Upcycling a paper carrier bag

I really appreciated seeing the process of putting together this bag. Lots of respect for all the artisans out there.

Created by Hahns Atelier.

New York (April 12-17, 2018)

A perk of my current profession is that I can travel. In addition to having the flexibility of traveling for personal reasons, I can also travel professionally, but am not worked to the bone in these cases.
Recently, I was able to go to NYC for professional reasons. Prior to the trip, I knew that I would take some time out to indulge personally, but the ratio of personal to professional ended up being more skewed than I wanted - end of the semester burnout is real, friends!
This conference has a reputation of being so massive that it's often off-putting. But it's one of the conferences to attend, so I still wanted to go. The fact that it was in NYC this year made it extra enticing. But, I'm in the camp that typically doesn't enjoy the conference. It's just too large. It's a zoo, it's overwhelming, it just has a certain vibe that freaks me out. That being said, I did enjoy the (limited) parts of the conference that I attended. I got some ideas for things to work on in the future and some feedback about some things I working on now, so I guess that's good. So, the conference was palatable (which isn't always the case) and I also had a chance to take some time for myself.
I didn't realize until I got to NYC that I was running on fumes. I think there was one night that I slept 14 hours - and it was pretty great.What was also great was that for most of the trip, there was lovely spring weather (that we hadn't had north of the border - in fact, I missed a pretty nasty ice storm while in NYC). I took advantage of the great weather by walking. Walking a lot. I try to get to The High Line every visit I can. It's such a lovely space. But it had been a long time since I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. I'm not sure why I'd forgotten about it. It's a lovely stroll and gives great views of the skyline. I get impressed at the cyclists. To zoom across the bridge when the pedestrian traffic is intense. And most of those pedestrians are folks who aren't staying out of the cyclist lane and/or randomly stop to take pictures without first looking behind them to see who/what they will be blocking. Anyway, I'll have to make sure that I take that stroll more often.
I had looked into different museums and the exhibitions that were on display while I would be in town. Nothing really stuck out to me, so that gave me more time to do other things. Yet, I felt like I visited my own museum exhibit of sorts. Bergdorf Goodman was displaying their new collections for evening gowns. If they are not works of art, I don't know what is. In addition to appreciating the craftsmanship of the pieces, I can appreciate them for the stereotypical girly-girl factor. Dreaming of an opportunity to wear such a gown, which gown would I wear...that's pretty fun too. But really, going into Bergdorf's, Barneys and other boutiques is inspirational. How things are displayed, the combinations of pieces, the pieces themselves, it's incredible. Even just walking around the city and people watching is great. There's a different sensibility and aesthetic there.
I also decided to get one of those ridiculous instagramable treats, because, why not? I ended up going to Taiyaki NYC to get one of ice cream in a fish pastry things. I got black sesame ice cream, in a red bean filled fish, with condensed milk drizzle, and mochi and wafer topping. It was ridiculous and yummy, but ultimately not worth the hype. Ha.

And then of course, I saw shows. A bunch of shows.
The last time I was in NYC, I missed out on seeing Bette Midler (and David Hyde Pierce) in Hello, Dolly! Now, Bernadette Peters was in the starring role (with Victor Garber), and I was happy to be able to get a ticket. I enjoyed the show, but didn't love it. The singing was great, the acting was also great, but the show itself left me wanting more. I felt the plotline of the show was weak. There was just too big of a jump to the final scenes. It seemed like a show whose whole purpose was to showcase the leading performer and the story was just shoved in to try to tie things together. So, I don't know if there was anything that could have been done about it. I mean, it's not like this is a new show or anything. That being said, it was neat to have seen a legend perform. And I'd never seen that who before, so now I know.

