Bathroom Reading

I think this is the coolest! Leave it to the crazy Japanese to come up with something so out-of-the-box. Koji Suzuki, author of The Ring, the Japanese novella on which the American movie is based, can printed his latest horror story called "The Drop," onto toilet paper. I came across it while reading the New York Times Magazine blog called The Moment. Here's the exerpt:


"Who says print is dead? Koji Suzuki, the Tokyo-based author of smash-hit horror novels like the “The Ring,” has found a new publishing medium: toilet paper. Suzuki has teamed with Hayashi Paper Company, which makes novelty printed paper products for public restrooms, to manufacture rolls of toilet tissue stamped with a nine-chapter horror novella called “Drop.” The story, about a goblin living in a public restroom, places the reader at the center of the tale, and each roll contains several copies of the novella so that you can easily pick up the narrative where you left off. (A friend of mine in Tokyo said it’s so scary, she was frightened to be alone in the bathroom.) A roll of “Drop” costs 210 yen, which, at just over $2, is a fair price for disposable art."
- Rocky Casale

On cut and craft...The Resort Shows

I've just spent the past couple of hours immersed in images from the Resort shows for the Summer 2010 Season and I'm overwhelmed with inspiration! I'm so inspired by images from the houses that use interesting influences and translate their work into wearable, covetable clothing!

For the uninitiated, the Resort shows occur sometime in mid-June, before the menswear shows. Resort acts as summer line or transition between the Spring Summer Collections and the upcoming fall shows. As the name implies, Resort looks are all about cool, unfussy pieces that travel well to the many vacation destinations of wealthy fashionistas. For the rest of us, this is a great time to grab some timeless pieces that are cool, chic, and carry the essence of a particular house. Because the clothes are meant to serve as part of a vacation wardrobe, Resort pieces are generally less laden with heavy design elements that the houses laden on during the regular fashion season in order to appeal to magazine editorials and industry trends.

My favourites were Giambattista Valli, Zac Posen & Chanel. All three chalk full of pieces that will stay relevant and fresh after this season has long passed.

Easy summer pieces from Giambattista Valli, Resort 2010




Some great skirt/jacket combos from Zac Posen, Resort 2010



Iconic, easy pieces from Chanel, Resort 2010

As you know, improving my sewing skills is the next thing on my list of goals. I was so inspired by all the images of tailoring, cut, and construction of some of these clothes that I did some detailed research on sewing schools here in Toronto. While I don't want to sew clothing for a living, I do know that I need to learn how to whip up my own samples for presentations, and also to learn the process of translating an idea on paper into three-dimensional form. Most importantly, I want to understand the way different fabrics work, move, and mold themselves to the body. I want to learn the fundamentals of cut, construction, tailoring, draping, and embroidery. This knowledge will allow me to appreciate the experience of those I work with (later on) and will help me to hone my craft. It will also help me to understand the details that create truly spectacular pieces.

I came across an interesting quote from Cathryn Horyn, Fashion Critic of the New York Times, from her blog On The Runway (on which I regularly comment):

".....having beautifully made clothes represents an ideal, and craft is vital to the long-term prestige of high fashion houses like Chanel—indeed to the industry itself. I would argue that the work in the ateliers—the embroideries, the fit, the savoir-faire—is the essence of what makes Chanel exclusive. And exclusivity, like innovation, will matter even more in the coming years."

This quote was pulled from Cathy's insightful speech at the Citi Women & Co. event in NYC where she spoke about the changes to the fashion industry brought on by the recession. She argues that the age of needless consumerism, epitomized by the latest It Bag, is ending. The industry needs to refocus itself to cater to an increasingly savvy consumer, who know has become tired of disposable fashion and craves a well-built, innovative product.

On Life Coaching

I am huge advocate of Life Coaching. Why? Because i have seen the results first hand.

Many people think that Life Coaching is just a fancy name for Counselling, but it so much more than that. It is about encouraging, empowering, wisdom and awareness. That is the most important lesson that I have learned in my Life Coaching: Being aware of my environment - the things I do, the people I interact with, the places I go. They all tell hugely about who I am as a person. Another lesson is this : I can change and affect my actions.

