Dolce Vita Magazine Toronto Fall 2013 by Dolce Media Group

MICHAEL “PINBALL” CLEMONS: A CLASS ACT

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THE HEART AND SOLE OF

DAVID MIRVISH

THE IMPRESARIO’S VISION FOR TORONTO’S NEXT BIG THING

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PARTICIPATING GALLERIES

THE INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION OF CONTEMPORARY & MODERN ART NAVY PIER 19–22 SEPTEMBER

2013

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Matthew Marks Gallery New York | Los Angeles Barbara Mathes Gallery New York Galerie Hans Mayer Düsseldorf The Mayor Gallery London McCormick Gallery Chicago Anthony Meier Fine Arts San Francisco Andrea Meislin Gallery New York Jerald Melberg Gallery Charlotte Laurence Miller Gallery New York moniquemeloche Chicago Carolina Nitsch New York David Nolan Gallery New York | Berlin Richard Norton Gallery, LLC Chicago P.P.O.W. New York Pace Prints New York Franklin Parrasch Gallery New York Galeria Moisés Pérez de Albéniz Madrid Ricco/Maresca Gallery New York Michael Rosenfeld Gallery New York Rosenthal Fine Art Chicago Galerie Thomas Schulte Berlin Carrie Secrist Gallery Chicago Marc Selwyn Fine Art Los Angeles Sicardi Gallery Houston Manny Silverman Gallery Los Angeles Skarstedt Gallery New York | London Carl Solway Gallery Cincinnati MARC STRAUS New York Hollis Taggart Galleries New York Tandem Press Madison Paul Thiebaud Gallery San Francisco Tierney Gardarin Gallery New York Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects New York Vincent Vallarino Fine Art New York Tim Van Laere Gallery Antwerp Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects Los Angeles Weinstein Gallery Minneapolis Max Wigram Gallery London Zolla/Lieberman Gallery Chicago David Zwirner New York | London

EXPOSURE Benrimon Contemporary New York Blackston New York Bourouina Gallery Berlin Callicoon Fine Arts New York Galerie Donald Browne Montréal Luis De Jesus Los Angeles Los Angeles Diaz Contemporary Toronto DODGEgallery New York Charlie James Gallery Los Angeles JTT New York MARSO Mexico City Galerie Max Mayer Düsseldorf THE MISSION Chicago On Stellar Rays New York ANDREW RAFACZ Chicago Jessica Silverman Gallery San Francisco SPINELLO PROJECTS Miami VAN HORN Düsseldorf Workplace Gallery Gateshead, UK

expochicago.com

Mylar Cone (detail), Studio Gang Architects

Galeria Álvaro Alcázar Madrid Ameringer | McEnery | Yohe New York Gallery Paule Anglim San Francisco BASE GALLERY Tokyo John Berggruen Gallery San Francisco Galleri Bo Bjerggaard Copenhagen Marianne Boesky Gallery New York Jonathan Boos New York Isabella Bortolozzi Galerie Berlin Russell Bowman Art Advisory Chicago Rena Bransten Gallery San Francisco THE BREEDER Athens | Monaco CABINET London David Castillo Gallery Miami Cernuda Arte Coral Gables Chambers Fine Art New York | Beijing James Cohan Gallery New York | Shanghai Corbett vs. Dempsey Chicago CRG Gallery New York Stephen Daiter Gallery Chicago Maxwell Davidson Gallery New York Douglas Dawson Gallery Chicago MASSIMO DE CARLO Milan | London DIE GALERIE Frankfurt Catherine Edelman Gallery Chicago Max Estrella Madrid Henrique Faria Fine Art New York Peter Fetterman Gallery Santa Monica Fleisher/Ollman Philadelphia Galerie Forsblom Helsinki Forum Gallery New York Honor Fraser Los Angeles Fredericks & Freiser New York Galerie Terminus Munich Galeria Hilario Galguera Mexico City | Berlin Cristina Grajales Gallery New York Richard Gray Gallery Chicago | New York Garth Greenan Gallery New York Kavi Gupta Chicago | Berlin Chicago | Berlin Hackett | Mill San Francisco Haines Gallery San Francisco Carl Hammer Gallery Chicago Galerie Ernst Hilger Vienna Hill Gallery Birmingham, MI Nancy Hoffman Gallery New York Rhona Hoffman Gallery Chicago Vivian Horan Fine Art New York Edwynn Houk Gallery New York | Zurich Il Ponte Contemporanea Rome Taka Ishii Gallery Tokyo Bernard Jacobson Gallery London | New York R.S. Johnson Fine Art Chicago Annely Juda Fine Art London Robert Koch Gallery San Francisco Koenig & Clinton New York Michael Kohn Gallery Los Angeles Alan Koppel Gallery Chicago Galerie Lelong New York | Paris | Zurich Locks Gallery Philadelphia Lombard Freid Gallery New York Diana Lowenstein Gallery Miami Luhring Augustine New York Robert Mann Gallery New York Magnan Metz Gallery New York

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publisher’s note

The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy — Kalu Ndukwe Kalu

FALL 2013 • Volume 17 • Issue 3 FALL 2012www.dolce.ca • Volume 16 • Issue 3 www.dolce.ca PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Michelle Zerillo-Sosa • michelle@dolce.ca ACTING MANAGING EDITOR

Simona Panetta • simona@dolce.ca DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Angela Palmieri-Zerillo

CHANGE &

LEGACY

I listen to impresario David Mirvish recount stories from his childhood and what it meant for him to have the late Ed Mirvish as his dad, I feel a deep sense of gratitude towards the universe. One can never know what or whom you’ll meet in Toronto — it’s such a great city to live in. David says he has archives filled with newspaper clippings — some as early as 1907 — and letters and thank-you notes that were written to his dad. Although I never sent a letter to Honest Ed, I, like many other Torontonians, was happy to discover his store. New to the country, barely 12 years old, with little money and no English, shopping at the discount emporium made the transition of fitting in at school a little easier with my brand name jeans. Hearing David, in a velvet voice, speak of his dad’s great appetite for adventure and fun in both life and in business, my admiration for the man grew by the second. “I had a chance to stand on my father’s shoulders,” says David. “I did not do it by myself in one generation.” Too often, successful men forget the sacrifices of their forefathers. With his own passion for art, architecture, family and evolution, David is nothing short of a phenomenon. His plan to bring great design to the city, with the help of architect Frank Gehry, will surely elevate Toronto to a world-class artistic hub. Back then, I wasn’t fully in tune with the city and its cultural nuances. But as my knowledge grew, I found it both ironic and appropriate that Ed Mirvish bought a theatre to attract a wider crowd to his store. I have to wonder: Are the two really ever separate? Doing business sometimes feels like putting on a show. And a show must go on, regardless of what the reviews are. As we step outside the antiquated store, passersby call out to David, the gratitude in their voices palpable. A new horizon is in focus. This issue delivers wonderful, inspiring stories — chapters of people’s lives we can all learn from. We hope you enjoy our fall edition of Dolce. Me with David Mirvish

ART DEPARTMENT CO-FOUNDER/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Fernando Zerillo • fernando@dolce.ca INTERACTIVE ART DIRECTOR

Nan Chen WEB PROJECT MANAGER

Steve Bruno GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

´ Luay Saig Marianna Osko, EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT COPY EDITOR

Simona Panetta FASHION & HOME DECOR EDITOR

Michelle Zerillo-Sosa BEAUTY & TRAVEL EDITOR

Angela Palmieri-Zerillo PROOFREADERS

The Editing Company, Toronto; Simona Panetta SENIOR WRITERS

Michael Hill, Simona Panetta CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Rick Muller, Amanda Storey INTERNS

Rebecca Alberico, Dina Qahwaji CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Larry Arnal, Iris von Arnim, Katie Henderson, Sven Hoffman, Eric Laignel, Alexandra Meurant, Jesse Milns, Sal Pasqua, George Pimentel, Christoph Strube, Pingsy Young

VIDEO DEPARTMENT VIDEOGRAPHER & EDITOR

William Lem REPORTER

Amanda Storey PUBLISHER

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR OF NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

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Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca ACCOUNT MANAGER

Mario Balaceanu ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

T: 905-264-6789 Toll-Free: 1-888-68-DOLCE info@dolce.ca • www.dolce.ca FRONT COVER

David Mirvish Photo By Jesse Milns Hair and Makeup By Karima Sumar

Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Zerillo Sosa Publisher/Editor-In-Chief

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DOLCE PARTNERSHIPS INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW (IDS14) At Dolce Magazine, we celebrate the world’s ﬁnest design and most adored décor, and we’re continuing to feed this passion by partnering with the Interior Design Show (IDS). Scheduled to hit the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from Jan. 23 to 26, 2014, IDS promises to dive deep into the new year’s fresh palette of products, designers and concepts. Since its conception in 1999, IDS has played host to over 600,000 design gurus, fanatics and media, opening up unparalleled opportunities for design-driven businesses to showcase their work and establish connections. www.interiordesignshow.com

EXPO CHICAGO The electric metropolis of Chicago is igniting the fall 2013 art season with its highly anticipated second annual Expo, and Dolce Magazine is proud to be taking part in what has rapidly become a world-renowned event. From Sept. 19 to 22, 2013, over 120 international galleries will gather from 35 international cities at Festival Hall at Navy Pier to spark the creativity of artists and inspire the minds of collectors. www.expochicago.com

INTERNATIONAL CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE Luxury may exist in the fresh, fast and contemporary, but at the International Concours d’Elegance, luxury will be discovered in tokens from history. We’re thrilled to be partnering with this celebration of classic antique vehicles, which will take place on Sept. 14, 2013, at the reﬁned Cobble Beach Golf Resort Community on Georgian Bay. Honorary co-chair Jason Priestley will join an esteemed list of judges while automobile collectors and enthusiasts explore over 100 treasures from the past century, hand-picked from private collections around the world. www.cobblebeachconcours.com

FALL 2013 • Volume 17 • Issue 3 www.dolce.ca DOLCE VITA MAGAZINE • FALL 2013 VOLUME 17 • ISSUE 3

Dolce Vita Magazine is published quarterly by Dolce Publishing Inc. 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30 Vaughan, Ont., L4H 3H9 T: 905-264-6789 • Toll-Free: 1-888-68-DOLCE F: 905-264-3787 • info@dolce.ca www.dolce.ca Publication Mail Agreement No. 40026675

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Dolce Vita Magazine reaches over 900,000 affluent readers annually through household distribution and newsstand sales across Canada and selected Barnes & Noble stores in the United States. Inquiries about where Dolce Vita Magazine is available for sale should be directed to Disticor Magazine Distribution Services: 905-619-6565 The yearly subscription fee is $16.80. Send cheque or money order to Dolce Publishing Inc. 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, Ont. Canada L4H 3H9 ISSN 1206-17780 NEXT ISSUE: WINTER 2013/14

The opinions expressed in Dolce Vita Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or advertisers. Dolce Publishing Inc. does not assume liability for content. The material in this magazine is intended for information purposes only and is no way intended to supersede professional advice. We are proud to be a Canadian company that has successfully published magazines for the past 17 years without any government funding or financial assistance of programs to cover editorial costs. It has all been possible thanks to the wonderful support of our readers and advertisers.

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44 50

74 58

Departments

HOME DECOR & REAL ESTATE

28 Revamped Relics: Picture-perfect properties with historical charm 50 Mindful Design: Heather Segreti makes a dream home a reality

ON THE COVER

44 David Mirvish and His Brave New City: How the son of ”Honest Ed” plans to elevate Toronto

62 Soup Coup: Pusateri’s Fine Foods tickle the taste buds with an elegant autumn bisque

SUCCESS STORY

38 The Classiest Man in Canadian Sports: Vice-chair of the Toronto Argonauts Michael ”Pinball” Clemons on family, philanthropy and three-piece suits

ENTERTAINMENT

26 Q&A with Zlatko Starkovski: The prince of Toronto nightlife adds an adult playground to his arsenal

FASHION

66 The Glamazon: Cashmere Queen Iris von Arnim continues to push boundaries in luxury comfort 74 Sole Purpose: Iconic shoe designer Christian Louboutin celebrates 20 years of spectacular craftsmanship 76 Carvallo in Wonderland: Delivering an eagle-eye view of what women really want

ART & DESIGN

34 A Flair for the Dramatic: American architect David Rockwell brings his dream team to Quebec City 42 The Picasso Catalogue Revival: Cahiers D’Art revives the work of the world’s most inﬂuential modern artist 64 Great Packages & Work Spaces: Captivating creations that get the juices ﬂowing 80 Embracing the Seasons: A look at Philip Haas’ monumental sculpture series at the New York Botanical Garden 58 Venue Royale: How the de Truchis couple turned an 18th-century family home into a luxe holiday destination

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PHILANTHROPY

37 Ruling Cancer: HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan joins forces with the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

THE SCENE 8

Dolce Partnerships: Introducing sweet collaborations with hot-ticket shows 78 Faces and Places: Candid Q&As with local luminaries Suzanne Rogers, Trenna Keating, Pat Quinn and Hanif Harji

