5 minute read
Notes
A bold sampling from Yotam Ottolenghi’s new, more-is-more dishware collection.
A feast for the eyes
Advertisement
Just as intimate dinner parties are making a comeback, so is wildly colourful dishware
Written by RANDI BERGMAN
We’ve just lived through a ver y sombre time, so it’s no wonder we’re embracing ma ximalist decor again, from neon-lit mirrors to kaleidoscopic hand-tufted rugs to grassg reen velvet sofa s. Now ex ubera nt, colourful dishware has entered the room, just in time to welcome the return of home entertaining.
“So many people got serious in the kitchen over the pandemic that it only makes sense to make the experience of eating that food be just as special,” says Sarah Pecaut, who recently co-founded the dinnerware brand Misette with her sister, Amy Burstyn Fritz. (It’s fair to say that the siblings, who are both event planners—Pecaut in New York and Burstyn Fritz in Toronto—know a thing or two about setting a stylish table.) The brand, which features an assortment of quirky mix-and-match dishes, placemats, napkins and table accessories, was inspired by the shift toward a more personality-driven dining experience.
“There has been this trend for so long about everything being minimal and lacking colour,” says Pecaut. “Increasingly, I think people are looking to be more expressive and fun in terms of what they bring into their homes.”
According to Burstyn Fritz, when mixing and matching tableware, it helps to stick to the same general colour palette and shapes of your existing pieces, so that it feels fun but still curated. “As with everything,” she says, “choose pieces that feel like you.”
FASHION PLATES
Five of our favourite, brighter-than-bright dishware brands
XENIA TALER This Toronto brand uses sustainably sourced bamboo (usually scraps from chopstick factories) as the basis for its quirky dishware.
Set of four Carwash dinner plates, $48, xeniataler.com.
GUNIA PROJECT A modern take on Ukrainian folk art, this hand-painted ceramic plate features gilded edges. Gunia Project ceramic tiger plate, $216, goodeeworld.com.
MISETTE
These made-in-Portugal plates feature a custom marble print with blue and brown veining. Set of four Natural salad plates, $146, misettetable.com.
MEG DOES POTTERY
Hand-thrown in Winnipeg, this blossoming set is inspired by the timelessness and sense of renewal found in magnolia blooms. Meg Does Pottery set of four Magnolia ceramic plates, $140, simons.ca.
YOTAM OTTOLENGHI The London chef collaborated with Belgian brand Serax and Italian artist Ivo Bisignano on a dishware collection that’s bursting with colour. Ottolenghi and Ivo Bisignano for Serax serving plate, $114, ottolenghi.co.uk.
Transforming the St an dard of C are in Ps oriasis
With safe, effective options, patients with psoriasis can make clear, or almost clear, skin a realistic treatment goal.
Abigail Cukier
There's a misconception that psoriasis is “just” a skin disease. But the disorder is caused by a dysfunction of the immune system and can affect many areas of the body, as well as a person’s mental health and daily quality of life.
Skin cells usually grow, mature, and are shed over 28 to 30 days. With psoriasis, faulty signals in the body’s immune system trigger new skin cells to form in three to four days. Because the skin cells grow so fast, they don't shed normally and pile up on the skin, causing red and scaly patches that can often be itchy, most commonly on the knees, elbows, and scalp. Psoriasis can also cause inflammation in other areas of the body, such as the joints or blood vessels. In about one third of cases, people develop psoriatic arthritis, which can lead to joint pain and stiffness and, if untreated, can cause deformity in the joints.
Dr. Marni Wiseman, a dermatologist at SKiNWISE DERMATOLOGY in Winnipeg, MB, says that psoriasis affects one to three percent of the population. It’s considered a chronic disease and can affect people at any age. There's no cure for psoriasis, but treatment is available. Factors that may lead to psoriasis include a genetic history, as the disease runs in some families. Some medications have also been linked to psoriasis, while infections, such as strep throat, can precipitate psoriasis or cause a flare-up. Smoking is also a risk factor for the disease and can increase its severity.
Psoriasis affects physical and mental health, self-esteem, and relationships
But Dr. Wiseman says that excellent treatments are available and that it's important for people with psoriasis to have it treated early and optimally. She reassures anyone who has been delaying seeing their doctor due to concerns over COVID-19 safety that dermatologists follow strict protocols, and that it's safe to make an appointment.
“It's unnecessary for psoriasis patients to delay care and suffer in silence. It's also important to find a dermatologist who will partner with you to aim for clear or almost clear skin, the new standard of care,” Dr. Wiseman says.
Treatment for psoriasis depends upon its severity. “Severity depends not only upon how much psoriasis a person has, but also how significantly it impacts their quality of life, ” she adds.
To learn more about psoriasis, join the conversation online at #KnowPsO
Treatment goal is for psoriasis to have little impact on daily life
For someone with mild psoriasis, creams, gels, foams, or ointments can be very effective. “If somebody has extensive psoriasis that affects more of their body or impacts their life in a significant way, the dermatologist may recommend a treatment with a biologic agent. These treatments are safe and very effective because they specifically target the immune system dysfunction that is specific to psoriasis,” Dr. Wiseman says.
With advancements in science and newer treatments, “the goal for most patients with moderate to severe psoriasis is for their disease to have little if any impact on their life,” Dr. Wiseman says. “I encourage people with psoriasis to talk to their dermatologist. I like psoriasis patients to set the treatment bar high. We have great treatments and patients should expect no less.”
Dr. Marni Wiseman
Dermatologist, SKiNWISE DERMATOLOGY
For more information on the signs and symptoms of psoriasis, speak to your dermatologist.
This article was sponsored by an IMC Member Research-Based Pharmaceutical Company.
