Styling for Lookbook Cookbook!

Remember waaaay back when, when I posted about styling a shoot for Lookbook Cookbook? Yeah, like 6 months ago... If you don't (haha, which I'm sure no one does....) feel free to give my old post a read. Here's a little story of how it went!

The night of the shoot was a rather hectic one. I had spent the entire day pulling clothes and collecting accessories, etc etc. On top of all that I had to clean my nasty apartment because Lookbook Cookbook creator and photographer Jessica Milan and I decided to have the shoot in my tiny closet of a home. After what seemed like hours of preparation I had my outfits down and ready for shooting.

Styling the shoot was a piece of cake ( haha pun totally INTENDED). Since I've been modeling for LBCB for quite some time now, I was very familiar with the type of look Jess wanted. All my outfits were super casual and I made sure to keep them as LBCB-looking as possible aka super big on the high-waisted shorts, chunky jewelry and bright lipsticks. Most of the clothing used in the shoot was pulled from my very own closet and the jewelry was graciously loaned to me by my friend Corrine Anestopoulos of BIKO. If you are unfamiliar Corrine's amazing designs take a second and check out a post I wrote about her a few months back. She's one talented little lady.

BIKO jewelry. Spring/Summer 2013

I can't remember just how many looks I did in the end, but here are the ones Jess posted so far. First up is my caramel smoothie look. I'm wearing a nasty old black beanie, my tiger cut-off tee from Brandy Melville, an American Apparel lace bra, (can't remember what I was wearing as bottoms... maybe I was naked. Who knows.) fuchsia Smashbox lipstick, BIKO necklace and bracelet and Tiffany rings.

photo: Jess Milan

photo: Jess Milan

The second we have the pecan pie smoothie modelled by the lovely Hailey. She's wearing a Dream Big tee from Brashy Couture with BDG high rise shorts and BIKO jewelry. 

heheheheheh look!! I'm a stylist ;) (name is misspelled but whatevs happens all the time..)
photo: Jess Milan

photo: Jess Milan

And third, the MOST AMAZING THING IN THE WORLD, chocolate chip banana pancakes! AHHH I DIED! I'm wearing a Mickey Mouse print skirt from Urban Outfitters, a zipper-front vintage leather mini skirt and BIKO jewelry.

photo: Jess Milan

If I could eat these pancakes every day for the rest of my life I would die a happy (but very fat) woman.
Thank you Jess. Thank you so much.

Here are some behind-the-scene shots of goodies and outfits that have yet to make it on the site. Once Jess unveils the new treats, I'll make sure to post more info.

photo: Jess Milan

Amazing no-bake treats!! Sorry guys, I can't tell you what they are. Gotta wait for the LBCB post!

Catching that flash with my phone. That's behind-the-scenes action for you.

Behind-the-scenes at Folio's Spring 2013 fashion shoot

For those of you that don't know, on top of being a fashion writer for the National Post I am also the Editor-in-Chief of Ryerson Folio Magazine. I started working for Folio as the Fashion editor and was then promoted to Editor-in-Chief so obviously I have a soft spot for the fashion section. I take Folio's fashion pages super seriously and so I made sure to have the VERY BEST TEAM for this Spring 2013 issue. I wanted this issue's fashion editorial to be perfect. There was no way I was going to let a magazine with my name on it have some loser catalogue-worthy shit photography or tacky no-name designer outfits. I want Vogue or Vanity Fair! I want HIGH FASHION DAMMIT! And so I called in my three pros, Folio photographer Joseph Hammond, fashion editor and stylist Christian Allaire, and makeup artist Christina Ciddio

Rolled this thing around campus during the biggest bloody freezing wind-storm EVER...Good times with Chris. We managed not to wreck anything. Thank you, Fashion God!

My darling Chris pulled from the studios of some of Ryerson's most important fashion alumni. He got amazing pieces from Lucian Matis, LABEL, Amanda Lew Kee, and Rachel Sin. Using his amazing networking skills and fashion connections, Chris also managed to get the people from Ann Taylor to provide us with shoes and Artifacts Jewelry to lend us their amazing one-of-a-kind vintage pieces.

The amazinggg yellow croc-skin jacket by Lucian Matis. This thing made headlines last Fashion Week. It was one all of the Spring/Summer 2013 runway's best lists.

COLOUR BLOCKING. It's important. Thanks Ann Taylor ;) 

Together, Chris and I styled our model, the lovely Catrina Chen, while Joseph got his lighting down. Have I mentioned that Joseph is actually an amazing photographer? K, good. Check out his portraits. They're really something else.

Catrina in another Lucian Matis creation

Our buddy Joe being a pro

Catrina in Amanda Lew Kee. ALK makes sportswear sexy. Just saying

After an intense hour and a half of dressing, un-dressing, running, posing, styling, placing, BLAH BLAH fashion head-aching, we got it! We all left the shoot knowing that this issue of Folio was going to have a KILLER fashion spread.

