Farewell To The Iron Lady, One Of The Most Fashionable Politician In History...

I am not only saddened to hear that Margaret Thatcher has passed away but absolutely disgusted that people are celebrating her death as if it is the most joyous occasion all across Britain. Like any other politician, she did not make the greatest choices and certainly made decisions that affected a large amount of people not in the upper class category. But she was no Hitler, Stalin or Hussein. So why celebrate her death like she was? Who exactly did she murder, torture and annihilate in the thousands? Did I miss that part of history?! As a matter of fact I have a lot of respect for her. She was the first (and only) woman Prime Minister of Britain, working her way to the top in a male dominated world. She had a strong character and proved women can fight with the best of them. I certainly don't like Rob Ford but if he was to pass away I would certainly not celebrate it. It's absolutely disrespectful! Today Britain I am embarrassed for you and I am embarrassed to have British blood running through my veins. R.I.P. Margret Thatcher!

http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/04/09/even-in-death-margaret-thatcher-divides-britain-as-hundreds-celebrate/

After a long hiatus...

I was reminded today that I must update this blog, so... Hello! I hope I did not keep anyone on the edge of their seats or pulling their hair out from fashion anticipation. This last month or so has been extremely hectic. I had FAT, Dragon's Den, Breakfast TV, Vogue Italia, Elle Canada, jewellery class, fainting in said class, my proposal for University, styling multiple shoots, modeling in multiple shoots, ballet class, yoga class, interviews, meetings, dealing with a very needy kitty... The list goes on!

I thought for this post I might divulge into an area of fashion that I have always loved, vintage clothing. Whether it is the thrill of the find or the thrill of the dirt-cheap price, I do love a good rummage round. It could be in a long forgotten store on the outskirts of Kensington Market, a consignment store in a dug out Yorkville store fit for a sixty year old woman or even digging through the shambles of a Valu Village which resembles a site hit by a very big tornado, I get such a kick it is almost sickening. Not even that old, musty smell can stop my determination to find that lucky find. When I do locate a gem (literally or not) I almost feel proud. With chain, high street and mall stores you are pretty much handed in your lap an outfit already put together. Colours, styles and themes are separated and/or put together in sections. Just look at the mannequins around you and theirs your new office attire. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this is a bad thing at all. It's just not what I like to do. I've never really been a follower of trends, I like to do things my way and I have always been creative with everything I do. My motto is if I like it, I wear it! And that's what I love about vintage and consignment stores. I have the thrill of the find and I am free to be as creative as I want, I almost feel I have achieved something with my fashion this way.

There is also something in the quality of clothing from the distant and not so distant past. It was, how do I put this?... A lot better! One example I can use in this instance, I once worked at a well known shoe store. A regular client of mine came in looking for ballet flats. Unfortunately none of the ballet slippers I presented to her was to her liking. In order to assist her better and understand why we could not locate what she was looking for, I asked her why none of the shoes appealed to her. She told me she has shopped at this particular store since its international spread in the nineties. She had always been happy about the wonderful quality of the shoes, especially the ballet flats, until lately. She mention that she noticed the ballet flats use to be sewn together attaching the material and exterior part of the shoes to the soles, now they simply glue the pieces together. This causes depletion in the durability of the shoe. She still continues to shop at this location but not for ballet flats, she does though look in the hope that one day the shoes store will once again make flats as durable as they use to be.

I should point out though, consignment does not necessarily mean second hand or vintage. There are a lot of stores that do mix vintage with consignment items, but not all. Consignment is the act of consigning which means to place any item into the hands of someone else. This doesn't always mean it's old or has even been worn. It is always good fun digging through them, especially one that specializes in designer clothes. Here is an example of what you can do with an altered "Golden Girlsesque" eighties dress and a retro Chanel purse (shoes are the model's own).

