Valentino Spring 2010: No Red Dress in Sight

With Valentino's retirement approaching the two year mark, it is evident that creative directors, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, are aiming to take Valentino to a whole new and different level. This definitely showed at the Paris Spring 2010 Ready to Wear collection. Without Valentino's signature red dress in sight, it was clear that Chiuri and Piccioli are ready to design for a "new generation of Valentino in mind" as presumed by fashion critics everywhere.

Now is this necessarily a bad thing? I personally don't think so. Valentino's creations have blown our minds for so many decades and his gowns will always be embedded in our minds. Chiuri and Piccioli's approach to the new Valentino generation only proves that although they're moving away from the man's designs, beauty and class is still what the Valentino house holds to the present day. The soft color feminine palettes mixed with a few androgynous pieces presents both a very whimsical yet dramatic edge to the new collection. Valentino's understanding of one of a kind dresses and gowns are still there but it is evident that the house is ready to move forward. Without a red dress in sight, it brings a sad tear to those nostalgic of past Valentino shows but Chiuri and Piccioli's ability to take us away with their collection as if we were part of a mystical world where only tulles, bows and ruffled existed stays true to the Valentino magic.

Here are my favorite pieces from the Spring 2010 Ready to Wear show in Paris:
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTEST OF STYLE.COM













Until my next adventure, good reading and good night!

Chef Michael Smith

As I mentioned last week, Chef Michael Smith of Chef at Home and Chef Abroad was going to be at Indigo in the Eaton Centre to do a book signing for his current book that's out, The Best of Chef at Home. Well, being a big fan of his show and his cooking, I went to catch a glimpse of the celebrity chef.

My impressions? I would love for him to be my full time chef or my best friend for that matter! He sounds and acts exactly as he does on TV as he does in person; personable, likable and very engaging. He talked about what makes cooking great and why it makes him happy. He says that cooking is all about your family and friends, that without having those kinds of people to cater for makes it less enjoyable and less adventurous. It's all about exploring and pleasing our taste buds and experimenting with what's out there in terms of ingredients. He also addressed the irony of having written a cookbook, as his mantra for his show has always been "Cooking without a recipe". He explains that the success of the TV show has led to so many people asking him to share the different meals he had discovered through cooking with the spontaneous use of ingredients that it made him consider writing cookbooks. And like he said, what is better than sharing food with friends and family.



The Best of Chef at Home is definitely a great addition to a collection of cookbooks, especially for someone like me who is afraid to cook as I've failed so many times in the kitchen making the simplest things. But with Chef Michael Smith, as cheesy as it sounds, he helps you get over that fear and just have fun and try new things in the kitchen. And I think we are lucky and privileged enough to have a very talented chef like him share his favorite meals with us so we can in turn share it with others.

I'm definitely trying out some of his recipes and who knows, I might just invite you all for dinner and share my delicious cooking with you. With a couple or more first attempts at it of course!

Until my next adventure, good night and good reading!

Summer/Spring 2010 Vawk Collection by Sunny Fong

I always love hearing people's success stories, especially those who I've followed from the beginning of their careers to what they have accomplished in the present day. One of these stories belongs to Sunny Fong, the winner of Project Runway Canada Season 2. He was my favorite from when he designed the military hooded jacket in the first episode for the Canadian War Museum challenge to his state of the art Alexander the Great inspired collection that earned him the winning title. Needless to say, I was always rooting for him because of his immense talent in design and creativity, and his deep understanding of what constitutes fashion and art.

Well, Monday, opening day of LG Fashion Week 2009 here in Toronto, I had the great privilege of viewing his Spring/Summer 2010 Vawk Collection at the AGO. And let me just say, he does not disappoint AND he is definitely the perfect pick to open up Fashion week with a bang.

Like his past Project Runway Canada creations, there's always a story behind the inspiration for his collection. The Spring/Summer 2010 Vawk Collection, titled Tattoo Hibiscus is inspired by the 1930s movie Mutiny on the Bounty with Mr. fashionable himself Clark Gable.


