Three Wise Monkeys

June 17, 2014November 11, 20141 Comment

I don’t talk about dance much on here, for whatever reason. It’s a huge part of my life, however. I’ve been dancing since I was 3 yrs old, and when most kids were hanging out with their friends after school and on weekends, I was at the dance studio, in the classes I had every night and rehearsing the many, many competitive dance routines I was in each year. Dance has been the most consistent thing in my life – I’ve just always been doing it. I’m not sure I’ve ever really mentioned what it is exactly that I do. I started training quite young in ballet – which I’ve posted about before – that’s where it all began. I’m trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip hop and contemporary. My main and most loved style is contemporary, but since moving to Toronto several years ago, I do a lot of hip hop, which I guess is my other main style. I’m trying to figure out a way to incorporate my dance things into this space. I’m in the very very beginning stages of starting a new project with a dear friend who I have been dancing with for several years now. It’s something I’m really excited about, and will be something I can share with all of you since it will be mostly “web-based”. Dance is very much my art, and I keep it very close to my heart, but I think I want to open up a bit and allow others into that world (not just those very close to me).

These photos are from a piece I was in called ‘Three Wise Monkeys’, choreographed by my amazing friend and dance mama, Shameka Blake, and danced with two really truly amazing & inspiring dancers, Alvin Collantes and Chantelle Mostacho. Photographs by E.S. Cheah.

Into It, Intimates / Fortnight Lingerie SS’14

June 13, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

Most intimates I own I have either thrifted or found at a vintage shop, but I have to say, good quality vintage under garments are not easy to come by. So I began to look for intimates that looked and had a vintage feel, but were actually new. Enter, Fortnight Lingerie, designed and manufactured here in Toronto (416 represent!) and the first independent brand of lingerie that I owned a lovely brassiere and pantie set from. Fortnight sort of began my obsession of searching for other independent lingerie brands with a similar aesthetic. Fortnight has a lovely, soft feminine vibe with incredibly durable craftsmanship. You can really wear their lingerie. When I wear my set, I never feel like they might get damaged. That’s important to me. While I own plenty of delicate intimates that I love dearly, they are mostly for show. Both are good, but if I am going to pay a pretty penny for a garment, I want it to be worth it, ie., get it’s wear and not fall apart in the process. The great thing about this brand is that it’s the sort of intimates you can wear under your clothing quite comfortably, but they have some great brassiere with enough coverage and cool color combinations that, if you so choose, you could wear a shear top and treat the bra as an outfit detail. It’s simple, feminine, quality pieces with just the right amount of interesting detail. I’ll always be a fan of this brand, not only because of my affinity to Toronto-made garments, but because you can really trust in the love and care that goes into each piece.

My favourites (from the newest collection): Luna Longline Champagne set, Vega Triangle Bra, Vega Longline Sky set, Mira Longline Peace/Sky set

*lookbook shot by Arden Wray

Betty Magazine / Amber, India, Hannah

June 10, 2014November 11, 20141 Comment

This is going to be a short and sweet one this week because I think I have already talked about these three women endlessly (Amber Mahoney, India Menuez and Hannah Metz, for those of you confused), and how much I love them, and when they collaborate and create together, it’s like magic to my eyes and soul. I happened upon a few images from this editorial for Betty Magazine through instagram (as usual) a few weeks ago. I knew immediately it would be an editorial I would want to share. The aesthetic makes perfect sense to me, and is probably exactly how I would style a shoot. I could go on and on, but let’s just allow the images to speak for themselves, shall we?

Photography: Amber Mahoney
Model: India Salvor Menuez
Stylist: Hannah Metz
Mua: Allison Perlstein
Hair: Ruby Jones

Into It, Intimates / Lonely Lingerie

June 6, 2014November 11, 2014Leave a comment

I was originally going to share Lonely Lingerie’s lookbook (which is still very good!), but then I remembered how they have the ‘The Lonely Girls Project’, which to be honest, I think features their intimates in a more sexy, interesting and relatable way, so here we are. I much prefer seeing ‘everyday women’ wearing lingerie. It just feels a little more honest to me. Something rubs me the wrong away about the giant billboards for Victoria Secret (et. al) of models with their extreme push-ups, hour glass figures, and doll-like features (no offence to those women. I am not trying to bring them down in anyway, they could very much look that way in real life, and photoshop was not abused to create the perfect visage, but they are not exactly a true representation of every woman). I appreciate real women feeling comfortable enough with themselves to parade around in their underoos, reppin’ the everyday, average gal. So it seems fitting to me that Lonely Lingerie’s garments embody this sort of empowered bad ass woman vibe. It’s got a pretty obvious dominatrix vibe to it, without feeling too harsh and unapproachable – the sweet and gentle dominatrix, if you will. Like most intimate brands that I really like, Lonely Lingerie feels like there is something for every woman, and of course, has a little bit of that old-timey air to it.

My favourites: Sabel Cut-out Bra, Flora Softcup Bra, Lulu Softcup Bra, Sabel Highwaiste Brief, Lux Cutout Bra, Sabel Two Strap Bra and Flora Brief

good night, day pre-fall 2014

June 3, 2014November 11, 20141 Comment

The weather has been quite warm, and I think it will be staying that way for a good while now, so it seems a bit silly to even be considering warm garments like wool knits. But just a few weeks back Tara-Lynn Morrison, the talented gal behind the Canadian knit-wear label, good night, day, released her Pre-Fall collection, and it is just too good not to share. Strange it seems, just this past weekend I was saying to Ryan how I wish it was socially acceptable to wear a blanket outside during winter without fear of being deemed a wee bit nutty, and behold, the Bloomfield Blanket Lace Wrap – just the sort of thing I have been dreaming of for years now! GND always has such gorgeous, quality knits that I absolutely love collection after collection, so it actually seems ridiculous I do not own my own piece at this point. This is an issue I shall rectify in due time.