BEAUTY

73 Gilded Glamour: Red carpet appeal that will get you golden

LUXURY

82 Objects of Desire: Chic, sleek and all things gleaming

AUTOMOTIVE

70 50 Years of the Porsche 911

TRAVEL

FOOD

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IN EVERY ISSUE

6 Publisher’s Note 14 Dolce Was There

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A DV E R TO R I A L

TIMEPIECE, WORLD PEACE EDUCATION HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE A NATION

George Stroumboulopoulos egendary for its true-toThis one-of-a-kind will play co-host alongside tradition design techniques timepiece was crafted Haggis and Raffy themselves. and spearheading artistry, at Bovet’s Switzerland Swiss timepiece manufacturer The roster of A-list headquarters exclusively for the event Bovet has been defining the attendees will also include face of its industry since its leading philanthropists and conception in 1822. But since businesspeople from across Pascal Raffy’s acquisition of the Canada and the world, all company 12 years ago, Bovet coming together to raise funds has also harboured a passionate for the various Haitian programs commitment to using its that Artists for Peace and resources and creativity to craft Justice Canada supports. Funds a better place for children living raised at last year’s edition of in need. the Festival Lunch covered the It’s through this desire for bulk of operational costs at the change that an electric Academy for Peace and Justice, friendship has formed between which currently educates 1,400 Bovet and the world-renowned underprivileged middle- and Artists for Peace and Justice, an secondary-school students in organization whose focus is on Port-au-Prince, and which will breaking through the extreme welcome a class of 400 more poverty in Haiti to unearth students this fall. potential in, and opportunities hile the relationship for, the individuals living there between Bovet and — specifically the youth. At APJ started in 2012, this year’s highly anticipated the two organizations have Artists for Peace and Justice created a dynamic that is already Canada 2013 Festival Lunch shifting the state of poverty in in Toronto, this friendship will, Haiti. With the promise of a once more, come to life as both long-term future in partnership, Raffy and Artists for Peace and the spirit of Artists for Peace and Justice founder Paul Haggis Justice is embedded in Bovet’s gather to celebrate their mutual craftsmanship, as their mutual Bovet has teamed up with Artists for Peace and Justice to belief: that “education has the goal of serving education and inspire and change the world, starting with Haiti power to change a nation.” This future generations becomes motto, and the synergy between the two hese are a handful of themes that a reality. organizations, will cultivate in Bovet’s will be celebrated throughout For ticket inquiries and group special contribution to this year’s the Festival Lunch, being held packages, or to discover how you can auction table: a one-of-a-kind timepiece at the magnificent Budman Family get involved in the cause, reach out to designed specially for the cause. The Residence on Sunday, Sept. 8th. Artists for Peace and Justice. piece, crafted by the Bovet artisans in Presented by Roots and taking place Switzerland, winks with diamonds and during the opening weekend of the Artists for Peace and Justice shimmers with an iridescent mother- Toronto International Film Festival, www.apjcanada.evenbrite.com of-pearl dial, accented by the pièce de the guest list is as star-studded as the www.apjnow.org résistance: a hand-painted gardenia on red carpet: celebrity guests Mila Kunis, 646-398-7804 the dial, symbolizing purity, sincerity Liam Neeson, Olivia Wilde and James events@apjnow.org and beauty. Franco will show their support, while @artistsforpeace

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LAMBORGHINI UPTOWN TORONTO GRAND OPENING

V 4

1. Lamborghini Uptown Toronto was alive with auto enthusiasts at its grand opening this past June 2. Paul Cummings, dealer principal and CEO of Grand Touring Automobiles; Maurizio Bevilacqua, mayor of Vaughan; and Michael Lock, COO of Automobili Lamborghini America 3. The bull rages in Lamborghini’s iconic emblem 4. Guests mingle around a Lamborghini Miura, considered the ﬁrst supercar

aughan’s automotive scene received a shot of exoticism on June 20, 2013, when Lamborghini Uptown Toronto celebrated its grand opening. Guests snacked on hors d’oeuvres, sipped from long-stem glasses and ogled the range of wild, four-wheeled Italian beasts on display at the 24,000-square-foot facility. From Lamborghini’s latest champions, like the edgy 50th anniversary edition Gallardo, to classic poster cars, like the Miura, considered to be the ﬁrst supercar, there was plenty of eye candy. A ceremonial ribbon cutting by Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua ofﬁcially welcomed the raging bull to the city. www.lamborghini.com

PHOTOS

1,2 BY LUCAS SCARFONE; PHOTOS 3, 4 BY JESSE MILNS

McMICHAEL MOONLIGHT GALA 1

3 4

1. Douglas and Susan Eickmeier, Cherry Tabb and Dr. Sheldon Herzig 2. Sheri Majdpour, Laleh Bighash and Rebecca Taylor 3. Bradley Walsh, Melani Chong, Franciska Veress, Shawny Campbell, Roger Moore, MT Meikle and Keyvan Foroughi 4. Holly Cole 5. Fernando Zerillo and Angela Palmieri-Zerillo 6. Nicole Martens and Talwst 7. Maurizio Bevilacqua, mayor of Vaughan; Tina Tehranchian, McMichael trustee and event chair 8. Gord Dunbar, Joanne Tod and Charles 7 Pachter

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PHOTOS BY TOM SANDLER PHOTOGRAPHY

June 8th, the McMichael Art Gallery hosted its annual Moonlight Gala. The event was in support of gallery programs that promise to pique artistic interest in people of all ages. Over 500 guests from the arts community gathered to celebrate, raising over $100,000 in support of the worthy cause. Guests enjoyed live entertainment by renowned jazz singer Holly Cole and were treated to delicious dishes by chef Jamie Kennedy. Silent and live auctions were also held, raising money to help foster a love of the arts. Located in Kleinburg, the McMichael Art Gallery features nearly 6,000 works of art by the Group of Seven and other Canadian artists. www.mcmichael.com

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Dolce was there

SCRUBS IN THE CITY 3

1. Ted Garrard, SickKids Foundation, addresses the VIP reception 2. 2013 Scrubs in the City committee members Sylvia Mantella, Molly Fitzpatrick and Suzanne Rogers 3. The 2013 Scrubs in the City committee 4. The event’s emcee, Glenn Dixon 5. Tim Hockey, TD Canada Trust, and Edward Rogers III, Rogers Communications 6. Peter Gilgan, Mattamy Homes, with guest

PHOTOS BY LEE PROUTING AND DONNA MCCLURG (BOLD IMAGING)

crubs in the City Presents BLOCK PARTY drew in some of the city’s most inﬂuential personalities to raise funds in support of The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning. Held at the Evergreen Brick Works and hosted by Glenn Dixon from Rogers Television, the 12th annual night of fashion, food, music and culture raised over $400,000 to support the building of the 21-storey, 750,000 square-foot facility. Scheduled to open September 2013, the Centre will be a game-changer in children’s health and research. www.sickkidsfoundation.com

THE ICCO BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS GALA

2 4

1. Vaughan mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua smiles with fellow attendees at the ICCO’s 11th annual Business Excellence Awards Gala 2. Chef Mark J. Picone receives the ICCO’s Arts, Science and Culture Award 3. George Visintin, project management and ﬁnancial project consultant, with wife Deborah 4. Kathleen Wynne, premier of Ontario 5. Award recipient Arthur Pelliccione Sr. of Jan K. Overwheel Ltd. 6. Hazel McCallion and guest enjoy an evening of celebration 7. Award recipient Ralph Chiodo of Active Green 7+ Ross

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ITALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF ONTARIO

he Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO) held its 11th annual Business Excellence Awards Gala at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex in Toronto on May 23, 2013. Seven hundred and twenty ICCO members, international corporate executives, representatives from other chambers and government ofﬁcials (including Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne), along with the title sponsor Alitalia, celebrated the six Business Excellence Award recipients: Arthur Pelliccione Sr., Nick Di Donato, Ralph Chiodo, chef Mark J. Picone, the DelZotto family, and Jennifer Corriero. www.italchambers.ca

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PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER STURMAN

Nobu Restaurant and Lounge at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas

Master of his craft, David Rockwell, CEO and founder of Rockwell Group

A FLAIR FOR THE DRAMATIC WITH TWO NEW NOTABLE CREATIONS AT FAMOUS HOTELS IN LAS VEGAS AND QUEBEC CITY, FAMED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER DAVID ROCKWELL AND THE ROCKWELL GROUP ARE AGAIN PLAYING TO GREAT REVIEWS

aised in a family that embraced the theatre — his mother was a dancer and choreographer — David Rockwell, founder and CEO of international awardwinning cross-disciplinary architecture and design ﬁrm the Rockwell Group, knows the power of creativity in telling a story. “When we moved to Guadalajara, Mexico, when I was young, there was so much colour and vitality,” says Rockwell. “All of life happened in public, on the streets, in the marketplace. It was there my interest in 34

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spectacle and immersive experiences really began.” Rockwell has become one of international design’s most acclaimed masters, recognized for an innovative approach to architecture in a myriad of environments, formed by his philosophy that every design should tell a story, with the story in fact driving the design. “Crafting experiences begins with a narrative that reﬂects the identity of the space, the setting, and the client,” he says. “We do extensive background research before concentrating on architectural elements, in order to www.dolcemag.com

transform the client’s story into a physical reality.” It is this passion, imagination and inspiration that the Rockwell Group is bringing to two new projects in diverse cities and environments: the 181-room luxury Nobu Hotel within Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and the venerable Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City. Nobu is one of the premier luxury lifestyle brands in the world, part of the private group of Nobu Hospitality, owned by chef Nobu Matsuhisa, ﬁlm producer Meir Teper and actor Robert De Niro.

PHOTO BY ERIC LAIGNEL

WRITTEN BY RICK MULLER

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1. Abstracted hues add to the ambience at Nobu Restaurant 2. Subtle Japanese accents tie together a winning 1 reveal experience 3. Bold elements Sin City charm 4. Serene mixture of texture and pattern in the Nobu lobby 5. Picture-perfect spiral staircase at the Paris-Opéra 6. Paris-Opéra Hotel in Paris 7. Historic 1870s structure meets illumination 8. Minimal yet luxurious design at Andaz Wall Street

“We wanted to redefine luxury hospitality as an extension of the familiar fun and handcrafted Nobu style,” says Rockwell, who began his firm in 1984 and now specializes in cultural, hospitality, retail and theatre design (including sets for Broadway musicals and the Academy Awards in 2009 and 2010). Nobu Hotel features a distinct and entirely new vocabulary of raw materials like wood and stone. The bedrooms incorporate live-edge wood tables and the bathrooms are fitted with teak wood and Japanese Umi tiles. In Quebec City, the Rockwell Group is designing the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac’s public spaces that include a bar, lounge and fine-dining restaurant, scheduled for completion in early 2014. “The setting, of course, is extraordinary,” says Rockwell. “It sits above Quebec City overlooking the 36

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St. Lawrence River, so we envisioned a comfortable, yet luxurious ambiance that reflects the hotel’s history and location.” Built in 1893 by the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac has since become an iconic Canadian landmark, and Rockwell’s design will be reflective of his passion for celebratory, transformative space and community, allowing people to gather and share experiences. “We’ll have a large hanging glass chandelier inspired by an icicle,” says Rockwell. “We’ll also install a large lighting fixture shaped like the St. Lawrence River, running parallel to the river.” Rockwell’s admired reputation is also borne from his commitment to many charitable organizations and projects that make a real difference in communities around the world. He has worked on children’s hospitals www.dolcemag.com

and on the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, as well as on a project particularly dear to his heart, Imagination Playground in New York City, where he donated his services. “I am very proud of Imagination Playground,” he says of the permanent site opened in 2010 with portable versions now spread about the globe. “It was the result of over ﬁve years of research, development and testing to ﬁgure out the best environment and tools to encourage unstructured, childdirected free play.” In the world of theatre, bringing something different to each production traditionally means success, and with Nobu Hotel in Las Vegas and the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City, Rockwell is keeping that tradition alive. www.rockwellgroup.com

#2–4 BY ERIC LAIGNEL, #5–7 BY ROCKWELL GROUP EUROPE, #8 BY KINKY BOOTS

PHOTOS

CANCER

RULING

UNITED IN THEIR STAND AGAINST CANCER AND THEIR ADVOCACY FOR QUALITY CARE, JORDAN’S PRINCESS DINA MIRED AND THE PRINCESS MARGARET CANCER CENTRE JOIN FORCES WRITTEN BY AMANDA STOREY

HRH Princess Dina greets guests at an event hosted by Lama TV, during which she discussed the importance of bringing quality cancer care to the Middle East

FINE CUSTOM CABINETRY BY DESIGN

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LAMA TV

hen HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan’s twoyear-old son was diagnosed with leukemia, her family was hit with not one but two unwelcome realities — the ﬁrst being that her son’s life was at stake, and the second being that, given the poor state of cancer care in her home country, he wasn’t going to receive the treatment he needed for a chance to survive. “At that time, we didn’t have a centre in Jordan that could give the best cure,” Princess Dina recounts in an interview with Lama TV Inc. “We didn’t have the resources.” The royal family looked to the West, where advanced medical systems promised brighter hope and better treatment for cancer patients. It was in the care of North America’s medical system that Princess Dina’s son won his battle against leukemia. It was an experience that opened her eyes to the severity of Jordan’s lack of quality cancer care. “Every patient must be given equal opportunity of treatment for a chance to survive,” says the princess — a statement that drove her to join the King Hussein Cancer Foundation (KHCF), an organization committed to combat cancer in Jordan and the Middle East. Now the director general at KHCF, Princess Dina has returned to the continent where her son was cured of his cancer to form a friendship between KHCF and the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto by signing a memorandum of agreement — a bond that promises to enrich both Canadian and Middle Eastern cancer care systems. “Our organizations have a common purpose and vision,” says Dr. Robert Bell, president and CEO of the University Health Network, who signed the memorandum alongside Dr. Mary Gospodarowicz, medical director of the cancer program. “That is to share best practices in all aspects of cancer care and research which inform tomorrow’s clinical practice.” www.thepmcf.ca, www.khcc.jo

176 Rivermede Road, Unit 9, Concord, Ontario 905.760.1311 | info@altima-kitchens.com altima-kitchens.com www.dolcemag.com

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THE

CLASSIEST MAN IN CANADIAN SPORTS

MICHAEL “PINBALL” CLEMONS INVITES DOLCE INTO HIS HOME AND OPENS UP ABOUT FASHION, PHILANTHROPY AND LIFE OUTSIDE OF THE GRIDIRON WRITTEN BY MICHAEL HILL / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSE MILNS

