns - Grace's clothes are always flawless, serene, otherworldly. At the very least, flipping through the pages of Grace Kelly Style should be a reminder of the pinnacle of glamour. At the very most, Grace brings us one step closer to fashion being considered a religion.

Talent Scout: Speech by Michael Mercanti Pt. 2

Can I still call myself a Talent Scout if just about everyone who knows what's up already knows that my scout-ee is an amazingly cool designer who makes some of the raddest, most unaffectedly punk looking jewelery? Mock me all you want, dear readers, because I'm bringing you up to speed once more on the amazingness that you probably already know as Michael Mercanti and his rad ass line of necklaces and rings, Speech.

His latest collection, entitled 'Lost Paradise' is what happens when Jesus meets Keith... religious iconography like the cross and the crown of thorns, that's been roughed up like mad and then molded in silver and slapped on chain. While the results are not what Grandma (well, definitely not my Buby, that's for sure) ordered, they are most certainly what every guy and gal this side of the PBR machine is going to want to wear night after night, for the rest of their late night existences.

Happy Psychedelic Birthday to Me!

I've been feeling really psychedelic lately. I've been listening to The Doors and Jefferson Airplane on repeat and been reading Tom Wolfe's Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. I also just about picked up and moved to California (circa 1969) when I went to see When You're Strange, the new documentary about The Doors.

It was only fitting, then, that my 25th birthday party was hippie themed, which it totes was! My lovely friend Sarah (you might remember her from 'The Future of Fashion as We See It'... or basically everywhere if you live in Toronto) not only played host, but made me a tie-dye cake and took some real cool photos, some of which are below (mine are the shitty camera ones... ) We boogied to some records, breathed some nagchampa and all got into bed with each other at 4am to watch Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Wish you were there? Me too.

Utrasuede: In Search of Halston

Praise the lord (and/or the filmmaker, Whitney Smith) because the tradge that is the current state of Halston affairs can finally take a break from front and center ridiculousness and we can actually talk about about the true genius, the original fashion messiah that was Roy Halston Frowick.

Utrasuede: In Search of Halston is the new documentary about the legendary designer that opened last night at Tribeca and it looks goddamn amazing. Anjelica, Liza, ALT, Bob Colacello and the like all share tidbits about the golden boy, the golden scene and no doubt the golden crowd that was like a virtual social-explosion off of the kind pictures like the one above. And while we're on it, can we just talk about this amazingness for a second? I always love these 'the who's who' group shots and this one to me is like a School of Venice of glamazons (save for the absence of Bianca or Grace) - Pat Cleveland, Anjelica Huston, and is that a pre-Rocky Horror Susan Sarandon in the back? Jesus.

The scene surrounding Halston, or more importantly, Studio 54, is the kind you (or me, furiously, between the ages of 19 and 22) can only dream about. Bianca and then Jerry, the Dupont Twins, Liza, Baryshnikov... makes me CRAZY!

Starstruck!

Sam here, and I've got something to share: today I had to repeatedly tell myself not to stare awkwardly as I was debating whether or not the girl in front of me, with golden locks and thick-black-rimmed circular glasses, was the artist, Aurel Schmidt. After waiting for the L-Train for a good ten minutes I came to the conclusion it was. Schmidt is one of my favorite artists, and therefore obviously is Canadian. She is 27 year old and back two years ago or so was written up in Interview in a piece about up and coming young New York artists. Flash to 2010 and Schmidt is currently showing at the Whitney Biennial, which will be up till May 30th. She is best known for psychedelic yet delicate illustrations of cigarette buds, condoms and surreal monster-like faces. In addition to all of this awesomeness, she just came out with a t-shirt line for Opening Ceremony with her illustrations and was on the cover of the November issue of Tokion with a giant banana covering her boobs (She's done some quirky banana smiley face drawings, hence the banana).

All in all Schmidt is adorable and I am still slightly overly excited that I saw her on the train- intermittently gazing up from the Vice: fashion issue I stole today.

Art Attack: I Pilfer Because I Love...

