ophelia's funeral

C- for Blogging

2012-02-13T10:28:00.003-05:00

I haven't blogged in over two months. Whoops.

I do have an excuse though.This thing called Capstone has taken over my life. What the **** is Capstone, you ask? It's essentially our fourth year graduating thesis project and so far it has been quite the black hole of tasks. For mine, I am filming a documentary exploring the future of print, interviewing individuals who are active in the Toronto print community and those who still love to read on paper. The final film will be released in April, with a teaser by the end of this month. If you have any questions about this project, feel free to email me, and follow my progress on Twitter or on Vimeo!

2011-12-11T15:49:00.000-05:00

I think it's obvious I've taken a big hiatus on this blogging thing.
Updating often takes a lot of work and time that I apparently do not have, lol.

But, lots of stuff in the works, including my portfolio website launching in 2012! Woo!

And here is a teaser of a shoot I did recently, inspired by Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands.

Art Direction & Photography: Hanah Chung

Hair: Cora Poon

Makeup: Stephanie Senater

Assistance: Sarah McGivney

Talent: Maya Kuzmin

meow 22

2011-11-20T14:54:00.001-05:00

hallow's eve

2011-11-03T10:15:00.014-04:00

Halloween is a photog's wet dream.

Great bash at Shayda's this year - which is, if you aren't aware, THE perfect place for a house party. Best backyard ever! As you can see, there were some seriously stellar costumes that night. Andie and I managed not to break our four year tradition of wearing coordinating costumes but we were a bit of an unoriginal fail this time around.. Haha oh well! A huge thanks to Britt (she's the cutie with the yellow sugar skull makeup) for being so awesome and lending me her cam when mine died! And doing such a legit job of post-processing them.

And here are the few photos from my dying cam..

NYC in 100

2011-10-25T10:18:00.004-04:00

crepes, poutine, & chocolate cake

2011-10-14T10:01:00.011-04:00

I was lucky enough to have Vanessa, one of my oldest childhood friends, show me a really great time in Montreal. She took me all over the city and housed me in her cute apartment before she moved back to BC. All the festivals, music, good food, cute boys, Bixi biking, hot summer weather, adorable streets and houses.. I'm itching to go back.

the other day

2011-10-12T19:52:00.000-04:00

give thanks

2011-10-12T10:03:00.001-04:00

Sunday Thanksgiving deener at Sam & Paris'

Ate way too many of these

Kell & Katie's chocolate-covered strawberries.. I know you can't really go wrong with these but these ones in particular were TO DIE FOR

Sammy prepping the gravy

Par carving her perfect turkey

My potatoes!

Sarah made this delicious pumpkin pie on Monday and it was an absolute hit.. that's chocolate you see between the crust and pumpkin filling! Sam also made a really light & mousse-y pumpkin pie for Sunday's dinner.. and I got to sample Rachie's apple crumble late Monday evening after work. Just great desserts all around!

Apparently I was too busy stuffing my face with turkey to take photos of anything but the food and the two lovely dinner hostesses on Sunday. I only wish I'd gotten more photos of everyone at dinner.. and of Sar's take on turkey dinner the next day that I missed out on, poop.

We are such lucky kids, with so much to be thankful for.. I am in awe of and so thankful for all the amazing people I've had the privilege to meet and hang out with over the years, especially here in Toronto, my parents for being so supportive, my friends back at home, and, well.. leftovers! Yum.

work in progress

2011-10-06T20:30:00.000-04:00

Coming soon..

style nine to five

2011-08-05T15:52:00.006-04:00

TGIF!

It's been a hectic three weeks being a tourist in Toronto, Montreal, and New York - so much fun and many photos! I opted to use film this time 'round and it's like Christmas all over again - 8 rolls to develop and I'm oh-so-excited. Can't wait to post the results.. what a whirlwind. I then came home to a feature on the blog site of Style Nine to Five, amongst Toronto's stylish-dot-coms - so very cool!

For those of you who are looking to step into the fashion industry and have been on the hunt for a job, we know all too well that on sites like Monster, Workopolis, or Craig's, most "fashion" jobs equate to positions like "Visual Merchandiser" (which really means stockperson) or "Stylist" (which really ends up meaning retail sales associate). It can be frustrating and sometimes it really does feel like it's all about knowing the right people (which it still does 80% of the time). Enter Style Nine to Five, a "one stop fashion career website" and brainchild of Christie Lohr, who saw the demand for such a service for both employers and job seekers alike. With relevant job and internship postings from legitimate Canadian and international companies, such as Aldo, Aritzia, Harry Rosen, MTV, and the Bay to name a few, this site is definitely worth being bookmarked as a regular read. Submit your resume and have it pre-screened by Christie herself. And if you make the cut, count yourself a part of a pool of qualified applicants looked over by the same employers who post on the site. Love this idea. Check it out!

when tommy met anna

2011-07-13T20:23:00.000-04:00

And here we go with another uber delayed post. The event: "When Tommy Met Anna" hosted by The Room at the Bay on April 21st, 2011. Both Tommy Ton and ADR (!) were there for a meet & greet open to the public. (The private VIP-only party happened in the same place the night before.) I'm so glad Lili knew about it and suggested that we go; it was obvious that not very many people had heard about it - there was a line-up but it was shorter than I'd expected. It was very cool seeing Anna, wearing a Kantrantzou lampshade dress and a Hudson's Bay boat on her head, in person.. after having looked at countless street style photos of her by Tommy and others.

