Browsing Tag

fashion

The Artist

As I was reading Vogue yesterday afternoon, I couldn’t help but notice the numerous references to famous artists and collectors, including historical figures such as Gertrude Stein. Frankly, I was relieved to read a fashion mag cover to cover without stumbling upon the headline, “Prints Charming,” which too many fashion editors have included in recent spreads. However, I was more pleased to read about classic pieces inspiring modern designs that reminded me of the modern art class I took at Western last year, which featured works by Sonia Delaunay, for example.

Recently, French artist Jocelyne Grivaud sought inspiration from famous artwork to create sculptures resembling not only Mattel’s Barbie dolls, but also classic women from the art world.

Check out some of my favourites:

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Katy Perry: A Woman of Many Talents

Joined by the sensational Swedish music guest Robyn, Katy Perry hosted Saturday Night Live last night. It was a great episode that proved Katy’s capable of performing more than musical numbers in the comedy series and deserves lots of screen time.

I lost track of how many outfit and wig changes Katy went through, but I sure noticed how quickly she transformed to play Christina Aguilera (one of supposed “thousands” of celebrities in New Year’s Eve), followed by Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine and then Pippa Middleton. In her latter role, she stole the spotlight from Kate and sung a few lines in a British accent.

Katy’s digital short with Andy Samberg initially reminded me of an Old Navy commercial, until surprise guests Matt Damon and Val Kilmer took to the screen to sing along with them, that is. When Community’s Star-burns joined the short and reunited with his ol’ SNL cast, he offered hope that fans have reason to be optimistic about the show’s future, which is currently unknown.

An SNL review of any length couldn’t exclude Weekend Update. Seth Meyers was wonderful as per usual, but the appearances by Stefano and the ‘flirting expert’ were fabulous comedic material. Relationship experts typically wear a mix of conservative and girly outfits for TV appearances, yet the blonde character wore a slinky, sparkly black dress better suited for a holiday party than an interview with an anchorman.

Robyn’s playful solo choreography during her second number, the classic ‘Dancing On My Own’, reinforced why I adamantly tuned in to SNL – she’s brilliant, I love her and I can’t think of a comparable domestic musical talent. Rocking leggings as pants, in addition to beige platform sneakers didn’t defer attention from Robyn’s singing either – she truly exceeded expectations overall.

Canadian export Michael Buble and Jimmy Fallon are scheduled for next Saturday. Count me in! Live tweeting about #SNL is anticipated once again.

Rethink Breast Cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Last year, non-profits employed social media to raise awareness by asking girls and women to update Facbook statuses and share where they like to leave their purse, which inevitably led to sexual innuendos, thanks to sentences such as “I like it on the floor.”

This year, rethink Breast Cancer has taken to YouTube to spread the message about the importance of check-ups and my, have they done an *ahem* charming and entertaining job at that.

Second Helpings, Please!

After two days of enjoying some of the best recipes in Second Helpings, Please!, a staple in any Jewish home, with my family, I tasted new concoctions by Chef Jason Bartenger at the Oliver and Bonacini Canteen in the TIFF Bell Lightbox. There, I reunited with ladies whom I’ve affectionately categorized online as the “Indigo Tweets Crew”. For this reunion dinner however, there were not even any Indigo employees present! They were greatly missed though, especially by those of us who hadn’t seen Captain Awesome (aka Cammy, the author of @indigogreenroom tweets, who arranges for fans to meet celebrities across Canada) at the Word on the Street Festival last weekend.

Jennifer, a librarian technician at Humber College who made tonight’s reservations, showed off her new “practical, yet sexy” pumps from Naturalizer, which received the group’s stamp of approval for being stylish too. If only I had been on the other side of the table to capture it on camera when she pulled one off to show us… That was a funny moment, right there in the restaurant on a Friday night. Oh well. It just goes to show you how after meeting each other only once or twice at Indigo events, we already share a great camaraderie.

The reunion dinner couldn’t have been scheduled much later in the fall because after exploring all that Toronto has to offer, including a gig working at CTV, Elizabeth is returning home to Newfoundland this week! Hopefully she’ll be able to squeeze in a trip to the theatre to see Kim Cattrall on stage, which is on my to-do list as well, time permitting. It has already been agreed that a tweet up will be built around her next visit to Toronto. Plus, I just documented it, so now it’ll for sure have to happen!

