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#BEOPEN
12. all positions 20. #heart
10. editor’s letter
23. steady...
table of contents 18. a world of art
26. the family
32. the living dead 29. worth the squeeze
43. the business of party
54. little viking
58. i wanna dance with somebody
34. i choo choo choose you
46. style & stamp
51. sake to me
62. she look good.
Kyle Kofsky Editor In Chief
Product staff
Isabelle Savard Deputy Editor
Adam Hendrik Senior Writer
Alex Browne Director of Photography
Brian Sweigman Senior Writer
Alex Mathers Lead Designer
Lauren Cullen Senior Writer
Ana Opulencia Copy Editor
Ronit Rubinstein Senior Writer
Jonathan Broderick Lead Writer
Olga Kwak Senior Writer
Melissa Allen Lead Writer
Cristina Arce Senior Photographer
hair & makeup artists
Isaac Zelunka Senior Photographer Mark Tym Senior Photographer
Lexy Robidoux Lead Hair/MUA
Juan Mendez Director of Publicity
Michelle Silverstein Lead Hair/MUA
Hayley Campbell Health & Sports Director
Emily Anne Helsdon
Adam Zivo Assistant Director
Dezzy B
Jill Lerner Assistant Director
Natalie Shemuel
Joe Swallow Assistant Director
Nina MĹąller
Kim Lum-Danson Assistant Director
Sara Fratia
Max Power Assistant Director
Thank you
Paul Steward Assistant Director Sass Fraser Assistant Director
Lomography Gallery Store Toronto
Aziz Vivant Senior Stylist
Liam Morin
Christine Brogan Senior Stylist
Merchants of Green Coffee
Dean L.G. Ellis Senior Stylist
Nathan Kenney
Maxime Bellemare Account Manager
Rock Lobster
Sherif Badr Project Manager Jasmine Williams Assitant to the Deputy Editor
Printed bi monthly issue 8 may/june 2013
Complimentary issues travel the city. To reserve your personal copy of PRODUCT, subscribe at www.producttoronto.com and get 12 issues delivered to your door.
Marisha Pula Assitant Designer
Published by PRODUCT Toronto INC. 104-302 Carlaw Ave. Toronto, Ontario - M4M 3L1
www.producttoronto.com 416 . 364 . 5753 info@producttoronto.com
EDITOR’S LETTER S
atisfaction is a terrible thing to waste. I embrace satisfied living; I encourage and inspire it in others. Do not only what makes you happy but also what can make as many other people you entangle happy. If you are either selfish in this notion of satisfied living, or worse, worry about those who run/duck/hide from evangelizing it, you will lose it, and these distractions of greed will overwhelm your life. Blame is lazy. We all do it. However, when we do accept our own fault and weakness, calm sets in as we experience the consequences. Separating the chaos from purpose (or reason from fault) is something that doesn’t come without struggle and mistake. There is always the opportunity for the illusion of control. Only a few will see it and a smaller number seize it. Identifying and feeling inspired by the resources of considerable individuals keeps you conscious. You are going to want to be conscious for this. Throughout this undertaking, one of the most advantageous ways to deal with the issue of identifying necessary lessons is to become a bulldozer. Try not to allow anything to interfere with your master plan. Trust yourself. And yes, it is true, without proper focus, you may miss a key lesson or amazing experience. And knowing that you can’t prepare for everything will help to keep
cristina arce, isaac zelunka, maxime bellemare, joe swallow, mark tym, sass fraser, alex browne,kyle kofsky, max power, juan mendez & jill lerner
you humble. In the end, however, your belief and persistence really are the only things setting you a part in this circumstance called life. Most will quit in their attempts after the first few hurdles. Nothing of merit comes without many a sacrifice. Don’t let anything interfere with your higher education. Always learning and being able to identify the distractions from the lessons is an integral function in the journey to success. We document this journey and the travelers getting tied up along the way. We can’t wait to meet you down the road to document your adventures. Remember, if you are not old enough to know you are certainly young enough to learn.
words: Kyle Kofsky photos: Alex browne & max power clothing on alex & kyle: magpie hair/mua: lexy robidoux & natalie shemuel suv presented by: uber cameras by: lomography
11
all positions
H
ave you seen him dance? It’s like poetry in motion. Guillaume Côté, principal male dancer for the National Ballet of Canada is passionate about dance. And it’s clear why. Toronto will see Côté’s next piece at the National Ballet. No. 24 is based on Paganini’s Caprice No. 24. He choreographed it for the National Ballet’s Choreographic Lab in 2010, but this will be the first time it’s performed for the public. It’s a hard piece to dance and play. “[I thought], I’m going to take the hardest pieces [of music] written for the violin and make the hardest dance piece possible, pick some great dancers and just see what happens.” No. 24 took third prize at the 2011 Ballet Society Hanover’s International Choreographic Competition.
“It was quite a big deal when it won [because] it’s a contemporary competition but my piece is a little on the classical side.” No. 24 is on stage June 19-23 together with Pur Ti Miro, The Man in Black and, Theme and Variations. Côté is also a musician and a choreographer. He says it is hard to find new music. Creating it himself gives him a new challenge. “A lot of what I write leaves room for the dance to counterpoint [the music] visually.” His music has been performed internationally. When he was younger, he dreamed of becoming a “rock star”. When asked if he would release an album, Côté laughs. “I haven’t yet had the desire to write music that could stand on its own [without a visual reference] but you never know, maybe one day.”