The next show that I watched was The Band's Visit. I'm not SO into the Broadway scene that I know what the hot shows are. I typically either see shows that I know have done well in the past when they first came out so I feel that I should seen them, or check the recent Tony Award nominees and make my picks based on their lists. In this case, I was itching to see a show, and just on someone recommendation decided to give it a got. Literally, it was 5 minutes before showtime and I wanted to see a show and someone said, go to this one. And this someone wasn't even anyone that I knew. Now really a typical move that I'd make, but I'm trying to push outside of my comfort zone a bit. Apparently, this show is based off of an 2007 Israeli film by the same name (or, Bikur Ha-Tizmoret). The show was...I'm not even sure how to describe it.
The plotline is simple. An Egyptian band takes the wrong bus enroute to an Israeli town where they have been invited to play and end up in the smallest Israeli town where they have to spend the night. What happens that evening is the bulk of the show. Members of the band get split up to stay in local homes, and the stories of the locals play out and intertwine. The band members do contribute to the story, but moreso to the score. Songs start, and rather than an ensemble show band accompanying the singers, it's those band members who are onstage and those staying in other dwellings that are somehow effortlessly interwoven into the scene that join the singers. It's absolutely incredible. So, most of the band members play the role of musicians in the show, with only a couple as actors/singers.
I'm so glad that I took that leap of faith an watched the show. It was great. And, I enjoyed reading the bios of the cast. Lots of thanks of accolades, but many comments about being proud of their roots, and being part of this unique show.
I just went on the Tony Awards website and it's been nominated for 11 awards including Best Musical. Although I haven't seen the other nominees, I think this show is deserving of such accolades.

The third and final show that I saw was Hamilton. After many failed attempts to get a ticket, I somehow lucked out this time around. For the most part, still sold out, this show has been getting rave reviews since it started Off-Broadway. For all of the hype and media, I didn't know very much about the show going into it. I knew that there would be PoC and rapping. I have very little knowledge of American history. So, I learned a lot, and finally understood why it was a groundbreaking show. It was exciting, funny, tragic, impressive, thoughtful, creative, clever...I'm so glad I saw it.
While it would have been cool to see Lin-Manuel Miranda performing, the current cast was fantastic. The performance I attended had Alexander Hamilton played by an understudy and it didn't really bother me. I 'kind of' didn't like that some of the lead performers had two roles, but I guess given the scope of the show it would have required additional cast members and each only having half the stage time. I though Euan Morton, who played King George, was a highlight.

So, another successful trip to NYC. A well-timed trip to the end of the semester, allowing me to change my pace and recuperate from the year. It wasn't enough of a break though. Soon after, I totally shut down for a couple days and really vegged. I'm only starting to get back into the swing of things and am thinking about what kind of routine I want to maintain.
I've already thought about only working 4 days a week (yes, I know that I'm privileged to even entertain that idea), but I do want to be quite productive. The next year and a half will be important.

NYC

I really like NYC. My arrival coincided with a bout of warm weather. It was nice to go from winter coat and toque to mini skirt, tee, and sunglasses.
None of the current exhibitions at museums stuck out to me, so I visited my own version of an exhibition - Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys. Bergdorf's had showing of their evening gowns and if that isn't an exhibition, I don't know what is. The pieces are art. Wearable art. So incredible. I would love to own one, but I would first like a place to wear it. Not only are the items that are for sale incredible, but the people (customers and salespeople) are intriguing too.
Anyway, I walked across the Brooklyn Bridge for the first time since...the first time I came to NYC. Walked on the High Line. People watching everywhere.
I'm just taking a wee break before heading out again. Tonight, I'm seeing Hello, Dolly (Bernadette Peters and Victor Garber). I somehow got lucky and nabbed a ticket to Hamilton for Sunday. Wheeee!

New York (Dec 11-15, 2016)

Leave it to a trip back to one of the cities that gives me life to bring this blog back to life. After a moment this summer where I was feeling particularly burnt out and feeling the benefits of "getting away", I vowed that I would take breaks more often for my mental and physical health. So, in typical form, went through the semester not really taking many breaks (although maintaining a lower level of engagement throughout) and slowly coming to a point when I realized that all signs were pointing to "you need a get-away"!

