polish’d
WINTER 16/17
24 HOURS IN TORONTO ON NYE TREND ALERT: DUSTER EARRINGS ELISABETTA MARRELLA OF BREAD & CIRCUS
polish’d Editors-in-Chief Production Director Art Director Art Assistant Copy Editor Photographers Models
Printed by
Emily Skublics Naomi Brearley Naomi Brearley Emily Skublics Colleen Filson Emily Skublics Emmett Charuk Danielle van Werkhoven Millie Yates Bronwyn Marshall Joanna Lupker Zoya Shaban Copyrite Ryerson
polish'd is published independently by students at Ryerson University for the purpose of NNS 504 to be reviewed by Professor Charmaine Gooden.
table of
04 EDITORS’ LETTER
Welcome to our inaugrual issue!
05 SHOPPING
How to spend 24hrs in the city on New Year’s Eve
08 UP AND COMING
08
05
09
Local embroidery artist Bri Hoy and her stunning stitches
09 ON TREND
Duster earrings are on every runway and influencer
13 COVER STORY
Ryerson University’s coolest creatives battle winter in style
21 WERKING WOMEN
The scoop from Elisabetta Marrella of Bread+Circus Jewelry
26 RUNWAY REPORT
Metallics, pleats, and fur galore at Pink Tartan FW16
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28
28 BEAUTY
Cold weather remedies sourced from our beloved nation
30 LISTEN
Our top 10 podcasts to add to your commuting playlist
21
30
26
contents
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editors' letter Welcome to polish'd! We are so thrilled you're holding our inaugural issue of polish'd magazine! Welcome to your one-stop shop for the creative, hustling young woman in Toronto. We're Naomi and Emily, your polish'd founders and co-editors, 20-something women in the city who live, eat and breathe the fashion scene. We want to share a little about why we created polish'd magazine. Millennial women are lacking a Canadian-focused fashion publication with their style, budget and values in mind. In these pages, we hope to give every cultured young Toronto woman a curated resource to find honest, intelligent fashion and lifestyle content. We prioritize her values like affordability, ethical sourcing and local craftsmanship. I mean, yes, Gucci is beautiful, but can we really afford it, and are we chill with real fur if we could?! Our guide to 24 hours in Toronto on New Year's Eve (p. 5) and our winter beauty edit (p. 28) keep in mind these very values, featuring only Canadian products. We believe that an interest in fashion does not mean an absence of intellect. We think the most talented, successful, creative, driven women always rock their own personal style - and we want our pages to be filled with them. So we styled the smart as hell girls at StyleCircle.org in affordable Canadian brands for actual Canadian winter (p. 13). We also want them to connect with you. The women featured here aren't valued most for their size and symmetry - these are the real women you want to be like, of every age, ethnicity, and background. They are all confident and unapologetic about being themselves. Both their careers and their closets are oh-socovetable, but also obtainable. (Like the get-sh*tdone founder of Bread+Circus on page 21, a rad woman who started a jewelry brand to forge her own career path.) So please (can you tell how Canadian we are already?), let us know on social if you agree. We hope you like what you see!
love, naomi & emily 04
SHOPPING
time's up Forgot to make New Year's plans in the Christmas chaos? From eye-catching outfit to dinner and dancing, we've got it covered. By Emily Skublics Photo by Sara Kelly
CITY SHOPPING GUIDE: NEW YEAR'S EVE
dinner: 7:30pm ENOTECA SOCIALE 1288 Dundas West This Dundas West restaurant elevates Italian comfort foods into a glam, Instagrammable experience. Not only is it one of the best NYE dinner prices in town at just $45 per person, this carb-filled meal is a smart base for your champagne shenanigans later.
dance: 10:30pm 99 SUDBURY Tickets $29 For the best countdown experience, you want a venue with a solid NYE track record like this hip West Queen West multiplex. This year's theme is Back in the Day, with your fave '90s throwbacks spun by DJ Delirious and DJ Seven.
drinks: 12:45am COLD TEA 58 Kensington Ave Once the confetti has floated to the ground, it's time to move on to a chill spot for drinks. Kensington Market's infamous secret bar, indicated only by a red light in an unmarked hallway, serves some of the most creative classic-witha-twist cocktails around. 06
stand out Nobody wants to kick off the new year in an old dress, but who can afford one of those every year? Toronto's Fitzroy Boutique offers unique outfits made in Canada for one- or two-day rentals. The best part: you can try it on for size (no guessing game like on RentTheRunway.com). Dress, $75, and jumpsuit, $80, shopfitzroy.com.
go all night New Year's Eve in a Canadian city can't be fully completed without the warmth. Hop on the bright puffer jacket trend or Canadianize your own version of the athletic flip flop. Arc'teryx jacket, $430, arcteryx.com. Rudsak footwear, $95, rudsak.com.