There I was, in February of 2009, ('Picture it... Sicily') so confident that I'd never simply re-post the work of others. Here I am, in April of 2010, pilfering the crazy amazing artwork of my friends. My excuse? Can't help it I spose... I, dear readers, am an creativity clepto. While at the height of my stealing spree... here are some of the coolest works I've rounded up...

Amazing fashion collages from my new online friend, Mon Agenda de Mode.

Like DIY + Dada all at the same time! Bravo!

My friend (and header illustrator!!!) Lauren Tamaki made this Movie Map for an assignment. She mapped out all of the movies she'd ever watched - graphed their emotional effect - and made it look amaze all at the same time! Sheesh!

Tis all, folks! Stolen. Posted. Done.

Reading Rainbow: Just Kids

The one thing I hate about reading a good book is that I seem to zoom through the lines and pages until the words basically slip through my fingers. Page 100, page 200 and then oh, shit... the void. This is the kind of experience I had while reading Patti Smith's recently released memoir of her life with photo god and unfortunate 80s-death-by-AIDS poster boy, Robert Mapplethorpe. While their relationship, first as lovers and then as friends, spanned almost three decades, Patti focuses largely on their first years together, when the two, mythical in their own right, waded the waters of the legendary New York scene in the late 60's and early 70's. 'Elders' like Andy, Holly, Lou and Bob weave in and out of the plot, catapulting the two into the big time.

I love that Patti shares the early years so candidly, that the two had nothing but each other, that they were so broke they could barely eat but managed on dreams alone. It's as if she's coaxing creativity, right? That after years of working in a creative field that's certainly not even close to as simple as 1-2-3, passion and undeniable talent really do get you somewhere! (It might not be the Chelsea Hotel, but it may just be Brooklyn, if you're lucky)

In honour of the volumes of work that the two produced together, check out some of my favourite Patti by Robert portraits below! No doubt you'll recognize some of her classic album covers (Horses, Wave etc), but knowing that these came out of the loving gaze of a friend is even better.

WWOD: 2010 Census

I know, I've been the worst blog contributor ever. It's been months since I've said anything and now I'm back and, uh, complaining? Sorry guys - it's Robin, and I'm here now, and I'm going to try real hard and make it up to you!

Not only have I been missing from the blog, but so has our favorite man of power - Obama! Despite what all of nasty those critics say, we still think Obams is tops and has done a stellar job thus far in his presidency. That being said, we're going to revisit one of our very neglected sections and ask everyone's favorite rhetorical, not-so-politically themed question, What Would Obama Do?

On Tuesday, April 13^th NPR (that’s National Public Radio for your Canadians) ran a story that I was a bit grossed out by it. Truth be told, I think Obams would feel the same.

If you listen to the piece – which I would recommend – you’ll find that it discusses how low the return rates are for the U.S. census specifically in large cities like New York, specifically in everyone’s favorite hipster enclave to make fun of and then frequent on the weekend, Williamsburg.

Now being a Greenpointer myself and therefore a nearby northern neighbor, I suppose I shouldn’t make too much fun of the 'Berg and for the most part I don’t. But here’s the thing, and listening to the NPR clip will really get you going with this one, the return rate for the U.S. Census in Willamsburg is 30%. If it’s been a while since your last math lesson, then I’ll have you know that that means that 70% of people in Williamsburg have not submitted their Census (Censei?) forms.

Being someone who likes to fill out forms (either I’m super anal about being organized or just so narcissistic that I enjoy answering questions about myself) I filled out this form in the first five minutes that my second level apartment received it. When I stopped to confirm with my roommate that she had no Hispanic origins, she requested I fib a bit and say that she did. On the census? No! was my answer. This is the census! If there’s one thing we’re not going to lie on, it’s the Census.

I’ll let the NPR story give you the rest of the info. Sure, they only talk to a few folks, and sure – a large percentage of Williamsburg’s population is made up of Hasidic Jews who are just as much to blame for not filling out their Census forms. The thing is, I’m not sure why the people of Willliamsburg – or anywhere, for that matter – can’t just fill out a quick form, pure and simple. Or really, if you’d rather, I’ll do it for you.

In this case, we hardly need to even ask "What Would Obama Do?" because the guy is the one who's asking practically asking you to fill out the form. But that's not the point. The point is that he would fill out the Census without even thinking about it because it's his civil duty, and it's just what you do.

