CANVAS The Inspiration Issue by CANVAS MAGAZINE

C A N VA S

THE INSPIRATION ISSUE winter 2017

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INSIDE

Letter from the Editors

Are you a Blogger?

Vetements: Pioneers or Pirates?

Style Inspiration

The Hit List

Some Things Last Forever

Who Inspires Who?

Collaboration of Creativity

Keep it Real

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ISSUE ONE editors: Jennifer Lee, Savana Gray, Valerie Spitznagel, Meghan McKenna stylists: Jennifer Lee and Meghan McKenna creative directors: Valerie Spitznagel, Meghan McKenna, Savana Gray, Jennifer Lee photographers: Jennifer Lee, Savana Gray,Valerie Spitznagel, Meghan McKenna writers: Jennifer Lee, Savana Gray, Valerie Spitznagel, Meghan McKenna layout & design: Savana Gray

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UP FRONT A LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

The idea for this issue of CANVAS came to us as we were sitting in a coffee shop in downtown London, Ontario. While we were talking about our current favourite fashion trends, a woman walked into the shop wearing a pink fur jacket, high waisted bellbottom jeans, and green suede sandals with frilled socks peeking through. She stuck out in the coffee shop like an Aquazzura fringed stiletto in a Foot Locker. And that’s when it hit us. What inspired this woman to dress so bold on this bleak, Tuesday morning? Is this how she dresses everyday? Is this her personal style? Standing confidently in line with many gazes focused on her (ours included), this woman appeared as an abstract art piece on display in a gallery. At Canvas, we understand that not everyone can produce the same painting, and not everyone can imagine the same outfit. And that’s kind of the point of art and fashion. We’ve dedicated our winter issue to solving the following questions: Are we blank canvases, and does how we dress express who we are? Are we putting on art? What differentiates you from those around you? Is style authentic, or are we simply all replicas of past works of art? At Canvas, we believe that fashion, like art, is a medium through which we express our vision and imagination.

What inspires you to dress the way you do? Savana Gray, Jennifer Lee, Meghan McKenna, Valerie Spitznagel CANVAS | 5

ARE YOU A BLOGGER? writer: Savana Gray photographers: Jennifer Lee, Meghan McKenna stylist: Valerie Spitznagel models: Jennifer Lee, Meghan McKenna, Savana Gray, Valerie Spitznagel

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MEGHAN IS WEARING: WOOL COAT, ARITZIA WHITE TEE, ALEXANDER MCQUEEN DENIM CULOTTES, CITIZENS OF HUMANITY BOOTS, ZARA

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VALERIE IS WEARING: SWEATER DRESS, ARITZIA SILK TROUSERS, ARITZIA DENIM JACKET, BERKSHA BOOTS, VAGABOND

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Is this work or play? What does it take to turn this hobby into a career? Is this how you express yourself?

SAVANA IS WEARING: OVERALLS, ARITZIA WHITE TEE, COS WOOL COAT, ARITZIA BOOTS, SPRING

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JEN IS WEARING: FAUX FUR COAT, ARITZIA TURTLENECK, OAK AND FORT TROUSERS, ZARA BOOTS, ZARA

Is this art? Are you an artist? Are you a creator? How many times a day do you look in the mirror? Why are you so obsessed with yourself?

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How far will you go to get the perfect shot? How low will you go to get the right angle? Is that your best friend or your personal photographer?

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JEN IS WEARING: SHIRTDRESS, FRAME PURPLE SHEER BLOUSE, ZARA PLEATED SKIRT, ARITZIA HEELED SANDALS, ZARA SOCKS, UNIQLO

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Aren’t you cold? Why aren’t you smiling? What are you looking at? The camera is over here.

SAVANA IS WEARING: CAMISOLE, ARITZIA RIPPED DENIM, TOPSHOP WHITE SNEAKERS, REEBOK PAJAMA OVERCOAT, ZARA SUNGLASSES, RAY-BAN