So, I booked a trip to NYC and now that I've pulled off the get-away band-aid, I hope that it will be easier for me to plan get-aways in the future!
Just walking amongst the crowds was rejuvenating. Window shopping. Visiting landmarks. Snacking. It was all pretty great.
I like to snack my way through the city. With so much awesomeness in one place (including lots of things to do in the evening), I'm often reluctant to take a couple hours out of my evening to have a full sit-down meal. And, why not have multiple smaller meals/snacks throughout the day rather than limiting yourself to just three? So mini-meals consisting of macarons (Laduree), cupcakes (Baked by Melissa), smoothies and falafels (Taim), pizza and pasta (Eataly), burgers and frozen custards (Shake Shack), and add a random sprinkling of other snacks from food trucks and such.

There wasn't anything at Lincoln Center that caught my interest for this trip, but that didn't prevent me from going for a visit. It's neat that there's a hub for the arts. Makes a lot of sense. Place des Arts in Montreal is a similar idea and the city really put a lot of resources into developing the area. Well done, Montreal!
Back to Lincoln Center. One of the reasons I enjoy visiting the building is to marvel at the massive Chagall paintings that they have hanging in the foyer of the opera house. But on this day, they were covered up. I guess you've got to take care of a protect those works of art from their natural predators.

Recently opened in March 2016, the Oculus is a new building in the World Trade Center area attached to the PATH train station to New Jersey. It's is an incredible piece of architecture. Part of the building has lots of shops and connects to office towers, the train and subway system and such. One end where the main entrance to the PATH station looks like something out of a sci-fi movie with the light concrete and the white backbone structure looming above. Robotic masses of people beeping their way through the automated gates and descending to the underground train level. It was cool to watch the "spectacle".

Only steps away is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. It is a moving and informative space. The memorial is particularly moving. Seeing the two spaces previously occupied by the Twin Towers has a large impact.
There are moments in history that people tend to distinctly remember where they were and what they were doing at the time. I "think" the first of such events in my lifetime was the OJ Simpson verdict. I remember being in the cafeteria of my high school seated at that circular table in the corner that was typically occupied by cohort.

For September 11th, 2001, I remember being in my bed at my hole in the wall, rented apartment in Kingston while an undergraduate student at Queen's. I was waking up to my alarm clock (the radio) and hearing reports of the events. Still groggy from sleep, I remember hearing the news but not really processing it (although, how does one process such news?). I got up and started my day and received a phone call saying that my education class was cancelled that evening. I was confused why a class would be canceled for an event in the US and especially disappointed because this was to be my first education class of my degree. I had been waiting a long time for this class. I got ready for school and walked into a deserted campus. I remember walking through the student building and seeing news being shown on the TV screens. I was pretty confused about what was going on, but, like many people ended up spending a better part of the day in front of the TV watching updates on the event.

Being so close to the holiday season, the city was well decorated and festive. The big tree in Rockerfeller Center was much more impressive than the one in Place des Arts (sigh), and just facing, Saks had a nice music and light show. Fun times.
Holiday window displays are always incredible as well. Saks had a Nutcracker theme. Bergdorf Goodman always had something decadent. Barney's was humourous this year. And Bloomingdale's and Macy's displayed typical holiday scenes.

I was interested to walk by Trump Tower. Apparently, there are news outlets on site at all times as are the NYPD and the Secret Service. I walked by twice during my visit. Once, I think he was "home", and the other, he was not. This was evidenced by the number of black cars and ambulances parked outside the side door. Both times there were people standing on the sidewalk who wanted to make their presence known. Some were selling buttons. Some wanted to chat with passerbyers to discuss various issues. Others were speaking to whomever would listen about their perspectives.
It will be interesting to see how things continue to unfold. This is another case of an event that I'm not quite sure how to process and what its impact will be on the world.

One thing that has resulted is that citizens have posted messages on the walls of the Union Square subway station.
Some speak to the election specifically. Others to the state of the world. Still others, general messages or ones of a more personal nature/agenda.
I wonder how long the initiative will last.