It’s

a sweltering day in the middle of July and Michael “Pinball” Clemons is looking out for his fellow man: he’s offered me a T-shirt. It’s hot. Really hot. The temperature inches towards 35 and with the humidity it feels well over 40. The heat is so intense cookies are baking in cars and, in the best interest of humanity, Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey and Taylor Lautner have all been court-ordered to keep their shirts on. Not the kind of day to get all trendy-professional in a collared shirt, tie and dark blue jeans; nor the kind of day to drive with a busted AC. Clemons seems to have picked up the scent (possibly quite literally) of an uncomfortable house guest and offered relief in the form of bottled water and a fresh shirt. The H2O is understandable — that’s just good manners — but a shirt, to a man he may never see again? He can’t be serious. “I’m serious,” he says, smiling broadly. We’re setting up for the ﬁrst round of the photo shoot in the backyard of his Oakville home, but he’s motioning, as if about to demonstrate why many considered him the most exciting running back in the history of 38

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the Canadian Football League (CFL), towards the sliding door that leads into the kitchen. “I’ll get you one.” Clemons’ generosity is as conspicuous as his talent on the gridiron. Throughout his 12-year tenure as a Toronto Argonaut — where he set numerous team records, and a CFL record for the most combined yards in a career (25,438) — and the eight seasons he was acting head coach of the Double Blue, where he recorded the second most wins in Argos history and was the ﬁrst African American to appear in and win a Grey Cup, Clemons was always known for giving back. He’s a regular at charity events and galas, liberally donating his time to causes of all sizes and scope. The night before, for example, he was in Oshawa for the Women’s Lacrosse World Cup, supporting the Canadians in a tough loss to the U.S. The T-shirt offer is par for the course in Clemons’ personal playbook. He’s a classy guy, and that’s just what classy guys do. Poolside, Clemons looks the part. He dons a cool grey Without Prejudice suit, a chequered Emilio Guido dress shirt and ﬂoral-pattern tie of varying shades of blue, and black De Marchi Oxfords — all accented by a clean, puffed white pocket square. It’s a sharp look, a manifestation of www.dolcemag.com

his classy character. Half a dozen other ensembles cover his kitchen table to give an idea of what his collection holds. From a salt-and-pepper grey suit with black piping accents, to a burgundy suede jacket that reveals a paisley pattern in the right light, over 50 suits occupy Clemons’ wardrobe. “That’s my guilty pleasure,” says Clemons, who is currently the vice-chair of the Argos. “It’s not cars or fast things. It’s clothes.” He estimates, however, that he suits-up 200 times a year, so it’s one that deserves investing in. Clemons describes his personal style as “classic” but unafraid of colour, and credits Jack Skurka of Classica Imports for keeping him “consistent” and “on the cusp” of the day’s trends. “We try to take the classic foundation and make it a little bit more exciting,” he explains. Because of his extensive collection, he’s a bit more particular about what he adds to his arsenal these days. It must be pleasing to the eye, yes, and the quality must be there, but the name doesn’t carry that same weight. There are basics that any gentleman must adhere to — but he has plenty of those. Anything new must have presence, more of a voice. He needs to either love it or feel like he can “take it somewhere,” he explains. “Some things stand alone

and other things are worthy of coming with you. The stand-alone suit is what I’m looking for, and every once in a while I see a suit that can come along, that we can spruce up, that we can do something with.” But all the style and ﬂair isn’t just for esthetics — fashion sends a message. “It says, ‘I respect you’ when you show up at a meeting dressed properly,” he explains. “It says, ‘I’m not only happy to be here but I respect the company that I’m in.’” Even on unbearable days like today, Clemons always shows up looking the part, adding, “I think it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed as a general rule.” But where did his inclination towards attire, this polite demeanour, come from? “It was my mom,” he says. “She always wanted me to look and be presentable.” Clemons’ upbringing is a far cry from the tasteful, modest luxury of his current residence. He was born and raised in Dunedin, Florida, by his single mother, Anna Marie Bryant. The pair lived in a small apartment in the projects for a good hunk of Clemons’ life. They didn’t have much, but his mother never complained, never made excuses. She kept a clean, well-appointed home, and ensured her son looked and behaved

Michael “Pinball” Clemons wears a cool grey Without Prejudice suit in the backyard of his Oakville home www.dolcemag.com

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the same, especially on Sundays. “The idea was you always give God your best,” he says of dressing for those early church-going days, a tradition he carries on today. Clemons’ mother was the embodiment of the maxim “practice what you preach.” Her upbringing was far from easy — losing her own mother when she was ﬁve, followed two years later by her grandma’s passing due to complications with tuberculosis. But she always led by example, be it organizing her lunch breaks so she could pick her son up from school, helping neighbours or her exquisite penmanship. “She taught me by living it,” Clemons says. “Her consistency illustrated the importance

THE TWO THINGS I BELIEVE THAT CREATE A HEALTHY, HAPPY, THRIVING CIVIL SOCIETY ARE CHARACTER AND EDUCATION, AND ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER WON’T DO

“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love” — the words of Martin Luther King Jr. Education has always played an important role in Clemons’ life. From his mother ensuring his homework was complete before allowing him to go out and play to his decision to attend the College of William & Mary, a more academic as opposed to athletic school, Clemons has always held education in the highest regard. It’s one of the key pillars of his charity, the Michael

Wearing a burgundy Without Prejudice jacket that shows a paisley pattern in the light, Clemons sits at his family’s piano with his wife Diane

of it all. She was always there and always sacrificing.” It taught him the value of people, commitment and humility, a trait he exhibited on the field. The CFL Hall of Famer was never one for showy celebrations after a touchdown, and in a career as storied as his, there were many. In fact, aside from a few game balls commemorating career milestones perched atop the bookshelves lining his office, Clemons keeps few tokens from his athletic days on display — he feels it’s living in the past. “If what you did yesterday still 40

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sounds good today then you haven’t done much today,” he says, pulling one of the many maxims he holds close to heart from his repertoire. Clemons is full of these sayings. He’s a quote factory, reciting both his own philosophies and ideas appropriated from various experiences and books: “Every successful man is not always a successful father, but every successful father is a successful man.” “Your circumstances are responsible for who you are, but you’re responsible for who you become.” www.dolcemag.com

“Pinball” Clemons Foundation (MPCF). For years he was content to lend his celebrity to other foundations. There were so many great people doing phenomenal work it was enough for Clemons to support them. Causes like the Special Olympics, Easter Seals, the Children’s Miracle Network, the YMCA and Free the Children were just some of his favourites. While he smiles effortlessly, and loves having a good time, Clemons explains that he’s a far more serious guy than most think. When it comes

to charity, he embraces the role with earnest. As his charitable commitments grew — he was hitting, he estimates, close to 100 events a year — Clemons found at times his efforts were not always utilized adequately. He’s quick to explain that any philanthropic effort is noble, and that even the smallest events can grow into something substantial, but he couldn’t help shake the fact that some organizers’ intentions seemed misplaced. “There’s a difference between being busy and being productive. Sometimes I get busy and not productive — I’m not a fan of that. I’m mad at me when that happens,” he says. “I found I was being busy a lot of times and that there are a lot of foundations and a lot of people out there who are just being busy and not being productive. It’s not my job to judge them, but maybe it is my job to do something a little bit different.” Clemons finally gave in to the urgings of others, like Natasha Borota, co-founder of MPCF, and put his name on a brand. Today MPCF endeavours to empower those in need by, as their motto goes, “giving a hand up, not a hand out.” They work to raise money for organizations such as Free the Children (MPCF also secured a deal where 100 per cent of the money they donate goes into the field) and Habitat for Humanity (Clemons appreciates the fact they don’t just give people homes, but teach recipients how to manage their finances and contribute to society). “The two things I believe that create a healthy, happy, thriving civil society are character and education, and one without the other won’t do,” he says, adding a Clemonsized MLK quote: “Character without education leads to a lack of innovation. Education without character leads to corruption.” “He came to us with this idea of building 131 schools over a five-year period,” explains Marc Kielburger, who, along with his brother Craig, cofounded Free the Children. Clemons was intrigued by the Kielburgers’ efforts in developing nations and wanted to get involved. “Sometimes when people make these big statements you have to take it all in stride. But with Mike, he was dead serious. Not only did he do those 131 schools he did it in two and a

half years, which was just incredible.” Kielburger explains that outside of the work he’s done in Haiti and Kenya and other developing countries, which includes bringing education to thousands of kids around the world, Clemons also has an uncanny knack for inspiring others at home. At Free the Children’s 2009 We Day Toronto event, Clemons had 16,000 students on their feet. “Everyone is so inspired by listening to him,” Kielburger adds. “The energy that he brings and the focus that he has and the example that he creates is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.” Outside of the events and charities, family is the most important thing in Clemons’ life. He wells with pride describing the unique characters of his three daughters, Rachel, Raven and Rylie, noting that creating memories as a family is something the Clemons clan takes to heart. “As part of that whole dynamic of being a parent and helping children to grow and mature and all of those wonderful things is also creating those magical times,” he says. Every year they plan family vacations, often to warm destinations like Hawaii and San Diego. “We really treasure that time; we hold it close,” he says. As his daughters grow, he’s taking on a new project: he wants to do something special with each of his girls. His eldest, Rachel, for example, is an avid football fan (she loves watching the game with dad), so they’ve made it their mission to visit all 40 professional football stadiums in North America. Although they’re only about eight in, he’s looking forward to seeing them all with her. Whether discussing his family, philanthropy or fashion, the genuineness and positivity beaming from Clemons is contagious. He’s a man of his word, who, like his mother, prefers to lead by example. He constantly pushes to better himself and the world around him. A class act — the classiest — all the way. With an attitude like that it’s hard not to be inspired yourself, to feel good about the future, even while at the mercy of relentless heat in stop-andgo trafﬁc. Only one regret creeps to mind: I should have taken that T-shirt. www.mpcf.ca www.dolcemag.com

STYLE BLITZ

10 SPLIT-SECOND EITHER/OR DECISIONS TIE OR BOW TIE? If you had to have one: tie. Because you can make a tie formal, you can’t make a bow tie informal.

WINDSOR OR HALF-WINDSOR? Oh, Windsor. No doubt. Don’t go halfway in anything, unless it’s a half marathon because a full marathon is murder.

SOLIDS OR PATTERN? Pattern.

BELT OR SUSPENDERS? Belt, but I like suspenders.

PLEATED PANTS OR FLAT FRONT? Flat.

PINSTRIPE OR FLAT COLOUR? Oh, pinstripe.

TWO-BUTTON OR THREE-BUTTON JACKET? Ahhh, four [Laughs]. Today: two.

POINTED OR PUFFED POCKET SQUARE? Puffed, because life should be full of surprises.

OXFORDS OR LOAFERS? Oxfords.

SILK OR TERRY CLOTH ROBE? I’m a terry cloth man. Silk is nice, but it’s not nearly as cosy.

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PHOTOS CAHIERS D’ART AN LAS DU NC UG DAVI D DO PHOTO BY

Left: Christian Zervos and Pablo Picasso Right: The Zervos Picasso Catalogue is a 33-volume collection featuring over 16,000 works by the celebrated Spanish artist

THE

CATALOGUE REVIVAL CAHIERS D’ART RESURRECTS THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF PICASSO’S WORK WRITTEN BY MICHAEL HILL

hen Staffan Ahrenberg strolled through the streets of central Paris on one fateful sun-drenched afternoon, Picasso was far from his mind. But through a serendipitous discovery of Cahiers d’Art, a once-celebrated publisher and gallery, the eminent Spanish artist is now at the forefront of thought. With the goal of returning Cahiers d’Art to its past glory, Ahrenberg is mere months away from the rerelease of the Zervos Picasso Catalogue, the most comprehensive reference on the works of the world’s most influential modern artist The Zervos, as enthusiasts colloquially refer to it, is a 33-volume catalogue featuring over 16,000 images of drawings and paintings by Pablo Picasso. Because of its breadth, art aficionados view it as the ultimate guide of the Spanish master’s work. Cahiers d’Art released the first volume in 1932, with subsequent volumes containing new and newly discovered works following periodically until it ceased publication in 1978. It was a passion project of Christian Zervos, a French art collector and writer, and the founder of Cahiers d’Art. A staunch supporter of the arts, Zervos worked closely with Picasso for over 40 years on the catalogue to ensure accuracy and scope. Today, complete sets are rare and, depending on their condition, can fetch from US$60,000 to upwards of US$200,000 at auction. Upon Zervos’s death in 1970, the artisan fervour of his beloved publishing house slowly fizzled out — for decades it published little to nothing. But when the Cahiers d’Art sign caught Ahrenberg’s eye that day in 2010, memories of the Cahiers d’Art magazine resting in his father’s library rushed to mind. Ahrenberg’s father Theodor was a Swedish shipping magnate who amassed one of the largest collections of modern art in northern Europe, instilling a deep fondness for art in his son. With Cahiers d’Art staring him down, Ahrenberg was compelled to enter. 42

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Over several conversations, Ahrenberg eventually bought Cahiers d’Art, determined to restore its greatness within the arts community. “It gave me the possibility to realize one of my dreams, which was to work in the art field professionally without becoming a dealer,” says Ahrenberg, who, like his father, is also an avid art collector. In October 2012, the resurrected Cahiers d’Art released its first magazine in over 50 years, followed closely by a book on sculptor Alexander Calder. The rebirth of the Zervos Picasso Catalogue, however, is the most anticipated publication yet. The reissue will be the first time the catalogue is published in English, and will include corrections verified by the Picasso Administration, which functions as the Spanish painter’s estate. Ahrenberg explains that while there are over 1,500 books on Picasso, most are general, narrow texts by people who never met the legendary artist. The Zervos is the only one that covers the full range of Picasso’s extensive work. For those willing to dedicate the shelf space to the 33-volume catalogue, Ahrenberg guarantees “they will have something quite remarkable.” The Zervos Picasso Catalogue will be available on Dec. 12, 2013, with Sotheby’s as its distributor. For a limited time, advance orders are priced at US$15,000; regular price is US$20,000. zervos.sothebys.com

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DAVID MIRVISH HIS BRAVE NEW CITY AND

