JUNE 2017 | VANCOUVER
BLISSED OUT
Make it a summer to remember. On your hot list: technicolour fashion, emerald nails, obsessions tinted by nostalgia
NEW
let’s play fresh Tone down excess moisture and sweeten up your day. Naturally deodorize from head to toe, volumize those lashes, matte-ify your face, pop it in your shoes and so much more.
supernatural beauty @CAKEBEAUTY CAKEBEAUTY.COM
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Laura deCarufel @LauradeCarufel
VICTORIA BECKHAM
THE ONO-LENNONS
EDITOR’S LETTER
Jessica Hotson @jesshotson EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Kathryn Hudson @hudsonkat
CHLOÉ
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
BEAUTY DIRECTOR
GABRIELE COLANGELO
Rani Sheen @ranisheen
FASHION EDITOR
CÉLINE
Jillian Vieira @JillianVieira
DIGITAL EDITOR
Caitlin Kenny @caitlinken_insta Eden Boileau @lilyedenface
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Veronica Saroli @vsaroli
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTORS
Sonya van Heyningen @svanh7 Kristy Wright (on leave) @creativewithak Aimee Nishitoba @studio.aimee
PUBLISHER
Giorgina Bigioni PROJECT DIRECTOR, DIGITAL MEDIA
WHITE ALBUM
Kelly Matthews COLLAB DIRECTOR
Evie Begy eb@thekit.ca
SENIOR INNOVATIONS DESIGNER
I love the idea of summer whites, but this Adam Lippes ensemble ($1,875, The Room, Hudson’s Bay) is the first time I’ve tried head-to-(almost)toe. The yacht is implied, no?
VETEMENTS
Amber Hickson
THE NETFLIX BINGE
COLLAB COORDINATOR
Sarah Chan
Based on the 2014 movie of the same name, this 10episode masterpiece spotlights black experience and white privilege. It’s always smart, often surprising and occasionally devastating (episode five—you’ve been warned).
MARKETING COORDINATOR
Nikki Lewis
INTERNS
Briana Armson, Nabra Badr, Robyn Bell, Naomi Brearley, Melissa Dunphy, Paige Furtney, Sade Lewis, Yasmin Momeni, Krizia Peluso The Kit is Canada’s beauty and style leader © 2017, The Kit, a division of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, TORSTAR, AND PUBLISHER, TORONTO STAR
John Boynton
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, TORONTO STAR
Michael Cooke
THEKIT.CA | JUNE 2017 |
CHER!!
Ania B., Randi Bergman, Kate Carraway, Maya Fuhr, Danielle Hession, Katie Hession, Vanessa Jarman, Sandy Joe Karpetz, Hamin Lee, Alyssa Lau, Alyssa Manuel, Luis Mora, Kamara Morozuk, Rita Remark, Damian Rogers, Wendy Rorong, Shalan and Paul, Kiara Schwartz, Tyler Stalman, Jenna Marie Wakani, Norman Wong
CHER!
CONTRIBUTORS
DREAM GIRL ZOË KRAVITZ
PHOTOGRAPHY: SHALAN AND PAUL (DECARUFEL); PETER STIGTER (RUNWAY); GETTY IMAGES (CELEB EXCEPT SILVERSTONE). HAIR AND MAKEUP: WENDY RORONG (DECARUFEL)
MANAGING EDITOR
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: GOLDSIGN JACKET, $660, BLUBIRD. YSL BEAUTY TOUCHE ÉCLAT WHITE, $50, YSLBEAUTY. CA. BANANA REPUBLIC BR 90 PURE WHITE EAU DE PARFUM, $62 (75 ML), BANANAREPUBLIC.CA. WANT LES ESSENTIELS SHOES, $495, WANTLESESSENTIELS.COM. ILIA CUCUMBER WATER STICK TONER, $51, ILIABEAUTY.COM. TOPSHOP DRESS, $140, TOPSHOP AT HUDSON’S BAY
BLANK CANVAS After a bleached-out, dozy winter and spring’s damp hiccup, summer is finally, beautifully here. This issue is a tribute to that feeling when summer’s slow burn suddenly flares into action—like an all-white editor’s letter kicking off an issue saturated with a juicy cocktail of colours. In fashion, colours matter both because of how they look and how they make you feel. (A shortcut to deepening your relationship with your barista: Wear a convo-sparking yellow romper.) This issue is heavy on the feels. “Code Pink” (page 12) celebrates the reinvention of the sweet shade previously the purview of Barbie and candy floss—now it has bite. “In the Trenches” (page 34) spotlights pioneering women reporters in khaki
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trench coats, a sartorial wink to Hollywood’s old-school hard-boiled journos, and a nod to their take-on-the-world grit. A rollicking rainbow of summer style rules “Technicolour Dreams” (page 14), for which creative director Jessica Hotson, fashion editor Jillian Vieira, beauty director Rani Sheen and photog Norman Wong travelled to Seven Magic Mountains, an art installation in the desert, 20 minutes from the Vegas Strip. They set up shots, wind whipping through clothes and curls, as tourists snapped selfies around them. That urge to document is the underlying thread of “Totally Obsessed” (page 23), a package about obsession that takes our fixation with burnishing our personal brands as its starting point. It reminds me of
a line in a Ted Hughes poem, about a crow “flying the black flag of himself.” We all fly the flags of ourselves. Let’s just make sure we give ourselves moments of undocumented experience, like the sensation of sun on the back of your neck making you unfurl like a flag, half-drunk with half-lidded joy. You don’t need to bury your phone in the sand—just don’t bury your head.
LAURA DE CARUFEL, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @thekitca
@thekit
thekitca 3
JEAN GENIUS
MOVING MOUNTAINS: Kiara Schwartz photographed at Prospect Point: “One of my favourite lookouts in the city is over the mountains to the North Shore, where my life started and which I feel so deeply connected to.”
The best denim boutiques in town
CHARLIE AND LEE Anything from this Chinatown store ends up being my favourite. It carries the best selection of my favourite vintage denim curation, called Hey Jude. It’s my go-to for vintage denim, which belongs in everyone’s closet. 223 Union St.
THE HILLS DRY GOODS The Hills is where I go for the newest in trends that stay classic and for quality goods. It has the best designer denim in the city in one spot, from Paige to Frame to Mother Denim, so there’s no back and forth to a million stores to find the right fit. Game over. 2081 W. 4th Ave.
ONE OF A FEW This Gastown boutique offers the perfect selection of eclectic denim that you need to add to your wardrobe to mix things up. If you’re looking for denim alternatives, like the coolest denim dress or denim crop top, this is the place. 354 Water St.
BLUE STREAK
Vancouver It girl Kiara Schwartz paints a monochromatic portrait of the city LOOK TO STREET-STYLE STARS FOR HOW-TO-WEAR-IT DENIM INSPO
URBAN OUTFITTERS This is a great choice for fast fashion. I love UPDenim: It always fits, it’s affordable, and I always find my exact dreamed-up denim look when I walk in there. Its summer shorts are major (especially when you don’t feel like spending $200 on a pair of shorts). 830 Granville St. and 2199 W. 4th Ave. 4
OUT & ABOUT 2
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AROUND TOWN Capturing Vancouver’s blues. How many are in your ’hood?
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PHOTOGRAPHY: KIARA SCHWARTZ (AROUND TOWN); BRITNEY GILL (SCHWARTZ PORTRAIT); INSTAGRAM.COM @FAIRMONTPACIFIC, @PURE FLOAT2, @ SHANGRILA_VAN (SPA TREATMENTS)
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1. Blue comfort: Burgoo just opened on Burrard Street. (1100 Burrard St.) 2. Evo makes me think of Vancouver! Our city is all about ride sharing and Evo is one of our own ride-sharing brands. 3. One day I will live in a little blue house in Kits. 4. Even our city bikes rock the blue colour.
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THEKIT.CA | JUNE 2017 |
5. The iconic Fairmont roof is the perfect shade of blue, making me dream of bluesky days. 900 W. Georgia St. 6. Spotted through the window of one of my favourite boutiques, One of a Few. 354 Water St. 7. Somehow the light sometimes makes the mountains look blue from the city.
