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FASHION

Fall’s biggest & boldest styles

SEPTEMBER 2021

THE BEAUTY TRENDS

you’ll want to try now!

ANNIE MURPHY IS OWNING IT

ROMA

HOLT RENFREW 646 520 2830

FE N D I .CO M

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N 235 O

SEPTEMBER 2021

82 on the cover 51

BEAUTY The latest in hair and makeup trends. BY THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU

CELEBRITY Canadian darling Annie Murphy is flying solo. BY JOANNA FOX

106 FASHION What to wear this fall. BY MAROUCHKA FRANJULIEN

style & fashion 26

STYLE Surrealism strikes again. BY CAITLIN AGNEW

SHOPPING Urban chic.

STYLE Is it time to critique Diet

PHOTOGRAPHY, LEEOR WILD. BODYSUIT AND SOCKS (CHANEL)

Prada? BY RANDI BERGMAN

SHOPPING The French influence.

STYLE The history of the sneaker. BY MAROUCHKA FRANJULIEN

STYLE Monthly Payment’s pareddown fashion ethos. BY ERICA NGAO

FASHION Louis Vuitton’s paradise city.

FASHION The art of clashing colours.

116

FASHION All hail Marc Jacobs. BY THÉODORA ASPART

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beauty & wellness 60

BEAUTY The new direction of makeup. BY ELISABETH MASSICOLLI

SHOPPING Body pampering. BY THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU

PROFILE Kate Winslet is keeping it real. BY THÉO DUPUISCARBONNEAU

BEAUTY Our editors’ top beauty picks. BY STÉPHANIE HOULE

HEALTH Let’s talk about the pelvic floor. BY MARIE-PHILIPPE JEAN

features

PHOTOGRAPHY, MATHIEU FORTIN. PARKA AND PURSE (LOUIS VUITTON X FORNASETTI) AND PULLOVER, PANTS AND BOOTS (LOUIS VUITTON)

SOCIETY The harmful government practice of birth alerts and the efforts to put an end to it. BY CAMILLE CARDIN-GOYER

SOCIETY Navigating sex and relationships in a post-vaccination world. BY DEVAN DÍAZ

SOCIETY How understanding extreme weather can help ease eco-anxiety. BY MELISSA VINCENT

PROFILE Actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is on the rise.

every month 19 20 21 49 50 128 129 130

PUBLISHER’S NOTE JOANIE’S PICKS FRONT ROW DEBUT ELLE ONLINE SHOPPING GUIDE HOROSCOPE ESCAPE

BY JOANNA FOX

FILM Jodie Comer on her latest movie role. BY JOANNA FOX

119

ART The fashion-influenced world of Janet Werner. BY JOANNA FOX

123

DESIGN Zoe Mowat’s design philosophy. BY EVE THOMAS

125

TRAVEL Head into the Clayoquot wilderness. BY CHLOE BERGE

on the cover Annie Murphy is wearing a dress by Gucci, a bra by Fortnight Lingerie and her own necklaces. Photographer Leeor Wild Creative director Annie Horth Stylist Nariman Janghorban Makeup artist Leslie-Ann Thomson (The Project/Trinny London/Caudalie) Hairstylist Geneviève Lenneville (Folio Montreal/Oribe) Editorial producer Estelle Gervais Set coordinator Laura Malisan Photographer’s assistants Renaud Lafrenière and Sierra Nallo Styling assistant Manuela Bartolomeo

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PUBLISHER SOPHIE BANFORD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JOANIE PIETRACUPA CREATIVE DIRECTOR ANNIE HORTH ART DIRECTOR ISABEL BEAUDRY ASSOCIATE EDITOR JOANNA FOX BEAUTY DIRECTOR THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU GRAPHIC DESIGNERS MARIE-EVE DUBOIS, LAURENCE FONTAINE DIGITAL DIRECTOR CYNTHIA QUELLET DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER CAMILLE CARDIN-GOYER DIGITAL CONTENT ASSISTANT ALEX GONTHIER FASHION & MARKET EDITOR ESTELLE GERVAIS FASHION FEATURES WRITER MAROUCHKA FRANJULIEN EDITORIAL COORDINATOR CLAUDIA GUY EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT NATHALIE BOURASSA CONTRIBUTORS CAITLIN AGNEW, THÉODORA ASPART, CHLOE BERGE, RANDI BERGMAN, DEVAN DÌAZ, MARJORIE DUNHAM-LANDRY, JANE FIELDING, STÉPHANIE HOULE, MARIE-PHILIPPE JEAN, ELISABETH MASSICOLLI, ERICA NGAO, CIARA RICKARD, CAITLIN STALL-PAQUET, EVE THOMAS, ALEX VALLIÈRES, MELISSA VINCENT, AMIE WATSON TO REACH EDITORIAL editors@ko-media.ca TO REACH CUSTOMER SERVICE 1-866-697-3776 or ellecanada@kckglobal.com

FULLER, THICKER

& LONGERLOOKING LASHES IN JUST 4 WEEKS!*

ADVERTISING SALES SENIOR DIRECTOR, STRATEGY, GROWTH AND PARTNERSHIPS MÉLISSA GARNIER, 514-914-3605 DIRECTOR, CONTENT & STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS KARINE MARQUIS, 514-941-4067 NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR (TORONTO) MARCELLE WALLACE, 647-404-4035 SALES DIRECTOR (TORONTO) MARNI ARMOUR, 416-508-8784 SALES DIRECTOR (MONTREAL) SANDRINE DAHAN, 514-449-7438 MULTI-PLATFORM PROJECT MANAGER VANESSA RISCH PRODUCTION COORDINATOR LINDA DESJARDINS KO MÉDIA INC. PRESIDENT LOUIS MORISSETTE GENERAL DIRECTOR SOPHIE BANFORD FINANCE DIRECTOR SEAN REES MARKETING AND CIRCULATION DIRECTOR MARIE-ANDRÉE PICOTTE MARKETING AND CIRCULATION PROJECT MANAGER GABY BEAUDOIN ACCOUNTING TECHNICIAN GENTA CIKA ACCOUNTING CLERK SANDY ESSOMEYO ELLE® IS USED UNDER LICENSE FROM THE TRADEMARK OWNER, HACHETTE FILIPACCHI PRESSE, A SUBSIDIARY OF LAGARDÈRE SCA CEO CONSTANCE BENQUÉ CEO ELLE INTERNATIONAL LICENSES FRANÇOIS CORUZZI SVP/INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR OF ELLE VALÉRIA BESSOLO LLOPIZ SVP/DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA LICENSES & SYNDICATION MICKAEL BERRET ELLE INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS – FASHION EDITOR CHARLOTTE DEFFE ELLE INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS – BEAUTY & CELEBRITY EDITOR VIRGINIE DOLATA ELLE BRAND MANAGEMENT – MARKETING MANAGER MORGANE ROHÉE EDITORIAL MANAGER TRISH NAGY TRAVIESO GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER MARINE LE BRIS SENIOR DIGITAL PROJECT MANAGER MODA ZERE ELLE SYNDICATION DEPUTY SYNDICATION TEAM MANAGER MARION MAGIS SYNDICATION COORDINATOR SOPHIE DUARTE COPYRIGHTS MANAGER SÉVERINE LAPORTE DATABASE MANAGER PASCAL IACONO WWW.ELLEAROUNDTHEWORLD.COM INTERNATIONAL AD SALES HOUSE LAGARDÈRE GLOBAL ADVERTISING SVP/INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING JULIAN DANIEL jdaniel@lagarderenews.com Registered user: KO Média Inc., 651 Notre-Dame West, Suite 100, Montreal, Quebec H3C 1H9. Contents copyright © 2021 by KO Média Inc. ELLE Canada is published 9 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues. May not be reprinted without written permission. Single copy price: $5.99+tax. Full subscription price: Canada, 1 year, $19.99+tax; for subscription inquiries, call 1-866-697-3776. Digital editions are available on Zinio, Apple News, Press Reader and Ebsco. Printing: Transcontinental Printing G.P., 2049 20th St. E., Owen Sound, Ontario N4K 5R2. Distributed by Coast to Coast Newsstand Services Ltd. Publications Mail Agreement 43144516. ISSN 1496-5186

*Based on Consumer Research Studies

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

THE END OF THE TOXIC BOSS (wearing Prada or not)

PHOTOGRAPHY, ALEXIS BELHUMEUR

ECENTLY, The New York Times published an article

about the new era of fashion-magazine editors-inchief. The world’s largest publishing houses—which produce the likes of Vogue, Vanity Fair and Harper’s Bazaar—have recently let go many of the heads of their key publications’ international editions, some of whom had been in office for more than 20 years, in an effort to end diva behaviour and single-minded points of view. Welcome to 2021! When I started working in media in the early 2000s, editors-in-chief had all the power—and exercised it over their staff. Those at the top of the hierarchy reminded everyone else that there were many hopefuls seeking jobs in the industry and very few jobs. “You should consider yourself lucky,” they would say. It was management by fear. You might have thought no one could be as bad as Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada, but I’ve seen worse. Many of us in the magazine business have experienced the tyranny of an editor-in-chief for whom addressing employees in a rude way was the norm. Insults, criticism and excessive anger—not to mention the expectation that staff put in long hours—were par for the course with one boss I had. That was several years ago, but a colleague who also worked under this person recently told me that she has spent thousands of dollars on therapy to help her recover from the experience. And she’s not alone. According to recent studies, 47 percent of Canadians say that work is the most stressful part of their day and 16 percent say that their work environment is a source of depression, anxiety and other mental-health disorders.

So why didn’t we stand up to our boss—someone who was supposed to encourage us and guide us? (Doing so can be effective, like when employees started a petition denouncing the unacceptable behaviour of the former Governor General of Canada, Julie Payette, and it ultimately cost her her job.) For one thing, public discourse was not the same 10 years ago. We did, in fact, present the situation to senior management and human resources, but we were told that “leading is not a popularity contest.” Financial results took precedence over everything for the company. It took years—and the help of a third party—for the team to ﬁnally be heard. By that time, I was long gone. I welcome the current conversation about toxic work environments with open arms. It’s high time we denounce the people who taint our daily lives, even if it’s not always easy to prove psychological harassment. Respect should be a given, especially when you have the responsibility—the privilege—to lead a team. I’m certainly not a perfect leader, but I can tell you that I strive every day to be the kind of boss I always wanted to have. And in return, my team strive to be the best at what they do.

Sophie Banford , publisher

@sophiebanford ELLECANADA.COM

JOANIE’S PICKS Charlotte Tilbury Glowgasm Lips Lipstick in Glittergasm ($36, charlottetilbury.com)

Grace Jones at Studio 54 in 1978

“Crawford” sandals, Gucci ($1,155, ssense.com)

“Tiffany HardWear” link necklace, Tiffany & Co. (price upon request, tiffany.ca)

Dress, Zara ($80, zara.ca)

Trousers, Bottega Veneta ($1,680, bottegaveneta.com)

JOANIE PIETRACUPA Editor-in-Chief

Star Struck

This season, sequins and glitter of all kinds adorn clothing and accessories for a touch of ‘70s glamour.

The new Frank Gehry Luma Arles tower, in Arles, France, dedicated to contemporary creation

“Iconic 1969” bag, Paco Rabanne ($1,320, matchesfashion.com)

“Padlock 85mm” sandals, Tom Ford ($1,547, farfetch.com)

Sunglasses, Gucci ($1,910, gucci.com)

ELLECANADA.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY, MAUDE ARSENAULT (J. PIETRACUPA) & GETTY (G. JONES)

“Baguette 1997” bag, Fendi ($4,500, fendi.com)

FRONT ROW

September

THE COMEBACK Since PHOEBE PHILO’s departure from Celine in 2017, the fashion world has been waiting for the English designer’s next move. Some thought that she would take over the artistic direction at Chanel or Alaïa, but she will be launching her own brand—PHOEBE PHILO STUDIO —with the support of the LVMH group. We’ll know more in January, so stay tuned!

PERFUME JEWEL

CELINE FALL/WINTER 2013/2014

TEXT, THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU, JOANNA FOX, MAROUCHKA FRANJULIEN & CAITLIN STALL-PAQUET; PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY)

WHAT’S ON THE ELLE EDITORS’ RADAR RIGHT NOW.

With Nécessaires à Parfum, CARTIER is reinventing the spirit of the vanity tray by inviting us to store a bottle of perfume in one of its goldguilloche fragrance cases. Lacquered and polished by hand, these veritable “jewels” come in four designs featuring emblematic Cartier motifs and snuggly house your favourite Cartier fragrance, elevating your perfume ritual to the highest level of reﬁnement. Bonus: You can personalize your case by having your initials engraved on it. From $761, ca.cartier.com

ELLECANADA.COM

FRONT ROW

ANY SEASON For the ultimate stylish getaway, the FOUR SEASONS HOTEL MONTREAL is offering guests its full 10-star experience. The first and only hotel in the city to receive a Forbes Ten-Star rating (which means it has Forbes Five-Star ratings for both the hotel and spa), it has also introduced enhanced health and safety measures throughout the property. Spend the night in one of its decadent suites overlooking the city and dine at Marcus, international culinary visionary Marcus Samuelsson’s take on the brasserie. Or enjoy the last days of summer with a meal at Mistral, a new seasonal secluded terrace inspired by the south of France and complemented by a Moët & Chandon champagne menu. And don’t forget to take a dip in the indoor pool or try one of the signature spa experiences—like the Golden Glow body treatment—before the end of your idyllic stay.

With an eye for luxury and more than 10 years’ experience in the high-end-fashion industry, Montrealer LUC DION had been watching designer prices rise and saw that people were moving toward quality, not quantity, and making more sustainable choices. What started with a handful of second-hand designer pieces back in 2016 has now grown into a thriving business for Dion and his best friend and business partner, Claire Teasdale. BOUTIQUE LUC.S specializes in pre-loved high-end menswear and womenswear, shoes and accessories that are in perfect condition. While sales are predominantly web-based, clients can also book appointments to visit the brand’s Old Montreal showroom for a personalized shopping experience. boutiquelucs.com

CHARMED LIFE WOLF CIRCUS, a Vancouverbased jewellery brand that oﬀers locally designed and handmade wares, puts on the charm with its new collection of small pieces that are reminiscent of ’90s collectibles—with an adult twist. Cute swirly hearts, mushroom caps, cowboy boots and sun-shaped pendants adorn necklaces and earrings that are just waiting to be mixed and matched. wolfcircus.com

PHOTOGRAPHY, DON RIDDLE (FOUR SEASONS HOTEL MONTREAL) MONTREAL), COURTESY OF BOUTIQUE LUC.S (LUC.S) & COURTESY OF WOLF CIRCUS (WOLF CIRCUS)

HOP

PRE-LOVED

P CA

ADA

ANAD

fourseasons.com

FRONT ROW

Ulla Johnson x Bobbi Brown BOBBI BROWN, a brand known for its natural and luminous cosmetics, is getting all dolled up for a seasonal collection with ULLA JOHNSON. A rosy illuminator and its thickly bristled mini-brush, three matte lipsticks, three diaphanous lip tints and two double-ended eyeshadow sticks come in bohemian-style boxes with ultra-feminine motifs specific to the fashion label. The final touch? An expertly decorated cosmetics case that lets you carry these precious pieces wherever you go. From $40, nordstrom.ca

Blue Night (2018) by Matthew Wong, courtesy of Karma, New York

A Blue VIEW Toronto-born Chinese-Canadian artist MATTHEW WONG was on the cusp of international fame when he took his own life at only 35 years old in 2019. The young talent—who had Tourette’s syndrome, was on the autism spectrum and had battled depression—became a self-taught art star whose work was sought after by some of the highest-level collectors around the world. Now, some of his incredible pieces are on display at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario until April 18, 2022. In Matthew Wong: Blue View, more than 40 paintings from Wong’s infamous Blue Series (made between 2017 and 2019) will enchant viewers with his strange and beautiful world of shadowy landscapes, moody interiors and vivid still lifes. ago.ca

ELLECANADA.COM

FRONT ROW

Miss Dior Eau de Parfum Spray ($172 for 100 mL, thebay.com)

Festival FEVER Film buffs and celebrities alike are rejoicing at the return of festival season, including, most notably for us, the 46th annual Toronto International Film Festival (September 9 to 18). With restrictions easing and in-person screenings getting the green light, this year’s festivities will feel closer to normal, although the Bell Digital Cinema platform will remain for those who want to watch from home. Highlights include Dear Evan Hansen, starring Amy Adams and Julianne Moore; The Eyes of Tammy Faye, with Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garflield; Encounter, a sci-fi thriller starring Riz Ahmed; and the IMAX world premiere of Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve. tiff.net

MISS DIOR 2.0

“Make me a fragrance that smells like love.” That’s what Christian Dior said to his perfumers when they set out to create MISS DIOR in 1947—he wanted a scent that smelled of hope and happiness after dark times. The symbolic perfume is once again representing rejuvenation; there’s a new ﬂower at its heart this time, but it still has the same feeling of hope, which we all need after more than a year of challenges. We met with Dior perfume creator François Demachy to ﬁnd out more about the modern Miss Dior.

ANAD

HOP

NIGHT READS A laureate of many literary prizes, including a not-too-shabby Governor General’s Award, Manitoban writer MIRIAM TOEWS is now releasing her ninth book, Fight Night (out on August 24). In it, she takes us to Toronto for a story that’s told from the perspective of a nine-year-old girl who is part of three generations of women in a close-knit family that is no stranger to hardships. penguinrandomhouse.ca

ELLECANADA.COM

which is based on the quality of the ingredients. Then it’s the personality of Miss Dior—a perfume based on a complex chypre structure that allows it to develop differently on different skin, revealing a unique nuance for each wearer.”

How is the new Miss Dior different from the original? “The inspiration comes from the sweet love rose, which I discovered in the garden of Carole Biancalana, who’s a loyal producer for Maison Dior. It has fruity, velvety and spicy notes. I surrounded it with a bouquet of centifolia rose, iris and peony and then notes of peach, apricot and Sri Lankan sandalwood. The result is a perfume that’s a little more spicy, slightly woody and delicately musky.”

What feelings did you want to create for people when they wear this new interpretation of Miss Dior? “Emotion and pleasure, which are intrinsically linked in perfume-making. Remember that perfume in a bottle is dead until you wear it. We’re the ones who bring it to life!”

PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES (DUNE )

How do you explain the overwhelming success of Miss Dior? “It’s the quality of the product, above all,

P CA N

ADA

FRONT ROW

Resale Retail

BOOM

N THE U.S., the clothing-resale market is expected to triple in value by 2029, topping out at over $100 billion. At the heart of the boom is a rise in ecological awareness—extending the life of our wardrobes is, after all, the best way to limit their carbon footprints—which can be cost-effective for not only the seller but also the buyer. With Poshmark, Vestiaire Collective, the RealReal and Vinted already in the resale game, a new player wants to join: H&M. The Swedish ready-to-wear fast-fashion company is launching H&M Rewear on September 7, a brand-new online platform available only in Canada that lets users buy and sell clothing and accessories from any brand. “We wanted to position ourselves as a leader in the circular economy by offering users of our platform the possibility of giving new life to their favourite pieces,” explains Géraldine Maunier-Rossi, marketing director at H&M Canada. What’s new about H&M’s concept is that all brands are accepted. (The retail giant takes a commission on every sale.) Although it’s risky to include the competition, in the end, everyone wins. “One of the priorities of the H&M group is to work to build a more eco-responsible future, and with this platform, we hope to inspire all brands to commit to recirculation,” says Maunier-Rossi. We can only hope that this initiative will push other companies to join the second-hand-clothing movement.

hmrewear.com

“One of the priorities of the H&M group is to work to build a more eco-responsible future, and with this platform, we hope to inspire all brands to commit to recirculation.”