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You could walk into your local sports store and spend $50 on a cotton Champion hoodie. Or, you could dig a little deeper in your wallet and spend $1000 on a Vetements and Champion collaborative hoodie on Ssense.com. Actually—you couldn’t even blow the extra $950 if you wanted to. Because Vetements X Champion’s “Black Logo Hoodie” is already sold out. People in fashion have formed strong and divisive opinions about Vetements. But whether you like them or not, there’s no denying that Vetements is making major waves in the industry. The Parisbased fashion collective’s “ground-breaking” anti-fashion mandate has appealed to the likes of Selena Gomez, Kanye West and Celine Dion, and has skyrocketed the brand to international success. Vetements, however, is representing what a lot of people hate most about the fashion industry: enforced exclusivity via grossly inflated prices and limited production quantities. Some people think the team at Vetements is playing a practical joke on the fashion world. Is Vetements really an innovative force in fashion? Or, are they just a bunch of copycats manipulating money from the fashion elite? In an article posted by The Guardian, fashion writer Lauren Cochrane asks, “Was it a brilliant subversion or blatant scam? A comment on global capitalism or a high-fashion conspiracy?” At heart, Vetements is about taking the mundane and reimagining it as high fashion. It’s about forcing people to realize that a yellow DHL t-shirt can actually look pretty cool. BY MEGHAN MCKENNA

VETEMENTS: PIONEERS OR PIRATES?

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note to self: WEAR WHAT YOU LIKE BY SAVANA GRAY

It can sometimes be difficult to navigate your style. For myself, questioning my clothing rotation of the moment used to be a quarterly crisis. I would start to ask myself existential questions such as: what does my style and everyday look portray? Am I unique? Why does everyone own my signature pair of boots – I thought they were my signature? Who am I, exactly? I didn’t get any compliments on my outfit today, I must be slacking…

fashion editors and bloggers. My justification of this and only hope out of the constant questioning seemed to be that fashion is the easiest way to alter your appearance.

Aside from all the unanswerable questions, I found that when all of my outfits started to look the same I could only point out the looks I didn’t want instead of what I’d like to achieve stylistically.

I believe it was crucial for me to take a step back and analyze how I present myself. Even though this reflection was more of a weekly check in, it still helped me in the longrun. Especially since personal style has the power to say something about you before you can. And, after several of my “wardrobe re-working” sessions, I realized I wasted so many moments of my life trying to blend in. I bought clothes based on trends and would add new articles to my closet every other week. After shopping I found I was

So, for the reasons stated above I often found myself uninspired with my look. I believe these less than positive feelings might have been due to my own insecurities coupled with the jealousy of others’ style. Specifically, my bad habit of comparing myself to the luxurious lives of top

It took copious amounts of time for me to decide how I truly wanted to express myself. Whether that was letting my hair grow out curly and wild or wearing more colours than my previous (and extensive) palette of greys.

emotionally drained instead of happy with my new purchases – I was beginning to think retail therapy wasn’t for everyone. More recently, I wondered how I would ever be able to work in the industry I love, if I wasn’t even comfortable with my personal style. However, I now realize nothing has to be set in stone, so instead I opt for channeling my mood when I get dressed. To start on the path of wearing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, I made the decision to abandon how I felt about judgement and social approval. Having more spontaneity in my outfits has been liberating. I no longer feel trapped or pressured when new collections are released. I finally feel content and confident in the way I represent myself. My personal style currently operates on the basis of buying items that add value to my life and the pieces that would elevate my existing wardrobe.

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THE HIT LIST on our reading list

Capture Your Style BY AIMEE SONG

$23.95, chapters.indigo.ca

You are a Badass BY JEN SINCERO

$18.50, chapters.indigo.ca

The Coveteur: Private Spaces, Personal Style BY STEPHANIE MARK $43.95, chapters.indigo.ca

on our wish list

Beige Bag 99040 OAK + FORT $128

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Strut Your Puff Bomber KIT AND ACE $298

Mad Crush MB1 GENTLE MONSTER $450

on our playlist on our Netflix watchlist Lovesick (formerly Scrotal Recall)

This quirky British sitcom is your new favorite romantic comedy. The 2 season series documents the relationships mishaps of Dylan, a 20-something romantic, through the raunchy lens of an unfortunate STD diagnosis.

Black Mirror

A series of stand-alone dramas that feed on our collective anxieties and explore the dark side of technology. WARNING: this show will make you seriously paranoid.

Easy

This collection of eight unique (but overlapping!) stories is an intimate portrayal of romantic relationships. It’s comparable to a modern day Love Actually, except it’s based in Chicago and there are way more sex scenes.