OVER HALF A CENTURY AGO, DAVID MIRVISH’S FATHER PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN TRANSFORMING TORONTO — NOW HE’S LOOKING TO DO THE SAME WRITTEN BY MICHAEL HILL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSE MILNS

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cross the street from Honest Ed’s, just south of where Bloor and Bathurst streets intersect, a new nine-storey condo is being built. In a city where mammoth glass-and-steel towers, many well over 40 ﬂoors, are rapidly dominating the skyline, this modest

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development may seem insigniﬁcant. But in the BloorBathurst area, the tallest building for pretty much ever has been the four-storey discount retail icon Honest Ed’s. It’s a sign of the transformation sweeping through Toronto — a movement David Mirvish wants to be part of. The morning of an early August day drifts towards noon as sporadic shoppers wander amongst the white bins,

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cardboard-box displays, hand-painted signs and black-and-white photos of entertainers of old that make up one of the many rooms of Honest Ed’s. In a crisp navy-blue suit, Mirvish, founder of famed Canadian theatrical company Mirvish Productions, stands amongst this milieu of bargain-priced merchandise that his father, the late Ed Mirvish, devised and orchestrated over six decades ago. The contrast between the past and the present is as lucid as the store’s marquee on a clear summer night. For Mirvish, it’s also clear that it’s time for change.

recognize and wave to the impresario as he walks the street. The news came only a week before the once seminal store’s 65th anniversary. For many, it was a bittersweet celebration. onest Ed’s has been a ﬁxture of Toronto since opening in 1948 — its founder, Ed Mirvish: a cherished ﬁgure. He was a pioneer and an exhibitionist, a businessman and a philanthropist; loved by many, known to all. During a time when prices were dictated by department stores and manufacturers, Ed blazed new trails with his discount-

in a book,’” Mirvish explains. He also never issued stock, which, when Honest Ed’s was bringing in $65 million a year in the early ’90s, would have further buttressed the family wealth. Above all, Ed was a showman. From his annual turkey giveaways at Christmas to his pun-ﬁlled commercials to enticing “the Wolf Girl” to travel by dogsled from the Yukon to Toronto to shop at Honest Ed’s — “‘All you do is hitch your dogs to the sled and you keep coming until you run out of snow,’” Mirvish recounts of his father’s offer — Ed relished the spotlight. “The irony was always that he

The most recent designs of the Mirvish+Gehry Toronto feature white milk glass wrapping the trio of towers. The glass provides a lovely esthetic and acts like a canopy at street level

“One never knows when the perfect time for change is,” says Mirvish, seated in the boardroom overlooking the aisles of his family’s store. “But what you don’t want to do is let someone else make decisions for you. You want to make those decisions at a time that seems appropriate.” n mid-July, Honest Ed’s was put up for sale for $100 million. The price also includes Mirvish’s 1.8-hectare plot of land in Mirvish Village, a neighbourhood known for its distinct small businesses, charming dining and affordable rent, which made it a bastion for artists and students. It’s a community the Mirvish family supported and preserved over the years, one where residents still

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retail model; the same method utilized by Walmart 14 years later. Ed’s innovative spirit would lead to much dabbling in then novel retail strategies, including incorporating self-service, loss-leader goods and an in-store pharmacy and photo shop, long before they were commonplace. He embraced his immigrant-heavy customer base, offering wire-transfer services so newto-Canada clientele could send money to their home countries, and eventually brought in a passport renewal kiosk. He refused to sell-out to Loblaws when they offered to open an Honest Ed’s with every one of their grocery stores across the country. “He said, ‘I’m making a living, and I don’t want to spend my time travelling and looking at ﬁgures www.dolcemag.com

was actually quite a humble person and quite soft spoken,” he adds. “I guess it’s a little like looking at the Wizard of Oz: behind the curtain is not the Great Oz, but there could be a great man there in just another way.” Over the years, Honest Ed’s maze-like, funhouse atmosphere (customers were, and still are, encouraged to “come in and get lost”), combined with exceptionally low prices and Ed’s friendly theatrics would prove appealing to Torontonians of all walks of life. Honest Ed’s became both a ﬁrst for the city and the world. But things are far different today. While many still shop at Honest Ed’s, still enjoy its playful character and great value, Mirvish knows the world is not as it was in his father’s heyday.

“The service that Honest Ed’s provided once upon a time,” he says, “is no longer needed in the same way.” The sale marks an end of an era and acts as a reality check for those who still nostalgically cling to the past. In a world where big box stores stand within arm’s reach of many neighbourhoods, this move was a long time coming and undoubtedly an eventuality. Even years before he passed away in 2007, Ed was already closing his restaurants due to competition in the King Street West area, a neighbourhood he helped revitalize when he bought the Royal Alexandra Theatre in 1963. There were over 85 restaurants in the area by 2002, and the Mirvish’s converted their warehouses into office space. Things change; people adapt — c’est la vie. “The city is constantly evolving. It’s a living organism,” explains Mirvish. “If you don’t constantly evolve, you fall by the wayside.” nd Mirvish has no plans to disappear. Although far more reserved than his father, Mirvish has turned heads with his latest project, currently known as the Mirvish+Gehry Toronto. In October of last year, he announced his partnership with Peter Kofman of Projectcore Inc. and renowned architect Frank Gehry (who was unavailable for comment) and revealed their vision for his family’s property in the Entertainment District. While the proposal has undergone several iterations since its unveiling, the current design features a trio of 80-storey structures wrapped in white milk glass. “Gehry’s tried to make the transition from the base into the towers be a fluid one,” explains Mirvish. “So what you have are three vases with different flowers — an iron flower, a glass flower and a clay flower that you live in.” The embrace of flowing white waves gives the impression that these arresting towers are peeking through clouds, as if a morning mist is receding, losing its grip on three colossal statues. This project will be Mirvish’s second venture in real estate development — the first being One King West, which opened in 2005 — and many of Toronto’s artistically inclined have thrown their weight behind it. Matthew

Slutsky, president and founder of BuzzBuzzHome, declared it an “instant landmark on the Toronto skyline,” and Globe and Mail columnist Marcus Gee trumpeted its bold design, stating, “… it is a once-in-a-generation chance to take architecture and the arts in Toronto to a new level.” Elevating Toronto’s cultural scene is one of Mirvish’s primary goals. There is a commercial drive behind the project, he makes clear, but Mirvish also sees an opportunity to meld the downtown lifestyle with his passion: art. Along with numerous residential units, roughly 100,000 square feet of

THE CITY IS CONSTANTLY EVOLVING. IT’S A LIVING ORGANISM. IF YOU DON’T CONSTANTLY EVOLVE, YOU FALL BY THE WAYSIDE retail and 40,000 sq. ft. of commercial space, these towers will also house a new facility for the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) and an art gallery. The OCAD campus — dubbed The Princess of Wales Centre for the Visual Arts at OCAD University, in honour of The Princess of Wales Theatre, which Mirvish built in 1993 and will be demolished during construction — will provide space for performances, lectures and teachers’ and students’ work. The 60,000 sq. ft. art gallery will allow Mirvish to showcase pieces from his collection of 1,100 works of contemporary art. “What I’m hoping is that it will produce an art museum that is free. It’s a museum that’s about advocacy,” he says. Mirvish has always held a fondness and intrigue for contemporary art. It was a love affair cultivated by his father’s transition into theatre and www.dolcemag.com

the artistic inclinations of his mother, Anne, a sculptor herself. Once, on a family vacation to Europe, Anne exposed young Mirvish’s mind to the great works displayed in the museums and cathedrals of the Old World. While Ed never shared his son’s affection for contemporary art, he always encouraged Mirvish to pursue his own path. In 1963, Mirvish opened the David Mirvish Gallery, a small refuge for contemporary works located right around the corner from his father’s bargain retail store. Until the gallery was closed in 1975, Mirvish was the premier champion of the contemporary style in Toronto, particularly of artists from the Color Field movement. Over the years he collected and dealt various works, and notes his appreciation for the likes of Frank Stella and the late Helen Frankenthaler and Canadian Jack Bush. His dream for the Mirvish+Gehry’s gallery is to dedicate an individual room to each of a number of these artists so the public can experience the full scope of their importance. He explains that Bush, for example, is well represented in museums around the world, but that type of encyclopedic presentation style doesn’t do him justice. “If we don’t do right by him,” he says, “and give him a place to be seen in the context of his peers, we won’t be able to judge his accomplishment.” Adding: “If we had a museum that was devoted to this, I believe people would come from all over the world — as many people that will come to see Frank Gehry’s architecture.” irvish’s dream is to create a cultural hub whose presence will rival the city’s tallest building, most of which are dedicated to banks and insurance companies. The savvy dealings of our country’s ﬁnancial institutions are praiseworthy, but Mirvish believes “that our residential and entertainment and intellectual activities merit a place of equal prominence and should be able to grow to similar heights as those buildings.” The 80-plus-storey towers, while radical in height next to current developments in the area, are symbolic of a city in this place in time — a means of announcing to the world our dedication to cultural endeavours.

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There are, however, hurtles. The city, for one, has pumped the breaks on Mirvish’s aggressive vision. Director of city planning Gregg Lintern explains that through community consultation meetings the public has raised issues with the project’s dramatic size, scale and intensity and expressed a desire to conserve the heritage buildings that will be demolished during construction. “We certainly recognize what the project represents in terms of architecture and culture and the nature of the proposal,” he says. “We’re trying to work with that and with the planning context that’s in the area.” Lintern adds the next planning report to city council will likely be held in November, and any issues with the current design will be addressed then. irvish believes the angled wooden beams and glass canopy of the project’s ﬁve-storey podium evokes and pays homage to the antiquated industrial buildings it will replace, and hopes the city will not insist on diminishing the height. This is an opportunity to have Gehry, one of the leading architects in the world, a bornand-raised Torontonian, develop what could possibly be his greatest work yet — and, in the process, elevate the city to its rightful place on the global stage.

IT MEANS THAT I HAD A CHANCE TO STAND ON MY FATHER’S SHOULDERS. I DIDN’T DO IT BY MYSELF IN ONE GENERATION. I DID IT BECAUSE I WORKED ALONGSIDE HIM FOR 50 YEARS

David Mirvish, founder of Mirvish Productions, stands on the ﬂoor of Honest Ed’s, the discount retail store his father opened 65 years ago

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“From our point of view, we are trying to make a statement. We want these buildings to be visible, we don’t want them to hide behind other buildings, we didn’t hire Frank Gehry for these buildings not to be prominent,” says Kofman, the venture’s development and project manger, adding ample time and effort has also been put into the public space on King Street to ensure it is enhanced in a compelling way. “We want these buildings to be a special place and that’s why we’re doing it.” ut as it is for all things in life, only time will tell. For Mirvish, this is a chance to further his family legacy, to shape the city in a meaningful way, just like his father did. All he wants is the opportunity. “It means that I had a chance to stand on my father’s shoulders. I didn’t do it by myself in one generation. I did it because I worked alongside him for 50 years. I’m 69. I’ve been able to evolve and do things because we came out of a certain community where certain opportunities present themselves. My father said there was no other place in the world where he could have achieved what he did.” And now, Mirvish is hoping it’s where he can do the same. www.mirvishandgehrytoronto.com s a dge yto o to co

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MINDFUL

DESIGN

CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY AND A DASH OF MIND READING: HOW INTERIOR DESIGNER HEATHER SEGRETI BROUGHT THIS KLEINBURG, ONT. HOME TO LIFE WRITTEN BY AMANDA STOREY

ACCLAIMED INTERIOR DESIGN

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PHOTO BY LARRY ARNAL

EMERGING STYLE “A lot of people want that more transitional, clean look, and I think it’s here to stay,” says Heather Segreti, the acclaimed interior designer appointed to craft the Baldassarras’ Kleinburg home

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PHOTO BY LARRY ARNAL

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPH STRUBE

ART AND DESIGN A formal background in design and a passion for ﬁne art fuel Segreti’s outside-the-box handiwork

PHOTO BY LARRY ARNAL

KEEP IT CLEAN “If you want to do something a little more daring, just don’t do it all over your house,” Segreti advises. “Keep the bones of the house nice and clean”

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was 2009, and Carlo and Dora Baldassarra were weathering a brainstorm. The couple was in the midst of dreaming up the design concept for their custom 10,000-square-foot home in Kleinburg, Ont. They were craving something that spoke a different architectural language than the traditional Italian designs that seemed to be gobbling up the rest of their neighbourhood. “They wanted a more transitional look,” says Heather Segreti, interior designer, who sat down with Dora over a mug of green tea to try and coax their new home from the abyss of scrambled ideas. “They had images in their mind that they relayed to me, and it was my job to make their vision become a reality.” Sparks ﬂew, ideas bloomed and by the time they had reached the dregs of their tea, the blank canvas of the Baldassarras’ home was beginning to look promising, and the paintbrush was in Segreti’s hands. Four years later, the estate is complete — and after Segreti put all her design secrets to use on the project, it’s just begging to be explored. It’s an interior concept that gathers together simplicity and luxury, two of the themes that the Baldassarras hold most dear. Statuario marble, the priciest variety to be ordered by square foot, plays a vital role in the home — particularly in the kitchen, where the intricately panelled marble backsplash and countertop take centre stage, and in

TAKE IT SLOW “I’m a big believer in taking the pain upfront, because there will be pleasure later,” says the designer, a message that translates to this project, which took four years to complete

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPH STRUBE

LESS IS MORE “It’s me,” says Dora Baldassarra. “I can’t go with something more elaborate. This is very easy, very comfortable”

“IT WAS MY JOB TO MAKE THEIR VISION BECOME A REALITY” — HEATHER SEGRETI

PHOTO BY LARRY ARNAL

CLASSIC, CONTEMPORARY The design is a harmonious blend of classic and contemporary, blending hardwood with marble, modern furnishings with traditional colours

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PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPH STRUBE