Since choreographing No. 24, Côté’s been looking for more chances to create. “It’s very hard to choreograph. It’s a skill and sometimes we forget how difficult it is.” Being on “the other side” as he calls it, gave Côté fresh perspective about the creative process. “[Dancers] can be quite difficult [to work with]. Our schedules are packed and someone will come in and sometimes not know what they want to do and we get frustrated.” Standing “in front of the room [as a choreographer]” gave Côté the opportunity to see that “maybe you don’t always know what you want to do, and sometimes it’s a process [to create a dance piece.]” Côté is vocal about the need to follow one’s passion. His upbringing in Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec included a large extended family that danced in his parents’ ballet school. Because
of the remoteness of his home, he grew up unfettered by the stereotypes associated with ballet. “Dance is physical and athletic, especially for the men.” He laments that many people don’t follow their passions because they’re too concerned by what others think. “I’m not saying that everyone needs to discover dance. Look for what you’re passionate about.” Côté’s passion has led him to dance on some of the best stages in the world. He’ll continue to crusade for a different perception of ballet “until the last step I ever dance.”
words: olga kwak photos: alex browne location: the walter carsen center
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A world of art
T
he Glenfiddich Artist-in-Residence Prize is an annual award given to eight artists from around the world, providing them the opportunity to live, work and interact with each other at the distillery in Dufftown, Scotland. For Canadian artists, a jury panel from OCAD University and Andy Fairgrieve, Curator of the Glenfiddich Artist-in-Residency Prize, come together to choose an artist to represent Canada at the three-month international residency. The 2013 Canadian winner of the Prize is Winnepeg-born, Montreal-based artist, Daniel Barrow. OCAD, Canada’s “university of imagination”, has long been known for developing young talent and championing crossdisciplinary practice, collaboration and the integration of emerging technologies. Their participation in the Prize shows their dedication to fostering Canadian talent and their leadership in advancing Canada’s cultural reputation abroad. The Prize was created by William Grant & Sons, an independent, family-owned distillery, which distils some of the world’s leading brands of scotch whiskey, including Glenfiddich, with the goal to invite artists from around the world to live in Scotland. Artists are sent to the distillery for three months and are encouraged to find inspiration in the incredible Scottish landscape. The Prize includes the cost of travel, living expenses and working materials during the three-month residency. Daniel typically creates a series of drawings that come together within the context of an installation, an animation, or a very unique projection performance. Some of his pieces have an interactive component, which allows the audience to move the projections and activate gestures within his projected vignettes. Often, Daniel will sit behind an
overhead projector and tell an original story while layering hand-drawn images based on patterns, pictures and real life characters. After going to school for interior design/ architecture, art history and then finally, a studio design program, Daniel began his career as a distributions coordinator at an artist-run centre called Video Pool in Winnipeg. Although he initially created his art on evenings and weekends, he left Video Pool after receiving a provincial government grant that allowed him to become an artist full-time. The grant enabled him to follow the freedom of his imagination, and he began responding to calls for submissions and eventually got invited to exhibitions. He has now been featured in hundreds of exhibitions around the world. By living in Scotland and engaging in dialogue with other international artists, Daniel believes his inspiration and point of departure will come from “narrative ideas that use the Scottish Highland - a landscape that epitomizes the melodrama of natural beauty as a plot device.” The Glenfiddich Artist-in-Residence Prize has been awarded to other notable Canadian winners such as Damian Moppet, Dave Dyment and Jillian MacDonald, who have all gone on to have amazing careers in the arts. As a fantastic opportunity for all artists, Daniel hopes that his residency in Scotland will be as richly rewarding. This incredible award demonstrates Glenfiddich’s commitment to the arts and the communities it serves, giving Canadian artists a chance to succeed and be recognized on an international level. Maybe next year, the winner will be you.
words: brian sweigman photos: alex bronwe
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#heart
dress: genevieve lima necklace: laborde designs shoes: christian louboutin at davids
B
eckie DiLeo is not your average teacher. I discovered this when I visited a pop-up art show and jewellery sale she organized in a funky loft space in the heart of King West. Beautiful paintings, photographs and mixed media pieces created by established artists, designers and students alike, coexisted in harmony. Beckie herself is a reflection of this dynamic balance and it shows in her work as an arts educator at Central Commerce Collegiate (CCC), a vibrant, innercity school in the heart of Toronto. Mentorship is at the core of Beckie’s teaching practice, using art to help students not only express themselves and nurture their talent, but allowing them to gain real-world experience. I’ve known Beckie for years, as she is Toronto’s most vivacious art enthusiast, fashionista, and girl-about-town. “Everything I learned about gallivanting was passed along to me by my late Nana. She had bus trips organized for all of her sweet little old lady friends to see every musical that was shown in Toronto – I, of course, would always tag along.” Indeed, Beckie is known to organize trips for her class to local galleries, museums and theatre shows, exposing her students to a world of culture that her students might not experience otherwise. “Many students have obligations after school – taking care of siblings or working, so they do not have the time to enjoy cultural activities,” she says, “Artists have always been encouraged to ‘think outside the box,’ so why not teach outside the classroom? Living and working in such a richly diverse, multicultural city makes exploring extremely accessible and that’s exactly what we do.” Whether it’s going on weekly walking excursions to shoot photos along College Street, Kensington Market and, Trinity Bellwoods
Park, or visiting Angell Gallery, THE (Thursh Holmes), Don’t Tell Mama gallery, MOCCA or Edward Day, students learn firsthand how art is created and introduced to the public. Beckie’s classes have visited The Drake and Gladstone Hotel, attended ballets, the opera, Mirvish musicals, TIFF screenings and exhibits, and the AGO. “I was fortunate to have a Nana who had such a passion for arts and culture, and I was exposed to the sites of the city at a very young age. Many of the students at CCC live in the projects or simply do not have a Nana to take them to see Cats.” A fashion illustrator and artist herself, Beckie is part of Walnut Studios, a King West arts collective. Through her contacts there and her connections in Toronto’s art and media world, a number of artists have been invited to instruct at CCC, teaching students about all aspects of the art business, including the “art of the hustle” and how to market themselves on social media. “The icing on the cake is having an opportunity to exhibit alongside the Walnut artists at the Spring and Winter Shows.” Beckie readily points out that none of the “contemporary programming” of her curriculum would be possible without the support of CCC’s progressive principal, Iwona Kurman. All of these experiences will culminate in #heART this, a full-fledged art exhibition opening May 31st at Walnut Contemporary. There, students and local artists will exhibit and sell their work to raise funds for several CCC art endeavours. Tickets can be ordered online at www.WeTakeNoBull.com.
