fourONEsixSTYLE

Taking a page from NYC’s Fashion Week, celebrated in midtown’s Bryant Park, Toronto’s week of runway shows is also back in a prime pedestrian intersection, Nathan Philips Square. I’ve been around for the Liberty Grand shows and Muzik too but this venue excites me a bit more. Likely it’s because the best fashion I see in Toronto is on the streets, where style is most exposed. It’s also where, rubbing shoulders with strangers all day long, fashion plays the biggest part in your identity, you can play it up or play it down, be anyone you feel, swathed in the sweet cloak of anonymity.

L’Oreal Fashion Week begins its showing of fall collections for 2008 on March 17th.

It wasn’t long ago blogTV.ca (no relation) announced its TV portal of the future by cruising the city in obnoxious Hummers screaming out for attention, and ‘viewers’. Initially business was good for the social networking slash video site, owned and operated by Alliance Atlantis. However, since the launch in March, traffic had dropped steadily and sales never really got off the ground. Today, a memo explaining this and declaring that the end is in sight was circulated to employees in the interactive department. There’s no future for these kids. Playback speculates several execs may go down with the ship too.

I can’t say I’m upset about this. My first experience with the site was one of disgust. I’d attended Ron Jeremy’s book launch at The Gladstone and suffered some audio issues with my camera. I needed some video fast. Since I knew the crew from blogTV had been there I scoped their site for some video of the event. The first I came across was a pre-Jeremy interview with two lovely ladies in the back of the blogTV limo, er, Hummer. The backseat sleazeball from the site kept zooming in on the girl’s boobs then began asking them to take their tops off for the camera. It didn’t seem like these girls had expected the ‘interview’ to take this direction. They politely declined, and then it just got gross. The ‘interviewer’ was fixated on getting his money shot and wouldn’t take no for an answer. He kept repeating his proposal. They held firm, surely hoping Jeremy would soon arrive and break-up the routine. It was uncomfortable for me, so I can only imagine how these ladies felt. Next time I saw the blogTV Hummer parked on College Street I made a point of telling them how horrible I thought they were and never visited their site again. Adios sleazeballs.

According to the memo the site will cease operating on the 28th. As of yet no plans are in place to maintain or move user-generated content. Read what people think about the demise of blogTV on blogTO.

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Originally uploaded by nsbkim

Yesterday the Toronto International Film Festival prepared itself for the next wave of filmsters, opening up single ticket sales. I was impressed with the addition of a relatively quiet stand at Roy Thompson Hall to take the burden off the continually busy box offices at Manulife and College Park. However, I wasn’t so impressed when I walked down to RTH only to find the film I wanted to see had already sold out. Though I might be able to RUSH This Beautiful City, a film about the gentrification and friction between classes in Toronto’s Parkdale neighborhood, I’m doing my best to work facebook and craigslist angles to see what pops up first.

The festival starts today!

I’ve been sitting on the edge of the fence, deciding whether I wanna pay my $80, for day one of Virgin Festival on Toronto Island September 8th. I would’ve gone for Amy Winehouse and Bjork but now the bitchy crooner has dropped out and I don’t feel like paying the bucks to see cute little Bjork perform for only an hour or two. I’ve seen her on the Island before and it was okay. The view sucked for everyone unless you were on a picnic table or right at the front since the grounds have no naturally built-in gradient.

My fav show/concert ever was Bjork at the Hummingbird Centre, each song built up methodically over 15 minutes, layering effects by computer technicians Matmos, a choir from Greenland, a harp and Bjork herself emerging on stage as if in a fairy tale. Virgin festival, with its wham bam attitude, won’t come close to comparing.