Ivy, Frank Ocean Ones and Zeroes, Jack Johnson A Love Letter From Me To You, Sticky Fingers Solo, Frank Ocean Bed Peace, Jhene Aiko Giant, Banks and Steelz Just In Time 4 The Weekend, 6Lack What They Want, Russ Fake Love, Drake Don’t Get Me Wrong, The Pretenders

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SO ME T HING S L AST FOR E V E R

The fast fashion giants emerging from our online generation’s demand for immediacy normalize weekly shopping habits. There is a constant inner battle for me to ignore Aritzia’s daily clickbait emails, and giving into the glamorization of new. With this mixed thought in mind, my wardrobe consists largely of a rack full of Zara, but the other half I do engage in a more thoughtful approach through my family’s influence. There is a photograph on my dresser taken in Los Angeles in 1999, of me in a stroller. Standing behind the stroller is my mum and her three sisters. Today I look down at my outfit and I’m wearing my aunt’s Louis Vuitton bag, paired with my mum’s Fendi t-shirt and Cartier belt.

I don’t see myself purchasing a Louis Vuitton bag by choice, but I love the history behind the one that was passed down to me. I also wouldn’t find myself in a Prada boutique out of all the design houses I love, but my most treasured item happens to be my grandma’s vintage bag that she gave me for my 20th birthday.The stamped authenticity card that’s dated 1996, my birth year, and having it handed down 20 years later brought on a larger meaning than a material leather good. Encompassed with 20 years of her living and various years of sharing between her daughters, I now possess what defines my family history.

The term “original” connotes a dual meaning. In this context, the opposite of counterfeit, the origin of the item, and the notion of newness emerging from the old. I love the idea of wearing a piece of clothing that reminds me of my family. They wore it with grace and pride travelling across the continents in the 90s, and it is my fantasy of living through their time as young women. There is a travelling influence on my personal style, largely shaped by my grandma and four aunts. Having family living far apart in different countries, I only get a chance to see them once a year at most. Every reunion results in a spontaneous swapping and giving of clothes and accessories that they no longer get much wear out of. This tradition started as soon as I started fitting into women sizes has contributed significantly to my understanding of fashion and the cyclical nature of fashion at large.

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Having many classic vintage pieces mixed into my current wardrobe has driven me to be creative. All of the pieces that I have recieved force me to stay conscious of my unique style and they show me just how valuable heirlooms can be. However, sometimes I wonder if I would even be able to dress so freely and easily incorporate these vintage pieces into my everyday wear if it weren’t for today’s recent craze for vintage clothing.

Receiving designer clothing that was worn years ago by the women in my family has an unspoken influence over both my behaviour and the value that I place on dressing. Due to my family’s continuous engagement in fashion, I find myself placing importance on self-expression. Re-creation is an integral part in defining where I place myself into this world of fashion and family. I share my “re-created” looks with the ones that the item originally belonged to, and there is a unifying message through dressing and remembering its heritage. Sharing images reignites past memories for my family, and inspires me to be experimental with my vision on a daily basis.

Vintage is simultaneously a category and trend in fashion, thus shifts my view away from the repetitively heightened focus on the new. I am inspired by the story of every item - whether it be my aunt’s diaper bag or my grandmother’s birthday gift from my grandfather - and I hold onto the stories as they link my family and my style together. The cyclical nature of fashion may be playing an advantage on my part, and there is also a constant tendency to look back into the past decades for inspiration. The exciting present scene incorporated with special memories from the past is what innovates my style.

BY JENNIFER LEE CANVAS | 21

The Black Tie Set is now available.

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Who Inspires Who? writer: Meghan McKenna stylists: Savana Gray, Jennifer Lee photographer: Valerie Spitznagel models: Valerie Spitznagel, Meghan McKenna, Savana Gray, Jennifer Lee

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L IL A M O SS daughter of Kate Moss

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VALERIE IS WEARING LEATHER JACKET, MACKAGE STRIPED T-SHIRT, BRANDY MELVILLE JEANS, STILE BENETTON SHOES, VAGABOND

Microfashion is a modern phenomenon. Social media sites are chock-full of images of exceptionally cute kids in exceptionally stylish outfits. Nothing pulls on a heart-string like a doll faced six-year-old dressed in miniature Alexander Wang. CANVAS | 25

MEGHAN IS WEARING SHORTS, ZARA WHITE BUTTON DOWN, ARITZIA TURTLENECK SWEATER, ARITZIA SOCKS, CALVIN KLEIN FLATS, OAK AND FORT

Are these kids stylish? Or are they an extension of an adultâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creative vision?

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PR IN CE G EO R G E son of t he D u ke a n d D u c h e s s o f C a m b r id g e

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NO R T H W EST

daug ht er of Kanye We s t a n d Kim Ka rd a s h ia n 28 | CANVAS

SAVANA IS WEARING VELVET SLIP DRESS, ZARA WHITE SNEAKERS, REEBOK LEATHER BAG, LOUIS VUITTON

Are children canvases to which parents can paint on? At three-years-old, I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford my own Louis Vuitton bag.

