Jocelyn Picard - LYN

 CLICK TO SEE THE VIDEO PROFILE I CO-MADE: https://vimeo.com/33222564

The above link is a videography profile I produced a while back with my cameraman-pal, Jon. I came up with the title, "Intersections" for the series because with fashion, I am most interested in where and how ideas intersect. I delight in the work of designers who see fashion first, as ideas, not commodities. For this webisode, I interviewed Jocelyn Picard, the Québecois, Montréal-based designer behind, Lyn. His work interests me because he skillfully deconstructs everything (the dress, the hat, the scarf), while playing with the idea of knitting too. Knitting is something associated with tradition, gray-hair, and tea. Picard as you'll see in the video, is far from that description.

Wearing Morales in FLARE Bloggers' Feature

Iconic Canadian fashion magazine, FLARE, hollered at me as one of their "Favourite Canadian Fashion Bloggers". I'm flattered to be featured on FLARE.com in one of my favorite Canadian-based designers, Morales.

Morales clothing is handmade in designer and artist Renata Morales' atelier, located amidst the inspiring architecture of Old Montréal. I'm pleased that she continues to gain international notoriety, including a recent glowing piece in the NYTimes T Magazine.

I asked Renata how her taste has changed over the course of her career and she said, "I think that I more than ever try to aim for lightness in my clothes, even when they are intense looking."

Detail on Morales dresses takes your breath away, including on this lightweight, ivory and gold sequin frock. 

Montreal Fashion Week - SS 10 - DENIS GAGNON

Montreal Fashion Week wrapped up last night with its most anticipated show - Denis Gagnon. Body con, slick, Balmain-esque silhouettes. It was refreshing to see pale pastels in the mix, given that the designer's religion has been black-on-black for the last several collections. The bold, chunky, mishapen bracelets worn by the models were provided by my favorite Montreal jewelery designer, the very talented Harakiri. As expected, all attendees looked like they had paid great attention to what they themselves wore to the show. The sharpest-dressed gentleman there was photographer, Sylvain Blais, in his white suit and black bow-tie in the front row. I wore an obscenely large-shouldered vintage fur myself, and got my photo taken by a few magazine photographers present at the event. If I happen to come across any snapshots of it online, I promise to share! Photo credit: Gazette Montreal.

Furry Find

 I had to wake up at 4:45am to host the Arts on CBC Radio 1's morning program, Daybreak. At that ungodly hour, when I stumble through my wardrobe in the dark, I want to wear something super comfortable and let the accessories express some style.

I picked up this perfect gem of a bracelet a few days ago at POP Montréal's DIY craft event, Puces Pop. These fluffy, puffy bracelets are hand-assembled, and the fur is cut from vintage coats. It's one hot and rare item that I secretly hope I don't see on anyone else's wrist! I'm having fun pairing it with an unlikely companion - a bright, beaded bracelet from a roadtrip near the Rockies.

Quotable

My homeboy, Dan the Sparrow, putting his cute monster-like fingers up on either side of my face to 'quote' me at a party in Montréal earlier this month. Photo by Richmond Lam.

City of Style/City of Cycling

This month, Montréal, a city robust with cycling enthusiasts, joined the ranks of Paris by installing a new public bike system called, BIXI ('bike' + 'taxi'). All around the city, solar-powered and wireless stations provide made-in-Québec bikes that are free for the first half hour of use which, in such a small city, goes a long way!

The BIXI is a strong example of where government can put its money where it's mouth is. Simply asking people to leave their cars at home is not enough; incentive must be provided and new changes have to be facilitated. This well-strategized project offers a bike that is simple; easy-to-use, and hard to vandalize. Its designers believe that the BIXI system will pay for itself through user fees.
Cycling in such a stylish city requires some thought to attire... how about a pair of gorgeous bike riding "Grand Tour" gloves from 'performance roadwear' label, Rapha? Enjoy and, try not to drool on your computer...

