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22.BUSINESS & CLASS
12.DITTO
19.REAL HONEST FASHION
58.HOP HOP
42.LIVE T.V.
40.FAMILY VALUES
52.ON YOUR SLEEVE
28.JUST MAKE IT
25.THE MESS HALL 10.EDITOR’S LETTER
34.MADE MAN
54.THERE IS AN ART
63.DUDE, WHERE IS MY BLING?
16.GOT SOUL?
48.SWEET SOUNDS
30.MADE LADY
60.GIMME A SHOVEL 45.LIKE SIMBA?
PRINTED MONTHLY - ISSUE 7 APRIL 2013
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Published by PRODUCT Toronto INC. 104-302 Carlaw Ave. Toronto, Ontario - M4M 3L1
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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
Iddie Fourka Senior Writer
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Lauren Cullen Senior Writer
Jonathan Broderick Lead Writer
Ronit Rubinstein Senior Writer
Melissa Allen Lead Writer
Olga Kwak Senior Writer
ACCOUNTS
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THANK YOU
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s a leader, something that I have always been, I find it very difficult not to be affected by everything around me. I choose to detach myself from the prevention of purpose. I allow my hand to be slapped away dozens of times by those perceived to be in a position of need. I don’t even realize to take it away, until it has all been bitten off by the razor sharp teeth of frustration. I get it, not everyone wants help. I, on the other hand want to need help. And so, I enlist it and in turn help those whose hands are poised with positive convictions. Nobody said it was easy. In fact, I am pretty sure we shouted from the rooftops just how difficult it would be to function today. We are bombarded by information and are left to sort it out for ourselves. We are forced to look at what we can only conceive as pure evil when faced with the daily tragedies that hit our lives and the lives we witness. Our emotions and memories have become less meaningful despite being perfectly timelined for us; and the pursuit of purpose has become the pinnacle of our existence. In history, purpose was handed out for the most part. Only those that fought their original purpose could possibly identify with a society like ours – a society that has stunted its own growth and evolution by exhaustively rehashing the most simple of ideals – from blanket equality and freedom to supporting
EDITOR’S LETTER RONIT RUBINSTEIN, ADAM HENDRIK, BRIAN SWEIGMAN, KYLE KOFSKY, OLGA KWAK, LAUREN CULLEN
arts and culture. Is education important, of course it is. I will not claim to be one of the most intellectual political minds, but I will state that in my own way, I will do what I can to rectify the stupidities of the world we live in. By providing case studies that have become the profiles that carve out the lives of the sentient in Toronto - different, yet similar in their treatment of the positive. By getting back on that rooftop and shouting so that everyone can hear just how not alone they are. By constantly reminding that what we do is important and how we live in this world makes all the difference. We may not all be able to get hands on in our support but there is no excuse for being a part of the negative. It doesn’t matter how many good or bad things happen, we always seem to forget how we deal with a situation and then react, slightly surprised at the outcome. You will want to be negative. You will want to struggle with feeling okay. But if you give into your fear, anger, or disappointment, you will most certainly disconnect and alienate yourself from true success. So unlock your own emotions and abilities. You are in charge and accountable for your every step and stall in life. WORDS: KYLE KOFSKY ILLUSTRATION: ALEX MATHERS
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DITTO.
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e met Stanley Sun and Ashley Rumsey at their studio in the Junction, one of Toronto’s trendiest neighbourhoods. As they politely welcomed us into their space, Ashley said, “Don’t mind the mess, we’ve been very busy.” Of course, their open concept office is both picturesque and spotless and their modesty is awfully charming. To our right, a large neon sign from a previous project leaned against the wall. It read: Our Home and Native Land. We’ve been taught over and over, “never judge a book by its cover.” But, in this case, it seems
both appropriate and favourable. Stanley and Ashley are partners of a recently founded Toronto-based firm called Mason Studio. The two have gained quite an audience both locally and internationally, and it feels as though we are bearing witness to the beginnings of a very fruitful career. Their secret is simple: a keen attention to detail and a dash of cool. Ashley and Stanley are both graduates of the Ryerson School of Interior Design where they gained a mutual respect for each other’s creative mind and work ethic. “We had a chance to collaborate in second year,” Ashley
The two made their debut at the Interior Design Show in 2012 when they were selected for a featured exhibit. Their space was a conceptual living environment that challenged our notions of modern living and spoke to the vast Canadian landscape. Every detail helped to connect the dots and create a spatial portrait of their design perspective. Their innovation was very well received and even earned them a spot on the cover of NOW! Magazine. “The attention we got is still a shock to us but we are so appreciative of the success it brought us,” said Stanley, “that project was very thought out. We wanted to present something that really spoke to who we are.” With this project as their foundation, the two have continued to design in excellence, with the ability to create spaces that tell a story from the macro to the micro details.
“Don’t mind the mess, we’ve been busy.” recalls, “ [At school] you get the chance to see everybody’s work and Stan’s always stood out to me.” After graduating, the two parted ways but remained in contact as they pursued careers in the design discipline. “I went on vacation to visit Stan when he was working in London [England]. We discussed our dreams and our future… six months later I quit my job, and the next day Mason opened.” Since then, the two have become an integral part of Toronto’s design community by supporting their peers on the Mason Studio blog and by creating truly magical pause moments in our design festivals.
For too long, we have looked to other cities and international household names to feed our concept of innovative design. With Mason Studio acting as part of the foundation of our current design community, we can finally think locally. As we said our goodbyes, I took one last look at the neon sign on their wall. In a glimpse, I saw a culmination of their past success, present modesty, and all of the drive for a very bright future. As we follow their journey, it will be the details that truly count.
WORDS: JONATHAN BRODERICK PHOTOS: MARK TYM
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GOT SOUL?