The important thing to remember when shopping for vintage or consignment (or both) is to not get overly excited about labels. I know I've made this mistake on several occassions, but I'm getting better at spotting flaws in certain items and what is not really a great find. Just because it's YSL does NOT mean it will look amazing, feel amazing, be amazing quality or fit amazingly. Which brings me to another big point with consignment shopping. BARGAINING. I cannot stress this enough. If you find a Louis Vuitton bag with a stain in it you can negotiate a slightly lower price but NOT something so unreasonable as $10. Remember these bags once cost over $5,000. It is rare to find someone willing to sell a bag like that to you for $20 or under, no matter the size or type of stain.

For those who have never vintage/consignment store shopped before, I hope this post left you with an urge to take the challenge. Maybe you're already an avid vintage goer and made you think what is your appeal to the hunt. I would love to hear back from you people on what it is about vintage shopping you love. On that note I just want to say, happy huntings  you little retro radicals!

xo

Top photo. Model myself, photography by Jesse North, styling by Cat Shanahan, taken from Aiseirigh Vintage online store  http://www.etsy.com/shop/aiseirigh.


Bottom photo. Model Kelleth Cuthbert, photography by Azimuth Arts, makeup by Flawless Jemz, styling by myself.

The Tracy Clifford Interview

Hello everyone!

I am so sorry for not posting recently, this week has become so overwhelming and I am currently in the process of working on my Professional Inquiry for school which has been HELL to say the least! I also had a bridal shoot out in the beautiful setting of King City which was a lot of fun but took all day! I really enjoyed it though and had worked with both photographers before, Cyrus Mir and Anda Pleniceanu.  Looking forward to seeing the results!

I have had a the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Clifford, a reputable stylist who has been assistant to Oscar De La Renta. After graduating from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Tracy dedicated her studies to fashion while attending the Instituto Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy and went to have a successful career as a major style consultant. I asked her to share some tips, ethics of working in the fashion industry and things everyone should know generally about this industry.

1.      What inspired you to become a style consultant?

The simple answer is that I have loved fashion ever since I can remember.  I have always felt a connection to finding beauty in the world, and particularly so with clothing.  From my point of view, fashion gives us the ability to express ourselves artistically. Wearing beautiful clothing elevates our experience and has the ability to make us feel more self-actualized.  There are very few things in life that provide the opportunity for such a profound experience on a daily basis. 

I feel a special connection to fashion in particular.  I have always been able to choose amazing pieces that are unique, beautiful, and most importantly, compliment the body.  Fashion cannot exist in a bubble.  I think many consultants (and designers) loose sight of the fact that the primary goal is to use clothing to compliment a woman’s body and make her feel beautiful.  This is a particular skill of mine.  Plus, fashion is fun! 

2.      Has anyone inspired you in particular?

Though there are many designers that I admire, my true inspiration from fashion came from two very important women: my mother and Marissa Hartington. 

My mother has fabulous taste.  She always looked perfect and put together.  Growing up, she took me shopping and exposed me to beautiful clothing.  Most importantly though, she allowed me to express myself with clothing.  My family spent a lot of the winter every year in Naples, FL.  My favorite part of Naples (besides getting away from the Chicago snow!) was going with my mother to the Big Pink Building which housed Marissa Collections, an amazing fashion boutique.  It was at Marissa Collections with my mother that I first fell in love with fashion. 

My dad always said if you want to be in an industry, look at the most successful person you know in the industry and determine if that is who you want to be.  Marissa Hartington, the founder and owner of Marissa Collections, was (and is) the most successful person I know in fashion.  When I thought about if I wanted to be like her, the answer was a resounding yes.  Marissa is, in a word, amazing.  She is able to see fashion and spot trends like no one else in the industry.  I am constantly amazed by her taste, dedication, and tenacity.  I am so fortunate that Marissa took me under her wing, taught me about the industry, and allowed me to practice what I learned when she hired me to be a buyer for Marissa Collections.    

3.      Did you always want to be a style consultant or did you have other aspirations and training when you left high school?

I tried following in my father’s footsteps and working for his law firm and then for a judge.  I think I spent most of my time analyzing the lawyers’ clothes, instead of the law!  I also dabbled in the magazine business for a bit.  However, when I got hired at Niemen Marcus, there was no turning back. 

- What was it like assisting Oscar de la Renta?