MUSKOKA MEETS MILAN The rustic, cottage-y exterior of the Baldassarra home embraces Segreti’s neoclassical interior handiwork

FAMILY FOCUSED A growing family is one of the Baldassarras’ most important commitments, so Segreti designed a home that would accommodate — and inspire — an abundance of guests

“I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO READ IN PEOPLE WHAT THEY CAN’T REALLY SEE IN THEMSELVES” — HEATHER SEGRETI

the master ensuite, which boasts a floor entirely built of the rock. To the untrained eye, the understated elegance of these creations betrays no hint of the painstaking process it took to bring them to life: imported from Italy, the slabs of statuario were strategically pieced together to mesh flawlessly. “Some people might not see that connection,” says Segreti of minute details such as this that often go unnoticed. “But they’ll feel that connection.” The showstopper, Segreti admits, is the great room. With its sky-high ceiling and angularity, the room is a testament to Segreti’s flawless melding of classic and contemporary. Without a colonial pillar in sight, it’s a successful stray from the neighbourhood norm. “When I look at my home, I say, ‘That’s the house I was looking for for a long time,’” says Carlo, who moved in with 54

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SMART HOME With over 45 years of experience in the construction industry, Carlo Baldassarra ensured his family’s new home was pinpoint perfect from the inside out

his wife this past March. As the owner of Sora Construction for over 45 years, Carlo understood how vital it was to take the building and design process slowly — a decision that paid off many times over. The house, which holds three guest bedrooms on the second ﬂoor to accommodate four grandchildren and another on the way, is the materialization of what the Baldassarras envisioned four years ago. And with a slew of sought-after features accenting the home — from the heated driveway to the wall-mounted home-automation devices, which allow Carlo to control the property from the likes of Florida or Italy, to the threedoor garage that houses Carlo’s Ferrari 458 Spider, to the ensuite bathroom decked with a waterfall shower, heated towel rack and waterproof TV — Segreti didn’t miss a beat of the couple’s unique style. When asked what inspires her to include these concepts, the designer claims it’s her endless curiosity that allows her to really listen to clients and uncover which features will complement their lifestyle — a process she explains is almost like mind reading. “When [the client is] telling me something, I’m listening to them but I’m also watching their body language. I’m looking at what they wear, I’m looking at what they show me in images that they like,” Segreti explains. “I have to be able to read in people what they can’t really see in themselves.” www.segretidesign.com

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Toto Master Ensuite inﬁnity sink, Toilets throughout Spa, majority of Bathrooms

HEATHER SEGRETI

SOURCE LIST

www.totousa.com

Downsview Kitchens Kitchen, Master Ensuite millwork vanity and panelling, Master Bedroom headboard wall, Basement millwork, Basement kitchen, Bathroom vanities throughout www.downsviewkitchens.com

Bisazza Glass Tiles Master Ensuite wall tile Powder Room wall tile www.bisazza.com

Dorya Furniture Living Room sofa, Living Room side table, Dining Room table and chairs, Dining Room sideboard and console www.dorya.us

Kravet Fabrics Sectional fabric in Great Room www.kravetcanada.com

Robert Allen Fabrics Drapery and upholstery fabric, Master Bedroom, Living Room, Dining Room, Spa Bathroom www.robertallendesign.com

Fine Art Lamps Kitchen Fixtures, Dining Room, Living Room, Office fixture, Hall wall sconces www.fineartlamps.com

Town & Country Fireplaces Main Floor Great room, Main Floor Living Room, Basement Lounge www.townandcountryﬁreplaces.net

Joanne Fabrics Drapery and upholstery fabric, Master Bedroom, Sectional in Basement, Drapery in Kitchen, Guest Rooms

Kohler Master Ensuite Bathroom, Main Floor Powder Room 1 & 2 toilets, Leaf vessel sink in Powder Room www.kohler.ca

www.ciot.com

www.joannefabrics.com

Subzero and Wolf Appliances Main Floor Kitchen

Caesar Stone Master Ensuite counters, Kids Bathroom counters and shower jambs, Basement ﬁreplace, Basement counters

Prima Lighting Great Room light fixtures, Exterior light fixtures, Kids Bedroom fixtures, Guest Bedroom fixtures, Spa Bathroom fixtures www.primalighting.ca

Troy Lighting Great Room light ﬁxtures www.troy-lighting.com

www.subzero-wolf.com

Zucchetti Master Ensuite shower set (including rain head), Spa Bathroom shower set, (including rain head) www.zucchettidesign.it

Corbett Lighting Master Bedroom light ﬁxtures

Aquabrass Fixtures Kids Bathroom faucets and shower sets

www.corbettlighting.com

www.aquabrass.com

Cantrio Koncepts Main Floor Powder Room #2 sink

Hinkley Lighting Exterior light ﬁxtures www.hinkleylighting.com

Hubbardton Forge All basement ﬁxtures, Theatre Kitchen, Pool Room, Lounge www.vtforge.com

Vistosi Lighting Italy Main Floor Powder Room www.vistosi.com

Boyd Lighting Master Ensuite wall sconces

www.cantrio.ca

www.caesarstoneus.com

Stone Tile Spa Bathroom wall tile, Spa Bathroom mosaic tile at mirror and shower, Inlays in ﬂoor, Kids Bathroom tiles, ﬂoors and walls, Kitchen feature wall www.stone-tile.com

Crystal Tile & Marble Master Ensuite white marble ﬂoor tile, Spa Bathroom white marble ﬂoor tile crystaltilemarble.com

Blanco Kitchen main and Basement, Laundry sinks main and Basement www.blancocanada.com

Tartaruga Design Main Floor Living Room www.tartarugadesign.com

www.boydlighting.com

Ciot Tile Main Entry Statuario marble, Slabs for kitchen counters and powder rooms

Left Bank Artwork Artwork throughout www.leftbankart.com

Doorland Group All interior and exterior doors www.doorlandgroup.com

Classic Mouldings All plaster work including custom ceiling in Living Room and Great Room www.classicmouldings.com

Connolly Marble & Granite All fabrication for marble & stone www.connollymarble.com

Crown Wallpaper & Fabrics Wallpaper www.crownwallpaper.com

Télio and Cie Fabric toss cushions in Great Room, Silk wallpaper in dining room and Main Entry Hall www.telio.com

Phillip Jeffries Silk wallpaper in Dining Room and Main Entry Hall

Barbara Barry Furniture Living Room coffee table, Living Room display cabinets

www.phillipjeffries.com

barbarabarry.com

www.centuryfurniture.com

Orion Hardware Doors hardware, Bathroom accessories

Hancock and Moore Kitchen and counter chairs

www.orionhardware.com

Century Furniture Kitchen table

www.hancockandmoore.com

Continued on page 72 …

A DV E R TO R I A L

DAVID’S

FINE LINENS BRING LUXURY TO BED WITH AN ARRAY OF HEAVENLY FINDS

onsider David’s Fine Linens your VIP pass into the industry’s most exclusive bedding brands. Brimming with the likes of Roberto Cavalli, Glen Peloso, St. Geneve, St. Pierre and Hugo Boss, this high-fashion linen destination will add luxurious comfort to any bedroom. Apart from his commitment to carrying only the ﬁnest names in the business, founder David Saini welcomes all clients with a tailored customer service experience. Whether you’re looking to enliven the master bedroom or revitalize the guest room, Saini and his team provide a shopping adventure that is both personalized and intimate. Homeowners are invited to stop by one of his two locations to touch and feel his extensive inventory, which boasts Marzotto’s 100 per cent cashmere blankets and throws, a full and available stock of the world’s ﬁnest eiderdown duvets, as well as silk and cashmere coverings and sheets. 56

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David’s Fine Linens offers quality, stylish bedding from Roberto Cavalli and more

“We think it’s vital to invest in comfort,” says Saini. “And at our stores, we’re committed to providing that through superb service and the ﬁnest products we can deliver.” www.davidsﬁnelinens.com 8099 Weston Rd., Unit 25, Woodbridge, Ont., 905-264-7778 Bayview Village Shopping Centre, 2901 Bayview Ave., North York, Ont. 416-590-7311, Toll-Free: 1-877-591-1115

Create a room unlike any other! Available only at

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CHÂTEAU VARENNES VENUE ROYALE A stay at this 18 th-century castle in Burgundy reveals French gardens, regal furnishings and ﬁve-star service WRITTEN BY RICK MULLER

Soft purples and silvers sweep through the Marie-Antoinette suite, ﬁtted with classical wallpaper, silk curtains and bed furnishings of velvet and tweed DOLCE VITA MAGAZINE • FALL 2013 58

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEXANDRA MEURANT AND PINGSY YOUNG

Dating back to the 18th century, this resplendent reception room exudes romance with a white marble chimney, pastoral paintings and a grand Versailles parquet ﬂoor

uch is the rariﬁed world of Sonia de Truchis and her husband Aymeric de Truchis de Varennes, owners and operators of Château de Varennes, in operation only four years but recently named by CNN as one of the Top Ten Wedding Venues in the world. Situated amongst the rolling hills, valleys and lush forests of Burgundy, France, the 17-bedroom Château de Varennes is the perfect blend of languid luxury and unparalleled ﬁve-star service. “When I met Aymeric, he never mentioned his family had a place in the country,” says Sonia. “Even when I met his parents, no one told me. The family is very modest, with older, noble, generational traits. And then one weekend we came here and I was very surprised by its timeless and classic design. It obviously needed some repairs, but I thought it was a marvellous house.” www.dolcemag.com

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Aymeric’s family has owned the property since they arrived from Italy 400 years ago and built a fortress on the land. In the 18 th century, a more modest building was rebuilt on the property in the classical château style that you see today. It was primarily used between Easter and October as the family’s summer home that allowed them to get away from the heat of Paris, with the entire household of extended family, guests and domestic servants descending upon Burgundy for those idyllic months in the French countryside. While Aymeric would spend his summer school holidays at the Château, the thought of transforming it into an ultra-luxury holiday destination only occurred to both Aymeric and Sonia after they inherited the property in 2009. They both held down executive positions in corporate Paris, but would have friends from their extensive travels in North America and Asia out to Château de Varennes for summer weekends. “It was our friends who gave us the idea to create a special event venue, a fairy-tale type of place as they described it,” recalls Sonia. “They had travelled all over Europe and found countryside châteaux needing renovation. The French see these all the time and think nothing of it, but they said while they all had beautiful outdoor grounds, the indoors were old, dusty and not up to high-end luxury standards. They thought a classic château with some

1. Luxury outdoor furniture dots the heated pool area 2. Custom built by a local carpenter with oak trees from the property woods, the main dining room seats up to 25 guests 3. Classic Louis XVI medallion chairs take a seat in the Marie-Antoinette suite 4. Baroque antique gold mirrors and white goose feather light ﬁttings by designer Matejewski accent a traditional wood staircase 5. The original décor and furnishings of the reception room were carefully curated throughout the years

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modernizations would prove very popular … and they were right.” Using their savings, the transformation of Château de Varennes from family summer home to one of the world’s most exclusive luxury retreats began; the renovation would take three years. “We honestly thought we’d be living on pasta for about 10 years,” Sonia says with her infectious laugh. “It was scary at the beginning, but we are both a bit daring, and frankly, we are so amazed and pleased by the results.” The first year of the renovations restored four bedrooms and baths, the installation of a heating system for the first time as well as other modernizations in electrical, plumbing and wireless to attract today’s modern guests. They decided to open the Château for six months, and renovate it for six months, eventually moving full-time near the property because of the myriad of day-to-day decisions the large-scale renovation involved. The Château now features the finest finishes throughout, with ultra-high quality beds and the ultimate in luxurious bathrooms and appointments. Using their mutual knowledge in marketing and public relations, Sonia and Aymeric spread news of the Château by word of mouth via bloggers and social media and then via traditional media — the buzz of the new Château de Varennes as a must-see destination began. Château de Varennes is now known as a special events venue, an exclusive special events venue, for such occasions as family reunions, weddings and birthday parties, which is an admittedly niche market, but one that Sonia and Aymeric know well and quite enjoy. “For such events, most of the guests know each other and they take over the entire Château for perhaps a week as they are gathering from around the world,” says Sonia. “We live in the same village, the family has the keys to the Château, so it ends up feeling like a family home for a week, which makes us very happy.” Their exclusive clientele come mainly from North America, Great Britain, Australia and, surprisingly, Russia. This October, a couple from Toronto is bringing 80 guests together to renew their wedding vows in the unbridled splendor that is Château de Varennes. But it’s the level of customized service that separates Château de Varennes from other venues. Each request is carefully accommodated to deliver a private, exclusive and intimate event, with exclusive concierge services that sees to the desires of every guest, family member or corporate entity staying at the Château. “While it is much more time consuming to customize all of our events, it’s much more enjoyable and interesting for us,” says Sonia. “We realize it is a very different way of working, but the guests enjoy it and that’s why they come here and return here. We never say ‘no’ to a guest, they all like to feel different and important and that is what we deliver every time. Originality is also important; each of us wants to feel like we’re an original.” Without giving away too many secrets, Sonia and Aymeric knew they had to have two essentials in order to be successful.