This girl and her friend were decked out in head-to-toe Prada.. with a tag still attached on that top, I think it's safe to assume they planned to return everything after meeting Anna?

When I asked for a photo, Anna's headpiece got caught in Tommy's.. haha too cute.

Haha, we all couldn't resist emulating Tommy with the Balmain dress..

One of Lili's bodypieces as modeled by Andie

Another Lili Sie original ;)

Pekoe, when we got home..

green living

2011-07-05T00:20:00.000-04:00

I was able to go to the Green Living Show this past April at the Direct Energy Centre thanks to a lovely friend who invited me to take photos of the Eco-Fashion Show put on by the FTA.

While I was there, I also took a quick peruse around the booths and found a lot of fun stuff to look at - organic food samples, environmentally friendly household products, green initiatives, and of course some eco-fashion.

Eco-designer Lorena Santin-Andrade

These bracelets and the above neckpiece were hand-crafted by artisans and are a part of Me to We's Maasai Spring Collection. Check out the online store here.

Organic brie that melts in your mouth.. nom.

Spotted this crazy bike on the way home.

LOCALTOURISM: IV. Brunch at Dakota

2011-06-28T16:40:00.001-04:00

Last year, I posted these photos from Mer's birthday at the Dakota Tavern. That Sunday night was a blast, and brunch this year was no different! Served every Sunday from 11 - 3 at the Dakota, for $14 you get an all-you-can-eat array of breakfast staples, with a live bluegrass band and festive vibe to boot. A definite must if you're living in Toronto.

Pretty pretty dancin' lady

Hahaha Mahro is REALLY full

Birthday girl and her boy

Haha too cute

Mer showing us her moves

w burger bar

2011-06-28T12:58:00.000-04:00

berkeley church day two

2011-06-25T10:00:00.021-04:00

Z+N Magazine editorial photoshoot behind-the-scenes continued.. See day one here.

On the second day of the shoot, we moved to the bright and airy side of the church. The white space was flooded with natural light and was really quite beautiful.

berkeley church day one

2011-06-24T10:00:00.013-04:00

Here are some behind-the-scenes photos I took during day one of the editorial photoshoot for the Z+N Magazine. I acted as Andie's styling assistant and all of the garments pulled for the shoot were the work of Ryerson's fourth year design students. For those of you who never got a chance to grab a copy of the mag, it can be found online here. Kudos to the design & branding team for pulling off a successful two-day shoot. And we can't forget the others - the wonderful models, makeup & hair team, and photographer Clifton Li and his assistants - for volunteering their time and effort for Z+N!

Day two to come tomorrow!

free beer.

2011-06-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

I have no idea why I never bothered to post these photos here. I uploaded them on Facebook and apparently that was the end of it - brain fart? Anywho, the first set are from the Ryerson Fashion Union's Year-End Gallery Show. Good-looking attendees knocked back some Amsterdams and Big Wheels on the house while perusing the work of fellow fashion students, years one through four.

The photos following are from POSE, the third year fashion photography exhibit put on by myself and five other fashion gals last winter. I can't take much credit for the show other than securing the mini burgers, which were sponsored by W Burger Bar, haha. Beer that night? Rickards White & Red served chilled, chyeaa.

FU Year-End Gallery Show

April 1st, 2011

Recognize these?

Hair envy.

Hahaha love these kids.

POSE

December 1st, 2010

Kell as our bartender for the night

The photo committee ladies!

My beautiful model and star of the Fallen shoot, LeeAnn.

Clog malfunction?

winter campus street style

2011-06-16T13:24:00.001-04:00

This past winter & spring, I was asked to take street style photos on campus for the Z+N magazine and blog. Here is a roundup of Ryerson's stylish set of boys and girls in their cold-weather gear. Spot any obvious trends? I see a lot of black & camel combos, crayon-coloured skinnies, military jackets, oversized scarves, combat boots, bright patterns (and colour! Red seems to be prevalent), faded denim, and of course, fur, fur, and more fur! I can't imagine going anywhere near anything "fur" with the high summer temperatures we're enjoying right now. Hopefully I'll get around to doing some more street peeping soon and catch some of Toronto's best-dressed this season.

A big thank-you to Andie for being an amazing assistant most of these days - carrying paper and a pen in windy and freezing weather is no fun by yourself!
xo

the thinker

2011-06-08T14:21:00.000-04:00

photography OPHELIA'S FUNERAL
sweater JOHN HILIFER
necklace BIKO JEWELRY
model ANDREW

These photos with Andrew were taken during day two of the editorial photoshoot for the Z+N Magazine, which is now available online. I stole Andrew away from his break while the others were shooting with Clifton.

I shot with Andrew again recently and I can't wait to post the results.