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da Dahli’s hair is wild. It defies gravity in tight brown curls that lend an extra four inches to her height. It doesn’t sit still. Sadly, she has to strap it down to go to her day job as a funeral director. Not many 25-year olds introduce themselves as such; and truthfully, I was not prepared to hear that she handled dead bodies. A woman with so much zest for life seems destined for something more than picking up the deceased. Maybe that’s why she’s so invested in her band, Ada Dahli & The Pallbearers. Originally from Chatham, Ontario, Ada left southwestern Ontario to attend college. She chose funeral services as her profession because it was a way out of the small town and into the working world quickly. Music was not a career she wanted to plunge into. “I was more concerned with not being homeless,” she explained. “I was really high-strung.” She needed to leave Chatham. By the end of high school, she was disenchanted with the living. “I didn’t care [in high school] because I couldn’t connect with people. I didn’t have a problem speaking with people, but I didn’t get the point. When I chose to go into it [the program], the ignorance of it was like, ‘they’re dead! I don’t have to talk to anyone.’ Because I didn’t like people.”
found herself in Toronto. She gravitated towards Kensington Market and found the exact opposite of her isolation in Mississauga. She found a community. It started with the leader of Lemon Bucket Orchestra (Marek Marczyk) and sleeping in the park. She’d return each day and find more members of the community to hang out with, play music, talk, and engage with - until one day, she was invited by Marczyk to live in the Owl’s Nest, a large house in the west end where some of Toronto’s most creative minds live and work, including many members of Fedora Upside Down, the artistic collective of which Ada is a part. There, she found a set of friends and fellow oddballs who were more than willing to draw out Ada’s musical abilities. Living in the Owl’s Nest has led to Ada embracing her musical side and it’s opened her eyes to how much she’s learned and still wants to learn. “Learning is so important. As far as you can take yourself...until you find other people to bounce yourself off of... it’s such a small scale of what you’re capable of doing. And if you’re open to change, and when you see people and how they affect you, [you ask yourself], ‘is it legitimately what they’re doing or do I have a wall up?’ And so a lot of those [walls] came down.”
It was after she rejected her social circle that she began to look for an emotional outlet. Ada’s music career is just beginning, and her An internship in Mississauga led her to pick excitement is palpable. “Now my engine’s up a guitar again - a hobby she had toyed running. Life is so awesome right now.” with briefly in high school but didn’t take seriously until she found herself lonesome in the middle of suburbia. “It was a really big WORDS: OLGA KWAK outlet. It staved off cabin fever, loneliness. PHOTOS: CHANTAL RYANNE I was friends with coworkers, but it wasn’t HAIR & MUA: SARA FRATIA the same.” When her internship ended, she
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REAL HONEST FASHION
CATHY MCDAYTER, LORI MARCUZ, ANGELA MANN
T
wice a year, we look towards the leaders in the fashion industry to embark on a path dictated by designers and buyers to help showcase our own personal style and prove our uniqueness to our fellow fashionistas. The fact remains that when we embrace the fashion industry, this does not necessarily act as means for true creative expression. I follow trends, and so do you. We just might pass each other on the street in the same bold horizontal stripe or nod at our matching neon runners. There are very few fashion designers that honestly march to the beat
of their own drum; and Toronto, if you listen hard enough, you just might enjoy the rhythm and groove of Magpie Designs, located on Queen Street West. Cathy McDayter and Angela Mann have been dressing the strong and the brave under Magpie Designs for almost a decade, and it’s about time you paid them a visit. “We dress a lot of the art community… musicians, designers…Prince wore one of our coats to the Grammy’s,” Cathy declared when I visited their store one Friday morning. Upon entering, it is obvious that
extensive list of clients, Magpie has earned a niche in the broader fashion community, not only for their designs, but for how they make us feel. Every bag, necklace, belt, dress, and coat tells its own unique story that intertwines with the narratives of the community along Toronto’s Queen West. “With each client, it’s like looking through a great window into their lives. It’s remarkable.” Although their garments are inimitable, the Magpie look is distinct and many pieces create a dialogue among each other. “We gather inspiration from anywhere and anything. The people on Queen West are a great source [of inspiration],” said Angela. No matter where their inspiration stems from, the team at Magpie is constantly adapting and expanding to meet the needs of their clients who come from all kind of backgrounds and who vary in size. Just behind their retail space lies
“We gather inspiration from anywhere and anything.” Magpie is not your ordinary clothing store. With a limited number of pieces in their retail space, the store has a small, but rich collection of eccentric, one-of-a-kind goods. They range from bold feather accessories (featured in PRODUCT Issue 4: Vamps Like Us), elaborately finished blazers, to long evening gowns – all made to turn heads. “Our clothing really is for strong men and women. You wear one of our pieces and you get stopped and asked where it’s from,” Cathy says as she moves around their studio space, garment in hand. “It’s an extra layer of confidence,” adds Angela. With such an
their studio, where the team meets with clients, sews their garments, dyes their fabrics, and creates their stunning designs. “All of our pieces are made here or on my kitchen stove… We don’t really send stuff out to a manufacturer,” says Cathy. Their success has allowed them to whet their craft in every sense of the word, from conception to realization.
WORDS: JONATHAN BRODERICK PHOTOS: ALEX BROWNE
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BUSINESS & CLASS U
ber is reinventing the way we travel around the city. Originating in San Francisco in 2010, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp recognized the inefficiencies in the market for taxis, including slower and more expensive ride times, and saw technology as the answer. Together they sought to create a mobile application to solve these inefficiencies and connect each driver to the passenger directly. And thus, Uber was born. As soon as it hit the marketplace, Uber literally took off. It conquered city after city and in February 2012, Uber expanded to Toronto, its first Canadian city and second city outside the United States, with Paris being the first. Once the app is downloaded to your smartphone and a user profile is created, the app tracks your location via gps. When ready for a ride, the user requests a driver through the app. Within minutes, a driver in a sleek black car picks you up and drives you to your desired location. The best perk? You leave the cash at home, as Uber will automatically charge the credit card you have on file.
There are currently five members on the Toronto Uber management team: Lucas Samuels and Craig Hunter are community managers; Jeff Weshler and Ben Harris lead driver operations; and Andrew Macdonald acts as general manager. Together they operate and maintain Uber Toronto and Uber Canada. They are dedicated to their product, which requires a large time commitment since their hardest working hours are typically at times when people are going out and travelling the most. For example, the Uber team was hard at work in their offices on New Year’s Eve, making sure everything ran smoothly. One of the reasons for Uber’s immense popularity in Toronto is that despite being one of the largest cities in North America, Toronto’s public transit system remains unreliable and undesirable. For example, while Paris has 384 subway stations for 2.2 million residents, Toronto has only 64 subway stations for its 2.6 million residents. Furthermore, there is a dearth of taxis in the city. Paris boasts 15,500 taxis, or seven for every 1,000 people. Conversely, Toronto has 5,000 taxis, or 1.9 for every 1,000 people. The numbers show that as our city gets bigger, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get around.