It was amazing.  I started at the bottom of the totem pole but I kept my eyes open and observed everything around me.  I really learned a lot about fashion from the designer’s viewpoint, which was a new experience for me because I had always thought of fashion solely from the consumer’s point of view.  The experience allowed me to see the real guts of the fashion world.  Being around all of those beautiful clothes wasn’t too bad either!

4.      What do you think attributes to his success?

The simple answer is beautiful clothing.  Oscar’s natural talent, creativity, and understanding of a woman’s body is unparalleled.  His clothes are unique, in the moment and still remain timeless and wearable.   

5.      What has attributed to your success?

My success is driven by my clients.  Making them feel comfortable and beautiful is my number one goal and my clients appreciate it.  I am always thinking about them as I spot trends and browse the newest fashion.  For instance, I am in Spain as I am writing this, and I saw an amazing dress that would be perfect for one of my clients.  I took a picture of it and sent it to her so she can take a look.  The other thing that attributes to my success is making fashion fun for my client!  I want them to have fun picking out their own style (with my guidance) and to remove the stress and pretension from picking clothes.  I want my clients to feel the same joy from picking clothes as I do.  Fashion is such a fun thing and I want my clients to experience that too!

                                                                                            

6.      What is the demographic of your customers? Is there a demographic you market to?

I don’t think of my work in terms of demographics or marketing (much to my business manager’s chagrin).  Honestly, I work with women who want to look beautiful and have fun picking amazing clothing. 

7.      What is your favorite part about your work?

The clothes and my clients!!!  I love spotting the latest trends and taking pieces from the runway and making them wearable for my clients.  It is so gratifying when I see my clients beaming after they tell me how beautiful they felt at an even or that they felt so good when someone complimented their outfit.  I had a client call me last week almost giddy because she got stopped by a woman on the street who wanted to tell her how great her outfit looked.  These are the kinds of things I live for!

8.      Have you ever had to deal with ballet dancers or work in the dancing world?

Many of my clients are dancers.  I love working with them because they understand beauty in movement.  It is a lot of fun to pair fabrics and designs that take advantage of dancers’ natural grace. 

9.      Do you think fashion is important to the dance/performing arts world, not just costuming?

Of course!  Fashion is crucial to performers.  Needless to say, performers do not only practice their art on stage - it is a way of life.  I love to help performers express their vision when they’re out of costume.  As the Bard said, “all the world’s a stage.”  

Thank you so much to Tracy Clifford! You can find out more about her and her services at her website Tracy Clifford Style. 

My interview with designer Sarah Stevenson

I am excited to be finally posting my interview with designer Sarah Stevenson after a busy week with Fashion Alternative Toronto, which I will post in another entry later. 

Sarah Stevenson is a Toronto clothing & textile designer. She began her studies with fashion at George Brown College and later went on to earn her Masters Degree in Fashion & Textile design on full scholarship at the Institute of European Design in Milan, Italy. She returned to Toronto in 2010 and established her company, Sarah Stevenson Design. All of her fabrics and clothing are made ethically and sustainably here in Canada. Sarah was kind enough to give my readers a glimpse into her work on the Tutu Project with the National Ballet of Canada and accessory designer, Eliza Kozurno. Here is a summary on the project that Sarah shared with me.

The Tutu Project by The National Ballet of Canada 

"Equinox" by Sarah Stevenson & Eliza Kozurno 

 "The tutu is ballet's most universally recognised symbol and to celebrate the National Ballet's 60th anniversary. 60 tutus were created by artists and designers and will be on display during the 2012 season. I was asked to create one of these tutus and collaborated with an accessory designer Eliza Kozurno. Our tutu is entitled "Equinox" meaning equal day and night. We wanted to take our inspiration from a Ballet and chose Swan Lake because we thought that it brilliantly represented the contrast of our two styles. Eliza's being strong and edgy, while mine is delicate and feminine. The result wonderfully embodies these contrasts while seamlessly transitioning from dark to light. The tutu includes handmade feathers made with my signature fabric."

