Recent Outfits: Earth Tones

Recent Outfits:
1. To School: Outfit Mix from #CheapMonday, #ClubMonaco, #AllSaints, #Coach and #MarcJacobs
2. To School: Outfit from #Zara, #CheapMonday, #AllSaints, #Gucci and #Fendi
3. To School: Outfit Mix from #CheapMonday, #ClubMonaco, #AllSaints, #Coach, #MarcJacobs and #Uniqlo

Recent Outfits : Work Flow

Recent Outfits:
1. To Work: Outfit mix from #Zara and #HandM, Shoes from #Converse, and Cuff by #Burberry
2. To Work: Shirt from #FrenchConnection, Shorts by #AlexanderWang, Shoes from #AllSaints #AllSaintsSpitalfields & Jewellery by #CCSkye and #VinceCamuto
3. To Work: Shorts by #AlexanderWang, Shirt from a local #NYC desinger from my trip #ArtistsAndRevolutionaries, Boots by #Gucci and Clutch by #YvesSaintLaurent #SaintLaurentParis #YSL

Recent Outfits!

Recent Outfits:
1. To School: Knit Top and Clutch by #Burberry, Shorts from #TheGAP, Shoes by #PierreHardy and Cuffs by #Fendi and #CCSkye
2. To Event: Full-Length Tunic by #RickOwens, Leggings from #WalMart, Boots by #Gucci, Clutch by #YvesSaintLaurent #SaintLaurentParis #YSL, Necklace by #JeanPaulGaultier and Cuff by #Burberry
3. To School: Cashmere Top by #Marni, Necklace by #JeanPaulGaultier, Harem Pants by #StaceyZhang, Boots and Bag by #Gucci

Recent Outfits!

Recent Outfits:
1. To Work: Outfit Mix by #Zara, #ClubMonaco and #Coach, Boots by #Energie, Trench Coat by #BurberryProrsum #Burberry, and Bag by #Gucci
2. To School: Shirts by #HandM & #CheapMonday, Drop-crotch leggings by #TimHamilton, Shoes and Trench Coat #YohjiYamamoto, Bag by #Burberry #BurberryProrsum & Jewellery by #CCSkye and #VinceCamuto
3. To School: Bag and Boots by #Gucci, Cuffs by #Fendi and #CCSkye

Recent Outfits: All Roots Everything!

Recent Outfits:
1/2/3 to Work: All #RootsCanada!!
Random bits of #AmericanApparel, #Converse & #Coach

Outfit of the Day: Layers

Coat from #Zara, Top from #BananaRepublic, Pants from #TopMan, Boots from #Energie, Silk Scarf by #Fendi, Cuffs by #CCSkye & #Fendi and Bag by #LouisVuitton #LV

York Secrets

I'm so excited! My work, "The Struggle" was chosen to be shown in an exhibit at the Alaska Gallery at York University. The event entitled "York Secrets" showcased sculptures, painting, photographs and interactive media installations from the community. The theme of the exhibit was centered around identity and portrayals of gender, masculinity and femininity etc.
Below is an image taken from my phone of my little space within the gallery. I was thrilled to set up next to the fire alarm haha!

The event was a great success! Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible, it was a great experience to have my work shown! =)

In Conversation, With Yohji Yamamoto

I found this interview so inspiring. I love Yohji's demeanor and advice. He's so humble, such a genius and again, so inspiring.


SHOWstudio: In Conversation with Yohji Yamamoto from SHOWstudio on Vimeo.

Homage to Willie Doherty

Willie Doherty is an Irish photographer, video artist and installation artist. Doherty's work is influenced by the tragic events that took place on Bloody Sunday where twenty-six unarmed civil rights protesters and bystanders were shot by soldiers of the British Army. Doherty's artistic practice is rooted in the history of Northern Ireland, and much of his work refers to undercurrents of fear, oppression and the uncertainty that he has experienced. However, his photographs and films convey a timeless quality and carry a broader significance. In his recent works, Doherty has begun to explore wider notions of representation, identity, memory and truth. Through photography and film, he tries to undermine the boundaries of truth and fiction and creates open-ended narratives. Below are his works, followed by my recreations. Enjoy!

 

Photographer: Willie Doherty

Photographer: Willie Doherty

Photographer: Willie Doherty

Photographer: Willie Doherty

My Homage

Photographer: Priyan Rajdev

Photographer: Priyan Rajdev

Photographer: Priyan Rajdev

Recent Outfits: All Over the Place!

Recent Outfits:
1. To Dinner: Shirt from #ClubMonaco, Shorts from #AmericanApparel, Shoes by #Prada & Bag by #Burberry
2. To Lunch: Pants by #StaceyZhang, Silver cuff by #Gucci, and Bag by #BurberryProrsum #Burberry
3. To Work: Pants from a local designer in #Berlin from my trip, Cuffs from #Aldo & Boots by #Gucci

Fast Fashion

Exams, Assignments, Family, Love... LIFE!
With so many priorities and expectations, fashion sometimes suffers. This post is dedicated to Fast Fashion- I'm not talking about vertical integration and shortened lead times or product life cycle often seen at Zara and H&M- I'm literally talking about getting fashionable quickly!