 

 


 

 

Oh yes, and then there’s the food, i.e. the scrumptious platters that Chef Bartenger delivered to us himself, accompanied by detailed explanations of the ingredients and preparation. There’s a reason we returned to eat at the Lightbox and it wasn’t just because of the chef’s good looks.

Tonight marked the first time I’ve ever had a beet salad and liked it and I wasn’t alone in loving each piece topped with Greek yogurt and granola.

 

 


 

 

Servings of flatbread, chicken pate, steak tartare and frites with grated cheese were also slid down the table in between us and enjoyed by all. At this point, the menus doubling as placemats beneath our plates had been nearly forgotten about, but we continued to indulge by ordering beef brisket sandwiches, scallops and desserts, including a root beer float. The float was also served to an eleven year old birthday girl upstairs who apparently has impeccable manners and an excellent vocabulary, or at least that’s the word on the street.

 

 


 

 

There was some conversation about book signings, recent purchases and the new augmented reality interactive experiences offered by Indigo, but there was surprisingly little talk about social media at all this time. We were simply 8 friends gathered in downtown Toronto, unwinding at the end of the week and enjoying each other’s company before returning to our regular routines as students, young professionals, teachers and mothers.

At the the end of the evening, as we reached for our coats and decided to institute our tweet up as a quarterly event, Jennifer generously offered tickets to a blogger event. Things like that just don’t happen in London, Ontario, nor does the event Word on the Street I’m afraid.

 

 


 

Marketing professionals are continually seeking ways to make their initiatives appear organic. There’s something quite authentic about women feeling inspired by a corporate-sponsored event to coordinate their own that’s equally as intimate as the first by using the tool that brought us all together in the first place: Twitter.

Weight Discrimination is Something to Size Up

In preparation for my presentation at Western’s ‘Flaunting It’ conference next Friday, I revisited a paper I wrote last year about weight discrimination. My research focuses on how this affects hiring practices and employment, but it certainly affects overweight people on a larger scale.

In some developing countries, people are starving and malnourished due to poverty, but obesity rates are increasing around the world exponentially. Fortunately, people are taking note of these statistics, such as the producers of MTV’s I Used To Be Fat. The show completed its first season earlier this month after introducing viewers to nine high school graduates who devoted their summer to losing weight. Motivating viewers to meet their weight loss goals is a positive step forward, but it does not change the fact that far too many youth are binge eating, out of shape and lazy.

Before reading Barry Popkin’s The World Is Fat, it never occurred to me that people have developed such a sweet tooth that youth are not only overindulging in soft drinks, but also adding additional sugar. For many overweight people, being weight is not a conscious choice; sometimes it’s merely a matter of genetics. Deliberately sweetening drinks like that is outrageous though. Even after government regulations ensured that all food and beverage packing include nutritional information people are ignoring this data, or at least dismissing it as unimportant. Education is an essential tool to discourage such unhealthy lifestyle choices. This is important for not only nutritionists, doctors, and food manufacturers to reiterate, but also fashion designers and advertisers.

On Tuesday afternoon, I had the privilege of listening to the inspirational entrepreneur, Ben Barry, who spearheaded the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, once again. Ben’s tenacity helped him convince Sears Canada to include models in their catalogue that resemble their customers, unlike the twigs who typically posed for their glossy pages. Since then, he continues liaising with fashion and marketing executives to help them sell products to their target demographic by hiring models who customers can identify with. The average soccer mom does not look like a toned size 2 woman with flawless skin and Ben asks advertisers to recognize that and promote their products accordingly.

As someone who started a business at age 14, Ben strongly believes in the potential of youth entrepreneurship and youth’s ability to inspire others and make great changes in the world. With Ben’s message in mind, I have changed my opinion about the MTV reality show because even if those nine kids inspired 100 people to start exercising, that’s better than nothing. Their reunion episode for the season finale allowed the participants to reflect on the show and prove to audiences that they have since created a social network amongst themselves and offer each other ongoing support. This is what people truly need: support, friendship and motivation. Whether this comes in the form of fat acceptance amongst hiring managers who should change their attitudes about candidates’ physical appearances, or clothing manufacturers that should produce high quality clothing that flatters overweight people, everything counts.

Ben Barry, November 2008, Queen’s University