All Posts By

Kelsey Dundon

Style | Major Cattitude

Are you kitten me right meow? Fashion’s latest It Girl is the cat lady. Right now everyone and their dog seems to be wearing this ASOS headband and even at £660 this fuzzy-eared number from Net-a-Porter sold out. At the centre of it all is Karl Lagerfeld and his petite Choupette, who has four legs and apparently two maids. So it’s official: cat mania has officially jumped from YouTube to the fashion world. (Here’s an idea! For Halloween dress up as a cat and go as a “Fashion girl.”)

Now, you could plaster yourself in cat-print everything (heaven knows the stores are stocked) or you could rock this sterling silver ring by Toronto’s Riotworks. It’s a purrfectly — and socially — acceptable way to display your cat lady-ness. Are you feline me?

[First photo found here.]

September 8, 2012 by

Workspace | Anna Cohen of Simply Stylish Mom

The Anthology’s Workspace column takes us inside the creative spaces of some very creative people.

I don’t know how mommy bloggers do it. And I especially don’t know how mommy bloggers do it when they’ve just upped and relocated to Scandinavia. And yet, somehow Anna Cohen of Simply Stylish Mom manages to do it all.

In her own words she takes us through her waterfront workspace — passports, frenemies, toy trains and all…

My family and I relocated to Denmark this month and moved into a lovely river cottage (a converted stable!) My makeshift workspace has been a simple wooden trestle table under one of our cottage’s eaves. I haven’t had much of a chance to decorate so what is featured is either a recent find or something that came in my suitcase from Vancouver.

1. The Vintage: I love myself a good thrift store and so find pieces here and there on my travels. I love this ridiculous sign and these old coffee tins – a nod to my new country of residence and my old frenemy: caffeine.

2. The Electronics: My trusty old MacBook – it’s been given a pretty good workout over the last 5 years and hasn’t let me down yet and our last electroinic acquisition before we left Vancouver: the X-mini speakers I purchased at Caya, these produce a huge amount of sound for their size.

3. The Family: When they’re not nearby, I treasure pictures of my three boys. I love these images taken by  Meagan Baker just before we left Vancouver in the UBC endowment lands.

4. The beauty products: work time (aka my son’s naptime) is also pampering time for me and so I take this time to fix my nails, hands and apply lippy. My current picks are Make-Up Forever (Rouge Artist Natural No. 35), Revlon’s Neon Nail Art, Lippy Girl (Nonplussed) and L’Occitane.

5. The Classics: I can never leave home without a trusty novel in my purse and especially a classic (adult or kids!) that can be read over and over again.

6. The Flowers: Nothing is quite as wonderful as freshly picked (or gifted!) flowers in a room, these were given to me by my husband’s new employers.

7. The Essentials: as we’ve been doing so much travelling and filling out of arrival documents lately, my passport has been handy and while waiting in many airport/town hall/ visa offices queues, I’ve been enjoying reading the Danish Ikea catalogue getting ideas for decorating our place and the WorkinDenmark booklet in hopes of getting a job soon! And even though I live in the iPhone age, I will never part with my Pierre Belvedere daytimer.

8. The Train: when you have two boys, it is unusual for there to not to be a train on surfaces in our house!

P.S. Click your way to Simply Stylish Mom to see how a new-to-Denmark mother does it.

P.P.S. Check out the first post in the Workspace column and find out how Niki Blasina of A Haute Mess smells when she blogs. Click through the second post to find out where Anya Georgijevic of I’m the It Girl started her footwear obsession. Find out how Kumiko Ide of Tribal DDB keeps her workspace fresh to death. Take a look at jewelry designer Justine Brooks’ works in progress and her favourite places to work very, very remotely. And take a look at Lisa Wong of Solo Lisa’s cat-decorated desk.

September 6, 2012 by

Diary | Hanson and Data at the PNE

I must be part carny because there’s nothing I love more than going to the PNE (Vancouver’s exhibition and fair) at the end of every summer. What’s not to love? It’s the land of ferris wheels and ring tosses…

…deep-fried Oreos and $25 hot dogs (I’m not even exaggerating).

Oh, and also these guys. Who you probably recognize from 1997. Or maybe you don’t because Taylor and Zac Hanson are no longer in their tweens (nor is their eldest Hanson brother Ike) but they are as delightfully boy band-y as ever.

You want to know what was the trippiest part of going to the PNE this year? It wasn’t sitting on the bridge of the Enterprise at the Star Trek Exhibition (though I got a real kick out of that), it was hearing grown men sing “MMMBop.”

Thank you, Team PNE, for such a fun evening!

P.S. You know where 2012 has 1997 beat? You can follow The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter @TheAnthology.

August 30, 2012 by

Bookmark | L O L I T A

In The Anthology’s Bookmark column we explore some of the most inspiring places on the wild, wild web.

There’s very little to Lolita — a few images and even fewer words. But the collection of images curated by 21-year-old Katarina, an art director at the Swedish Fashion Council, is spot-on.

It’s a little like Intelligent Clashing in the sense that the site brings together images with little in common other than a colour or a mood. But Lolita is prettier, dreamier, girlier.

And always inspiring. So bookmark Lolita already and bookmark The Anthology while you’re at it.

[Images via Lolita, obviously.]

August 28, 2012 by

Home | Kartell’s FL/Y Pendant Light Sure Beats This Old Ugly One

I’ve hated this light fixture since I moved into my house almost five years ago.

But the thought of dealing with this was daunting. And, to be honest, I had no idea it was something one could tackle without the help of an electrician.

Until I ordered the FL/Y Pendant by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell from Design Within Reach and discovered that, with many YouTube tutorials and a lot of safety precautions, I could install it. All by myself.