Being so busy with school had me thinking about staple pieces of clothing I can depend on, and the dilemma we're sometimes faced with as we're rushing out the door 10 minutes before class/work is, what to wear!? If you're like me, you (try to) plan, plan, plan, your outfits the night before (or, if you're crazy, the week before on your outfit-planing app) to save yourself time the next morning when your eyes are barely open and you make a puffy-eyed reach into your closet and fish out just any old lumpy blue sweater.. or was it Cerulean perhaps? ....because you don't care about this 'stuff'.
[annndd GO Miranda Priestly]

'This... stuff'? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of ...stuff.
-The Devil Wears Prada 

However, the question is, what if you just don't have the time to get it all together in 10 minutes?
Just pick out anything- No!
I've been in this position all week! I mean, the last few nights I've been up 'till 4am typing away, trying to finish up my work.

So where am I going with all of this? How can you make 'rushed fashion' work for you? You need an 'I had no time, but I still look good' outfit (names of outfits are subject to change without notice), for those days when time just isn't on your side. So think about what your staple pieces are, one's that you can't live without, and also, pieces that you can without-a-doubt just throw on and still look put together. Is there an accessory or bag perhaps that just brings together your whole outfit? These pieces don't have to be expensive or designer, they just have to be versatile- that's key. So I'm not talking about trends here.

Below are pictures of me in my quickly put together outfits.
I can honestly say that they took no time at all. The pieces are versatile and I don't look like a homeless person...Unless you think I do =/ in which case, my response is- that was the look I was going for.
I had a vague idea of the look I wanted to achieve and just went with it. The ingredients are easy. Combat boots, fitted jeans, a t-shirt and loose top over it all. Most importantly, my to toque -for days when doing your hair isn't an option.




The Breakdown
T-shirt: Club Monaco
Cardigan: Zara
Jeans: Gap
Boots: Energie
Necklace: Souvenir from Mexico
Bracelet: Louis Vuitton (Charm it)
Belt: Louis Vuitton (Initiales Damier Ebene)
Bag: Coach (Harrison Leather Slim Tote)

The Breakdown
T-shirt and Cardigan: Zara
Jeans: Gap
Necklace: Souvenir from Mexico 
Bracelets: Gucci Chiodo Silver Bangle
                 Gucci Ruthenium Plated Silver
Boots: Gucci Leather Combat Boots

The Breakdown
T-shirt: Zara
Necklace: Souvenir from Mexico
Jeans: Gap
Watch: Adidas
Shoes: Pierre Hardy
Socks: RED 'cause they're AWESOME!

These are some quick and easy looks in my wardrobe. As you can see, some elements were repeated, like my Gap skinny jeans. Staple pieces are fun and easy to play around with, and because they're so versatile makes them a quick grab for days when you just don't have time.

Summer Dreaming: Landscapes

The word can be interpreted in various ways. There are landscapes of every variety, whether they are internal, external, geographic, psychological, or however else you interpret the word. I have a photography assignment that I'm playing with in my head right now on landscapes and the first thing that came to mind was the concept of the self. The self as a landscape is more than a physical body; it is a living breathing entity, a being that experiences through senses, it is affected, it affects and it is ever changing and growing. However to capture one's true self in a photograph is a challenge. I need to develop this idea so my true self is captured to my liking in a photograph, but as inspiration, the first thing that came to mind was home. I recently took a few pictures in my neighborhood of places that I pass on a daily basis. Though they are physical landscapes, the feelings associated with these places are personal as they remind me of home.

Photographer: Priyan Rajdev

Photographer: Priyan Rajdev

Photographer: Priyan Rajdev

Favourite Collection

Gucci has been one of my favourite fashion houses for quite some time. The reason is because since Tom Ford's departure, the house kept that sexy yet sophisticated style. Frida Giannini's injected her personal style into every collection. The images that follow are from my favourite collection she's put out. It was from Fall Winter 2011 and it still has an edgy timeless appeal that I would love to see more people wear. The collection received great reviews and is again, one of my all-time favourite collections from any designer.

It was so hard to narrow the images down to just these few. I felt that this show in particular was very strong, I loved the vibrant colours, textures and especially exotic skins (seen primarily in the accessories). I loved the fact that the jewel tone colours sort of bled into this collection from Gucci's S/S2011 collection, which featured bright oranges, purples, yellows and turquoises. All these elements added to the overall strength of the show, and I was impressed by it all!

To me, the looks were strong on their own and each style had beautiful elements. The thread, however that tied this collection together was Giannini's ability to combine modern flare to traditional elegance, and that's what Gucci stands for in my eyes, and this is why the collection always stands out to me, 'till this day!