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CHILL ZONE: THE BEST WATER-INSPIRED SPA TREATMENTS
OCEAN CURRENTS FOUR HAND MASSAGE For this total indulgence at Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel’s Willow Stream Spa, two therapists provide a synchronized rippling massage with aromatherapy essential oils. The complimentary glass of bubbles takes it to the next level. (From $399, 1038 Canada Pl.)
2. WATSU MASSAGE There are float tanks, and there are massages, and then there is Watsu, which is both, and more. This treatment at Pure Float involves massage, stretching, joint mobilization, shiatsu and even dance—all in a float tank. ($99, 1197 Howe St.)
3. SEA THERAPY FACIAL This facial at the Shangri-La hotel’s Chi spa combines protein-rich seaweeds, hot and cool stone therapy and neck, hand and foot massage. To take it over the top, add on an aromatic infinity bath with Epsom salts, essential oils and colour-light therapy in a private suite. (Facial from $205; bath, $55; 1128 W. Georgia St.) 5
F R E S H N E S S T H AT WO N ’ T Q U I T, L I KE YO U R M O M W HO K E E PS
© Procter & Gamble 2017
A S K I N G F O R G R A N D K I DS .
STRESS TESTED FOR WOMEN
NOW TRENDING
ORANGE YOU GLAD
ART DIRECTION: KRISTY WRIGHT
LOUD AND CLEAR
...it’s summer? Shake off that groggy hibernation vibe and step into the sun with the season’s hottest style haul
THEKIT.CA | JUNE 2017 |
You heard it here first: Lucite heels are on the rise. Long before Kim K was papped in the acrylic kicks from Yeezy Season 2, fashion favourite Simone Rocha was making a name for herself designing Cinderellaesque soles and pairing them with her signature moody-girl aesthetic . For summer, the London-based designer again reimagined the “stripper” heel, proving that plastic on plastic could be utilitarian with PVCheeled wellies, while Maison Margiela showed an equally untraditional approach with Lucite-bottomed clogs. You could say they’re the shoes of our lucid dreams. —Jillian Vieira. Photography by Hamin Lee STUART WEITZMAN SANDALS , $525 , STUARTWEITZMAN.CA
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TANGERINE DREAM Summer’s juiciest picks, fresh-squeezed by beauty director Rani Sheen
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1. SUN SPLASHER Soak life back into pool-parched hairwith this fine mist of strand-feeding olive wax, glow- giving castor oil and softening rosemary and calendula.
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PHYTO PLAGE PROTECTIVE SUN OIL, $29, MURALE
2. CITRUS SPRITZ
E L I E S A A B L E PA R F U M RESORT COLLECTION EAU DE TOILETTE, $115 (90 ML), HUDSON’S BAY
3. SCREEN TIME With its featherlight texture and intoxicatin g tro pic a l -f lowe r scent, this sunscreen w i l l m a ke yo u f e e l like you’re lounging somewhere very, very expensive. INSTITUT ESTHEDERM ADAPTASUN SUN CARE LOTION SPF 20, $69, ESTHEDERM.CA
4. FUZZY PEACH T h i s c h a l k y p a s te l peach polish is shot through with the merest hint of copper shimmer. Match fingers to toes for maximum baby-angel effect. CHANEL LE VERNIS IN COQUILLAGE, $32, CHANEL.CA
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5. GLISTEN, GIRL If you’ve never slathered your limbs (and maybe your hair) in this nourishing, glow-imparting, island-holiday-smelling dry oil, which just got an update of antioxidant tsubaki oil for its 25th birthday, get to it. NUXE HUILE PRODIGIEUSE MULTI-PURPOSE DRY OIL, $46, SHOPPERS DRUG MART
6. SPRAY PAINT Tangerine blush is surprisingly flat tering , especially on sunwarmed skin. Mist a shot or two on moisturized cheeks and blend quickly.
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R O A D T R I P, B R A H PRADA
Wizard perfumer Francis Kurkdjian blended sparkly mandarin and p o m e g r a n a te w i t h sultry summer-night jasmine sambac and orange blossom, plus a pow of patchouli.
NOW A SUMMER STAPLE, THE REVVED-UP 1
PRETTY PREP
SEPHORA COLLECTION PERFECTION MIST AIRBRUSH BLUSH IN DREAM IN TANGERINE, $25, SEPHORA.CA
7. FRUIT GLAZE Let your lips shine bright like a tangerinetinted diamond with this glossy mix of moisturizing buriti oil and pH-adjusting coral pigment. CLARINS INSTANT LIGHT LIP COMFORT OIL IN TANGERINE, $25, CLARINS.COM
ROOTS BAG, $348, ROOTS.COM. ROSIE ASSOULIN TOP, $1,365, NET-A-PORTER.COM. TIBI SHORTS, $445, TIBI.COM. ELIZABETH AND JAMES TOP, $530, SIMILAR STYLES AT SHOPBOP.COM. ROGER VIVIER SHOES, $1,650, ROGERVIVIER.COM
PHOTOGRAPHY: HAMIN LEE (ORANGE CRUSH); SHALAN AND PAUL (SARAH, NIKKI AND SADE). PETER STIGTER (RUNWAY AND LIPS); ISTOCKPHOTO (CARS). HAIR AND MAKEUP: WENDY RORONG (SARAH, NIKKI AND SADE). TEXT: RANI SHEEN (MERMAID CONFESSIONAL)
NOW TRENDING
TEST DRIVE
Hot chocolate
M E R M A I D
THE O.G. ON SUMMER’S INSTA-BAITY HAIR TREND
C O N F E S S I O N A L
Brown lips looked pretty sweet on the spring runways—three Kit Compact staffers gave the top shades a taste test
“Everyone thinks they want my hair. Mermaid hair this, mermaid hair that—my mersisters and I have been cited to justify everything from multicoloured dye jobs to bum-grazing waves to glitter roots. The reality is we have a lot of water damage, colour fade from constant UV exposure (it travels through water, you know) and breakage from maintaining enough length to act as a top. If you really want mermaid hair, you’ll need a fishing trawler full of leave-in conditioner, a good curling iron and something to lend shine when the sunlight isn’t sparkling just so as you emerge from the waves. We’re so misunderstood. Don’t even get me started on unicorns!” —A.
The tester: Sarah, 23 The look: A grey-meetspurple-meets-brown goth-tinged masterpiece by makeup artist Aaron de Mey at Acne Studios. The verdict: “ This was definitely new for me. I loved the edginess of it and how it gave my look a complete overhaul. It made me feel like a badass!”
LOOK AT THIS STUFF. ISN’T IT NEAT?
TOOL KIT
HOT TOOLS CURLBAR, $150, SALONS. CAPTAIN BLANKENSHIP MERMAID SEA SALT HAIR SPRAY, $29, THEDETOXMARKET.CA. COLOR WOW POP & LOCK HIGH G LOS S S H ELL AC , $20, TR AD E S EC R E TS . MATR IX BIOL AGE AQUA GELÉE CONDITIONER IN VOLUME BLOOM, $20, CHATTERS.CA. GARNIER FRUCTIS MOISTURE LOCK 10-IN-1 RESCUE SPRAY, $7, DRUGSTORES
M.A.C LIPSTICK IN DEEP ROOTED, $21, MACCOSMETICS.CA.