I always try to see a show while I am in town. I try to see shows that I haven't seen before, and the two that were on my list for this time around were Hamilton and The Color Purple. I really wanted to see Hamilton and made it my priority. But, when tickets are sold out until August 2017 and wanting to pay face value for tickets, I resorted to waiting hours in the cancellations line. While I'm not always willing to give up hours of precious NYC time in a restaurant, I am willing to do so for the prospect of show tickets. Yet, I was unsuccessful, and instead of loosing more time in the city, for my last opportunity to catch a show, I decided to watch The Color Purple and call it a day. The show was fantastic. I'll have to go back and watch the movie again at some point. Or maybe I should read the book. Cynthia Erivo was awesome, but I think the whole cast was fantastic. There were very powerful moments in the show as there were moments for whooping and hollering and smiling and laughing. I'm glad that I was able to catch it before it closes in the New Year.

So, there you have it. A great trip, as usual. I made it to a couple sample sales (including an opportunity to wear a $7000 Marchesa gown - if only I had a place to wear the beautiful frock, I may have actually bought it!) and did a lot of window shopping. There were some beautiful bags and coats, but I returned back home empty handed. Oh, well.

Paris, France (July 18-23, 2016)

Paris is (one of) my happy place(s).
It's been five years since I've been here, and it feel like too long. I know that's such a privileged thing to say, but it's the my truth. My first and last day in the city were pretty much for recuperating or traveling, so I really only had 4 days in the city. Four days is not nearly enough.
I did lots of amazing things (might update this post in the future with pictures and more details), but here is a little recap of the highlights:

Colette - This was literally, my first stop (after checking in to my hotel). I love this shop so much. It's a lifestyle store, but for me, what I appreciate is the "curated" clothes/fashion and their presentation. Each time I go upstairs in the shop, I feel like I'm entering a gallery space. The mannequins artfully dressed, it's great. I don't really consider myself a fashion nut, but I guess I'm slightly interested in it.
I really appreciate the thoughtfulness of everything that's in the store. Whomever the buyer is does a great job. I really enjoy the fashion in the store. Touching and taking a close look at the fabric. It's art.

L'As du Fallafel - I don't tend to each much while I'm in the city. I'm too busy walking about and doing different things, that I forget to eat, or just couldn't be bothered. Or, in the summertime, when it's so hot, I usually don't feel like eating. AND, a baguette can take you a long way. I usually just pick up a couple things from a grocery store and snack on the road or back in my hotel with my feet up (my feet REALLY hurt from walking so much). But, I did go (back) to L'As du Fallafel in the Marais for some yummy falafel (hmmm, I guess there are different ways to spell it?). Their falafels (the whole she-bang, but just the falafel pieces) are massive and in my shrunken stomach state, I couldn't finish the whole thing. I ended up eating everything in the pita and then saving the pita itself for a snack a little bit later on in the day. The best part of the falafel is the roasted eggplant. So tasty.

Macarons - As I said, I don't eat a lot while in Paris, but I do always prioritize the eating of macarons. There are two companies that I get my macarons from: Laduree and Pierre Herme. They are both awesome, but different. Laduree has very classic flavours. Par example: vanille, chocolate, pistache, cafe, rose. Pierre Herme has just one or two of the classics, but really experiment with different flavour combinations. Their classic is Mogador, which is chocolate and passion fruit. They have seasonal flavours too. Their theme for the summer is Jardin Enchante, and they've got a lot of citruses and yogurts. My favourite seasonal flavour was citron vert, framboise & piment d'Espelette. It was SO good. I usually try different things each time I return to a restaurant/shop, but I actually went back to get the same flavour. I'm telling you, SO good.

Centre Pompidou - I went to the Paul Klee exhibition at the fun looking building. It really is unique. I only visited the one exhibition. I'd been to the museum before and I'm sure that I'll go again, so I didn't feel the need to visit the regular collection this time around. My brain could only handle this one exhibition.