Sarah was also kind enough to answer a few questions I had despite her busy schedule. For those of you who don't know about this talented designer, ever since her successful shows with Rock the Runway 2011 and Toronto Fashion Week S/S 2011 Sarah and her designs have been popping up everywhere! The most recent being her appropriately titled "Ballet Skirt" in "Magnolia" in Fashion Magazine's "55 Rainbow Hued Shopping Picks That Shine Brightly for Any Age". Sarah Stevenson's Ballet Skirt in Magnolia



- Hello Sarah, I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about the project, the work that went into it, if it was it for marketing or just purely for art? What inspired you? Were you marketing it to anyone? If so who? If you enjoyed it or if it was hard work?


- I danced ballet until I was 16 so it was very exciting to be invited to be part of this project. I did it for fun (I worked on it with my friend) and for marketing/exposure. The summary explains the inspiration and yes I enjoyed it very much!


- That's fantastic! And it is interesting to hear you actually had a ballet background. I would also like to know if you think fashion is a very important part of the dance and/or performing arts world?


- As far as fashion being an important part of the dance/performing arts world - definintely! I think that dance influences fashion and fashion influences dance costume. If you look back at the early 1900s in Paris, designers were inspired by the Ballet Russe and continue to be.


I would like to thank Sarah for taking the time out to talk about this very special project. You can find out more on the Tutu Project on the National Ballet of Canada's website The Tutu Project and more on Sarah Stevenson Design on her website SarahStevensonDesign.com.


Photo on top taken from Sarah Stevenson Design website of her "Ivy Ballet" skirt. Middle picture of the Tutu Project designed by Sarah Stevenson and Eliza Kozurno. Photo provided by Sarah Stevenson.

PROOF!!! Ballet does play an important part in the fashion industry!

I was doing my daily random rummaging through YouTube when I stumbled upon a video that made my little Chanel covered ballet heart skip a beat. Back in 2009, Karl Lagerfeld created costumes for the ballet Apollo which was part of the Ballet Russes season at Sadler Wells. Vogue covered this in their video. I cannot believe I am only just discovering this. Here is the clip.

I went further on to discover this romantic little number performed by Elena Glurdjidze of the English National Ballet in the Chanel Couture Lounge. In the video she performs for Karl Lagerfeld "The Dying Swan". The only other information I could find about this performance was at FabSugar.com right here Karl Lagerfeld Creates Custom Tutu, Films Impromtu Performance. Below is the video.


Video proof of the importance and the connection with ballet and the fashion world. I'm in love!!!

Photo at top of the page, Karl Lagerfeld filming Elena Glurdjidze. Photographer, unknown.

Interview with the "balletastic" designer, Alexandra Julian!

As I had mentioned in my previous entry, back in grade 12 I tried to make a pancake style tutu for my art ISU. It was a disaster! I did not realise you have to be extremely skilled and that sometimes even all your textiles and design training cannot help you. I ultimately just created the long classic tutu instead. Ever since my failure with the pancake tutu I have been fascinated with people who can create these masterpieces but had not met anyone personally who could. Now I have! Alexandra Julian is one of the Mass Exodus designers who created a tutu line and was one of the few selected to showcase at the PR show. Here's a little snippet about the fresh out of school designer. "Alexandra Julian is a graduate of the Fashion Design program at Ryerson. She won 3rd place for Canada in the Triumph lingerie competition in 2011, and was selected for the curated collection that showcased the top 25 collections at Mass Exodus 2012. She likes to design and make ornate and elegant clothing, often inspired by historical fashion. She grew up in Kitchener and Toronto, and aspires to be a costume designer or fashion designer." I was fortunate enough to not only have her input but I am very excited that as my first interview on this blog she is a tutu designer. Here's what she had to say...

- What inspired you to do this tutu collection?


I started off with the idea of doing costume because I love extravagant clothing, period pieces, and classical beauty. I am a huge of fan of ballet and go often to see it because I have a very strong emotional connection with it; I'm not afraid to admit, I've cried watching Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and Onegin! Seeing my first ballet, The Nutcracker, was also what inspired me to get into fashion in the first place, so ballet has a special place in my heart and has inspired me throughout the years. This particular collection is based on the original fairy tale of The Little Mermaid. It's my favourite fairy tale and I thought the idea of a fantastic world beneath the sea as well as the emotional and tragic plot would be beautifully interpreted through ballet. I actually read later on that it was originally intended to be a ballet!

