What the Fashion Tweeps are Saying: May 4

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Every week, we gather our favourite tweets from in and around Toronto’s fashion scene.

In this edition: A last-minute shopping spree at the Beckerman Bite Plate pop-up shop, Roger Vivier at the Bata, and inspirational tweeting from British Vogue.

Quick! Today is your last chance to check out the Beckerman Bite Plate pop-up shop at H&M. @Flarefashion’s got all the deets you need:

Toronto To-Do: Stop by @HMCanada at Dundas Square and shop with @BeckermanBlog this Thurs/Fri! https://bit.ly/JlHENN

Fashion nerd alert: The Mulleavy sisters of Rodarte are coming to @TheHudsonsBayCo — in person! Thank you @NicholasMe!

"The Room" @TheHudsonsBayCo presents @Jeanne_Beker in Conversation with Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy. Thursday May 24th, 12:00-1:30pm.

Roger Vivier is coming to the Bata Shoe Museum, and our fave greeting card company, Eighty Seventh ST, has created an exclusive line just for the exhibit. This from @batashoemuseum:

Another @batashoemuseum #Vivier sneak peek! Can u guess the inspiration? Hint: it might make u #Buckle at the knees 🙂 https://pic.twitter.com/WklLR5iU

Tory Burch has just landed in Toronto! The store doesn’t open until tomorrow, but Nelia Belkova of @styleblogca is already shopping:

This @toryburch bucket bag is too cute! Should I get it? #toryintoronto https://instagr.am/p/KNA7bRvf0W/

We love @BritishVogue for taking a break from inspiring us with designer clothing, to inspire us with some of the world’s most amazing women:

From @Beyonce to Madonna, @MichelleObama to The Queen — see the 100 women who inspire us: https://bit.ly/IOMRRh

Speaking of inspirational women, meet @Jeanne_Beker in person this weekend and get a signed copy of one of her books:

Signing my books "Strutting It" and "Finding Myself in Fashion" at the ANTM live show at Metro Toronto Convention Centre tomorrow [May 5] at 11:30 am

Tony Aspler’s Weekly Wine Pick: Vignerons de Bel-Air, Eté Indien Brouilly, 2012

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Bring on the May Beaujolais! This named village Beaujolais is really well priced. Deep purple in colour, it has a lifted nose of cherry and spices. It’s medium-bodied with a dry, cherry and plum flavour supported by the thread of minerality and powdery tannins.

Food match: Ham and charcuterie.

$15.95. LCBO Vintages #159749

Tony Aspler is Post City magazine’s wine columnist. He has written 14 books on wine and food and also created the Ontario Wine Awards. He can be heard on 680News.

Morning Throwback: in the ’40s, Toronto house pets were a blast

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Behold: the wondrous act of Sad-Sad the Cat and Screech the Dog! These cute critters ruled the carnival scene in the ‘40s with their stupefying cannon ball feat.

But, as with all great daredevils, their act had a twist: once the wick was lit, spectators would become antsy at the thought of these two adorable creatures being shot into the air, so, inevitably, one of them would climb up to the cannon to “save” them. However, once the animals were out of harm's way, it would be too late for the human to jump off, so they, in turn, would become the human cannon ball.

And they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Weekend Warrior: Intergalactic Star Wars Day, The Tequila & More Show, Toronto Global Marijuana March and more

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May the fourth be with you

Jedi masters and Sith lords will unite on May 4, otherwise known as Intergalactic Star Wars Day. No, it's not a tremor in the Force — they'll be teaming up to support young Padawans and the SickKids Hospital Foundation at the Toronto Underground Cinema. Chad Vader and his gang will be there to sign autographs and talk laser checkout systems. Of course, no Star Wars gathering is complete without a costume contest, further evidence that all hope is not lost with younger generations. Major cool points for tots in Ewok costumes (we don't know why the furry critters are always given such a bad rap — they were vital to the rebellion, after all).

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila…

You won't want to hit the floor for this one. The Tequila & More Show at the Metro Convention Centre this weekend is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: an opportunity to learn about and sample spirits derived from the blue agave plant. Thirsty Torontonians will be able to taste resposado, anejo, joven abocado and more, which we expect will taste just as delicious as they sound rolling off the tongue. Also in attendance: the Liquid Chef Junior Merino, who will no doubt be mixing up a fiesta storm.

