Toronto women were pretty badass in the ’40s, but they were no match for these ladies learning to shoot in 1915. These tough broads made Harry Houdini look like a putz. Chains? They flossed their teeth with those. Typhoid Mary? They were the ones who infected her. They didn't need to drink leather — they ate it. Then washed it down with a cold glass of I don’t give a rat’s ass.
Inside designer Adrian Wu’s new Toronto studio
Known for his unconventional, intellectual and distinct point of view, designer Adrian Wu has lofty aspirations and has been pinpointed as one to watch. In 2010, after being accepted into the prestigious Istituto Marangoni fashion school, Wu did a 180, opting to open up shop in Burlington (yes, that Burlington) instead. Having recently moved to the big city, we popped into his new downtown studio space to chat with the young designer.
You recently moved from to Toronto from Burlington, where you had a store. Why the move now?
My parents live in Burlington, and my father owns the property, so it was convenient for me. But this is really where everything happens.
You’ve noted in the past that much of your success has been due to your parents’ support.
My parents are my biggest support. You don’t think of Shakespeare having a father. People will forget that my mother and father are 90 per cent of my life. I make them call me every day because they help and inspire me — such a cheesy, pretentious word — but they are in my life all the time. My mother’s influenced me with her vintage style and her constant education in how to dress; my father has done so with his realism.
You’re known for your ability to work at a rapid-fire pace. How many collections have you designed now?
I’ve done 12 collections now — four a year. That [points over to a plastic concoction in the centre of the room] took me two hours. It’s a quick process for me. I’m a firm believer in my work speaking for itself; I’ll move forward and reach a greater audience by producing a lot of work.
What do you aim to do with your work?
With my work, I love contradiction. My high school art teacher said that good art is contradiction. It makes you think.
Now that Fashion Week is far behind us, what are you currently working on?
I’m doing a collaboration with menswear designer (and recent Ryerson grad) Erin Holman and architect Christos Marcopoulos from the conceptual architecture firm studio (n-1). Marcopoulos invented this machine where the chair that you sit on absorbs the smell of a person. It’s fed through a tube and then sprayed through a [clothed] mannequin. It’s a conceptual idea of creating clothes through your smell. We’re making a very androgynous 10-piece collection filled with earthy tones and incorporating this plastic into it. I guess it’ll be interesting to see what people say about it.
You’ve gotten inspiration for past collections from the likes of Freud and Socrates. Where did you get your inspiration from for this one?
Erin Holman. You’re going to hear a lot about her soon. We’re sort of each other’s yin and yang. I met her and thought to myself, “How many women do I know that do menswear, especially in Toronto?” It’s rare. She has, again, this belief in androgyny — that gender limits fashion — and I relate to that opinion. Her work is very romantic, and it’s really interesting to see the merging of classic ‘50s with this futuristic plastic.”
Have you done any menswear in the past?
No. There’s this weird idea in society that defines this as “men’s clothing” and this as “women’s clothing.” To me, clothes are just clothes.”
In terms of designers, who do you look up to most?
Jeremy Laing. I admire him. I admire his work ethic, his credibility. I admire how he’s represented Canadian fashion in the world.
Do you hope to achieve something like that? Do you aspire to move to New York?
Let’s just say, I’m going to Paris on Monday for some business. And we’re aiming to do Berlin Fashion Week. Berlin, London….
It’s noted that you have a thing for classical music — who are you into right now?
Chopin. I can say that I’m an emotional person — to some degree. And Chopin’s music is always something that provokes thought in me. But right now, I’m listening to Beethoven.
You’re obviously known for your distinct personal style. Where do you shop — or where don’t you shop?
I shop everywhere. I shop at Walmart. It’s hilarious; I’ll buy tank tops there, and then at Fashion Week people will say, ‘Oh my God, I love that tank top!’ But I’ll shop at Holts too. Growing up, my mother would buy Burberry Prorsum, Escada, Hugo Boss, I do very much appreciate and dress in those brands. I’m very fluid when it comes to fashion—there are no rules. If I really want to buy a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti, I will; if I want to go to REmix on Queen, I will.
Toronto’s known for its food scene. Would you consider yourself a foodie?
I’m a huge foodie! People may be surprised and think that I don’t eat, but I enjoy a good steak. Some of my favourites include C5 and Sassafraz. I’m also a pub guy too — I love good beer at O’Grady’s in the Village.