- Has anyone inspired you in particular?

I take inspiration from many different sources, whether it be the dancers at the National, or my mother, or designers like Alexander McQueen... I find so many people inspiring!


- Do you have a background in dance?

Unfortunately, no (unless you count the few ballet classes I took as a 4-year-old). I wish I could have taken dance when I was younger, but I think it's never too late to start, and now that the collection is over, I am really looking to take some adult dance classes!

- What was the work process that went into making these?

There are so many steps to creating the whole collection, it's hard to think of them all! Basically it all started with the sketches, and then research and interviewing industry experts to develop target market and competitive analysis, then technical sketches, patterndrafting and muslin stages (for the unfamiliar, a muslin is a mock-up of a garment made in comparable cheap fabrics), and finally the actual construction of the final garments. The making of the final garments was the most trying part! It can take weeks for professionals to make one classical tutu, and I only had two weeks to make each garment on my own, while holding down a part-time job and internship! It was the craziest time, but I'm very proud of myself for making all the garments myself and it was a challenging experience that I learned a lot from.

- What sort of materials did you use?
I used a lot of synthetics because they are cheaper for a costume budget, and because I did a lot of heat cutting in my collection. It's not easy to see from a distance, but all the scales and chiffon on the mermaid tutu and the grey chiffon pieces on the sea witch tutu were heat cut using a soldering tool. Because the fabrics are synthetic, when the edges are cut with the soldering tool, the edges melt creating a nice sealed edge that won't fray and it allows for so many interesting shapes to be cut out, without having to worry about finishing the edges. All of the costumes are lined with cotton however, so that they would be comfortable if used for dancing!


- What are you hoping to achieve with the designs especially now you have graduated?

Since costumes are usually made for specific productions, unless someone wants to choreograph The Little Mermaid ballet, there isn't much I can do unfortunately. If there is interest however, I'm considering selling them to dancers for competitions or perhaps some dance companies in need of costumes. I hope to be a costume designer in the future, and I feel this collection shows the skill, commitment, and passion I possess for costumes. I am still very interested in fashion design, however, and want to keep my options open. I think these designs are still relevant to showing my skills as a fashion designer.

I want to thank Alexandra for taking the time out to answer my questions. I love the fact she is inspired by ballet AND Alexander McQueen. My type of designer! You can find more pictures and info here on the Mass Exodus website Mass Exodus or you can look at Flare Magazine's "124 Looks From Ryerson's Mass Exodus 2012 Show" here Flare Magazine Website. 

All photos taken by Michael Ho.

The Mass Exodus Experience!

On April 11th to the 12th, I participated for the second time in a row the Ryerson fashion school's graduation show titled Mass Exodus. Last year I came in as a replacement for a friend so I had missed out on the castings and the additional fittings beforehand, so this time round I got to experience the whole process.

I think overall 150 models participated in this year's show, give or take. I overheard that this was the most models they have ever had, I could be mistaken though. One thing is for sure, next to Bruno Ierullo's annual show this is one of the biggest runway productions in all of Toronto. The runway is always beautifully constructed and sometimes very over the top (in a good way). Last year I recall the runway had an almost iceberg feel to it. This year it was a little more simple but still very interesting. 

Mass Exodus 2011. Katy Bennett's designs. Photography by  Michael Zahra.

Mass Exodus 2012 runway set up. Opening remarks. Photography by Arthur Mola.

The makeup for this year was provided by Complections makeup school and the hair styling was provided by Marc Anthony. For the makeup they did a very simple, natural look which I think was smart considering each designer and each outfit is completely different from each other. Some girls received nude lips and some received red lips. I had the red lips which I was ecstatic about since I feel I look better in red. The hair was done in braids. Some models, like myself, received a very "Heidi" look where the braids wrapped around our head. Others got the fish tail on the side. Again going with the natural, uncomplicated look like the makeup. Just natural beauty. 