Sonia and Aymeric de Truchis, owners and operators of Château de Varennes

Number 1 is a resident chef in-house who cooks extraordinary meals with food from local markets and who consults on the menus with incoming guests by email prior to their stay. The bonus is that some of the world’s ﬁnest foods and wines can be found in Burgundy. “Number 2 are the gardens, lawns and open spaces that give you a very free feeling,” observes Sonia. “It is a very secluded, safe and private property, and perfect for children to swim, ride ponies and be ‘free’ for a bit of time. I ﬁnd children become much more independent given a bit of freedom.” Parents with young children can certainly subscribe to that philosophy. It has been a whirlwind four years for Sonia and Aymeric, but this is a lifestyle they are very much enjoying and will continue to do so for many years to come. “I never dreamed it, but we love it and we will be here a long time,” says Sonia. “Our long-term vision is of an exclusive space and sharing a beautiful property with our clientele, to keep making Château de Varennes a happy place, where we share happy moments with our guests.” An open heart and a happy home is the special magical ambience that awaits guests at Château de Varennes. www.chateaudevarennes.fr www.dolcemag.com

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SOUP COUP There’s nothing better than when the leaves change colour, the temperature cools and a hot pot of soup is simmering on the stove. Pusateri’s corporate chef Tony Cammalleri, with the assistance of sous chef Andrew Eade, blend comfort food into an elegant meal with these delicious autumn recipes PRODUCED BY PUSATERI’S FINE FOODS

HARVEST CORN SOUP + Lobster + Red Pepper + Cilantro

Makes

4 This gorgeous fall favourite blends the sweetness of seafood in a luscious corn bisque

Pumpkin Soup with Sage and Brown Butter

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1 shallot, diced 2 cups corn kernels + ½ cup (for garnish) 4 cups chicken stock 1 roasted red pepper, diced 1 red chili, thinly sliced 2 tbsp olive oil 2 sprigs fresh cilantro 4 lobster claws, steamed or poached Salt + pepper Method: 1. Caramelize shallot and corn in olive oil in a stockpot on high heat until golden, approximately 5 minutes. 2. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Purée until smooth and velvety. Check seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper. 3. Mix roasted red pepper, corn kernels, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper to make a crunchy relish. 4. Garnish with 1 lobster claw and the pepper and corn relish.

PHOTOS BY JESSE MILNS

Charred Eggplant Soup with Pepper Relish

Servings

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GREAT

PACKAGE & WORK SPACES WRITTEN BY REBECCA ALBERICO

t’s been said that ﬁrst impressions are everything. Now more than ever, designers across the globe are taking bolder, more imaginative approaches to their branding strategies — there’s a new sense of wonder in packaging that almost puts the product second to its shell. At the drawing board, it’s out with the “Plain Jane”; the spark between product and consumer must be seamlessly instantaneous. Think colour, texture and scent — these elements are just enough to drive the senses wild and rouse curiosity. The new generation of texters, Tweeters and Instagram gurus is one of the driving forces behind this shift in design tactics. Brand agencies are taking full advantage

1. Your ﬁrst responder — to a broken heart, that is. Melanie Chernock designed this “Love Hurts” recovery kit with lonely souls in mind. Equipped with only the essentials: dark chocolate, vodka, bubble bath, a mix CD and tissues, of course. www.melaniechernock.com 2. Big red velvet curtain and a crystal chandelier — the obvious décor of a reception space? For CBX, a brand agency based in NYC, this is likely. The eclectic ambience is enough to get the creative juices ﬂowing from the get-go. www.cbx.com 3. Too trendy to be constrained by the corners of cardboard, Scholz & Friends has found one way to think “outside the box.” The new Nike Air Max is packaged in a plastic pillow, putting emphasis on the shoe’s air cushioning. www.s-f.com 4. Shiny black lacquer on smooth, sensual curves. NYC design boutique Established knew exactly how to please Marc Jacobs, who partnered up with Sephora to create this sophisticated line of cosmetics. www.establishednyc.com 5. Casa Rex’s Brazil-based designers pay homage to the vast cultural revolution that has developed over the years. This line of 64

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of the anticipated hashtag exposure, crafting their boxes, bags and bottles to picturesque perfection — enough to inspire a passerby or casual shopper to halt in the aisle and snap a photo. When it comes to product branding, it’s not always about being outrageous or daring. A good designer knows that simplicity is often the key. In a world occasionally ﬁlled with false pretenses and disappointment, transparency is the ingredient that takes the cake. We’ve explored far and wide to give you a glimpse into the minds of international designers and their captivating creations. Take them as you will, and allow them to inspire you. www.thedieline.com

trendy notebooks, bookmarks and bags depicts a collage of portraits from past times. www.casarex.com 6. The minutes spent in a cold and barren waiting room can be intimidating. CBX banished the boring and opted for something more lighthearted and inviting to maintain a positive atmosphere for its clients. www.cbx.com 7. Vernia & Cienfuegos is the brain behind the Delhaize wine 365. The exclusive line of international wines is best identified by the cork … on the label! Each quirky cork represents the wine’s country of origin. www.lavernia-cienfuegos.com 8. Thanks to Graham Baba Architects, this quaint Washington-based firm has taken a fresh perspective on a time-worn building. Turnstyle’s century-old studio is chock full of clean-cut lines and sleek finishes. www.grahambaba.com 9. Festina’s got it in the bag with the innovative new packaging for its diver watch. Seeing is believing, and the Swiss company’s selfpromotion has been undeniably transparant about the merchandise. www.festina.fr www.dolcemag.com

10. Truly a royal flush … all 52 of them. South African designer Simon Frouws has struck gold with his eco-friendly Artisan White Edition playing cards. Ultra-luxe white paper, accented with gold foil embossing, both intricately fused together. www.theory11.com 11. Kohberg’s Rugbrødsboller bustier is the latest buzz in Denmark. Envision design created this darling and playful rye bun bag in support of the Danish Cancer Society’s event to fight breast cancer. In addition, a portion of all sales has been donated. www.envision.dk 12. Referencing the simplicity of oil bottles in ancient Greece, Bob Studio created an elegant design for LIÁ that encompasses past tradition with a modern decorative pattern. www.bobstudio.gr 13. Old English charm meets the nautical Hamptons lifestyle with these black velvet slippers. Anagrama, a Mexican brand group, has created the luxe footwear based on a fictional story of two opposing characters — Romero, the mischievious heartthrob, and McPaul, a serious English man — to empasize the duality of the shoe. www.anagrama.com

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German fashion designer Iris von Arnim

Like mother, like son: Valentin von Arnim drives his fashion legacy forward with a forthcoming men’s collection and retail shops

GLAMAZON

DV: When and how did you begin to display the ﬁrst signs of a designer-in-the-making? IVA: After my father died when I was 16, I went to live with some relatives. Everyone felt responsible for me. But since I wasn’t exactly the most disciplined or organized person, they were worried I would never have a “normal” job. As my aunt acknowledged once: “You’d rather make a belly dancer out of Iris than a secretary.” In the end I tried everything — I worked in a travel agency, in advertising, as a local reporter, in public relations, as a photo assistant at Twen magazine and for United Artists Records. Finally, someone gave me a kilogram of wool during an extended hospital stay so I wouldn’t be too bored. Then 66

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I knitted my ﬁrst sweater, and that was the beginning of my journey into fashion. DV: During the early days of your career, what industry challenges did you encounter, and what kept you positive? IVA: Good design requires life experience, or as we say in German, “a life lived” — the more you have experienced and seen, the better you understand what you really need or feel good in. For me, it was learning by doing. I had no training in design, nor was I surrounded in my childhood by luxury clothing. In my early 30s, I owned a pair of jeans and some scratchy sweaters. There was room for my taste to develop and grow. When I started selling my www.dolcemag.com

sweaters in the ’70s on the island of Sylt, I suddenly sold six pieces per day and not per week like I did in Hamburg. I found out that people do spend money on sweaters. Of course, competition increased from Asia and more commercial brands kept on copying our designs. But there is always room for creativity and for great sweaters. I love my team and work, and now my son, Valentin, is driving our company forward with a men’s collection and opening our own retail shops. It’s just fun to be here right now. DV: Why did you choose cashmere as your staple fabric? IVA: I eventually got tired of the whole motif sweater: I wanted to make them plain. People were fed up with mohair wool and ﬁbrous material. From that time on I started with cashmere — it’s one of the most delicate and luxurious ﬁbres. No other natural or synthetic material has such an incomparably soft grip, such a warming characteristic, and the inherent ability to portray bright and deep colours.

/ SVEN HOFFMAN

amburg’s own Iris von Arnim holds a cosy spot in a close-knit community of German fashion designers. From Jil Sander and Tomas Maier to the legendary Karl Lagerfeld, von Arnim’s impact on the scene and in celebrity closets inspires oohs and aahs from the likes of Claudia Schiffer and Sandra Bullock. Known as the Cashmere Queen, von Arnim, 68, was one of the ﬁrst to introduce cashmere to the fashion scene in the 1970s. Since then, she has consistently delivered fashionable wool work, setting new boundaries for the modern woman in search of a luxuriously comfortable style.

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY IRIS VON ARNIM

THE

INTERVIEW BY SIMONA PANETTA

DV: Where does the cashmere used in your work come from? IVA: The best cashmere originally comes from inner and outer Mongolia, where the cashmere goats live on the edges of the Gobi Desert. But we buy the yarn from Italian yarn makers, who are still better spinners. Cashmere is a natural material taken from the under-fur of the cashmere goat, which lives on the icy plateaus of China and Mongolia in temperatures of up to -35˚C. The winter must be long and cold or the ﬁbre will not grow in the ﬁrst place. Cashmere from other areas of the world doesn’t have the same quality due to the special conditions in the inner and outer Mongolian steppe. Once a year, the cashmere goat undergoes a procedure by which the downy hair is combed by hand. For one regular Iris von Arnim sweater or cardigan, two to three annual returns are required; for a handknitted coat, even up to six or more. The production process doesn’t require much energy, so we are spared from environmental pollution.

DV: What or who inﬂuences your designs? IVA: It’s usually the lives I see around me, on the streets, my own life. A strong woman with her own head who likes her feminine side, plays with it and emphasizes it. I suppose I’m inspired by strong personalities, curiosity, a zest for life and my team. DV: What sparks your imagination when designing? Is it curiosity, travel, a muse? IVA: In the early ’80s, no motif from the arts was safe from me, from [Henri] Matisse and [Joan] Miró to Paul Klee. Today, it is rather about colours and shapes inspired by nature and architecture. I also flip through illustrated books, listen to music, talk with friends and keep my eyes open. Moreover, I always think practically: What am I missing in my wardrobe? DV: What would you say are the three most vibrant, fashionable cities in the world right now? IVA: It used to be New York, Paris and Tokyo. But I think Shanghai is catching up quite rapidly.

DV: Describe the area in which you live in Hamburg and what makes the city so great. IVA: What some perceive to be a cool, reserved demeanour among people in Hamburg is actually something quite likeable. Everyone can do his/her own thing here. And as natural as it is for people to be open to new things, they respectfully give you the room to join or not. I also admire their discrete, classic elegance and their honesty. It is a style that is never out of fashion. I get my inspiration when I walk near the water, along the Elbe River and our large harbour. The water, the sky, the container ships — I stand then at the “gate to the world” as they call it here and feel very connected to Hamburg. DV: What does la dolce vita mean to you? IVA: To me it means not getting accustomed to everyday life. It means staying open and curious, not being afraid of something different and new, even at my age. And, of course, it means that little treats here and there are wonderful. www.irisvonarnim.de

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY IRIS VON ARNIM

FALL/WINTER 2013 COLLECTION

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A DV E R TO R I A L

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A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK INTO SOME OF THE GTA’S UNIQUE BOUTIQUES

NEVER GROW UP A whimsical infant and children’s boutique in the heart of Old Oakville’s charming shopping district, Never Grow Up offers a refreshing collection of high-quality brands you’d be hard-pressed to ﬁnd elsewhere 905-582-4787 | 333 Lakeshore Rd. E., Oakville, Ont. Shop online at www.nevergrowup.ca

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PESTACIO From wholesome nuts, organic dried fruits and other rare delicacies from around the world, this superfood shop delivers a wide range of upscale fare 647-748-5322 | 3322 Yonge St., Toronto www.pestacio.ca Corporate party platters available, along with free delivery across the GTA THE PITCH

THE PITCH

“We know how important it is to wrap your child in quality fabric. That’s why all brands at Never Grow Up are carefully selected to avoid irritation while maximizing style. Pale Cloud, ESP No. 1, Rayil Kids, Marmalade & Mash and Je Suis En CP! are just some of the exclusive European imported labels here that are not mass-produced or made of synthetic materials.” THE PIECE

“People love our Estella Organic Cotton Collection, especially the sleepwear and onesies. Because they’re made from bamboo cotton, they offer so many beneﬁts: it’s good for baby’s skin, it keeps them cool in the summer, warm in the winter; it’s antibacterial, moisture-wicking and soft — super soft.” THE CRAZE

“The trends we’re seeing now include velvet peplum dresses, classic corduroy pants, rich colour schemes as well as bright neon hues. Organic fabrics are really starting to come in as well. Clients say they keep coming back because our inventory is so different from what’s on the market right now.” THE PERKS

“We dress infants and kids up to age 12 for weddings, special occasions, parties and everyday life. But the best part is working one-on-one with parents because we love building relationships. It’s fun helping clients ﬁnd that perfect gift, and to see their children twirl around in pieces that reﬂect their tiny personalities.”