Another excerpt from my e-mail to a close friend that I thought would be a great post. (Hope you don't mind amiga!) :

" The reason I love my Life Coach is that she is creative, compassionate and extremely wise. I am one of her youngest clients, but we still connect on every level. She has been doing costume design for the National Ballet and The Opera Atelier here in Toronto for years, before realizing - in her mid 40s - that life coaching was her calling. She realized that in her job, she wasn't just supervising the women who made the clothes, she was empowering them to believe in themselves and reach further beyond to something greater. She also worked for a long time at Mitchell's Book Store on their Corporate Restructuring team. So she decided to become qualified as a life coach (I didn't even know that you had to be certified) & and has launched her own business. I must send you the link to her website next time I e-mail you.

We go through a number of modules together that deal with topics like Understanding your History, Motivation, Purpose, Passions & Goals to name a few. I would highly recommend the experience to you amiga. Just being able to articulate my concerns and dreams to her has been a help so monumental, I can't put it into words. She understands the intense emotional rollercoaster that I go through some times, and I am able to discuss honestly with her my thoughts through the lens of "What would Christ have me do?" - without fearing that I'll be ridiculed by a secular coach.

I have a lot of deep affection for her. She and I have become friends over the past year - she is also the costume designer for the church plays that I was in, and it was with her and her two crazy friends that we did a road trip to Montreal last Sept. She has welcomed me with an openess and genuine heart that is SO rare in Canadian society."

She brings such insight and vitality to my life, constantly encouraging me to keep believing that this dream is doable.

Her company is called Creative Force Unleashed.

Dreams & Plans

My future boss: Christopher Bailey, Creative Director of Burberry Prorsum

I just realized that I didn't include a full-breakdown of my future plans on the blog. So sorry!

Since September of last year, I've been taking Life Coach sessions with Lynda Kirby, a certified Life Coach who has also become a very good friend of mine. It has been a fascinating and life changing experience. I'll write more that later.

With Lynda's help, I have been able to define my interests, become aware of my talents, and set goals for myself that I work towards. Since then, I have begun working on my portfolio, and am actively pursuing a career in Fashion.


Here's a detailed breakdown of my life over the next three years -

RIGHT NOW:

1) - Find a full time job that pays me well (& is ideally in a more specific fashion field). This will help me to consolidate my energy and attention from my current two part-time job into one field, and help me gain financial independence. (rather than just barely getting by)

I've started to do that right now, and I've found and applied for some good possiblities. Slight problem: How do I explain when I go in for the interview that I'll be gone for two weeks after just starting my job? I'm worried that it will decrease my chances. But I know that everything happens for a reason. I need to come see Solongo!


This SUMMER:

2) Take a sewing course. I found a really good (& expensive *sigh*) one that will teach me the basics of jacket construction. Because i really need to know how to create samples and translate my designs from paper to fabric.

3) Finish Marketing Analysis & Company profile. I haven't really told anyone this, but for the past year and a bit I've been creating a company based on outerwear for the women ages 35-45. It's still all very new to me, but I have a very definite sense of who I am creating for, what I will be doing, marketing plan, and so on. I have made about 8 presentation boards illustrating my concept. But I've neglected it for so long since I have school work and work-work to attend to.

4) Finish Spring/ Summer Collection Ideas & Conception. I currently working on a collection inspired by India, specifically the period from Pagwah (Holi) till the run up to the Monsoon in Sept.


SEPTEMBER & WINTER 2009-2010

5) Maintain Job status & take as full a course as I can reasonably manage. Try not to go insane. Try to remember that after this I have one more year left.

6) Create Fall/Winter Collection: Conception & Ideas. I'm already thinking it will be heavily drawn from my soon-to-be reread copy of Great Expectations.


SUMMER 2010

3) Go on a trip? Maybe to Guyana? I so need to reconnect to my homeland. I'm having withdrawal of all things Caribbean.

4) Apply for a fashion-related internship. Volunteer if I need to. Apply to Bustle, Smythe & Holt Renfrew. Try to get either the spring or summer intership at FASHION or FLARE mag.

5) Take a Portfolio Development Course. This will help to know how to put together my work and present it well.

6) Spring/ Summer Collection Ideas & Conception. Work on 2nd Summer Collection.


FALL/WINTER 2010-2011

5) Maintain Job status & take as full a course as I can reasonably manage. Try not to go insane. This is my Final school year!

6) Create Fall/Winter Collection: Conception & Ideas. Work on 2nd Fall/ Winter collection.

7) Make Samples. Get fabric and create sample of collection. Polish & Refine them.



SUMMER 2011

7) Apply for another fashion-related internship. Volunteer if I need to. Apply again to Bustle, Smythe & Holt Renfrew. Try to get either the spring or summer intership at FASHION or FLARE mag.