Take that, New York Times.

August 28, 2012 by

Home | Spark Change with Sir Elton John’s New Candles at Holt Renfew

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about The Anthology’s Workspace feature it’s this: the creative creatures we’ve featured have sweet-smelling creative spaces. In Kumiko Ide‘s case it’s thanks to fresh-cut flowers but in Anya Georgijevic and Niki Blasina‘s cases it’s thanks to scented candles.

Speaking of the latter, Sir Elton John, David Furnish and NEST have just created a collection of scented candles for Holt Renfrew ($50 each), with a portion of proceeds going to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Available in two scents — the floral Jardin de Fleurs, and the citrus L’Orangerie, they’re available now at holtrenfrew.com, and on September 8th in Holt Renfrew stores across Canada.

Your desk — and the Elton John AIDS Foundation — will thank you.

August 27, 2012 by

Style | Fall Fashion Trend Presentations

When I sing karaoke they turn down the volume on the microphone. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen here.

This weekend, like last, I’ll be at Metropolis at Metrotown sharing a few of my favourite fall trends and tips for wearing them. So when you’ve shopped till you’ve dropped, come say hi — I’ll be in the Love It or Lose It Lounge at 1:00, 3:00 and 5:00 on Saturday, August 25 and Sunday, August 26.

I promise I won’t sing.

[Photo by Amy Podrasky.]

August 24, 2012 by

Pinstagram | Pineapples, Picnics and Pointy Plants

The Anthology’s Pinstagram column brings together highlights from Kelsey Dundon’s Pinterest and Instagram feeds. In other words, the dream and the reality.

Red earrings by Moss Handmade from Tender Loving Empire in Portland + a stunning red-to-toe look.

One of my favourite lunch spots in Vancouver Nuba + one of my favourite fruits.

My outfit of the day when I climbed the via ferrata to the peak of Whistler + trees that look an awful lot like what you’d find at the base of the mountain.

A succulent on my friend Briony’s porch + brooches I wish I had in my jewelry box.

A purple hazy view of Vancouver from the Cambie Street Bridge+ a purple hazy (and kind of creepy) shot by Swiss Photographer Chantal Michel.

A golden picnic spot at Vancouver’s Spanish Banks + golden brocade at Balmain F/W 2012.

A filing catinet (haaaa!) + purrfect wallpaper by Eric Bagge (haaaa! x2).

P.S. Follow Kelsey Dundon on Pinterest and Instagram, or if you prefer a more traditional route, follow The Anthology on Facebook and @TheAnthology.

August 24, 2012 by

Diary | Posing and Smizing, then Posing and Smizing Some More

More often than not I’m the one operating the wind machine, but the other day, I was the one getting winded. One of my very favourite Vancouver-based fashion photographers Evaan Kheraj snapped my picture (can’t wait to share them with you!).

He was all “Don’t move, stick out your neck, lower your chin, shift your gaze over there and smile.”

I was all awkward as heck. “Now you know how the models feel,” Evaan said. And now I know why they get paid the big bucks.

Thanks again, Evaan!

P.S. Smize your best smize and follow The Anthology on Facebook and @TheAnthology.

August 22, 2012 by

Workspace | Lisa Wong of Solo Lisa

The Anthology’s Workspace column takes us inside the creative spaces of some very creative people.

Lisa Wong is the red lipstick-clad beauty who writes about fashion and beauty for her blog Solo Lisa, and her mother’s closet and virtual BFF breakups — OMG! — for FLARE Magazine.

In her own words she takes us through her workspace, cat prints, tequila glasses and all…

1. I’ve had the flowered Hello Kitty candy tin on my desk since I was little. It used to hold Crayola markers. Now it holds an assortment of pens and a pair of scissors, while the teal box underneath corrals all the random business cards I collect at fashion events.

2. Yup, I’m a PC girl at heart. I bought this Sony VAIO laptop to replace its ancient predecessor shortly after my first FLARE article was published; it was part reward and part incentive to get started on the next one.

3. I loved this Stila Cosmetics <3 Lisa sketch so much, I framed it for the home office.

4. Since buying a condo and moving in with my boyfriend, I’ve been asking my parents for all their recipes so I can replicate their home-cooked Chinese dishes in our new place. I’ve handwritten their recipes for steamed fish, black bean and ginger chicken, and black bean and garlic spare ribs in this doggie notebook is from Lola Home & Apparel.  Considering how my home office is right next to the kitchen, the desk seems like a logical place to keep the recipe book, as well as any jewelry I take off before cooking.

5. A magazine file full of lookbooks and press kits, and a cat print from Wild Rabbit, hide the unsightly wireless router from view.

6. There’s usually a mix of beauty products to be reviewed on my desk. Right now that mix consists of goodies from Estee Lauder, Philosophy, and Make Up For Ever.

7. This tequila shooter set is from a charming colonial town in Mexico called San Miguel de Allende. During my first trip to Mexico, my boyfriend at the time took me everywhere: Guanajuato, Puerta Vallarta, Oaxaca, Taxco. When we weren’t travelling around, we explored his hometown Mexico City. I’ve never had a drink out of it, but I like having it on my desk to remind me of my travels.

P.S. Click your way to Solo Lisa to see the stylish fruits of Lisa Wong’s labour.

P.P.S. Check out the first post in the Workspace column and find out how Niki Blasina of A Haute Mess smells when she blogs. Click through the second post to find out where Anya Georgijevic of I’m the It Girl started her footwear obsession. And find out how Kumiko Ide of Tribal DDB keeps her workspace fresh to death. Jewelry designer Justine Brooks shares her works in progress and her favourite places to work very, very remotely.

August 21, 2012 by