Recent Outfits: School

Recent Outfits:
1. To School: Top from #CheapMonday, Trousers from #ClubMonaco, Shoes by #JohnVarvatos, Bag by #Gucci, Python cuff by #Fendi & Gold bracelet by #CCSkye
2. To School: Jacket by #Burberry, Jeans from #AllSaints, Boots by #MarcJacobs, Belt by #HugoBoss & Clutch by #Burberry
3. To School: Outfit mix by #FrenchConnection, #CheapMonday and #AllSaints, Boots by #Energie, Bag by #Gucci and Coat by #Burberry

The Struggle

--A photographic installment encapsulating power relations that exist within the dominant structure and how shaming effects attitudes and perceptions that may motivate violence. The results: being able to move within the system free from violence and achieve change through policy.

I'm very interested in photography, especially documentary-style photography.
In this post, you'll see a set of photographs in sequence to produce a new documentary-style picture essay. When viewed in order, the story will progress as such; an incident, an event and mindset, a need for a stance, the conforming of that need, and finally the progression leading towards change. I hope you enjoy it!

This photograph brings to life the feelings of constantly being ridiculed and stared at for looking, acting or feeling, different. The subjects continue on with their lives unbeknownst of the negative attention they are receiving. To me, this is a reminder that no matter one's personal outlook on life, or how you move within the system, there will be some that want nothing more than to bring you down. The dark colours worn by the man juxtapose the bright and vibrant colours worn by the two women hand-in-hand. This simple contrast was used to evoke feelings of hatred vs. hope. Depth and focus were used as well to convey two meanings; the sharp focus of the man was used to center the audience on his point of view, and the blurred subjects in the background represent the ‘out-of-focus’ mentality he has towards homosexuals. The view he has is unclear and therefore  his negative perceptions do not affect the two women.

This photograph in reminiscent of bullying. An epidemic that exists all over the world, and has prompted many to be vocal about the issue, including the “It gets Better” campaign. This photograph shows that bullying does not always have to be physical. It encompasses all forms of bullying that can exist including verbal abuse, both in person, on the Internet, or any variation of the two. Adding to the message of the previous photograph, we see the emergence of shaming as an institution within society. Overt shaming, such as passing comments, laughing and pointing are used to marginalize this young man who is clearly impacted by the negative attention, as seen in his sad expression. Depth and focus were again used in this photograph, but in a different way than the first photograph. To conceptualize overt shaming, both the young man and his bully’s are in focus. Both parties are in clear focus, which illustrates that they both understand the effects of what has just transpired.

This photograph is brought to life by the previous two, and is a represents the lack of support that queer societies have. This is a call for change. The dark tones and shallow depth of field are used to produce a feeling of emptiness and seclusion. This photograph also illustrates the apprehension felt by some queer people to stand up and have a voice for fear of the violent repercussions.

This photograph shows the devastating effects of bullying, which in my opinion is a form of violence as it can take a mental and physical toll on a person. The victim in this crime has been publicly humiliated and discriminated against due to sexual orientation. This builds a stronger case for the need for change. The framing of the photograph was meant to contrast this single indecent situated within a hallway of ‘normalcy’. The one vandalized locker in a hallway of untouched lockers, shows the blatant and extremely visible form of shaming that has taken place in a public setting, acts as ‘the last straw’ or an ultimate form of humiliation and shame.

This photograph emblematic of queer people negotiating space for themselves. Not only literally, as the sign is on a door, but the fact that the door is symbolic of an opening or the beginning of change for queer people. The York University logo at the bottom of the sign is an indicator of a power relation that exists between the marginalized group and the institution. The university’s logo in conjunction with the positive message, represents the support of the institution in challenging the very construct of shame for this marginalized group.

As the door opens, the members of TBLGAY are depicted in this photograph as representing their fight for equality and the oppressive structure in which they live. In preparation for  the war of positions, queer people are uniting and forming an institution of their own. This group has agency, political power and the ability to move within the dominant structure, united in fighting for equality and space. The negative affect of the crossed arms, and matched facial expressions of the members indicates that bullying, violence and shaming will not be tolerated.

The ability to for same-sex partners to marry shows the progression of queer communities in their fight for equality. It also opens the door for other civil rights associated with equality. My last photograph is one of two women united in marriage. This not to be confused as the overall goal of all queer communities. Marriage may be the final goal of a relationship for some, as it is for many heterosexual couples, but for others, monogamy is not necessarily important. This last photograph depicts freedom of choice. The choice of marriage is one victory for queer communities, but there are many more institutions that need to be broken down in order for true equality to prevail. Personally, I do not need the law or the public to validate my relationship. Marriage is one small part of a union between two people, and bonds can be just as strong without the label of marriage. Marriage, when recognized by the government, has rights and privileges pertaining to the two involved. Government saving plans, retirement funds and death benefits are all battles won due to equal marriage rights amongst homosexuals. These benefits can have real and significant impacts on those homosexual couples who are not recognized as a legitimate couple. For this reason, and other personal ones, marriage may be a goal for some queer people.

Recent Outfits: That Red Bag!

Outfit if the Day!
Top from #Parasuco, Shorts from #HandM, Boots by #Gucci, Coat by #YohjiYamamoto & Bag by #BurberryProrsum #Burberry