4 M's: Montreal in May = Mutek & Michal

If you happen to be in Montréal in May, check out one of my favorite music festivals, MUTEK, which celebrates its 10th anniversary of bringing electronic and experimental artists to perform in the city.
Dope line up this year, including Moderat which features Apparat (whom I saw in Berlin - he's amazing!), and Modselektor. Last year, I did a piece on Mutek for CBC which featured an interview with my 'friend' and Montréal's own, Tim Hecker, who performed his set in a pitch black, sold out theatre. When it's good, MUTEK offers up shows that are a fantastic realization of the meeting point of art and music.

"Immaterial Box" by Michal Rovner
Also, in Montréal in May, contemporary art gallery, DHC, continues to uphold high curatorial standards by bringing by displaying an exhibition of work from American-Israeli artist, Michal Rovner.

Blamma Blamma Balmain!!

The Telegraph just published the above photo with a caption about how stars are all over the Michael Jackson-inspired Balmain, exaggerated-shoulder, military jacket. Funny how a trend trickles to common folk too... I have found myself selecting superwide shouldered jackets from secondhand clothing racks myself. Last week at the Montréal Academy of Art and Video Awards, (where my best friend picked up an award for his amazing video!!!), I saw two Fine Art students wearing impressive - albeit goofy - coats mimicking the above ones. Leave it to the art kids to figure out how to make a zany trend wearable.

Style Defined - Young Gun Days - Beatles & Rolling Stones

(New iconic Bob Bonis shots revealed to the public for the first time. Published in Telegraph). 
"Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn." - Gore Vidal

Tower Power

Countdown: 25 days until my birthday. These Chanel puppies currently purring my name from atop shelves in Coco's boutiques have "Happy Birthday Raji" written all over them. They felt like walking on black, satin clouds. Gimme, gimme.
I did leave Chanel with something however; Chanel Hydrabase in Fire, Shade 65. Previously, I'd been wearing Chanel Lotus Rouge. Some girls do the big scents, no9, Allure etc. But Chanel lipsticks are my thing. I swear by their unique shades and rich texture. The bonus safety feature of my new one is that in case I require a rescue mission for some reason, this baby's bright enough to get my lips seen from outerspace. I know $42.00 is quite the hit to take for lipstick but hey, it's my signature. Muah!

Love is contagious!

LOVE, the much-anticipated new magazine from, Katie Grand, stylist extraordinaire, is out today. Loud mouth musical talent and wild-style icon, Beth Ditto, takes up the cover. I saw her perform once in 2000. I was blown away by the sexy, riotous confidence this singer exudes onstage with her punk/soul/rock outfit, The Gossip.

The Love blog posted this photo of their Collette store window take over in Paris. Uh, love it! Let the love clichés flow forth. Gotta go pick up my copy.

Ruby, cherry, poppy, blood-red

Via Refinery 29: Fall/Winter 2009 menswear includes sleek suits in delicious shades of maroon, burgundies, and reds. Left to right:Looks from John Galliano, Lanvin, John Paul Gaultier, and Thierry Mugler.

FENDI Monster

Before leaving for Hawaii, I was warned by friends and colleagues alike, that fashion is of no concern for locals there and I should expect nothing but a barrage of 'bikinis and boardshorts'. They were right. But they have a point: what other attire would I require when our days were spent relaxing on my friend's lush, ten-acre property (featured above) on the Big Island; lounging on white sand beaches, black sand beaches, jumping in the ocean, dipping into freshwater lakes in the middle of secluded forests, and general relishing of the sun's rejuvenating rays on my browning skin?! Hawaii may not be a fashion destination but I'm convinced, that it is a place for nature's magic to reveal itself in full-force.