"Everyone's Private Driver"
Uber is “Everyone’s Private Driver,” making travelling efficient by connecting cars directly to passengers. As a technology company, Uber tracks where and when their users get picked up and dropped off. As the data accumulates, they can predict demand and learn the hot spots in Toronto, making travel easier and even more efficient. Using their technology to expose the city’s inefficient public transportation system, Uber helps connect residents of Toronto to places that were previously unreachable. Now, places off the subway line like Liberty Village or Leslieville are no longer restricted to locals. In this way, Uber is driving customers to local businesses helping both businesses increase sales and individuals try new places around the city. People describe Uber as addictive - once you’ve used it once, you’re hooked. That’s why the team looks to unique marketing strategies to raise awareness and develop their brand. Uber Toronto has partnered with many major local events and has offered unique promotions like enabling users to deliver roses in Uber cars on Valentine’s Day. In addition, on National Ice Cream Day (the third Sunday in July – yes, it’s a thing), Uber has a special promotion where users may utilize the Uber app to summon an ice cream truck to their location. With their innovative app, Uber is looking to make your phone a remote control to the world.
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WORDS: BRIAN SWEIGMAN PHOTOS: MARK TYM
THE MESS HALL T
ucked away in the west end’s Baby Point Village is Camp Restaurant, a cozy storefront on bustling Jane Street that could easily be described as the ultimate roadside diner. The über cute woodsy restaurant stems from owner Megan Whiten’s love of camping, a pastime that has taken her across the country and back, three times over. Camp pays homage to all things Campy and Canadiana and is abuzz amongst Toronto’s west enders who flock to the neighborhood joint to feast on delicious brunch fare and cozy classic comfort foods.
The atmosphere at Camp is both whimsical and inviting, making folks feel as though they are sitting down to a home-cooked meal in their grandmother’s kitchen. Open shelves brim high with house-made jams and chutneys. A Ken Doll Winnebago full of troll dolls cheekily hides the beer taps at the bar. The kitchen is in the middle of the restaurant. Water skies and cuckoo clocks are mounted onto the walls and yellow-bellied sapsuckers perch on wooden panels, just one of the many woodpecker species captured by artist Bud Fujikawa. Whiten, an
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OCAD graduate, brought in many pieces from her personal collection into the restaurant, and the walls boast work from some of Toronto’s finest visual artists. I instantly get the impression of nostalgia and comfort just by looking at the menu, which features yummy brunch entrees like the Breakfast Burrito and the Canadiana Sandwich. While patrons sip on caesars out of mason jars, kids help themselves to Boondoggle and coloring books, while noshing on Nana Bread and fresh fruit (or caper berries). The coffee is on spot, thanks to a gorgeous fire engine red Sibilla espresso machine and Ezra’s Pound Event Horizon Espresso Roast. But, without a doubt, it is the Camp-style French toast which is the most surprising, decadent, and addictive dish on the menu - a brioche-inspired take on the breakfast classic made of shredded chocolate almond
and plain croissants. Baked to perfection, it is served stacked with a pile of fresh fruit and maple syrup and goes for under nine bucks. Add an order of turkey links and you are in brunch bliss, my friend. On Friday nights, the restaurant lights dim and the oyster shuck commences, featuring some of Canada’s finest mollusks courtesy of Oyster Boy. Freshly shucked and expertly served with fresh-shaved horseradish and lemon, these bad boys are paired with a shallot and red wine mignonette and vodka pepper sauce scorching with Scott Bonnet peppers. Of course, one can always order a s’more to end a satisfying meal!
WORDS: LAUREN CULLEN PHOTOS: CRISTINA ARCE
JUST MAKE IT
Z
ach Smith lives a surreal life. As a set dresser and property master for television and film blockbusters, his work involves turning the commonplace into the bizarre and hyper-real. All day long, he plays dress up, working long hours to meticulously produce fantastical, futuristic universes and magical landscapes. One has to be incredibly detail-oriented to do the rigorous work of creating settings that appear so natural you would have never guessed it was filmed inside a large warehouse studio down by Toronto’s lakeshore.
grew up firmly rooted in the biz. His dad, sis, and mom have all worked in the industry as actors and property masters. But 15 years ago, you would have found Smith battling Mocha Only on the streets of Vancouver as his alter ego, Bonzi, a moniker his mother gave him way back in the day when he was just a skateboarding punk cruising down the streets of the Beaches. “I wanted to be the next Eminem,” he confesses, sourcing the artist as one of his major influences in the credits of his 2012 self-titled album. After leaving University to study at the Harrison School of Music in Toronto, a series of fortunate events led him to settle down in Toronto just a few blocks from where he grew up. Film projects, and now his two kids and babelicious wife shape his life, admitting that Yo Gabba Gabba (a show for kids) was the last concert he attended.
“I wanted to be the next Eminem...”
