Dean Drever’s Bear Hunt @ The Toronto Sculpture Garden (King St, east of Church St)
Acid-orange bears move in communion, towards a wall and then disappear signifying transition, migration, change and loss. Exhibit by Alberta College or Art & Design, Toronto-based artist Dean Drever.
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
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.
by Daniel Wilson
Caitlin Cronenberg was the belle of the ball at CONTACT photography festival fundraiser recently at the Burroughs Building. As the guest artist of the party she was showing dresses she sewed herself (with some admitted difficulty), printed with her photographs of Canadian women in the arts. The photographs were part of a project created in designer Rosemarie Umetsu’s basement where local figures in the arts played dress up and climbed in a eight by three foot wooden cage built by Cronenberg and dressed with fabric. The results were fabulous and as powerful as the women in the photos. Visit www.caitlincronenberg.com as soon as you can.
Continuing with the obvious photography theme of the event, famed local photographers Alex vs Alex created a mini photo studio where guests got the chance to be styled by the incomparable Kealan Sullivan of 69 Vintage and shot by AlexvsAlex (www.alexvsalex.com). As people mingled, the photos were projected on one of the walls and everyone waited anxiously to see how fierce they looked.
And with a handful of very noticeable exceptions the guests did look fierce. Toronto dj superstar and single name celeb Vaneska looked ravishing in a vintage print dress bought just that day. Fritz Helder and The Phantoms prowled the party like a gang of wildcats escaped from Karl Lagerfeld’s personal zoo. Kealan breezed through the party as effortlessly as always making everyone question why they weren’t wearing what she was and if they could ever possibly look as good in it. The celebrity wattage was upped by the early appearance of one of my art heros David Cronenberg, looking every bit A Director.
Thanks to Morad Affifi for pulling off a fantastic event that may have been the pre-Fashion Week break from hibernation this city needed. It was so refreshing to see people out and dressed up again, recession be damned.
For more information and details on the 2009 CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival, May 1-31, visit www.contactphoto.com
Photos from last month’s Fantasy Fashion Show #11 @ Gallery 1313
Photographer Matthew Trotter
by Coko Galore
Shopgirls Gallery Boutique quaintly sits in the heart of Parkdale Village featuring Canadian and local Toronto designer wares, ranging from clothes to small dolls. As part of Toronto’s recent Nuit Blanche event, owner Michelle Germain celebrated the work of long-time Canadian fashion illustrator and artist Frederick Watson.
Watson has been painting since the 50s – and caught attention with his fashion-inspired posters in the 60s (some of the pieces displayed at Shopgirls are originals from that time). His paintings of women, mostly drawn from memory, are glamourous and nostalgic – and are hot commodities in the local scene.
The collection will be on display and available for sale from October 2nd to October 31st, 2008 exclusively at Shopgirls, 1342 Queen Street West.
By Susie Love
Fashion, art, cocktails, glue, scissors, feathers and loads of laughter followed the crowd from my central studio down to Queen West Gallery, Casuccio. Our surrealist hat party brought together some of Toronto’s independent artists and fashionistas – all to design their own unique statement hats to wear down to the Queen St. art crawl. Everyone had fun creating wearable sculptures that suited their individual style and taste. The party was a massive success! Guests included: pshychotherapist/artist Ariel Garten, fashion illustrator, Danielle Meder, editor/stylist, Carollee Custus and four-year-old budding artist Dylan Allan.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON!
by Siya Chen
Amidst the tragedy of the Queen West fire, Radiant Dark premiered last night with a great party at the Burroughes Building ’round the Bathurst corner, celebrating a new page of Canadian modern design while collecting donations for our fellow Queen West fire victims.
Curated by MADE’s Shaun Moore and Julie Nicholson, the exhibit brought together the highest quality works of Canadian emerging modern designs all under one roof.
In this 6,000-square-foot space, you can find 70 pieces of unique designs, such as Andre Ooi’s Origami pendant light, Jonathan Sabine’s beaded shaped lamp, also strikingly organic yet modern pieces of wood like Agostinis & Harrison’s “Where Does Lumber Come From, Mommy?” – a bench with its carved plank seat emerging from a raw walnut stump. Oh, and Brit Olauson’s “Flow” – a rocking chair that got our guests rocking at the party.
Most designs showcased at Radiant Dark are available for sale. If you fall in love with what you see in Radiant Dark, MADE is open all year around with new shows and new works on a monthly basis to keep you “wowing” and “wooing” for Canadian designs.
Radiant Dark is running through Feb 27, Mon-Sat Noon-7 p.m. Sat Noon-5 p.m, @Burroughs Building 639 Queen Street West (at Bathurst) Free admission.
Made is located at 867 Dundas St. West.
by Siya Chen
For all of you fashionable and design-minded individuals, MADE is open for longer hours for your last minute shopping this holiday season. Visit MADE and pick up a small or big piece of uniquely CANADIAN design. Be it the magnetic utensil holder, funky cushions, or crazy fun milk crate table. Knowing that all products at MADE are designed and made by fellow Toronto and Canadian designers, shopping at MADE is a truly rewarding shopping experience!
MADE, 867 Dundas St. West