The fishtail. Photo taken by Arthur Mola.

The "Heidi" look. Photo taken by Arthur Mola.

I loved my look. I think the Complections and Marc Anthony team did an exceptional job. It definitely inspired me to recreate that look, especially the "Heidi" braid. I also have to applaud the Marc Anthony team for having to deal with my extensions, I was so nervous about them. 

My look for the show. Photo taken by me.

This year I walked for four talented designers and three of the PR show they have every year as Ryerson's final show. Altogether there are five shows. Two of the shows are mostly for high school students so they can see what it would be like to sign up as a fashion student at Ryerson. Two of them are mostly for friends and family for anyone in the show. My Mom and Godmother attended the six o'clock show on the first day which was nice since my Mother hasn't seen one of my runway shows for more than a year. The final PR show is by invite only. Mostly for potential buyers and media. Only a certain amount of designers are selected to showcase in this show. The four designers I walked for are...

Raegan Moynes. Photo taken by Steve Alkok.

Mona Vedadi. Photo taken by Michael Ho.

Sarah Graham. Photo taken by Ming Siu.

And finally Lia Valdez. Photo taken by Raymond Chow.

I walked for Lia Valdez, Sarah Graham and Mona Vedadi in the final PR show. Out of all four designers the biggest response I received was walking for Lia Valdez and no surprises there! Inspired by S&M wear, this talented designer "whipped" up some intricate designs using leather and spikes. The minute they brought out her designs for our group in the fittings I was immediately drawn to the hand cuff piece with it's layers of belts. I just loved the triangle of spikes in the middle and the leather piece over the mouth added to the whole look perfectly. I had never worn something like this before and I really wanted to show the emotion in the outfit as I walked. I am so happy to hear the outfit and even my walk got such high reviews. One person mentioned on Twitter, "Bondage Barbie was clearly second from right... #bestwalk #MassEx2012." That felt good and I think I may have to adopt that name, "Bondage Barbie". It was great to walk out with Lia Valdez at the end, she was really lovely to talk to(or in my case muffle through the mouth piece). I was very excited when she got an interview with Plaid Magazine at the end. Well done girl! 

The lovely designer herself, Lia Valdez. Photo taken by Michael Ho.

I also got to model for Samantha Rice previous to the show. I modeled in one of her pieces for her thesis in a group photo shoot and I must say the outfits are right out of a Haute Couture fairy tale. Still waiting on more pictures to come, very excited to see them! 

Samantha Rice's designs. I'm second on the left.

Another part of the show I was absolutely thrilled about was the ballet theme (except for the fact I did not get to walk in any of these designs, so sad). Designers Jalessa Rae French, Melanie Worobetz and Alexandra Julian all made dance inspired lines. Melanie and Alexandra went as far as actually making tutus. Back in grade 12 I tried making one of these pancake style tutus for my art ISU until I realised how skilled one must be to make these. I ultimately made just the classic, long tutu so I have a lot of respect for these two designers. Alexandra in particular said she was inspired by "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen for her collection. Her line made it into the PR show as well. I am excited to post our interview in a later entry where she will discuss all about the work process and her inspiration. Be still my ballet heart!!!

Behind the scenes in Alexandra Julian's tutus. Photo taken by Arthur Mola.

Overall Mass Exodus was such a great experience. I had a lot of fun and enjoyed watching the process from behind the scenes. Well done to all the design students, the production team, the dressers and all the students who were involved in making the show what it was. Also a big shout out to all my model friends. To the  old ones I have worked with on countless occasions (Myles... Cinnamon Challenge?! Ha!) And to all the new model friends I have made, I am sure we will run into each other again. Big congratulations again to the hair and makeup team. Well done everyone!

First three photos on top of the page taken by Michael Ho. Photo far right on top of page taken by Steve Alkok.

Photographers' websites:

Michael Ho http://www.michoho.com/

Steve Alkok http://stevealkok.com/com/

Michael Zahra http://michaelzahra.com/

Ming Siu http://www.mingsiu.com/

Arthur Mola http://arthurmola.com/

Raymond Chow http://www.raymondchow.ca/