AND GUESS WHAT! IT DOES!!

Get it while it's hot bitchezzzzz

Haven't seen it yet? Dude, what are you waiting for? QUICK RUN TO RYERSON! The magazine was launched last month at our Folio launch party (sick party, you should have been there. If you weren't invited...sorry, I guess you aren't cool enough) and is now available around school.

skirt and top by Lucian Matis
photo: Joseph Hammond

right: dress by Rachel Sin, necklace and bracelets by Artifacts Jewelry. Left: jacket and skirt by Lucian Matis, shoes by Ann Taylor 

Right: top and shorts by Amanda Lew Kee, necklace by Artifacts Jewelry. Left: Label dress and jewelry by Artifacts.

Toronto Fashion Week - Day 2 - Laura Siegel behind-the-scenes

It was my first feature for the National Post and it took two days of documenting to complete - my behind-the-scenes story about the young and talent designer Laura Siegel. It was published in this weekend's paper and seeing it in print made me want to cry. Yeah, you'd think seeing your published work would get old but I'm still such a noob that seeing my byline in black ink on paper still makes my heart fall to my stomach.

yeah sorry it's kinda blurry.. I was really excited.
National Post Weekend Edition. March 23 2013

Anyway, the point of this post is to fill you in on all the behind-the-scene stuff from behind-the-scenes. Funny, isn't it. There's a behind-the-scenes of a behind-the-scenes pieces? Yes sir. You bet your ass there is. If you haven't had a chance to read my fly-on-the-wall piece about Laura Siegel and her makeup and hair team you can find it on the National Post website (or in print wooohooo! that is, if you still have a copy of this weekend's Post lying around the house)

The first part of the story took place a week before fashion week at the Maybelline and Redken hair and makeup trials. Basically what happens is the lead makeup artist and lead hair stylist for Toronto fashion week schedule a meeting with each designer to decide on the hair and makeup for their runway show. Laura Siegel's trial day was Monday March 11 and I was there being a nosey journalist. Here are some photos from that day at the studio.

Redken hair pros doing what they do best at the Queen West studio space

Laura ready for her National Post close up

Maybelline's Grace Lee and the inicial makeup idea

lots of hair spray

Long curly extensions.

Make look take two. 

The Laura Siegel F/W 2013 lipstick colour and my new favourite possession.
(thanks Grace xx)

My toughest interview subject. He was so difficult to work with.
Just look at that death stare. He's got me beat.. 

Part two of my piece took place backstage at the Laura Siegel runway show at fashion week. Basically what happened was at 3ish I showed up backstage and everyone on the Laura team was running around like crazy getting all the models ready for the show, which was to start at 4p.m. I continued my nosy journalist-ness and ran around trying to catch some great frantic quotes from people. And oh boy did I get some. (Didn't use most of them due to word count restrictions..too bad) For your enjoyment - some shots of fashion craziness!

Models backstage. Makeup done, hair half-done and waiting to be dressed

Maybelline heaven. Makeup for dayssss

the finalized make up looks

Laura Siegel and the final runway plans

runway walk, walk-through

the head scarf issue... the scarves won't stay on. 

final makeup touch ups

teeny Laura (the model is standing on the ground ... i know right, shes huge..)
adjusting a model's outfit

double-sided tape, tons of hairspray and millions of pins later
poor girl...

Laura insisted on styling each head scarf before the models took to the runway

another use for hairspray

Greta Constantine S/S2013 and my lifetime supply of gum

During Toronto Fashion Week, I was asked by Dress to KILL magazine to interview the two creative minds behind Greta Constantine. The designer-duo didn't actually show their Spring/Summer 2013 line during the designated World Mastercard week of fashion wonders. Instead, they opted to hold off till November and do their own thing in Toronto's cobblestoned Distillery District. I wrote a little something about their line for DTK so take a look here if you're interested in sexy form-fitted dresses for spring 2013. Also, their wonderful PR people put together a fun behind-the-scenes video for us, which is also up on the DTK website.

Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill of Greta Constantine
Photo: Toronto Life

The PR team also took the time to personally send me a box of goodies as a thank you for the interview. Receiving packages full of cute stuff is always super exciting, especially when all the cute stuff is FREE (mouhahhahah!). The Greta team collaborated with 5Gum so now I'm basically swimming in the stuff. Good thing I'm a gum person. I also got a great lipstick. It's bright pink - perfect for spring. Thanks guys!

The mystery box 

Gum fest!

Freebies: Greta Constantine scarf for 5Gum, metallic silver IPhone case, nail files, blue and black nail polish, Maybelline lipstick, and every flavour of 5Gum

Pink Maybelline lipstick - Gonna be a favourite this summer.