“People are paying more attention to what they’re eating, and we’re here for health-conscious individuals and families that appreciate quality. All of our nutritious nuts are dry roasted the night before we replenish, to ensure that health beneﬁts are preserved. This made-to-order method means everything in our store is fresh — it’s like going to a bakery instead of a supermarket for cake.” THE PIECE

“From Himalayan goji berries to pineapple, banana and more, our wide variety of dried fruits have no added processed sugars or sulfates. The organic dried mangos from the Philippines are especially unreal; people go crazy for them and kids love them as snacks.” THE CRAZE

“We’re bringing in Persian beluga caviar — by far the most exquisite and rare — Israeli sturgeon caviar and a West Coast B.C. sturgeon, which is the only organic, certiﬁed caviar in North America. We’re also excited about our selection of rare cheeses from around the world, our high-end teas (sourced ﬁrst-hand from origin) and protein-rich sacha inchi seeds from Peru that we’ll soon add to our collection.” THE PERKS

“We grew up eating nuts — the family business has imported pistachios for 30 years — so we love that our product is making a difference in people’s lives. We’re helping people lose weight, lower their cholesterol, prevent heart disease and we’re introducing their kids to healthy snacking at a young age. We’re not just selling this stuff — we believe in it, we grew up with it; we feed our families with it.” www.dolcemag.com

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YEARS

ofTHE PORSCHE 911

FIVE DECADES AGO PORSCHE UNVEILED THE 911, A CAR THAT WOULD BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL ICON AND CHANGE THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD WRITTEN BY MICHAEL HILL

HOW THE ENGINE EVOLVED

Porsche 911

1963 Porsche 911 The larger, more powerful replacement for the 356 128-hp, air-cooled 2.0-L flat-six 1974 Porsche 911 Turbo (930) The first production turbocharged 911 260-hp, turbocharged 3.0-L flat-six 1998 Porsche 911 (996) The first water-cooled engine in 911’s history 296-hp, 3.4-L flat-six 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 (991) The fifth and most recent generation of the 911 GT3 475-hp, 3.8-L flat-six 70

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he Porsche 911 is easily among the most iconic cars to ever hit the asphalt. The ﬂagship of one of the world’s most prestigious automotive brands, the 911 is unmistakable and instantly recognizable — it’s a car that’s survived recessions, dominated racetracks and occupied the childhood fantasies of generations of aspiring gearheads. This year marks the 911’s 50th anniversary. For a car to endure this long is an incredible feat, one that deserves recognition. The world was ﬁrst introduced to the 911 at the 1963 Frankfurt Auto Show. Designed by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the then 25-yearold grandson of the German company’s founder Ferdinand Porsche, the 911 was engineered to be a larger, more powerful replacement for the aging 356. Similar to the 356, the 911 (its second www.dolcemag.com

designation after Peugeot objected to its original “901” title; in France, the French brand had exclusive rights to car names made up of three numbers with a zero in the middle) featured a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine, but instead of a four-cylinder, it received a bump in power from a 2.0-Litre flat-six that generated 128 horsepower. It wasn’t received with much enthusiasm back then, but Porsche never quit on its prized sports car. It would continuously develop the 911, year over year, refining various elements, but never abandoning the original rear-engine formula. “It’s a case of evolution over revolution,” says Helen Ching-Kircher, dealer principal of Toronto’s Downtown Porsche, of the 911’s development. From subtle enhancements, as in 1969 when the wheelbase was increased by 57mm to firm-up handling, to more drastic

changes — like when the 911 Turbo hit the scene in 1975 with a 3.0-L, 260-hp engine (quite powerful in those days), or when in 1998 Porsche caused a stir with the 996, the first 911 in 35 years to use a water-cooled engine — each version of the 911 has built on the last, improving its performance while retaining the essentials that make it unique. “It’s remained true to itself whilst being on the leading edge of technology,” Ching-Kircher adds. “Every year there’s some new refinement or technology or variant of the 911 that comes along and ups the ante,” adds Joe Lawrence, CEO of Porsche Cars Canada. “Every 911 that you buy is in essence a future classic. It’s a continual evolution and it’s amazing that the 911 today still echoes the same look as the original 911 that was first shown at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1963.” And, if there’s one face in the automotive world that has held firm to its heritage, it’s the 911. While it certainly isn’t an overly pretty car, or one that grabs you by the collar and

demands your attention — like, say, its Italian competition — the 911 has always managed to do plenty with what it had. It’s reasonably simple when considered as a whole — there are

“EVERY YEAR THERE’S SOME NEW REFINEMENT OR TECHNOLOGY OR VARIANT OF THE 911 THAT COMES ALONG AND UPS THE ANTE” — Joe Lawrence, CEO of Porsche Cars Canada

no dramatic angles or sharp lines, no intimidating stare or wild features — yet its balance and simplicity works, giving it an air of elegance and poise. Love or hate its styling, the 911 is a car that isn’t easily forgotten. But the 911 makes its most lasting impression when taken out for a run, having earned its keep on both the road and the track. “It’s a car that can transform my mood,” says Christopher Pfaff, dealer principal at Pfaff Porsche

Top: The 50th anniversary edition of the 911 — only 1,963 have been produced Bottom: The design of the 911 has evolved over its 50 years on the market, but its designers never forgot its heritage

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While today’s 911s have ditched wooden trim for plastics and aluminum, and radios have been replaced with digital displays and sat-nav, the classic dashboard still has hints of life in the current generation

in Woodbridge, Ont. “You very much feel one with the car. I constantly hear that from people.” While many point to the ﬁnicky steering caused by the combination of rear-engine placement and rear-wheel drive in older models, the 911 still handled quite well when compared to the competition. Over the years, Porsche’s engineers gradually ironed out the 911’s problems, elevating it to the ranks of one of the best handling consumer cars in the world. Throughout its racing career, the 911 would capture numerous titles and championships, including the Targa

Florio and Le Mans, as well as various rallies, such as the Monte Carlo Rally, thanks to its phenomenal response and tight steering. Today, the rear-engine placement, a staple of 911s, still lends a “certain character to the car,” Lawrence notes. Melded with its increased power (entry-level 911s start at 350-hp) and its immediate responsiveness (get your hands on a Turbo S and you’ll go from 0-100 km/h in just over 3 seconds), and the 911 offers a driving experience that is both satisfying and exhilarating. What’s more, 911s — and Porsches in general, for that matter — provide

drivers with a sports car that maintains practicality. It’s accessible for novice drivers, never feeling like it will rip your face off if you make a mistake, but in the hands of a seasoned vet can dance around a track as well as, if not better than, its rivals. When the weather turns nasty, like in the frigid Canadian winter, they’re still useable. Nine-elevens have never been mere “garage queens” — it’s a sports car you own, but it’s also one you can live with. For the 911’s semi-centennial, Porsche has released a special 50th anniversary edition with only 1,963 available. Like all Porsches before it, this version looks to the future while paying homage to the past. It’s a past ﬁlled with history, energized by German engineering and loaded with goosebump-inducing performance. When you consider price, practicality, economy and of course performance, it’s not hard to see why so many consider the 911 as the world’s greatest sports car. Happy birthday, 911. Here’s to 50 more. www.porsche.com

Continued from page 56

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1 1. BLUSHING BEAUTY Deﬁnitely worth its weight in gold, this Dolce & Gabbana Luminous Cheek Colour leaves a long-lasting luminous sheen in an array of beautiful shades, on any skin type. www.dolcegabbanamakeup.com

2. EYE SPY RADIANCE This October, treat yourself to Lancôme’s Absolue L’Extrait Eye Collection, which contains an eye contour cream as well as six exclusive eye contour masks, all perfectly packaged in a luxurious box. www.lancome.ca

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PHOTO

BELOVED SHOE DESIGNER CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BRINGS HIS RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBIT TO TORONTO WRITTEN BY SIMONA PANETTA

ncircled by candy cane-striped hula-hoops suspended from the ceiling of the Toronto Design Exchange, striking stilettos spin provocatively in the air like slow-motion acrobats warming up for the big act. Their creator is somewhere in the building, yet conspicuously missing from the scene, where a gathering of hungry media squirm alongside a sky of dangling heels. In typical Parisian style, Christian Louboutin is fashionably late. In a piped, single-breasted blazer, lavender dress shirt, jeans and glossy red loafers, the decorous designer is in town for the North American premiere of a magnanimous magnum 74

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opus that has transformed and inspired with the most sensual, eccentric and desirous footwear to walk the planet. A pre-eminent display stretching back 20 years, the touring UK exhibit illuminates the untamed imagination of Louboutin’s red-soled footwear, powered by fantasy and friskiness, femininity and fetish. “Most people see shoes as an accessory to walk in, however some shoes are made for running — and some shoes are made for sex,” reads rather impishly one of several Louboutin proclamations that adorn the cabaret-style exhibit. The orgiastic celebration features more than 250 of his show-stopping creations, including the sexy Bridget www.dolcemag.com

PHOTO BY JESSE MILNS

SOLE

PURPOSE

Strass and brazen knee-high boots inspired by his pal Tina Turner. Comfort is nowhere to be found in this blissful feast of velvet and ruffles — even a diminutive section of ballerina pointes look excruciatingly painful. But the desires of the garden-variety type, who enjoy leisurely afternoons playing bridge and sipping tea, aren’t exactly a predilection for the design maestro, 50, who would slip into the cinema in his younger days to marvel at Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich and Bette Davis. He connects with the liberated woman, the temptress. But he designs to please the opposite sex. Men are like bulls, he has once said. They can’t resist the red sole. Adorned with a carousel, topiary garden, a spinning top and hologram of Dita Von Teese, the retrospective anthology takes an observer through a histrionic world, trimmed with brocade, chiffon, lace and mesh to underscore an illusion of transparency. It’s a theme that has prevailed throughout Louboutin’s work over the last five to 10 years, a running motif that corroborates with his notion of a shoe’s raison d’être: to be visible yet invisible, to undress rather than dress. “Christian is very involved in the design of all the shoes, all the new designs, all the new collections and works very closely with his team,” says Donna Loveday, head of curatorial at the Design Museum in London. “It’s pure craftsmanship — all made by hand, by a very small team in the Paris workshop.” Having sifted through the designer’s extensive archive for the exhibit, Loveday points to Louboutin’s pervading passion for travel, and how allowing the world to saturate his drawing board has translated into his work. “Christian is a great collector, constantly looking for new, interesting objects and pieces, and bringing them back with him. He’s constantly sourcing materials and then later utilizes them to form a design for the shoe, and will go into his atelier either for a future collection and then this will go into his shops and stores around the world.” Since opening his first salon in Paris in 1991, his designs now generate a global revenue take of US$300 million, according to news reports.

1 PROVIDED BY WWW.HOLTRENFREW.COM; PHOTOS 2, 4 AND 5 BY PETER CHATTERTON; PHOTO 3 BY GEORGE PIMENTEL PHOTO

In the flesh, Louboutin is surprisingly modest for a man whose flashy shoes can run up to $5,000 and onwards. During a salvo of media questions at the Design Exchange press conference, he graciously transitions from English to French in quiet, well-thought returns. His unpretentiousness permeates through the staging of his exhibit, which is noticeably lacking in red-carpet money shots. “You know, he doesn’t talk about any particular celebrity. I wanted to bring in photographs of different people wearing their red soles, but he did not want that, he did not want to go there,” recalls Loveday. Louboutin has trademark protection over his signature red sole, however, in a challenging lawsuit against Yves Saint Laurent, the U.S. court said the protection does not apply if the entire shoe is red. With multiple homes around the world, Louboutin’s properties serve as the starting point to his artwork. Whether it’s touching down in South America or remaining in Europe, the iconic shoemaker, who calls freedom his muse, relies on the forecast to jumpstart his sketches. “I have specific places where I have specific needs,” says Louboutin, who as a teenager was captivated by showgirls in towering heels when he worked backstage at the Folies Bergere. “When I design the summer collection, I make sure I go to a hot place, so it’s easier for me to think of sandals and things like that. So summer is designed I’d say in Egypt, because I have a house there, or in Brazil, where I go every year. And then in winter, I have this house in the country. I just take off the heater, and I’m freezing, and now I have the best collection of boots.” A Louboutin collector is like no other, lusting after skyscraper heels and spiked couture confections without foot fetish abandon. Cinderella’s world transformed once she slipped into those glass slippers, and it’s no different from the modern-day woman, who, when wiggling her toes into a pair of “Loubies,” experiences an orgasmic rush of empowerment. Louboutin’s ability to reverse sexual inhibitions and express forbidden emotions has resulted in a foothold of devotees and over one million Instagram followers.

4 1 3

1. Christian Louboutin’s Geo Pump, retail CDN$895, is the most popular shoe at Holt Renfrew’s Bloor Street West location 2. A heel takes shape in this sketch by the Parisian shoe master 3. Over 250 showstopping shoes tempt Christian Louboutin aﬁcionados at his exhibit in Toronto 4. Louboutin’s legendary shoes have imprinted an international cult following 5. The iconic red sole is synonymous with one of the most successful shoe brands in the world

Asked about a woman who resorted to stealing funds from her company to back her obsessive shoe habit, Louboutin can’t help but grin. “Aside from the fact that I wanted to send her a pair of shoes in jail, I had been thinking that sometimes passion brings you to some extremes. It’s so sweet to be so passionate to do something completely crazy, but I think it’s better to do it for a man or for a woman, than for a pair of shoes, but everyone I respect carries a passion, there is a passion for www.dolcemag.com

everyone, it is different for everyone, so5 yes, I had a big smile when I heard that she did something completely crazy for my shoes. At the same time, I totally understand passion, so I could not say, ‘Well, I didn’t understand.’ I do understand.” www.christianlouboutin.com “Christian Louboutin: An Exhibit Celebrating 20 Years of Design, Artistry and Magic” runs until Sept. 15, 2013 at the Design Exchange in Toronto. DOLCE VITA MAGAZINE

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CARVALLO IN WONDERLAND PARIS-BASED DESIGNER OSCAR CARVALLO IS BRINGING FASHION DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE WRITTEN BY AMANDA STOREY

he designer was in black, and his model in white, as they retreated off the runway and disappeared from view. This was the conclusion of Oscar Carvallo’s fall-winter 2013-14 fashion show at Paris Couture Fashion Week earlier this year, after a dash of whimsy, a handful of dreamlike shades and a parade of delicate, feminine silhouettes had left the audience breathless. For Carvallo, the frostier months of 2013-14 will be dressed in otherworldly themes, metallic symphonies and raw, organic hues. Each life-infused piece in his latest collection Eagle Eye is crafted to bring the wearer places, from the Caribbean Sea, to an enchanted 76

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ballroom, to a sun-drenched forest — ﬁtting, as the designer pulls most of his inspiration from travelling the world. “I go from Caracas to Paris a lot — two completely different worlds that give me different ideas,” explains Carvallo, a Venezuelan native. It’s in the frenzied labyrinth of Caracas that he discovers a more practical inspiration — uncovering what women want and, more specifically, what they want to wear — whereas Paris is a treasure trove of creativity bursting from every corner of the colourful multicultural streets. But the mesmerizing pieces of Eagle Eye aren’t only meant to transport the wearer to worldly destinations; Carvallo hopes the collection will send women a message of personal growth, bringing www.dolcemag.com