So come on guys, do the damn thing and fill out that census!

Shameless Self Promo... NOW Magazine likes My Style!

Check me out, y'all! I'm in this week's Style section of the Toronto-based weekly newspaper, NOW Magazine! Thanks to my friend Stefania Yarhi, who's got her own awesome blog, TextStyles, I'm looking like a bright and shiny new penny! Yay!

What's that? You want to see the whole feature? Here ya go!
http://www.nowtoronto.com/daily/story.cfm?content=174507

How To Dress Like: Isabella Blow

With Gaga-mania at a fever pitch, it's hard for self referential fashion folk to remember that the highbrow whack-job look was actually patented and paraded by another of the industry's most unattractive leaders, Isabella Blow. The Tatler editor who was equally famous for discovering the likes of Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl, and her penchant for wiry, larger than life headpieces drank her way through a bottle of weed killer in 2007. The way I see it, the fascination with hats was simple enough, she didn’t think she was pretty and I guess if we were all as clever as she, there would be no need for botox – just shrouds, veils, poofs and dye.




Let's attempt to break down some of her most notorious photographed and front-row looks (ed's note: I saw her Chinese garden McQueen hat at the MET during the blogmode exhibit last year and I have to say, it's pretty near an original Da Vinci in my books):

1. Dress pretty normal from neck down. Drop a pretty penny though. Choose something tailored, slightly tight-ass schoolmarm, and most likely McQueen.

2. Look to your left. Grab the first object you see and put it on your head. A plate is fine, a mug would be better. A pack of cigs... even better.

3. If that don't feel hardcore enough for you, go searching for a plant or a live animal (a lobster preferably, as long as it's not slaughtered near Snookie).

This is actually a pretty historically relevant so extra points for you! (aristocratic women in the late 1890's - early 1900's wore full animals on top of their hats, raccoons, birds, rodents... oy vey!)

4. Tulle, chicken wire, or bubble wrap handy? Perfect veil material...

5. We're almost done, but let's not forget the finishing touches... know an up and coming totally brill artist-cum-designer, designer-cum-artist, rich boy-turned-rebel or rebel-turned poor boy?

Introduce them to your high flying life by bringing them to the castle of your friend, the Duchess.

6. Finally, stay away from pills and pesticides... we can't afford to lose another of fashion's greatest visionary whack jobs.

Down the Rabbit Hole

Were you guys a little disappointed by Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland? Is it just me or were expecting a whole lotta trippy and what you got was a messagy CGI children's story that kind of hurt your eyes? Regardless of how you felt about the flick, these recently discovered (to me at least) old-as-shit versions of the classic tale are goddamn amazingly eerie and unexpected... far from the cries of the techno studios, that's for sure. Enjoy!

Toronto Fashion Week, The Rest of It... Kinda

The rest of Fashion Week was sort of more about which shows I didn't go to, rather than the ones that I did, which was partly due to my intentional skipping out on the 'tents' and partly because of ill-Jewish-Holiday-timing (note to the organizers: Passover is kind of, like, a big deal...) Anyways, aside from my totally AMAZE recap for Interview, here's the only thing I cared about (or rather, feel like talking about right at this moment...)

Last Friday night, co-owners of the amazing Toronto boutique, Carte Blanche, Tania Martins and Dan Augustino both debuted their Fall 2010 in-house collections in videos at a throwdown free-booze party which looked more like an abandoned factory but in actuality was a condo showroom.

Pink Cobra's Fall collection was business as usual for Tania, as her eye (and hand) for ultra covetable LBDs and sexxxed up see-through oversized shirts was just as sharp as ever. Tania debuted her collection in the creepy yet sexy video 'Maneater' (directed by Derek Blais and Carly Bangs), where a model with the uncanny likeness to Tania herself chows down on what we are lead to believe is a human carcass. Eww. Ooh!

Together with partner Corey Gibbs, Dan's debut Cult de Laissez Faire for Fall was just what every toughed out whisky drinkin SOB (buying in 2010, mind you) could ask for. Low-crotched, bagged and black seperates that recalled Mohammed Ali and Alex Wang just the same. The video was like the 2010 version of those old Frankie Goes to Hollywood t-shirts (you know, Frankie says RELAX1) in hyper-speedy and hollogrammed form.