Rock.Paper.Sistahz

B.Current's Rock.Paper.Sistahz festival is an annual celebration of female artists of colour. This year marks its 10th anniversary, which means the art, dance, music, theatre and spoken word showcase will also feature a fashion show, Soul Train tribute and dance party. The empowering festival runs until May 11, and kicks off this Friday night at Artscape Wychwood Barns with the Little Dresses for Africa fashion show, and an improv performance. The best part? It's pay-what-you-can, but the $10 suggested donation will be well-worth it.

Herbal essences

We're still hazy from a few weeks ago, and Toronto's streets won't be getting any clearer this Saturday. The 14th Annual Toronto Global Marijuana March is expected to have some 20,000 cannabis supporters walking the streets of Toronto to celebrate granola culture. Toronto is just one of more than 100 cities participating worldwide, organized by The Herb, who emphasizes that the event will remain safe, clean and peaceful. The march down Yonge Street starts on Charles Street, near Queen's Park, and begins at high noon. How fitting.

Vintage vinyl

Sunday morning, Gladstone Hotel will be hosting Flipside — the DJ & Collectors Vintage Record Sale. If you didn't get your vinyl fix on International Record Store Day, now is your chance to score some indie goodies on the cheap. With more than 20,000 records, be prepared to dig through piles upon piles of disco, soul, funk, psychedelic rock and very rare tuneage. Bonus: every Sunday, the Gladstone's Melody Bar also hosts a family-friendly brunch with local folk musicians. Bacon and bluegrass, anyone?

Grab of the Week: a T-shirt that keeps it local

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We are feeling fairly confident that real summer is just around the corner, even with all the backwards weather we’ve been dealing with lately. So what does that mean? It’s time to open up the T-shirt drawer and refresh! But this is easier said than done if you are a Torontonian who supports “keepin’ it local.” American Apparel? Obviously not. Haines? Not sure where you would even find the brand anymore. Also, neither adheres to our locally-rooted beliefs.

Luckily, however, we have found Clothing Brand Experiment, a Toronto-based unisex basics line that is committed to sustainable and ethical production. So committed, in fact, that each and every one of its products is exclusively made in a 50 km-radius of its downtown studio. Can you get much more local than that? We don’t think so. What’s even better is that the line’s prices rival even its biggest competitors, and it offers a selection that goes beyond just the basic white tee.

$36-58. Available at Clothing Brand Experiment’s online store

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.

Say goodbye to Fifth Town Artisan Cheese

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After four years in business, the award-winning Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Co. has closed up shop. Once thought to be one of Ontario’s most successful dairies, Fifth Town provided cheese for some of Toronto’s hottest eateries, such as Auberge Du Pommier, George and Jamie Kennedy Kitchens. Founder and former CEO Petra Kassun-Mutch made the announcement via Facebook yesterday.

Kassun-Mutch tells us that the company, which began operations in 2008, had been experiencing financial difficulties for quite some time. Though the annual revenue had reached $1.4 million after two years, Fifth Town was still not making enough money to cover costs. At the same time, it couldn’t satisfy the demand for its cheese and had no luck acquiring much-needed capital from investors.

“This was never designed to be a Saputo,” Kassun-Mutch says. “It was supposed to be a community business.”

Kassun-Mutch stepped down from her post as CEO last August when her former partner and ex-husband decided it was time to sell off the company.

Her ex-husband had little success in finding a buyer, and Fifth Town laid off its final eight employees yesterday and closed its doors for good.

“It takes five to seven years to make a business like this work,” she says. “It’s not something you should start unless you have the stomach to wait.”

Kassun-Mutch maintains that Fifth Town was an inspiration in the industry, particularly in its commitment to sustainability and staying as green as possible. The dairy itself was powered, in part, by a windmill and eight solar panels, as well as using underground concrete caves to keep the cheese cool rather than expensive refrigerators.

“You have to try new things in order to move forward. It was a good business, it just needed more time and more capital.”