CITY SHOPPING GUIDE: NEW YEAR'S EVE
takeout: 3:00am NEW HO KING Order for delivery on JustEat Though you can pick it up in Chinatown, we all know champagne-induced cravings are best served in a cardboard box from the comfort of your own couch. This late-night local fave stays open until 4am, so you can Uber home and call on the way.
hydrate: 10:15am ELXR JUICE LAB 433 King West Locally pressed juice is a worthwhile delight for the hangover of the year. We recommend the After Party, a specially concocted blend of toxin-absorbing activated charcoal and refreshing lemonade. You can also find it at Jimmy's Coffee locations across the city.
Burberry
brunch: 11:30am Lily Collins
choose bold Make 2017 the year you wear the makeup you've always coveted. Start with this season's black pout or glittery gilded eye from two Canadian-made beauty mavens. Bite Beauty lipstick, $30, and Nudestix eyeliner, $28, sephora.ca.
MILDRED'S TEMPLE KITCHEN 85 Hanna Ave The final stop on a nearly sleepless night, this Liberty Village staple simply begs for you to ironically sport a brunch-loving graphic tee... as you spoon eggs Benedict into your mouth and pretend you don't love brunch.
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UP AND COMING
The artists that speak for our generation often live in our own backyards. This spotlight introduces a fresh new face you should get to know in Toronto's artistic community. By Emily Skublics
MEET BRI HOY Name: Bri Hoy Medium: embroidery Subject matter: feminism, beauty, mental-wellbeing and being a woman Found online: @basic.stitch on Instagram and basicstitch.bigcartel.com Feels about becoming an artist: I started identifying as an artist in April 2016, when I first exhibited as Basic Stitch and showed three times in a month. I realized something I created could hang on wall amongst other things people call art that were created by artists so I thought yeah, I'm an artist! Sometimes it takes revealing yourself to one person or the world to realize that, or allowing yourself time to have creative thoughts and eventually act on them. Feels about Toronto's art community: The independent art community is very cool. There's a number of independent galleries and collectives that offer endless support to each other. The majority of galleries I've interacted with don't see each other as competition. Many intentionally create a sense of community. Feels about her medium: One reason I identify so strongly with the idea of "artist" is that my work is embroidery. For so many years, it was "women's work" and went unrecognized as something that required time, effort and skill. With every stitch I try to remind myself of those women and feel grateful and grounded that I am here now and people give a little value to something that didn't have it before.
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ON TREND
Make a statement and making it big. Turn the page to uncover how fashion's biggest players styled the statement earring this season and how you can get the look for less. Text by Naomi Brearley Imagery courtesy of Vogue.com
"This season... it's all about going big, or going home."
G
one are the days of the minimalist stud, or the “barely-there” ear cuff, this season it’s all about big earrings. For the last few seasons, the fashion world has been enamoured with the beauty that lies in the details. A peek of skin here, a well-sewn seam there, and an emphasis on natural looking skin and hair was the mode de courant. Fashion’s elite celebrated the true beauty that lies in each person’s uniqueness. To those paying attention, years of overdone makeup were suddenly replaced with a look that made it look as if we hadn’t done anything at all. Phrases like “undone done,” “barely there,” and “I woke up like this” (#Beyoncé) were in every magazine and headlined every fashion blog. And truth be told, we had a lot of fun. This trend let cool girls everywhere rejoice when runways from SS14 through FW15 made it cool to have bedhead. Wearing silk pyjamas with Stan Smiths became appropriate “creative office attire” because the bloggers said so. We revelled in the idea that commute-induced sweat
was desirable because it made our cheekbones “glow” (#goals).
