FASHION Magazine

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery recreated Ernest Hemingway's favourite speakeasy for their 21st annual gala.

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In a sense, all parties represent an alternate reality. One where people are more engaged, eager to sing or dance, and likely better dressed. Of course, when one is talking about Power Ball, the annual must-attend fundraiser for the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, one understands that that alternate party reality is going to be […]

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It’s hard to live up to the fierceness of Janet Jackson’s classic track, “The Pleasure Principle,” but this year’s Power Ball—named after the song—managed to match some of JJ’s magic. Dance mastermind Ryan McNamara took on the role of the party’s artist-in-residence and yaaas queens, he did not disappoint. While the mojito and sparkling wine-sipping […]

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Summer hasn’t even begun, and Power Ball has already earned its crown as the best party of the season—by a long shot. Last night’s edition, an ode to excess, was full of stylish oddities, octopus chandelier included. The night began with an edible installation by artist Jennifer Rubell, which took form in a room of […]

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See the photos from Power Ball 2014 »

When an event’s billed “party of the year,” you’d better hope it lives up to its expectations. Power Ball 2014 sure did, with the harbourfront’s Power Plant gallery once again tricked out with a myriad of surreal installations, babely partygoers and many, many, many drinks. This year, the event was dubbed “Old World/New World,” which took form in old timey film projectors, hanging mummy-effect moon men and a computer-bed hybrid just ripe for Instagram opps. It was a jumping off point for guests too, who interpreted with mechanical headpieces, metallic cocktail dresses and one pair of seriously awesome Riccardo Tisci Nikes. Stylist Dwayne Kennedy took robot chic to the next level in a boxy ribbed synthetic Sid Neigum jacket that fastened with staples (staples!). Meanwhile, artist Stephanie Comilang went for true high low in white-on-white Jeremy Laing T-shirt and culottes and with a plastic bag for a purse. And while some chose to shoot for the future, others stuck to the classics, like writer Rea McNamara, who aced the menswear look in a sleek grey suit. With the party still raging way past its 1 a.m. last call, I can only image the only future/past Power Ball 2014 attendees are feeling is libation-induced.

12 suggestions for what to wear to Power Ball 2014 »

Toronto’s annual arty blowout is happening this Thursday, which means that the city’s partygoers are in serious prep mode. Even for those who don’t circulate often, Power Ball is a big deal. Every year, the Power Plant comes alive with installations, open bars and flashbulbs. As such, you can imagine the importance placed on wardrobing. If you’re going to this year’s event and still don’t know what to wear, here are 12 tips from some of Toronto’s hippest partygoers and some of those involved with this year’s festivities.

Tickets are still available at thepowerplant.org but by this time tomorrow they’re likely to disappear. Get ‘em while they’re hot!

See the Power Ball 2013 party photos »

Last night, Power Ball 2013 a.k.a. the art party of the year/social event of the season and so on and so forth went down at The Power Plant gallery on Toronto’s harbourfront. Despite the rain, the city’s finest art, fashion and social types filled the expansive space in designer gowns, costumes, and in one instance, a birthday suit. Celebrating its 15^th year under the guise of Andy Warhol’s famous line “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes,” the space was tricked out with Factory-worthy silver foil which made for some pretty fierce voguing props for designer Jeremy Laing and Frank Griggs much later in the evening. Power Ball’s famed exhibitions and installations were omnipresent as always, including a fortune-telling psychic, Chat Roulette-style wall projections, and two twisted prom queens dancing around a birthday cake and a mounted spinning motorcycle all night long. Curiouser and curiouser…

See 25 art party-worthy ways to do your hair and makeup »

If there’s one event in Toronto that’s worth changing up your look for, it’s Power Ball. The Power Plant’s annual fundraiser party is more art show extravaganza than gala, making elaborate costumery just as popular as black tie looks. We’ve already given you some tips on what to wear on Thursday night, so now it’s time to consider the other important part of your Power Ball outfit: your hair and makeup.