Update (May 4): Fifth Town’s interim president, Christine Legein, has said that the company has not closed down, but has indefinitely suspended production of its cheeses for the wholesale market while it attempts a restructuring. Its Prince Edward County retail outlet (4309 County Rd. 8, Picton, 613-476-5755) remains open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays selling Fifth Town’s stockpiled inventory.

H&M teams with fashion icon Anna Dello Russo

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H&M collaborations are nothing new these days, so the retail giant is stepping things up by teaming with flamboyant style beacon and Vogue Nippon Fashion Director Anna Dello Russo.

Known for her tendency to sport what can only be described as wearable art, Dello Russo has designed a collection of accessories — including shoes, purses, sunglasses and jewellery — that has all been inspired by items in her own home.

Margareta van den Bosch, H&M’s creative advisor, says the collection will be a “celebration of excess, fantasy and decoration.”

In a statement from H&M, Dello Russo acknowledged that this was the first collaboration with a fashion director, rather than a designer, and said, “This is the sign of an important evolution in fashion, and I am both thrilled and humbled to be the one chosen to lead it.”

Anna Dello Russo for H&M will hit stores on Oct. 4

Five must-see exhibits at the Contact Photography Fest

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The 2012 Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival has opened, bringing photographic arts to every corner of the city. The theme of this year’s event — the 16th and biggest so far — is “public,” and the organizers promise an exploration of urban centres and those who occupy them.

Over 1,000 artists from nearly 200 different countries are putting their works on display throughout the city, leaving fans hard-pressed to see everything. So, here are a few priority exhibits that are worth seeking out out.

Public: Collective Identity/Occupied Spaces

Tarek Abouamin, Ai Weiwei, Philippe Chancel
Three of the world’s most influential photographic artists come together in one exhibition to provide a trio of original takes on the “public” theme, ranging from profound to provocative to irreverent. French photographer Philippe Chancel brings his catalogue of extremely rare photos from North Korea, which he has accumulated by gaining access to the country four times since 2005. Meanwhile, Tarek Abouamin’s often-graphic glimpses into the Egyptian revolution highlight the price of democracy, and Ai Weiwei’s self-portraits of the contemporary Chinese artist giving the finger to global monuments provide some lighter viewing while still offering his own political slant.

Philippe Chancel

Tokyo Compression

Michael Wolf
Wolf focuses his lens on those within the urban centre as he presents a collection of head shots from cramped, uncomfortable transit riders on congested Tokyo subways. The smushed-against-the-glass faces have a comical quality to them, but also provide an evocative, vivid look at the less glamorous aspects of the urban living experience.

Album

Max Dean
The interactive component to the fest comes from local artist Max Dean, who, along with colleagues from the Art Gallery of Ontario, has compiled 600 photo albums over 15 years, all of which he will be handing out throughout Contact. Riding in his signature 1966 Volkswagen Beetle, Dean will be passing his work on to photography lovers across the city who can “give the albums new life.” “I’ve come to realize that these albums had a collective identity and belonged to something,” says Dean. “We hope that those who inherit the collections can be their new narrators and ascribe new meaning to the photographs.”

Afghanistan

Larry Towell, Donovan Wiley
Perhaps the most bold and emotional exhibit at the festival, “Afghanistan” is a joint effort between Canada’s Larry Towell and Britain’s Donovan Wiley in which they examine the considerable collateral damage felt within the war-torn region. The collaboration between the two men creates a stark juxtaposition, setting Towell’s intimately personal black-and-white portraits of affected Afghan people against Wiley’s eerie, large-scale photos of vacant military posts. Towell’s shot of a young girl missing her left arm is particularly chilling and vivid.

Larry Towell

Nothing Is Hidden

Lynne Cohen
Cohen’s photos of bare, public spaces offer a unique look at the same areas that are often taken for granted by those who venture through them on a regular basis. The images force a re-imagining of what appear to be ordinary spaces in order to understand and appreciate their majestic qualities which have been uncovered by the 2011 Photography Award winner and Montreal native’s lens.