LOCALTOURISM: III. LGFW

2011-06-06T17:45:00.007-04:00

Toronto's LG Fashion Week

These photos are from the shows I attended during the past two seasons of fashion week here in Toronto, which means they're really, really old news for most of you!

- October 2010 -

Amanda Lew Kee S/S 2011

Loved this collection. Lew Kee's signature electric blue lips adorned all the models on her runway as they strutted in a nude palette of sportswear-meets-cocktail-hour pieces.

The Leask sisters :)

Ouch.

Denis Gagnon S/S 2011
Incredible. Loved everything about this Beetlejuice-punk collection - beautifully draped fringe, stripes, leather and lace. Denis totally hit the nail on the head with this one - a perfect formula of textures and colours and shapes. Nothing especially avant-garde, just a handsome culmination of the trends at the time: like I said - fringe! stripes! leather! lace!

- April 2011 -

Denis Gagnon F/W 2011
Hmm. Wasn't as excited about this collection as his last. Could see where he was going in terms of colour, but the combinations were a little half-baked for my taste.. but then again, 70% of my wardrobe is black, so who am I to talk about that? Still, after seeing the clashing colour combos that do work (see Prada, Jil Sander, Proenza Schouler), I really didn't like those two pinks together (first image below). The loose knits, and the teal and vermilion, I didn't mind as much! There were also some interesting laser-cut fur pieces (that I didn't get any good snaps of, unfortunately) with a lot of potential, but overall the collection fell a little flat due to poor styling.

Post-DG perusing.

Beauties!

Label F/W 2011
Nothing new here. Just some very wearable clothes that happen to be super 90s-grunge-chic. My spot in the show didn't allow for any dece shots, so I didn't even bother taking any more and stuck to old-fashioned, just plain watching instead ;). Loved the little short film they showed on the flat-screens before the models burst out into the studio. Again, nothing ground-breaking, but definitely some very cute threads.

My adorable LGFW partner-in-crime, Lili Sie. Lili is an awesome jewelry designer and the piece she wore that day certainly turned a few heads, including one of Toronto's frequent-fashion-flyer members, Gail McInnes. Check out Lili's jewelry and blog here.

Chloe Comme Parris F/W 2011
Three words. Those buckled bags. Every single person in attendance fell in love and wanted one.

Lil's outfit. Loved her sheer maxi-length button-up shirt dress and black fur stole.

Over to Marche for a quick bite, we were starved!

Pink Tartan F/W 2011
Femme-military winter wear.

Lili & I

Kell & I! Fatefully ran into her after the Pink Tartan show and shared a cab home :)

More posts to come soon, including a new shoot featuring some of my favourite pieces from the third-year menswear collections showcased at Wanderlust. Hope all of you have been enjoying the wicked weather we've been having in Toronto. xo

i'm no zenith

2011-05-13T14:39:00.006-04:00

I'm No Zenith

Photography OPHELIA'S FUNERAL

Hair CORA POON

Makeup MELISSA LESLIE

Styling ANDREA LEASK + HANAH CHUNG

Neckpiece RACHEL ETIGSON

Peplum Corset TALA BERKES

Model KRISTEN AUBIN

These photos of the striking model Kristen, who personified Zenith + Nadir in the open/close video of this year's Mass Exodus production, were taken behind the scenes and in-between filming. Here is the impressive final edit, orchestrated by the Mass Exodus girls and Ryerson film and theatre students. What a great collab!

(Go to the actual vimeo link for full credits)

And below are the behind the scenes shots I took over the course of the two-day videoshoot, including all the others that didn't make it on the Z+N blog.

Day One (Zenith)

The final "Zenith" look. Kristen modeled garments designed by Tala Berkes in both Z+N looks.

Talented beauty team: Melissa (L) & Cora (R)

Jen's to-die-for shoes (the other two pairs above belong to her as well. Jealous?)

Neckpiece by Rachel Etigson

Steph being silly while modeling a potential Nadir look we later scrapped

Day Two (Nadir)

Part of the creative team!

Curious cats

arizona

2011-05-13T14:34:00.000-04:00

Arizona

Hair/Makeup/Styling/Photography OPHELIA'S FUNERAL

Assistant SARAH MCGIVNEY

Model EMILY

LOCALTOURISM: II. Nuit Blanche

2011-05-07T19:02:00.001-04:00

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche

Saturday, October 2, 2010

LOCALTOURISM: I. Vintage Sales & Terroni

2011-05-06T17:09:00.000-04:00

The Chosen Ones Vintage Sale is a monthly event held at 107 Shaw Gallery just off of Queen West. Boasting hand-picked vintage and cool people, the Chosen Ones celebrated their two-year anniversary last month. I believe they are changing their venue in June, so I'll make a note of it here. These photos of the sale and sale-goers are from September.

There is bound to be a lot of these sorts of "pop-up" vintage sales in Toronto with the summer months. Give me a shout if you know of any that are happening!

Not-your-typical cake display in the front window of Red Tea Box.

Post-vintage sale, we headed over to Terroni on Queen West and endured the typical hour-long wait. It's not unusual to see a line-up that trails out the door here. The just-as-busy Adelaide location is located in a historic courthouse and is also an amazing spot.

Nom.