SCHIAPARELLI

MOSCHINO

SCHIAPARELLI

MARNI

style

MAD WORLD The SURREALIST movement continues to inﬂuence fashion and inspire designers to bring fantasy to life. By CAITLIN AGNEW

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE

WHEN ELSA SCHIAPARELLI partnered with Salvador Dalí to design fabric and acces-

sories in the 1930s, she radicalized the notion of what clothing could be. Designers have long looked to the visual arts for inspiration, but no artistic movement has had more of an ongoing relationship with—and creative impact on—fashion than the dreamlike world of surrealism. And at a time when it can feel like very little makes sense, its inﬂuence is not only still present but more relevant than ever. The surrealists were a group of artists, poets and intellectuals who sought to overthrow social rules by rejecting rational thought. Their approach was to tap into the subconscious mind, a practice that resulted in nonsensical motifs (the stuff of dreams) featuring lobsters, pipes, body parts and birds—or, in the case of one of Schiaparelli’s most iconic designs, a shoe worn on the head. “Most of my work is concerned with destroying—or at least deconstructing—conventional ideas of beauty, of the generic appeal of the beautiful, glamorous, bourgeois woman,” she once said. ELLECANADA.COM

STYLE

OVER THE PAST OR SO, THERE HAS BEEN NO SHORTAGE OF DESIGNERS WHO’VE APPLIED PRINCIPLES TO EFFECT.

century

surrealist

ELLECANADA.COM

of playing with the body and dress,” says Matthews David. This season, surrealist inﬂuences resulted in the illusion of gemstones at Loewe, poetic feathers at Erdem and deconstructed puffer jackets at Marni. Dries Van Noten, who’s often inspired by the movement, incorporated hand motifs—a surrealist signature— while Libertine looked to Alice in Wonderland for inspiration and added trompe l’oeil pockets to a trench coat. At Schiaparelli, which was revived in 2013 and is currently led by Daniel Roseberry, denim jackets were designed to be worn backwards and tops featured the 3-D shapes of breasts and Hulk-like abs. For Toronto-based designer Dorian Who, an encounter with René Magritte’s 1929 painting The False Mirror in Brussels was a turning point in her own art. “It was a complete change in my life [that led] to me seeing the world through a window that this painting opened for me,” she says. “I started to look at things differently.” Tapping into her subconscious is now part of her creative process, which she says helps her to better communicate her message through her designs, imagery and creative collaborations. (The lookbook for her most recent collection features a distinctly Magrittean blue sky.) “I feel like this uncensored thought process helps me connect to more people,” she says. How surreal.

PHOTOGRAPHY, PATRICE STABLE

“Surrealism certainly goes hand in hand with a lot of ways of reimagining art but also with dress in terms of abstraction,” says Alison Matthews David, associate professor and graduate-program director at Toronto’s Ryerson University’s School of Fashion, of the movement’s influence on apparel. “There’s this idea of radically changing dress and making it avant-garde to reflect social and artistic movements.” To document this crossover, Vogue commissioned artists like Dalí to make “photo paintings” depicting fashion’s relationship with the movement during the 1930s. Over the past century or so, there has been no shortage of designers who’ve applied surrealist principles to dramatic effect. Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo is known for crafting mind-boggling sculptural forms, while Thierry Mugler made gowns that morphed into motorcycles and butterflies and Hussein Chalayan created furniture that transformed into gowns. Alexander McQueen modified the appearance of the body with his bumster trousers before Montreal’s Matières Fécales truly radicalized the human form, most famously with its “skin” boots. Maison Margiela’s conceptual creations have included everything from “wig coats” to a waistcoat made of shards of porcelain intricately stitched together, while Jean Paul Gaultier dubbed his 2006 collection “Les Surréalistes,” paying homage to Schiaparelli with his version of her skeleton dress. Jeremy Scott is no stranger to subverting mass imagery, as he did with his McDonald’s-inspired pieces at Moschino, while Miuccia Prada and Kenzo have both incorporated surrealist motifs like lips and eyes. Many of these designs have earned acclaim beyond the runway and been featured in exhibitions at top museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. “If people want to make a visual statement, [they] want to look to surrealism in terms of these arresting, eye-catching ways

MUGLER SPRING/SUMMER 1997

dramatic

STYLE

Top, Heron Preston ($440, revolve.com) Sunglasses, Lexxola ($280, lexxola.com)

Bag, Burberry ($1, 714, 24s.com)

Earrings, Mejuri ($160, mejuri.com)

Boots, Unravel ($1, 940, mytheresa.com)

URBAN CODE

Bracelet, Biko ($185, ilovebiko.com)

City casual meets modern chic.

COURRÈGES

STYLING, ESTELLE GERVAIS; PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY)

Belt, Beaufille ($265, beaufille.com)

Skirt, Dion Lee ($644, farfetch.com) Jacket, Mango ($230, shop.mango.com)

Boots, Aldo ($220, aldoshoes.com) ELLECANADA.COM

Power Player Fashion-industry watchdog DIET PRADA has gone from outsider critic to inﬂuential force—but with power comes questions of responsibility in the cancel-culture era. By RANDI BERGMAN

N LATE 2018, Dolce & Gabbana was on the verge

of mounting what would have been the largest fashion show in its 30-plus-year history in Shanghai, China. In advance of the event, the brand released a video that featured a Chinese model struggling to eat pizza, pasta and cannoli with chopsticks. The video was removed 24 hours later—but not before it landed on the Instagram feed of Diet Prada, a self-appointed fashion-industry watchdog, alongside an incisive censure for being racist and offensive. The brand’s co-founder Stefano Gabbana poured gasoline on the ﬁre, exchanging alleged direct messages (also posted on Diet Prada) with a “Dieter” in which he said that those who were critical of the video were “stupid,” called Chinese people “ignorant” and used the poop emoji to describe the country. Gabbana claimed his account had been hacked, but soon there was a mass exodus of models and performers who’d been slated to star in the show and the whole thing was called off. A few months later, Dolce & Gabbana sued Diet Prada founders Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler, the once anonymous fashion professionals behind the account, to the tune of almost $4.5 million in damages for the brand and close to $1.5 million for Gabbana himself. Earlier this year, the total number rose to $820 million for issues

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including the restoration of its brand image, lost sales in the Asian market and the cancellation of the Shanghai show. Though the ongoing defamation suit has been called “outrageous” by Susan Scafidi, the lawyer defending Liu and Schuyler, it underscores the level of influence that one-timeoutsider account Diet Prada has achieved since it launched as an amusing way to call out copycat designs. The founders are famously cagey about their resumés and identities, but they reportedly met while working for milliner Eugenia Kim in 2010. Liu went on to run a menswear brand, while Schuyler worked at an eyewear label before launching a consulting business; the duo often shared the same runway critiques, which is what led them to launch Diet Prada in 2014. Since then, the account’s opinion on fashion, cultural appropriation and the wrongdoings of industry power players has become gospel for its 2.8 million followers, who are apt to pile up on and “cancel” those who have been featured negatively on the page. The fact that Liu and Schuyler are not employed by a brand means they can speak freely on issues that have bubbled beneath fashion’s glamorous surface for years—which has in turn effected changes. Case in point: Diet Prada’s stinger pierced even the Teflon reputations of Gucci and Prada, contributing to both announcing comprehensive diversity and inclusion changes in 2019. Liu and Schuyler’s power to cancel brands, people and products earned them the title of “Most feared Instagram account” by Business of Fashion in 2018. “There’s something about transparency that is really appealing to this new generation,” says Kimberly M. Jenkins, an assistant professor of fashion studies and the founder of the Fashion and Race Database. “What Diet Prada is doing is encouraging everyone to deputize themselves and give themselves the authority to go after someone and drag them [into the public forum].” Cancel culture has been a successful, albeit controversial, agent of change, particularly for the social-media generation, but within fashion, it seems the tide could be turning toward a different type of transformation. Bolstered by last summer’s Black Lives Matter uprising, a growing number of organizations have sought to move the needle from “cancellation” to “action.” And the success of organizations such as 15 Percent Pledge, which calls on American and Canadian retailers to commit 15 percent of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses, suggests that systemic change is best achieved through actionable commentary rather than blanket criticism. “[Call-out culture] is only powerful when you confront people with solutions or what they should’ve done and what they need to do now,” says Jenkins. Diet Prada has grown to the same level of importance as the fashion voices it aspired to challenge and has dabbled in social justice and politics with varying results. Some of its posts have been flagged by Instagram as misinformation and even removed, and some have pushed too far, like the one that slammed Gap’s collaboration with Kanye West’s line Yeezy and featured Photoshopped T-shirts emblazoned with “Slavery Was a Choice” and “MAGA”—references to one of West’s more controversial statements and his support for Donald Trump, respectively. The post received backlash in large part for its failure to highlight Mowalola Ogunlesi, the Black female designer at the helm of the collab. It could be argued that this oversight is just part of running in the social-media hamster wheel of ever-changing information, but that doesn’t account for the poor taste of the

ILLUSTRATION, JESSICA ROSE BIRD

SOCIETY

Thanks to Diet Prada’s preference for sensationalism over taking a more nuanced approach, new questions have emerged about its motives and ongoing purpose within the industry. post. It was subsequently taken down and Diet Prada issued an apology on Twitter, but the damage was done. Battles often break out in Diet Prada’s comment section that challenge its position or provide context for the issue at hand. And while Jenkins sees this as an opportunity for dialogue and learning, Liu and Schuyler rarely engage, instead moving on to the next headline. Cancelling a brand or person and then “going on their merry way is just being destructive and problematic,” says Jenkins. Thanks to Diet Prada’s preference for sensationalism over taking a more nuanced approach, new questions have emerged about its motives and ongoing purpose within the industry. “I think it’s important for fashion to be associated with social justice,” says designer Parris Gordon, one half of Beauﬁlle, a Toronto brand she and her sister, Chloé (also a designer), created. “But social media can be so reactive. Sometimes it’s better to take a beat, educate yourself and then get involved.” A few years back, Beauﬁlle was the subject of a Diet Prada post that compared it to Australian brand Ellery with the caption “Can you just admit you’re like the same thing and maybe we don’t need both?” The Gordons didn’t take offence to the post, citing their similarity to other brands as central to their success. (“That’s how buyers operate—they merchandise similar pieces together, which makes it easier for customers to understand,” she says.) But the snark in the comment section—mainly from Diet Prada itself, which added “Maybe they can both go away”—did sting. “That’s not doing anyone justice,” says

Chloé. “We’re both independent female-run brands just trying to survive and put out our vision.” As we flirt with the end of the pandemic and a possible close to this dark chapter, perhaps more positive voices will take over fashion criticism. Diet Prada has served its purpose, but it’s possible that the account’s tendency for sensationalism could keep it from moving forward. A new generation of social-media critics—including YouTuber Luke Meagher, who posts reviews under the moniker HauteLeMode, and Pierre Alexandre M’Pelé, an influencer turned editor known as “Pam Boy”—approach issues with humour, entertaining pop-culture references and gen-Z-oriented history lessons. Time will tell as to whether these voices will fill in for Diet Prada going forward or if there’s room for everyone, but at the very least, says Jenkins, “the critics should be critiqued.” ELLECANADA.COM

STYLE Bangle, Jenny Bird ($95, jenny-bird.ca) Handbag, Celine ($990, celine.com)

Top, Babaton ($58, aritzia.com)

Jacket, Dolce & Gabbana ($2, 745, farfetch.com)

Handbag, Charles & Keith ($99, charleskeith.com)

CELINE

Belt, Mango ($50, mango.com)

FRENCH FLAIR

Jeans, B Sides ($607, bsidesjeans.com)

Classic Parisian staples inspired by Celine’s Hedi Slimane.

Ring, Cuchara ($144, cuchara.ca)

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Boots, Ann Demeulemeester ($1, 240, anndemeulemeester.com)

STYLING, ESTELLE GERVAIS; PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY)

Sunglasses, Urban Outfitters ($22, urbanoutfitters.com)

STYLE

Sneakers From the basketball court to the catwalk, these sporty kicks have made their mark.

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY) & GETTY (M. JORDAN)

N FRANCE, THEY’RE CALLED “BASKETS”—a name that comes from the sport that has contributed to their ongoing fame. On our side of the Atlantic, we’ve been calling them “sneakers”—a moniker that comes from the verb “to sneak,” in honour of the shoes’ silent rubber soles—since the beginning of the 20th century. Their invention came about thanks to the vulcanization of rubber, a chemical process invented in 1839 that, by the 1860s, made it possible to produce the very first durable and flexible footwear for American croquet players. In 1916, the US Rubber Company, smelling opportunity, launched the Keds brand and started selling canvas sneakers to the masses. A year later, the famous Converse All Stars hit the market, and the brand teamed up with basketball player Chuck Taylor in 1921 to promote them. In Germany, Rudolf and Adolf (Adi) Dassler started marketing sneakers in 1924, but after a fight, the two brothers decided to split in 1948. Shortly after, Rudolf founded Puma and Adi created Adidas. The rest, as they say, is history. Running shoes, which had already enraptured rebellious youth in the 1950s, really hit the streets in the ’70s, when they were taken up by hip-hop culture. In 1986, rap group Run-DMC gave a shout-out to the company known for its three stripes in their hit “My Adidas.” (“My Adidas and me, close as can be / We make a mean team, my Adidas and me.”) The German brand had already seen resounding success with some of its flagship models: the Stan Smith, which launched in 1964 as the first leather shoe meant for the tennis court, and the Superstar, recognizable by its shell-shaped toe cap, which started popping up both on and off basketball courts after being released in 1969. Facing off against Adidas, Nike launched in 1971 and saw a meteoric rise thanks to its waffle-soled running shoes and now iconic sneakers, including Air Force 1s in 1982 and Air Jordans in 1984. The latter marked the start of a lucrative partnership with basketball player Michael Jordan, the shoe’s famous namesake—although he was fined $5,000 for breaking the league’s uniform code every time he wore them for a match.

CELINE

By MAROUCHKA FRANJULIEN

Michael Jordan

With brands offering limited editions, exclusive collections and sought-after models, the sneaker craze is still going strong 100 years after it began. Even the resale market has designs selling for astronomical prices, including a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1s that went for $693,000 in 2020 and a prototype of the first pair of Nike Air Yeezy 1s, created by Kanye West, which sold for $2.2 million earlier this year. With luxury fashion houses—like Balenciaga, Gucci, Chanel, Isabel Marant and, more recently, Celine—on board as well, the sporty shoes are now a staple of the designer wardrobe too. One thing’s for sure: Sneaker madness isn’t stepping out of the spotlight anytime soon. ELLECANADA.COM

BIRTH

Alerts The government practice of separating women from their newborns is steeped in discrimination and systemic racism, especially toward Indigenous peoples. It’s time we challenge these actions, which have done so much more harm than good.

IIGWAN* IS ALMOST TWO WEEKS

overdue, but her small bump and slender frame make it less noticeable. The pregnancy—her fifth—has been fairly uneventful, but she’s withdrawn and troubled, as if a dark cloud has hung over her for the past 42 weeks. She considered getting an abortion several times but ultimately decided to carry to term. The thought of holding her baby for the first time is enough to overcome the fear that it will be taken away minutes after being born and placed in foster care, like her four other children—none of whom she has seen or spoken to in years. Terrified of facing racial discrimination in the health-care system—which took the life of Joyce Echaquan (a 37-year-old Atikamekw mother of seven who filmed herself being insulted and mocked by hospital staff not long before she died, last September, in Joliette, Que.) and countless others—she avoided accessing prenatal care, even though the Val-d’Or hospital is just a 30-minute drive from the reserve where she

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lives. Now that she’s in labour, she can no longer avoid it and goes to the hospital to give birth. For the First Nations women in Miigwan’s Anishinaabe community of Lac Simon, Que., that 30-minute drive is nerve-racking because they know what awaits them upon arrival. The tears Miigwan sheds during delivery are not happy ones—they’re tears of despair. A birth alert has been issued. This is the controversial practice of notifying child-welfare workers about a newborn believed to be at risk of harm; it’s done without the parents’ knowledge and often results in the baby’s apprehension (removal from the care of its mother). Indigenous parents are subjected to these alerts at a far higher rate, and for the ﬁfth time, Miigwan has been ﬂagged. Expecting a social worker to arrive any minute, she holds her daughter tight, skin to skin, memorizing her gentle touch, feeling her rapid heartbeat slow to meet hers and staring into her big brown eyes. Miigwan’s daughter is about to become one of the almost 15,000 Indigenous children in Canada’s foster-care system. And despite Indigenous children accounting for only

ILLUSTRATION, MEKY OTTAWA. *NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED.

By CAMILLE CARDIN-GOYER

SOCIETY 8 percent of the country’s youth, 52 percent of children under the age of 15 in foster care are Indigenous. A closer look at Canada’s foster-care population shows that not only are Indigenous children disproportionately affected but their overrepresentation in the system continues to grow each year, to the point where there are three times as many First Nations children in state care today as there were at the height of residential-school apprehensions. This can be attributed to a number of issues, most of which stem directly from colonialism and ensuing discriminatory child-welfare practices. Canadian child-welfare services fall under the jurisdiction of provincial and territorial authorities, and although each province has different legislation regarding its interventions, the situation is alarming from coast to coast. In Quebec, the number of Indigenous children who are placed in foster care is eight times that of non-Indigenous children, and one region in particular stands out for its shockingly high number of birth alerts: Abitibi-Témiscamingue, which is home to seven Algonquin communities. For years now, Lucien Wabanonik, band councillor for the Anishinaabe Nation of Lac Simon, has been voicing the communities’ concerns and fears and working toward improving communication with the provincial government. “They won’t listen,” he says. “The voices of our people are disregarded, and, meanwhile, pregnant women prefer risking the six-hour drive to Montreal rather than giving birth right here in Val-d’Or, where they know there’s a good chance their child will be apprehended.” Canada’s present-day child-welfare approach to Indigenous youth goes back to government policies that were created to assimilate Indigenous peoples, and it’s easy to draw parallels between the displacement of Indigenous children through forced residential schooling (from 1876 to 1996), the Sixties Scoop (from the mid-’50s to well into the ’80s) and today’s birth alerts. “It’s appalling that after all those years, 2021 is when Indigenous kids in care have reached an all-time high,” says Wabanonik. “This proves that government attitudes toward Indigenous peoples have not changed one bit; systemic discrimination is embedded in the fabric of this country, and it is even apparent in the hospital care (or absence thereof) we’re getting.” In February 2020, the University of Toronto published a literature scan on the efficacy of birth alerts in ensuring the safety of children. Findings revealed that evidence-based research assessing their effectiveness is limited; meanwhile, it’s well known that the foster-care system has negative lifelong impacts on the health and well-being of children (who experience things like severe attachment and bonding issues) and families (among whom depression, anxiety, stress, pain and grief are common), particularly those in marginalized populations such as the Indigenous peoples of Canada. Coroner Eric Lepine has dealt with a number of cases of death by suicide in Nunavik, many of whom were Inuit teenagers, and more often than not his investigations highlighted great inconsistencies in the youth-protection services provided for Indigenous children. “I noticed a pattern of systemic issues affecting youth-protection interventions, such as a lack of personnel, high staff turnover and growing distrust,” he says. Only a few provinces have not yet banned birth alerts, but the practice is at least under review in all except one: Quebec.