Adrian Wu, 57 Elm St.
Weekend Warrior: Raekwon at AGO, SlutWalk, a gig with free pizza and Anime North
Spinmasters
Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon will be at the AGO on Saturday as part of Stylus’ It Starts With The DJ event. Alongside the Wu-Tang alumn will be producers, record label execs, local DJs and rappers such as JD Era, who will take part in panel discussions on how the DJ shaped hip-hop. Though the Spinfest Awards will take place next week, we’re crossing our fingers for a wayback playback from Raekwon. Tickets are $10.
Girl power
Some good may have come from the Toronto cop who said that women who “dress like sluts” invite sexual assaults on themselves. His misogynistic words offended just about everyone, and inspired SlutWalk, organized by several Toronto ladies. This year’s march takes place tomorrow (May 25) and aims to confront self-shaming and victimization. Dress in whatever makes you comfortable — but this is your chance to take advantage of the heatwave and march around Nathan Phillips Square in a bikini.
Nerds’ day out
Prepare for some supa kawaii Japanese pop culture this weekend at Anime North, the fan-run convention which features anime, manga, celebs, music, food and just about everything cool in Japan. From a Magic: The Gathering tournament to a human chessboard, there is something for both newbs and leets (if you dont know what that means, then you’re not one). The full weekend passes are sold out, but day passes are still available. And yes, there will be a Starcraft LAN party.
Pizza party
Need an idea for a cheap date? How about dinner and a show for less than 10 bucks? Local band, Sandman Viper Command are having a 7-inch release party at Horseshoe Tavern Friday night. If their awesome name isn't enough to sell you on the show, the rockers will be providing pizza, too. Their fuzzy garage-rock landed them opening gigs with Arkells, Holy F*ck and The Rural Alberta Advantage, so these guys are definitely ones to watch out for. Psychedelic pepperoni, anyone?
Bikes Without Borders
The Great Bike Recycle, put on by Bikes Without Borders, is this Sunday. The bike drive kicks off Bike Month, and you'll have the chance to trade in your old wheels, get a tune-up and ride along with Mike Layton (it’s called, ahem, Bike With Mike). So you'll really have no excuse not to participate in the official bike-to-work event on Monday morning.
Grab of the Week: a dangerously stylish clutch
When heading out for a night on the town, the question of safety always comes to mind. Every woman has their secret weapon (pepper spray, stiletto heels) but the key lies in something that’s easily concealed within a cute outfit. Which is where this sparkly clutch from Nine West comes into play: it could easily double as brass knuckles. And even if protecting yourself through fashion isn’t your first priority, we still think this clutch is really cool.
$85. Available at Nine West, 93 Bloor Street West, 416-920-3519
Grace Carroll is a Toronto-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in ELLE UK, ELLEcanada.com, Plaid magazine and FILLER magazine. Keep up with her daily blog at www.graciecarroll.com.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries finally heads downtown
Big news for fast-food fanatics: beloved American burger chain Five Guys Burgers and Fries is making inroads into downtown Toronto and other areas of the city. After taunting our taste buds with the opening of a Scarborough location last year, as well as a number of locations circling the outskirts of the GTA, it seems that Five Guys is finally making the big leap downtown.
According to media representative Molly Catalano, there are two new locations set to open in Toronto in the immediate future: one at Yonge and Dundas (329 Yonge St.) and another further uptown near York Mills and Don Mills (865 York Mills Rd). Catalano confirms that there is a Leaside location in the works for later in the year, possibly October or November.
The Yonge and Dundas location is slated to open its doors around mid-July, but if you can’t wait to get your fix, the uptown location will be opening in the first week of June (which is great news for us — our office is just around the corner).
CORRECTION: a previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the downtown location of Five Guys would be at Yonge and Adelaide. The correct location is at Yonge and Dundas. We regret the error.
Morning Throwback: this is what Toronto teen idols are supposed to look like
So now that Justin Bieber has announced he’s coming back to his home and native land, we think it’s fitting to remember one of Canada’s former teen idols: this guy. He had the requisite popular coif, the bright, tight smile and a swagger like no other, swimming directly after he ate and talking loudly in libraries. Of course, people like this usually have their fame collapse pretty quick and end up working part-time at PJ’s Pets or something.