Fog rolling across grimy cement and puddles that pick up the reflection of dilapidated neon signs, alleyways littered with garbage and dumpsters layered with posters - this is where Zach’s hand is most evident. He creates scenes that set a particular mood which blends effortlessly with the action and storyline. Nasty working environments and backbreaking labour make this particular choice of career in the film business unglamorous, nevermind tricky to sustain. And yet Zach has been playing a cool hand in the biz for over 15 years, making Toronto his home base (working on the set of Covert Affairs). He continues to build upon his hefty cv, which includes Key On Set Dresser for Warehouse 13, Assistant Prop Master on Season two of Nikita, Set Dresser for the pilot episode of Beauty and the Beast, and Major Set Dresser on the soon-to-be-released movies, Pacific Rim and RoboCop. A self-described aging hipster, Smith was originally drawn to the film industry because it provided him a means to sustain a burgeoning Hip Hop career. It also helped that he
Balance is a major quality he strives for, admitting that it’s a tough one to achieve. Working in film while maintaining a “normal lifestyle” is difficult – but who wants normal, anyway? Zach brings the freshness and energy of old school Hip Hop to his every day life; it just looks different from that glossy record deal he had coveted back in the ‘90s. Working 80 hours a week and considering himself lucky if he gets to take a shower and eat a piece of sushi, Zach rolls with the punches and works it out. And if he gets the chance to have dinner with his honey of a wife and ridiculously adorable kids, well then, things just got real romantic. WORDS: LAUREN CULLEN PHOTOS: ISAAC ZELUNKA
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MADE LADY I
was on my way to interview Meg Sethi, President of Evolution Public Relations (EPR), when I got a call from CTV news saying they would like me to make a small appearance on the news that night. I was nervous. I had never been on television before, as I explained to Meg. That’s when she flashed into PR mode and helped cool my nerves. She sat me down, helped me relax, and prepared me for my appearance. Thanks to her, I didn’t make a fool of myself in front of millions of viewers. It was a unique experience, not only as television experiences go, but also for an interview. Instead of telling me what she did, Meg showed me. She began by researching the topic I was speaking about and then testing me on it. She made sure I knew my material inside
and out so I would not trip over my words. She also told me what to expect about being on camera and in a television studio, which helped calm me. Instead of being distracted, nervous, and shy, I was confident and focused. I owe my success to Meg for that interview, which is how her clients must surely feel. Of course, as a Public Relations professional, preparing talent for public appearances is only a part of her job. Meg also creates buzz and hype around the talent. She uses her bubbly personality and extensive network to promote and expose the talent she represents. With her help, people and brands gain the exposure they need to succeed in their industry. She also throws events. A big part of creating publicity is developing events for her clients to promote their products to the general public and the media, allowing them to experience it. Organizing events is how Meg first cut her teeth in PR. While attending Humber for her Public Relations Degree, Meg had a one-day placement as an intern at the Children’s Aid Foundation. She was hired as a Special Events Coordinator while she was still in school and completed her last semester remotely. That placement ended up turning into a job that lasted four and a half years. In her time at the Children’s Aid Foundation, Meg organized special events, coordinated volunteers, and structured the student program. After throwing the 20th anniversary of the Teddy Bear Affair, a black tie event with over 1,100 attendees raising $1 million in support for the Children’s Aid Foundation, Meg decided it was time to leave her position and focus exclusively on Evolution PR, which at that time was only a small, side project.
In April 2011, EPR was officially unleashed and almost immediately experienced success. In its first year, EPR was selected as the PR firm to represent The Teenage Paparazzo Experience, the promotion for a documentary created by Adrian Grenier. EPR hosted the screening and created the hype in Toronto about the movie. Then, Meg appeared on the SliceTV show “Party Mamas” as the Event Coordinator. She received further exposure by attending TIFF events as a representative of her clients. These events transformed Meg from an unknown publicist into a PR maven. However, as she reminds me, “people can open the door, but it is your job to walk through and shine.” Meg always remembers to provide great service, putting her clients first and ensuring that they get the type of exposure they want. She now has expanded her client list to include individual celebrities and corporations. By working with corporate brands, EPR organizes events and conferences that showcase the brand and create a multisensory experience that combines the corporate message and what the attendees want. As every entrepreneur attests, developing relationships and performing high quality work are essential building blocks to a successful business. As a client for one night, I saw Meg Sethi at work and I know that EPR provides those building blocks with an incredible potential for growth.
WORDS: BRIAN SWEIGMAN PHOTOS: ALEX BROWNE
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MADE MAN J
esse Girard is the embodiment of the creative, active entrepreneur. He embraces the fact that his ideas, his responsibilities, his challenges change every day. A key trait of any successful entrepreneur is the ability to embrace change. Born with expansive ideas and creative abilities, the entrepreneur must merge his or her vision with realistic constraints. How to translate ideas to conform to reality is a constant struggle. Every new venture, every new day is a new beginning. As the owner of three successful and distinct ventures (The Hoxton, Parts & Labour, and Dog & Bear,) Jesse is always looking for the next big thing, the next project, the next inspiration, deriving inspiration from Ezra Pound, who wrote, “the artist is always beginning.� Jesse learned to manage change from a young age. He was born to artistic parents in a cabin on the lakes of Thunder Bay, but left with his parents shortly after his first birthday. From there, he trekked across Canada, living in Saskatchewan, Vancouver Island, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Kingston, Montreal, and Toronto. He went to school at McGill, but during his studies he spent a weekend in Toronto and never went back. He then enrolled at Ryerson, but quickly left to wait tables and bartend. It was then, through a restaurant colleague, Jesse met his eventual business partner, Richard Lambert.
Together, Jesse and Richard decided to save up some money to feed their entrepreneurial desires. But where to start? Shortly after some kids in Kensington Market asked them to buy vintage clothing, they took off. First, they found connections to vintage clothing throughout the city, and then they travelled to England to look for customers. Wholesaling led to online success, which led to a move back to Toronto rent out a space on Queen West.
Multidisciplinary Design. P&L has recently added a catering arm to their business, with the same focus on exceptional food. The Hoxton serves as an incredible event space. Since it first opened as a night club, The Hoxton has been packed, working with Embrace Productions to bring in some of the top DJs in the world. The Hoxton keeps its reputation as a top electronic music venue by having one of the best lighting and sound systems in the city, while also offering an optimal space for corporate events. In complete contrast, the most recent addition to the team, the Dog & Bear was designed to be a place to relax and hang out in a laidback atmosphere.