Only a few provinces have not yet banned birth alerts, but the practice is at least under review in all except one: Quebec. In Miigwan’s community, some women are actually threatened by their assigned social worker. “They’ll literally say ‘You know I’m going to take your child, right?’” says Wabanonik. “Countless [women] have come to me asking whether they should get an abortion, because even if they follow through with their worker’s recommendations, they likely won’t get to keep their child in the end. This cycle must be broken.” A lot of the mothers who were once in youth protection now have children in youth protection, so “cycle” is a fitting term. “The Indigenous women who enter the youth-protection system [to try to get their children back] are ill-equipped to navigate it,” says Nakuset, the executive director of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal. “It’s trauma on top of trauma.” Born into a Cree community in Lac La Ronge, Sask., Nakuset was adopted by a Jewish family in Montreal as part of the Sixties Scoop. “I’ve been working here since 1999, and usually if you have a child in youth protection, they’ll automatically take the next one—they literally wait at the hospital to take that newborn,” she says. “I started noticing this trend 20 years ago. And it’s the children who suffer. It’s the mothers who suffer. It’s the people who drink themselves to death because they’re so heartbroken who suffer and the children who grow out of the system only to have their children taken away.” Nakuset and her staff have become advocates. They go above and beyond to try to curb this practice, but they’re not getting anywhere. Even if these mothers prove to youth protection that they followed the recommendations, they won’t get their children back most of the time and are still flagged in the system. “We had a woman who was under the impression that she was going to get her child back, and my staff went to the youth-protection court hearing,” says Nakuset. “The social worker had written on her file ‘This woman is a risk to her child because she is Inuk,’ so they walked up to the judge and said, ‘This is discrimination!’ I challenged youth protection following the incident, but they never gave me a clear answer as to why that was [written] there and why nobody had looked into this.” The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal has initiated several collaboration agreements with Quebec youth protection in order to push for prevention services that are informed by the experiences of Indigenous families, but none of these services have been put in place. “We have to create our own services ELLECANADA.COM

SOCIETY

“We have to send our staff to the hospital when women give birth so they can fight off social workers.” because we’re not getting anywhere, and what’s worse is that youth protection won’t even talk to us anymore,” says Nakuset. “We have to send our staff to the hospital when women give birth so they can fight off social workers.” The first call to action outlined by the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) referenced the child-welfare system and the urgent need for federal, provincial and territorial governments to reduce the number of Indigenous children in care by ensuring that social workers are properly educated about the history and impacts of residential schools so they can provide more appropriate solutions for family healing. Four years later, Quebec’s Viens Commission—a provincial inquiry—determined that the Youth Protection Act needed to be amended because it is incompatible with Indigenous traditions and culture. It also recommended that youth-protection evaluations and decisions take into account historical, social and cultural factors related to First Nations and Inuit and that the discriminatory clinical evaluation tools used by youth protection be overhauled. When the Viens Commission report came out, Quebec premier François Legault—who still refuses to acknowledge that systemic racism exists in the province—said it was clear that previous provincial governments had to bear responsibility for the poor treatment of First Nations people and Inuit. “Years ago, I asked youth protection if the TRC was a priority for them,” says Nakuset. “‘Not even on our radar’ was basically their answer.” The year before the Viens Commission recommendations came out, Nakuset and her team met with Linda See, the director of youth protection for Batshaw (the English component of Quebec youth protection), and asked if together they could try to anticipate some of the calls to action so that youth protection would be ahead of the game when the report came out. “They wouldn’t allow it,” says Nakuset. “And none of the Viens Commission’s calls to action have been applied since, so we just keep showing up. We’re knocking at their door, saying ‘We can provide services using our own resources—social workers, addiction workers, psychologists, art therapists, elders, you name it. We can train your staff. We can help.’ But they don’t want the help.”

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On January 1, 2020, federal Bill C-92—a legislation allowing Indigenous groups to ﬁnally take over their own child-welfare systems and prioritize the placement of Indigenous children with members of their extended families and communities— came into effect. But celebrations were cut short when, citing a threat to provincial jurisdiction, the Legault government immediately asked Quebec’s Court of Appeal to rule on the constitutionality of the law. “We weren’t all that surprised,” says Richard Gray, social services manager of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission. “The Legault government won’t let go of its control over us. It’s a major lack of recognition of our self-governance and self-determination—it’s a sad message they’re sending to First Nations.” Adopted by the UN in 2007, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples—which Legault won’t endorse—recognizes Indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination and reaffirms that in the exercise of their rights, they should be free of discrimination of any kind. In April 2021, another report—the Special Commission on the Rights of the Child and Youth Protection—highlighted once again the child-welfare system’s inability to adapt to Indigenous realities and urged the provincial government to favour self-determination and push for prevention services. “Can Indigenous communities take charge of their own youth protection?” asks Lepine. “Yes. What are Legault’s reservations? I don’t know, but it probably has to do with centralization and control. It’s unfortunate.” The Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services did not respond to requests for comment on the province’s plan to enact the latest commission recommendations. In the wake of C-92—and until Quebec’s Court of Appeal rules on the constitutionality of the law—some Indigenous communities in the province have managed to create their own youth-protection agencies. Mino Obigiwasin, a project Wabanonik helped launch in collaboration with the region’s government-run Integrated Health and Social Services Centre, now services four Anishinaabe communities in AbitibiTémiscamingue. “When a child is ﬂagged by youth protection, a First Nations officer handles the placement of the child, either with extended family, neighbours within the community or an Anishinaabe family in a neighbouring community—anything to prevent the child from being placed in a non-Indigenous family,” he explains. So far, the initiative is showing favourable results. “There’s a much greater understanding of and respect for our culture and values,” he adds. “We believe that the approach to family and child welfare should be more human. There’s no recrimination in our approach; it’s more supportive and comprehensive of the child’s and parents’ needs. In most cases, the solution to a child’s well-being doesn’t lie in cutting out the parents.” The court hearings for the appeal of C-92 are scheduled for September 13 in Montreal. “We’re really hoping that Quebec changes its attitude toward birth alerts,” says Gray. “Will they ban the practice altogether? Will they work out new protocols with First Nations to start supporting young mothers and their children? Things have to change. Collaboration and co-operation is all we’re asking for.”

STYLE Two looks from Monthly Payment

Monthly

PAYMENT If there’s anything ALEXANDRE FAULKNER knows intimately, it’s the world of fashion. By ERICA NGAO

PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF MONTHLY PAYMENT. PHOTOGRAPHER, MATHIEU FORTIN; PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT, JEREMY BOBROW; STYLING, JAY FOREST; HAIR & MAKEUP, LAURIE DERASP; MODELS, AYOMIKUN (ANOTHER SPECIES) & MAZIR BRUNET (FACES MGMT)

ITH MORE THAN A DECADE of industry experience under

his belt—including working for acclaimed Montrealbased designers like Marie Saint Pierre and Philippe Dubuc and doing sales for Acne Studios in Paris, followed by a stint at a modelling agency—it’s safe to say Alexandre Faulkner has seen it all. But his latest venture is entirely a making of his own. The ethos behind Monthly Payment, a tightly curated made-to-order and ready-to-wear line, is all about creating accessible luxury, he says. Since launching a year ago with savings from his previous jobs—hence the name—Faulkner has garnered a dedicated fan base for his pared-down version of a capsule wardrobe. There are fewer than a dozen styles, but that’s by design. Each timeless piece—like an oversized double-satin shirt or tapered twill stirrup trousers—is carefully thought out, from the fabric down to the seams. This model allows Faulkner to minimize waste and collaborate with his clients to create something that’s truly one-of-a-kind. “Anybody who starts something now shouldn’t even [need to] claim that it’s sustainable—it wouldn’t make sense to start a company that isn’t [sustainable] today,” he says.

Montrealers, because our aesthetic is different from the rest of Canada’s.” KNOWLEDGE IS POWER “At some point, I ended up understanding

markups and margins. That’s why I wanted to create something I could sell directly to my customers. Even though my products are expensive, I’m transparent [about the costs involved]. When people are scared of luxury, I tell them to feel the fabric and try it on to understand why it is that price. That’s something that comes with the experience of being in the fashion industry—I see things that other people won’t necessarily see, and it’s important to know why you’re buying something.”

TRUST THE PROCESS

IDENTITY CRISIS

UNIVERSAL APPEAL

“If there’s one thing that I’ve learned during the pandemic, it’s patience. I don’t mind if it takes a year to create something because now I know that anything I have in mind will happen when I put the work in. You don’t buy a Monthly Payment piece if you want to have it tomorrow morning; it’s for those who understand the process of making something that’s custom.”

“We have amazing talent in fashion programs [in Montreal], but every time someone gets their diploma, they leave. It would be great to take time to focus on our identity. What is our passion? Why are we doing this? What is our quality standard? There are so many unanswered questions. If the cycle keeps going, we’re never going to be able to have a real identity that belongs to us as

“Every sale I’ve made matters to me because I didn’t have expectations when I started the brand. I always kept in mind that I was in the middle of a pandemic. I’m queer and I’m a person of colour, but I design for everybody. I want to continue for many years, as long as people [still] want to buy. That’s the whole idea behind the brand: I want to make clothes that people want.” ELLECANADA.COM

Vaxxed in the

CITY After more than a year of fear, solitude and isolation, we might not have quite the sexual awakening everyone has been predicting. By DEVAN DÍAZ

SOCIETY

PHOTOGRAPHY, STOCKSY

We are all dealing with the nervousness of re-entry, which levels the playing field for the newly single.

T’S EARLY SUMMER, New York Pride is around the corner and I’m

heading to artist Ryan McNamara’s dance party at the East River Park Amphitheater. I’m being forced to go. I do want to, but after a year inside, it all feels like too much—too many people, too many pictures, too much fun. I take a seat upon arrival, already exhausted. People are dancing and flirting with one another, and it seems like it’s all they came here to do. This makes it easy to avoid interaction. I pull away from the crowd when I need to, using nicotine as my exit excuse. A friend sits with me at the edge of the crowd. He talks to me about movies while we keep our eyes on the moving bodies until Gwen Stefani’s “What You Waiting For?” pulls us back in. We dance until we sweat and the cool air of an early-summer cold spell feels fresh on our skin. I open up a jar of psilocybin-infused honey and lick some off my finger before passing it around. Cute strangers try to hold my gaze as I walk over to the bar to get a beer. I hesitate. Last year, during New York’s first reopening, my boyfriend and I decided to open our relationship. When things shut down again, we closed our relationship. Lately, we’ve been seeing other people again. Do I want to fuck someone tonight? No. But I wish I had the desire to. Everyone seems to be either fucking or talking about fucking. For once, I have no Fear of Missing Out (FOMO). The cover of New York Magazine’s summer issue declared the return of FOMO, but that won’t be the case for me. After staring down our collective mortality for more than a year, I will not be pressured into feeling this way. People should do what they want, whether that’s have a baby or file for divorce. Dancing for two hours exhausts my emotional bandwidth. I call a car and head home alone. A few days later, I talk about going home alone over Zoom with Berkeley Poole. She’s the creative director at Whitman Emorson, the design studio behind Jems, a new condom brand that offers a beautifully packaged contraceptive. On its website, you can find interviews covering a range of different kinds of sex, tips on asking for what you want and sex education for adults. We are all dealing with the nervousness of re-entry, which levels the playing field for the newly single. “After a year of getting to know themselves, people are now getting to learn about each other and sharing what the past year has taught them,” says Poole. Jems, unlike some other condoms, puts an emphasis on connection. ELLECANADA.COM

SOCIETY

On the streets, things feel off balance. My friend was harassed by someone who wanted to put her on a leash and take her home. It was 1 p.m.

Poole is speaking with me from her spacious home in Vancouver. The pandemic offered her the chance to leave behind the conﬁnement of Toronto city living and an old relationship. The wide-open nature of Vancouver helped her ease into her new solitude. When she felt ready for fun last fall, Poole tried dating apps for the ﬁrst time. She looks toward the immediate future with optimism. “A lot of the people I know who were excited to have a sexy summer are now looking for more than just sex,” she says. “They want to experience things at a higher vibrational level.” On the streets, things feel off balance. My friend was harassed by someone who wanted to put her on a leash and take her home. It was 1 p.m. A man grabbed my arm as I waited for the crosswalk signal to change, insisting we’d met before. Even alone, I feel no desire to actually meet up with people, but I remain active on dating apps. I procrastinate by sending pictures of my ass to strangers for quick validation. We’re all feral in our own way and reacquiring our social skills. For Montreal musician/producer Deidre Opal, life is slowly opening up again after the city was under a curfew all winter long. She has stayed off dating apps, instead focusing on deepening the friendships she had prior to the pandemic. Her world has stayed small, and now she likes it that way. “If you have emotional baggage, I’m sorry, I can’t do it,” she says. Opal isn’t seeking perfection in a potential partner, just a strong sense of self. Like everything right now, relationships 40

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are a risk. “There’s this fear [when you’re] dating as a trans woman that men will be afraid of being public,” she says. “That goes on top of mommy issues, daddy issues, insecurity—I’m over it. For now, I like keeping to myself.” During the colder months, getting in touch with herself acted as a buffer against the isolation of quarantine, and it’s helping during the frenzy of reopening. The sun is out now, and it feels like we’re waking up. In an attempt to be hopeful, I’ve hung my favourite dress on the living room wall as a reminder to drop it off at the cleaners. It’s a white off-the-shoulder wool-blend piece with black stitching and ruching along the side from Vegas Kruszewski’s spring/summer 2017 collection. When I get the Toronto-based designer on the phone, the topic of online dating and the role that apps play in exploring non-monogamy comes up again. “Last summer, my boyfriend and I were pretty horny,” he says. “We downloaded the apps and saw other people for the season. At first it felt like something to do, a physical activity, but we closed things when we went back into lockdown.” As things open up again, they are taking the time to re-evaluate where they are. Sometimes I fear that the excitement we were waiting for has already happened. Last year, during the Black Lives Matter protests, we saw the world for what it is. Everything was uncertain, and the intimacies that occurred were unplanned and cherished. Now, there’s a desperation to get back to normal, even as the difference in quality of life between the West and the rest of the world grows starker. Has it really only been a year? In April, I hosted a birthday brunch for myself. Park birthdays filled my calendar during New York’s first reopening in 2020, and this year I wanted a party of my own. The group varied in degrees of protection, mostly vaxxed. We took our risks. We drank and ate cake in the sunshine. We passed Kiki, a friend’s poodle, around like a newborn. My boyfriend, Miles, helped me cut everyone a slice of fruit tart. Some of the group ended up at my place; we ordered pizza and passed around a joint. As the sun began to set, fingers reached for phones, swiping around for evening plans. Someone decided to head to a rave; another went off to meet friends at a bar. Fernando, one of my best friends, spotted a vaccinated couple a block away on Grindr. He’d never been in a threesome, but this was going to be the night. After everyone went off, I lay down without washing my face. Miles got me ready for bed by undressing me and making me orgasm. Before falling asleep, I texted Fernando, telling him to call me with a morning report. He called me in the early afternoon. Fernando had never been interested in non-monogamy, but he found himself convinced. “I can see how it works,” he said. The couple welcomed him into their home, made him drinks and offered him a clean towel when they were done. His venture into domesticity, even an unconventional version of it, made me re-evaluate my own. After a year of intense home time, perhaps we are ready for new experiences. At the beginning of Pride Month, I give Miles his own pack of Jems.

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PROFILE

NEVER Say NEVER Meet a young Canadian actor who landed the lead role—her ﬁrst job ever—in a hit Netﬂix series.

PHOTOGRAPHY, SIMRAH FARRUKH/NETFLIX

By JOANNA FOX

ELLECANADA.COM

PROFILE

AITREYI RAMAKRISHNAN has the kind of Hollywood breakout story that you usually only see in the movies. The now 19-yearold Tamil-Canadian was in her last year of high school in her hometown of Mississauga, Ont., when a friend saw an open casting call for a young South Asian actor to play the lead in a new Netflix series. The show also happened to be created by Mindy Kaling and was inspired by her own childhood and teenage years. Knowing that this was the perfect part for her, Ramakrishnan decided to take a chance. She was told to submit a self-tape, so first she had to look up what a self-tape actually is. Then, with the help of her friend, she shot her audition in her school library and sent it off. A few more self-tapes and a couple of trips to Los Angeles later, Ramakrishnan landed the role, beating out 15,000 other hopefuls and winning the actor lottery. The prize was playing 15-year-old Devi Vishwakumar in last summer’s coming-of-age hit series Never Have I Ever, the second season of which just premiered in July. “I think acting happened by chance, because in high school I only did plays for something to do after school,” says Ramakrishnan over Zoom from her family home in Mississauga. “I wasn’t going to be on a sports team,” she adds with a laugh. Ramakrishnan plays an awkward, endearing and incredibly funny first-generation Indian-American in the series, and in real life, this confident, well-spoken young woman is even more magnetic and hilarious. It’s easy to recognize what Kaling saw in the talented teen. She has never taken an improv or acting class, yet her jokes land, her humour is smart and self-aware and her comedic timing is spot-on. When I bring this up, she smiles and nods. “You know what’s really sad?” she says. “I didn’t do anything! I watched The Office 15 times—I love Michael Scott. I literally live in a world where I think I’m as lovable as he is. That’s basically it.” This love is fitting since Kaling not only starred in The Office but was also one of its writers. Ramakrishnan was introduced to Kaling (the first famous person she’d ever met) when she was flown to L.A. to audition, and since then the two have formed a lasting friendship. “I absolutely adore Mindy,” says Ramakrishnan. “She’s one of the very few actors representing South Asians in Western media, and I am very grateful to her for being such a pioneer. Of course, she’s a sick, dope-ass boss, but she’s also a really good friend. If I ever need anything, I know I can text her.” It helps to have someone like Kaling in your corner, especially when you’re navigating a quick rise to fame with no previous experience in the industry while also representing an Indian-American teenager—a character that’s unfortunately not often portrayed in Hollywood. The reaction to Never Have I Ever has been overwhelmingly positive, with a lot of fans telling Ramakrishnan that they finally feel seen. “One of the funniest responses I got was a fan saying that every time they watch the show, they think Devi is going to leave the screen—but she’s in almost every scene,” she says. “We’re

“AT FIRST, I PUT PRESSURE ON MYSELF TO REPRESENT EVERYONE, AND THEN I REALIZED THAT I’M ONE GIRL, I’M ONE STORY—I’M ONLY 19 YEARS’ WORTH OF A STORY!”

used to Asian or South Asian minority-sidekick characters coming in for a quirky moment and then leaving.” This visibility has put a lot of pressure on the young actor, who has been trying to find her footing throughout this intense experience of being thrust into the spotlight. Luckily, Ramakrishnan has her family to support her, and she spent her summer at home with them, just like any other 19-year-old. But her life is still very far from normal. “There’s been a lot of advice and a lot of growth,” she says. “At first, I put pressure on myself to represent everyone, and then I realized that I’m one girl, I’m one story—I’m only 19 years’ worth of a story! How can I represent everyone? That was a big breakthrough moment for me.” Part of the appeal of the series—and one of the reasons it has garnered so much praise—is that the characters are so relatable. Even though the show is about the life of a teenager, Devi’s experiences are universal. The awkwardness, the crushes, the embarrassment and all those cringe-worthy moments can be appreciated by everyone. Plus, it’s incredibly funny and narrated by John McEnroe, who plays himself and doesn’t hold back with his opinions on the characters’ actions. “To call this a YA [young adult] show does it a disservice,” says Ramakrishnan. “The fan base is not just a younger audience—it’s all across the board. Mindy and the team do a great job of writing believable moments. You feel yourself there. You’re not cringing at Devi—you’re cringing with her because you’ve been there.” With season two of Never Have I Ever under her belt and hopes for a season three, Ramakrishnan is gearing up for her first big-screen role, playing Lizzie Bennet in Netflix’s The Netherfield Girls, a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. But until then, she’s just looking forward to being able to do what she enjoys in life again, which right now means two things: “Amusement parks and dance parties,” she says with a smile. ELLECANADA.COM

FILM

In her latest role, JODIE COMER takes on an action-packed video-gaming world.