Winehouse was really the clincher for me, having missed her appearance at The Mod Club earlier this year, but she’s cancelled all her September shows and is out of the line up for Branson’s big music festival. Must have something to do with all the gory details emerging from a bloody fight with her beau. Hope those two sort out their drug problems before Winehouse’s father-in-law convinces everyone to boycott her and business plummets. Despite her drug issues and bitchy demeanour I would’ve dropped the cash in a sec to see her. Now I’m dropping my plans to go to V-fest instead.

lady miss kier
Originally uploaded by 416style

Every year I get to see a bit more of Pride. My first visit threw me right into the middle of a parade overflowing on Church Street while last years’ visit was overshadowed by big adverts and cheesy beer tents. This year I steered clear of both. I headed straight for the main stage to see Lady Miss Kier, front-woman for Dee-light. She broke out classics like Groove Is In The Heart, reminding my how much I loved her fun tracks and far-out antics. Lady Bunny came next to the stage whipping us with musical satire and punchy one-liners. She screamed at the crowd and we threw it back in her face. She was rude, lewd and dirty and we loved every minute of it.

For a taste of Gay Pride, check my flickr pics, a collection of highlights from Toronto Pride 2006 and 2007.

The Distillery District is one of a few places I visited during last weekend’s Doors Open Toronto. This heritage area can be found near Parliament and Lakeshore, just off Mill Street.

Down at the Distillery the doors had been thrown open to buildings and secret areas few of us ever get to see inside. Within the dusty Scale Tank Loft we found the tanks and scales used by the government to measure and ultimately tax the booze which flowed out of Gooderham & Worts until the 1990’s.

We wandered into the open Rack House where booze was stored for 2 years at a time until it was allowed to be sold, another government intervention.

I was most excited to get into the Kilns Building and Tunnel but regrettably didn’t have the time to wait in the long line leading down into these secret catacombs.

Instead, my friends and I wandered through the street level galleries, like my favourite the Monte Clark Gallery, and found some artists on the upper levels who willingly threw their doors open too. Then, a bit thirsty from the dusty air and dry heat, we stopped in at the Mill Strett Brewery for a beverage and a bite. (I had a ceasar but I do love their Organic beer).

I’d gone down with a couple friends since one had told me she’d never seen the Distillery. I’m still amazed when I hear from Torontonians that they’ve never visited this part of the city which boasts North America’s largest example of Victorian Industrial architecture and is a popular spot for filming in Toronto.

It’s lovely but packed during the day with pedestrian only sidewalks brimming with people and pooches. Given its eerie history it’s fun to wander through the Distillery’s dark and empty pathways by moonlight too.

Photos 1, 2 and 4 by blogTO author and photographerMike Rotenberg, photos no. 3 by me/sookie. Story originally posted on blogTO.

Every year Doors Open is an event to look forward to, for many it is our only chance to peek into hidden corners of Toronto’s rich cultural and historical background. For no admission fee, except perhaps a little patience, you can wander back in time to see what made places like The Carlu, Liberty Grand or St. Lawrence Hall thrive. New to the list this year is the much talked about Palais Royale, currently undergoing a 2 million dollar renovation. Even though it isn’t fully completed, the public is allowed in (Sunday only) to view the work-in-progress. Also new to the list are the Cadbury Chocolate Factory, the tall ship Empire Sandy and MTV’s new digs at The Masonic Temple. Popular photographer hang-out, the Don Valley Brick Works, will also be open to sightseers with representatives from Evergreen on-hand to show you a bit about the site’s proposed enviro-friendly redevelopment strategy and help you plant a tree. Bring your friends, family and your camera.

Most of us would never want to work at a call centre, but in many parts of the world this outsourced occupation is offering new hope for youth who have the ability to speak English. Offering up to 10,000 rupees a month ($300 Canadian), it’s a tough and competitive occupation. If you miss a day you’ll be fined (never mind one’s wife is giving birth) and if you don’t make a sale you’ll be standing up until you can close one.

Bombay Calling, which played today at Toronto’s Hot Docs festival, gives us a window into the world of Indian youth living the good life. With what we would consider a meagre salary, they can offer their parents their own apartment, eat out every day and party ’til dawn. Beyond that, Bombay Calling seeks to point out the parallel between increased prosperity in India and the westernization of this large nation; interviews are conducted outside call centres at Pizza Hut, while Nescafe and Coca-Cola ads dot the cityscape. We all know it’s inevitable, with globalization and free trade companies can jump across borders and find new markets. Realisticaslly, this documentary shows us that this movement works both ways, and it appears to be a win-win situation.

Bombay Calling was produced by the National Film Board of Canada and has been acquired by National Geographic.