Luxe & Found opens, bringing a world of bold accessories to Summerhill
The newest boutique to open its doors in the swanky Summerhill neighbourhood is Luxe & Found, selling an eclectic collection of brightly-coloured jewellery and accessories hand-picked by owner (and self-proclaimed “accessories fanatic”) Karin Thompson.
The pieces at Luxe & Found come from a variety of designers around the globe, and Thompson says that she tries to purchase from suppliers who will be largely unfamiliar to her Toronto clientele.
When we visited the space, Thompson pointed out the geographically-diverse origins of her pieces, which range from local Toronto and Montreal designers to more far-flung collections stemming from Italy, Brazil, Israel and the Netherlands. Prices of items within the store are as wide-ranging as their origins, going from as low as $20 to as high as $600.
The jewellery features mostly quirky, bold statement pieces, like a bright blue lucite necklace by New York designer Yochi ($92), and chunky bracelets dangling with a cluster of walnut-sized lucite baubles by designer Oliphant ($98). We are especially intrigued by the items by local Markham designer Laura Lee Fulham, who specializes in vintage-inspired pieces with updated colours, including a fabulous set of beaded bracelets hand-woven in gold wire ($163 for the set), and the eye-catching “tulip necklaces” handmade by Israeli designers Twoa — bright, spiky clusters of glass crystals in a variety of colours, that have a prickly, almost sea-urchin like quality to them.
And don’t worry about running in to someone rocking the same bling. Aside from the popular Twoa necklaces, Thompson tries to carry only one or two of each product, so that “each customer’s purchase is unique.”
While specializing primarily in jewellery, Luxe & Found also features bags, belts, headbands, scarves and even a selection of outerwear by New York label Gracia. The bags include JPK Paris 75's bold “bucket bags,” which come in a variety of colours and are made in either leather or the more hardy-sounding “ballistic nylon” ($165-$185).
For those in search of something more dainty, check out the collection of straw clutches by the aptly-named Straw Studios. With detailing in real leather ($75-$110) or woven cloth ($75), these funky clutches are a sure summer knockout, and Thompson says we can expect to see a lot more coming in from Straw Studios in the coming weeks.
Thompson’s enthusiasm about opening her first store is evident and her love of accessories is contagious. Holding up a thick bright orange and yellow Suzi Roher belt (on the higher range of the price spectrum, retailing for $385) she exclaims enthusiastically, “I love this! I want it.”
With the store already swarming with customers and only one or two of each piece up for grabs, we’re sure that belt won’t be around for long.
Luxe & Found, 1134 Yonge St., 647-343-9367
Band of the Week: Kalle Mattson
Kalle Mattson wrote his first album when he was 18, and his second when he was 19. A veritable triple threat, the Ottawa musician also plays a role in recording and producing his own albums. Though he started as a solo act, he has joined forces with a fully fledged folk-rock quintet for a new experimental indie-rock sound, which ranges from danceable pop tunes to lyric-heavy music that’s both mellow and disturbing (in a good way).
His sound has received nods from Canadian music elite such as Howie Beck (who has collaborated with the likes of Feist and Jason Collett), who mixed Anchors, his first full-length. Mattson’s name may not be a household one, but you’ve probably heard his music on Degrassi (arguably a rite of passage for Canadian artists) or seen his popular YouTube video, “Thick as Thieves.”
He plans to finish recording his sophomore album, Lives in Between, this year, having released the EP and six tracks earlier this month. All his albums are available for free, which means it won’t be hard to justify checking out his pay-what-you-can show with alt-country duo Old Time Machine at Supermarket tonight. Herewith, Kalle gives us details on his rise to fame and his new sound.
How would you describe your sound? It’s hard to pick just one genre.
That’s probably a good thing, I think! I don’t know — I always tend to say folk rock, because it seems to be that sort of thing, and people sort of get a general idea of what it sounds like, hopefully. But it’s sort of a blending of songwriting, hopefully in the vain of Dylan or Springsteen, and infusing interesting sounds with that and gussying up those songs.
After co-producing Anchors, did you want to take more control for Lives in Between?
Well, there’s a bunch of things that made it different than Anchors, which was our last full-length. We recorded it all ourselves. That’s probably a big one. I also co-produced Anchors, but this time it was all me. I was able to have way more freedom and time, and we were able to just try things. I write a lot of the parts, so it makes sense to follow through with that vision and to record sounds and extras that producing entails. It seems like such a natural thing.