By JOANNA FOX

ODIE COMER is the first to admit that she’s not a gamer. “I just hold the console and run my fingers over everything to see what happens,” she says with a laugh over Zoom. So her latest part, opposite Ryan Reynolds in Free Guy, was a bit of a learning curve for the British actor, who’s best known for her Emmy Awardwinning performance in Killing Eve. The movie is centred on Guy (Reynolds), a non-player character in an open-world video game who decides to take on a new role in an attempt to save his virtual world. This self-referential action comedy takes place in both the real world and a video-gaming one, and Comer plays Millie, a gamer, and Molotov Girl, Millie’s avatar in the game. With its impressive special effects, Reynolds’ boyish charm, Taika Waititi’s priceless villain performance and Comer kicking some serious ass, Free Guy is laugh-out-loud funny and offers thoughtful insight into the gaming world and its community. We spoke with Comer ahead of the film’s August 13 release about what drew her to the role, being part of such a huge production and her two characters.

ON BEING DRAWN TO THIS PROJECT

“I think it was a few things. The script felt very fresh and was like nothing I had read before, with the real world being so intertwined with the video game. When I watch movies [of the genre], they’re either in the video game or in reality, but this was a merging of the two. And it made me laugh—it’s an action comedy,

but it’s also a romcom, and it has so much heart at the centre of it.” ON HER FIRST LEADING ROLE IN A FILM

“I was absolutely terrified. I think a lot of that came from my own insecurity. Having predominantly done television before, I spent a lot of years looking at what other people were doing and

ON BEING ON-SET “There was no

stress or ego—everyone was coming at this with love and just having fun and enjoying it. I think you can’t go wrong when you come into a project with that attitude. And let’s be honest: Ryan is hilarious.” ON PLAYING TWO CHARACTERS

“It was so important that the characters felt true and that it was clear that Molotov Girl was a creation of Millie’s. The most challenging part was probably the physicality, because the moment someone tells me to be cool, my body literally stiffens up. The thing with videogame characters is that it’s so much about how they move and react, so I worked a lot with the stunt team.” ON THE FILM’S UNIVERSALITY

“It celebrates the gaming world, but anybody can watch this. You don’t have to be well versed in or enjoy video games to enjoy this film, which is done so perfectly. I definitely have a newfound appreciation for the detail that goes into these games.”

GAME ON

thinking maybe I wasn’t a film actor. Then I got this opportunity. I thought it was going to be so different from television, but then I realized that the people are the same and the way you prepare is the same—it’s just on a much grander scale.”

DEBUT

No Holding Back Chances are you’ve seen comedian PATTI HARRISON before and she has made you laugh—hard.

ATTI HARRISON is not afraid to tell you what she really

thinks—a trait that even got her banned from Twitter. The American comedian, writer and actor has built her entire career on speaking her mind and bringing a wildly creative, fresh and raunchy perspective to her comedy—often delivered in a deadpan style—which she describes as “torture porn.” She’s had small parts in some of the most critically acclaimed shows on television, including High Maintenance, Broad City and Search Party, but her big breakout moment was in 2017, when Jimmy Fallon invited her to appear on The Tonight Show after Trump announced a ban on trans people in the military. Being a trans woman of colour, this was game on for Harrison. “I was shocked because I assumed he had already done that,” she said in her bit. The performance went viral, and from there the Orient, Ohio, native began to land more acting gigs, including a scene-stealing role in Hulu’s Shrill—starring Saturday Night Live’s Aidy Bryant—which Harrison says was a dream job. More recently, she made her big-screen debut in a lead role alongside Ed Helms in the highly praised dramedy Together Together, released earlier this year, about becoming the gestational surrogate for a single man in his 40s. We chatted with Harrison about her hometown, her big break and being trans in the biz.

TEXT, JOANNA FOX; PHOTOGRAPHY, ALEXA VISCIUS (P. HARRISON) & ALLYSON RIGGS/HULU (SHRILL)

GROWING UP “Orient, Ohio, is great! We’re known for our prison.

The moment I realized I should leave is that we are known for our prison.” CAREER BREAK “I’ve been lucky enough to have had a lot of moments when I shit myself with graceful gratitude and amazement. I think on paper, the biggest was my first Tonight Show appearance. But the first time I actually felt like a grown-up working in the entertainment industry was when I got hired at the horrible sketch website seriously.tv. Our office was right across the street from 30 Rockefeller Plaza, so the view was blowing my brains out my ass every day. Also, my mom cried on the phone when she found out I was eligible for health insurance through work. But they laid me off the week before I could apply [for it]. Laugh out loud.” STARRING ROLE “[Together Together] was different from anything I’d been approached to do before. The script was great; it was funny but very grounded. The idea of working with Ed [Helms] made me fill my fan diaper with excited crap! And when I met [writer and director] Nikole [Beckwith] for the first time, she was so cool and we clicked.” INDUSTRY ADVICE “Every trans baby’s experience is so different. All I can really attest to is what has worked for me: I just keep my

From top: Patti Harrison; a scene from Shrill; theatrical poster for Together Together

eye on what I want to do versus what other people want me to do. I’ve done some jobs here and there solely to pay my rent—there’s no shame in working to support yourself! Also, don’t feel bad about saying no to bad projects. I know it sucks for trans actors because there are so few roles available, but I’d say the thing that helped me get out of my own box was saying no to what really sucked and keeping in mind the projects I liked. It was scary at times because the opportunities seemed scarce, but better things eventually came along. I think some of it is luck and a lot of it is persistence.” ELLECANADA.COM

ONLINE

Get the

LOWDOWN

BEAUTY THE NAIL TRENDS THAT WILL HELP YOU TRANSITION FROM HOT SUMMER HUES TO COOL FALL COLOURS.

HOROSCOPE GET SOME COSMIC TIPS ON NAVIGATING VALENTINO

YOUR LOVE LIFE, RELATIONSHIPS AND CAREER FOR THE MONTH AHEAD.

NEWSLETTER BIWEEKLY BRIEFS ON FASHION,

you’ll want to wear this season.

ellecanada.com

BEAUTY AND CULTURE. PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY)

FALL FASHION The trends—from bright hues to big coats—

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE

beauty

TRENDS Fall/Winter 2021/2022

Here are the top beauty trends that made their way onto the runways in New York, London, Milan and Paris. By THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU

BLACK LIVES MATTER

TOD’S

1. Kérastase Reflection Fluide Chromatique Riche Hair Treatment ($57, kerastase.ca). 2. Revlon Professional 3 in 1 Cream Nutri Color Filters in 740 Light Copper ($37, tradesecrets.ca).

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY)

MARINE SERRE

ISABEL MARANT

MAZARINE

Colour Statement

BRASCHI

CHLOÉ

KIMHEKIM

BUDAPEST SELECT

BLACK LIVES MATTER CHANEL MARINE SERRE

Hair on the runways was everything from bright red to warm brown to golden blond this season. Keep up by adding copper highlights for a multi-dimensional effect or by going for glossy full-tone colour. If you’re dreaming of hair like Jessica Chastain’s, Amy Adams’ or Rianne Van Rompaey’s, be aware that you’re signing up for a lot of upkeep, says David D’Amours, owner of Privé Par David D’Amours in Montreal and Kérastase’s Canadian editorial director. “You’re definitely going to need products that are specially adapted for coloured hair and keep hair fibres from fading, but you’ll also need to plan trips back to the hairdresser every four to six weeks for touch-ups or to refresh your highlights with a semi-permanent gloss.”

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1. 1. Pixi EyeLift Max Liquid Shadow in Olive ($14, shop.shoppersdrugmart.ca). 2. Chanel Stylo Ombre et Contour in Contour Graphite ($41, chanel.com). 3. L’Oréal Paris Colorqueen Oil Eyeshadow in Determination ($11, shop.lorealparis.ca).

BUDAPEST SELECT

ELISABETTA FRANCHI

AMI

BRASCHI

BEAUTY

ETRO

MAX MARA

GCDS

EXTREME SMOKE

ELISABETTA FRANCHI

MARTIN GRANT

FOREVER FRINGE

Smoky eyes shouldn’t require incredible skill to create. “It’s supposed to be a bit rock ’n’ roll and without defined lines,” explains Jodi Urichuk, makeup artist for L’Oréal Paris. Whether you’re drawn to natural tones or a darker, edgier look, spread a cream eyeshadow over the entire eyelid with the help of a small dense brush, says Urichuk, and don’t be afraid to go a little heavy with it. The final touch? A bit of mascara—or none at all.

Straight and fine or parted and full, bangs are coming in at eyelash level in a style that’s totally ’70s. For anyone who’s hesitating to make the leap, now’s the time, says D’Amours. “Cast off the shackles that say certain cuts are only for certain types of faces. I want us to live in an era of liberated hair where we abolish that outdated school of thought!” For bangs with body and movement, the expert suggests drying them from behind with a mini round brush. (Don’t forget to use a heat protector!) And if they fall flat in the next day or so, just refresh them with dry shampoo; lift the bangs upwards and apply at the roots.

ELISABETTA FRANCHI

ISABEL MARANT

COURRÈGES

1. Joico Heat Hero Glossing Thermal Protector ($25, joico.ca). 2. Schwarzkopf Professional OSiS+ Dust It Mattifying Powder ($23.50, chatters.ca). 3. Moroccanoil Ceramic Brush 25 mm ($32, sephora.ca).

ELLECANADA.COM

BEAUTY 1. Maybelline New York SuperStay Ink Crayon in Lead the Way ($9.50, maybelline.ca). 2. Maybelline New York Color Sensational Shaping Lip Liner in Beige Babe ($9, maybelline.ca). 3. Buxom Power Line Plumping Lip Liner in Dangerous Dolly ($25, sephora.ca).

FLLUMAÉ

PENCIL THIN Yes, pencil-lined lips are back. How they differ from their predecessors, according to Grace Lee, lead makeup artist for Maybelline New York, is that “in the 1990s, lipliners created a pretty noticeable contrast with lipstick that was often too pale. I call that ‘the Oreo mouth’! Now, the liner and lipstick melt into each other in a much more harmonious way.” Apply your lipstick first, and then use a lipliner that’s a slightly darker shade to avoid an obvious separation.

ETRO

SCHIAPARELLI

SIMONE ROCHA

BORA AKSU

FENDI

CELINE

BRAIDED FEATS From French braids and cornrows to fishtails and bubbles, plaits were everywhere. Braids at Simone Rocha were works of art, reminiscent of styles by hair artist Laetitia Ky (@laetitiaky on Instagram).

GCDS

ELLECANADA.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY)

CHRISTIAN DIOR

BEAUTY

1. GCDS

BRASCHI

MARINE SERRE

GIORGIO ARMANI

1. Kérastase Curl Manifesto Refresh Absolu Hair Spray ($49, kerastase.ca). 2. Aveda Nutriplenish Curl Gelée ($47, aveda.ca). 3. T3 BodyWaver 1.75” Professional Ceramic Styling Iron ($200, sephora.ca).

SWEET WAVES

MARCO RAMBALDI

Gorgeous light, silky waves showed up on the catwalks of Max Mara, Celine and Braschi, which is timely since a lot of women have (re)discovered their hair’s natural body after eschewing flatirons and blow-dryers during lockdown. “You can revive your waves by spraying them with a fine mist of water or texturizing spray that will give them back their shine and vigour,” says D’Amours. If you want some help boosting that body, he recommends using a 4.5-centimetre-diameter curling iron (not too hot!) to avoid a stiff effect and says not to be afraid to gently brush your hair afterwards to get that coveted wispy look.

Precious Pearls

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

LAURA BIAGIOTTI

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Having long adorned our necks and dangled from our earlobes, pearls are now making their way into our hair, as seen at Laura Biagiotti, Mashama and Giambattista Valli. To add pearls to your own ’do, follow the advice of hairstylist Yannick Brisebois, co-owner of Salon U Boutique outside of Montreal and brand ambassador for La Biosthétique Paris. “The bigger the better!” he says. “Fichu pins, barrettes, headbands, ostentatious crowns—try them all for a ‘wow’ effect.”

1. Tasha Crystal Jaw Clip ($30, nordstrom.ca). 2. Pearly Elastic ($9, simons.ca). 3. Gucci Gold Pearl Double G Hair Slide ($520, ssense.com).

ELLECANADA.COM

LAURA BIAGIOTTI

BUDAPEST SELECT

FLYING SOLO

SUKAZ

FLAPPER

CHRISTIAN DIOR

MARKARIAN

ELISABETTA FRANCHI

BUDAPEST SELECT

Pretty Ponies

JONATHAN SIMKHAI

MARKARIAN

1. Redken Oil for All ($33, industriacoiffure.ca). 2. La Biosthétique Paris Volumiser ($35, labiosthetique.ca). 3. Beauties Lab Scrunchie ($15, beautieslab.co).

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY) PHOTOS:

BALMAIN

Chic, practical and easy to do, low ponytails and buns were all over the runways. Brisebois’ trick? “Always apply a mousse or gel before knotting the hair at the nape of the neck,” he says. “It adds body and optimizes hold.” Want a little something extra? Wrap a section of hair, a ribbon or a scrunchie around the elastic, or decorate the base of your bun with a jewelled clip.

BEAUTY AMI

COPERNI

PORTS 1961

1. Oribe Gel Serum ($78, holtrenfrew.com). 2. Biolage Volumizing Whipped Mousse ($24, chatters.ca). 3. Kérastase Soleil Huile Sirene Hair Oil Mist ($49, kerastase.ca). FENDI

TIMELESS WET LOOK There’s a reason the wet look finds its way back onto the runway season after season. “This hairstyle is chic and adds strength, poise and a touch of modernity to the simplest outfits,” says D’Amours. The celebrity hairstylist recalls a scene in the film True Lies where Jamie Lee Curtis turns herself into a sultry bombshell by improvising a wet look with the help of some water from a nearby vase. “It was at that moment that I understood the power of that hairstyle—in three seconds, it elevates a look and adds an element of timelessness and haute couture,” he says. To reproduce it at home, apply a gel-cream, oil or mousse, according to your hair type. Then all that’s left is to accessorize with earrings or a statement necklace.

ASIAN FASHION COLLECTIVE

ISABEL MARANT

ELISABETTA FRANCHI

SNOW QUEEN

1. 1. Maybelline New York EyeStudio ColorTattoo 24H Cream Gel Eye Shadow in Silver Strike ($9, maybelline.ca). 2. Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick in McMenamy ($50, sephora.ca). 3. NARS PowerChrome Loose Eye Pigment in Castaway ($37, narscosmetics.ca).

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

COPERNI

Whether softly frosted at Mark Fast, ultra-graphic at Maison Laponte or straight-up bejewelled at Coperni, eyelids coated in metallic sparkles were white-hot this season. “Rely on your jewellery to choose the shade that suits you best,” says Lee. “If you tend to wear silver accessories, go with silver or frosted shadows. If you’re more into gold, go with eyeshadow shades with golden or yellow undertones.” Or try a full-on 1990s Drew Barrymore look—also ultra-fashionable right now—and finish with a couple of swipes of rich burgundy lipstick.

MARCO RAMBALDI

ELLECANADA.COM

BEAUTY

AMI

VIVIENNE HU

ERDEM

ESTER MANAS

JENNY PACKHAM

1. Guerlain Rouge G Velvet Lipstick in 214 Flame Red and Guerlain Black Velvet Case ($41 and $45, guerlain.com). 2. L’Oréal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum ($26, lorealparis.ca). 3. Annabelle Kohl Eyeliner in Black ($6, annabelle.com).

Red-Hot Lips DANIEL DEL CORE

This season, ultra-pigmented creamy-red lips are stealing the show. “Coating your lips in a bright red is like putting on a pencil skirt that makes you look amazing,” says Urichuk. “Your posture changes, and you emanate confidence!” All you need to complete the look, she adds, is “unified and luminous skin and a thin line of eyeliner or, if you prefer a modern effect, eyes that are completely makeup-free.”

CELINE

COPERNI

XL Length

If you dream about Rapunzelesque hair that’s as long, dense and shiny as what was seen on the Armani Privé, Coperni, Etro and Chanel runways, have a seat in your hairdresser’s chair and ask for invisible layers. “They add dimension and movement,” says Brisebois. If your dream length is still a long way off, he suggests adding hair-growth-promoting vitamins—including vitamin B8 (also called “biotin”), vitamin A, omegas 3 and 6 and iron—to your beauty regimen. 1. Sisley Paris Restructuring Nourishing Balm for Hair Lengths and Ends ($160, holtrenfrew.com). 2. L’Oréal Professionnel Série Expert Pro Longer Concentrate ($15, matandmax.com). 3. René Furterer Vitalfan Reactive Hairloss ($42 for 30 capsules, matandmax.com).

ELLECANADA.COM

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY)

BEAUTY

The best way to get reacquainted with makeup is the monochromatic “soft glam” makeover, which suits every skin tone and level of expertise. “I like to blend a bit of the I Explore shade of Rouge Signature from L’Oréal Paris with my fingertips onto my lips, eyelids and cheekbones,” says Urichuk. She suggests completing the look with a taupe, chestnut or chocolate-brown shadow liner along the lash line and a swipe of lipgloss. It’s as simple as it is sublime!

LAURA BIAGIOTTI

MARKARIAN

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

Monochromatic Softness

1. L’Oréal Paris Rouge Signature Matte Lipstick in I Explore ($14, lorealparis.ca). 2. Beautycounter Lid Glow Cream Shadow in Haze ($30, beautycounter.com). 3. Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Eyeshadow in Walk of No Shame ($36, charlottetilbury.com).