Image courtesy of www.imdb.com

The movie is a journey aboard the HMS Bounty onwards to the Polynesian islands of Tahiti, which is exactly what Sunny intended for the collection, "A Voyage to Polynesia". The show brought exactly that. It was a captivating display of what he interpreted from the movie, starting the show with strong tailored sea-captain like jackets with a mix of island style pieces to slowly progressing to the more Polynesian inspired pieces like silk flowing gowns in island colors of red and pink. And there is a story behind the "Tattoo Hibiscus" title for his collection, as the Polynesians inspired pieces were decked out in exactly that, tattoo like hibiscus prints.

These are some of my favorites from the show:
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TORONTOLIFE.COM


Bet they didn't wear that aboard the HMS!


You can see the Polynesian elements on the jacket as well as the pirate cut inspiration.


The Polynesian inspiration.


The main attraction: the Polynesian gown.


The man of the hour!

While the show was very short (there were only 12 pieces), it was crafted so intelligently and the pieces were so thought provoking not to mention definitely captivating that the size of the collection left you wanting to see more. I definitely look forward to what inspires Sunny Fong next and what his next story will be.

Until my next adventure, good night and good reading!

Jimmy Choo for H&M

I've been wanting to blog about this ever since I saw ads plastered all over H&M for it. Well, today being Sunday window shop/shop day (my weekly ritual... what? At least I've reduced it to once a week, it used to be almost everyday), I saw it again and decided to check it out.

Many of you may have heard that Jimmy Choo is collaborating with H&M to bring a more affordable collection to the stores this November 14. As any fashion obsessed individual, I squealed to the thought of this. I've always been a fan of Mr. Choo and although his Fall 2009 is a bit of a safe bet even for Mr. Choo, with the exception of the Zebra print Jetson boot, any high end designer's collaboration to give the public a more affordable version is always a nice and exciting gesture.

With the lovely help of New York Fashion's website, I got a little sneak preview of the line and I must say, I'm not as impressed as I thought I would be. And I know it's supposed to cater to a general public, I still find the line a little bit mediocre and very far from what I expected. While there are plenty of pieces that stand out, like a fringed long sleeves suede black number and studded zebra flats (mimicking his Jetson boot), I found the line to be a bit "it's been done before". I guess I can't help and compare it to Anna Sui's Gossip Girl inspired line for Target. Sui stuck to her staple signature of patterns and made it work for affordable yet different and still unique and I thrive off uniqueness with any designer.

Now don't get me wrong, I am most defintiely picking up a few pieces that I did like, including this fringe number.


Image Courtesy of New York Fashion.

However, that being said, I guess I had more Choo expectations with the line. Instead, it looks a lot like what I can find at Mango. Overall, with a few exceptional pieces, I give Jimmy Choo's H&M collection a 3 out of 5 stars.

Some more stand outs from the line:


Image Courtesy of New York Fashion.


Image Courtesy of New York Fashion.

Until my next adventure, good night and good reading!

International Chef Day and Theo Fleury

I know it has been almost a week since I last blogged, but I am back and alive. I'm really going to try to make it my goal to write as often as I can. Although, I do wish there was more days in the week or more time in the day, but we can't have everything now can we.

Today at Dundas Square, the Escoffier Society of Toronto hosted International Chefs Day selling food for $2.00 - $3.00 in support of Second Harvest. Second Harvest is a local charity in Toronto that delivers fresh surplus foods to all sorts of social service programs in the GTA that would otherwise be thrown away. And if you know me, you say the word "food" and "good cause" and I'm there.

I've never been much of a cook, in fact my first attempt with cooking Kraft Dinner, I turned it into soup. So needless to say, I am much better off tasting other people's food. It's kind of sad too because I constantly watch the food network on a daily basis and I have dreams sometimes of becoming the next Julia Child or Giada De Laurentiis, but alas, it's not my forté. Tasting other people's cooking though, now that's another story and that is exactly what today was for.



There were about eight booths set up for the different participating chefs showcasing their creations. Some of the food included things as simple as cheese platters to baby back ribs and lamb shanks. I tried the pulled pork sandwich.