Foundation Louis Vuitton - Opening in 2014, this was my first chance to visit this museum. It seems to show only one exhibit at a time, and I happened to be in town for "un choix d’oeuvres chinoises de la Collection". Actually, there were two exhibitions happening I suppose, as there was also the L'Observatoire de la lumiere. Both were quite fantastic. I will have to upload some pictures soon (and update this post accordingly). It is a beautiful building and says Frank Gehry all over it. If you know the new AGO building, you know what I'm talking about. Even if you're not keen on the art that's being exhibited when you're in town, I would highly recommend going to visit the building because it's pretty incredible. It really is like a sailboat plopped into a park. There is a lovely water feature beside the building which is so calming too. And with your ticket to the museum, you get admission to the Jardin d'Acclimatation.

Shopping - Of course this would be an important component of my time in Paris. Window shopping is key. When wandering Rue St. Honore and Av. Montaigne (for example), for me, it's akin to Colette. I just go into the boutiques and appreciate what's there. Paris is special for many reasons, and going to the homes of many of these designers is a treat. I was hoping to splurge on something while I was there, but while I did see many things that I liked, there wasn't one item that leap out at me or that I felt comfortable with the price. It may sounds completely ridiculous, but I wasn't in the best emotional state while I was there (due to my fatigue and such), and that negatively affected my purchasing power.

Anyway, it was pretty great to be back to Paris. And I didn't spend nearly enough time this time. I've actually been thinking a lot about vacations (I'm finishing up this post, now, two countries later - although, not completely feeling like I've had any vacation) and how I should try to make them a priority (or, at the very least, some sort of break from work/life). While in Paris, I was actually chatting with someone in a boutique, and she was telling me about all of the vacation time that the French get. That it's part of the culture. Vacations, that is. It really made me reflect on their lifestyle as compared to mine and how each culture/person values different things.

As I've said a couple times in the past little while, I'm a work in progress.

The First Monday in May

I recently went to a screening of The First Monday in May.
It was AWESOME.
The film is a document about the lead up to the 2015 Met Gala, which served as a fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute, and the opening of China: Through the Looking Glass.
I found it fascinating to get a peak into the planning of this massive event and all of the details and moving parts that are associated with it. The preparation and planning of the art exhibit was equally interesting and while I knew that curating an exhibit was a lot of work and very thoughtful, I didn't realize the scope of what mounting an exhibit entails. The amount of planning, research, consultation, marketing, promotion...the different components (e.g., lighting, staging, sound). It was so impressive.
In addition to the leading forces for the Met Ball and the exhibition, Anna Wintour and Andrew Bolton, respectively, I appreciated that there was a strong collaborative aspect to both including many talents including Baz Luhrmann and Wong Kar Wai, respectively.
And of course the fashion. The fashion throughout the movie was fantastic. Everything from the day to day clothes that every person on screen was wearing (I had a major "a-ha!" moment when I found out who Andrew Bolton's partner was), to the beautiful pieces in the exhibit, and the pieces worn to the gala. I had some serious clothing/style envy.
From beginning to end, I thought the film was well done. Of course the subject matter appealed to me, but I thought the narrative of the film and cheeky little moments (hint: dragon lady) were spot on.
So yeah, if you can, go watch the film.

- picture courtesy of www.firstmondayinmay.com

Fashion...not first.

I can't believe it. I put function before fashion.
I don't really like hoods on coats. I like some of them, with those big fur trims (but it's got to be the right trim, I'm very particular) because it just looks so luxe.
The new winter coat that I bought this year came with a hood. I immediately took it off. But, about a month ago, I put the hood back on. And I pretty much put my hood up every day. It's horrific. Buuuuut, it's warm. I tried to look for a hat (as a hood alternative), but I couldn't find one that I liked (fashionable...and functional). So instead of dishing out some cash for a new (functional, not fashionable) hat, I resorted to attaching my (functional, not fashionable) hood back to my coat.
Sigh.