COURRÈGES

ASIAN FASHION COLLECTIVE

CHRISTIAN DIOR

THEBE MAGUGU

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

COURRÈGES

1. Morphe M165 Angle Liner/Brow Brush ($6, sephora.ca). 2. Maybelline New York Color Sensational The Buffs Lip Color in Bare All ($10, maybelline.ca). 3. Maybelline New York EyeStudio Lasting Drama Gel Liner in Blackest Black ($12, maybelline.ca).

STRONG LINES It’s hard to resist the avant-garde-meets-classic eye makeup spotted on the runways at Christian Dior, Erdem and Courrèges. The key to recreating these looks at home? Practice! “You can draw the shape you want with a brown or grey pencil before covering it with pigment-rich ebony eyeliner,” says Lee. “Most importantly, keep a cotton swab handy to clean up any mess.” The pro also suggests finishing the look with a simple nude lipstick.

3. ELLECANADA.COM

BEAUTY

Makeup by Marika D’Auteuil (@lapetitevengeance on Instagram)

Creative Disobedience When makeup deﬁes the rules. By ELISABETH MASSICOLLI

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BEAUTY

HE MOST EXPLOSIVE MAKEUP looks were once

reserved for fashion spreads and runways, but for a while now, they’ve been making their way into real life, on both the streets and social media. This new way of adorning the face—without adhering to rules or gender norms and far from the beauty-world “standard”—is sparking a lot of conversations, but, more importantly, it’s allowing makeup artists (pros and amateurs alike) to push their creativity to the max. From rhinestones, decals, neon-coloured eyeliners and works of art painted on cheeks, eyelids and the tips of noses to the use of multicoloured eyeshadow all over the face, people are doing anything they want with makeup, turning it into a creative tool limited by nothing but their own abilities. On Instagram and TikTok, on city streets and even at neighbourhood parks, quirky and unconventional looks are on the rise—so much so that we’re seeing products once reserved for the pros showing up on everyone. “When I started wearing makeup, I had to go to niche professional brands to find intense colours, neons, glitters and other more creative products,” says Montreal makeup artist Marika D’Auteuil (@lapetitevengeance on Instagram). “Now, most brands offer a wide range of products, for both natural looks and more adventurous ones. Anyone can get their hands on these products without breaking the bank, making it easier for young people and beauty enthusiasts to experiment with makeup.” These beauty styles are particularly prevalent on TikTok, of which the majority of users are gen-Zers. Is it just a generational trend, then? Yes and no, says Danessa Myricks (@danessa_myricks on Instagram), a multi-talented makeup artist and founder of international brand Danessa Myricks Beauty. “The younger generation is fearless—they live in the present moment and are very open to experimenting,” she explains. “Gen Z is a constant source of inspiration because there’s no limit to how they rethink the use of makeup. But it should be said that they’re not the first ones to do it.” Myricks believes that this kind of beauty subculture has been around for a while; it was just never recognized or portrayed in the media. Even if it seems like adolescents and young adults are driving the trend, it might not be that simple. “Lots of people have been looking for this freedom for a long time,” she adds. “I don’t know if it’s because of the political climate, the influence of music or the

Poppy Ella (@poppyellah on Instagram and TikTok) likes makeup looks that embrace colour and creativity.

“I don’t know if it’s because of the political climate, the inﬂuence of music or the ability to easily share our work, but I think that people have become more conﬁdent in how they express their creativity.”

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BEAUTY

“This way of seeing makeup as fantasy—not just as something practical for hiding a few wrinkles or imperfections—is refreshing.”

Wendy Asumadu (@wendysworld_xox on Instagram and TikTok) is inspired by her Ghanaian cultural heritage for her many beauty looks.

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ability to easily share our work, but I think that people have become more conﬁdent in how they express their creativity. That’s why we have the impression of seeing this kind of makeup everywhere.” According to Myricks, the rules are less set in stone now because consumers understand that these rules are invented by an industry that’s trying to make them feel insecure in order to sell them products. “The big industry players have to make consumers feel like there’s a need, so they put people in little boxes where all the factors are predetermined,” she says. “And it’s hard to get out of those boxes because these people are speaking really loudly, with millions of dollars of marketing behind them.” Fortunately, in recent years she has seen a widespread rebellion among beautistas who refuse to be led by arbitrary rules put in place purely for proﬁt. Poppy Ella (@poppyellah on Instagram and TikTok) agrees. The 20-year-old British makeup artist and TikTok star shares her fantastical looks with her 38,000 followers. “At 14, I was conforming to the standard pretty looks you’d see on Instagram out of fear of deviating from social conventions,” she says. “It took a little time and some experimentation, but today I feel as if I can do anything I want—it’s more about being creative and showing my talent than conforming to society’s beauty norms.” “I think social media is a great way to showcase individuality,” says Wendy Asumadu (@wendysworld_xox on Instagram and TikTok), a makeup artist and content creator whose beauty styling is rooted in her Ghanaian cultural heritage. “More and more people are embracing bright colours and designs as an everyday look—and not just for dramatic effect. I think when we see other people wearing these editorial looks, it inspires us and gives us the courage we need to live up to our own creativity.” With editorial makeup, it’s often not about trying to enhance your features like you would with a traditional look, creating doe eyes, pouting lips, pronounced cheekbones and sculpted eyebrows. “What we call ‘editorial makeup’ can be pretty broad: graphic winged eyeliner, neon eyelids or, in extreme cases, a fully painted face,” says Mi-Anne Chan (@mianne.chan on Instagram and TikTok), a beauty journalist and the director of creative development at Teen Vogue, Them and Love magazines. Is this new way of playing with makeup part of the ongoing conversation about body positivity and

BEAUTY

self-acceptance? “I think it is connected to self-love and self-conﬁdence,” says Chan. “The vast array of options allows you to accessorize your face the same way you’d accessorize clothing, simply because it makes you feel good. This way of seeing makeup as fantasy—not just as something practical for hiding a few wrinkles or imperfections—is refreshing.” Did the lockdowns and long periods of isolation have something to do with the explosion of unconventional beauty looks? Ella thinks they played a part. “During the pandemic, people had so much time on their hands and the resources to get inspired and learn through tutorials,” she says. “Plus, since they were at home, there was nobody there to judge them.” Now, as we move toward reopening, many people are sticking to the beauty habits that brought them a little joy when the crisis was at its worst. “Death and loss have been at the centre of our lives for months,” says Myricks. “I think a lot of people were like ‘You know what? I’m going to live now, live for myself, because I don’t know if I’ll be here tomorrow.’ And colourful, bright makeup is a way to add happiness and colour to a dark, conﬁned moment in our lives and feel free. I think the pandemic pushed the beauty industry forward 10 years in a few months and these new ways are here to stay.” Despite this moment of heightened beauty, the importance of queer and drag culture in democratizing makeup application shouldn’t be forgotten, says Ella. “It’s still not safe to wear whatever kind of makeup you want in certain situations, especially if you’re male, trans or non-binary,” she explains. “It’s a privilege to be able to express yourself however you want through makeup, through art.” One of the ways to continue to democratize this trend is to let go of our old ways of thinking, dust off our creativity and use our faces as the prettiest canvases available.

Makeup by Danessa Myricks (@danessa_myricks on Instagram)

1. NYX Professional Makeup Epic Wear Flash Metals Liquid Liner in Fuchsia Metal ($13, nyxcosmetics.ca). 2. Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix Neon Lip, Cheek, Eye Color in UFO ($23, danessamyricksbeauty.com). 3. Ucanbe Makeup Athena Face and Body Painting Palette ($38, ucanbemakeup.com). 4. Rimmel London Wonder’Cloud All-Day Wear Soft Shadow in Cool Mint ($11, shop.shoppersdrugmart.ca). 5. Glisten Cosmetics Split Liner in Blue Heaven ($15, glistencosmetics.com).

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X GARNIER

FOR

E EA RT

The FUTURE of BEAUTY Is in INGREDIENT TRACEABILITY

ELL

Transparency takes centre stage in GARNIER’s commitment to a more sustainable future.

In addition, together with beekeeping experts from organic-certiﬁcation organization Ecocert, Garnier has co-designed a Sustainable Beekeeping Standard to further encourage beekeepers to foster stewardship by supporting local biodiversity and maintaining healthy, robust bee colonies. And that’s not all: The brand has also partnered with nonproﬁt organization the Bee Conservancy to develop the Sponsor-a-Hive program, which continuously provides support and education to community groups, schools and gardens to help combat the declining population of nature’s hardest-working provider of beauty: the mighty bee.

From left: Whole Blends Honey Treasures Repairing Shampoo, Conditioner and Mask and Whole Blends Sulfate Free Remedy Honey Treasures Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner, at garnier.ca

Since 1989, Garnier has been committed to working toward a world without animal testing. Now we celebrate the brand being officially approved by Cruelty Free International under the Leaping Bunny Programme. This means that the entire supply chain, from ingredients to raw materials, is certified cruelty-free.

PHOTOGRAPHY, STOCKSY

hen it comes to building a greener beauty routine, it has become second nature for many of us to look at what’s missing from the ingredients list. Eco-minded beauty brands have done away with potential irritants—think parabens, phthalates, dyes—in favour of better-for-you ingredients. And while awareness of what’s not included in our products is of utmost importance, beauty brand Garnier is making a push for greater accountability by being transparent about the ingredients that make its products shine and sourcing them responsibly. Take, for instance, Garnier’s Whole Blends Honey Treasures collection, which is officially approved by Cruelty Free International under the Leaping Bunny Programme. The collection relies on some of nature’s most protective substances—acacia honey and beeswax—to restore hair while defending against damage and breakage. Acacia honey, known for its antioxidant effects and intensely nourishing properties, is sustainably sourced from Hungary’s abundant acacia forests via traditional beekeeping methods. Garnier’s goal? To continuously maintain respectful beekeeping practices, promote biodiversity and ensure fair compensation and safe work environments for its beekeeping partners. Meanwhile, beeswax, which naturally locks in moisture for soft locks, is sourced from West African countries such as Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Togo, Benin and Mali. Through its “Bees of Africa” Solidarity Sourcing initiative, Garnier has aided 10,000 West African beekeepers in responsibly collecting precious beeswax, organized networks of local craftsmen who provide essential beekeeping supplies and set fair prices for harvesters. In Burkina Faso, this special project also enables shea-butter collectors to diversify their revenue streams, which helps ﬁght poverty while also aiding in the preservation of shea trees through natural pollination methods.

BEAUTY ANAD

HOP

First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub ($36, sephora.ca)

Calyx Wellness Smooth+ CBD Lotion ($99, calyxwellness.co)

ANAD

HOP

Apprenti Ôr’ganik Geranium Hand and Body Wash ($28, apprentiorganik.com)

From a young Vancouver brand we love, this hydrating silky cream contains kelp and spruce and is housed in an eco-friendly cobalt-blue glass bottle. Even better? Refills are available and come in a compostable pouch.

ANAD

KÓv Moisturizing Lotion ($46 and $39 for the refill, kovskincare.com)

HOP

When applied to damp skin, this AHA-based exfoliant works wonders on skin keratoses and helps prevent ingrown hairs.

Massage a little of this CBD-infused cream into your skin to relieve muscle pain, soothe dry and itchy skin, reduce joint inflammation and ease menstrual cramps.

This hemp-seedoil-based formula leaves skin clean and hydrated and has a floral and herbaceous scent that captivates the senses. Bonus: The bottle is made of wheat-strawbased plastic and is completely compostable.

BODY LOVE

As compact as it is powerful, this mini massager relieves tension and loosens muscles anywhere, anytime! Therabody Theragun Mini ($250, therabody.com)

With its multiple settings, this ingenious light-therapy device combines 148 red LED lights and 68 blue ones to help fight body acne, stimulate collagen production and relieve muscle and joint pain. Plus, it easily accommodates creases and curves. Dr Dennis Gross SpectraLite BodyWare Pro ($555, sephora.ca)

By THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU

ANAD

Produced in small batches on Bowen Island, B.C., this luxurious serum contains precious flower and plant extracts to tone and invigorate skin while leaving a delicate scent. Sangre de Fruta Mille Fleurs Botanical Body Serum ($154, sangredefruta.com)

With a base formula containing lipopeptides and other cutting-edge firming extracts, this cream activates microcirculation, firms skin and improves elasticity. Apply it using an upward motion for extra effectiveness. Biologique Recherche Crème Matricielle Firming Body Cream ($109, livingbeautyinc.com)

Since a healthy body is also about pleasure, we had to include this versatile vibrator, which can be used on the erogenous zone of your choice. Hello, bliss! We-Vibe Touch X ($129, we-vibe.com)

PHOTOGRAPHY, STOCKSY (MODEL)

HOP

It’s time to pamper our bodies with some exfoliation, massaging and hydration courtesy of a range of beauty products with head-to-toe beneﬁts.

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PHOTOGRAPHY, SØLVE SUNDSBØ FOR L’ORÉAL PARIS

BEAUTY

KEEPING It REAL After years of brilliant performances in numerous ﬁlms and TV series, KATE WINSLET is still conquering our hearts, most recently in HBO’s Mare of Easttown. We caught up with the talented actor to talk beauty—in every sense of the word—and the importance of fair representation of women onscreen. By THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU

changing, we, as women, are too hard on ourselves. Sometimes we even expect too much of our faces and bodies. Learning to say to yourself ‘It’s okay—I’m good with this today, and I don’t have to be the best version of myself that I can possibly be’ and knowing that that’s okay is a very important thing. So go easy on yourself, and just be grateful for what you have and who you are.” How does this vision of beauty apply to Winslet’s new role as an ambassador for L’Oréal Paris? “I feel enormously privileged to lend my voice to the already very powerful voices of the other ambassadors,” she says. “L’Oréal means a lot to women because the products are far-reaching and accessible. I love that, because beauty [products] and skincare should not be unaffordable, elitist things.” Her own relationship with beauty has also evolved over the years. “When you’re in your 20s, beauty is how you care for your face and what you apply to it. To me now, beauty is about being a strong person, living life authentically, supporting others and standing up for your sisters, friends and colleagues.”

ATE WINSLET wowed us in the excep-

tional series Mare of Easttown, in which she plays Mare Sheehan, a small-town-Pennsylvania detective navigating a bumpy personal life and the difficult investigations she leads. While the English actor—and new face of L’Oréal Paris—delivers an incredible performance, Winslet believes that it’s Mare’s authenticity that makes her so interesting. “I think that the world wants to see a more realistic version of women onscreen,” she says. “I’m constantly trying to play all my characters so that they feel as accessible as possible to female audiences.” Winslet also demonstrates a deep desire to accurately represent women over 40 by refusing to cut scenes in which her body is shown in less-than-ﬂattering light and by vetoing a second round of touch-ups to erase wrinkles around her eyes on a promo poster. She applauds this same conviction in other actors, including Dame Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon, Meryl Streep and Dame Judi Dench. “I admire the actresses who look exactly their age and are doing an excellent job and inspiring younger generations through their brilliant performances and the incredible committed work they do,” says Winslet. “You look at someone like Frances McDormand and you see a beautiful natural face that moves, that has life in it. It just goes to show that to be successful in Hollywood and tell stories, you don’t have to alter yourself to look this certain, ridiculously unattainable way that is a mythical version of perfection.” In every role and public appearance, the Oscar-winning actor’s desire to lighten the load of the beauty ideals and social pressures that women carry is evident. “The best advice I’ve been given over the years is ‘Make the best of what you’ve got, and don’t beat yourself down,’” she says. “Even though times are

HER ESSENTIALS

“I use this serum at night; it’s incredibly hydrating, and it absorbs quickly, so it doesn’t cling to the skin. It makes your skin smooth and even.” L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Serum ($48, lorealparis.ca)

“I love this cream. It’s very moisturizing and not sticky at all. Makeup goes on over it really nicely.” L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Day Cream Moisturizer ($41, lorealparis.ca)

WHAT SHE’S WATCHING

“I don’t normally sit down and watch TV, so that was new for me during the pandemic. I was allowed to indulge in some great television that I felt like I had missed when it came out. My family and I loved the fantastic French series Call My Agent and, more recently, Unorthodox. The lead actress [Shira Haas] is brilliant, and I found it educational because I knew very little about the Hasidic Jewish community and their lives and rituals and beliefs. I found it really compelling and very moving.”

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IED &

TESTE

X GUERLAIN

The Luxe Lipstick That’s Sure to Give You a FrenchStyle Boost D

Its highly pigmented matte colour and weightless feel make GUERLAIN Rouge G Luxurious Velvet lipstick Ingrie Williams’ fave fall accessory.

EAUTY COLLABORATOR INGRIE WILLIAMS KNOWS A RED LIP IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT ANSWER. KNOWN FOR HER BEAUTY EXPERTISE IN DIGITAL AND PRINT MEDIA, SHE OFTEN CALLS ON THE UPLIFTING POWER OF A BOLD SCARLET LIP COLOUR. HERE, SHE TEST-DRIVES GUERLAIN’S NEW LINE OF INTENSELY HUED LIPSTICKS (THERE ARE 15 IN TOTAL!) AND SHARES HER TAKE ON THE COLLECTION OF TO-DIE-FOR HUES.

To add some je ne sais quoi to your own fall beauty routine, visit sephora.com to shop the Guerlain Rouge G Luxurious Velvet collection today.

a striking black-and-white houndstooth, a black quilted look, a deep red and more. Plus, each stylish fabric features a plush velvet ﬁnish. I couldn’t resist the Graphic Tartan version, but, honestly, they’re all swoon-worthy. Oh, and did I mention there’s a hidden pop-up mirror tucked into the lid!? So chic, so smart. “This object d’art—and everything it delivers—has quickly become my favourite beauty accessory for fall. Once I’ve applied my Rouge G Luxurious Velvet lipstick, I instantly feel like I’ve tapped into the effortless style and self-assured spirit of a French woman. Which is exactly the kind of vibe I plan to carry with me as I reconnect—face to face—with all my favourite people this season.”

PHOTOGRAPHY, ALVARO GOVEIA

“I’m not ashamed to admit it: I love myself a little bit more when I’m wearing a bold lip colour. As a firm believer in the power of makeup to make me feel like the best version of myself, I know that a swipe of Guerlain Rouge G Luxurious Velvet lipstick in Flame Red will give me an extra charge of confidence and lift my whole mood. It’s a gorgeous spicy-red hue that’s part of a new collection of 15 beautiful shades, including warm nudes, the prettiest pinks and deep merlot tones. I love the sensation of applying it too. The highly pigmented formula is infused with some of my go-to hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and mango butter. And then there’s the finish: beautifully smooth, matte and so comfortable. It’s long-wearing (up to 16 hours), yet it’s utterly weightless and never drying. “And trust me when I tell you that I’ve never seen a lipstick case like this before! Nor have I ever had so much fun choosing one, because shopping the Rouge G collection includes a satisfying customizable twist. It’s designed as a mix-and-match experience, so first I chose my must-have refillable lip colour (yes, this was hard—they’re all dreamy!), and then I selected a case to house it in. A lineup of six new cases joins the existing collection, each finely contoured and perfectly balanced in silver-toned metal. The latest additions have been dressed in classic textiles that epitomize a Parisian fall wardrobe; there’s

BEAUTY

C ’ PI KS

EDITOR

AmorePacific Treatment Enzyme Cleansing Foam ($62, sephora.ca)

A BEAUTIFUL FALL

We asked our editorial team to share their new-season beauty goals and favourite products.

Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil ($70, shuuemura.ca)

By STÉPHANIE HOULE

Sophie Banford

PHOTOGRAPHY, ALEXIS BELHUMEUR (S. BANFORD)

PUBLISHER

A long-time fan of Bobbi Brown, for both its range of shades and natural results, Banford recently discovered Jones Road. Also founded by Bobbi Brown, Jones Road seduced our publisher with its “no-makeup makeup.” Banford can’t go out without the famous M.A.C Cosmetics Strobe Cream. “It adds radiance and light, two highly coveted effects when it comes to highlighting your complexion and features,” she says. This fall, she plans to experiment with two-tone manicures. “Painted nails are a great replacement for a fashion accessory,” she says. For beauty inspiration—and to help her unwind—Banford likes to watch videos of roller skaters Keon Saghari (@neonkeon) and Sarah Haywood (@sarah_haywood). “These girls are doing choreographed dances in roller skates and crazy looks against the backdrop of a California sunset and incredible music,” she enthuses. “It’s fun, it makes you dream and it’s a balm after all the negativity we’re exposed to on social media.”

Chanel Le Volume Ultra-Noir Mascara ($46, chanel.ca)

M . A . C Cosmetics Strobe Cream in Goldlite ($42, maccosmetics.ca)

Acure Seriously Soothing 24hr Moisture Lotion ($18, well.ca)

Nuxe Rêve de Miel Honey Lip Balm ($17, shoppersdrugmart.ca)

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BEAUTY

OPI Nail Lacquer in Pear-adise Cove ($11, tradesecrets.ca)

Minori Lip Gloss in Blossom ($28, minoribeauty.com)

Joanie Pietracupa EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When we ask Pietracupa what she’s excited to explore this season, she doesn’t skip a beat. “Minimalist eyemakeup looks that favour solid colours on lids or pastel and neon eye colours applied geometrically and paired with liquid eyeliner,” she says. “I also recently bought Freck Beauty’s Freck OG The Original Freckle because I love freckles. I apply the coloured gel to my cheekbones and nose, and it hides scars to boot.” Her beauty plans don’t end there, though, because with the pandemic behind us, she’s excited to experiment again. “I’d like to try Lip Blush from Alkhemist, a permanent-makeup studio in Montreal,” she says. “I’m also going to be daring and try blushes in vibrant reds, oranges and purples; I’ll brush them over my cheekbones, temples and eyelids in an ’80s style.” Pietracupa’s penchant for strong colours is in part inspired by makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes (@katiejanehughes). “She’s always teaching me new things. In fact, one of my favourite tips of hers is to create eyebrows by drawing hairs one by one using a dark eyebrow pen.”

Freck Beauty Freck OG ($29, sephora.ca)

Chanel Hydra Beauty Camellia Repair Mask ($85, chanel.com)

Melt Cosmetics Radioactive Pressed Pigment Palette ($63, sephora.ca)

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PHOTOGRAPHY, MAUDE ARSENAULT (J. PIETRACUPA)

Summer Fridays Cloud Dew Oil-Free Gel Cream ($57, sephora.ca)

BEAUTY RMS Beauty Straight Up Volumizing Peptide Mascara ($33, thedetoxmarket.ca)

Théo DupuisCarbonneau BEAUTY DIRECTOR

PHOTOGRAPHY, ANDRÉANNE GAUTHIER (T. DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU)

A polished pro when it comes to all things beautifying—and essentially a spokesperson for “soap brows” (a brow-taming technique that uses bar soap instead of eyebrow gel)—our beauty director has a clear vision of the look she plans to rock in the months ahead. “I’d always preferred bronzing powder over blush because my skin’s undertone is fairly pink and I was afraid to overaccentuate it,” she says. “But then I discovered that the right shade of a luminous blush can make all the difference. I apply it from my cheekbones to my temples and on the tip of my nose—which gives me my summer glow. Hair-wise, I’d love to be bold enough to go platinum—something I’ve never done—or perk up my waves with golden-honey tones and copper highlights.” What other tips does Dupuis-Carbonneau have for fall? “I love multi-purpose products and liquid pigments that work on both lips and cheeks, like Freck Beauty’s Cheekslime. I even dab a little on my eyelids for a light makeup application.” Finally, to kick off the new season full of inspiration, she looks to makeup artist Marika D’Auteuil (@lapetitevengeance). “Her creativity impresses and captivates me,” she says. “I could spend hours looking at the works she creates on her models.”

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Heat in Hot Cherry ($28, fentybeauty.com)

DesignMe Gloss.Me Infinite Mist ($34 and $24 for the refill, designmehair.com)

Freck Beauty Cheekslime Blush + Lip Tint in Cuffed ($29, sephora.ca)

Algenist Algae Niacinamide Moisture Veil ($85, sephora.ca)

Jones Road Sparkle Wash Liquid Eyeshadow in Cool Pink ($30, jonesroadbeauty.com)

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BEAUTY

Lawless The One & Done Volumizing Mascara ($30, sephora.ca)

Joanna Fox ASSOCIATE EDITOR

“Every fall, like many of us, I consider bangs,” says Fox. “But then come all the questions: Will they suit me? Will I regret them immediately? I haven’t made the leap yet, but if life has taught me anything recently, it’s that we only live once. And hair grows back, right?” That lesson is relevant for anyone wanting to brave that decisive new-season snip. And if you, like Fox, have sensitive skin, she has a recommendation. “I just discovered Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Calming Gel Cream,” she says. “Its light, non-greasy formula hydrates my skin without making me break out.” Above all, she’ll be taking advantage of the return to cooler weather to get more sleep and stay super hydrated. “I know it’s been said time and time again, but those are two essential aspects of good skin,” she says. “Those and wearing sunscreen—something I should have started doing at a younger age. Save your skin and layer it on every day!” Fox is also a fan of beauty role models who are not afraid to express themselves—whether that’s by going all out or keeping it natural.

Goop Glow 20% Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid Glow Serum ($165, sephora.ca)

Neostrata Sheer Hydration Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 40 ($29, shoppersdrugmart.ca)

Eve Lom Balm Cleanser ($135, nordstrom.ca)

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Calming Gel Cream ($63, sephora.ca)

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PHOTOGRAPHY, DOMINIQUE LAFOND (J. FOX)

Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray ($32, moroccanoil.com)

BEAUTY

Faace Tired Faace Mask ($45, thedetoxmarket.ca)

LIXR Tinted Lip Mask in Love ($28, lixrs.com)

Isabel Beaudry ART DIRECTOR

Fall isn’t just about bright makeup and new hair; it’s also a good time to try pampering skin treatments. “I love facial and body oils,” says Beaudry. “I’m a longtime lover of Nuxe’s Huile Prodigieuse, but I’d like to discover some new ones. I just bought a bottle of Josie Maran’s 100% Pure Argan Oil, which I love.” If there’s a theme that will run through Beaudry’s beauty routine over the next few months, it’s that she’s trying to convert to natural products as much as possible. And she’s not the only one; thanks to customer demand, more brands are moving toward eco-friendly cosmetics that are free from harmful ingredients. Beaudry is also planning to adopt a minimalist routine for the back-to-school season, simply using a cleanser, an oil moisturizer and sun protection. She’ll ﬁnish off with a spritz of Chanel. “I’ve been wearing a Chanel scent for almost 20 years,” she says. “I alternate between Coco Mademoiselle and Chance, but the former usually wins!” Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Cream SPF 30 ($90, kiehls.ca)

Sisley Paris Sisleÿa L’Intégral Radiance Anti-Dark Spot Serum ($700, holtrenfrew.com)

Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil ($64, sephora.ca)

Clarins One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser With Orange Extract ($39, clarins.ca)

ELLECANADA.COM

HEALTH

Pelvic

HEALTH It’s time to address issues that many women face every day. By MARIE-PHILIPPE JEAN

ver the past few years, there have been a lot more open and honest conversations about women’s health. We’re (ﬁnally) interested in talking about menopause, we’re challenging the taboos surrounding menstruation and now it’s time we address why millions of women still suffer silently from incontinence, urinary leaks and pain that affects their activity levels and sex lives. Douanka Gendreau, a physiotherapist specializing in perineal and pelvic rehabilitation, has never considered issues related to the pelvic ﬂoor trivial. “Organ descent, leaks, incontinence— they’re common, but they’re not normal,” she says. “We have to stop saying that this is our new reality and there’s nothing we can do to change it.” Pop culture might be one culprit for this resigned acceptance. In comedies, we make fun of the

ELLECANADA.COM

aunt who pees her pants a little when she laughs or the mother who can’t hold it while waiting in line at the grocery store. The ﬁtness industry might also play a part by constantly focusing on the aesthetic results of workouts, which means the muscles we can’t see are forgotten—and the pelvic ﬂoor is made up of 20 of them. Their role is essential—they hold back urine, stool and gas by supporting the bladder, uterus and rectum—but it’s usually only when they’re not doing their job that we start paying attention. Vaginal childbirth is a traumatic event for this muscle group, causing wounds that need to heal. Unless the muscles are strengthened before and after pregnancy, the road to full recovery can be long—very long. Gendreau explains that while every birth has its share of surprises and unknowns, understanding the musculature in the pelvic region and how to control

PHOTOGRAPHY, STOCKSY. *NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED.

A WEAKENED PELVIC FLOOR CAN AFFECT OUR SEXUAL HEALTH AND OUR MENTAL HEALTH.

it through breathing, strengthening and flexibility exercises can speed up the postpartum repair process. She debunks the myth that pelvic strengthening during pregnancy can increase the risk of tears during childbirth. On the contrary, by improving our proprioception (awareness of the positions of the different parts of our body), we’re better able to contract and relax those muscles, which is helpful when you’re giving birth. A weakened pelvic f loor can also affect our sexual health (it can reduce the feeling of pleasure and make it harder to orgasm) and our mental health (incontinence can lead to giving up sports and cause symptoms of depression). So what’s the solution? Re-education. The Pelvic Health Solutions website (pelvichealthsolutions.ca) helps patients find specialized practitioners in Ontario (it hopes to expand across Canada soon) and offers pelvic-health-specific workshops for women. Other resources, including Pelvic Guru (pelvicguru.com), offer information and a variety of exercise programs that can be done at home. Pelvi-Santé (pelvisante.com), a clinic just outside Montreal that specializes in pelvic health, helped Sarah*, a young mother of two toddlers, find relief through physiotherapeutic massage, but it also helped her find the courage to deal with how pelvic problems were affecting her. “I’ve been involved in high-performance sports my whole life,” she says. “I was doing 30-kilometre hikes and scuba diving—now I can’t even do jumping jacks.” She has often felt the injustice of her situation around other women and even her spouse, who’s been able to keep doing all his activities. She misses team sports and would like to be able to lift her children without the fear that it will

cause her pain. Accustomed to sports injuries, Sarah knows that the road to recovery will take a few years and she needs to be patient with and kind to herself. Because there’s a lack of resources for women, particularly in rural areas, Gendreau co-created Pelvi-Life (pelvilife.com), an online platform that offers information and various homebased exercise programs. Other technologies for strengthening the pelvic ﬂoor are also emerging on the market; Emsella, for example, is a treatment offered in medical spas across the country that stimulates the pelvic muscles using electromagnetic beams that cause more than 11,800 muscle contractions over the course of a 28-minute session. The more we talk about pelvic health, the more democratized the discourse will become and the more we’ll collectively realize that solutions do exist—for everyone. ELLECANADA.COM

THIS NEW-TO-MARKET UNDERWEAR IS BOTH STYLISH & LEAK-PROOF Are you one of the millions of women who experience bladder weakness? TENA helps you take control of the situation.

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VER THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC,

Canadians have had to adapt their daily routines in various ways and learn how to carry on from the confines of their homes. Changes to things like what we wear and how we feel about ourselves always evolve over time, but they were accelerated when the world had to quickly adapt to a “new normal.” If we’ve learned anything over the past year and a half, as we’ve swapped in sweatpants for power suits and Zoom calls for boardroom meetings, it’s that we can’t control the future. TENA—an incontinence-products brand—reminds us that what we can control is the confidence we feel and the way we choose to present ourselves to the world. Personal style is such an important part of your identity—you should never feel you have to sacrifice it because of bladder-control issues. With triple protection that is soft and gentle on the skin, TENA’s new StylishTM Black Underwear ensures that your bladder needs are covered so that you can continue to have fun with your style. Thanks to a variety of sizes and absorbency levels, you can feel free to throw on that outfit you’ve been hesitating to wear because you were worried about leaks. Throughout the past year, we’ve seen a major rise in athleisure; regular sweatsuits have been elevated and are now worn for more than just doing errands or going for jogs. The summer season has also brought stylish rompers and long, flowy dresses. But whether you choose to stay in something comfy or would rather switch to a little black dress, TENA has got you covered. The pandemic has also shown us that—now more than ever—it’s important to find ways to stay energized. Whether that means daring to dress up, being active or trying a new activity, TENA provides women with the best bladder protection possible. Every pair of underwear supports freedom of movement, so you never again have to worry about not being able to wear certain things or engage in certain activities. The next time your girlfriends ask you to go for a hike, you’ll be prepared with triple protection against bladder leaks, odour and wetness. Take the guessing game out of bladder control and feel good about it too.

Did you know that pelvic-floor issues affect one in four women at all stages of life? Because bladder-leakage issues are not specific to a particular age demographic, the underwear—which features cottony-soft form-fitting fabric and is designed to look just like regular underwear—is made for women of all ages. Getting dressed with the new StylishTM line from TENA will help those who struggle with this very common issue feel supported and comfortable, alleviating some of that worry every day. Just like underwear but with protection by TENA, this sleek new line will help you feel confident and at ease so you can take control of your day-to-day life. You deserve it. tena.ca

“You should never feel you have to sacriﬁce personal style because of bladder-control issues.” ELLECANADA.COM

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fashion

SEPTEMBER

PHOTOGRAPHY, MATHIEU FORTIN; PULLOVER (LOUIS VUITTON)

Let your inspiration and creativity run wild.

CELEBRITY

FLYING SOLO CANADIAN DARLING AND EMMY AWARD WINNER ANNIE MURPHY IS SHOWING US THAT THERE’S PLENTY BEYOND SCHITT’S CREEK .

By JOANNA FOX

Photographer LEEOR WILD Stylist NARIMAN JANGHORBAN Creative director ANNIE HORTH 82

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Dress (Christian Dior)

Dress (Gucci), bra (Fortnight Lingerie) and necklace (Murphy’s own)

CELEBRITY

Coat and boots (Prada)

here’s something special about Annie Murphy. And it’s not just that everyone who has worked with the actor gushes that she’s incredible (they do) or that she’s just beginning to show the world her talent (she is); it’s that she is so down-to-earth, candidly funny and genuinely sweet that you can’t help but root for her. As soon as she appears onscreen for our midday Zoom chat from her hotel room in New York City, Murphy makes fun of how “tarted up” she looks—she’s still in full makeup from her morning-show appearance to promote Kevin Can F*** Himself, her new AMC series. Her hair is up in a casual bun and she looks gorgeous, but I love that she jumped on this call without checking a mirror. I ask her right away which morning show she was on, and we both get really excited as she tells me about being on Live With Kelly and Ryan. Maybe it’s because as Canadians we’re always proud of our homegrown talent and want to see them do well, but her success feels like our collective success, and I can’t help but feel extra supportive of Murphy as she leaves the Schitt’s Creek family nest behind to spread her wings and ﬂy. “It’s been amazing; it’s been a real freaking whirlwind,” she says of the recent promo blitz for the new show. “I’ve never done this much press before, let alone by myself for the most part.” But Murphy, whether she realizes it or not, can deﬁnitely hold her own—something she proves in each episode of Kevin Can F*** Himself, the new dramedy that follows the life of her character, Allison, as she struggles to get away from her insensitive, sexist, dumb and emotionally abusive man-child husband, Kevin, played by Eric Petersen. The show revolves around Allison plotting his murder, and after watching Kevin

lie to her, make fun of her, dismiss her and berate her for a couple of episodes, I want to kill him too. “Over the past year, so many people have stepped back and taken stock of their life—what they want it to look like, who they want to have in it and what they are willing to put up with going forward,” says Murphy. “That’s what Allison is doing. She is reassessing the whole situation—deciding that she is not happy with it and deciding to make a change.” What also makes this show interesting is how it’s shot. Allison is living in two worlds: The ﬁrst one is where Kevin exists, and it’s made to look like those bright, laugh-track-riddled multi-cam sitcoms like According to Jim and King of Queens, where schlubby husbands get all the show’s attention—and jokes—propped up by beautiful trophy wives who seem to exist only to please their husbands and be the butt of their jokes. In the second world, Allison’s reality is shot single-cam style in a dark, bleak and gritty working-class Worcester, Mass. The show moves between the two worlds, and the more emotional and psychological toll the multi-cam world takes on Allison, the more the results play out in the single-cam world. “It was just such an exciting concept,” says Murphy. “The script was something I had never seen before. Going from a multi-cam to a single-cam and juggling those two approaches was really appealing to me.” After playing bubbly socialite Alexis Rose for six years in the career-changing show Schitt’s Creek, she found she was being offered parts that had undertones of her former character. “A lot of the roles that people wanted me to go out for were kind of Alexis adjacent,” says Murphy. “That’s why I was so excited when Kevin Can F*** Himself came along, because the role of Allison is so night and day from Alexis.”

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“Over the past year, so many people have stepped back and taken stock of their life—what they want it to look like, who they want to have in it and what they are willing to put up with going forward.”

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Coat (Prada)

Dress (Markoo) and shoes (Salvatore Ferragamo) .

Blazer, skirt and earrings (Chanel)

CELEBRITY

“I was so happy to see a strong, deeply flawed female character.”

Though both shows have a title that contains an expletive, the similarities stop there. Anyone who has been watching knows that Kevin Can F*** Himself is smart, has a distinct point of view and calls into question not only what the multi-cam genre represents but also who Allison represents. “One of the things that is so exciting is that Allison is making terrible decisions; she is deeply flawed,” explains Murphy. “This is not a squeaky-clean, picture-perfect character. And that’s what excites me so much—that’s being human. Everyone fucks up, and sometimes we learn from it and sometimes we don’t. I was so happy to see a strong, deeply flawed female character.” It also seems like Allison can’t catch a break, which is something Murphy experienced earlier in her career. An only child who grew up in Ottawa, Murphy always knew she wanted to act yet was still shocked when her parents fully supported her dream to pursue the dramatic arts. A self-proclaimed theatre nerd, she got a degree in theatre performance at Concordia University in Montreal and then moved to Toronto in search of more acting opportunities before heading to L.A. for her first pilot season when she was 22. Murphy describes this time as “a total disaster”: She was alone, didn’t know the city and had found a room on Craigslist in a house with another aspiring actor who was preparing for a part in a yet-to-be-funded movie she had written. “She was playing an American soldier in Afghanistan, and her method of getting into character was to live on a small cot in the closet just off the living room,” recalls Murphy. “So I ended up living in this house with a roommate who was living in a closet that was lined with character ideas on Post-it notes—very much like in The Shining. I would spend a lot of my days crying and eating soup, sitting on the couch thinking I was alone, and every now and again she would just burst out of the closet, wild-eyed after having been in there for 10 hours,” Murphy says with a laugh. By her fourth pilot season, just as she had decided that, with no money and no work, it was time to rethink her career, Murphy got an audition for Schitt’s Creek. The show aired from 2015 to 2020, and she capped off her run with an Emmy win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. “It was just not going to happen,” says Murphy. “And so I was sitting there while they were calling my name and, honestly, I blacked out—and then 20 minutes later I had apparently given a speech and done a bunch of celebrating. It was just so far from where I thought the night was going to go.”