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JENNIFER IS WEARING WHITE T-SHIRT, CALVIN KLEIN SLEEVELESS BLOUSE, ARMANI WHITE DENIM SKIRT, SUPRE STRAPPY MARY JANES, ZARA

What does it mean to dress like a kid, when these kids dress just like you and me?

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R EN CH I A N G daught e r o f E va C h e n

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COLLABORATION OF CREATIVITY BY VALERIE SPITZNAGEL

Few things excite me more than hearing about an up and coming fashion collaboration. I think that collaborations represent the true brilliance and creativity within the industry. With collaboration, you get two different creative minds that work together towards one vision. Joining mass-market with haute couture, collaboration is something that has been embraced in the industry for years. A collaborative approach is a popular way to expand brand exposure for labels, and it’s proven to be well-received by consumers.

November 3rd. The fast-fashion retailer joined forces with the high-end French luxury house, Kenzo, and from it an energetic and creative campaign came to life. Kenzo’s designers, Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, used tiger stripes as a key print in the campaign. Stocked in 250 stores worldwide and online, the collaboration offered colourful patterns and printed pieces at an affordable price in comparison to Kenzo’s luxury price point. To my personal dismay, within hours many of the pieces were sold out both in stores and online.

I also find collaborations that Another fast-fashion retailer that occur outside of the industry, like has been successful with designer a label teaming up with a celebrity collaborations is Japanese brand, or artist, to be just as innovative Uniqlo. In 2016, Uniqlo teamed Seersucker Short and successful. Kanye West’s up with the leftfield French luxury Sleeve Dress, $59.90 UNIQLO X LEMAIRE historic Adidas collaboration in house, Lemaire, for a Spring/ making the “Yeezy” sneaker is Summer collection. The UNIQLO something that will likely never be forgotten. X LEMAIRE collaboration created a readyBoth parties almost always benefit from a to-wear campaign that was light, simplistic, collaboration, and us consumers are almost and versatile. The dual vision behind the always grateful that they decided to join teams. campaign created clean silhouettes and shapes at an extremely affordable price. Some retailers, like H&M, are known for collaborating with high-end designers. H&M Though brand collaborations are something has teamed up with labels such as Marni, that I both look forward to and love, my allAlexander Wang, and Versace, and from time favourite collaboration was the LOUIS this has produced some world-renowned VUITTON X RICHARD PRINCE collaboration campaigns. The newest H&M collaboration, for the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2008 H&M X KENZO, was recently released on campaign. The joint force of a high-end

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Spring/Summer 2008 LOUIS VUITTON X RICHARD PRINCE

designer and an artist is something that I believe to be absolutely brilliant. I remember being thirteen years old and seeing a picture of nurses walking down the runway while toting vandalized (or so I thought) Louis Vuitton bags. Prince’s designs were worked into the LV bags, and the “Nurse” theme of the show was inspired from Prince’s paintings. Before my exposure to this collaboration, my view on high-end fashion was that it was static and conventional, or in a thirteen-year-

Wool Blend Sweater, $99 H&M X KENZO

old’s voice, it was boring. I thought that there were rules that you had to stay within in order to be successful in the industry. I didn’t realize that fashion was all about creativity and that fashion itself, was an art. I didn’t realize that rather than a brand and an artist collaborating, the LOUIS VUITTON X RICHARD PRINCE collaboration was actually two forms of arts joining into one mega force. Stumbling upon this collaboration opened my eyes to the world of fashion and the brilliance that lay within it.

Oxford Gaucho Pants, $49.90 UNIQLO X LEMAIRE

Sac Weekender LOUIS VUITTON X RICHARD PRINCE

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KEEP IT REAL BY MEGHAN MCKENNA

When I was twelve-years-old all I wanted was my very own khaki Coach swing pack. It was 2007, and the shouty branding of the “it” bag was a serious symbol of style and status on my elementary school playground. The only problem: I didn’t have $150 dollars to spend on the real thing. So instead, I pleaded my mother to take me to a seedy shop in Chinatown to buy an affordable imitation. Her response was something