Contact Photography Festival runs throughout May

Lavish & Squalor gets an espresso bar

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Queen Street’s boho clothing shop Lavish & Squalor revealed its most buzz-worthy addition since waxed cotton and dry denim last week: City Bar. It’s an espresso bar on the upper floor that boasts a selection of artisanal drinks that aren’t readily procured at other coffee shops.

Coffee “cocktails” include the Cafe Miel (espresso, steamed milk, cinammon and honey) or the Dirty Chai (espresso and chai tea, with the option of steamed milk). City Bar also plans to offer loose leaf teas and take-home coffee beans.

In a nod to the store’s hipper-than-hip vibes, you’ll also be sipping City Bar’s creations from authentic French Duralex glasses (while perusing caridgans, of course).

City Bar had a pre-opening party last Friday, but prices and official opening hours are still in the works.

As for those who feel the “bar” moniker is a little misleading, fret not: Lavish & Squalor offers complimentary libations of the boozy variety during its weekly Friday and Saturday Cinq à Sept.

Now that’s what we call service.

City Bar, 253 Queen St. W., 416-599-4779

Morning Throwback: mermaids existed in Toronto?

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Remember the movie Splash? Well, Daryl Hannah's enchanting character, Madison, was probably based on this mysterious woman, who we imagine was called "Cordelia." Like the character in the movie, Cordelia probably rescued boys and young men from the shores of Sunnyside Beach in the early 1900s.

The men must have sworn that Cordelia had a long, mermaid-like fin when she swam underwater and that once on land, her fin would dry up and sprout legs. Of course, people would have attributed these rumours to heat stroke and "too much water in the ears," but they would have explained why Cordelia disappeared in the summer of 1916 along with a singing crab.

York Mills & the DVP recommended for new arena

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A city staff report has recommended the northwest corner of York Mills Road and the Don Valley Parkway (DVP) as the preferred site to build a replacement facility for Don Mills Civitan Arena.

Currently, the arena is located at 1030 Don Mills Rd., near the Shops at Don Mills. It will be closed down in 2020 to make way for a new community centre to be constructed by Cadillac Fairview as part of a land swap with the city.

As part of an Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) settlement, Cadillac Fairview will be required to put at least $4.5 million toward the construction of a replacement arena that will have two or three ice pads.

The total cost is pegged at $20 million — meaning the city will be required to finance the balance. A public-private partnership has been contemplated as a way of doing this in the city staff report. The city plans to have the arena up and running by the time the current one closes.

Other sites being considered by city staff are Don Mills Road and Highway 401, the Ontario Science Centre and Windfields Park. The Don Mills Road and Highway 401 location was nixed because it lacked direct access from the highway, and the Ontario Science Centre location was found to be too small.

Windfields Park presented other problems, including anticipated opposition from neighbouring homeowners and restrictions placed on the use of the land.

Terry West, president of Don Mills Residents Inc., said his association doesn’t think York Mills Road and the DVP is the appropriate site for the replacement ice pad.

“It’s not in Don Mills,” West said, suggesting that the proposed location was too far removed from the community it’s intended to serve.

He pointed out that the area is already served by Fennside Arena.

North York Community Council voted to defer consideration of the preferred site to its June meeting.

These burglars picked the wrong house

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Some would-be burglars made the opposite of a cool getaway when they failed to break into the Bayview Avenue and York Mills Road area home of Joel Matlin, president of AlarmForce Industries Inc. Using evidence gathered by the same home security system his company sells, Matlin assisted in the arrest of three men in connection with the attempted break-in. They were also charged with nine break and enters around the Greater Toronto Area.

While he was away in Florida, Matlin said, he was notified via smartphone that someone was at the front door of his local home. He didn’t recognize the person, so he notified police and forwarded them three images that the video relay system had captured. He then called his stepson Robbie, who went by to investigate, and then stayed the night at the residence. Robbie was awoken after 4 a.m. when the security system announced the phone line had been cut. Two suspects were at the door, attempting to kick it in. In total, five suspects surrounded the house. The suspects fled when Robbie turned on the lights and made noise.

“It puts me in the situation of our subscribers and it allows me to know the feeling of vulnerability,” Matlin said of the experience. “The other great thing is to know that three out of the five of the guys have been apprehended.”