Fashion Art Toronto (April 23, 2014)

I've always wanted to attend a fashion show and this past year, I had the opportunity to attend Fashion Art Toronto. I didn't really know what to expect other than what you see through media outlets. I knew that FAT was more the 'alternative' fashion week, but what that really meant, I wasn't sure. I figured I probably wouldn't have heard of any of the designers, but that didn't really matter too much to me. Sure, I think it would be cool to attend a show for a fashion house/label that was more established or in the mainstream, but that would have to wait for another day.
I attended the show entitled Grit/Glamour (line-up here) which of course I also had no idea what that would entail. Looking back, I guess the designers showing that night did fall into one of the two descriptors, but I could argue that many (if not all) of them could have also shown at the other nights. But what do I know.
I had such a fun time. It was exactly what I expected. Cool music, interesting outfits, models strutting their stuff. Lots of flashes, phones, and people dressing to impress. It was a spectacle both on and off the runway.
I loved the bright lights, white catwalk, upbeat music. I loved seeing the hoard of photographers at the end. I was intrigued at how many people in the audience were taking notes, and of course multitasked watching the runway and watching their phones. I know that people were snapping pictures (myself included, but I did it old school with a camera), live-tweeting, messaging, and/or blogging.
Most of the fashion on the runway didn't appeal to me. I would say my favourite of the night was Zoff, by Michael Zoffranieri. His collection (and show) seemed more polished compared to the rest.
I was a little surprised by the models. Many of the shows didn't have the traditional, super-skinny model. I learned that this was more of a FAT thing, using models who were of course beautiful, but not just fitting one body type and appearance. A second point that I noticed was that many of the models didn't seem to have that traditional, stomperella, catwalk-walk. In fact, there were quite a few models who walked quite awkwardly. I'm not sure if it was a lack of experience, uncomfortable footwear, or perhaps some weird intentional sauntering...but whatever it was, I wasn't feeling it.
I spent a lot of the night people-watching. It was so amusing. I quickly realized that many people in the audience were in fact there to be watched. People were there to attract press/publicity. There were models hoping to get their names further out there, folks hoping to appear on street-style blogs, and social-scenesters who needed to make an appearance for whatever reason. I was happily and naively seated in the front row, loving my unobstructed view but at first, not fully realizing just how great of a seat I had. That not only my row placement, but the seat placement in said row was an indicator of status or something like that. Oh, to be a +1 of someone important. It was interesting watching people get shuffled around in their seats between shows depending who was showing, who left partway through the night, or who arrived late. It was so fun learning about the who's who in the 'scene'.
It was "Absolutely Fabulous" (get it?) and I hope I get to attend another show in the future!

Huh?

Was I supposed to be flattered when the saleslady asked me if the shoes that I wanted to try on were for my school uniform? Or was it some sort of dig at my taste in footwear?

Just a guess

I'm thinking that the lady that I saw on the bus this morning wearing all-black might work at Burberry. I mean, I was also wearing an all-black outfit (shocker!), but my outfit didn't consist of Burberry wellies, a Burberry blazer, a Burberry purse, and a Burberry coin purse. I mean, I can't be entirely sure because she wasn't carrying a Burberry umbrella and her black sequined scrunchie (that's right, I said scrunchie) most definitely wasn't from Burberry, but the rest of her outfit looked very Burberry boutique salesperson-esque (I wonder what word they use to refer to themselves in Burberry-land).

Art of Packing

I've been seeing this everywhere on the internet in the last little while. Some interesting little tips and tricks, even if you don't own any LV.

Hmm...

"Many men admire strong women, but they do not love them..."
- Elsa Schiaparelli

The Little Black Jacket

Behold, the iconic little black jacket from Chanel. When I attended the traveling 2.55 exhibition that was in the city a couple years ago, I was amazed at the details and craftmanship of the bag. I was also impressed at the care that the company took at putting together the exhibition and the representation that they sent along with it from France. I'm sure The Little Black Jacket exhibition would be just as fun. It would be great if it came to the city. I doubt it would, though. Sigh.

No no no no no!