It was rich in flavor and just enough seasonings and spice too. I've had pulled pork sandwiches before and they always seem to be either too salty or overly seasoned. This one was just right.

After food tasting, like every person with their secret guilty pleasure, mine is celebrity sightings. No matter how big or small the celebrity is, I get a high off of seeing one. It's exactly like when you see your teachers out of the classroom, you can't exactly comprehend why it's so astonishing, it just is. The celebrity sighting for today is former NHL player, Mr. Theo Fleury. He's been all over the sports news in the past week with the new release of his book, Playing With Fire, and today he was doing a book signing at Indigo in the Eaton Centre.



I haven't read the book itself, but I am planning to after hearing all about it. It's interesting to know what goes on off the ice with hockey players. I am a big fan of hockey and to me, all I see when I watch NHL games are exactly that, hockey players. So it's always interesting to see a side of them that we don't normally see during games. Fleury's book is a biography of his life as an NHL player but showcasing what went on behind the scenes as well. It's about the hardships he went through while living a very successful NHL career, which included a huge assist in leading the Calgary Flames to a Stanley Cup win back in 1989, to being a key player in the 2002 Olympics gold medal win for the men's hockey team and to having Wayne Gretzky stand by his side as his mentor. Fleury also talks about how he dealt with growing up poor, his addiction to drugs and the now famous story of how he had come so close to committing suicide. It definitely is a must read, and it's going on the top of my to-read list.



Also, may I add, if I wasn't such a celebrity snoop, I wouldn't have found out that Chef Michael Smith of Chef at Home and Chef Abroad is also doing a signing at Indigo on Wednesday for his book Chef at Home.



I am definitely very excited for that. If you watch the Food Network as religiously as I do, you would be too. This guy is a genius. He experiments with new flavors every time he cooks and he uses the most interesting ingredients every time. It's not your every day let's put a sprinkle of salt and a hint of rosemary in your soup kind of guy. No, Michael Smith is adventurous. He has a walk in closet of ingredients for his dishes, everything from tree bark syrup (yes apparently this exists) to paprika that can only be found in the caves of Chile and Guatemala (okay maybe I'm exaggerating with the last part, but if you watch the show, you'll understand... do they even have caves in Guatemala?)

If you're interested in attending the book signing, Chapters has the details.

Until my next adventure, happy reading and good night!

Michael Bublé and Korean Grill House

Like most fans of Sinatra, Mencini and Fitzgerald, my parents and I have been huge fans of Michael Bublé ever since we heard his rendition of The Way You Look Tonight. The man's got the voice, the talent and that nice guy attitude that no matter how famous, rich or successful he is, he's probably someone that is hard to not like.

To my excitement, Bublé himself was coming to my new home to do a signing for his newly released album Crazy Love, at the Eaton Centre!

So today was the day and I headed off to see if I could get his CD signed, except to my disappointment (well mostly to my mom's, she kept texting every 5 seconds asking if I met him yet) and surprise (Although, I'm not sure why I was, I mean the man is a two time Grammy nominated artist and has sold 11 million copies of his albums... what was I expecting?), there was a line up that probably reached Ottawa at only 11 AM. I'm guessing the hard core fans planned their day around this and decided to camp out there, either way, I didn't get to meet him and I have a big, and I mean big hate of crowds, so I wasn't about to elbow my way to get a CD signed. However, the paparazzi that I am, I got a glimpse of him and decided that I am either going to marry him or he will be singing at my wedding.


The man making his entrance.


My Paparazzi pictures. He is so good looking in person.


And this my friends, was the amount of people that was there for the signing.


So instead, I watched from afar, like the creep that I am. Maybe another day, I will get to shake his hand. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed!

After Bublé mania, I met up with my good friend Kim and her friend for some Korean food at the Korean Grill House on Queen street. Let me just tell you about this place, not only is it a fun dining experience but the food is absolutely delicious. Korean Grill House is like those hot pot places where you literally have a grill in front of you and you cook your own food. We had the all you can eat special, which comes with different types of meat (lamb, chicken, beef, shrimp, salmon... you name it!) plus endless amounts of rice and side dishes such as tofu, spicy potatoes and bean sprouts. So not only is this place delicious, it's cheap, cheap, cheap!