words: melissa allen photos: max power hair/mua: sara fratia stylist: kirsten reader location: central commerce collegiate
top & skirt: pink tartan shoes: charlotte olympia at davids
steady... words: olga kwak photos: isaac zelunka
W
e all feel like we have something to say. But only a select few of us actually go right out and say it. Why? Well, it’s hard work. First, you have to convince someone that your words are worth something. You could start with a blog. Or you could just go for it like Paul AguirreLivingston. He’s a Toronto writer. You’ve read his work. He writes a column for The Grid about “city + society / nightlife + parties / people + places” as described on his website. He’s also written for the Toronto Standard, Toronto Life, BlogTO, Worn Journal, and The Genteel. It’s no surprise that Paul goes out a lot. He has to - it’s his job. We meet up at an art gallery opening in Liberty Village. Perhaps it’s because we’re both writers, but we open up to each other easily. He recounts a tale about slogging through an entire summer of writing a weekly review column about a cheesy reality show. The commenters were vicious. At the end of the job, he bought himself a MacBook. Paying for it with his hard-earned cash was one of the most satisfying things, he tells me. At one point during our chat, the strap of his Marc Jacobs watch broke. This was the first splurge purchase that he made after becoming a full-time writer. It was clear that he wore the watch often. As he fiddles with it, he talks about how he values things like this so much more than when he worked a regular job. It was clear to Paul early on that he wasn’t destined for a regular job anyway. He went to school for cognitive science, but switched halfway through first year, with encouragement from his editor at the York University paper, Excalibur. Despite the fact that he’s established himself as a voice in Toronto’s writing world, he’s still learning. While Paul dislikes negative reactions, he likes to provoke readers to get reactions. But he is still learning to turn that voice on and off. He’s also working on longer projects, including an anthology of his essays that would include the “blood left on the cutting room floor” and an original screenplay. “It’s about sex,” he says simply. The biggest surprise for Paul about his career thus far is that it has led to interesting opportunities that he would never have taken if he wasn’t a freelance writer - from DJing events to becoming a cyclist in the city. I admired his bicycle as we walked from the gallery opening to another party, this one hosted for Dufferin Mall (really). We drank mojitos and champagne, talked to bloggers and PR girls, and participated in marketing stunts that left us with pictures on our phones of us mugging like a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde with our hashtagged signs. Paul’s found a niche for his words, and that is what we’re all looking for when we finally screw up the courage to put our words down onto paper. Writing’s not an easy gig, but he makes it look like fun.
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PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.
25
the family A
few months ago, I was introduced to LUNARBABOON - a half man, half moon monkey with a web based comic series. I expected to explore galaxies, stumble upon undiscovered planets, and perhaps even meet some other monkey space people. Instead, I met a man rooted less in a galactic nature but someone truly down to earth. His name is Chris Goldfinger and he has a loving wife and imaginative son who inspire and support him. He is the crazy-talented creator of one of the most thought-provoking yet feel-good comic series I have had the pleasure to read in a very long time. Lucky us, he landed here, in Toronto. It all began over a conversation at dinner with his partner, Danielle, who suggested that they each make a comic. Chris had been experiencing a lack of focus in his life and agreed to do the comic as a hobby. With a background in Studio Art, it was easy for Chris to get started, creating memorable characters loosely based on his family. The comic can be dissected into three main personas as the Lunarbaboon: “Me as a father, Me as a husband and Me as myself,” Chris explains.