From platinum to pastel, Carvallo’s Fall/Winter 2013 ready-to-wear line leaves fashionistas transﬁxed

PHOTOS COURTESY OF OSCAR CARVALLO

Inspir by travel and nature, Inspired Eagle Eye, from Carvallo’s couture Fall/Winter 2013 collection, Fall/W exudes a daring sense of wonder exud

www.dolcemag.com

them to a new level of strength and conﬁdence, as well. “The concept behind Eagle Eye comes from the truth that in life we choose what’s best for ourselves, and ultimately what makes us better people,” says the designer. “But in order to make those choices, we have to have the Eagle Eye.” Its strength is reminiscent of Lewis Carroll’s heroine in Wonderland — and when Carvallo states that another intention of his designs is to whisk women off their feet, giving them “the sensation of not being in reality,” the connection becomes even clearer. A single glimpse at the Eagle Eye’s medley of gilded, glossy and birdembellished pieces and it’s evident that when a woman dons a Carvallo dress, channelling her inner Alice is effortless. The adventure of Eagle Eye is a mere installment in Carvallo’s ongoing saga of ethereal collections all tied seamlessly together with the designer’s one constant inspiration: nature, which he claims “is the only perfection.” This is reminiscent in the preceding chapter of his work, his spring-summer 2013 line Femme Poisson, which drowned the fashion world in its underwater motif. It was in the intricate designs on the coloursplattered pages of Ernst Haeckel’s Art Forms in Nature that Carvallo discovered his muse for this line, as well as while diving off the coast of South America’s Los Roques islands. There, he “discovered another world in this world,” he recollects. Now, the designer is taking the runway out of the water and up into the air. “The story goes from sea to heaven,” he explains. With the lights of Paris Couture Fashion Week shining brightly behind him, Carvallo’s newest creations are bringing a hint of adventure to autumn’s and winter’s style forecasts. Toying with mystery and ﬁnesse, playfulness and femininity, this daring designer has proven one thing: When you step inside the world of Carvallo, you’ll leave with stars in your eyes. www.oscarcarvallo.com DOLCE VITA MAGAZINE

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Hello! party. Last year it was at the Shangri-La, and that was lots of fun. And the weather’s still really great so you have people outside on patios. When the ﬁlm festival hits, the city comes alive.

FACES and PLACES SEEING THE CITY THROUGH THE EYES OF LOCAL ICONS

PHOTO BY CHRIS NICHOLLS

WHICH TORONTO BOUTIQUE DO YOU FREQUENT MOST OFTEN? Well, that’s hard because Toronto is not really a boutique-y town. But I love TNT. If I want a mix of beach wear, resort wear, going-out wear — something that’s different and I won’t ﬁnd anywhere else — I go to TNT. IF YOU WERE TO TAKE FRIENDS WHO ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH TORONTO OUT FOR A NIGHT ON THE TOWN, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I’d take them to the Rogers Centre and watch a Blue Jays game. That’s what I’d do. We’d sit in a box, catch up and watch the game.

SUZANNE ROGERS Socialite and philanthropist

WHO THROWS THE BEST PARTIES? To me, the best parties are when TIFF comes around. It’s so great to go to events and people-watch and see who’s going to show up at a party or go to some of the galas. But I love the 78

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WHERE WAS THE BEST MEAL YOU EVER HAD IN THE CITY? I always have the Niçoise Salad at La Société — it’s always really fresh and very Parisian. And I love the chicken soup at One. I’m not a big foodie; I’m pretty basic when it comes to what I eat. www.dolcemag.com

PHOTO BY MICHAEL HALBWACHS

WHO ARE SOME LOCAL UP-AND-COMING DESIGNERS THAT HAVE CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION? Right now, I think Mikhael Kale is doing incredibly well; he’s got incredible detail to his designs. Also, Tanya Taylor. She’s a young Canadian girl and her style is very structured but very feminine, very pretty. She’s done two shows in Toronto and caught the eye of Anna Wintour.

INTERVIEWS BY MICHAEL HILL

SUZANNE ROGERS

OF THE FUNDRAISING AFFAIRS AND OTHER INITIATIVES YOU’VE HELD OVER THE YEARS, WHICH EVENT HAS BEEN THE MOST UNFORGETTABLE? I would have to say Oscar de la Renta. In 2010, I think it was, he did a fashion show here in Toronto and I hosted him. His clothes speak for themselves. He’s an incredible man, he’s unbelievable and a dear friend. His charisma, his kindness — he is a gentleman’s gentleman. He’s very close to my heart.

WHAT CHARITIES/FOUNDATIONS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU? From the beginning, when my husband and I really got involved in the work we do, it’s always been focused on children’s charities. I think everybody gravitates to what is important and what hits him/her personally. Any charities that deal with unfortunate children are deﬁnitely on our radar and very important to us. Right now, I’ve been involved with Boost quite a bit, which is an organization that helps abused children in the city.

TRENNA KEATING TRENNA KEATING Actress, Deﬁance and Combat Hospital

WHAT IS THE LAST PIECE OF ARTWORK YOU BOUGHT FOR YOUR HOME? My mother and sister are artists so my walls are covered in paintings of theirs as well as family photographs. WHAT STORE DO YOU SHOP AT WHEN YOU VISIT TORONTO? Tribal Rhythm on Queen Street: great vintage clothes but also fantastic hats. WHAT CANADIAN DESIGNER HAS CAUGHT YOUR EYE? Jewelry designer Kristen MelvilleLaborde (Laborde Designs). Each piece is handmade. The way she

WHAT’S AN AVERAGE SATURDAY NIGHT FOR YOU IN THE CITY? During the winter, it’s hockey. I guess in the off-season, nothing elaborate — just like any Torontonian, seeing a show or going to a restaurant.

WHERE DO YOU GO TO BECOME INSPIRED? The Tarragon Theatre and then I like to wander around in the Annex after. IF YOU HAD JUST ONE NIGHT IN TORONTO, WHAT WOULD THE NIGHT’S ACTIVITIES ENTAIL? Having dinner at La Paradis and then going to see a play. WHAT TORONTO RESTAURANT HAS COMPLETELY BLOWN YOU AWAY? Curry Twist. It’s cosy and delicious and I want some Magic Fish right now.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME

YOU, A DESERT ISLAND, ONE PAPERBACK: WHAT BOOK WOULD YOU BRING? A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. @TrennaKeating

IS THERE A LOCAL ARTIST WHOSE WORK YOU FIND PARTICULARLY INTRIGUING? I have a pretty good collection of Inuit carvings, some purchased out West, but most were purchased in Toronto. WHO’S THE BEST PLAYER YOU’VE EVER HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF COACHING? In my younger coaching days I would say being around Bobby Clark would be the best you could have. He helped me learn about coaching. Marcel Dionne is one of the most talented players with the puck and a great scorer. Of course, Pavel Bure and Mats Sundin are up there as really talented players. At the Canada level, I had the privilege of coaching the best. WHAT BOOKS HAVE YOU READ RECENTLY? I like reading biographies from time to time. The most recent book is about Lincoln and how he built a team of his rivals — he’s probably the greatest president the States ever had. I have the Steve Jobs bio and [Brian] Mulroney’s to read still. I also like to revisit one of my favourites, The Catcher in the Rye. It’s on my nightstand. www.hhof.com PHOTO COURTESY OF ICON LEGACY HOSPITALITY

brings colour into her pieces is great. Her jewelry makes you feel instantly beautiful.

PAT QUINN PAT QUINN Former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach and current chairman of the board of the Hockey Hall of Fame

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO EAT IN TORONTO? Deﬁnitely a few over the years, but Pastis on Yonge Street comes to mind. The owner Georges is a great host with excellent food. It’s a Frenchstyle small bistro. Others include Harbour Sixty and Barberian’s.

HANIF HARJI HANIF HARJI Restaurateur and co-owner of Weslodge, Patria and Storys www.dolcemag.com

WHERE CAN ONE FIND YOU ON A SATURDAY NIGHT? Unfortunately, I spend my Saturday nights at all my restaurants. It’s the best way to keep track of what’s going on. I’ll look at the reservation book and decide where I want to be. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING IN YOUR SPARE TIME? I love reading. Mind you, I’m a little obsessive — I like hospitality books and reading about restaurateurs in other cities. Right now I’m reading a book called The Art of the Restaurateur. I also love biographies: Winston Churchill, Howard Schultz, Joe Bastianich. And sometimes, when I don’t want to use my brain, Dan Brown books. But most of the time, I like reading about people who have had inﬂuence in the world. ANY ITEMS YOU LIKE TO COLLECT? I love collecting cigars and old scotches and interesting cognacs that you don’t get in Canada but pick up through your travels. I love smoking Cohiba Behike. It’s a really particular, limitedquantity Cohiba, so whenever it comes out, I love grabbing a few. I have a Glen Fergus, which is not a very well known brand, but it’s seven generations of scotch makers. I was able, luckily, to ﬁnd a 40-year-old Glen Fergus, which was amazing. And I like Glenmorangie Signet — it’s a 25-year-old scotch, which is really nice. HOW WOULD YOU SHOW FRIENDS UNFAMILIAR WITH TORONTO A GOOD TIME? I would get them to understand neighbourhoods. Go to a cheese boutique and then take them to one of the big LCBOs. Show them Yorkville, Leslieville, the Annex — get a feel for the city, how the city works, and what happens at night. www.iconlegacy.ca DOLCE VITA MAGAZINE

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MBRACING THE SEASONS

CONTEMPORARY ARTIST PHILIP HAAS REFERENCES CLASSICAL ITALIAN RENAISSANCE PORTRAITURE IN HIS CELEBRATED “FOUR SEASONS” SERIES

the city that never sleeps, there are seasons that never end. Speciﬁcally, ﬁlm-directorturned-artist Philip Haas’ spectacular new sculpture creation “Four Seasons,” currently on display at New York’s Botanical Garden as part of an American tour. Inspired by Renaissance master Guiseppe Arcimboldo’s composite facial portraits, “Four Seasons” represents winter, spring, summer and autumn as you’ve never seen them, nor experienced them. Each sculpture is 15 feet high (4 metres) and placed in

pairs facing each other, so visitors can examine them from different angles. What they see astonishes. “It’s very gratifying to see the impact the work has had on an audience,” says Haas, who describes himself now as a “recovering ﬁlm director.” “What’s great about having four 3D sculptures is that the work changes depending on where you are positioned or how close you are to it, and when taken altogether, that’s a different perspective as well.” Haas began his career as a documentary film director and graduated to such feature ﬁlms as Angels

and Insects, which was nominated for an Academy Award and the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or. He describes his move to physical artistry as a “transition.” “I began to see an appetite to do something that transcended ﬁlm,” says Haas. “I see it all as part of the same vision, making something from nothing. I’m a conceptual artist in that I think up something — an idea — and get a lot of people to work with me on it.” And what an idea “Four Seasons” is. Seemingly springing from the grounds of the Garden’s courtyard, the

Left: The colossal portrait busts of the “Four Seasons” show will run until Oct. 27, 2013 at the New York Botanical Garden Right: Philip Haas, Summer Next page, bottom left: Philip Haas, Spring Top right: Philip Haas, Winter

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COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

WRITTEN BY RICK MULLER

steel-infrastructure-and-fibre-glass sculptures utilize a labyrinth of natural forms such as twigs, bark, leaves, branches, trees, ﬂowers, fungi, moss and even vegetables — brilliantly recycled and sculpted by Haas to form four human portraits, each representing individual seasons. As well as complementing Arcimboldo’s style, each sculpture has its own fusion of form and function. And while “Four Seasons” has been on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, and the Gardens of Versailles in Paris, Haas feels the courtyard at the Botanical Garden adds to its effect. “In the Garden you get a very interesting feeling, I feel a riff, between the sculptures and the environment,” he says. “Suddenly, the hedges are looking sculptural and the sculptures are looking more organic than they might ordinarily.” Haas describes his process as “sculpting by thinking.” And if “Four Seasons” is any indication, it is the kind of thinking few of us can imagine but all of us can enjoy. www.nybg.org

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WRITTEN BY DINA QAHWAJI PRODUCED BY MICHELLE ZERILLO-SOSA

2 4 3 5 6 7 1. WHO’S THE BOSS? Embrace your inner Harper and own the boardroom with these 14-karat-gold art deco “PM” cufflinks. www.alicekwartler.com 2. VINTAGE QUEEN A gold-tone “H” is the crowning jewel adorning the highly rare cognac lizard skin of this vintage Hermès Constance bag. www.1stdibs.com

3. PAMPER AWAY Discover an unparalleled level of revitalization and balance in Quartz Crystal Spa’s luxury sanctuary for the senses. www.quartzcrystalspa.com 4. ENCHANTING ELEGANCE Brilliantly crafted from rose gold and diamonds, these North African–inspired Diyana bracelets from La Diosa’s Rania Collection are absolutely awe-worthy. www.ladiosa.co.uk

5. THE ROYAL TREATMENT From Sterle, this one-of-a-kind sapphire and diamond ring adds an element of regalia to formal attire, leaving ensembles unequivocally sparkling. www.sandracronan.com 6. KEEP COOL The bamboo Otto fan from Stadler Form melds industrial utility with contemporary chic. Stay comfortable with the hushed breeze from this tasteful appliance. www.stadlerformusa.com 7. HIP AND HANDSOME Dress to impress and spruce up your wardrobe with the season’s latest Swiss-cotton collared shirts for men from Emma Willis London. www.emmawillis.com 8. NOBLE NOSTALGIA This meticulously detailed antique mirror from Regency Giltwood trumpets the unbridled elegance of furnishing from the estates of old aristocracy. www.hydeparkantiques.com 9. FEAST YOUR EYES Feed your appetite for design with this furniture-asart, five-door buffet, a sought-after piece from home décor leader CR Currin. www.crcurrin.com

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