Archive for November, 2009
Nov
30
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you try to visualize the promotional posters for popular television shows like True Blood, Weeds or 30 Rock? For 30 Rock, it might be a snarky-looking Tina Fey standing between Alec Baldwin and Tracy Morgan. But art director and graphic designer Albert Exergian forgoes literal representations and re-imagines these posters by applying his own clean, minimalist aesthetic. We might not have had a penchant for geometry in high school but Exergian’s poster designs make us appreciate the beauty of symmetry. Check out more of his work on his Tumblr at http://exergian.tumblr.com. —Mishal Cazmi
Nov
30
Elizabeth Grant, left, with friend in 1962
Canadian entrepreneur Elizabeth Grant, now in her late eighties and the CEO of luxury skincare and cosmetics company Elizabeth Grant International, is being honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award this week from the The Women International Film Television Showcase (WIFTS). Grant, who started her globally successful company over 50 years ago, is also an active philanthropist and playwright. She will accept her award December 4 in Los Angeles at the WIFTS Foundation International Visionary Awards following a week of film screenings and documentaries that celebrate the talent and accomplishments of women in the film and television industry worldwide.
–Megan Kirkwood
Every morning, immediately after I scan my emails, I go online to check out my Twitter account and a handful of blogs. Starbucks (tall skim latte, no sugar) in hand, I make this routine the essential start to my day.
Here are a handful of the blogs and newsletters that are on my must-read list:
www.wwd.com – I rely upon the fashion trade daily for up to the minute news.
www.fashionweekdaily.com – Another great source for fashion news but with a strong visual presentation and often cheeky tone.
www.style.com – I check this site religiously when the international runway collections are on. After I see a show, I click through their ‘details’ section for a birdseye view.
www.nymag.com/daily/fashion – The Cut is New York Magazine’s fashion blog, a must-read mix of fashion news and entertainment.
www.canadianmags.blogspot.com – I follow the daily news, views and reviews of the Canadian magazine industry.
http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com – Cathy Horyn is one of the best fashion writers in the business. Her On the Runway blogs for The New York Times are insightful, intelligent and direct – she doesn’t sugar coat anything.
www.mediabistro.com – I receive the web site’s daily newsletter with news about the American publishing industry.
I resisted signing up for Twitter this summer but now I’m totally hooked. At first, I couldn’t imagine why anyone would be interested in each other’s thoughts of just 140 characters. That was incredibly short-sighted. Twitter has become a crucial part of my research. I like to follow people who give me insight into their world or fascinating characters in my world who have something interesting to say. I follow about 80 people, here are the top five:
Ronamaynard – My mentor and former boss at Chatelaine, Rona highlights interesting articles that she comes across. She’s given me several great story ideas. Plus, she’s brilliant.
Mrjoezee – Warm, funny and personable, Joe Zee, the creative director of Elle US, puts a human face on his fashion escapades.
Refinery29 – An online site that highlights street style trends, store openings and up-to-the-minute news.
Dizzyblazeberg – Party columnist and bon vivant with an occasional potty mouth, Derek Blasberg is laugh-out-loud funny as he constantly bites the fashionable hands that feed him.
Jeanne_Beker – No one delivers fashion runway news like my friend Jeanne. She takes us backstage with tweets directly from the designers. She’s the real deal.
I’ll be back again next week. In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lisatant
For the most part, I find live music shows can go one of two ways: they can either sound exactly like the album only your eyes are distracted by dancing and costumes, or they can sound like nothing you’ve ever heard before – a full-bodied musical experience. Last night at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, I discovered that an Imogen Heap show is the latter.
Towering about the stage in sequined leggings – which she assured the crowd were far too tight – the British songstress chatted away between songs in her heavily accented “bibbity-bobbity” way, tempting the crowd who knew full well that another stunning performance was on its way. Because each and every song delivered, from new tracks like “Little Bird” to a heart-wrenching finale including “Hide And Seek” and “The Moment I Said It”.
The stage was set as a whimsical forest, complete with a glowing tree and see through piano which housed tubes and toys, all of which lent themselves to the music. As the plastic tubes and other unexpected props were spun about, the sounds were captured and looped. It was all very DIY and, after attending far too many of the former “might as well be at home listening to the album” shows lately, I was happily reminded of what live music can be. —L.L.
Nov
26
A night at the ballet was long over due for me—I think the last Toronto production I saw was the Nut Cracker several years ago. Last night’s lineup included The Four Temperaments, Watch Her and Glass Pieces. I was thrilled to get to see all of the powerhouse dancers we featured in our October package, including Heather Ogden, Tina Pereira and Elena Lobsanova. I was also pretty delighted to see so many hot boys prancing around in tights! But what really blew me away was the last production, the modern dance gem Glass Pieces. The vibrant colours, stark sets and staccato movements combined to create sheer brilliance. Love, love, loved it!—Alexandra Breen