At the time, the Queen West neighbourhood was still empty and unattractive. Their desired location (1100 Queen Street West) was filled with old, used restaurant equipment. They took over the space in order to open a vintage clothing store, called 69 Vintage. When the space next door became available, they opened a new club, called The Social. Most recently, Jesse and Richard have incorporated The Social Group, which takes But true to their nature, eventually they wel- its name from the original Social night club. comed a change. A new project, a new ex- Despite their innate desire to move forward perience was calling and Jesse and Richard and shake things up, Jesse and Richard have decided to expand their palette. They sold decided to pause and let their three estab69 Vintage and then, in 2010, they opened lishments grow. Through their successes, Parts & Labour in Parkdale. The restaurant they have learned that in order to be prosperwas designed as a place to eat well and listen ous, they had to build something that they to live music in their underground garage. In thought was great and find a way to inspire 2011, they took over the space at 69 Bath- people to come through the front door. urst Street to open The Hoxton, a club and entertainment venue that invigorated the Although their ideas have changed a lot Toronto club scene. Finally, after seven years along the way, Jesse Girard and Richard with The Social, Jesse and Richard decided Lambert are still living the entrepreneurial to completely revamp the space, and in 2012, dream. Never satisfied with sitting still, they they re-opened as the Dog & Bear, a relaxed, are always looking for the next thing. Next homey pub more fit for the newly gentrified up, The Social Group will be focusing on Queen West neighbourhood. summer festivals with its Hoxton partners, Embrace Productions. The establishments cover all avenues of entertainment. Parts & Labour has quickly become one of the most popular restaurants in the city with great, distinctive food in a cool WORDS: BRIAN SWEIGMAN space and an added emphasis on little things, PHOTOS: ALEX BROWNE such as lighting and design, care of Castor
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CLOTHING: GOTSTYLE, FREDA’S, KINGPIN CHIC, CABARET VINTAGE TORONTO ON THE COVER: GOTSTYLE (JESSE GIRARD), FREDA’S (MEG SETHI)
HOSTED BY: THE HOXTON MODELS: ANDREA KELLY, HAYLEY MILES, JESSE GIRARD, JOSE SILVA, LILY, MEG SETHI, NICKY MARKS, TYNOMI BANKS
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FAMILY VALUES WORDS: RONIT RUBINSTEIN PHOTOS: MARK TYM
T
ina Buchan is looking for “dreamers who can also execute.” With her family’s charitable foundation, she is funding worthy projects in Africa and at home in Toronto, applying concepts from the business world to non-profits. “We aspire to fund sustainable projects… Perhaps somebody has got a really great idea and traditional sources can’t be that nimble, can’t be that creative or imaginative. So we’re looking to be seed financiers in philanthropy.”
and Buchan hopes this project, one of several she is funding in the region, will help bring some more international attention to the situation in the DRC.
Here in Toronto, The Buchan Family Foundation has been a major funder for the Arthritis Program at Toronto Western Hospital, building a state-of-the-art lab that will be used solely for arthritis research. “I’m an arthritis sufferer. I’ve got two new hips, and one new knee, and I’ve had a spinal fusion, and it’s not a very sexy cause… I can unequivocally In Africa, The Buchan Family Foundation say that whenever I went to Toronto Western is primarily focused on the Democratic Re- I got absolutely superb care. I do think there’s public of the Congo, something very, very a country Buchan has special about that “We want to fund long been fascinatplace.” Buchan was rising stars, not super especially impressed ed by. “Over the last three years I’ve been by the commitment stars. It’s just a trying to learn about to fundraising shown different approach” the DRC, and almost by the hospital’s docfeel like I’m becoming tors; all of the doctors an activist. Now I find myself getting con- on the Orthopaedic Surgery and Rheumacerned about—why isn’t this country talked tology teams have pledged their own money about more?” The foundation has contracted to the Arthritis Campaign. “In total $1.25 a Montreal-based NGO to build three med- million of their own money [went] to this inical clinics in the DRC within driving dis- itiative. That in and of itself is so unusual.” tance of the capital, Kinshasa. The clinics are Thanks to the Buchans’ lead gift, The Buchan being built at an average cost of $235,000 Family Arthritis Research Centre is schedeach, and the goal is to have all three be- uled to open in 2013. come self-sustaining through the implementation of health mutuals. Local families Tina Buchan is just getting started. She’s will pay into the clinic, and know that they helping to fund a Toronto-based study on have a place to go should health issues arise; rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic these funds will keep the clinics running stimulation) and its potential use in treatonce construction is completed. “What we ing depression, and is looking at sustainable want to do is show that they can be built. agricultural and educational projects in the We’re a relatively small foundation… We’re DRC. “When you’re in the fortunate poscreating a manual about all the building ition that I am in, you say OK, we have the requirements, so we can show how you do ability to give back, and you sit there and you it. And then lever our smaller resources to look at the myriad causes you could support,” attract real big funders.” The foundation is she says. “We want to fund rising stars, not a member of the Clinton Global Initiative, super stars. It’s just a different approach.”
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LIVE C T.V.
P24 holds a mirror up to our city. They keep a steady gaze on Toronto and bring the best of the GTA to the forefront of our minds. As a member of the CP24 Breakfast Team, Nalini Sharma’s segment takes her to the many diverse neighbourhoods in Toronto, “dropping in,” on some of the brightest elements of the city and teaching us all about this great place we call home. Nalini’s television aspirations began early on. In high school she found she was strong in the social sciences and her history teacher
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have, “learned something,” or as she adds, “maybe inspire somebody.” However, she is also careful to keep segments light and allows the subjects to blossom on their own, “We’re just dropping in on something that’s happening in our city.” While Nalini is a proud Torontoian, she is quick to identify herself as, “Canadain First.” From the people to the smell, she holds firm that, “Canada is the greatest country in the world.” Nalini’s attachment to the city runs deep as well, she loves the unique diversity of each of the neighborhoods and the character they each possess. “I don’t think there’s a group, or and background, or a hobby, or a language that somewhere in the city, isn’t represented.”
suggested a career in television. This stirred something inside Nalini and she quickly decided, “I’ll see if I can make it on TV.” After graduating from Ryerson University’s Radio and Television arts program (RTA), Nalini found success on a number of stations and has now cemented herself as a key member of the CP24 Breakfast team. “Now that I’m in it [television], I love the fact that I get to be out every day and meet different people.” Nalini prides herself on finding the best elements of Toronto and brings those gems into the public eye. She keeps a simple goal in mind, getting her viewers to
Nalini loves our city but she is trying to make it even better every day. She works with many charities and non-profits around the city but finds her work with The Princess Margaret Hospital the most gratifying. “I’ve talked to so many patients that have been treated at Princess Margret’s, I have not met one where they’ve not had something amazing to say.” Most recently Nalini has taken on the Sporting Life 10k Run for Kids with Cancer, the run supports camp Oochigeas a place where children with cancer or that have overcome cancer can have fun and meaningful experiences. Nalini says she was hesitant to take on the ten kilometer run at first but after seeing, “the lives that have been affected by it, you yourself are inspired.” Sharma takes on the mission of finding the hidden gems that make up our great city. Not only does she explore and open Toronto to the world, but also works hard to make this the best place to live. She is the best parts of our city.