Katie Girl of the Month: Melanie Somerset

Almost four months into 2010, we've got our first Katie Girl of the Month! Not to say there haven't been plenty o' cute friends worthy of the honour, I've been too busy being entertained by my friend Melanie Somerset.


Shopgirl by day and poseur/beer-chugger extraordinaire by night, Mel is one of the most hilariously entertaining gals in Toronto who never misses the chance to break out a couture pose, inappropriate joke or ripped tights (like actually though... Mel is the kinda gal that makes it hard to not name every Facebook album she's in 'The Mel Show') She also doesn't balk when I compare her to Margaret Cho just because she's funny and Asian. I stalked Mel for a while today on Facebook (obvi!) and these are some of my fave shots...

Welcome to Commercial Tripsville!

Thanks to NOWNESS and Youtube's Recommended Videos, I was treated to these little slices of commercial tripsville. There have been many artist-meets-ad campaigns in the past, especially with Dali (just type his name into Youtube's search bar... the results are endless) but these are my two particular faves of today... partly because of how ridic the guy looks on the Fellini train and partly because I am hoping that Lanvin chocolate is secretly connected to Jeanne... Enjoy!

The Future of Fashion as We See It

As I'm sure you noticed, I got a little lazy blogwise over the Euro Fall Fashion Weeks and as it turns out, so did my friend Sarah (aka. Sarah Nicole Prickett, babe of the century and seriously talented Toronto-based writer... check her out!) We got to talking one night about our love/hate for the return of simple dressing, our penchant for bright lips and of course, all those pesky Pugh for McQueen and Elbaz for Chanel rumours.

So, like any proactive and opinionated fashion writers, we decided for the future-good of all, who we think should really be at the helm of taking over these two houses... while we were at it, we planned the future of Maison Martin Margiela and resurrected our favourite legacies, Elsa Schiaparelli and Paul Poiret.

We disagreed on most, both seem to love Holly Fulton, writing in chart form, and doing blog posts by hand at Starbucks.

Here's how we weighed it out...

Toronto Fashion Week One and a Half

Fashion Week in Toronto is one helluva disjointed thing this season, with designers showing over the course of three weeks and 'official' (read: shitty for the most part) LG Fashion Week happening over a few days next week. Here are a few things to write home about so far:

Philip Sparks kicked it all off with a brilliant Moby Dick themed presentation. Brawned-up babes posed alongside an indoor loading dock-like structure of wooden carts, ladders and rope in everything from navy double breasted peacoats to simple sweaters. I'm assuming models weren't supposed to look at you... so obviously that was my mission of the night. That, and sipping on pink gin with berries.

Nada Shepherd launched her Fall collection Avatar style last Tuesday with fashion's first 3D film. The fembot themed work-in-progress burned my eyes real bad and the overwrought video game references were well, overwrought... but I've gotta say that heading to IMAX to see a fashion show was quite thrilling to say the least.


Greta Constantine's Friday night show went kinda like this: "let's get drunk and look at cars and then sit down for a while and watch some clothes". Held at the downtown Audi dealership that YOU CANNOT FIND FOR THE LIFE OF YOU, the Sin City inspired show of about a thousand jersey dresses and babealicious fur-leather getups for gals and zippered punk jackets for gals was a little derivative (ahem, Alex Wang Fall 2009, anyone?) but hella sexy and fun nonetheless.

ps. I stole Greta Constantine images off www.lostinthewilderness.com

Talent Scout: KRUHX

Y'all know how much I love a creative collaboration, and so when I heard about KRUHX, the visual art group who work on conceptual and actually non-clothing-centric photoshoots, I was all over it! Comprised of a photographer (Yana Matusovski), stylist (Jordan Reimer ) and graphic producer (Garrett Naccarato ), KRUHX describes themselves like this: "A lot of the concepts we create might seem unachievable with clothing from stores or showrooms. Instead, we figure out alternative ways to design our creations using any materials we see fit." Sounds like a good ole Dada offshoot to me, eh? I especially love the geometric couture-pose (haha) in the top-right image... go team KRUHX!