Within this trio, we witness the rewarding challenges of parenthood, the complexities of marriage, and the inner struggles and social interactions that nestle in our minds to form endless inner dialogues. “When I started, I couldn’t focus on anything. What I love about the comic is that it gives me a place to put my thoughts. It’s like art as medicine.” Although Lunarbaboon sounds like a full-time job, Chris states that the comic is just a hobby. During the day, he teaches at an elementary school in Toronto’s east end - a job he claims to LOVE with great enthusiasm. Thus, most of his comics are conceived late into the evening after his son has gone to bed. Chris reveals that he’s had a hand in illustrating workbooks and even dabbled with a children’s book, but it’s his interest in film that has been a driving factor. “Comics are essentially movies to me. I view a lot of my comic as short films. It’s all very cinematic… frame by frame.” As Lunarbaboon continues to grow, it has evolved stylistically with more pops of colour and small animations - again, taking a cue from film. But, what is most admirable and refreshing about the comic is
HOP that you can see Chris’s fearless exploration with different illustrative styles and subject matter, including more serious topics like body image and mental health. Lunarbaboon celebrates a one-year anniversary on June 1st, and Chris notes how still surreal the success of the comic has been. After starting off with just 10 subscribers including his mom and grandmother - his daily views and subscribers have grown astronomically since then, getting him thousands of views on reddit.com and translations of
some of his classic comics into a variety of different languages. Whether he’s from Earth or truly a half moon monkey, one thing is for sure, Chris is simply a star. Let us all look forward to another year with Lunarbaboon as he continues to win over the hearts of his readers, all the way to the moon and back. words: jonathan broderick illustrations: chris goldfinger Web: www.lunarbaboon.com
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worth a squeeze L
ike any good journalist, I spend the week before an interview preparing with a ritual of research and ruthless investigation. While scoping out the Toronto band JUICE, I was struck by youthful faces, bold sounds, and above all else, a strong sense of ambition. The combination of whopping brass with poppy-rock and suggestions of soulful jazz buzzed in my ears and prickled my curiosity. I had to know more. Who are these guys and what is their story? Simply put, JUICE is a group of six hunky dudes who have crazy different backgrounds in music, yet come together to make sweet sounds that induce riots on the dance floor. Meet Tom Hanley, lead guitarist and vocalist who moonlights in multiple Bollywood projects, Kyle Woodard, master of the woodwinds and musicals, and Max Stanutz (aka The Dreamy One) on the trumpet. There is also Claudio Santaluce on drums, who is currently releasing his seventh solo organetto album, Craig Clemens on keys and vocal and the one behind the bands reddit phenomenon, and finally, Andrew Wright
on bass, the one the other band members lovingly call “creature”. The boys met while attending Humber’s School of Music, playing together in various ensembles and projects until they stopped jamming to other people’s songs and started making their own. Together, they are a juicy combination of smooth operators whose groovy tunes and punchy music videos are contagious. It is almost impossible to pin down exactly what genre this band occupies as they blend their talents into an impressive arrangement of vocals, brass, strings and woodwinds. However, what remains at the band’s core is a certain tenacious hold on composition and musicality that is “oh so refreshing” and positively infectious. It is easy to see how the band united. The guys are incredibly close and comfortable around each other, laughing and teasing while asserting their strong temperaments. Their online presence matches their larger than life personalities, which is exactly why a link to JUICE’s bandcamp went viral on the website reddit last fall. When Clemens casually responded to an invitation to share the band’s music, the boys never expected their website and songs to blow up online, erupting in massive exposure and hundreds of thousands of hits to their website. The band has connected to music lovers far and wide, reaching audiences in Spain, Argentina, Atlanta, Georgia and Melbourne, Australia - all pretty incredible for a band that has never played outside of the province. Their newfound fans from across the globe give insight into their infectious sound and diligent work ethic to self-promote. The group maintains a “nose to the grindstone” policy, playing gigs constantly while maintaining a fresh presence and creativity to their live shows. JUICE works hard, plays hard, and always looks like they are having the time of their lives. Whether serenading large crowds at the Beaches Jazz Festival or in a smaller bar venue like the Horseshoe Tavern, JUICE brings an undeniable energetic presence to their live shows. And with the release of their feature album Hit the Ground Running and an upcoming tour across Ontario and Atlantic Canada, JUICE is beyond ready to cause some heat waves and get you into the groove.
A juicy combination of smooth operators.
words: lauren cullen photos: isaac zelunka
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The living dead T
hriving in what one loves is a goal we all aspire to, but few achieve. We make concessions or excuses; we allow our dreams and passions to take a back seat in favor of piratical goals which seem safer in the now. Chris Alexander is living without compromise. As editor-inchief for Fangoria, as a musician, and as a film maker he is determined to create his vision his way. “I’ve always liked what I like. I’ve never wavered on that and I’ve always tried to find ways to express that.” During his childhood, Chris found his “role models in rock ‘n’ roll and movies.” KISS gave Alexander his love of music and Fangoria was his film school. “A really rough, rock ‘n’ roll, uncouth film school, but that’s what it was.” Over the years, he worked all
over the entertainment industry, until a job in marketing at Warner gave Chris an inside and out education to the business and marketing of film. From there, he began “creating a brand of my own and then marketing that brand.” Today, Chris Alexander is the “go to” horror film guru. As editor-in-chief, Chris has helped Fangoria reinvent itself for the new world. The magazine remains an edgy film school for the horror genre, but there is an added “nostalgia” for the smoke and mirror tricks horror depended on before the digital age. However Fangoria does not fear the digital. It has been able to “exploit technology,” and grow into a worldwide behemoth. While the magazine is still based in New York City, Chris runs things from his home in Oakville, ads are primarily
Combine business and pleasure.
sold out of Los Angeles, and writers are working all over the globe. Chris doesn’t restrict himself to his role at Fangoria. He has a comfortable musical career, scoring many horror projects including Joseph O’brian’s Devil’s Mile, set to be released this year, as well as an upcoming project with Larry Kent. Music For Murder, the quintessential Chris Alexander album is also available now through 2M1 Records. In addition to his musical career, Chris has found success with his own films. His most recent project, Blood for Irina has already received worldwide praise and will be released to the public on May 28. The film’s success has given Chris the opportunity to create the sequel, Queen of Blood. While this film
will be larger, Chris is still focused on keeping his projects “small and personal.” He believes that creating projects that are “meaningful” to him is more important than any fame they might bring him later. Chris Alexander has managed to “combine business and pleasure,” and find prosperity in the process. He is able to realize and pursue passion every day. There is no better way to define success.