And how did that affect the creative process?
Experimentation is a loaded word, but there was experimentation like, “Hey, I can’t wait to try this.” There was no one to tell us “bad” or tell us “no.” And then there was a lot more orchestration involved — we worked with drum machines and loops and horns, which was new. I wrote horns for a couple songs, and I wrote some string sections for the last few songs. There was a lot more in orchestrating it, and more involved in the recording of it as well. To me, that’s the biggest difference, on top of, you know, hopefully better songs [laughs].
How does playing with a band compare to playing solo?
I record the songs the same way — well, relatively speaking. All of the songs can be played with just me and the acoustic guitar. And then they sort of take a different shape and we go from there. The songwriting, to me, just got better. I wrote Anchors when I was 18, and these songs I wrote when I was 19. It doesn’t seem like a big difference in years, but to me there’s an obvious difference.
You’ve gained YouTube fame for the “Thick as Thieves” video, and won two Northern Ontario Music Awards. Does the recognition change your dynamic?
It’s changed stuff, but it hasn’t changed the way we operate or anything. There are a lot more people involved with helping me out, which is great. The Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards, we got songwriter and album for that, and we got home the next day and we immediately started working on our next record. I mean, it was great to be recognized, but for anyone outside of Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, it doesn’t really mean anything you know? [Laughs.] The video just meant for us that a lot of people heard our record.
All of your albums are available for free on your website, and some would probably think you’re crazy. What’s your motivation?
Well, for us, it just makes sense. There’s no reason for us to be charging people when we’re still trying to build fans. To make our music as easily available as possible is only the smartest decision, I think. We’re not like U2 or Metallica, where we’re about the bottom line, and our records have to sell a million dollars or we lose money. When we put our first record up, it was downloaded about 75,000 times, and that was unbelievable for us, that that many people had heard our record. If more people listen to our music, that is the absolute best thing.
I’m okay with that.
Yeah, great! I think fans are more important than money at this point in time. Maybe at some point we’ll have to charge people, but I think it’s cool. I think Trent Reznor [Nine Inch Nails] says that digital music should be free. It’s invisible; there’s no intrinsic physical product. So why not? People come to our shows and buy the vinyl because they have the digital for free.
You’re a Carleton music major, right?
Yeah, classical guitar performance.
Does being classically trained at a university level affect your outlook on music?
Maybe subconsciously. I don’t want to make music sound like math, but there are options. You’ll find that if you have a good ear, you can find it quicker because you know the theory behind it. But I don’t think studying music changed the way I write songs.
What I Wore: colour-fading greens from Koopdekour and Aldo Rise
Everything in this photo — the background walls, my hair, my outfit — is all about “the fade.” Ombre (fashion-speak for colour gradation) is no new hair trend to talk about (I recently cut off five inches of my bleached out ends) but we are not here to talk about my hair. I only mention it because looking at this photo, I now see ombre everywhere. That wasn’t planned during the shoot — we just liked the colours together.
While talking about ombre hair might be a bit passé, putting together an ombre outfit is not. For those of you who are too afraid to DIY dip dye your wardrobe (like me), I recommend trying to put together a look by shade pairing. Not sure how to do that? A good tip for beginners is to head to your local hardware store, pick out a colour you like, grab some swatches to see which shades work together, and take it from there.
This whole outfit (which reminds me of Lady Gaga’s seafoam-green hair back when) came together from wanting to wear my pieces from Koopdekour, a great new online shop based in Toronto. Even though I wasn’t entirely sure if the two worked together or not, there was just something about the pleated mint mini skirt and turquoise chiffon blouse that I loved together. Intrigued by playing with different colour tones in one outfit, I reached for the $10 sweater I’d found on a rack on Spadina Avenue on New Years Eve. I may have cropped it myself, but it came complete with the holes.
So is the outfit colour fade the new colour blocking? I think so, yes.
What I Wore: pleated mint skirt and turquoise chiffon top from Koopdekour, shoes by Aldo Rise, cropped sweater from a rack in Chinatown, sunglasses from Buffalo Exchange.
Grace Carroll is a Toronto-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in ELLE UK, ELLEcanada.com, Plaid magazine and FILLER magazine. Keep up with her daily blog at www.graciecarroll.com.
The iPad education: Should schools be encouraging kids to bring devices to the classroom?
