FASHION Magazine

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.

Collecting art can seem daunting, unapproachable and, in many cases, simply out of our reach. Yet, when you ask seasoned collectors how they started, many of them say that they bought their first piece in their 20s or 30s. So how to begin when you are young, working hard and have only a small amount of disposable income?

We asked a dear friend and avid art collector this question over a cup of coffee in Toronto. He provided us with the handy list below (and trust us when we say this is coming from a real expert):