The tester: Nikki, 22 T h e l o o k : M a t te m i l kchocolate-shake-coloured lip s by P at M c Grath at Bottega Veneta. The verdict: “This colour is a t wist on my usual no-makeup makeup look, with a touch more depth. It goes with everything.” M AY B E L L I N E C O L O R SENSATIONAL INTI-MATTE LIPSTICK IN RAW CHOCOLATE, $10, DRUGSTORES
The tester: Sade, 23 The look: Coffee-hued l i p s t i c k to p p e d w i t h copper glit ter by Pat McGrath at DKNY. The verdict: “ When I used to dance, we had to wear bright red lipstick with red sparkles. I hated it. However, I loved this look—it wasn’t too overwhelming. Though I did have to drink my tea through a straw!” GLAMGLOW PLUMPRAGEOUS M E TALLIC LIP PLUMPER TREATMENT I N SU G G ESTIVE , $ 30, SEPHORA.CA
JEREMY SCOTT
GIAMBATTISTA VALLI
BRA TOP TRAVELS FROM CLASSIC TO RACY 3
SPEED RACER
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BREEZY FLORALS
3X1 JACKET, $915, 3X1.US. 3.1 PHILLIP LIM TOP, $310, 31PHILLIPLIM.COM. CITIZENS OF HUMANITY PANTS, $450, ARITZIA.COM. THOMAS SABO BRACELET, $ 1 9 8 , TH O MAS SABO.CO M . B ROTH E R VE LLI E S SHOES, $680, BROTHERVELLIES.COM
THEKIT.CA | JUNE 2017 |
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VICTORIA’S SECRET TOP, $20, VICTORIASSECRET.COM. PAUL ANDREW SHOES, $1,640, PAULANDREW.COM. ALEXANDER WANG SKIRT, $1,360, NORDSTROM. EDDIE BORGO BRACELET, $715, EDDIEBORGO.COM. ALLSAINTS BAG, $410, ALLSAINTS.COM
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EMERALD CITY
Now that we’re all mothers to fiddle-leaf figs and succulents, it’s time to bring that green thumb to our fingertips Photography by Maya Fuhr | Manicures by Rita Remark
FRUIT PUNCH
Manicurist Rita Remark, Essie Canada lead nail artist, used two shades of green nail-art foil to create this mattified metallic design that’s as distressed as days-old fruit. Tip: Apply tiny strokes of transfer glue, then press the foil sheets on top, one by one, to create random shapes. VINTAGE DRESS, FROU FROU VINTAGE, TORONTO. TIFFANY & CO. RING, PRICE UPON REQUEST, TIFFANY & CO
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BEAUTY SCHOOL PLANT LIFE
Falling leaves on a fresh peach base will make you feel like you’re on a tropical vacation every time you catch sight of your tips. Tip: Pour small puddles of light and mid-green shades such as Essie Going Incognito and First Timer on a piece of tinfoil and blend them so that you can choose from a variety of hues for the leaves. VINTAGE TOP, PUBLIC BUTTER, TORONTO
FLOWER CHILD The pressed flower manicure is swoony perfection, especially over a pistachio base colour like Essie Chillato. Tip: You can find mini dried blooms at craft stores or online—cut them into tiny pieces and apply between two layers of topcoat. (Check out our how-to video at thekit.ca!) VINTAGE DRESS, FROU FROU VINTAGE, TORONTO. BIKO RING, $49, ILOVEBIKO.COM
GET IN LINE
Graphic stripes in mint and grass are offset by sunny yellow and tomato red for an island vibes effect. Tip: Use a striping brush to paint lines with alternating colours, cleaning the brush with remover in between to keep stripes crisp. POPPY FINCH RING, $275, POPPYFINCH.COM. BIKO BRACELET, $118, ILOVEBIKO.COM
GO LEAFS Glossy leaves creep across naked nails in homage to the healthiest plant you’ve ever managed to keep alive. Tip: Trace leaf outlines with a detail brush and deep green polish like Essie Off Tropic before filling them in. Leave plenty of negative space at the edges. VINTAGE JACKET, BUNGALOW, TORONTO. COREY MORANIS RING, $65, COREYMORANIS.COM TEXT: RANI SHEEN. CREATIVE DIRECTION: JESSICA HOTSON
THEKIT.CA | JUNE 2017 |
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PAUL SMITH
GO, GO, PINK POWER RANGER!
VALENTINO
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STOP TRYING TO MAKE “FETCH” HAPPEN
CHANEL
PINK IS SO FETCH!
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DELPOZO
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OSCAR DE LA RENTA
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CODE PINK
GENDER FLUIDITY: TRULY OUTRAGEOUS!
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The sweetest shade has shed its restrictive gendered rep. Now it’s bold and badass—a colour chosen, not imposed
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PAUL SMITH
JASON WU
I’M REALLY INTO BLUSH, USH, USH, USH, EH, EH, EH
GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN-DAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS
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T H I N K P I N K : C O N S I D E R I N G T H E C O L O U R W H E E L’ S M O S T L O A D E D H U E
“Using colour as a signifier of race, nationality or gender is overly simplistic. A single definition of gender was bound to fail when applied to 7.5 billion people. In early-20th-century America, pink was actually considered a masculine colour. In northern India, you often see men in pink turbans.” —Anjli Patel, lawyer 12
“I had the idea of making the most impractical pink concrete kitchen that turned out to be really beautiful. I’ve always liked pink tones and I’ve used them in my work since art school. I can’t wait for this trend to cool down, so I can go back to not feeling like a trend follower with my pink obsession.” —Maryam Keyhani, artist
“Pink is a warming colour—it makes me feel better when I’m sort of sad. It was my first favourite colour, but I went off it for a while, mostly because I didn’t want to choose a colour that most girls would choose. I wanted to be a person who was different than everybody else.” —Lily Nunnaro, grade three student
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| JUNE 2017 | THEKIT.CA
TREND SPOTLIGHT
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FENDI
This bone-dry effervescent rosé brightens up any patio. The name, Lola, is as much fun to say as “poke bowl”—double the joy. PELEE
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK PINK FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. I WOULDN’T BE HERE WITHOUT IT
ISLAND LOLA BLUSH SPARKLING VQA, $14. HOPEFUL BOWL, $12, CALII LOVE
Rose quartz is the crystal of unconditional love, and that’s how we feel about rosé. The stone heals emotional wounds; coincidentally, so does the wine. FRANCOIS
Finally, rosé is available in a can, so buy swirly straws, head to the June Motel in Prince Edward County and enjoy boozing without glassware. BIG
DULAC CÔTES DE PROVENCE, $16
HOUSE THE SIREN VIN ROSÉ CAN, $4
D R I N K P I N K : U N A P O L O G E T I C A L LY BA S IC ROS É PAI R I N GS
MORE PINK
COLOUR COMMENTARY
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Photography by Luis Mora
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HERMÈS
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“As a child, I avoided pink. I thought it was meant for ‘girly girls,’ not kids like me running around playing sports in the backyard and challenging my older brothers to basketball on the driveway. I don’t know where that idea came from or when it changed, but it was silly and, luckily for my closet, fleeting. Now bold colours make up the majority of my work wardrobe—I find that shades of pink really pop on-camera. As a sports broadcaster, I’ve never felt I’m perceived differently in pink. Even going into locker rooms, I don’t think about it at all. Being on television, it’s important that I feel comfortable in what I’m wearing because that affects my confidence on-air. In bright shades, I feel fresh, lively and like myself.” —As told to Eden Boileau
I INVENTED ROSE-TINTED GLASSES
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1. MUD EYE COLOR REFILL IN PINK GRAPEFRUIT, $8, SEARS.CA. 2. CINQ À SEPT DRESS, $635, INTERMIXONLINE.COM. 3. STELLAR COSMIC BLUSH IN BEAM, $30, SEPHORA .CA . 4. J.CREW SHOES, $314, JCREW.COM. 5. SELIM MOUZANNAR RING, $4,825, SELIMMOUZANNAR.COM. 6. COACH 1941 BAG, $800, COACH.COM. 7. ARITZIA DRESS, $138, ARITZIA.COM. 8. CA&LOU EARRINGS, $290, CAANDLOU. COM. 9. JENNIFER BEHR EARRINGS, $348, JENNIFERBEHR.COM. 10. ASOS DRESS, $220, ASOS.COM. 11. MAISON KITSUNÉ TOP, $380, MAISONKITSUNE.FR. 12. LONELY SWIMSUIT, $230, LONELYLABEL. COM. 13. MATT & NAT SHOES, $85, MATTANDNAT.COM. 14. SPELA MATTE LIQUID LIP IN FLIRT, $24, KISSANDMAKEUPSTORE.COM. 15. EXPRESS PANTS, $80, EXPRESS.COM. 16. MACKAGE JACKET, $550, MACKAGE.COM. 17. RAY-BAN SUNGLASSES, $175, RAY-BAN.COM. 18. ILLESTEVA PURSE, $535, ILLESTEVA.COM. 19. RAQUEL ALLEGRA TOP, $375, RAQUELALLEGRA.COM
CHRISTIAN DIOR
CHLOÉ
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I LIKE SHRIMP. IT’S SO FETCH
ALTUZARRA JACKET, $2,230, MIU MIU PANTS, $870, HOLT RENFREW. ZVELLE SHOES, $365, ZVELLE.COM
PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER STIGTER (RUNWAY); INSTAGRAM @CHAMPAGNEPAPI (DRAKE); GETTY IMAGES (RIHANNA, PALTROW). HAIR AND MAKEUP: WENDY RORONG FOR CHARLOTTE TILBURY/ORIBE/PLUTINO GROUP
Sportsnet host Caroline Cameron doesn’t blink while wearing pink in the locker room
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Piled-up, windswept hair and soft suede texture turn a fiery red dress romantic. MARKOO DRESS, $1,150, INFO@ MARKOOSTUDIOS. COM. JENNY BIRD EARRINGS, $75, JENNY-BIRD.CA. SHOT ON LOCATION AT SEVEN MAGIC MOUNTAINS, AN ART INSTALLATION BY UGO RONDINONE
An emerald bomber gets prettied up with a swath of Creamsicle eye colour.