History textbooks, pads of paper and pencils could all be relics of the past at Holy Trinity School in Richmond Hill. Over the course of the year, the school has been integrating technology into its required curriculum, and by 2012, some students will be required to bring in an iPad or Macbook Pro to class, depending on their grade.
“There’s no substitute for a paper and pencil in certain areas, but the problem is you can’t share or collaborate with another student,” says Vince Delisi, the school’s director of innovation and technology. “With technology, you can accomplish the same objectives but in a more applicable and certainly more fun way that allows individual learning.”
Holy Trinity isn’t the only school that’s experimenting with technology as a learning tool. Next September, the Peel District School Board will encourage students at 234 schools to “bring your own device” (BYOD), whether it’s a smartphone, tablet or laptop.
Currently, the Toronto District School Board allows electronic devices in classrooms at the teacher’s discretion. Although many private and independent schools are already making the digital transition, some are sticking to a traditional approach.
At the Toronto Waldorf School, technology isn’t used in the classroom until high school, and even then, it’s used sparingly. Though teachers aren’t anti-technology, the school says its program is designed to emphasize creative learning and imagination without the influence of modern devices.
“If we use computers in the classroom, it’s kind of like giving electric cars in a race — it defeats the purpose” says Todd Royer, a Grade 3 teacher at Waldorf. “We want children to really exercise their thinking and imagination. We try to bring the right thing to them at the right time.”
But distractions have always existed, with or without technology, says Paul Hatala, a tech-savvy teacher who holds technology workshops for student teachers at Brock University. “I can remember that when I got bored, I doodled or wrote a friend a note,” he says. “It’s not about the technology, it’s about maintaining the interest of the students. When a kid writes a bad word on a wall, we don’t take away the pencil.”
Toronto’s Greenwood College School believes technology enhances interaction when it’s used appropriately. Through micro-blogging, students at the school can post short questions and comments in a thread to share with one another. The online discussion provides the teacher with another venue to track how students are progressing, says Jonathan Tepper, the school’s director of information technology, adding that they’re considering bringing in even more technology next year.
“Technology is always going to be there on some level, but it needs to have a purpose or be used in a meaningful way,” he says. “Micro-blogging is very interactive because they can post questions in a discussion so each student can see where everyone is at.”
At Holy Trinity, projects can include anything from short videos to digital comic strips. Delisi says the assignments are effective because they allow students to collaborate with one another in a way that’s relevant to their lives. Usually the only time they aren’t connected to their device is the six hours spent in the classroom. “That’s crazy and it’s not the way their life is,” Delisi says. “Technology helps students learn in a way that works for them.”
Who does Toronto’s best designer doughnut? Glory Hole and Little Nicky’s duke it out
The doughnut is the latest goody to get the gourmet treatment in Toronto. Glory Hole Doughnuts, which has been selling decadent pastries by delivery, will soon open a storefront location. At Little Nicky’s, customers can watch bite-sized pastries come fresh off the conveyor belt. Who will win? You decide.
GLORY HOLE DOUGHNUTS
Owned by Ashley Jacot De Boinod. Founded 2011. 647-352-4848.
Doughnuts served:
More than 2,000.
Top seller:
The maple bacon and lemon meringue.
Cost for a dozen doughnuts:
$40-$52 — “There’s a lot of love and work that goes into them.”
Do you ever eat chain-store doughnuts?
“I do, but because I own my own doughnut business, I’ll try one just to compare.”
Most doughnuts you’ve seen eaten in one sitting?
“I've probably eaten three in one sitting.”
Any famous customers?
None.
LITTLE NICKY’S
Owned by Frank and Renee Bonise. Founded 2010. 375 Queen St. W.
Doughnuts served:
“Thousands”
Top seller:
Cinnamon sugar
Cost for a dozen doughnuts:
“Four smackers.”
Do you ever eat chain-store doughnuts?
“I’m sure we all grew up on those things. Can’t say I’ve had one in a while though.”
Most doughnuts you’ve seen eaten in one sitting?
“I made a couple hundred for a party once.”
Any famous customers?
“That’s classified.”
Morning Throwback: this Toronto woman would have owned Luke Skywalker
This photograph is clear evidence that The Force has been prevalent in Toronto for some time now. How else are we supposed to explain this woman’s uncanny balancing act? Unfortunately, this kind of sheer talent was made obsolete by the invention of “plumbing.”