Yet, it became apparent very quickly that between spaghetti-strap tanktops (ick) and string bikinis, Big Island locals stick to a strict dress code of 'hot weather very casual'. Already accustomed to sticking out like a sore thumb everywhere else in life, I mostly rocked 'Mrs. Roper" dresses: lightweight, floor length, wild-patterned vintage dresses. My Mrs.Roper gowns ended up being an appropriate and versatile choice; thrown over a swimsuit or worn to dinner with heels, they're an equal mix of practical and pretty.

After a couple of weeks on Big Island, we flew to Oahu for a very different experience - to kick it at a friend's extravagant penthouse suite with a view that reaches the mountains on one side and the beach on the other. We were only minutes away from the infamous beach mecca, Waikiki, where naturally, one would expect to see evidence of a higher fashion consciousness. The status on style? Negative. This was surprising: doesn't every major city have at least one pocket of unique fashion, a place where style mavericks dare to be boldly different than the rest of the sheep? Or, if nothing else, a place where status-motivated individuals boast a different major label to every garment they don?

My friend suggested we check out a fancy open-air 'mall' in Honolulu that housed some impressive high-end boutiques and we might check there for some style inspiration. Despite my obsession with fashion, a mall is the very last place I'd want to be while vacationing in glorious weather. Shouldn't we be spending every available waking hour gallivanting on the beach? We checked out the mall - Ala Moana - regardless, because what's a quick perusal of inspiring windows at Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel, right? What happened next is a bit of a blur.

Between the two of us, we tried on about one-hundred thousand dollars worth of clothes and, I am not exaggerating. "You really have to try it on to see how it looks" is more than an empty sales pitch; it is gospel. The staff at Ala Moana were the friendliest I've ever encountered in luxury boutiques anywhere. Experiences at the same boutiques in London, Paris and New York have never proffered such superb customer service. As we browsed from boutique to boutique, we admired the innovation in textiles at Prada, the attention to detail in the painstaking patterns in Chanel suits, and the luxurious fabrics at Louis. It was was as though our style appetites devoured these gems for nourishment as we salivated our way to the one boutique that stole my heart more than it ever has in the past - FENDI.

I have learned that I am certifiably a FENDI monster. I tried on every dress that remained on the racks from the Fall/Winter collection. Including the following items:
This one-shoulder, black silk, floor length gown actually looks better without a belt, in my opinion. I tried it on in two-sizes too big for me and the slouch actually showed the genius draping off better than it would if it fit super tight everywhere.
I also tried on the above leather jacket. It was part-Matrix and part-Victorian for its ruffles and rouches. I think they should have shown it on the runway without the accessories of a belt and satchel because it would have shown off the details of the intricate design on this handsewn leather masterpiece.

From fashioning myself, albeit briefly, in so many FENDI's ready-to-wear items, I've learned that Karl Lagerfeld and his cronies in Italy are geniuses at fit. Every single gown, dress, skirt, or blouse that I tried on fit me as though it was a couture piece; made-to-measure for my hips, narrow waist, prominent shoulders and long legs. Beyond perfect fit, at this point in my life, the signature classiness of FENDI with its hard-edged self-assuredness is exactly my style right now. For the last few years my look has been deeply influenced by Rick Owens (goth-rocker glam that plays with the skinny silhouette and volume) and Prada (techy, confident femininity). But what I tried on at FENDI was at once flattering and style-defining. Each piece became a statement when I tried it on; declarations of fun, playfulness, style acumen, and of quality.

In particular, one item at FENDI (shown above on models at a FENDI party) made me drool more than others: a Resort Collection navy-blue overall with crisscross racerback suspenders and a wide-leg trouser. Holy Mother of All Mothers. At the pricetag of $1,310 USD I considered what an investment it would me in not only my future, but the dynamite one-piece seemed like a good reason to have kids too; shouldn't a beautifully tailored and unique item like this be an heirloom?

One of my fave shopping pals found his favorite piece at FENDI too. A purple and black dyed chinchilla cape. Only he could get away with this one. The pricetag: $45,000 USD.