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WORDS: TIM LUTHER PHOTOS: ALEX BROWNE STYLISTS: ADORA AGU & DEAN L.G. ELLIS HAIR & MUA: LEXY ROBIDOUX CLOTHING: POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL & MONICA MEI ACCESSORIES: RITA TESOLIN
LIKE SIMBA?
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y Young Lions Music Club membership card is the first piece of hand-written mail I’ve received in years. The enclosed note, loopy handwriting on a torn rectangle of lined paper, is a throwback to high school. It reads, “Hey Ronit! Thanks for joining the club! You are now a part of something great, which makes you even more great!” Nearly 1,000 Torontonians have received a similar note in the mail over the past few years, and I suspect a good number of them, like myself, couldn’t help but smile when they read it. Founded in the summer of 2011, Young Lions Music Club is a music marketing company and fan club. Creative Director and founder Bobby Kimberley had been working for a music public relations agency, and realized a new business model would allow him more freedom to create memorable events for music fans. “Our clients were bands and labels. When the revenue of your clients starts to drop, their budgets drop with it… We want to bring one-of-a-kind experiences to the city. And the best way to do that without limitations is through sponsorship.” He decided to strike out on his own and began freelancing.
One early event was a collaboration with friends who run the Live in Bellwoods video series, filming bands that play in Trinity Bellwoods park. Kimberley suggested inviting audiences to enjoy the show, and the event grew to become the annual Great Heart Festival. During the NXNE music festival every June, bands play free acoustic sets, without any amplification, to an all-ages crowd in the park. “That’s a signature event, just because it has this great community feel.” Young Lions Music Club was officially launched at the second iteration of this event. The club’s name came from the lyrics of a song by Canadian band the Constantines, “O young lions, this is your kingdom.” Kimberley says of the name, “I think it describes a new creative class… The idea is that we can come together now and really kind of own the future of this city.”
“We want to bring one-of-a-kind experiences to the city”
YLMC events work so well because Kimberley knows exactly who his members are—for the most part, 25-34 year-olds in creative industries—and focuses, above all else, on catering to them. In return, his membership is loyal, turning out en masse to events like a The Shining-themed party during TIFF, which featured a bartender dressed as Lloyd, a band costumed to look like the Grady twins, a massive custom mural, and an actor, in character as Jack Torrance, interacting with partygoers. YLMC events are able to draw a crowd, in a city filled with other party options, because they offer members once-in-a-lifetime experiences; last September, for example, legendary bass player Andy Rourke of The Smiths DJed a boat cruise on Lake Ontario. “We want to create memories—it sounds tacky as hell—but we want to create memories that last. So maybe when we’re all forty-plus and living in Oakville, then we’ll look back on our time in the city.” This spring, YLMC will host UK band The Foals, who will guest DJ at Songs: A Dance Party on May 11th at the Black Box in the Great Hall. In mid-June, the Great Heart festival will return to Trinity-Bellwoods, and later that month, the club will team with Mill Street Brewery for an Ontario Craft Beer Week party in an old power plant in the Junction. At these events, like all his others, Kimberley will have a loftier goal than just showing people a good time. “You’re out somewhere, there’s other people there that you could fully interact with. But the immediate assumption in Toronto is that those people don’t want you to interact with them… The community aspect is kind of lacking. It’s a need. It’s a need for people to be like, ‘Hey! Everyone who’s here is here for the same reason, and probably would love to know you. So, what about it?’”
WORDS: RONIT RUBINSTEIN PHOTOS: MARK TYM
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SWEET
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mma-Lee and Katz met five years ago while playing in Toronto’s indie music scene. Neither of them can quite remember the first instance of meeting one another, but the date doesn’t matter. The fact that they met is important enough. Since then, they have collaborated many times, singing and playing on each other’s albums, and performing together on stage. Going on a cross-Canada tour together now seems like a natural progression. “You meet a lot of people but there are some who [you] have a kinship with,” Katz says about working with Emma-Lee. Touring is a difficult beast, though. Both musicians spend months on the road promoting their music. “I was on the road three months out of the last year,” Emma-Lee recollects. Katz rarely tours with other musicians. “When you’re by yourself in the car you create a microcosm.” He enjoys touring with others, but there has to be compatibility. Emma-Lee and Katz are confident that this tour will benefit both of them. “Because we haven’t toured together, there’s an opportunity for cross-pollination [of audiences],” says Katz. They’re taking their show through Toronto to Victoria. They’ll each perform a set of their own original tunes and finish with a set of their collaborations. “It’s going to be a more intimate, acoustic tour,” Emma-Lee says.
“These are the type of people who will support you for life” doing],” Emma-Lee explains. Emma-Lee and Katz are considering this tour as a test drive. They would like to eventually release an EP of new tunes and some choice cover songs. Picking cover songs “has been fun,” according to Emma-Lee, “it’s...revealing about another person and their history of music.”
They began working on this project at the end of last year. “We’d already done Their first release, a cover of Tina Turner’s a bunch of collaborative stuff so it wasn’t What’s Love Got to Do With It, makes it clear far-fetched from what [we were already that they take their selections seriously. The
music video, filmed at the Toronto Zoo in connection with new fans. These are the front of the underground otter observatory, type of people who will support you for life,� complete with frolicking otter, shows how Emma-Lee explains. well their voices blend into beautiful harmony. Emma-Lee and Katz are on the road from Neither Emma-Lee nor Katz can dismiss April 3rd to May 8th. Check out either emthe benefit of touring to create a lasting ma-lee.com or peterkatz.com for tour dates. connection. Along with concert venues that can hold upwards of 200 people, Emma-Lee and Katz are looking forward to performing WORDS: OLGA KWAK house concerts along the road. House conPHOTOS: PAUL STEWARD certs are a “great way to make an intimate
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ON YOUR SLEEVE WORDS: OLGA KWAK PHOTOS: ISAAC ZELUNKA HAIR & MUA: MELIS STEVENS CLOTHING: WORTH BY DAVID C. WIGELY & DYLANIUM KNITS
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tephen Dunn is a Newfoundland native who has brought his love of storytelling and complex characters to Toronto’s film scene. The young filmmaker has been recognized in Canada and abroad, winning awards at the Munich International Festival of Film Schools, as well as locally, with awards from TIFF and the YoungCuts Film Festival. His latest short film, Life Doesn’t Frighten Me, starring the acclaimed Canadian actor Gordon Pinsent, won Best Live Action Film in the TIFF Student Film Showcase and was a 2012 Official Selection in the renowned international film festival. The film has also earned Stephen the Student Visionary Award at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. According to Stephen, jury member, Danny Strong (of Buffy the Vampire Slayer) said of the film, “Effortlessly shifting from comedy to drama, this work definitely showcases a young director with a skilled hand and a bright future ahead of him.”