GLOSS BOSS
During this time we saw the meteoric rise of now mega brand Glossier (founded by beauty entrepreneur and blogger Emily Weiss) that catapulted from fashion cult to internationally coveted beauty brand in a matter of months. Weiss, through Glossier, single-handedly lit a fire under an entire generation of women (or what feels like it based on their social media following) to take back control of their skin care routines and ditch the heavy, chemicalfilled cosmetics they once clung to. But fashion never stays stuck on one thing for too long – once a trend has reached its most exaggerated peak, the cycle turns over completely. Minimalism had to die sometime, right?
CATWALKS TELL ALL
The FW16 shows already foreshadowed the idea of “go big or go home,” but by SS17, designers had embraced it with full force. They had fun telling stories with oversized coats, flashy patterns, loud colours, and big accessories. In the age of see-now-buy-now, this puts trends in a tricky position – do
we follow the trends set in the current season, or do we dress for the future? Luckily for this trend, it was accentuated from one season to the next. The fall/ winter emphasis on accessories tells us exactly what to do with it. What was most prominent and most wearable in this category were earrings. Now, we aren’t talking your grandma’s crystalline, ear-lobe-sagging big earrings; we mean earrings that brush your shoulders because they are works of art. The earrings on the runways of Proenza Schouler, Altuzarra, Oscar de la Renta, Marni and Valentino made it loud and clear that this fall, if you want to make a statement you need to get yourself some shoulder-dusting showstoppers.
GET SCHOUL'D
A more geometric, almost 3D-printed look adorned the lobes of Proenza Schouler’s models. In solid and metallic colours, these open-ended pyramids gave an impactful option for not-so-typical cocktail party earrings.
ALT J
Joseph Altuzarra was also not bashful when it came to his interpretation of this season's earrings. Although the clothing accompanying these ear adornments
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ON TREND
CHECK YOUR TEXTBOOKS
As with everything in fashion, this isn't the first time we’re seeing statement earrings. In Ancient Greece and Rome, slaves and prostitutes wore large earrings so hey could be easily identifiable from the rest of society. When earrings first came into existence as a fashion accessory, they were worn by men. Only after were they extended to women, mainly through gifting by their male counterparts and then due to a general shift in social norms.
was for SS17, the earrings had a solid multi-seasonal quality. Like Proenza Schouler, Altuzarra’s earrings were in bright, bold colours in contrast to the clothes. Classic reds and yellows, black, and shimmering silver donned model after model in a closed spiral that draped half way down the neck. When paired with a slicked back hairstyle and a top in a contrasting colour, you can’t help but do a double take.
FEMININE FATALE
Designers who are known for their feminine aesthetics such as Oscar de la Renta, Marni, and Valentino all got in on the big earring trend this season too. At Oscar de la Renta we saw gorgeous tassels in rich metallics. These shoulder-skimmers were perfect compliments to the equally gilded dresses. The minimal, dewy makeup acted as a tertiary injection of sparkle and light as each model came down the runway gleaming from forehead to ears to décolleté. Marni’s Consuelo Castiglioni delivered (as usual) an architecturally and thematically perfect spring/summer collection this season with her iconic draping, “artsy” craftsmanship details and “man repelling” unsexy cuts. But it was the accessories that were the most eye-catching. Shimmering tubes of gold, silver and gemstones, these earrings stole the show, and for good reason. It was at Marni that we saw the “solo statement earring” come into its own. Each individual piece was so spectacularly crafted, a second one would have been a distraction. Valentino’s spring/summer earrings solidified the statement earring as our obsession du jour. Who can object to swords as jewellery? We sure can't, and we don't think you should either. Are you obsessed yet?
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Greek jewellery often reproduced & freely adapted Egyptian motifs as seen here from the Hellenistic Period (2nd-3rd century BC). Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Despite the major advances society has made over the last 7000 years, there are still some similarities between today’s earrings and those of the past. Despite mass consumption knockoffs making them more accessible, show-stopping earrings in our time are still a social identifier. Now, they differentiate those who are a) wealthy enough to afford them and b) confident enough to leave the house wearing them, from those who aren't. Modern-day models could be viewed as slaves to the industry that employs them. Designers choose and discard them based on theme, season after season. Forcing them to shift and adapt if they want to be desired. Archaic, no?