The morning after her win, Murphy got on a plane—she thinks she was probably still drunk—and flew to Boston to begin filming Kevin Can F*** Himself. Valerie Armstrong, the show’s creator and executive producer, immediately bonded with her, because just as Murphy had never led a show before, Armstrong had never created one. “I think we both understood the other’s anxiety and determination to get this right, and I feel so lucky that I had her by my side for this entire experience,” Armstrong wrote in an email. “I felt very in the trenches with her, arm-in-arm, and I got to see her step into this new role with complete ease. She was kind and generous while also being a complete professional. She fostered [a collaborative environment], and I can only hope I held up my end of the bargain. I just love her to pieces.” The brilliant Mary Hollis Inboden, who plays Allison’s neighbour and eventual ally, Patty, also felt an immediate connection with the actor. Speaking with Murphy about Inboden, I get the sense that they are kindred spirits. When I emailed Inboden about this, she completely agreed. “I met Annie during my final audition for Patty,” she replied. “When I walked into the room, I felt this overwhelming desire to hug her. So I did, and she hugged me right back. It had the whole room wondering if we knew each other. Of course, we didn’t, but there was something that happened that drew us together instantly, and I feel like I’ve known her my whole life. I can’t say enough good things about her as my best friend and collaborator. Simply put, she’s fucking brilliant on and off the screen.” Armstrong and Inboden aren’t the only ones who want to work with Murphy: She has also joined the cast of the second season of the award-winning Netflix show Russian Doll, shot in New York City last April, alongside Natasha Lyonne. “Russian Doll was such a wild experience,” says Murphy. “Working with Natasha Lyonne was such a wonderful ride—her brain functions at a level that I will never be able to function at. I got to drive an Alfa Romeo down the streets of SoHo, I got to shoot in a beautiful brownstone on the Upper West Side, I got to shoot in the subway... I felt like a real working actress shooting a thing in New York, paparazzi and all. It was very wonderful.” Hearing the actor gush about these experiences could not make me happier for her. Though we’ll always love Alexis Rose, I’m thrilled to see Murphy showing the world that she’s truly a force—all on her own.

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CELEBRITY

Shirt (UNTTLD) and 18-karat-gold and diamond necklace (Tiffany & Co.)

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Dress (Christian Dior) For details, see Shopping Guide. Hairstylist, Geneviève Lenneville (Folio Montreal/Oribe); makeup artist, LeslieAnn Thomson (Folio Montreal/Trinny London/Caudalie); editorial producer, Estelle Gervais; set coordinator, Laura Malisan; photographer’s assistants, Renaud Lafrenière and Sierra Nallo; styling assistant, Manuela Bartolomeo

CELEBRITY

On Maddison (left): Dress and parka (Louis Vuitton x Fornasetti) and handbag (Louis Vuitton). On Awar (right): Dress and parka (Louis Vuitton x Fornasetti) Above: Parka and pullover (Louis Vuitton)

PA RA DI SEcity

FOR LOUIS VUITTON’S FALL/WINTER 2021/2022 COLLECTION, NICOLAS GHESQUIÈRE IMAGINED MODERN AND DARING PIECES BROUGHT TO LIFE BY THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF ITALIAN DESIGN ATELIER FORNASETTI. Photographer MATHIEU FORTIN Stylist and creative director ANNIE HORTH

Coat and handbag (Louis Vuitton x Fornasetti) and pullover, skirt and boots (Louis Vuitton)

Dress, 18-karat-yellow-gold and diamond earring, boots and trunks (Louis Vuitton)

Blazer and skirt (Louis Vuitton) and handbag (Louis Vuitton x Fornasetti) Below: Dress, 18-karat-yellowgold and diamond earring and 18-karat-yellow-gold and 18-karatwhite-gold rings (Louis Vuitton)

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Parka, pullover, skirt and boots (Louis Vuitton)

Parka and handbag (Louis Vuitton x Fornasetti) and pullover (Louis Vuitton). For details, see Shopping Guide. Models, Awar Odhiang (Mode Models) and Maddison Mahoney (Elite Toronto); makeup artist and hairstylist for Awar, Leslie-Ann Thomson (The Project/NARS/Caudalie/ Oribe); makeup artist and hairstylist for Maddison, Nicolas Blanchet (Folio Montreal/Dior Makeup/ Oribe); editorial producer, Estelle Gervais; set coordinator, Laura Malisan; photographer’s assistants, Will Cole, Aljosa Alijagic and Xavier MacDonald; styling assistant, Vanessa Antonacci; retouching, Visna Chau. Thank you to Société du Vieux-Port de Montréal.

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Blazer, vest, shirt and pants (Gucci), scarf and earring (Christian Dior), scarf (Hermès), earring (Balenciaga) and sandals (Louis Vuitton)

THE CLASH PRE-FALL’S DEFINITIVE SILHOUETTES COME TO LIFE IN COLOUR.

Photographer JAN WELTERS Stylist HORTENSE MANGA

Top, boot-pants and belt (Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello), scarf and earring (Christian Dior), scarf (Hermès) and earring (Balenciaga)

Dress (Balenciaga), scarf (Hermès), earring (Balenciaga), earring (Christian Dior) and boots (Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini)

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Blazer, bra and pants (Dolce & Gabbana), turtleneck (Sportmax), scarf and earring (Christian Dior), earring (Balenciaga) and shoes (Church’s)

Jacket and pants (Moschino), scarf and earring (Christian Dior), earring (Balenciaga) and bracelet (Givenchy)

Coat, dress, tights and boots (Chanel), scarf (Christian Dior) and earring (Balenciaga) For details, see Shopping Guide. Model, Juliet Ingleby (Paparazzi Model Management); hairstylist, Christoph Hasenbein (Wise & Talented); makeup artist, Angloma; styling assistant, Benoît Paquet

Blazer, top and pants (Versace), scarf and earring (Christian Dior), scarf (Hermès), scarf (Patou), earring (Balenciaga) and shoes (Church’s)

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ASHISH

MARC JACOBS

SCHIAPARELLI

ISABEL MARANT

CLUB

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE

SAINT LAURENT

STELLA MCCARTNEY

DOLCE & GABBANA

CONNER IVES

GUCCI

MARC JACOBS

DOLCE & GABBANA

FASHION

Kids

METALLIC MATERIALS AND BRIGHT SHADES GO HAND IN HAND WHEN IT COMES TO VIBRANT PIECES THAT MAKE A BOLD STATEMENT.

Fall/Winter 2021/2022

TREND REPORT The desire to dream, explore and be joyful prevailed on the catwalks this season, with designers embracing our collective freedom. Production ESTELLE GERVAIS

PRADA

By MAROUCHKA FRANJULIEN

ELLECANADA.COM

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RAF SIMONS

KENZO

PRADA

PORTS 1961

STELLA MCCARTNEY

ULLA JOHNSON

RICK OWENS

FASHION

WINTER Bliss

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE

CHANEL

MIU MIU

MARC JACOBS

GIVENCHY

BURBERRY

ACNE STUDIOS

WITH THE INFLUX OF XL DOWN PUFFER JACKETS, FAUX-FUR TEDDY COATS AND OVERSIZED KNITS, DESIGNERS MADE THE ARRIVAL OF WINTER SEEM OH SO APPEALING.

FASHION

SPACE Oddity

BALENCIAGA

NOIR KEI NINOMIYA

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO

LOUIS VUITTON

THE DESIRE FOR ESCAPE HAS GIVEN RISE TO AVANT-GARDE SPACE-AGE LOOKS IN A NOD TO THE FUTURISTIC FASHION OF THE 1960S, WITH SILVER FABRICS, SEQUINS AND SPACESUITS.

FASHION

KHAKI

Army

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE

BALMAIN

FENDI

PARKAS, AVIATOR JACKETS, TRENCHES, RANGER BOOTS—THE NEW KHAKI UNIFORM HAS A MILITARY SPIRIT.

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MAX MARA

CHANEL

SACAI

SIMONE ROCHA

FASHION

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ALBERTA FERRETTI

MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION

BALMAIN

ANNAKIKI

RODARTE

VALENTINO

BURBERRY

ANDREW GN

FASHION

SHIMMER &

Shine

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE

SCHIAPARELLI

GUCCI

CHANEL

BURBERRY

GIVE YOUR WARDROBE A REASON TO CELEBRATE BY EMBRACING THE OPULENCE OF SILVER AND GOLD. WHICHEVER YOU CHOOSE, YOU’LL SHINE BRIGHT.

MOSCHINO

CONNER IVES

GABRIELA HEARST

MARINE SERRE

CHLOÉ

FASHION

CRAFT Work

STINE GOYA

DOLCE & GABBANA

MARINE SERRE

CHLOÉ

THIS MOTLEY LOOK JUXTAPOSES PATTERNS, COLOURS AND PATCHWORK. THE RESULT IS BOHEMIAN AND UNBRIDLED BUT CHICLY COHESIVE NEVERTHELESS.

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FASHION

DARK

Glamour

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PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE

ROKH

CHRISTIAN DIOR

GIVENCHY

FEATHERS, SPARKLES AND SEQUINS COME OUT FOR ULTRAMODERN GLAMOROUS OUTFITS THAT ARE MADE FOR DANCING ’TIL DAWN.

FASHION

MONO

Chic

GIVENCHY

RICK OWENS

VALENTINO

DESIGNERS UPPED THE DRAMA OF EVEN THE SIMPLEST GARMENTS WITH SINGLE-COLOUR DRESSING, CHOOSING FROM THE EXTREME ENDS OF THE COLOUR SPECTRUM.

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By THÉODORA ASPART

ARC JACOBS had not presented a collection since February 2020, right before the world was radically turned upside down. Then, this past July, when New York was just beginning to get back to its former frenzy, the designer returned to the forefront with a spectacular runway presentation for fall/winter 2021/2022. Joy and wild creativity exuded from each striking silhouette for a truly exceptional fashion moment. It’s not surprising, though, as Jacobs is known for making a mark. He has been a successful designer for almost 40 years, and his work is still relevant, if not more groundbreaking than ever. A born-and-bred New Yorker, Jacobs graduated as “Student of the Year” from Parsons School of Design in 1984. His graduation collection—a series of sweaters knit by his grandmother Helen—caught the eye of Robert Duffy, a thirtysomething businessman who’d recently created the brand Sketchbook after working for luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman. Since their ﬁrst meeting, their paths have been intertwined. Duffy started by hiring Jacobs as a stylist, and then he rebaptized

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Sketchbook as Marc Jacobs International a few months later, elevating Jacobs to business partner. In 1989, Jacobs also became the artistic director of the ready-to-wear line at Perry Ellis, a pillar of American fashion since the 1960s. He was ﬁred four months after his 1993 grunge-collection runway show, which broke from the brand’s very proper style. Suddenly, the designer had become a rebel. But Jacobs’ life was never one of convention. His father, a talent agent, died when Jacobs was seven years old, leaving him with a bipolar mother with whom he cut ties when he became an adult. A foster family cared for his younger brother and sister while he lived in Central Park West with Helen, the grandmother he adored and who predicted he’d be “the next Calvin Klein.” Never shy about the fact that he’d seen therapists since childhood, he abused drugs from the end of his adolescence until 2007, the year of his second—and ﬁnal—stay

PHOTOGRAPHY, GETTY (M. JACOBS) & IMAXTREE (RUNWAY)

Provocative, eccentric, ever evolving and a total nonconformist, MARC JACOBS has ﬁrmly established himself as one of the most talented designers of his generation.

MARC JACOBS FALL/WINTER 2021/2022

Portrait of an ICONOCLAST

FASHION

“THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARC JACOBS THAT’S VERY UNIFYING, VERY INCLUSIVE.”

MARC JACOBS FALL/WINTER 2021/2022

in rehab. From this point on, it can be said that he lived up to his grandmother’s prediction, creating a wardrobe tailored to youth and pairing it with provocative advertising while at the same time pushing into a universe that Calvin Klein had never explored: European luxurywear. At the end of the 1990s, Jacobs and Duffy sold the majority of Marc Jacobs International shares to LVMH. At the time, Louis Vuitton, the group’s lead brand, was just getting into fashion, which is why the designer was invited by artistic director Bernard Arnault to join as creative director. Jacobs’ golden era lasted 16 years and helped establish Louis Vuitton as a top-tier fashion brand. “Marc was the right person at the right time,” says Julie de Libran, designer of her eponymous label, former artistic director at Sonia Rykiel and Jacobs’ former studio director at Louis Vuitton. “For such an institution, bringing him on was a strong welcoming gesture. But he was the one who initiated the collaborations with artists: Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, Yayoi Kusama. They were groundbreaking, and they brought a cultural dimension to Louis Vuitton.” And their contributions reassured shareholders—the brand’s collaboration with Murakami in 2005 generated around $375 million in sales. Like Karl Lagerfeld did for Chanel, Jacobs turned runway shows into entertainment. “There was a carousel [and another time] a reconstructed train station in the courtyard of the Louvre with a train that came through,” says de Libran. “Marc could spend hours on a detail, a ﬁnish, but it was worth it the second those magniﬁcent shows started—that dreamlike moment. Everything was theatrical, right up until the last show.” That last one was maybe even more dramatic than the others: The all-black collection was a deep dive into the archives of 16 years of design, presented among decorations from past shows that had been coated in black, as if he were slipping away under the cover of darkness. It was the most colourful colourless show imaginable.

Since then, the designer has been focused on his own brand, which includes a women’s line, a men’s line, fragrances (from the pretty Daisy to the intoxicating Decadence) and a line of makeup for which he’s both the best and the strangest ambassador. All this to say that it’s not easy to define the style of Marc Jacobs. What brings all the strands together, from one collection to the next, is the taste of something new—the sense of daring that tends to bring a smile to your face. Sometimes there’s a punk element, often a ’60s or ’70s vibe, and there always has to be some kind of aberration—a dissonant detail that upsets the harmony of the outfit. In 2015, the Marc by Marc Jacobs line folded and was reborn the following year as The Marc Jacobs. This new capsule collection brought together some of the creator’s most emblematic pieces at more affordable prices, like the Grunge Cardigan, the Blouse and the Disco Dress. Offering accessible products has always been one of the marketing tools of the brand; what trendy fortysomething hasn’t made a pilgrimage to one of the Marc Jacobs boutiques in the West Village during their first trip to New York to snag indispensable goodies like a neon necklace, a rat-shaped key chain or a pen that looks like lipstick—all priced at less than $20? Such an approach shows that this uninhibited designer doesn’t see luxury as existing in a bubble that’s disconnected from the rest of the world. “There’s something about Marc Jacobs that’s very unifying, very inclusive,” says de Libran. He’s also a man who isn’t mortified by his mistakes. The most obvious example might be from 2015, when he accidentally posted a photo of his naked backside on Instagram. The image, meant to be sent to a potential love interest, came with an eloquent caption: “It’s yours to try.” Jacobs’ subsequent tweet owned his blunder: “Yeah... I’m a gay man. I flirt with men online.” And that famous caption became the bio of his Twitter account and tag line for his brand. He has “Perfect” tattooed on his wrist to remind him that he’s exactly how he needs to be and “Shameless” on his torso to remind him that he has nothing to be ashamed of. ELLECANADA.COM

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lifestyle Plaza Gold Room (2021) by Janet Werner, courtesy of Bradley Ertaskiran

Haute

DISRUPTER Canadian artist JANET WERNER has made a career of taking images directly from fashion magazines and distorting them into some of the most striking—and coveted—contemporary art. By JOANNA FOX

PHOTOGRAPHY, DOMINIQUE LAFOND

ART

Dallas (2020) by Janet Werner, courtesy of Bradley Ertaskiran

‘M SITTING ON A CHAIR in the middle of Janet Werner’s

Montreal studio. This is the first time I’ve interviewed someone in person since early 2020, and it’s exhilarating—partly because I’m so overjoyed about being in someone’s presence when speaking with them but mostly because this particular space is just as captivating as I imagined. Paintings on the walls are in various stages of completion; a stunning piece that is almost finished and will soon be shipped to a show in New York is front and centre. Off to the side, two large empty canvases are waiting for Werner to find the right inspiration. There’s a long table covered with images and books, and old fashion magazines are spilling out of boxes and strewn about on the floor in an organized chaos that only Werner can decipher. Ideas are clearly in progress, with pages ripped out and strategically folded to distort images. Werner is just coming off her most recent show, There There, at Bradley Ertaskiran gallery in Montreal, but she has no time to take a beat and reflect because she’s preparing for a summer group show at Kasmin Gallery and an upcoming solo show at Arsenal Contemporary, both in New York. “It’s a bit of an awkward moment right now because normally I’d be processing and relaxing, but I can’t really stop,” explains the artist. “Things are accelerating, in a nice way, though, with a lot of opportunities, which is wonderful—but it’s pressure. You really need time. Fortunately, this painting was well under process.” She points to a piece in front of us, which I later learn is called Cliffs, of two figures in high-fashion military-inspired clothing standing in water against a backdrop of steep cliffs. No doubt this is destined for someone’s collection after its Kasmin Gallery appearance. For fans of contemporary Canadian art, Werner’s pieces are instantly recognizable. She works with predominantly

female images she finds in fashion magazines, distorting and recontextualizing them by splicing them together, playing with proportions and juxtaposing figures. It’s striking, colourful, playful and dynamic work that has made her a household name in our country’s art scene—a status that was further solidified by her 2019 show at the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, which was an overview of a decade of paintings. “It’s so multi-levelled—what’s happening in the work is happening in the magazine itself,” says Megan Bradley. She’s half of Bradley Ertaskiran, along with Antoine Ertaskiran, Werner’s representation here in Canada. Bradley has been working with Werner for about 10 years, so she’s had the unique opportunity to see the artist’s work progress and grow. “The most amazing thing is that Janet never ceases to change, evolve and surprise, and that is incredibly cool,” Bradley told me as she walked me through There There in June. Werner was born in Winnipeg and got her Master of Fine Arts from Yale University in 1987. After graduating, she taught painting and drawing at the University of Saskatchewan and eventually ended up teaching in the department of studio arts at Montreal’s Concordia University for 20 years, until she retired at the end of 2019 to fully commit to painting. She was always interested in the idea of the portrait and in her early career would invent characters to paint. “I thought of them as psychological portraits—they were sort of anyone and no one, and they were also self-portraits,” says Werner. It was only when she moved to Montreal that she began to look for secondary sources since she didn’t want to paint real people. “The important thing is to be able to manipulate the image

Cliffs (2020) by Janet Werner, courtesy of Bradley Ertaskiran

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ART and play with it so that it’s not about a likeness of someone but more about a psychological or emotional life,” she says. When she discovered Multimags, a Montreal magazine-shop chain, Werner suddenly gained access to an archive of hundreds of thousands of images of potential subjects. “Models from fashion magazines are also anyone and no one, so they’re empty vessels for projecting fantasy or stories onto,” says the artist. “I was thinking a lot about beauty and seduction and desire. Also, having just moved here, I had no family and no friends—just a job. Somehow, having these images gave me a sense of something I could refer to and hold on to. It anchored me in some way.” From there, Werner started exploring, and her practice evolved. She introduced collage, which shifted her work from being about beauty, seduction and desire to being about disrupting. “Initially, I started intermixing heads and bodies, and that just opened up a whole amazing terrain,” says Werner. “I started sliding different backgrounds among the figures, and when I intercut heads and bodies, those distortions started happening.” Werner’s most recent work takes her exploration of the human figure even further by almost removing it from the painting or bisecting it against different types of backgrounds—including bedrooms and landscapes—for more complex compositions. “The cuts are sharper, and there’s a layering that’s more intense,” says Bradley. “And sometimes it’s more about a singular figure, but the singular figure is energized in a different way.”

