Britt has an amazing sense of style. She always looks so fresh and pretty no matter what she's up to or where she's going. She's also super positive and cares for her friends a whole bunch. I wish her the best of luck as she is on her way to the other side of the world. Click here to check out her blog and get inspired by her cute outfits!
Looking for something to do this morning? Come celebrate Victoire's 5th anniversary with a day full of sales and a night full of magic. A fortune-teller and treats will be present, as well as many discounts and giveaways. The locations are 246 Dalhousie st. and 1282 Wellington st. The Fashion Press magazines are also now on SALE at both locations! Click here to check out their blog for more info and see you in the morning to snag some deals.
.... and what my arms will look like by next week.
...and if you're feeling a bit lazy you can pick one up at H&M like I did. After seeing the tutorial though my hands are gonna be busy knotting from now on. Enjoy!
Dead Paper is the latest project by Rebecca of the popular style blog The Clothes Horse. I've always loved Rebecca's blog for her great style, cool stop motion videos, and her awesome red hair. Her latest venture, Dead Paper, is a collection of collages made from vintage magazine cut outs that are both clever and creative! Click here to check out Dead Paper.
Earlier this year, I spent a weekend in Amsterdam and was instantly enamoured with the unique and effortless style of the people there. There was something really refreshing about seeing people dressed stylishly but not obviously trendy. When I returned from Amsterdam I scoured the Internet hoping I could keep the inspiration coming and I came across Dam Style. Dam Style features some of the best of Amsterdam street style, capturing great snapshots of well dressed Amsterdamians season after season.
One thing that makes Dam Style stand out amongst other blogs is the fact that it showcases people of all ages with really ecclectic styles rather than just the latest trends. Their unique approach and hard work is paying off as Dam Style was recently listed on Elle.com's Global Street Style feature. Click here to check out Dam Style and get inspired by the fashionable people of Amsterdam.
The nice summer weather has finally arrived, here are a few events going on this week in Ottawa:
On Wednesday Night Seattle's David Bazan will be at Mavericks (doors 8pm/ 13$ advance/221 Rideau) with Ottawa's Heavy Bedroom and Black Dogs opening.
Last Thursday we launched our Open Air Social Club party at Parliament Pub (gates @ 11/ 4$/Wellington St. directly accross from parliament hill). It's a no-format, funky-dancey good time on one of the most striking outdoor patios Ottawa has to offer. The fun continues Thursdays, all summer long!
On Friday Raised By Wolves will be hosting the One Year Anniversary of their great Monthly at Ritual with the Mustache Men DJ's who absolutely destroyed the dancefloor last time they were in town.
Check below to learn all the details about the Hand Down Your Pants Vintage clothing sale coming up this Saturday.
These are some photos from the Hand Down Your Pants photo-shoot. It was such a fun experience - good times with friends taking photos while drinking beer and hanging out. The shots also came out so wonderfully. The clothes seen on Callie, Mitch, Jess and Britt are going to be on sale next Saturday at 129 Catherine st. I basically could've spent all of my money at the shoot. They have some really good finds! Come check out the sale next weekend and say hi - I'll be taking photos of lucky shoppers! Click here to see all of the photos of this shoot and click here to check out the Hand Down Your Pants website.
Here it is! The sale of the summer! Come by The Lot this upcoming Saturday, June 18 to check out a great selection in summer apparel, shoes, and accessories for both guys and girls!
They'll be kicking it all day, so come by and hang out with the kids of Hand Down Your Pants. Make sure to show up early though, the last sale sold out pretty quick!
There will also be a good selection of discounted items!
Elena Ayllon was born in Madrid, grew up in Tokyo, and then returned to Madrid to study photography and work for an art gallery. When asked how her interest in photography began she states "the world moves so fast, I use photography to try to stop time." At the moment she works with a 35mm old Canon and a Polaroid camera because film has a "special touch." This summer she's going to begin working with pinhole cameras with a German photographer. She doesn't edit her photos but prefers high iso films for colour and black and white. She also loves Kodak Tri-x Film. But that's all the mechanical stuff.
In terms of the subjects within her photos, she aims to provoke feelings. As she states, "The camera is my tool to express and create images connected with me, like a painter with its brush. I consider myself more of an artist than a photographer." All of her photos are of a very personal nature. As she states, "I like to show my life as a diary." She finds herself inspired by other photographers and is very into "this independent analogue photography movement," a movement which seems to be on the rise. To see more of Elena's work visit elenaayllon.com
Have you noticed a lot of new music these days adopting a darker, gothic aesthetic? Take Toronto's much-hyped Austra for example, who on their first release Feel it Break, succeed in creating a haunting mix of dark sythy pop:
Austra - Lose It
Last year was a breakout year for a similarly haunting female vocalist going by the stage name of Zola Jesus. Her sound is less pop and draws more from industrial influences:
Zola Jesus - Night
Predating both Zola and Austra, The Knife'sFever Ray released her critically-aclaimed self-titled album.
Fever Ray - Keep The Streets Empty
There has also been a barrage of music, specifically pop and R n' B, being remixed to shed is glossy sheen and subsequently coaxed into darker waters. Take Klaar's remix of Aaliyah's One in a Million:
Aaliyah - One in a Million (Klaar Remix)
Or in Salem's case, taking a recent Britney Spears hit, and slowing it down to a spooky warble, the ghostly words "dance until the world ends," taking on an an eerie apocalyptic meaning in this new context:
Salem - Til The World Ends
The Steel Pan is making waves in 2011 also, most recently forming an important part of Jamie XX's remix of the huge Adele hit Rolling In the Deep:
Adele - Rolling in The Deep (Jamie XX Shuffle Remix)
One of my favorite groups to come out last year was Tanlines, they made wide use of the Steel Pan sound both in their own sound and in their remixes:
Glasser - Apply (Tanlines Remix)
Other "indie" groups such as The Tough Alliance and El Guincho have also used the Steel Pan to great effect, adding a summery, tropical tone to their sound.
One must now ask "what next? Dark summery gothic r 'n b steel pan music?" Maybe:
Fatima Al Qadiri x Keri Hilson (Total Freedom Edit)
Jim, a 22-year-old art history student from France, has a simple take on fashion and describes his style as minimal/vintage. As he states, "My style is a lot of vintage and second hand pieces mixed with some basics, but i think my style is more minimalistic." His look is simple with a preference for flannel shirts but it all ends up looking very class.
Jim started his blog and lookbook because he likes the idea of street fashion rather than magazine fashion, but with the craze of blogs the divide between the two is starting to become a grey area. To me, Jim fashion appears magazine worthy and his preference for above the knee shorts is something I'd love to see in Ottawa. Very cool! In the future he wants to live in a small house in the woods, always barefoot and with long hair. Sounds like fun! To check out Jim's blog click here. To check out his lookbook click here.