words: tim luther photos: alex browne mua: lexy robidoux
33
i choo choo choose you
L
aura O’Keefe and Carlo Colacci are the perfect Toronto couple. The newlyweds are affable, ambitious, and head-over-heels for each other. He is the entrepreneur behind one of Toronto’s favourite retailers, and she is a beloved teacher with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Their how-we-met story is straight out of a romantic comedy. After a brief introduction by mutual friends, they reconnected a year later, on a group outing to Sea-Doo on Lake Ontario. Carlo remembers, “We were partnered up… and within three minutes, I had flipped the Sea-Doo. The boat went flying, we were swimming back to get out of the water as quickly as possible. I let her drive after that.” Both of them felt a little shy, and Sea-Dooing didn’t afford many opportunities to flirt. Luckily, a few years later, Carlo threw a party that Laura attended, the two had their first real conversation, and they’ve been together ever since. Carlo credits his wife with teaching him patience, and “how to slow down and enjoy life while doing a million things.” The virtue is somewhat a professional requirement for her, as a first grade teacher at a French immersion school in the TDSB. Laura has wanted to be a teacher for as long as she can remember—“I actually wrote it in my autobiography when I was in grade seven,” she says—and she was hired before she had even graduated teachers college. She always wanted to teach young children, but first grade has been especially rewarding, as it’s such an important year for the students, academically, socially, and developmentally. Laura has worked tirelessly for the past six years to ensure not only that her students learn, but that they also grow to love learning. “Working with kids who are really anxious at the beginning of the year—they’re coming
home, and they’re crying every day, and their parents don’t know what to do—helping that child feel comfortable, and then helping them learn to love school, I think that’s been my greatest accomplishment. And I’d say every one of my students leaves at the end of the year and feels good about coming to school.” Carlo proudly adds that parents often request that their children be placed in Laura’s class, and keep in touch with her for years after their children have moved on from her classroom. One of the great perks of teaching, of course, is summer vacation, and in 2011, Laura and a colleague decided to use their summer months to launch a new project. After being certified as children’s yoga instructors, they founded L.M.N.O.P, a camp for kids aged five to nine. For two weeks, based out of the Lower Ossington Theatre and Trinity-Bellwoods Park, they taught their charges yoga, art, drama and storytelling. “Now that I’ve met Carlo, I have other dreams too, like maybe one day having my own business… growing up, I had this vision that I could only be a teacher. He’s taught me that you can do other things, and you can be creative in other ways. He’s taught me to become more of a risk-taker.” Risk has played an integral part in Carlo’s own career. In 2004, at the age of 25, he decided to quit his corporate job and start a business in the fashion industry. He founded Shared, a line of Toronto-made t-shirts, and enjoyed success with international and local retailers alike. In 2008, Carlo and his business partner Joyce Lo set up a Shared pop-up shop next to the Drake Hotel on Queen West. Jeff Stober, the hotel’s founder, asked them to put together a proposal for a permanent retail concept, and the Drake General Store was born. Neither Carlo nor Joyce had much retail experience, but they had a strong vision for
She taught me how to slow down and enjoy life.
their store. “While working on Shared, Joyce and I would travel a lot, and we love to go out and shop. So we sat down and envisioned the perfect store for us. We thought, we really like to shop, and if we like what we create, hopefully everyone else will too. And our concept was to bring all these different elements into one shop—international brands, local artisans, just really going near and far to find the perfect item.” Like an old-timey general store, theirs would sell a wide array of products, a one-stop shop reimagined for contemporary customers. The décor intentionally reflects this mix of the old and the new, juxtaposing homey, woodsy elements with more modern pieces. The General Store stocks Canadiana, novelty gifts, housewares, toys, clothes, and accessories. T-shirt line Shared has evolved to become the store’s in-house clothing brand. It’s the type of store that begs you to browse. You might find a map of Toronto brunch spots, a build-it-yourself ukulele, or the perfect cozy t-shirt. The store has been so wellreceived by Torontonians that is has grown into a mini-empire. In 2009, a second Drake General Store opened in midtown. “Rosedale was a non-obvious choice for us, but we felt it had similar characteristics. A nice mix of art, retail, food, and beverage. It wasn’t big box.” In 2010, a third outpost launched at Bathurst and King streets across from the Thompson Hotel, and this spring, Carlo has been kept very busy with further expansions. A Yonge and Eglington location opened for business in early May, and most recently a General Storewithin-a-store launched at The Bay’s flagship location at Yonge and Queen. Not one to rest on his laurels, Carlo also sees a lot of room for growth on the online side of his business, at www.drakegeneralstore. ca, which ships to customers the world over.
“We’ve built a really great name for ourselves in Toronto, but now we want to take that international.” Eventually, he’d like to see the brick-and-mortar stores spread beyond Toronto too, to the rest of Canada and to favourite cities abroad. As if he weren’t busy enough already, Carlo has also been dabbling in interior design. Jeff Stober of the Drake is opening a new restaurant in the financial district and a hotel in Prince Edward County this year, and after seeing what Carlo did with the General Stores, asked him to be involved in the design for both projects. This past March, Laura and Carlo were married in Palm Springs, California, a city where they had shared a memorable trip early in their relationship. 110 of their closest friends and family joined them at Frank Sinatra’s former estate for a beautiful ceremony set against the backdrop of a mountain range. “We want to go back,” says Laura. Carlo adds, “Every year we’re going to Palm Springs to renew our vows.” Next up is a move; the couple recently bought a house together near Dupont and Ossington. The space, built in the 1920s, is currently being renovated to their specifications. Fittingly enough, it used to be a store—something Carlo might know a thing or two about decorating. With Laura’s help, it’s sure to be exactly the right space for this picture-perfect couple.