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I’ll never forget: “Save your money and buy the real thing. If you aren’t someone who can afford to carry a Coach handbag, why would you pretend to be?” What exactly does it mean for a handbag to be a ‘fake’? After all, a Birkin bought out of a laundry sack in Central Park is still a real bag—isn’t it? It has a shoulder strap, empty space to house your wallet, and a pocket for your lipstick. Essentially, it performs the same functions as a Birkin purchased for $15,000 a block away at the Hermes on 5th Avenue. For just a fraction of the cost, you can purchase a product that is effectively the same in every way. So what is the difference? When it comes down to it, the ‘fake’ Birkin bag is pretending to be something it’s not. When you purchase a knockoff, you’re buying an image associated with a brand name not a high quality designer bag. Two opposite-facing, over-crossing “Cs” are intended to imply an image of elegance, femininity and prestige – even if they appear on the back of a plastic phone case sold at 7/11. The counterfeit fashion industry feeds on our desires to be someone else by offering us a small taste of celebrity lifestyle. Because unless you’re making $10,000 every time you endorse a product on Instagram (I see you Kim Kardashian), you probably can’t afford to blow a year’s worth of

college tuition on a purse. But for less than your monthly phone bill, you can sling a Birkin replica across your forearm to indicate to others that you can. Because whether it’s authentic or not, the impression of affluence alone can make you feel like a million bucks. Being authentic means knowing who you are and not pretending otherwise. In the age of social media, this is a virtue that has become increasingly suspect. Because really, how much of what we see on social media can be considered “real”? Like a knock-off designer handbag, the content we share on our Instagram accounts s is a disingenuous distortion of our true selves intended to impress other people. Think about it: we typically only post snapshots from the best moments of our lives. Like when we travel, eat a delicious meal, or step into flattering lighting before a night out with friends. Our social media profiles are interpreted as concrete expressions of our identity, which directly speak to our personality, style, interests and values. What we often forget is that these tangible identities are carefully curated, obsessively filtered, and selectively edited versions of our real lives. And that’s okay – we’re

allowed to have fun curating beautiful photographs and unforgettable moments. We can’t forget, however, that those who attach #bodyinspo or #couplegoals aren’t always portraying an authentic picture of real life. It can be toxic to spend hours scrolling through pictures of models and bloggers, lusting for their lives and aspiring to a false sense of perfection. It can be hard to stay true to yourself when you get caught up in waves of external influences. But, it’s important to remember that these influences are also our source of inspiration. We’re always pulling inspiration from the things that surround us – and that’s okay. Inspiration drives creativity, and external influences drive how we inform our own personality, style, interests and values. You can pull inspiration from that latest collection of Gucci handbags, or from @alexisren’s Instagram profile. But you can’t pass off an illegitimate designer purse as real or steal someone else’s photographs and claim them as your own. The harder we try to project a certain image of ourselves, the further we stray from our true selves. Be authentic to who you really are, because it’s the best version of yourself you can be. CANVAS | 37

SOURCES PAGE 6 & 7 Reformation advertisements - thereformation. com PAGE 16 Vetements image - http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-cult-of-vetements-1466760601 PAGE 17 fashion illustration (Izak Zenou) - http://www. manrepeller.com/2016/04/izak-zenou-fashion-illustrator.html PAGE 22 Glossier advertisement https://jennyandhuang.com/2016/11/06/review-glossier-limited-edition-black-tie-set/ http://www.refinery29. com/2016/11/128312/glossier-black-tie-setlaunch “G” logo - glossier.com Glossier logo - http://maniacmagazine.com/ articles/the-glossier-way-of-beauty/ PAGE 24, 27, 27, 31 Photo of Lila moss - http://www.oliveandtuesday.com/blog/2015/6/25/kate-mosss-daughter-lila-grace-speaks-out-her-mom-is-embarrassing Photo of Prince George - http://www. mirror.co.uk/3am/style/celebrity-fashion/ prince-george-princess-charlottes-canada-8945016 Photo of North West - http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/g5587/north-weststyle/?slide=4 Photo of Ren Chiang - https://www.instagram. com/evachen212/

PAGE 32, 33 Clothing items https://keep.com/kenzo-x-handm-wool-blendsweater/p/BV2U8JHAAu1/ http://art-sheep.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/VuittonNurses-1.jpg https://www.wgsn.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Louis-Vuitton_Marc-Jacobs_9. jpg http://www.uniqlo.com/uniqloandlemaire/us/ PAGE 34 COS advertisement - cosstores.com PAGE 36, 37 Illustrated photos http://coveteur.com/2015/10/08/street-stylefashion-2015/ http://coveteur.com/2014/10/01/fall-2014-accessories/

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