21ST CENTURY GIRL
Unlike ancient times, fashion today is a source of empowerment, confidence and demonstrating ownership of one's body, confidence and space. Accessories like the big earring are worn by both women and men who are unapologetic about being themselves and unafraid to command attention. After seeing them on five runways, we were head over heels for the trend, hook line and sinker. So much so that it may last all of 2017 because we don’t know about you, but there are way too many amazing earrings out there this season, and not enough holiday parties to attend.
winter warriors Ryerson's coolest creatives model their take on how to battle this year's #polarvortex. Text by Emily Skublics Photography by Emmett Charuk Styling by Naomi Brearley
BLANKET STATEMENT
Last year's mega-trend is revitalized this winter with new styling - asymmetry is key.
PUFF DADDY
Long puffers are in - lucky for us up in the Great North (real goose feather down not required).
ON MILLIE (COVER): FRANK+OAT COAT ON ZOYA (LEFT): OAK+FORT TOP ON BRONWYN: FRANK + OAK COAT OAK+FORT PANTS ON MILLIE: MEC COAT OAK+FORT HAT
ON JOANNA: FRANK+OAK COAT ARITZIA TOP OAK+FORT HAT ON BRONWYN (RIGHT): FRANK+OAK COATS OAK+FORT PANTS
THE BOMB[ER].COM
Transition your fall staple bomber (patches & pins included) into winter with a chunky knit turtleneck and beanie.
LAYER CAKE
Do what your momma told ya and layer. Mix & match a duster and bomber for max warmth and style.
SQUAD GOALS
Coats worn over the shoulders are the coolest it-girl trick, especially when you're out with your crew.
ON BRONWYN: FRANK+OAK COAT OAK+FORT HAT AND PANTS ON JOANNA: FRANK+OAK COAT AND TOP ARITZIA PANTS ON ZOYA: OAK+FORT COAT AND TOP ON MILLIE: MEC COAT OAK+FORT HAT
behind the shoot
Here is what our cover editorial looked like behind the scenes!
We are so proud to introduce our models, the savvy managing team behind Ryerson’s own StyleCircle.org. These women are killin’ it at running the brand’s fashion blog and print publication The Book. Behind-the-scenes photography by Emily Skublics & Naomi Brearley
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werking women Discover the brains & beauty behind mega-cool Toronto jewellery brand BREAD&CIRCUS in this exclusive polish'd interview with designer Elisabetta Marrella. Text by Naomi Brearley Image courtesy of Bread+CIrcus
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designer feature
E
ntrepreneurs in the creative industries come from all walks of life, levels of education, and creative backgrounds. Their visions turn into products that impact the lives of their consumers and their communities. Elisabetta Marella is one of these people.
"I love when I hear people say they never take their pieces off not because of ego, but, because it means that the jewellery has surpassed the space of fashion object and is living as I intended it to."
Marrella is a Toronto-born and based fine jewellery designer and maker behind the insanely beautiful brand BREAD&CIRCUS. She graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design (aka OCAD) in 2012 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art History, Conservation and Curatorial Studies. While interning at Etsy during her studies at OCAD, she noticed a gap in the Toronto jewellery marketplace and began designing products for her own line. Today, B&C is fully functioning, and growing rapidly with orders pouring in by the hour. One of Marrella’s greatest strengths as a creator lies in aesthetic curation and the collection of (beautiful) like objects that tell a profound story. Every piece she makes is crafted completely by hand (her hands only) in her cramped, messy studio or on the floor of her apartment. Everything from product names, logo design, packaging and the name of her brand has been painstakingly thought out in such a way that the experience she provides through her products is nothing like anything else on the market. The name, BREAD&CIRCUS is based in philosophical ideas of consumption. According to Marrella, “in order to keep people happy all you need to provide them with is bread and circus – something to consume and something to entertain themselves with”. The idea behind her line is that “jewellery is not necessarily something that you need but through its consumption you are entertained.” Therefore every piece not only satisfies our learned necessity to consume, but we are consuming in a way that is meaningful, thoughtful and entertaining. For someone whose livelihood depends on the quantities she sells and at what cost, she really doesn’t like the number crunching side of things. Marrella told polish’d “I don’t like prices or values. I don’t enjoy the business side of what I do. In fact talking numbers is one of the most loathed parts of the gig. Jewellery is intrinsically sentimental and that is what I hold onto…I love when I see people who say they never take their pieces off not because of ego, but, because it
Left: gold double band bangle $85, tiny disk choker in gold $66, tiny disk shake necklace $75, opal drop chain in gold $125
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means that the jewellery has surpassed the space of fashion object and is living as I intended it to – through all moments, through all the journeys.” Because of this, the way she merchandizes at shows is very specific. “The ‘art’ element of what I do is so important for me. If I’m having a deep conversation with someone…at a show and it draws back to a specific piece at the table, I’ve been known to give it away, free of charge. It feels wrong to make it about the sale. In the same vein, I try not to bombard visual / merchandized space with price tags. It isn’t inviting, it creates a distance between the potential possibility for connection between someone and...discovering something that feels made for you.”