The irony of Werner’s work is that in spite of its fashion-magazine source material, she really doesn’t know anything about fashion. “It’s all just fantasy,” she says. “It’s about the abstract qualities—the shapes, the colours, the textures... all that stuff that fashion designers play with. Marc Jacobs talks about storytelling, and there’s this interesting crossover between fashion and art and how they feed each other.” With recent exposure in the U.S. and representation at Anat Ebgi gallery in Los Angeles, Werner is at a career high; after painting for almost 40 years, she has never been busier. “I do think an artist, especially one who gets to a certain point in their career, could easily just do one thing all the time—people do do that,” says Bradley. “What I really respect about Janet is that she always pushes it further and she doesn’t necessarily have to—but she wants to.” As I sit with Werner, I can’t help but notice an intricately folded piece of paper that she has casually placed on top of a pile of books on a wooden crate next to me. She has taken out the two pages from the very centre of a magazine and made folds on both sides, bringing together four different images in a way that is fascinating and appealing. I can visualize it on one of those blank canvases. “When I imagine trying to paint that, it seems impossible so [I feel like] I’m going to fail,” she says with a smile. “The question is: When I’m failing, is it going to work out?”

“THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO BE ABLE TO MANIPULATE THE IMAGE AND PLAY WITH IT SO THAT IT’S NOT ABOUT A LIKENESS OF SOMEONE BUT MORE ABOUT A PSYCHOLOGICAL OR EMOTIONAL LIFE.”

Suite (2020) by Janet Werner, courtesy of Bradley Ertaskiran

DESIGN OFF-TREND “At the beginning of my

THE LONG GAME ZOË MOWAT is embracing

career, I recognized the internet as a valuable tool to connect with other designers, people, places and buyers. Now, the rate at which we’re consuming—the endless scroll—is overwhelming. I’ve been asking my students: How do you develop ideas without using Pinterest or Instagram? I tell them it’s about creating your own Rolodex [about] what inspires you. For me, that is a lot of sculpture, architecture and film. I go to libraries. I try to avoid algorithms when I can. Otherwise, it’s a closed-loop system—you’re designing in a bubble.” TRUE COLOURS “I have the kind of synesthesia where every letter and number has a colour attributed to it, and they have [been the same] since I discovered I had it when I was eight. Colour is always present and heightened in my perception of the world. In school, the trend was all white, and I wasn’t interested in that. I wanted to pursue colour in a unique way that wasn’t gratuitous. The first thing I made was a green table. I didn’t even love the colour—I just knew it had to be that green.” QUIET RIOT “Mostly women—Eileen Gray, Lina Bo Bardi, Cini Boeri, Charlotte Perriand—have inspired my work. And it was my mother, Catherine Burgess—a sculptor who was creating in a time that was very much a man’s world—who helped me discover my strength and showed me that there was no question that I could do anything. What I appreciate in design is a distinct vision—things that are quiet in their strength and don’t scream. It’s not about making waves—that’s never been my approach. I’m playing the long game.”

intentional design in a fast-furniture world. By EVE THOMAS

PHOTOGRAPHY, JULIE LANGENEGGER LACHANCE (ORA TABLE & ARBOR JEWELRY STAND), RODOLFO MORAGA (Z. MOWAT) & COURTESY OF EQ3 (ASSEMBLY DRESSING TABLE)

A DECADE INTO HER DESIGN CAREER, Zoë Mowat ﬁnally has some space to recalibrate.

Born in Edmonton, she studied industrial design at the University of Alberta and then made Montreal her base—while taking trips to Italy, Japan and Sweden for workshops, design shows and furniture fairs—before settling in Brooklyn last year to teach at New York City’s prestigious Parsons School of Design. After a spring semester online with students in every time zone, she has had to both reimagine her profession in the virtual world and reflect on how that world, especially social media, has influenced her industry. This solitary pause—prompted by working from home and teaching remotely—has also allowed her to examine her process and what she stresses are the essential moments before creating even the simplest object. Mowat is known for having a thoughtful, sculptural approach (she initially wanted to be a sculptor like her mother, Catherine Burgess), and her most iconic work to date may be her Arbor Jewelry Stand, a playful piece that is as beautiful as it is practical. It showcases Mowat’s signature spectrum of soothing muted colours—she has synesthesia, a condition that, in her case, connects certain colours to letters and numbers—and masterful contrasting of materials, including brass, wood, marble and felt. Her distinct trend-eschewing vision is increasingly in demand by private clients as well as global brands like Umbra, EQ3 and 2. Japan’s Ariake. She’s also practising patience as she plans the launch of her own eponymous line—another reason she has been reflecting on her journey from “emerging” to “established.” Through it all, she has been adamant that there is no magic formula or shortcut to attaining a long-term sustainable creative process—we can only continue to dig deeper.

1. Ora Table. 2. Zoë Mowat. 3. Arbor Jewelry Stand. 4. Assembly Dressing Table for EQ3.

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X CLUB MED

All-Inclusive

WINTER WONDERLAND Pack your snow gear: The ﬁrst CLUB MED RESORT in Canada is set to open in beautiful Charlevoix!

OR MOST CANADIANS, the words “all-inclusive resort” are likely to conjure visions of beaches and palm trees, but Club Med has set out to change that with Club Med Québec Charlevoix, the ﬁrst all-inclusive ski resort in North America. Here’s a look at what to expect from the storied chain’s very ﬁrst property in the Great White North—opening this December—and its unique offering. SKIING…AND MORE

Imagine yourself leisurely gliding down the pristine slopes of Charlevoix’s Le Massif and then skiing into a luxurious resort with breathtaking views of the St. Lawrence River at the end of the day. Dreamy, we know. Or if ice-skating, Nordic walking or snowshoeing is more up your alley, feel free to envision the activity that’s most likely to ﬁll your cup while experiencing Quebec’s unique wintertime joie de vivre. Whether your idea of disconnecting involves getting active outside, joining a ﬁtness or yoga class, lounging by the indoor heated pool or hitting the hammam, Club Med Québec Charlevoix has something for everyone—including the kids—all year round, as the activities offered change with the seasons. ENTERTAINMENT AND EATS

After a full day of outdoor fun or just relaxing, it’s time to savour a gourmet meal featuring local and international cuisine—think delicacies like Quebec cheeses, charcuterie, fondue, maple

products and more—at one of the resort’s various restaurants. Then make your way to the main bar and have a cocktail, a glass of wine or a pint of craft beer while you enjoy the evening entertainment before turning in for the night. One of the best things about hitting an all-inclusive resort is having access to all-day dining and open-bar options—it’s time to indulge! LUXURY ACCOMMODATION

Club Med has put a lot of care into ensuring its new resort provides the legendary atmosphere and high-end experience the brand pioneered, offering two-, three- and seven-night packages that come with everything from ski passes and lessons to a veritable plethora of après-ski activities. Three types of accommodation are available—Superior, Deluxe and Suite— and each features carefully chosen decor elements inspired by the Charlevoix region and designed to highlight the beauty of the resort’s surroundings. The location is second to none, with its breathtaking waterfront panorama in a preserved natural landscape just over an hour away from Quebec City. To top it all off, the resort’s level of thoughtful customer service is bound to make your experience extra memorable. Ready to book? We are! But you’d better be quick: We can already tell that the new resort is going to be a highly coveted ski vacation destination. clubmed.ca

TRAVEL

Spirit of the

West A remote retreat on Vancouver Island, CLAYOQUOT WILDERNESS LODGE

is an adventure for the senses.

PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF CLAYOQUOT WILDERNESS LODGE

By CHLOE BERGE

Y STOMACH DROPS in that thrilling

roller-coaster way as the seaplane dips above snow-dusted mountain peaks so close I feel like I can reach out and touch them. I’m flying from Vancouver over the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island’s west coast. A patchwork of logged forest eventually gives way to rare untouched tracts of brilliant emerald land studded with turquoise lakes and, ﬁnally, the steel-blue ocean inlet of Bedwell Sound, part of the larger Clayoquot Sound, where we make our water landing. Disembarking at the dock, I cross a threshold into a bygone era. A carriage pulled by two stomping stalwart Percheron horses, Goose and Maverick, whisks me along the shoreline to Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge. Skirting the banks of the sound and the Bedwell River, the 250-hectare Relais & Châteaux property is nestled in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, an area that’s protected for its diverse ecosystems, salmon-spawning grounds and some of the last untouched old-growth forest in British Columbia. I’m welcomed with a glass of citrusy Okanagan brut and a breeze scented with hemlock, Sitka spruce and pine. Towering mountains cradle the valley, and it’s almost impossible to absorb the intoxicating rush of forest air. “It’s alive, this property,” general manager Sarah Cruse tells me later. “People fall back in love with each other here.”

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This is the first year that Australian luxury-hotel brand Baillie Lodges is at the helm, having acquired the property last November. James and Hailey Baillie’s five lodges across Australia and New Zealand are woven together by common threads: extraordinary natural settings, a focus on sustainability and a reverence for local culture. Clayoquot, the company’s first foray into the North American market, is no exception. I walk a meandering boardwalk to my oceanfront abode: a prospector-style white canvas tent that is a nod to the area’s gold-mining history. The term “glamping” doesn’t do justice to the interiors of the 25 tents, which were recently reimagined as part of a Baillie redesign. (The second stage of the redesign will take place next year and include the main ranch-style Cookhouse.) Inside the tent, exquisite painted carvings by local Ahousaht First Nation artist Moy Sutherland punctuate the minimalist monochromatic space. “Baillie Lodges has always had close relationships with local Indigenous artists,” says Kate Hollick, the lodge’s assistant general manager. Bespoke wooden furniture by Vancouver-based Barter Design is decorated with textural cream and grey pillows and throws crafted by Okanagan textile studio Cloth Tone. Plush white linens, a temperature-controlled wood stove, heated bathroom floors and an outdoor cedarclad rainfall shower stocked with herbaceous amenities from Tofino Soap Company are heavenly indulgences in the middle of the wilderness. The greatest luxury, however, is the view of the inlet from my deck, where I recline in an Adirondack chair in silence and stillness. There’s intentionally no Wi-Fi in the tents. “We want people to switch off,” says Hollick. The setting sun sparkles on the water and turns the mountainside lime green. An eagle wheels in the sky overhead, and in front of me, a merganser duck with six ducklings huddled together on her back bobs across the bay. The privilege of nature continues the next morning on a hike up to Penny Falls that begins at the outskirts of the property. My guide, Justin Szabo, leads me along a Jurassicfern-lined trail that follows Penny Creek and winds up into a dense forest. The creek is part of the Bedwell Restoration Project, a salmon-spawning habitat that the lodge has been working on with the Ahousaht First Nation. Delicate frilled oyster mushrooms bloom on alder trees, and farther up the mountain, giant cedars, known as “the trees of life” in coastal Indigenous culture, flank our path. More than an hour later, we reach the lower falls, a roaring rush of glacial water; there’s a rainbow shimmering in the spray. We continue higher, crossing a series of streams and pools that connect to the upper falls. At the top, we stop to rest in the midday heat. I stand on a log a couple of metres above the crystal-clear 10-metre-deep pool while my guide counts down to three and then jump into the invigorating icy water. That evening in the rustic and elegant Cookhouse, it’s as if I’m tasting everything I saw that day: handmade tortellini stuffed with foraged ponderosa mushrooms, pan-seared local sablefish with bright sweet peas plucked from the on-site garden and a deconstructed olive-oil cake sprinkled with wildflower petals. Lauded chef Asher Blackford arrived from Baillie’s Southern Ocean Lodge to helm the kitchen at Clayoquot, and the new

PHOTOGRAPHY, CHLOE BERGE

TRAVEL

PHOTOGRAPHY, MARGAUX GROLLIER (KAYAKS), COURTESY OF CLAYOQUOT WILDERNESS LODGE (HEALING GROUNDS SPA WITH CEDAR HOT TUB)

“WE CALL IT REDISCOVERING YOUR ‘WILDHOOD.’ IT’S A RETURN TO THE WILD AND TO CHILDHOOD.”

culinary program is part of a total immersion in the wilderness. “I take my inspiration from my surroundings,” says Blackford, gesturing to the trees and sky. “I prefer an organic plating style.” I begin to experience an elemental, wild abandonment and new sense of freedom at Clayoquot. The next day, I ride a horse named Copper through the forest and across a waist-deep river cast against mountains that are reminiscent of scenery in Legends of the Fall. I half expect a perfectly unkempt Brad Pitt to greet me on the other side. “We call it rediscovering your ‘wildhood,’” says Szabo. “It’s a return to the wild and to childhood.” After my morning on horseback, we head into the forest to learn about and gather local plants for that evening’s tasting menu. Blackford alchemizes hemlock tip into an emulsion that’s drizzled over candied salmon, serves sun-baked salmonberries alongside local spot prawns, whips spruce-tip oil into a sorbet and turns anise-ﬂavoured licorice root pulled from tree moss into macarons. The following day, on a “Sights of the Sound” boat safari, I watch bears forage under rocks for crabs along the shore and grey whales breach and spray in the rolling ocean. Later that week, I eat my last lodge dinner on the open-air rooftop of the Ivanhoe Bar, desperate to breathe in as much fresh forest as I can before leaving. The sleek two-storey glass and wood

structure offers unobstructed views of the sound. The meal ends with a sculptural confection of elderﬂower pannacotta topped with fresh berries and a light-as-air white meringue wafer that reminds diners of the surrounding snow-capped peaks and terrain below them. “I look at the mountains and think ‘How can we put that on a plate?’” says Blackford. I take a bite and I’m back in the sun-dappled forest, in the cold glacial pool, in my tent at dusk watching the pink sky turn violet.

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CHRISTIAN DIOR

HOROSCOPE

SEPTEMBER 2021

Virgo AUGUST 23 – SEPTEMBER 22

Your new year, which arrives with your birthday, will start under clear skies. From the beginning of the month, your core qualities—perseverance, elegance and a strong sense of justice—will strengthen your desire to build something solid and lasting. This will apply to love aﬀairs as much as it will to work. Determined, you will be carried along by a positive and stimulating current; it’s up to you to paddle with energy and agility without forcing anything. A deep sense of accomplishment awaits you on the other shore. By ALEX VALLIÈRES

LIBRA

SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 22 Your eternal thirst for beauty, peace and balance within will be wonderfully quenched this month. Not only will you feel as if you’re in your element (thanks to seven friendly planets in your sign) but you’ll also want to give your best to your loved ones, who will be asking for more. Be prepared.

SCORPIO

OCTOBER 23 – NOVEMBER 21 Thanks to the conjunction of Venus and Mercury in your sign until September 10, you will have an irresistible charm for the first part of the month. And from the 16th, your impressive powers of persuasion will be coupled with the energy you need (thanks to visiting Mars) to finally take action on something you’ve been avoiding.

SAGITTARIUS

NOVEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 21 No more hiding behind your mountain of work to avoid closeness. Yes, you fear intimacy, and it’s a source of anxiety for you, but it’s okay to take things slowly. It’s up to you to reveal yourself as you see fit— you just have to decide when and how.

CAPRICORN

DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 19 “Back to school” this year isn’t going to be quite what you hoped it would be. Things will get stuck, tugged and dragged out—which isn’t great for your control-freak nature. But what if it’s a test—a way to force you to let go a little and, in turn, boost your confidence? Maybe it won’t be so bad in the end.

AQUARIUS

JANUARY 20 – FEBRUARY 18 Bolstered by the cluster of planets in Libra (a supportive sign), you’ll have wings this month. Better still, you’ll know how to use them. The only downside? Beware of illusions. Being a visionary is good, but keeping one foot on the ground is even better.

PISCES

FEBRUARY 19 – MARCH 20 Energized by the Sun in Virgo, you now have the drive to put your ideas and your life in order. Feeling both light and enlightened, you’re ready to attack the new school year. Use this energy to carry out a project that’s important to you—it will help a lot.

ARIES

MARCH 21 – APRIL 19 This month is not without its challenges, Aries. You will need to show a great capacity for adapting, especially at work, but you will benefit from doing so. It’s also important that you show gratitude right now—you are not one to give thanks easily, but it will do you good.

TAURUS

APRIL 20 – MAY 20 I love it when Uranus, the unpredictable planet of possibility, electrifies a sign that’s as set in its ways as yours is. It means that something in you is more open to adventure. Ready to take some calculated risks? Go for it—you won’t regret it.

GEMINI

MAY 21 – JUNE 20 If you’re to have a successful start to autumn, you can’t spread yourself too thin; this might be a challenge because you’ll be curious about everything and find it hard to resist social events and new opportunities. But once you’ve refocused, you’ll be proud of having curbed some of those trivial impulses.

CANCER

JUNE 21 – JULY 22 You’re enjoying a little respite right now; it’s warm and sweet, and it feels good. Unfortunately, though, it’s as fleeting as it is enjoyable, because playtime is over as of the 11th. But at least there will be no regrets— you’ll have stored up enough serenity for the next two months.

LEO

JULY 23 – AUGUST 22 Despite all the kindness in the world, there are some things you can only learn the hard way—like humility and perseverance. So, before you suffer a major setback or a brutal rejection, work on these essential virtues without delay. ELLECANADA.COM

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ESCAPE

WORLD’S EDGE

AS MANY COUNTRIES SLOWLY BEGIN TO REOPEN FOR TRAVEL , we strangely ﬁnd ourselves

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TEXT, JOANNA FOX; PHOTOGRAPHY, ALEX FRADKIN

yearning to head to the remote parts of our own shores. Newfoundland and Labrador’s Fogo Island—an island off an island—is a place that is both wildly dramatic and stunningly beautiful and has been on our bucket list since long before the pandemic. Upon hearing the news that Fogo Island Inn, the iconic hotel jutting out over the coastline, had reopened, we couldn’t help but feel drawn to what would certainly be a once-in-a-lifetime experience: being perched on the edge of the world in a quiet suspension of place and time.

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