The cape fit so undeniably well on him that the manager approached us and offered a 30% discount without hesitation. Now, 30% makes quite the dent on something that costs as much as a decent luxury car. However, no takers here, unfortunately!

2008 eCard Awards

E-cards have become de rigeur no doubt. I talked about it with the amazing Geeta Nadkarni, an eco celebrity on the national news at CBC Television in Canada. "Raji Sohal, a personal shopper and stylist extraordinaire shares her funky and innovative ideas for making wrapping paper and cards as exciting and useful as the gifts themselves." You can check out our clip by clicking here.

Now that the festive season has ended, I have to share my favorite eCard. It happens to be the one below from my pal, an artist known as Jack Dylan.Full disclosure: I took this photo of Jack during an impromptu photoshoot a couple of months ago, after a day spent personal shopping with Jack and the night before he embarked on an extended European adventure. We dolled him up in his some, let's say, 'unusual' but stylish items he suddenly acquired from someone. I like Jack's holiday eCard for two reasons: the 'killer' Top Gun expression, and the 80's font used in the 'Seasons Greetings' message. (Sidenote: I did a fun interview with Jack for my CBC Radio 1 column, 'Raji on the Verge' which aired a couple of months ago. When I figure out how to upload it to this Blogger post, I'll put it up so you can hear it!).

The runner-up award for best eCard goes to my friends, 'Rocky' and 'Todd' who sent me this xmas card from their recent sabbatical in Hawaii.

My girl, Viv

Ahh, Vivienne. All I know about her is a concoction of tidbits from obsessive research and undying curiosity dating as far back as being thirteen years old. She was the first designer whose clothes I fell in unrequited love with. When I started making my own clothes as a teen, my first tendency was to rouche the fabric the way Westwood does, and, to add bustles, and exaggerated volume. The few pieces I own of her's are a bit oddball, they make me look like a punk pirate with an eye for dirty luxury.

Since, then, the appreciation has not faded. I don't adore every single piece in her collections, but I do find that each show has something - an idea, a look, a silhouette, that is worth taking away. Foremost, Viv's an uncompromising visionary. Less affected by season trends than many of her fashion cohorts, there is a certain consistency in everything the Vivienne Westwood house produces: Victorian structure, unadulterated punk nastiness, collage colors, volume, architectural draping, and beauty: beauty in something radically broken.

In the attached clip (click on the image above), wild Vivvie speaks candidly at her Spring/Summer 2009 show about staying away from compulsive bargain shopping. She suggests instead, "Buy less, let it grow old, and choose well." I couldn't agree with her opinion more, but her propsed solution for the scant wardrobe is a bit insane: 'next time you're at a loss, pull down your curtains and wrap yourself in that instead!' In her words, "If you don't have too much... You can make things out of your tablecloth or curtains. Don't get depressed! " Aww, Viv. Who would of guessed you were such a practical girl?

In Bloom

I guess I'm supposed to provide the requisite explanation for my absence over the last many months? Here goes.... I took up a gig as a Host of two shows at CBC Radio 3, a station which explores indie music, I moved apartments, and well, accidentally overhauled most aspects of my life. If Voltaire had a whirlpool instead of a garden, I think my twenty-something mind would have a better grasp of what he meant. My life has been like a whirlpool spitting out whatever pieces of inspiration that are not being cultivated at the centre. Spit, cultivate, spit, cultivate, hit repeat. I have realized that some of the biggest (and best) changes have to be brought onto you, they have to happen to you rather than you seeking them out. How's that for a vague disclaimer?
Sightings:
Last week I was in New York again and in an art gallery I approached a bespoke woman speaking French whom I believe was Julliette Binoche. I told her she was beautiful. She asked if I could be paid to say that to her every day. I asked, how much? Vanity is so expensive. Someone asked to take my photo for a Swedish style magazine the other day and I must admit, I almost had the same reaction as my Madame Binoche.
Last month I went to Paris with friends and I smiled at a frazzled Stella McCartney in the 9th arrondisement. She looked at me like she had just finished telling a joke and trying to conceal a giggle.
Off to NY again for a fun fashion research trip. But not until I share something that Oxfam in the UK is doing which I think is ace!

