Browsing Tag

celebrity

Behind The Scenes: The Extra Plate

Save the Children is an international NGO committed to advocating for children’s rights and supporting children in developing countries. When Save the Children Canada’s PR manager Kirsten Walkom tweeted that she needed an extra set of hands for a video shoot, I responded immediately and spent the day with their production team a few days later.

Many local celebrities donated their time to appear on camera, including fashion designers Adrian Wu and Jessica Jensen, nutritionist Joy McCarthy and Kiss 92.5’s Devo Brown. It was fun to hang out with them in between takes in Liberty Village.

Devo Brown (Kiss 92.5)

Devo Brown (Kiss 92.5)

Running into Madiha Aziz, a fellow volunteer and competitor at QMAC 2013, was a nice surprise! She says that helping out on set proved to be a good learning experience. “Before arriving on set, I did not know how much the impact of each dollar donated is to the children of Syria. I felt very blessed to get the chance to assist with the production of this video because it will create the much-needed awareness of the critical situation in Syria.”

Madiha Aziz and Wayne Smith (Toronto Argonauts)

Madiha Aziz and Wayne Smith (Toronto Argonauts)

Director Ian Barnett’s final product looks great, as it effectively captures stories about children’s fears to inspire viewers to support Save the Children. One key takeaway from the video is that donating only $40 to the charity can go a long way. Check out the video for The Extra Plate below and share your childhood fears on Twitter for a chance to win a prize!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uyd4XFmiYE’]

November 7, 2013 by

Kardashian Khaos in Las Vegas

Kris Jenner

There’s a chance you’ll see me in the background of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, so I might as well admit I went to see Kris Jenner at Kardashian Khaos. The reality TV family’s celebrity lifestyle boutique is located at The Mirage, my home away home on the Strip.

The excitement following Kanye West’s grand proposal hasn’t worn off yet. Kris looked positively radiant and I don’t think it’s just because some eager viewers paid $150 for a photograph with her. Las Vegas is the perfect place to experiment with bold prints and Kris fit in seamlessly.

Klassic Kris

While the series transitions from documenting Kim’s pregnancy to her momager’s separation, it will be interesting to see which side of Kris surfaces the most. Though she seemed friendly from afar, Kris can come across as stubborn and impatient. As an executive producer, Kris has an enormous opportunity to choose how she presents her personality and I’m intrigued as to how the Kardashians and their team will support her mission to garner more attention.

Publicist Jonathan Cheban’s surprise appearance was a treat for tourists like myself who planned to see only one TV personality on Saturday. He was very relaxed and wore the Royal Triumph python leather pocket black t-shirt he posted a photo of on Instagram. It looked like partying at Kim’s birthday bash at TAO took a toll on Jonathan because he looked tired, but that did not stop him from enthusiastically engaging with fans. Minutes after he escaped the crowd, Jonathan called someone and I’ve been curious who was on the other end ever since.

Jonathan Cheban

Keeping Up With The Kardashians airs Sunday nights on E!

October 27, 2013 by

Fashion Blogger By Day, Author At Night

 

Man Repeller final

Hot On The Street & Man Repeller

Leandra Medine and I have a few things in common: we’re both brunettes with blogs who love New York. We also celebrate the same holidays, but that’s an inside joke between us.

On Thursday afternoon, I went downtown for a meeting (read: interview) and then created a workspace at Aroma. Meanwhile, Leandra appeared on The Social and chatted with fashion journalists about her new book, Man Repeller: Seeking Love. Finding Overalls.

Eventually my battery drained and instead of finding a new seat with an outlet, I dashed to Holt Renfrew. As for my outfit of the day, my Michael Kors trenchcoat protected me from the rain and helped me look polished and colourful. Have I mentioned that sometimes you can spot me as the girl in the red trenchcoat?

Anyway, FASHION’s online editor Randi Bergman interviewed Leandra and then the book signing began. I was grateful for a fast moving line that still allowed for ample face time with the author. While she wrote a personalized autograph with a gold Sharpie, we talked about Instagram and The Coveteur. It was just another conversation about social media and style. No big deal.

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October 21, 2013 by

Live From Queen West… It’s The Social!

The Social

Melissa Grelo, Traci Melchor, Sarah Prince, Cynthia Loyst and Elaine Lui

I’ve been eager to attend a live taping of CTV’s The Social since it premiered in September. The Social is like a younger version of The View with a stronger interactive component, as viewers’ social media engagement is integral to the series.

The Social takes the second screen experience to a new level because it’s filmed live and selected Twitter and Facebook posts are displayed onscreen. Offering opinionated viewers an opportunity to gain exposure on national television is definitely a better incentive to follow the show’s social media accounts than simply for the sake of entering contests or seeing behind the scenes photos.

Interestingly, the invitation to live tweet the show is extended to audience members as well, so I think Bell Media should install a mobile charging station in the audience waiting area. That would be a cost-effective way to ensure more fans can post on social media with the show’s hashtag. If iPhone chargers were available, then I would’ve taken more pictures and tweeted more commentary. Nevertheless, I preserved my battery as much as possible and was able to take photos with the hosts after the cameras stopped rolling.

I was so excited to see Wednesday’s special guest Jessica Alba that I didn’t care what brought her to Toronto. The fact that Jessica booked interviews with Canadian media outlets to promote her new line of eco-friendly baby products rather than a new movie didn’t matter. Plus, I’m certainly not complaining about getting a free copy of Jessica’s book, The Honest Life.

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October 10, 2013 by

Concert Review: KT Tunstall

KT Tunstall

TIFF might be over, but Toronto remains a star-studded destination. On Friday night, Avicii, Sarah Silverman and Serena Ryder all had events I would’ve loved to attend, but thanks to Nokia & Live Nation, I saw KT Tunstall. Twitter for the win, once again!

Tunstall kicked off her North American tour at the Danforth Music Hall and it was obvious that she was a little bit rusty. The apologetic singer repeatedly said “sorry” so many times that it became a running joke and the audience started counting. The Danforth Music Hall is a small enough venue that each time a fan shouted something at her, everyone could hear. This lighthearted banter created a laidback vibe that made the evening more enjoyable.

KT Tunstall

It was fun to hear Suddenly I See, Funnyman and Black Horse and the Cherry Tree live, but I wish she played more of her early hits. Instead, Tunstall focused on playing newer material. At some point between performing songs from her latest record Invisible Empire//Crescent Moon, Tunstall said she liked writing tracks in Arizona because “it’s the perfect place to meditate.” This album marks a transition in her career because after making upbeat pop-rock songs, she became interested in darker subject matter, including death.

Overall, I thought the sound quality was good, but the concert was short and there wasn’t anything too memorable. Though I’m grateful for having amazing seats in Row F, KT Tunstall’s performance didn’t top my first experience at the Danforth Music Hall when Sam Roberts rocked the house in 2008.

September 22, 2013 by