In every Behind The Brand interview, I enquire about professional role models. At the moment, I’d say mine is Elaine Lui AKA Lainey. Every profile of her that I read reiterates that she’s a hardworking media personality who successfully juggles several jobs in the entertainment industry.
After meeting Lainey at a taping of The Social, I was excited to see her again at Indigo. Lainey’s new book Listen To The Squawking Chicken: When Mother Knows Best, What’s A Daughter To Do? A Memoir (Sort Of) is a tribute to her mother, who raised her around a Mah Jong table and inspired her to become a professional gossiper.
I don’t have many beauty secrets, but I will let you virtually eavesdrop on conversations with TV personality Jessi Cruickshank at Bioré’s event. Jessi and Dan were to MTV what Regis and Kelly were to ABC, so when I was invited to hear Jessi reveal how she becomes camera ready I was psyched.
The theme and hashtag of the evening was #TheCharcoalSecret because charcoal is a key ingredient in Bioré’s new products. The event was just a few days after her infamous Rob Ford interview in LA and Jessi gracefully transitioned from talking about politics to Hollywood and skincare.
Jessi hosted her own mini ceremony to reveal her craziest interview experiences:
Best Actor: Tom Cruise
Did you know he has his own mystic tanner? Hopefully they’re not the same person responsible for so many A-list stars with orange skin at the Academy Awards. Regardless, Jessi was overwhelmed by the size of his entourage, which she says includes assistants for his assistants.
Worst Actor: Kristen Stewart
To put it mildly, “she was very unpleasant.” Unfortunately for Jessi, Twilight fans were so aghast by their televised interview that they sent death threats and complaint letters to MTV.
Most High Maintenance: Mariah Carey
Mariah’s publicist insisted on a standing interview so Mariah would look thinner. OK, no big deal. Once on set, Jessi was introduced to Mariah’s personal lighting director and when she arrived, the publicist said, “I’m going to receive Mariah,” speaking about the diva as if she’s royalty. Looking back, Jessi says that now “I feel like we go back to when we were babies with pacifiers.”
“The Prismatic World Tour is coming to light up some of my favorite North American cities this summer, as well as some new cities that you introduced me to through your video requests,” said Katy. “This colorful show will bring you all the songs you know as well as ones from my new album, PRISM.” Colourful would be an understatement though. Last time I saw Katy Perry, there were inflatable beach balls tossed around and “colourful” barely begins to describe her wardrobe.
Katy Perry’s coming back to Toronto this summer, so you can bet there will be thousands of fans roaring with excitement at the Air Canada Centre in July. Opening acts will include Capital Cities, Kacey Musgraves and Tegan and Sara, although unfortunately my favourite twins (aside from Mary-Kate & Ashley) will not be joining Katy in Toronto. Instead, local Katycats can watch Capital Cities perform hits like Safe and Sound.
When Katy Perry spoke about her upcoming Prismatic World Tour on CTV’s The Social, she hinted at performing in outdoor venues, so I expected her to return to the Molson Amphitheatre again. At least there’s no need to worry about the weather for concerts at the ACC. Katy’s team offered buffer room between her Toronto stop and the next concert date, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she adds a second night to accommodate her huge fan base.
If you can’t make it to the ACC, maybe you can book a quick trip to catch her somewhere nearby in the U.S.
July 3 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena *
July 9 New York, NY Madison Square Garden *
July 11 Newark, NJ Prudential Center *
July 15 Montreal, QC Bell Centre *
July 16 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre *
July 18 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre *
July 24 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center *
August 1 Boston, MA TD Garden *
August 7 Chicago, IL United Center *
August 26 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre ^
August 28 Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Centre ^
August 29 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome ^
August 31 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place ^
September 9 Vancouver, BC Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena #
September 19 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center #
September 26 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena #
*With Capital Cities ^ With Kasey Musgraves # With Tegan and Sara
Click here for a complete list of North American tour dates.
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.
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 Viewwith 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.