“There has to be a space where you can invite those people in, you can let them know that it’s accessible to them without it being this really, crazy hard decision.”
By doing so Marrella hopes to blur the lines we have made separating the things we buy, and art we view in a museum;
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for her, art doesn’t just hang on a wall. It can hang off your body too. But can it be useful? Can the beautiful art thing you’re buying also give something extra to your everyday life that makes you feel as though you couldn’t live without it? This is the discussion at the heart of BREAD&CIRCUS and this is why her work has a story that makes the thing she’s selling into something more than a thing that you buy.
With fashion slowly moving towards a more ethical, sustainability conscious way of operating and consuming, Marrella puts a huge emphasis on supporting ethical business practices when creating her pieces and interacting with customers to ensure that she isn’t the end of their ethical consumption cycle. She doesn’t want to be their “token local brand” and then everything else about their life is fast-fashion.
designer feature
When asked, she told us “from an ethical stand point one of the major things that I do is try and push people and my customers away from those fast fashion brands that aren’t always using the most ethical practices or aren’t giving you the best quality or aren’t produced locally”. One of the reasons she works in the materials she does is a result of her vision to have these pieces become extensions of her customer’s bodies and to be a piece they want to wear everyday. By using pure metals she gives her customers pieces they can invest in long term, but she also wants them to think critically about where their jewellery comes from. “What I found when I got started was there was this interesting trend that was happening where people wanted to support independent, but they didn’t know how and it was so inaccessible". This was where she found her chance to make a difference. “I was like, there has to be a space where you can invite those people in, you can let them know that it’s accessible to them without it being, this really crazy hard decision”…. or crazy hard price. So realizing this, she knew people had money to spend and that they wanted to spend it consciously; and so she crafted a space for herself in the "in between market" where it is possible to support local business and not break the bank at the same time. And today, she’s making a killing. Left: waxing moon ring in gold $90, tiered tiny sparkler ring $80, between two galaxies stone ring $200, tiny gold stacker ring $18 This page: gold bar choker $85, gold sapphire drop choker $125, thick gold hammer rings $25, small gold herkimer ring $65, gold hammered band $18, tiny gold nugget stacker $25
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RUNWAY REPORT BY EMILY SKUBLICS
pretty in
Pink Tartan Pink Tartan's FW16 collection brought Toronto four standout trends for winter.
In case you hadn’t heard, Canadian designer darling Kimberley Newport-Mimran showed her FW16 collection for Pink Tartan earlier this year just after Toronto Fashion Week (the last TFW ever!). Since it walked in March, the runway collection had a strong influence on Toronto’s winter 2016 streetstyle. When it came down the white-tiled runway at Holt Renfrew’s Bloor Street flagship, the brand NewportMimran launched 14 years ago stayed true to its classy but punchy roots. This season’s collection was abundant in Chanel references (tweed, two-pieces) and Gucci vibes (brightly-coloured head-to-toe, fur). For the first
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time ever, the designer also showed a handbag —structured, leather, girl-boss-worthy Jacqui bag—as part of the collection. RETRO-CHIC The theme of bold but elegant was evident in every look, along with a clear nod back to the 1970s in mod prints, warm colours, and shag fabrics. Head-to-toe monochrome looks in retro browns and oranges, as well as bright pinks, made big statements. Enormous fur and shag jackets, stoles, and trims made for exaggerated silhouettes.