He’s taught me to become more of a risk-taker.
words: ronit rubinstein photos: alex browne
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stylist: dean l.g. ellis hair/mua: dezzy b, lexy robdoux, michelle silverstein & natalie shemuel
locations: the drake general store & r.h. mcgregor school clothing: cabaret vintage & the drake general store
T
the business of party 43
H
ave you ever been out a club, looked around and thought “I could throw a better party than this”? We’ve all had that experience at least once, but the thought usually fades as the liquor bottle gets emptied and the night goes on. But Steve Palmer and Francis Gaudreault, creators of Pitbull Events, took that thought and created what has become one of the most successful gay event companies in Canada. It started when Francis, then a bartender at Woody’s, started chatting up Steve, a patron. At the time, both had been socially active in the gay community for a long time and they knew the people, the bars, and the scene inside and out. And frankly, it was getting a little dull. The scene appealed mostly to defined gay people who enjoyed specific themes and circuit parties. Steve and Francis wanted to create an event that appealed to them – guys who like to drink beer, dance, and talk without any pretentiousness or definitions. Francis, with his marketing background, thought he would perfectly complement Steve’s experience in business management. Inspired by their desire to have fun, in March 2010 Francis and Steve called themselves Pitbull Events, bought a bottle of tequila and threw a party. About 100 people showed up, making it a rousing success. So they threw another one. And another one. Until every month, Pitbull Events would throw an unlabelled, open party for gay men just looking to dance and have fun. Throughout that first year, the crowd kept growing until they were hosting 500 person events, way over the club’s capacity. Pitbull Events quickly became popular for the accessibility of their events. Their parties had no VIP and lower covers. As Pitbull grew, Francis and Steve also became known for
their elaborate events for seasonal celebrations such as New Year’s Eve and Cinco de Mayo. For example, their Halloween party attracted about 750 attendees and featured a haunted house on the main level before you ascended to two floors of dancing. Their upcoming Pride party on June 29th is a superherothemed party at the Phoenix, which will attract over 1,700 people to the ultimate celebration of gay culture. Francis and Steve have seen enormous success in their first years due to their ability to throw a good party. As guys who love to party, they are adept at bringing that excitement to every event. This skill has helped Pitbull throw consistently successful events for Canada’s gay community. Recently, Pitbull has been expanding their business outside of the Toronto area, planning events in Montreal and Vancouver. Tasting success in Toronto, they realize that the winning formula in Toronto is not necessarily the winning formula everywhere. Montreal has a different taste in music, enjoying less vocals and more beats. Vancouver, on the other hand, has a much smaller gay community, so they have to reach out to a larger geographic area. Additionally, one of Pitbull’s most ambitious parties will be in Toronto next year, in honour of the city’s nomination to be the host for World Pride 2014. The world will know about Pitbull Events prior to World Pride, however, as they are currently going beyond just party planning. They are organizing the first annual Pitbull cruise, ready to set sail along the Caribbean from February 8-15, 2014. They are also organizing their second annual camping weekend, scheduled for July 26-28 at The Point. words: brian sweigman photos: isaac zelunka
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style & stamp
F
ashion designer Lucian Matis is a busy guy. Since being named runner-up on Project Runway Canada in 2007, he’s focused on creating a couture and ready-to-wear fashion house worthy of international recognition. This year, Matis is adding homeware to his growing design business. The line will debut this fall with an emphasis on soft furnishings: throws, bedding, and pillows. “I want a dish towel that makes me smile,” he says. Many of the products, he has test-driven himself to ensure that the right shape and texture is conveyed through his products. There are three characteristics that define Matis’s work: his attention to detail, his passion, and his ability to highlight the best feature. Matis has an innate eye for emphasizing an individual’s qualities, and he enjoys working with clients one-on-one. “Some women find that they don’t have a style or a stamp, [but] they want to find [one.] I help them find that.” He loves matching the personality of a client to a colour and fabric. “I use colour because it accentuates their personality.” He also listens to the fabric. Fabric can tell you what it’s willing (or not) to do. “I work with the fabrics. They tell me how to manipulate them. That’s why my job becomes so easy because the fabric tells me what to do with it.” He laughs. “Between the work the fabric does for me and the work my team does for me, there’s not much work left for me!” But indeed there is. Matis would love to create more collections for both men and special capsules. Much of Matis’s creativity comes from his day-to-day life. His first collection debuted at the L’Oreal Fashion Week. The Black
Collection was influenced by his experience on Project Runway Canada and the emotional aftermath. To design it, he left Canada partly to avoid media attention. He spent the winter in Asia, where it was “bitterly cold and so gloomy.” Matis travels a lot both for business and pleasure. “I love to travel but I also love being home,” he tells PRODUCT. He gets inspiration from the colour palettes of the countries that he visits, such as India and Italy. “Nobody does colour like India,” he explains. His attention to detail, he reveals is a product of his upbringing in Romania. Because of its Communist past, Matis says it was “challenging to get inspired by other places [living in Romania].” He uses old-world techniques like macramé and crochet because he recognizes how valuable they are for creating beautiful details. “A lot of western designers are now [designing with these techniques], because it’s so detailed.” Matis has one piece of advice for design students: intern. One learns very quickly whether the business of fashion is for them when given the opportunity to experience the long hours and hard work. “You have to dedicate your life to [fashion],” Matis explains. “It’s not a 9 to 5 job. Sometimes my creativity comes at 10 o’clock at night.” Matis’s dedication has turned him into a world-class designer. He’s come a long way from being named runner-up on a TV show. It just goes to show you that you needn’t take first place to be a winner.
