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Kelsey Dundon

The A-list | Great Reads

In The Anthology’s A-list column (“A” stands for Anthology, in case you haven’t had your coffee yet) we tabulate a few of the very best things in life. This list of must-reads is compiled by Katie Burnett, a friend, actress and writer living in London. Now you’ll know what to crack open when you’re done reading The Hunger Games…

Is it time for summer yet? I am very ready for some sun, and while I always get into a panic when my TV shows go on hiatus for a few months, it means I can finally pay attention to my very, very large pile of books all begging for my attention. So if you’re looking for some books for the plane, the pool or for fun, here are my picks for summer reading.

1. Just Kids by Patti Smith

I am beyond obsessed with this book about the early beginnings of the “godmother of punk”, Patti Smith. It is a detailed account of her pre-fame life with the artist Robert Mapplethorpe, littered with stories of life in the iconic Chelsea Hotel, nights spent in proximity to Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and the struggles an artist faces. It is a beautiful, sad, poetic and fascinating book that is not to be missed.

2. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

Here’s the thing – some people love to run, others hate it. I love to run but it took me years before I could proudly declare it, and I still wake up very sure I should stay in bed instead of lacing up and going outside. But when I’m in my Lululemons, with the right music in my ears, I can go forever. Or, like, an hour. Christopher McDougall’s book is a breathtaking look at the evolution of running, of ultra-marathons, and the people who run them. The author goes down to find a deeply hidden tribe of people in Mexico who are the fastest long distance runners in the world, for whom running is not just recreational but is what shapes their lives. Every chapter is an intriguing feast for the senses, and a constant reminder and inspiration to get on the running shoes and run not just because we can, but because we were born to do so.

3. The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

If you’re mine and Kelsey’s age then Leonardo DiCaprio was your first and potentially favourite boyfriend, thanks to Romeo and Juliet and Titanic. I am a massive fan of The Great Gatsby and can’t wait to see Leo as the great Jay, but since that’s not coming out till Christmas 2012, why not revisit Fitzgerald’s other classic novels in the meantime? I love The Beautiful and Damned, and how it portrays life in the Jazz Age and the enigmatic world of the elite in 1920’s. If you can’t get anywhere this summer, might as well escape to another era with Anthony and Gloria Patch.

Fun fact – this book has long been thought to be based on Fitzgerald’s marriage to Zelda. Why not check out Woody Allen’s glorious Midnight in Paris and see Allison Pill and Tom Hiddleston recreate Scott and Zelda?

4. Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis

Bret Easton Ellis books are not for the faint hearted, and you’ll understand if you’ve read American Psycho or The Rules of Attraction (or seen the films!) Glamorama is no exception, as it dives into the world of a 90’s supermodel and is a totally satirical look at celebrity. Victor Ward is a vapid model and wannabe actor who gets involved in a dangerous international model terrorists….sounds nutty, yes, but thoroughly entertaining, especially as Ellis’s attention to detail is amazing to the point of unnerving.

P.S. Catch up on Katie Burnett’s earlier dispatches and add to your “When I’m in London” list: Sundays on Brick Lane, Saturdays in Camden Town, Friday nights at the theatre, and East Coast nostalgia.

May 13, 2012 by

After | The Flowy Floral Dress

See how happy I look, sitting there on a rock in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Park? That’s a) because I was doing a shoot with Vancouver-based portrait photographer Sherry Lu and b) because my dress no longer looks like it does in the photo below.

You’d be smiling too. So how did this vintage Little House on the Prairie-style dress go from looking like this…

…to this? I hemmed it! Oldest trick in the book. And belted it with a vintage YSL belt instead of its original sash. I almost always swap out the belt that’s comes with a dress or jacket, regardless of whether it’s vintage or brand new. Makes a piece your own, ya know?

I left the sleeves long because they’re fun, they’re see-through and they’re quite flowy so I feel like a true flower child (though in this photo I look much more like a tree child). Oh, and that ring? It’s by Social Experiment. And speaking of things that are social, we have quite a few giveaways coming up  so socialize with The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter and you’ll be the first to hear about them!

[Vintage dress, bag and belt, Prada sandals.]

First, third and fourth photos by Sherry Lu.

P.S. Thank you, Countdown Events, for this feature on yours truly!

May 11, 2012 by

Diary | Brunch at the Birds Nest

Brunch is such a luxury. To find the time between work (sadly, it can be tough even on the weekends) and errands to actually sit for a few hours with your ladyfriends as you sip champagne and plan your next road trip — there’s nothing better. And I have a new favourite brunch spot: an underground restaurant where you dine like a guest of the chef in a home that feels like it belongs in Paris, though it’s actually smack dab in the middle of the ‘Couv.

Its name? The Birds Nest.

Do you have underground restaurants in your city? They’re absolutely delightful, especially since the chefs are often very accommodating to dietary idiosyncrasies — no red meat? No eggs? No dairy? No problem. And very patient as you linger well past mealtime. In Vancouver, underground restaurants can’t serve booze (we brought our own bottle of bubbly) and because they can’t technically charge you for your meal, you leave a donation. We left $25 a pop, which makes this one of life’s least expensive luxuries.

P.S. Not only was Erika Renfrew one of the best interns I’ve ever had, she’s also one of the sweetest — take a peek at the article she wrote about yours truly. Thanks again, Erika!