built were the most beneficial. “The best thing about Ryerson is the peers you meet and work with there.” While Stephen maintains that his time at Ryerson was very helpful, he also thought only making five films a year wasn’t enough. He quickly got “bored” with this format and began video blogging online to keep his creativity flowing. Stephen found a pocket of online fame almost immediately, and built a group of devotees that has been with him for years. He explains that developing and maintaining an audience has really helped his career. Stephen graduated and moved on from Ryerson. He is now in the second and final phase of the CFC’s (Canadian Film Centre) Directors Program and is preparing to film his final project, We Wanted More, a psychological thriller about a female musician who loses her voice and acquires a child on the same day. Stephen is excited to dive into his new piece and says this new film will be “darker and more mature” than his previous works. Stephen is also preparing to unveil his first fulllength feature, Closet Monster. He describes it as a “coming of age family drama.” The film follows a teenager, still carrying the weight of his parents’ divorce many years earlier, “coming to terms with his sexuality as he reclaims his life.” Stephen says he’s excited to show his first feature and that the added length has given him opportunities he wouldn’t get in a shorter format. “I tend to want to get a full [story] arc and a full, meaty character out of each film, and it’s really luxurious to have a full 90 pages to develop a character.”
“...sense of humour unlike anywhere else.”
Stephen has been living an artistic life since he was just a child. Because his parents owned a casting agency, he grew up between Newfoundland and New York. Stephen began working as a child actor in New York. He quickly took the reins and began to create on Canada’s east coast, “as soon as I came back from New York I started directing plays.” He cheers Newfoundland’s praises, with its overwhelming number of social programs aimed at the arts, and maintains it is one of the best places for an artist to flex and build their creative muscle. He also claims the province has given him a, “sense of humour unlike anywhere else.” Stephen Dunn is quickly pushing to the forefront of Canada’s new generation of artists. In 2008, Stephen came to Toronto to attend As a story teller and as a young filmmaker, he Ryerson’s film program. He says he learned is using his astonishing drive and imagination a lot in the program but the relationships he to push himself toward perfecting his craft.
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THERE IS AN ART
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oing once... going twice... a woman waved her bid paddle to indicate to the auctioneer it wasn’t over. “Setting Trap,” a painting by Ed Pien, was one Robyn McCallum, the art coordinator at TD Bank, had intended to purchase. There are two paintings on her list. “I know what I want ahead of time, I check the piece out in person, and if all is good I buy it.” Going once, going twice... SOLD! Robyn outbids the other collectors in the room at the ninth annual “C Magazine” Auction, a contemporary art fundraiser. “Typically, most of the pieces we buy are from galleries in the city. It’s treasure hunting. But it’s not only Toronto, if we are in Calgary we try to purchase from an artist in Alberta.” Pamela Meredith, Senior Art Curator and Robyn work together to acquire Canadian art from local artists across the country with focus on the vernacular. Acquisition is part of, but not all of Robyn’s job description. “I’m the one who manages physically where all the art is in TD’s footprint, which is kind of extensive. I have a huge database which lists all the artwork and where it all is. So, if someone changes offices at Canada House in London for Canada day. and moves it, I have to keep track of all that. “On Monday I am going to Ottawa to install If one gets damaged I take care of it.” the exhibition at the national art center.” “Last week I shipped a set of Caribou Antlers across the border which was difficult. We ended up gifting it to the embassy; it was stamped as diplomatic cargo; after that it was easy.” The Antlers are part of a TD sponsored show, currently at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, showcasing contemporary Inuit artwork. The show will be in Ottawa later this month, after that it will be
“TD has a gallery that showcases their Inuit collection which is open to the public on Wellington.” The original exhibit was set up on the 55th floor of the Toronto Dominion Center on Canada’s centennial in 1967. Allen Lambert, the president of TD at the time, spent 2 years with 11 experts searching the Arctic for art which would be included in the banks collection of close to 1000 pieces.
“It’s an exciting time to be here because TD is now making a conscious decision to recommit and focus on their art collection as well as arts related sponsorships. Everyone is excited about the art collection, and TD is behind it so we have the opportunity to do a lot.” “This morning I gave a tour of the 54th floor.” She is referring to the period correct boardroom on the 54th floor in the Toronto Dominion Center, finished in 1968, and designed by Mies van der Rohe. “It’s straight out of Mad men.” She tells me. It is
home to part of TD’s collection including their most expensive piece which was purchased in 1964: a 79”x 110” abstract painting by Jean-Paul Riopelle. The boardroom hasn’t changed since it’s construction. It is open to the public and tours are available to those interested. WORDS: ADAM HENDRIK PHOTOS: ALEX BROWNE STYLIST: DEAN L.G. ELLIS HAIR & MUA: LIV LUNA & NATALIE SHEMUEL CLOTHING: CABARET VINTAGE TORONTO
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n Sunday November 29, 2009, in Hungary, 1,000 people partook in a Kangoo Jumps class in attempt to break a previous Guinness World Record, set in 2007: the most people Kangoo Jumping at one time. Dorina Rigo was part of the group that broke the record. She fell in love with the activity and became so passionate that she began teaching. “It is very popular in Hungary, Spain, Italy…It’s really spreading. Almost every gym offers a Kangoo class, and it has been that way for 10 years,” she told me. She moved to Canada, started teaching, and became the Canadian distributor for Kangoo Jumps. In 2011, she became a certified instructor, teaching others to be Kangoo instructors themselves. Alejandra Leyra took one of Dorina’s classes and knew that Kangoo was what she wanted to do with her life. It was in the fall of 2012, that the two began working together. This past January, Alejandra was hired full-time. Kangoo Jumps look much like a pair of ski boots, but instead of skis, there are two spring arcs made from “space age” material, tied together with a T-spring that assists in the rebound. The bottoms are fitted with a rugged, non-slip tread suitable for all surfaces. These Swiss boots were invented in 1994 and didn’t take long to catch on in Europe because they burn 25% more fat when compared with doing aerobics while wearing regular shoes. Impact on the knees and back are cut by 80% when wearing Kangoo Jumps. This means longer workouts with less knee and back pain.