Photography by Norman Wong | Fashion direction by Jillian Vieira
Trip out on the season’s coolest chroma in sun-drenched, far-out Las Vegas
TECHNICOLOUR DREAM
NO21 JACKET, $1,555, NUMEROVENTUNO. COM. JENNY BIRD EARRING (PAIR), $75, JENNY-BIRD.CA. COLOURPOP PRESSED POWDER SHADOW IN WAIT FOR IT, $7, COLOURPOP.COM
Opposite: Tough black and white basics find harmony with a lash-to-lid aqua eye. 3.1 PHILLIP LIM TOP, $540, SHORTS, $515, SHOES, $1,030, 31PHILLIPLIM.COM. MAKE UP FOR EVER AQUA XL COLOR PAINT IN MATTE TURQUOISE, $31, MAKEUPFOREVER.CA. SHOT ON LOCATION AT FLAMINGO LAS VEGAS
Shades of plum, thistle and blackberry—plus draped powder-pink blush—enliven a prairie-girl look. MULBERRY TOP, $995, SKIRT, $595, SHOES, $1,175, MULBERRY.COM. ALYNNE LAVIGNE EARRINGS, $105, ALYNNELAVIGNE.COM. WE LOVE COLORS SOCKS, $6, WELOVECOLORS.COM. NARS NARCISSIST UNFILTERED II CHEEK PALETTE, $76, THEBAY.COM
A strong indigo hue modernizes the roundshouldered, ruched dress of the season. ELLERY DRESS, $3,050, ELLERY.COM
Opposite: The little pink dress goes cosmic with a wavy hem and sculptural topknot. SPORTMAX DRESS, $1,295, (416) 928-1884. WE LOVE COLORS TIGHTS, $14, WELOVECOLOURS.COM. SUICOKE SHOES, $185, SUICOKE.CA. ORIBE STAR GLOW STYLING WAX, $50, HOLTRENFREW.COM
Opposite: Pastoral pistachio layers blend seamlessly into the wide-open desert. OPENING CEREMONY DRESSES, $615 EACH, OPENINGCEREMONY.COM. WE LOVE COLORS TIGHTS, $14, WELOVECOLOURS.COM.
Butter yellow and stark white make an unexpectedly perfect pair. L*SPACE SWIM TOP, $110, LSPACE.COM. M.A.C PAINT STICK IN PURE WHITE, $26, MACCOSMETICS.CA. THIS PAGE AND PAGE 15 SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE SMITH CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS HAIR AND MAKEUP: VANESSA JARMAN FOR P1M. CA/MAKE UP FOR EVER/ ORIBE. MODEL: FARRAH FOR SPOT 6 MANAGEMENT. BEAUTY DIRECTION: RANI SHEEN. CREATIVE DIRECTION: JESSICA HOTSON WITH THANKS TO LAS VEGAS CONVENTION AND VISITORS AUTHORITY
Join our reader panel
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREW SOULE
Give us the scoop on what you love & what you want a little more of in The Kit Compact
VISIT THEKIT.CA/COMPACT-READER-PANEL-JUNE TO SIGN UP NOW
COLLAGE: DANIELLE HESSION. PHOTOGRAPH: BY HAMIN LEE
THE HANDBOOK
TOTALLY OBSESSED
Remember how fun it was being into things as a teen? All those well-kissed posters and crumpled concert tix created a joyful lifeline to a world where anything seemed possible. Now that we’re grown-ups, our shared fixation is narrower and shallower: crafting personal brands where everything we “like” feeds a filtered version of ourselves. Let’s break out and recapture the carefree spirit of being 13 in 1998. Get started with obsession-worthy ideas and items that will actually make you happy THEKIT.CA | JUNE 2017 |
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Since childhood, artist and interior designer Danielle Hession has been combining found objects with personal treasures and textural elements to create pieces that tell a story or capture a moment. To conjure the purple and yellow shrines to teenage obsessions for our Colour Issue, Hession scoured dollar stores, Value Village and boxes of her high school stuff in her parents’ basement. “I kind of went down the ’90s rabbit hole as I was collecting things,” she says. “I was only seeing in purple and yellow for weeks!”
RECONNECT WITH THE MOST HOPEFUL VERSION OF Y O U R S E L F Randi Bergman recalls the unselfconscious intensity of teen obsessions When I was 13, I woke my mom up in the dead of night to drive me downtown so I could wait 14 hours to get the best view possible from the general admission section at the Backstreet Boys concert. Another time, I dressed up as a slushie to win a chance to meet the band, and when I lost, I cried for an entire day. I’m not exaggerating, but you probably knew that already. You probably got up to all the same shit when you were a teen. After all, the fan bases of boy wonders from the Beatles to Justin Bieber have always been full of freaks like us: girls who are so frenzied, they can only scream themselves hoarse before being carried away on gurneys. But it isn’t just heartthrobs that command that level of devotion. The obsession gene seems woven into every strand of teenage DNA. Last year, I was cleaning out the closet in my old bedroom and unearthed buried treasure: a three-part time capsule sealed since 1998, when I turned 13. The first box was inscribed with the following declaration: “In 1998, I am going to have style. I’m going to be foxy, independent, cool, sexy, the queen. I am a star!” Inside, I meticulously detailed every piece of my life at the time, from an itemized list of school crushes to a report of the top five trends that year: Tamagotchi, hair mascara and blow-up chairs among them. I repeatedly staked claims on my favourites: television show (Dawson’s Creek), actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), movie (a tie between Romeo + Juliet and Titanic), actress (tie between Claire Danes and Kate Winslet)…
STRANGE DAYS
In 1998, your bedroom wall was your shrine; now it’s Instagram. In a meta twist, Randi Bergman is unveiling her time capsule on Insta as @capsule98.