words: olga kwak photos: alex browne & paul steward hair/mua: emily anne helsdon clothing on star: lucian matis
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model: star martin courtesy of velocci model management
sake to me
W
ith the addition of a sake brewery in the heart of the Distillery District, Toronto restaurateurs and residents are now able to enjoy fresh, local sake in their own homes. Ontario Spring Water Sake Company offers authentic, unpasteurized sake. Unpasteurized sake, which is more flavourful than pasteurized sake, must be refrigerated at all times for preservation purposes. Unpasteurized sake is like freshly squeezed orange juice – more delicious than the pasteurized version, but with a shorter shelf life. Since there were no sake breweries in all of eastern North America, delicious sake was largely unavailable to Torontonians until this brewery opened. The idea to open a sake brewery in Toronto can be attributed to Ken Valvur. After living and working in Tokyo as a banker for over four years, he fell in love with the local Japanese culture, food and drink, such as sushi and beer. He then moved to London, England, and saw that takeout sushi was incredibly popular. Ken decided to quit his banking job and come back to Toronto to start his own takeout sushi business, called Bento Nouveau. Bento Nouveau was a hit and is now available in Loblaws, Metro, and Sobey’s stores across Canada. While Ken was in Japan, he met the Osaka family, who have owned a local sake brewery for over 350 years. As Japanese culture gained popularity, the Osaka family looked to export their product globally. Ken and the Osakas decided to team up to start selling sake in Canada. Soon, the LCBO picked up two of their sake products - but, Ken was determined to manufacture unpasteurized, home-brewed sake. He moved into a space in
the Distillery District and opened Ontario Spring Water Sake Company in February 2011. Since then, his sake has been accepted by the LCBO and local restaurants. As Japanese restaurants keep coming - this year brought an infusion of izakayas and ramen to Toronto - offering a more authentic experience is priority, which includes a wide offering of sake. Ontario Spring Water Sake Company offers tours of their brewery and educational seminars to spread knowledge about Japan’s national drink. 15% of restaurants now offer sake, with product lists growing as long and complex as many wine lists. 2013 proves to be an exciting year for the company as they partake in Kampai Toronto, the second annual Festival of Sake (Canada’s largest sake festival) held in the Fermenting Cellar of the Distillery District. In addition to sake provided by Ontario Spring Water Sake Company, they will have participation from 12 of Toronto’s top restaurants and are expecting over 500 attendees. As Ken has proven, Toronto is a great setting to start new ventures. The diversity and population of the city brings a cross-cultural influence that embraces non-traditional things. Toronto produces a very translatable model that shows if a business can be successful here, it can be successful anywhere. In this respect, Ken Valvur’s Ontario Spring Water Sake Company has taken the appealing nature of Japanese culture and brought it to Toronto. words: brian sweigman photos: mark tym location: Ontario springwater sake Company
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LITTLE VIKING
I
have witnessed a recurring trend while attending numerous Kate Domina openings. As patrons continuously swell through the doors of the gallery, they circle the space like hungry sharks, gliding from painting to painting as they search for their favourite to buy. Many times over the course of the night, attendees will bid on a piece at the same time, resulting in a rivalry that dissipates only after the artist agrees to do a commission for the unlucky duck who leaves the gallery emptyhanded. Domina’s figurative oil paintings have struck a chord with many Torontonian collectors. Beautifully uncomforting, Kate pulls viewers into her fantastical world of antlered children, candy-haired ladies casting suspicious glances, and star-crossed lovers.
A quiet neurosis seeps its way into your brain after time spent with her wide-eyed portraits. A freaky and perhaps sinister presence belies the artist’s choice of soft palettes, doe-eyed femmes, and heart-shaped glasses. Light and whimsical but never superficial, the world according to Miss Domina is beyond intriguing and undeniably striking. Working out of a studio apartment in Parkdale, her practice has evolved from a self-taught DIY attitude and a passion for poetry (Ann Sexton, Patti Smith, and Krishnamurti remain her top favourites) to psychoanalysis, feminism, and the surreal. Kate brightens up Toronto’s art scene with her quirky sense of humour and deeply personal expressions of love and life. Kate has been drawing and painting for as long as she can remember. In her first grade notebooks she, filled the pages with drawings of ballerinas - girls with round circle heads, elongated necks, and feet pointed downward. With an illustrative technique evolving out of impressionism and pop surrealism, Kate has developed a creative practice that meditates on buried memories of her youth. “Children are unapologetically animals,” explains Kate. “They are purer breeds and darker minds, and there is no better vehicle to understanding the human condition than through the eyes and disposition of the young”. Putting herself into the headspace of a child, she intuitively paints while a surrealist image appears to her. It is interesting to note that over the years, her subjects have gradually gotten older and her technique more refined, as she continues to push herself to reach an abstractly primitive space. I ask Kate about the repetition of antlers in her work, which she also has tattooed on her forearm. “My dad use to call my sister and me little Vikings” she shares. During her initial efforts to tap into her childhood recollections, she painted a portrait of her and her sister wrapped together in a blanket wearing Viking horns. Since that first painting, the image of the horns has taken an anamorphic style, evolving into a hybrid form of tree branches and antlers. And with each question I pose to Kate about the details in her paintings, the more she shares her personal life with me. Objects, jewellery, and even eyes and lips in her paintings are highly representational and plucked from the deep and dark cloisters of her psyche. An open book, Kate is candid about the content of her work and her unique process. And we are hungry to learn more about this fascinating creature.