HOP I stood up expecting to fall, but didn’t. It was a strange feeling, to float around the room with the six-inch shock absorbers attached to my feet. I thought falling sideways would be a problem (It wasn’t.) Once I got up, I forgot about falling sideways and took care simply not to tip forward. Dorina reassured me that she has not yet seen an adult fall. “Kids fall, but they fall without the shoes too. It’s more like [a] slow motion fall.” What did catch me off-guard was the rocking motion instigated by the arches. But Dorina and Alejandra gave me a few words of encouragement, and soon enough, I was off - running and jumping, with extended legs. Wearing the boots felt like running on a mattress or a trampoline, but without the bounce. Kangoo Jumps classes are offered by Dorina and Alejandra every evening during the week, and afternoon classes are offered on the weekends. The one-hour workout is split between jumping and muscle conditioning. “You can take as many breaks as you want,” said Dorina, who prefers to take the classes outside. Classes are also available for kids aged 6-14. “With the kids, we play games, not like the adult classes. It’s more fun,” Dorina says. The first class is free. If you don’t have $290 to purchase a pair of boots, you can rent them for $5. If the kids can do it, so can you. WORDS: ADAM HENDRIK PHOTOS: CRISTINA ARCE
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GIMME A SHOVEL
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very year, Shawn Rompré holds a birthday bash for himself and his brothers in Wakefield, Quebec. Soon after he began studying at Humber College’s music program, he met five gifted musicians and invited them to help catapult that year’s Rompré Stomp into the kind of party that invitees were anticipating. The Digs holds the title as one of Toronto’s go-to “party” bands, but there is much more to the group than a sound worth two-stepping to. The six talented musicians are building their repertoire and their reputation with fun and dynamic originals that are sure to boost them to a higher level of recognition.
purchase on iTunes. It seems as though The Digs’s hard work has paid off. After the completion of their EP, the band received a grant from the Ontario Arts Council to record a full-length album. “[We are] pushing forward and trying to transition from [a] party cover band to creating amazing and inspiring music,” says Rompré. “Without losing the party,” Joel quickly adds. As The Digs moves into a new chapter, the band members remain conscious of the fact that their music is a group effort. “We’ll [each] bring things in, in different forms of being finished and try arranging them more as a group,” says guitarist, Heather Crawford. Nothing about The Digs’s creative process appears ego-driven. They recognize that each musician in the group is incredibly talented and adds a certain flare to the collective. “We all take the opinion that songs are kind of alive... they have a life of their own and a recording is just a snapshot in time,” says Joel.
“a recording is just a snapshot in time”
A fun-loving attitude is clear in The Digs music and among the band members themselves, “We’re up for turning anything into a fun tune,” says Shawn. The group makes every show a party. “Almost every week, we have a set list...we never stick to it,” says bass player, Chris Virtue. They feed off the excitement of their audience and are constantly tailoring the music to the way the crowd responds. “You can feel an audience. It’s almost like they’re part of the process,” says Joel Visentin, who plays the keys in the band.
While The Digs has already built a great reputation, the band has no plans of stopping. Each of the six musicians is constantly evolving; together, they create a product greater than the sum of its parts. And as This ability to turn great music into a great Shawn promises, “there’s a lot to expect from time has brought success to The Digs, al- us in the near future.” lowing them to have a residency at the Drake Hotel every Thursday night. In addition, the band is set to release their EP, Homegrown, on November 1st, and will be available for
WORDS: TIM LUTHER PHOTOS: ALEX BROWNE
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DUDE, WHERE IS MY BLING?
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here’s a signature look to a Vitaly Design - one that each piece possesses. Refined and sleek, the jewelry stands out as a product that can be adopted into everyday life, open to diverse tastes, and complementary to a person’s unique individual style. The trademark, double finger rings are innovative and made to last. Rings and necklaces are made out of a unique combination of materials to create a new wave of accessories. With their friends in mind, Jason Readman (the businessman of Vitaly) and founder, Shane Vitaly Foran, continue to realize their visions. As doers and shakers who listen and deliver, Vitaly Design is finding a home in the personal collections of Torontonians across the city. What keeps the both of you inspired and motivated? I think Jason and I are motivated by the opportunities that come with building your own brand…the opportunities to meet amazing people and travel. I think we’re also driven by the challenge. Both of us love to problem solve, and watching solutions turn into growth is incredibly addictive and rewarding. Can you explain the process of making a VITALY design? Where do you get your materials? Our wood pieces are handcrafted by master carvers and silversmiths who’ve been taught their crafts from generations upon generations of incredibly skilled tradesmen. The woods and metals are typically sourced from Bali, though we’re now looking at exporting Canadian woods to Bali to broaden the collections and bring a taste of home to the collections. The ceramic pieces, on the other hand, are made in China with incredibly powerful and impressive machinery. Finding someone who has mastered the craft of ceramic production was not an easy feat. And working with ceramic isn’t easy to say the least (not that wood is either)!
How would you describe VITALY’S style and influence? Well, Toronto’s jewelry industry is eclectic, but lacking in men’s jewelry. We see a TON of great stuff, but there are a lot of men out there looking for jewelry and finding few options. Vitaly’s style is androgynous, clean yet bold… It is meant to be daring, yet ready to be embraced by a range of styles. Though I don’t know how I can define it specifically, I’m certain there’s a Toronto influence in my designs… Vitaly performs best in Toronto and I don’t think that’s entirely because it’s a Toronto-based brand. Toronto is not only my home, but one of my favourite cities in the world.
Do you have any advice for aspiring designers reading PRODUCT magazine? Be a doer and a dreamer - you’ll need both in perfect harmony. The beautiful thing about having Jason as my friend and business partner is that he does a great job helping me stay balanced. I often want to get lost in a design or bigger picture in ‘la-la-land’, but he keeps me on two feet, yet still on my toes. If you have great ideas, but keep floating away, find an anchor.
WORDS: KIM LUM-DANSON PHOTOS: PAUL STEWARD STYLING: CAROLEE CUSTUS HAIR & MUA: TAYLOR VIGNEUX CLOTHING: DANIER