Modern Luxuria Vol 51 August 2024

Editor's Note

As exciting as the future can be, there is something comforting in vintage and antique objects. There are stories in those buildings and tales to be told in the worn edges of rings and bracelets. Who walked there? Who wore that?

No matter the period, there is a sense of strength in

past eras—borne of resilience and survival, perhaps. The George Durrand brick house on Saskatchewan Drive has stood for 112 years, and thanks to a phenomenal restoration by its current owner, will likely stand for 100 more. You can read more about it in our Real Estate section. Perhaps one of you will be its next caretaker.

The Durrand house was being built just as Strathcona and Edmonton amalgamated to become the City of Edmonton in 1912. The High Level Bridge was under construction, and the downtown skyline was devoid of the glittering skyscrapers that the house’s inhabitants now feast their eyes upon every day.

I wonder what it was like to cruise down Whyte Avenue in a brand new, shiny 1957 Chevy, or dance in saddle shoes to Chubby Checker at a sock hop. It’s fun to dress up and imagine living the way our parents did in the ‘50s or the Mad Men days of the ‘60s. Browsing through the clothing racks at Swish makes me want to embrace polyester and throw a martini party. Retro is cool.

Here's to the past. To those of you who have preserved these precious pieces, you have my eternal thanks. We're fortunate that we can enjoy the convenience of what modern technology provides, but also dip back into yesteryear whenever we feel like it. And, here's to the future that is ours to create. I hope that generations to come will benefit from us taking care of what we have right now.

– Twyla