FASHION Magazine

The designed life

Toronto’s annual Interior Design Show (January 27 to 30, interiordesignshow.com) is a blow-up labyrinth of commercial and sponsor exhibits, indie design experiments and much spectacle in-between. On opening night, 20 one-off Vitra Panton chairs will be up for charity auction, all reimagined by big names like design legend Bruce Mau and fashion darlings Greta Constantine. In an exhibit titled Sibling Revelry, Sarah Richardson dreams up a space with her younger brother, Theo Richardson (who happens to be one-third of the hot N.Y.C. design trio Rich Brilliant Willing), while ladywear designer David Dixon worked with his brother Glenn Dixon, an interior designer. For discoveries, you can’t miss the Studio North exhibit, featuring bright young talent like Montreal graffiti art object–maker Trash Bonbon and Toronto eco-minded, sleight-handed furniture designer Evan Bare. —Sarah Nicole Prickett

Taylor Swift, Speak Now

I’m going to tell you a secret: I’ve never written a song about a boy that I loved. Poems? Sure. But set to music takes those words to a whole other level.  One of my favorite quotes about music–from the movie High Fidelity, which by the way has a great soundtrack–asks: Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music? The truth is neither are probably true but it’s undeniable that most of us listen to love songs because we’re either in it or out of it. The lovely, beautiful and talented Taylor Swift is no stranger to this notion and has most definitely found success with that very truth. Her latest album, Speak Now, dropped last month, making it two years since her phenomenally popular Fearless. Since then she has continued to date some of the world’s most famous men including that Jonas brother and, reportedly, John Mayer and Jake Gyllenhaal. Impressive I must say. But the question is after all this public romance does she remain fearless about love?  I guess we’ll have to listen to the album to hear the details.

Also, Miss Swift is gracing the cover of the Winter issue FASHION Magazine, so check out her exclusive interview there and also a replay of her recent Live@Much at muchmusic.com .

Sweetest love song: “Mine”

Kanye West, “Runaway”

I have admitted to myself that I love Kanye West. I won’t justify this proclamation too much but I will say that I no longer feel bad about this fact. I saw his much talked about 2010 MTV VMA performance of “Runaway,” and since its release I haven’t been able to stop watching his 35-minute short film of the same name–it’s that strange and captivating. And of course, it’s also stunningly gorgeous. There are a lot of haters who are happy to put down something different and that may just be a little too easy, don’t you think? I say less cynicism and more freedom. More expression and more beauty. And maybe a toast for the jerkoffs.

Best line from the film Runaway: “First rule of living in this world, baby? Don’t pay attention to anything you see in the news.”

The Beatles, Baby, You’re a Rich Man
Okay, I tried to avoid this movie, as I usually do in the face of overwhelming hype, but you can only hide for so long. In this case I’m not ashamed because I loved The Social Network and I have to say JT was much better than I had suspected. I thought a lot about my own relationship to social networking during this movie but also considered just how much I love nerds, that I don’t really know what an algorithm is and that I really have a strong dislike for greed. I was also reminded that, like you I’m sure, I love a good movie ending and I adore watching a movie’s credits rolling to a kick-ass track. The Social Network is all over that, which explains why they chose this song. It’s a perfect fit and the sentiment rings unavoidably true.

P.S. The song was recorded during sessions for the Magical Mystery Tour and was intended for the Yellow Submarine soundtrack but ended up being the B-side of the “All You Need Is Love” single. Such Magic.  Enjoy.

The Kinks, Lola Versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Part One and The Darjeeling Limited soundtrack

My love for music can only be rivaled by my love of cinema. I can remember sitting home on many a New Year’s Eve re-watching my beloved classics. It’s probably for this reason that I was intimidated to interview Wes Anderson in 2007 after the release of The Darjeeling Limited, a story about three brothers and their spiritual adventures in India. A great movie soundtrack can turn a satisfactory movie into one you carry with you for the rest of your life, which explains why Anderson makes sure he goes for musical gold every time.

David Bowie, Station to Station (Deluxe Edition)
It’s my personal opinion that David Bowie is an almost perfect musical creature. You might even consider him an otherwordly artistic genius whose four decades of music continues to influence pop culture and leave imprints on our creative souls. That’s why I’m happy to sneak him in here just before Halloween so you can rethink your Ziggy Stardust costume. Again. Incidentally, it’s also the perfect time to dust off your favorite Bowie albums, and maybe even add to the collection, since he recently released the 40th anniversary of Space Oddity, as well as a deluxe edition of 1976’s Station to Station that includes live versions of “Stay,” “Queen Bitch,” and “Fame,” all currently on repeat in my world. The original release of the album marked the introduction of Bowie’s alter ego, the Thin White Duke, who had a tendency towards aggressively apathetic romanticism, a love for Adolph Hitler, and a severe drug problem. The album feels like running through a dream towards a soulful love affair with your own ego. No matter how many delicious fame monsters follow, I still prefer the original. (Also look out for the War Child David Bowie tribute album that was released this week.)

My closest friends know that every time the seasons change I become a little extra romantic, nostalgic and dreamy while inevitably proclaiming the upcoming season to be my favorite of all time. I’m unaffected by their long eye rolls and I usually take comfort in the current musical soundtrack of my life in those moments. They always seem to punctuate my thoughts and emotions in a much more beautiful and graceful way than whatever reality could ever deliver.

This way for the season’s best TV, books, music and more: FILM: Fate, Facebook and finances invade theatres this fall. BOOKS: Our fall book club from the cream of the crop of Canadian fiction femmes. MUSIC: The most fashionable bands, the most intriguing artists and the releases simply too big to ignore. TV: There’s plenty […]

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FASHION has launched a new online music channel to showcase stylish up-and-coming acts. Our guest editor, MTV Canada’s Dan Levy, picks his favourite summer tracks. This week: “Hang With Me” by Robyn I’ve been on a big Robyn kick this summer and with the much-anticipated release of her next album, Body Talk Pt. 2, I […]

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Attention all readers in la Belle Province. Montreal’s own Tanuki Project will be bringing their distinct live show, which blends their electro-dance beats with artful image projections, to the stage at Montreal’s Festival Mode et Design. Check them out on August 4th at 10 p.m., just a day after their debut album Playground for Everyone […]

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Loving the DVAS new album Society (Upper Class Recordings)–out this week. The title track is a splash of funk, a dash of electro and a whole lotta disco. Move over Katy Perry, I’ve found my summer anthem. Watch this video and more at fashionmagazine.com/music. Plus: Want to be featured on FASHION + Music? Upload your […]

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FASHION has launched a new online music channel to showcase stylish up-and-coming acts. Every week, our guest editor, MTV Canada’s Dan Levy, picks his favourite summer tracks. This week: “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac “I want to be with you everywhere.” Truer words have never been spoken. And come the summertime, isn’t that all we want? […]

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