Purer breeds and darker minds.
words: lauren cullen photos: max power hair & mua: lexy robidoux & natalie shemuel stylist: aziz vivant clothing: 69 vintage
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i wanna dance with somebody
T
wo days to print!” yells a voice across the room. Phil Villeneuve lands on a chair in front of a screen. “Can someone tell me what happened to that article the new guy wrote? The one that was due last week....!” It started in 2004 when Phil began his internship at FAB. “My goal was to be a music writer. I just wanted to write about music, go see shows, travel, go to festivals, and discover new music, and that was it. But that slowly changed, because with the web, everything changed. Rolling Stone isn’t the same as it used to be, or Spin isn’t the same as it used to be. It’s a magazine, sure, but music blogs are everything now. They are being updated as things happen.” Phil continued to write for FAB as a freelance contributor while also writing for Chart magazine, which is a local music magazine that stopped printing in 2009. Eventually, FAB gave Phil his own column. FAB hired Phil full time, April 2012, as Editor. “I wanted to stay at FAB for a solid three years, and make an impact that way. The reaction to FAB was always so great, especially in the last year. I couldn’t make sense of the magazine closing down.” “When FAB announced its closure, there was no backup plan. I had invested all of my existence into that magazine,” said Phil, the last standing editor at FAB Magazine before it closed its doors. “It was purely financial, and the magazine was losing a lot of money in the last three years. Like most magazines, they never actually profit; they are always losing money.” Unlike most people who lose a job, Phil had another one waiting. FAB’s closure was unexpected and he didn’t have a chance to prepare. Xtra, a popular, gay newspaper and website which is owned by the same publishing company that owns FAB, asked if he would join them as their Arts Editor. He walked out one door and in another. “I feel like I’m floating right now, but it’s a nice feeling of floating. I’m sort of like a balloon that’s tied. I’m still floating but also tied down to a nice little banister. If someone would cut my string, that would be very scary right now. It’s still very new. Xtra does want a fresh FAB voice in their magazine, because they do need to revamp themselves. They have a reputation for being political and serious. So they need a breezy, fresh voice in there. That is what they hope I will bring, and the writers will bring,” said Phil. “I didn’t set out to be an editor or arts editor in any way. I’m not the greatest wordsmith; I don’t have the best editing skills. I like to know what’s going on in the city. I like to showcase our city and show people off. I love building a community of cool people and cool things happening.”
A nice feeling of floating, I’m sort of like a balloon that’s tied.
words: adam hendrik photos: cristina arce
61
she look good.
T
he young woman sitting across from me today, Pauleanna Reid is effervescent, poised, and lovely. It’s hard to imagine that she was bullied throughout her childhood and teenage years and suffered from depression for six years before being diagnosed in 2010 and receiving treatment in 2011. Now, Pauleanna has made it her mission in life to make sure that other people have the tools and resources to overcome hurdles and achieve their dreams. “I wasn’t going to live a life that everyone else was dictating for me,” says Pauleanna. It started in 2008 when she walked out of her final exam, deciding not to finish the college program that didn’t interest her. She then created a vision board, and on it, her biggest goal was finding a mentor. How do you find a mentor? “You ask,” she says, describing her meeting Toronto writer/photographer/personality Shannon Boodram in 2009 through a mutual friend. With Shannon’s support, Pauleanna learned how to become a better writer. “She was there for me when times were really tough...we built sisterhood.” Through Facebook, Pauleanna met another mentor, Shannae Ingleton, founder of What Women Want. Shannae encouraged Pauleanna to create a personal blog, and she did, gaining a strong following. Shannae saw Pauleanna’s talent and introduced her to the editorial manager
of a publishing house where Pauleanna now works. “Potential will always be noticed. You should work hard all the time. You don’t know who’s watching and what power they hold.” In this case, it led Pauleanna to becoming a journalist published in newspapers from the National Post to the Vancouver Sun, interviewing celebrities from Olivia Newton John to Rick Mercer. Writing is only a part of the empire that Pauleanna is building. Her other businesses include partnering up with Bianca Brown to form the personal styling firm La’ Brown Styles, motivational speaking to young people
through conferences, seminars and her own workshops, such as the upcoming Think BIG workshop, and New Girl On The Block, her youth mentoring and coaching program – “Less than six months working with me, one of my clients landed her dream job at Nike,” says Pauleanna, adding that without her team - including her publicist, assistants, interns, videographer, photographers - none of her businesses would be thriving today. Pauleanna is also a brand ambassador and creative director at Beladara Virgin Hair Company, and volunteers for the 13 Division Cops and Kids program and the SIPO
Foundation. Clearly, success is inevitable for this entrepreneur. “My definition of success is three things: happiness, having the courage to live and breathe your passion, and giving more to the world than what you take away.”
words: melissa allen photos: max power stylist: la’brown styles Hair & MUA: jessica lobaly & nina mÜller Clothing: pomps & pageantry shoes: aldo
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Perspectives changed daily.
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Toronto International Film Festival Inc.