Art, a good cause, free booze and one of Toronto’s most stylish fashion labels = a great party attended by T.Os who’s who.
by Daniel Wilson

Shown from left: Daniel Wilson, Robin Kay, Evan Biddell, Leesa Butler

The Bustle team gathered at the painfully chic Hotel Le Germain to auction off nine Belvedere Vodka commissioned duffle and messenger bags designed by local, independent artists. Proceeds from the auction went to benefit SKETCH, a fantastic organization that helps street involved youth make art.

Ms. Robin Kay sashayed in fashionably late to show some love and festivity with wild hair and a halo (she also brought a wad of cash which she was more than happy to drop for charity).
Leesa Butler of The F-List was wowed by the bag with the cat on it but said “I absolutely do not need another bag!” We talked about usable storage ideas that every fashionista needs like a fish tank coffee table filled with bags. Glen Baxter and I talked about the summer joys of bike riding in The Beaches while designer Evan Biddell and Robin talked shop.

Si Si Penaloza from Woman.ca summed up the collaboration perfectly, “Sean and Ruth (of Bustle) make perfectly accessible and broad-ranging clothing that suits our demographic. Its wonderful how they tap into undiscovered artists and talent.”

The Belvedere cocktails with cranberry and RedBull went down a little to quickly but thankfully the National Post’s Shinan Govani was no where in sight to record anything embarrassing.

The bags were commissioned by Belvedere to launch their new IX (pronounced one-x) vodka. The artists – Tommy Matejka, Andy DeCola, Carla Lipkin, Stanzie Tooth, Erica Beyea, Mitchell F. Chan, Jonathan Davis, Mike Laderoute, and Carmine Scioscia – were each given a blank canvas pattern and hot pink paint matching the graffiti on the vodka’s opaque black bottle.