TORONTO - Mary Albino is a journalist and dear friend. It's no surprise that her interest in people led her to share their stories. Sans effort, her beautiful sheen brings out the colour in others. I have a hunch she could make an honest cup of lemonade, without lemons. Such is her charm.
TORONTO - The dictionary defines a patch as a piece of cloth or other material used to mend or strengthen a torn or weak point. With the chill of fall in our midst, maintaining control of one's body temperature and dressing aptly is about as easy as baking croissants…without butter. Maintaining comfortable body temperature as the climate shifts: this tends to be a weak point in need of a patch.
TORONTO - I asked Roxy if I could take her picture. She agreed on one condition: I carefully hand over the Hasselblad I was carrying around my neck. The rest is history. Without cue, she flipped open the viewfinder, shimmied her mini-skirt just enough to bend comfortably in heels, and gazed over my shoulder at a stunning rainfall of golden leaves.
TORONTO - Ninalee can't help but pour pure, untethered joy in to the hearts of everyone she meets. This comes from years of soaking up every morsel of the vapors of life, from the cobblestones and canals of Venice to the restaurants, galleries and concert halls of Toronto.
TORONTO - Wendy is a Toronto based illustrator and her work is as bubbly fresh as her personality and style. As if rehearsed, she laid a monologue on me about being camera shy, then as soon as I had my eye to the viewfinder, she began bopping about. What a joy!
TORONTO - A hairstylist at John Steinberg & Associates, Benjamin was happy to chat while he waited for his lunch at Sadie's Diner. I met Benjamin through a mutual friend a couple years ago. Though he may not have a "uniform," and takes inspiration from season and occasion, his style has always been on point and he has a penchant for attention to detail.
TORONTO - Toronto-based writer Amanda Cosco, who writes under the pseudonym The Lady Medusa, believes clothing tells a story. From a hand-me-down scarf, hat or belt to a head-to-toe, meticulously circadian costume, there's a tale waiting to be told. I'm sold.
TORONTO - For the first time in my life, body language scored me an americano. Jeff, a model, aspiring actor and head bartender at Thompson Hotel Lobby Bar in Toronto ate up my silent request to take his photo. Think: asking for the time by tapping your watch, a tiptoe-tap-dance for the nearest toilet. Universal indicators.
TORONTO - Edward Scissorhands. That may not be the way he would describe himself, but a minute in to our conversation, I had visions of Johnny Depp hemming Winona's vintage red skirt. Alas, this is no romantic fantasy, this is Edward's passion.
TORONTO - Anna is a student from Hannover, Germany, 3 months in to a yearlong globe-trot. She's already worked and boarded on a farm in New Brunswick, couch surfed, hitchhiked and departs tomorrow for Ecuador.
TORONTO - A saleswoman by trade, Allie sold her situation without a word. Comfortable and content in the sea of people dancing around waves of traffic at Bloor and Yonge Sts. in Toronto, Allie took a few minutes for herself.
TOKYO - It's not fair to say fashion forward men don't wear baggy pants. They do and they do well. Until walking the streets of Tokyo this past week, my exposure to men wearing tailored or proper wide-legged pants was reduced to Fashion Week runways, The Sartorialist and other street style blogs.
TORONTO - Ana works for the Ontario Government and knows how to throw together a casual Friday outfit.
TOKYO - The trend of men dressing comfortably continues in Tokyo. I'm not talking track pants and hoodies, but thoughtful colour combinations and carefully selected garments geared toward function and ease.