are we sensing a pattern here? Those fascinaCity finale. And sure, it was amazing. It was tions weren’t casual likes, they were absolute an experience that would have made my truths—and they defined me more than, say, teenage self freak out, but there was no part being the youngest child or having brown hair. of me that yearned to make a time capsule When I think back, I can easily conflate about it. Because if you think back to the last crushing on Leonardo DiCaptime you got mind-numbrio (or earlier, Elijah Wood, ingly excited about any#THROWBACK: circa the 1993 adaptation of thing, chances are that you THE PARIS HILTON MATRIX The Adventures of Hucklemaxed out at age 15. When The early aughts are back, berry Finn) with guessing we’re adults, our obsesled by Paris “That’s hot” at what kind of sexual godsions become less linked to Hilton and her circa-2002 dess I’d be in Cosmopolitan the excitement that defined despite barely having kissed our childish lusts—they crew. Do you know where a boy. I didn’t exactly underevolve into darker feelings, your low-rise jeans are? stand womanhood yet, but I often coupled to someknew I wanted in. And by in, thing we’re missing; pure Paris Hilton at I mean sitting in silence as my adoration, it seems, Fashion Week in 2002 Paris Hilton friend typed out some of the matures into envy. walks in NYC’s most scandalous stuff you’ve Catch me on any given Christian Cowan’s ever read to her onscreen parnight at home, and I’ll likely Spring 2017 show amour in a chat room. I wasn’t as advanced as she was, so I stuck with postering my walls with deep longing. The corner of my room behind my blow-up chair was dedicated Britney’s “I’m a Slave 4 U” to Hanson. It featured collaged Britney slips into all of the bodyphotos and artful acrostic suits for her Vegas residency poems such as: Totally gorgeous Aww, so cute Yup, he’s so sexy Love him Nokia cell phones Nokia Ohhh! 3310 is re-released worldwide Right, he’s my favourite featuring the OG Snake game My obsessive streak extended to people actually in my life too, especially my M.A.C Lipglass Swipe friends. I was insatiable for on Glossier’s new all-night phone marathons, cool-girl version of endless sleepovers and high-shine gloss trading encrypted notes between classes. As I got older, my fixation shifted to my future. In high Christina Aguilera school, I fell in love with “Dirrty” Kylie—the patron saint fashion and, overnight, decided of elegance and taste—dresses up that I was destined for that as Dirrty-era Xtina for Halloween Carrie Bradshaw life. I’d go out of my way to dress differently than everyone else, wearing self-made leg warmers instead of everyone else’s Lululemons and dismissing the popular Tight terry track suits Look Birkenstocks-and-sweatpants for Juicy Couture track suits at look in my first column for an Urban Outfitters near you a community newspaper. My style was considered so offbeat at that point that my classmates left me a “fashion Von Dutch trucker hats sense” as part of my last Kendall and Gigi bring back will and testament in my the Ashton-approved classic grade 12 yearbook. I lived and breathed the subject. Then I actually became a fashion writer and travelled to Paris Fashion Week à la Paris Hilton DJing in 2003 Paris Hilton DJs at West L.A. Equinox yoga class Carrie in the Sex and the PHOTOGRAPHY: LUIS MORA (SONIER); GETTY IMAGES (PARIS HILTON MATRIX EXCEPT SIMPLE LIFE); INSTAGRAM.COM @CAPSULE98 (STRANGE DAYS), @KYLIEJENNER (JENNER). HAIR AND MAKEUP: WENDY RORONG (SONIER). COLLAGE: DANIELLE HESSION
ARTIST NOTE
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THE HANDBOOK be 100 photos deep into my latest girl crush’s feed—not an actual famous person, but often someone who is just at the edge of my social circle, someone I know enough to know she makes me feel a little inadequate, a little below her level of success. (Call it an unfortunate side effect or the downright raison d’être of Instagram, but no matter how unfiltered the photo, every post seems to suggest a perfect life just beyond your reach.) She’s always got something I don’t have, whether she’s that artist turned darling of the fashion world, the photographer with my dream wardrobe or the crew posting perfect bikini shots from their yearly yacht trips. The difference is that when I obsessed over the Spice Girls’ flawless looks (Posh in particular), I didn’t feel the dark creep of jealousy. My love of their dazzling confidence and style was innocent in its admiration. After
all, in their best form, obsessions still exist as a basis for female bonding—like when a friend loaned me her copy of the rare Backstreet Boys: All Access VHS in junior high and so became my best friend. Today, people worry that the teenage obsession gene has morphed into a scary dependence on social media, prompting a lack of IRL social skills and a propensity for narcissism. To this, I’ll gladly hand over a photo of me at age 13, face painted with each Backstreet Boy’s name, and its matching delusional diary entry from when we went to see them perform at MuchMusic in the middle of a snowstorm: “When they came out, Brian was looking my way and I blew him a kiss! He started laughing and looked at me like ‘Me, really?’ AJ waved to me and held up the peace sign! Nick said ‘Hello over there’ and he was looking at me!” Insert side-eye emoji here. n
INSTA QUIZ: YOU’RE ADDICTED, OBV, BUT IS IT A PROB? Tally the points of all statements that apply: 1. That tatted bartender friend-of-a-friend shows up on your feed more than your mom
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2. Or your bestie
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3. You have a constant freezie headache from all that ice cream
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4. Running through a sprinkler without Boomerang = heart palps
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5. You booked a vacation because your feed needs holiday pics
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6. You fell off a cliff trying to nail that selfie #takemeback #toolate
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More than 2 points: Get off the ’Gram, get a (legal) gram and contemplate the meaning of life.
#THROWBACK: THE TV HAIR MATRIX
OWN YOUR COLOUR Makeup artist Lindsay Sonier (@linzeekins) isn’t hard to spot in a crowd. Here, she muses on her chameleonic crop “The first colour I dyed my hair was magenta. From there, I went to orange, copper, peach and now this highlighter yellow. For me, it’s a way to experiment, to express myself. Sometimes I’ll get comments on Instagram from people who just don’t get it. They’ll say ‘Why would you want to do that?’ or ‘What are you going to do when Halloween is over?’ when I had orange hair. And I thought, ‘I’ll look the exact same. Luckily, I’m not trying to please you.’” —As told to Jillian Vieira. Photography by Luis Mora SMYTHE TOP, $325, SHOPSMYTHE.COM
The small screen launched a thousand copycat cuts. But were we looking at the wrong heroine?
WERE OBSESSED WITH (WOW): Rachel’s Rachel. SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBSESSED WITH (SHBOW): Phoebe’s undone gorgeousness.
WOW: Serena’s bedhead-y mane. SHBOW: Blair’s Olivia Palermo-y waves.
WOW: Angela Chase’s maroon lob. SHBOW: Jordan Catalano’s ombré shag.
WOW: Moesha’s straight, layered look. SHBOW: Moesha’s amazing braids. 25
LEARN FROM THE BEST (I.E., BAUDELAIRE) Few folks are more obsessed with beauty than poets, and few poets have spent as much time thinking seriously about fashion and hairstyles as Charles Baudelaire, the 19th-century Parisian dandy. He was perhaps the first champion of street style—he felt that any truly sensitive artist must recognize the significance of women’s aesthetic shifts in the modern age. Though h e’s b e e n d e a d sin ce 1 8 67, we managed to reach Baudelaire from beyond the veil (where he assured us he not only sees all but has solid internet access) and invited him to answer your beauty Qs. I’ve been posting lots of Instagram selfies lately but my best friend just told me it makes me look vain. Should I go back to food and flower pics or selfie away? —Vain in Vancouver Dear Vain in Vancouver: A beautiful woman observes her own nature and distills it into fantasy. Artifice is divine. But the assembly line of plastic masks I see on Instagram lack imagination and individual spark. A woman’s living body breathes movement into what in photos appears rigid, like death. Luminous as the abyss may be, the glamour of death is all surface; her face has no blood. I mean, sure, I’ve been dead for 150 years, but I can tell you that a beautiful woman is more con-
cerned with imprinting her image into the air than onto her phone. Beauty is never achieved through seeking approval from the masses. Instead, go drape yourself over a velvet chaise, stare off sadly into the void and ignore everyone else at the party.
GET THAT WEAR-ITFOREVER BAG (LIKE OUR FASHION EDITOR, JILL) A Chanel bag speaks before you do. It says, “I’m all about that French life.” It says, “I’m even more versatile than you give me credit for.” It says, “I’m rich, bébé.” The house’s newest handbag, the Gabrielle— named after Chanel’s spirited founder—has a slouchy, hobo body, a touch of that coveted quilt and multi-use handles (hello, backpack!). Sure, it’s an investment on the level of rent for a year, but trust, you’ll be wearing it with your entire wardrobe, from a one-shouldered work shirt to chilled-out overalls. Make a statement without saying a word, and all that jazz.—Jillian Vieira. Photography by Luis Mora
I ’ve become obsessed with French- girl beauty—how can a Canadian MBA student get a little of that Parisian je ne sais quoi ? —Françoise Ontario Dear Françoise Ontario: When I scan, one by one, all French fashions from the birth of the nation up to the immediate moment, nothing surprises me. The transitions are as intricate and predestined as biological evolution. The French woman is born into a tradition with no gaps; she lives inside an unbroken current that connects her to history and beauty’s deathless power. She synthesizes the eternal with the relative morals of the modern minute. It’s hard to fake. Study exactly where on the head Parisians are gathering their hair and be aware if it shifts a quarter inch. And practise draping yourself over a velvet chaise, staring off sadly into the void and ignoring everyone else at the party.