RUNWAY REPORT
The trends influenced by Pink Tartan's collection have been spotted on Toronto streets this winter. On the left: matching two-piece set in jacquard fabric. On the right: monochrome head-to-toe with fur stole.
Matching two-piece sets in plaid and full-body outfits in floral jacquard were styled with glittery grandmaesque brooches and rings. KEEPING UP WITH THE MINKOFFS Following recent technological innovations leading to the see-now-buy-now movement in the fashion industry, the collection was available for preorder directly after the show. However, unlike Rebecca Minkoff and Burberry’s instant garment access, Pink
jacquard
two-piece
Tartan orders weren’t scheduled to ship until four months later. Even with pre-orders only, NewportMimran says she was still able to “really gauge what customers love now,” which aids in the tricky practice of forecasting a design’s popularity. Pink Tartan’s latest collection upheld the brand’s goal of filling the day-to-dinner niche in Canadian fashion. Though it falls on the pricier side for the millennial creative’s budget, the looks (and the lady behind them) can certainly serve as inspiration.
monochrome
fur
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beauty the
edit
Don't spend this winter feeling like a pale, chapped frizz-ball. Enlist our fave (Canadian!) brands to stay fresh + flushed all season long. Text by Naomi Brearley Photo by Emily Skublics
hair
MARC ANTHONY Bye Bye Frizz Blow Dry Cream // cuz let's be real, no one wants to walk into that interview looking like Mufasa // $7 at Walmart
Oak + Fort Grey Beanie // perfect for those bad hair days or days you have to trek all the way down Queen West for an art show in the snow // $12
MyManeCare Hydrating Hair Masque // founded in MontrĂŠal in 2015, this hair company knows how to kill that mid-February frizz try it on your next Sunday spa day // $20 at Urban Outfiters
face
BITE Beauty Agave Lip Mask // a leave on lip mask to tackle those pesky dry flakes // $30 for 0.52 oz
ILIA Radiant Beauty Balm with SPF 20 // a super hydrating moisturizer for fixing dryness & soothing skin (take that winter!) // $42 for 1.7oz
Flawless by Friday Honey & Gold Eyemask Kit // for killing those not so hot under eye circles before your night on the town // $26
ILIA Balmy Nights Lip Exfoliator Stick // swipe right or left for full lip exfoliation at home or on the go // $26 for 0.14 oz
body
elucx Rose Milk Bath Soak // this milky bath powder turns your tub into a soothing, rose-scented heaven, perfect after long days battling the frigid TTC. // $17 for 2.65 oz. // Etsy.com
Mary Young Pink Lounge Set // Toronto-based Mary Young knows just how to curl up this winter...in her super comfy lingerie of course! // pieces range from $50 - $100 // maryyoung.ca & @itsmaryyoung
Wilderness Soap Co. LUXE Bath Soak // A MontrĂŠal-based brand that knows just how to unwind at the end of a cold, dry day...we suggest filling your entire tub with it // $10 for 10oz //
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ARTS + CULTURE
PLUGGED IN By Naomi Brearley
Leandra Medine of Man
Interviews with fashion's
01.
02.
biggest players hosted by
Repeller gives weekly
Andre Leon Talley. Guests
digests on things in the
have included Tom Ford.
06.
world in her classic humour and wit.
Filmmaker Jay Buim
Lo Bosworth & friends
sits down with women
tackle topics relevant to
in the arts, tech and beyond for one on one
07.
chats about their life
female empowerment & success by interviewing industry insiders.
and work. Sophia Amoruso interviews
03.
Design*Sponge founder
world-class girlbosses in
Grace Bonney interviews
creative & business field to
members of the creative class to delve into the
08.
extract the lessons from their success.
world of independent artists.
Cultural nourishment
04.
Artsy's editors take us
from critics in art, music,
#BTS of the art world,
theatre, literature, film and
from art history to latest market news. "Instagram
09.
vs.The World" is our fave.
week in 15 minutes or less.
A weekly show discussing
What it's really like to start a
the impact of technology
05.
on fashion & luxury industries with guests like Vanessa Freidman.
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TV recommending creative content to consume each
business and get it off the
10.
ground, narrated by Alex Bloomberg. Essential listening for entrepreneurs.
polish’d