Power Ball is the perfect time to tease your hair into an unrecognizable pouf or apply as many rhinestones to your eyelids as possible—seriously! (For further proof, check out our photo galleries from past Power Ball parties.) To provide you with some inspiration, we’ve turned the best source of high concept hair and makeup looks: the international runways. Thanks to the talents of makeup artists like Pat McGrath and Diane Kendal and hair stylists such as Guido Palau and Sam McKnight, we’ve found 25 looks from the Spring and Fall 2013 shows that you should definitely try to duplicate. So break out the bright pigments and dip-dye your hair: Power Ball is ready and waiting.

See 12 Power Ball wardrobe picks »

Power Ball is but a day away, and as you can imagine, it has Toronto’s creative crowd in an anticipatory tizzy. For the 15th year in a row, The Power Plant’s annual fundraiser has managed to maintain “art party of the year” status and this year is sure to be no different. As such, you can imagine the importance placed on wardrobing. If you’re going to this year’s event and still don’t know what to wear, we turned to 9 of the city’s most stylish (plus 3 FASHION editors!) for clues as to what they are wearing. For more, see last year’s coverage.

Tickets are still available at thepowerplant.org but by this time tomorrow they’re likely to disappear. Get ‘em while they’re hot!

View the photo gallery »

Lauded as the hottest art party of the year, the Power Plant’s annual Power Ball fundraiser certainly lived up to expectations last night. Complete with wall-projected animations, Kobos hanging on trees, an old fashioned swing and a pre-party hosted by the much-hyped Soho House, almost 2,000 partygoers danced into the wee hours while carving off pieces of Marc Thuet’s bison on a spit. Some of our favourite duos—The Society’s Ashleigh Dempster and Amanda Blakely, designer Philip Sparks and NOW’s Andrew Sardone, Knot PR’s Amy Burstyn-Fritz and Tatiana Read, designer Jeremy Laing and Frank Griggs, and eTalk’s Tanya Kim and CP24’s Melissa Grelo—flitted around the scene. There was a mock television talk show (which we took part in) with a dancing robot sharing hosting duties. There was a performance by Dragonette. There were ladies dressed as sailors and men dressed as women. There were, always, many types of cocktails a-flowing (shout-out to Grey Goose, who created a timely Diamond Jubilee mix at the pre-party). Surely, more highlights will come to us throughout the day, but we can’t be asked to recount them all, given how late we were up.

What’s the one event that’s sure to draw throngs of artists, social busybodies and high rollers alike? The annual Power Ball, held in support of the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, is the one stop on Toronto’s gala circuit that you really don’t want to miss.

The theme of this year’s fest was The 13th Floor, described by the organizers as, “A place you’ve never been before. A party untouched by time and cloaked in intrigue. Hidden surprises, altered realities, a playground for the imagination.” And what a playground it was. Held in the labyrinthine lakefront gallery, the party was attended by more than 1,700 people in what felt like 13 different rooms, each with its own theme and soundtrack.

Heralded as the art party of the year by those who know (you don’t ball till you Power Ball, I’ve been told), the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery’s annual fundraising bash, Power Ball, has upped the ante this year by adding Toronto’s very own golden designing boy Jeremy Laing to its committee of cool-kid co-chairs. Alongside Jessica Rose (others on the committee include Gabe Gonda and Trinity Jackman), Laing was charged with conceiving this year’s theme, Thirteenth Floor (“It’s the 13th Power Ball, so we decided to embrace the odd and unlucky,” he says). His other task was to program artists, DJs and events for the night. “We landed some great projects for the party, including an installation and performance by New York–based Karen Azoulay, as well as a party room installation by Assume Vivid Astro Focus, an internationally regarded art collective based in France, Brazil and New York,” says Laing. “Think massive digital projections, custom lasers, huge inflatables and a limited-edition party mask with refractive lenses to be handed out at the stroke of midnight.”

Also in Laing’s co-chair description: Dressing this first-time Power Baller (yours truly) in one of his designs. Along with my boy Lewis Mirrett, I stopped by Laing’s studio yesterday for a bit of a pre-party dress-up. My first time being “dressed” for a party, I only had to try on a few numbers before I knew which was to be mine (for one night only).

What did I choose? Peep the dress-up session after the jump! »

This year’s Power Ball takes place next Thursday, on June 16. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit powerplant.org.