A very well followed blogger recently did a collaboration with a company whom I've been lusting over their products for quite some time. And I think the company isn't in the mainstream yet (it might never get there because of their price point, but I would argue that Hermes, for example, is in the mainstream even though they are at a price point that isn't attainable to the mainstream market) but because I'm selfish, I want as few people to think that they're the next "it" company, or "cool" brand to own or whatever. I mean, their stuff is gorgeous and of course people will fall in love with the company, but when I eventually own something from there myself (trust me, I've tried...it's been a crazy adventure) I don't want to be "yet another girl with a ____ bag". If I stay in Canada, it'll be a little easier for me as they don't really have any retailers in the country and, well, ummm, Canadians take a lot longer to jump on bandwagons, but the point is, I don't want there to be a bandwagon. I'm a snob! I don't want to be one of the masses!
 I care way too much about these things. Essentially, I'm convinced that their stuff is gorgeous and I will own something from the fashion house in the future, and I will be intrinsically satisfied with what I own, but I believe that many people pass judgement (I'm not being hypocritical here, I know that I do the same!) based on visible things and I don't want this brand to get to the point where people can pass judgement with a different lense. Oh gosh, I really read into these things way too much.

Louis Vuitton - Larger than Life

This is a pretty cute series by the folks at Louis Vuitton.

Jige bag

Qui veut une pochette Hermes? Voila!

Massimo Dutti

There will soon be a Massimo Dutti store in the city! This was my Club Monaco when I lived in Europe. I wonder what the response to the store will be in North America?
For those who don't know much about the Inditex group, it's actually similar to the Gap group. The Gap group has (among others) Banana Republic, Gap, and Old Navy in a hierarchy of sorts. Inditex has Massimo Dutti, Zara, and a couple others that I would put at the same level as Old Navy. They include Bershka, Stradivarius, and Pull and Bear.
Anyway, because I'm selfish and I sort of want to keep some European things in Europe so that I can go to my 'special' places whenever I go back, I'm not entirely sure if I'm happy that the store will be coming so close to home.
Alas. These are not the things I should be too concerned about.

Canvasco in Canada!

I have been waiting five years, but Canvasco finally has a retailer in Toronto! While on the beloved 510 a couple weeks ago, I spotted what looked like Canvasco messengers in the window of DeSerres, just south of Richmond. It wasn't until last night that I walked by the shop to confirm that they were indeed Canvasco bags! Awesome!
A German company, Canvasco is mostly known for their accessories made out of sails from boats. They also have a line that uses fur and these look so luxurious. I think I've only spotted one or two Canvasco bags on the streets of Toronto since I've moved back from Europe and I definitely haven't seen them anywhere else in North America. I didn't get a chance to take a look at the price point here in the city, but it's not the cheapest bag in the world. I could see folks who like Frietag products maybe being interested in these bags. The material makes it is a little less 'bike messenger', but I think the fact that they have unique patterns will help. Every time I wear mine, I will get a compliment or at least someone asking about it. The mega-wide strap and intense metal buckle get a lot of attention. The designers clearly put a lot of thought into designing the bag. The pocket in the interior of the flap of the messenger is seemingly upside down, but in fact, is absolutely right side up for when you are wearing the bag and to access the pocket you have to pull the flap open so that it's...upside down. Genius.
The fact that it's being sold through an art supply shop could signal their chosen demographic. I'm interested to see if the brand will do well here in the city.
Anyway, it's quite clear that I love their products. It took me a couple years to 'find' my Canvasco. I hope Torontonians will also be able to find their own Canvasco, and although I'm so happy that they've come to the city, part of me is sad that I have to share this fabulous brand with the rest of the world.
When I bought my Canvasco in Europe, there wasn't any packaging or anything, but in the DeSerres window, they seemed to be placed in Freitag-like cardboard drawers. That was slightly disappointing to see, but I guess they're trying to take advantage of the success of their Swiss counterparts.
Anyway, Toronto is always late on the trends, but I'm still pretty stoked to see a familiar name come to town!

Awesome sauce

Seriously.
And I know that the Rocco is for the younger crowd, but this is beyond.

A Field Guide to the American Male Peacock

Ha ha ha ha ha. Is this an April Fool's joke?