CHANEL BAG, $4,025, CHANEL
LAURA SIEGEL DRESS, $580, LAURASIEGELCOLLECTION.COM. ALDO SHOES, $85, ALDOSHOES.COM
Recently my boss told me that I’ve been wearing too much makeup at work. Should I tone it down for the office? —Nonplussed 9 to 5 D e a r N o n p l u s s e d 9 to 5 : Q u i t your job and learn how to write poetry. (You can sell all of your furniture except the velvet chaise.) — Charles B audelaire’s spirit was channelled by Toronto poet Damian Rogers
BANANA REPUBLIC TOP, $95, BANANAREPUBLIC.CA. LEVI’S PANTS, $108, LEVI.COM
MA: ifSyoHu were 13 in 1998
Dream future
# OF KIDS:
Career aven publishing m blockbuster exec
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farmer
4 2
t marine biologis
MAKE UP FOR EVER AQUA XL INK LINER IN LUSTROUS VIOLET, $30, SEPHORA. CA. AVON TRUE COLOR GLIMMERSTICKS EYELINER IN MAJESTIC PLUM, $9, AVON.CA. ILIA BEAUTY EYELINER IN MY GENERATION, $28, BEAUTYMARK.CA
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City: Bever ly Hills
Gotham
Paris NEW YORK
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Mode of tr ansport CONCORDE yacht LAMBORGHINI
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PAIGE JUMPSUIT, $340, PAIGE.COM. TOP, JILL’S OWN
THE HANDBOOK CHOOSE YELLOW, CHOOSE LIFE
It’s a scientific* fact that when you choose girly goldenrod or streetwise saffron, your look is more likely to spark joy on the street. Call it analog dressing, a bright idea for dark times
HELDER DIEGO DRESS, $495, HELDERDIEGO. COM. JOE FRESH SHOES, $49, JOEFRESH.COM. BODYSUIT, JILL’S OWN
PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER STIGTER (STREET STYLE). HAIR AND MAKEUP: WENDY RORONG (VIEIRA). COLLAGE: DANIELLE HESSION
STAND TALL
Be a head above the rest in the season’s coolest flatforms, a throwback to our forever style icons, the Spice Girls
SHELLYS LONDON, $99, SHELLYSLONDON.CO.UK
CALVIN KLEIN, $73, CALVINKLEIN.COM
MARNI, $1,133, SHOPBOP.COM
TEVA, $75, TEVAONLINE.CA
WINNERS, $130, WINNERS
VINCE CAMUTO, $145, VINCECAMUTO.CA
INSTA RANT CAPTION LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING We’ve all spent a thousand years agonizing over captions that sound like you took one breezy second to type them, probably one-handed while silhouetted by the sun, laughing at something your pinkhaired, septum-ringed friend said, possibly on a boat. Get your life instead—it back and use this fits literally every situation, from “this Vetements hoodie” to “LiLo in Freaky Friday.”
* maybe?
RECOGNIZE HOW FAR YOU’VE COME Kathryn Hudson on how your first heartbreak can teach you more than you realize I’d had crushes before, of course, checking yes to say I liked this guy or that one, and then swaying awkwardly to Boyz II Men in school gyms and friends’ basements. I’d had a proper eighth-grade boyfriend who’d kissed me for the first time after pretending he wanted to step outside the lame party to show me the full moon. We broke up after a few weeks because one of us didn’t like Ben Harper’s music enough. Now I can’t remember who. But when I was 16, I had my first big obsession. It was more powerful than my first real love, which came years later, because it was swirling and senseless—it wasn’t rooted in reality or connection or compatibility, the practical concerns that came later to shape my adult relationships. Instead, my feelings were based almost entirely on my desire to feel grown-up, a clichéd notion that’s about as deep as Britney Spears whisper-singing about being “not a girl and not yet a woman.” We met at a yacht club, which sounds much more Dirty Dancing than it was. I worked in the restaurant; he worked on the boats. He was a handful of years older than me, tall and tattooed, with hair as black as motor oil. His unpredictable smile, occasionally tossed in my direction like a flare, was destructive. He seemed like a man, while all the boys at my high school were still mostly smooth and skinny, some proudly sprouting patchy goatees. As with most addictions, the main thing I remember about him is the feeling I had when we were together. It was like the electric charge in the air right before a summer-heat storm. He’d come to talk as I closed the restaurant at night, his laugh filling the tiny kitchen and knotting my insides. Now, I don’t remember what we talked about: probably skateboarding or surfing or other things I desperately pretended to like. I loved the easy way he looked at me, and I acted like it didn’t matter that I was the same age as his baby sister. When he asked me to meet up with him and his friends at a local bar, I said yes so fast I choked on the syllable. Luckily, the bouncer had a thing for young girls with No-Doubt-era bangs, low-rise jeans and no ID, so that night, I drank cloudy pints and laughed too loud and smoked cheap cigarettes until my head was thick with fog. The summer continued that way, with long talks and longer looks, as I went out of my way to run into him everywhere, anywhere, always. I needed him—but only because I needed to feel like I was worth choosing. Then we finally kissed one night. He walked me home after a late shift and, at the end of my parents’ driveway, under the stars, I felt the rest of my life unfurling in front of me like a magic carpet. He leaned on the seat of his BMX, and I still had to stand on my tiptoes to wrap my shaking hands around the broad nape of his neck. I thought it was the
beginning of something, but when the sun rose the next day, any meaning behind the kiss burned off with the dew. We never talked about it. I went back to trying to run into him, to taking obvious walks in the rain when he was due to be getting off work, to letting my anxiety about never being good enough roll down my cheeks in the form of fat toddler tears. I was too terrified to ask him why his interest in me had flared for one night, then faded—and too young to realize that I could have just kissed him again instead of waiting for him, my face constantly tipping toward his like a sad sunflower following the light. So, wordlessly, I went back to high school and then on to university. I fell in love, and in lust, and in
Whatup Keegan?! The 10 Things I Hate About You star legit started a cult
#THROWBACK: THE HEARTHROB MATRIX
We ranked the top 20 hunks over the last 20 years. Some, like wine, have gotten better with age; others are basically vinegar 1997 Leo DiCaprio 28
every casual romantic situation in between. I learned about boundaries and self-worth and the acrid smell that seeps out of desperation. I grew up. Now, when I think back on the time I spent obsessing, it’s a different feeling that I remember: a dark, oily need to please, to be special, to twist myself into a shape that could seem appealing. I’ve seen him in my old hometown a few times over the years, in the street near my parents’ house, while driving past the bar where I used to laugh too loudly at his jokes. He looks the same—which feels like some strange tear in time because I barely recognize who I was then: a girl with baby bangs and a childish heart. n
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Nick Lachey Andrew Keegan Joshua Jackson Josh Hartnett Justin TImberlake Jay Z
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2005 Idris Elba
2006 Heath Ledger
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THE HANDBOOK
MASH
Dream futu re:
Ca r ee r micro-gr ain far mer PRIME MIN IST ER
if you are 13
in 2017
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SHRINE AND COLLAGE ART: DANIELLE HESSION. PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAMIN LEE (SHRINE); GETTY IMAGES (CELEB). BEYONCE CANDLE BY ILLUMINIDOL (ILLUMINIDOL.COM)
Raleigh
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Mode of tr ansport Pr ivate jet tr icked out a ir stream T ES LA c
reepy white va n
(#neverforge t)
MARC JACOBS HIGHLINER MATTE GEL EYE CRAYON IN MIST ME?, $31, SEPHORA.CA. SEPHORA COLLECTION LONG-LASTING EYELINER IN FANCY VIOLET, $15, SEPHORA.CA. MARCELLE 2 IN 1 RETRACTABLE EYELINER IN PURPURITE, $11, MARCELLE.COM
INSTA REAL TALK YOU’D PICK UP FOR BEYONCÉ In 2017, a ringing phone is as terrifying as a clown in a sewer. It’s so much more soothing to text or comment on a pic with over-compensating exclamations à la Adele losing her mind over Queen Bey at the Grammys. So press green or don’t, but don’t kid yourself that writing #slayyyy means you’re communicating.