8) Create Spring/ Summer Collection Ideas & Conception. This will be my third collection. Make Samples.

9) Final York Courses. Just in case I need some extra time to finish some courses in order to graduate.

10) Travel for vacation to London & England ( to see Solongo). Apply for Burberry Interships or one of the following jobs:

Strategic Pricing Expert, Sourcing Assistant, Showroom Assistants

By this point, I will have an excellent combination of Academic and Real-World Experience. Especially a balance of Business Admin & Design. I would have worked in the Fashion field, as well will have a catalogue of my own clothes and concepts to show as part of my portfolio. I am hoping this will make me a good candidate.



FALL/WINTER 2011-2012

11) Move to London!

Well friends, this is my plan. I'm going to jump heart and soul into it. Now if I can only finish my two assignments that are past due and make it through my mid-term on Sunday, I'll be on my way.

Your encouragement means so much to me. It is the steam that keeps my train going.

The essay in question

Holt Renfrew preparing to host the Toronto Film Festival

This is the mini essay that I submitted. We were limited to 200 words and asked to explain why were the ideal candidate for the job.

Why should I be Holt’s Contemporary Correspondent? Because fashion defines my life! It's in my thoughts, my words, and my reference points. From bold Lanvin to of-the-moment Alexander Wang, fashion challenges my thinking of what is contemporary. Is it 60's Edie Sedgwick reincarnated in the hip looks of vintage-clad girls on Queen West? Or the continuous exploration of the new and undiscovered as manifested in Jeremy Laing’s shifting shapes?

Truth is - it's both! And it's everywhere, especially in this great city of ours. I see it in those amazing graffiti walls as the subway passes west along the Bloor Danforth subway, in the sharp folds of the ROM Crystal, in the vivid palette of High Park during spring.

Be it in a building or in a frock, I’ve learnt that fashion is the lens through which we interpret and present who we are to the world. I'll bring my fun-loving, inquisitive perspective along with me as I discover where fashion is headed next!

I was selected!!!!!

Hi everyone!

Today I received an e-mail informing me that I am part of the preliminary selections to be Holt Renfrew's Contemporary Correspondent! This is such amazing news, as I was just discussing with my Life Coach, Lynda yesterday that I didn't think I had the talent or experience necessary to even apply to work at Holts - Canada's pre-eminent department store. Holts in on par with other high-end department stores such as Barneys, Saks 5th Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdof Goodman & Harrods. The store stocks big name fashion brands like Dior, Chanel, Valentino, Gucci, as well as fashion brands like Lanvin, McQueen, and of course up and coming Canadian artists.

Holts recently put out a call for a Contemporary Correspondent to go behind the scenes and chronicle the goings on of the fashion world during Toronto Fashion Week. The winner also gets to sit down with key figures such as Barbara Atkin, head of Fashion Direction (& someone I have learnt so much from), in addition to designers and key industry faces. Of course the winners must look good in clothes, so included in the prize is a $1000 clothing allowance from HR, as well as a Vaio laptop. Ultimately 3 people will be selected to represent Canada's fashion capitals : Toronto, Montreal & Vancouver.

The initial process begins with selection of 5 people per city. Then after a couple of challenges, the winner is chosen by fans on Facebook. AND I was selected as one of the 5!!!!! in all of Toronto!!!!!!!

Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to go in for an interview because I'll be travelling through Germany, Paris, and Luxembourg for the next two weeks. But just knowing that it was possible encourages me to keep believing in myself and dreaming big dreams. As many of you know from posts on my other blogs, I have laid out some definite plans for the future. Lynda said something to me that I will never forget: "Trust that God knew what He was doing when He placed these dreams within you."

CONTEST RULES:

http://www.holtrenfrew.com/holts/pdf/CCRulesRegs.pdf


Here's an excerpt from the e-mail I received today:

Hello Jason,

I’m writing to you because you’ve been selected as one of our Top Contestants for the Holts Contemporary Correspondent Search in Toronto . Congratulations! There were a number of really excellent submissions…so well done.

As such, we’d like to bring you in for a 10-15 minute interview with a Holts judging panel on Monday, June 15, 2009 sometime between 9am and 12pm. At the end of this interview process, two finalists will be selected to participate in a series of fashion-related voting challenges on Holt Renfrew’s Facebook Page, where our Facebook Fans will determine the ultimate winner in each city.

DREAM BIG My friends!

The Goal

I've set up some very detailed goals for myself in the next three years. The Climax? In three years, I'm moving to London and interning at Burberry.