(Image: Guardian. Models showing off designer pieces sold at Oxfam, and that's designer, Henry Holland, in shorts!)

Oxfam, a charity shop that has long been selling affordable second-hand clothes to raise money for international development aid is joining forces with young designers from the London College of Fashion. The students will be reworking clothes donated to the charity's new 'boutique' opening in the posh shopping quarter in Westbourne Grove, London.

It's no secret that I love my secondhand shopping. I've visited several Oxfam stores in the UK and I've always thought that they could use a face lift. There is no need for "used" clothing to carry the stigma of tattered out-of-date fashion, nor is there reason for "vintage" stores to be considered stodgy.

The injection of high fashion elements into the secondhand clothing industry is just one key step in changing public perception around sustainable fashion. And this is all for charity? Sheesh! Couldn't be better.
Link to original story in The Guardian.

Fini!

I've been away from my blog not because of my lack of interest in fashion but because of my interest in fashion! For the last month of my life I've been directing and organizing this year's POP Montreal Fashion Show. Six very talented independent designers showcased their collections and competed for a Young Designers Award valuing $2000 sponsored by the clothing company, Le Chateau. Highlights included LA rapper, Giovanni Marks (aka Subtitle), strutting his stuff on the runway in a bather from Toronto-based clothing company Minnow. It was truly a pleasure to work with all the creative people that helped make this event a success. Please check out the Puces Pop website link for a peak at the designers who showed in this year's fashion showcase.
Anomal Couture (designer, Sonia, featured third from left with some of her designs) was judges' top pick. An Anomal dress is beautifully made, well-constructed and fits like a glove you wish you never had to take off.

fashion in berlin? how ideal!

This is one of my dearest friends, Jennifer Ann Gilpin, a Montréal-based clothing designer, featured here in a photo taken on the weekend at the fashion tradeshow, IDEAL, and posted on the streetwear blog, Stil in Berlin. Jennifer's wearing her own garments here and the ones hanging on the rack behind her are also from her most recent (and brilliant) collection which, I happened to do the styling for. Her collections are the perfect symbiosis of the stylish and the conceptual. Here are two of my favorite pieces from the new collection - a black jumpsuit with adjustable leg length, and a morphable dress/shrug/cape in stretch twilight gray.



Photographs by Jason Sanchez & Elena Willis.

All the rage in Asia...

This is milner Eugenia Kim's sketch of a visor for Michael Kors' upcoming Spring 2008 collection. Today, as temperatures soared to 41 degrees Celsius (or 106 for you Farenheiters out there) where I live, I would have died for a visor like this one. Too bad we have to wait another year until it's on the market. In the meantime, I recollect seeing a more urban, all-out-function Matrixy visor when I was in China. Looks something like this one below taken from "The Sun Cap Company." The Kim version is brilliant, and ahem, much more wearable. But you've got to admit that the Chinese one is just so much more fierce. So much more Easy Rider.

Comedy or Tragedy?

Friends, wardrobe wayfarers, quelques fois naysers: what do you make of the above photos borrowed belovingly from pro-photog-blogger, Facehunter? Without a doubt, Yvan Rodic - the man behind the brilliant docu-blog, Facehunter, is in-touch with street-style and pure wacky ensembles - inspiring spades of copycat fashionistas the world over. Scanning Facehunter has become a fun and irreverent morning ritual for me. The best is when I see shots like the ones above which, are punctuated with sliding my laptop screen over to my friend, and asking, "comedy or tragedy?" My friend thought the image on the left was a pirate gone overboard (a tragedy), and the Lion King-in-teased-bangs and a royal purple dress was a humorous effort (comedy).