Ryan vs. Ryan is the battle of our time, but Gos emerged as the victor because lift scene = legend
Babyface nerd crush— such a moment in time! (BTW, Juno holds up)
ONLY WEAR CLOTHES YOU L O V E . F E E L F R E E . Kate Carraway on the joys of paring right back I’m a super-minimalist: My husband describes my aesthetic as “a green apple in a bowl on the floor of an otherwise empty room.” Even though I love fashion, years spent as a broke freelancer, moving between infinite sublets, taught me to buy with intention—and donate often—in order to maintain a slim inventory of clothes so that I’m free from the administrative drag of caring for pieces I don’t even like. Nowhere is the Insta-spirational proverb “less, but better” more relevant or resisted than in fashion. Buying less stuff—but better stuff—has challenged the exhausting abundance of the fast-fashion era, dovetailed with environmentalism, the wellness movement, and Marie Kondo’s decluttering doctrine and become a legitimate trend of “upscale minimalism” among women primed for a new obsession. A considered wardrobe of carefully researched, tailored and just-right pieces connects style with self-care at precisely the moment when the collective culture is breathing anger and anxiety like fire. All of this action also suggests that women are looking for something real and useful in minimalism. The obvious way to squeeze more out of less is by creating a self-styled “uniform,” like Matilda Kahl, a creative manager at Sony Music who fashion-famously blogged about her uniform of white silk shirt (worn with or without a
black blazer), black pants and a black tie. She’s been wearing the same outfit to work for two years. A slightly more forgiving option is the “five-piece French wardrobe,” which is usually interpreted as symbolic essentials to build on. It’s dreamy, if theoretical—and it’s catching on. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, for example, recently introduced “capsule” collections: monthly releases of supposedly elevated basics—if culottes fall under your definition of basic. Since we have access to everything via social media, online shopping and disposable fashion, hard limits come as a relief. In the same way that “intuitive eating” gives social credibility to “relaxing” for women who feel like they are both constantly under surveillance and failing, “less, but better” style solves two problems at once. Kondo’s directive to throw things away, the French idea of chic-ness as defined by “less” and of course rich, patrician Paltrow’s endorsement of owning only the essentials are the answer to our desire to happily release the overwhelming parts of getting dressed (shopping, spending, selecting)—and still capture an of-the-moment look and mood. Like anything prescriptive, though, even something as light as “less, but better” can feel like a self-help mandate that’s self-defeating. Men love to opine about living with less. Business guru James Altucher has often described his post-purge wardrobe of three pairs of pants, three shirts and one pair of shoes. But most women in typical jobs aren’t able to pull off self-created “uniforms” like Altucher, who can do basically >
This hair was Harry’s best hair. (Doesn’t it feel like “Sign of the Times” has been in your head since then?)
Our current obsession, for his talent, smile and unparalleled ability to pull off a brown velvet suit 2007 Michael Cera
2008 James Franco
2009 Robert Pattinson
2010 Kanye West
2011 Ryan Gosling
2012 Channing Tatum
2013 Harry Styles
2014 Nick Jonas
2015 Justin Bieber
2016 Drake
2017 Donald Glover 29
THE HANDBOOK
whatever he wants, or like Matilda Kahl, whose youth, creative gig and hotness make her uniform an appealing quirk instead of an eccentricity. Women, who still earn less than men and do more unpaid work, tend to have less time and financial capital to make well-researched investments in just-right
FIT YOUR LONG WEEKEND WARDROBE IN YOUR PURSE
Make the perfect white tee the star of your arsenal—plus a couple other reg-rotation-worthy pieces—for your Canada Day hols
things. My super-minimalist wardrobe of “better” costs less time and money overall, but dropping hundos on a single piece still stings. And, realistically, life is too big to accommodate a wardrobe that’s as small as the one I want, which would be a 10-piece, one-rack capsule of Max Mara, Céline and 1990s Calvin Klein. While my husband has maybe four strata of life, and the related outfits and shoes—ancient gym shit, J.Crew sweats for “stomps” with the dog, heavy sweaters and jeans for casual nights out and Canali for work and weddings—I have maybe 16, which correspond to the
subtleties and sub-levels of the roles and identities that I’m obliged to put on and take off. I need streetwear for brunch and shopping with fashion-y friends who can talk Vetements; polished, preppy basics to assert my respectability in meetings when required; floatysofties for PMS; winter cocktail; summer beach; holiday formal; lingerie; it goes on. If doing less could include fewer demands made of women, so we didn’t have to wait for a fashion trend to empower us to trust our own judgment, that would actually be better. n
The building block: Classic tee
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Friday summer hours: Sporty bomber + casual pants + easy earrings
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Saturday brunch: Tailored shirt + casual pants + preppy sandal
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Sunday outdoor concert: Cool shades + pretty romper + preppy sandal
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Monday dock life: Cool shades + chic swimsuit + simple cut-offs
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1. KOTN TOP, $30, KOTN.COM. 2. FEAR OF GOD JACKET, $1,905, FEAROFGOD.COM. 3. ELIZABETH AND JAMES PANTS, $465, SAKS.COM. 4. JENNIFER FISHER EARRINGS, $475, JENNIFERFISHERJEWELRY.COM. 5. EXPRESS TOP, $50, SIMILAR STYLES AT EXPRESS.COM. 6. MARYAM NASSIR ZADEH SHOES, $565, SSENSE.COM. 7. BONLOOK SUNGLASSES, $99, BONLOOK.COM. 8. AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS JUMPSUIT, $61, AE.COM. 9. SOLID & STRIPED SWIM TOP AND BOTTOMS, $105 EACH, SOLIDANDSTRIPED.COM. 10. M.I.H SHORTS, $265, MIH-JEANS.COM
TOO FACED SKETCH MARKER IN DEEP LILAC, $26, TOOFACED.COM. ESSENCE LONGLASTING EYE PENCIL IN BERRY MERRY, $3, SHOPPERS DRUG MART. NYX SLIDE ON PENCIL IN PRETTY VIOLET, $10, NYXCOSMETICS.CA
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“Sonya would do it.” My ears perked up. I pushed my desk chair back and poked my head out of my cubicle. The “it” in question was getting a tattoo from celeb artist Scott Campbell, which would make me ink buddies with Marc Jacobs. Basically, it’s like being offered a Warhol for your body. The catch? The art would be a surprise. Campbell recently launched an exercise in anonymity and trust called Whole Glory (yes, pun intended). Participation in the art project is simple: Put your arm into a hole in the wall; pull it out with fresh ink. And now, since Campbell was coming to Toronto, I was being offered the chance to snag my own mystery tattoo. I’m no stranger to doing something a little crazy. In my 20s, I would try anything once— even twice. While mildly intoxicated, I climbed into the germ-riddled pigeon bathtub that is the fountain at Queen and University in downtown Toronto and splashed around like a kid at the beach. I’ve also tattooed on a whim: I have a smattering of semi-ridiculous bunny tats, circa 2005, inspired in equal parts by a cartoon music video and a desire to skip marketing class. But my inaugural ink felt important. At 17, I was on a March break trip to Quebec City with a busload of kids from my Nova Scotia high school. My best friend, Heather, who was already 18, lent me her ID and accompanied me to the studio. I picked some flash art cherries off the wall and patiently waited my turn. When it was over, I was different. It was a week of firsts for me: my first time in a proper city, in a casino, in a bar, away from my parents. It was also the first time I truly felt in control. Growing up, I’d never felt comfortable in my skin. I was too short, too freckled. My thighs were too thick, my voice too loud, and I could never figure out what to do with myself at a party. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I didn’t fit—a perpetual Freaky Friday without knowing whose form I was stuck in. But something shifted when I got that small, indelible mark on my hip: I started to feel like I owned my body, like I could actively create my own story. I became obsessed. My skin was a scratch ticket, and I just needed to expose the symbols one at a time. Since then I’ve revealed a lot more of those pictures—13 in total by the time of the mystery tattoo—and each one has made me stronger and more comfortable with myself. Some are small,