There's the grill and your meats...


then you cook!


Rice, Tofu and Bean Sprouts.


Me enjoying a great meal!

I would definitely recommend Korean Grill House for anyone looking to have a cheap, fun, interactive, great food and great dining experience in the city. Just make sure your food is completely cooked (the waiters/waitresses actually tell you this, in case of lawsuits I'm guessing), unless you want salmonella. And, if you're planning to go to a celebrity signing, make sure you line up at the break of dawn, only if you really are a true dedicated fan though.

Until my next adventure, good night and happy reading!

Nuit Blanche: First Toronto Adventure

I am just so lucky that the week I move into the city, the greatest art concept is taking place. There is only one event I am talking about and that is the ever growing Scotiabank sponsored event, Nuit Blanche.



For those who don't know, Nuit Blanche is an idea that started in Europe where art lovers could experience an all night festival immersed in everything, well, artsy. The tradition has continued and we are so privileged enough that the movement has come to North America and I got to experience it first hand!

Literally, the event takes place from sunset to sunrise, and different parts of the city becomes one huge art exhibit. As it was my first time, I decided to be spontaneous (or rebellious?) and didn't map out my course like they suggest you to. I guess that was a little bit of a mistake because I wasn't able to see everything that was of importance to be seen. My advice then to myself and for those who wish to go next year is exactly what their website says: MAP OUT YOUR PATH! However, that being said, I still saw some interesting exhibits AND I was able to explore the city at the same time. And what better way to do so than through art!

Here are some of the highlights of what I did see:


Light installation at Dundas Square. The sock lights sort of gave me a future idea of how to decorate my bathroom. Possibility?


This piece was of a woman dressed in a giant white gown floating and dancing around. I wasn't entirely sure what the meaning of it was and I thought it was kind of bizarre but I did give her props for doing that all night long.


These drummers were extremely talented. They were parked right outside the Eaton Centre and asked volunteers from the audience to drum with them. I don't think I've ever seen hands move so fast.


This was interesting. All you can see of the exhibit from far was a giant talk bubble that said "Hey Dave!" and a line of people waiting. As we got closer, there was a sign explaining the whole point and it was to say Hey to this guy (I'm assuming Dave?) that was sitting there. I'm guessing he wanted to see how many people would do it? Oh the things we call "art" nowadays...


This was probably one of the best art displays I saw all night. At Nathan Philips Square, this exhibit showed illuminated four letter words flash every hour suspended in between the two buildings.


Another favorite: A carnival with a fun slide in the middle of Bay Street. Maybe a hint for bankers to lighten up?


Jeff Koons' inflatable silver rabbit. It was floating in the middle of the Eaton Centre and it was pretty fun having the balloon there when all the stores were closed. It kind of gave the place an eerie feeling, like one of those weird dreams you have where things make no sense or one of those illustrated optical illusions come to life, or something.

I definitely recommend Nuit Blanche for any art lovers out there. It's a fun experience. Just make sure you wear comfortable shoes and have an open mind!

Until my next adventure, good night and happy reading!

A new life, a new chapter

It has been officially 5 days since I have moved to Toronto and it has not disappointed me in any way, form or style. I have always been a city girl. I remember I'd write endless amounts of pages in my journals when I was younger about how I dreamed of waking up to the sound of traffic and go to bed seeing bright lights. I guess if you really put your mind and heart into something, you can get there.

And so far, that is exactly what I have experienced in the short time I have been here. There's nothing better than getting lost and immersed into the crowds of a busy sidewalk and being so overwhelmed by the colorful cultures all around you, you can't even begin to think where to start exploring.

This is what my blog will be dedicated to. My exploration of the city of Toronto. My new home, where I can finally live the pages off of my made up city stories in my journals. Welcome and enjoy!