some large; a few are undeniably ugly. But I have no regrets. My ink is a visual record of who I am and how I got here. But when I hit my 30s a few years ago, I adopted a “let’s think it through” attitude that was a little less spontaneous, a lot more put together. I became a grown-up who makes detaile d G oogle M aps and by-the - minute itineraries when I travel, and I spent a month researching my sofa before buying it. So while 20-something Sonya would have leaped at the opportunity for a no-peeking tattoo, current me was not so sure. The more I thought about it, though, the more I softened. Within a day, I said I’d consider doing it—you know, for the story. By the next morning, I was fully on board. But the day of the appointment, I was a jittery zombie. I spent the first part of the day in the office, concentration lagging. By the time I left for my session, I was talking faster than the speed of sound and at a pitch I’m sure only dogs could hear. Scot t arrive d with just a few p i e c e s of e q u i p ment and an assistant. His friendly, laid-back smile dispelled my fears. We s a t to g e t h e r for a few minutes as he asked me about my boundaries when it came to size, subject matter and placement. I decided I had none. When the needle hit skin, I tried to settle into my usual tattooing groove—laugh, wince, grimace, repeat. By the end, nearly 90 minutes later, I was almost too nervous to look. “Chariots of Fire” echoed in my head as I peered down at my arm. What I saw was delicate-skull perfection. As adults, disciplined decisions keep us safe, sane and sometimes a little bland. We spend so much time being responsible that we forget how amazing it can feel to say yes to doing something that’s a perfect, life-affirming combo of spontaneous, brave and just a bit stupid, whether it’s getting a tattoo or jumping into a questionably clean city fountain. Now, I have a permanent reminder of that high etched into my skin, a graphic note-to-self pushing me to seek that wild-child feeling every once in a while—to let 20-something Sonya take a peek at the road ahead and maybe even drive. n
“MY SKIN WAS A SCRATCH TICKET, AND I JUST NEEDED TO EXPOSE THE SYMBOLS ONE AT A TIME”
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SAY YES (EVEN IF IT S C A R E S Y O U ) Sonya van Heyningen on the power of letting go
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美容告白
While they’re both prop stylists, Catherine Doherty and her daughter Caitlin are at opposite ends of what that means. Catherine, 51, is zoomed in, creating beautiful tabletops for food and decor photo shoots, while Caitlin, 31, is the wide shot, designing bold, unique sets for fashion features and celebrity profiles. With a laughing, back-and-forth rapport, the duo seem as much like sisters as mother and daughter. They totally agree that time at the cottage is the best, just maybe not on who’s more high-maintenance.
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化妝潮流趨勢 「化妝並非是遮蓋妳的 瑕疵令妳變成最漂亮的 人，化妝是關於「怎樣 通過妝容向大家說出我 的故事？」 page 3
What is your favourite thing about each other? Catherine: “I like Cait’s spontaneity. She keeps things fun, and there’s always chaos around the corner.” Caitlin: “I love Mom’s energy. We’re always laughing!” How are you alike and how are you different? Catherine: “We both lose things all the time. We’re passionate people—we both have the wanderlust thing. How are we different? I’m a worrywart, and Cait never worries about anything. I’m always like, ‘What could happen next?’ A bomb could go off and Cait would be like, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s fine.’”
What’s your favourite thing to do together? Caitlin: “To be at the cottage on the dock, hanging out by the fire or going on hikes.” Catherine: “I love to hang out with the family [which includes Catherine’s other kids, Tara, 17, and Luke, 19], at the cabin. Our lives are so busy, so when we’re all together it’s really nice. We’ve had the chance to travel a couple times just the two of us, and that’s been really fun, too. We went to Mexico City recently.”
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How do you try to emulate your mom? Caitlin: “I’ve watched her approach things head-on. She’s taught me to face things without fear.” What have you learned from Caitlin? Catherine: “To live in the moment. Also, I see the way she is with her friends—she’s got this little army of people surrounding her. I think it’s important to surround yourself with good women.” Continued on page 4
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IN THE TRENCHES
These gutsy reporters—decked out in I-mean-business trench coats—deliver our country’s most vital stories By Jillian Vieira | Photography by Luis Mora Now, more than ever, being a journalist is a tough gig. Besides jousting to break ultra-clickable stories, today’s media pros face a steady readership decline, a growing distrust of the press and the advent of the F-word—fake news. Still, the most intrepid journalists see opportunity in the current climate. “The other day, I joked that the American election single-handedly saved journalism,” says CityNews’s Ginella Massa, Canada’s first hijab-wearing anchor. “It created a need for reporters to do their own legwork, not to just take everything from local sources at face value.” Doing that kind of legwork brings journalists to front lines charged with tension—and emotion. For Toronto Star crime reporter Wendy Gillis, who covers everything from murder scenes to high-profile court cases, a little empathy goes a long way. “I covered the mosque shooting in Quebec City in January and I had my first experience of actually crying during an interview,” she says. “There’s something presumptuous about coming in and taking on someone’s pain, but at the same time, it’s a human emotion. No one can expect you to ask the questions and feel nothing.” Erica Vella, digital broadcast journalist with Global News, connects that empathy to a search for human truth: “The best reporters capture the experience of the person whose story they’re telling. You’re not just watching the news—you’re understanding why this story matters.” Being a woman reporter in a male-dominated field matters, too: Allison McNeely, who fell into covering the business beat after applying for an internship on a lark, says that reporting for Bloomberg News has meant negotiating complex power dynamics. “It’s been a challenge speaking to those kinds of people as equals,” she says of gaining her journalistic confidence. “But I find that when you’re knowledgeable and you come prepared, most people are willing to give you a chance and treat you with respect.” Despite the occupational demands, all the reporters say that delivering stories that matter is the ultimate reward. “I’m most proud of covering the refugee crossings in Manitoba,” says Tamara Khandaker of Vice News, who has recently been reporting on race, civil liberties and immigration. “I spent a couple nights camped out in a car waiting for people to cross the border. Besides how the story turned out, just seeing the people make that journey into Canada was incredibly powerful in itself.”
Wendy Gillis, 31, crime reporter, Toronto Star MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS COAT, $250, MICHAELKORS.CA
TREND NOTE
It was the coat of choice for hard-boiled journos in Hollywood’s heyday, and now, with a few structural alterations at Vetements and Burberry, the trench is back in the spotlight this spring. Michael Kors cited Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly as inspiration for his Spring 2017 reimagining of the closet essential with an asymmetrical silhouette and an extra-long belt. As the designer told us, “The trench’s blend of practical and polished makes it one of those pieces you wear almost everywhere.” HAIR AND MAKEUP: WENDY RORONG FOR CHARLOTTE TILBURY / ORIBE / PLUTINO GROUP. HAIR AND MAKEUP ASSISTANT: ALYSSA MANUEL
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Ginella Massa, 30, news anchor, CityNews
Erica Vella, 28, digital broadcast journalist, Global News
MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS COAT, $395, MICHAELKORS.CA
BANANA REPUBLIC COAT, $240, BANANAREPUBLIC.CA
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TRIVIAL PURSUITS
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The world of beauty is far from trivial—hairstyles, makeup and skincare trends are layered into history, pop culture and science and technology. So we decided to make up our own questions for that famous wedge-filled board game. Get ready to test your beauty brain! —Rani Sheen
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If you guessed hyaluronic acid, slam a mint julep. (Jk, sip it elegantly.)
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