May 7, 2012 by

Beauty | AG Hair

What do these images have to do with hair? (Aside from that mermaid’s sick Marge Simpson ‘do?) They inspire my favourite kind of hairstyle: go to the beach, let your salty hair air dry into messy sea witch locks. And then put on tons of jewelry to distract people.

Also, they’re part of AG Hair’s feature on yours truly. You’ll find it, along with a few confessions about my high school crush, addictions and desire to time travel, riiiiiight here.

Thanks for having me, AG!

May 3, 2012 by

Style | Spring Trends on Breakfast Television

When you do morning television your day starts early. Like, really early. At that time of the morning when only hardcore joggers — you know, the ones who lace up their running shoes before dawn — are up.

I’ve never been one of those joggers, but with a heckuva lot of coffee, I can be one of those morning people.

I did Breakfast Television for Vitamin Daily the other day and talked spring trends at Old Navy (the outfit pictured), Gap and Banana Republic. Think lots of fun, summeriffic colours, even for gentlemen.

And me. My silk top and lace skirt are from Banana Republic.

My shoes are Elizabeth and James.

If you were out jogging and missed the clip, you can watch it riiiiiiiiight here.

Thanks for having me, Breakfast Television! And thanks again Banana Republic, Gap, Old Navy, Tara Parker Tait, Vitamin Daily, Michelle and Laura!

May 3, 2012 by

Style | Prepping for Breakfast Television

Bright and early tomorrow morning I’ll be on Breakfast Television Vancouver talking trends from Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy. Which means today I got my style on. Those are raspberry shirts I’m leafing through, gentlemen. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Then be sure to catch my segment Tuesday morning at 8:20.

Thanks, Michelle, for snapping that photo!

April 30, 2012 by

Style | Hosting JNBY’s Anniversary Party

Mad bonus points if you can guess what I wore to host JNBY‘s third anniversary party last night.

Orange you glad you said JNBY? Obvi I’m wearing it head to thigh. Not JNBY? My eel-skin clutch, which is vintage, my ring, which is from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, my bright blue nail polish, which is Slapper by Butter London (courtesy of Nail Polish Canada), and my gold cuff, which I’ve had for so long I don’t even remember where I found it. I do remember last night being a heckuva lot of fun, though. It was so great to see all your beautiful faces!

[Thanks to my sister Larissa for snapping this picture!]

P.S. Even madder bonus points if you follow @TheAnthology on Twitter.

April 27, 2012 by

Style | Inside Vancouver’s new J.Crew with Design Directors Tom Mora and Frank Muytjens

Funny that there hasn’t been a J.Crew store in Vancouver until now. The New York-based brand’s dressy/casual approach to basics seems right at home on Canada’s west coast.

“It never feels too dressy or over done,” says Tom Mora, Vice President of Women’s Design (pictured on the left). “And that meshes with Vancouver’s aesthetic. I mean, look at you, you’re wearing a tailored jacket with a t-shirt underneath.”

Good point.

Before J.Crew opened its Robson Street doors I got a peek at the two-floored space filled with cashmere sweaters, pencil skirts and button-up shirts. Though the basics may be the basics, this isn’t your mother’s J.Crew. If you’ve been following the brand’s trajectory – or if you’ve seen how they’ve styled their lookbooks in recent years – you’ve noticed a dramatic shift away from plain-old preppy, which is in no small part due to the vision of J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons.

Lyon’s laid-back luxe style has made her every fashion girl’s girl crush and a source of inspiration for Mora. “Between Jenna and my designers, I’m lucky to work with beautiful, stylish women,” he says. “We’re a company where people walk around in sequins in the middle of the day.”

The Vancouver store is the second J.Crew location in Canada (the first opened in Toronto last August) and the first to carry menswear.

Frank Muytjens, head of men’s design, describes the J.Crew man as fashion-conscious but not too trendy. “Men don’t like change too much so we take smaller steps than we would with women’s,” he says.

“You need to be persistent and consistent with menswear; you need to show a piece many times before [the customer] is comfortable with it.”

Speaking of comfort, a style staple of the Great White North has been given Muytjens’s blessing. “It’s perfectly acceptable to wear denim on denim,” he says. Good news for the Canadian tuxedo.

J.Crew is now open in Vancouver at 1088 Robson Street.

[Thanks, Little Fashionisto, for snapping that second photo!]

P.S. Like The Anthology on Facebook.

April 25, 2012 by

Linked | CBC, JNBY, Sasquatch Music Festival and more

The Anthology’s list of what’s new, what’s now and what’s next…

Woke up this morning to the sweet sound of my own voice on the radio. In response to this article in the New York Times about breaking up with a clothing brand (more emotionally draining than dumping that douche you used to date? I don’t know), the CBC wanted my take. My expert insight? While I may have broken up with Abercrombie because of its love of younger women (I adored the brand in my tweens) I’m now in a healthy, committed, long-term relationship with J.Crew, thankyouverymuch. It’s about to go from long-distance to local: the American retailer is opening its first location in Vancouver on Wednesday and I’m going to get a sneak peek tomorrow. Stay tuned for photos.

You’re invited! On Thursday I’ll be hosting a party celebrating JNBY’s third anniversary in Vancouver at their South Granville location. See you there!

It’s official. Vancouver-based photographer Braden Paul will be shooting Sasquatch! Music Festival for The Anthology again this year. Above is one of his shots from last year’s festival and you’ll find a few more of my favourites here.

Accessorize for a cause. The Shanti Uganda team is holding a warehouse sale on Saturday, April 28th at Blim Gallery in Vancouver (115 East Pender) from 12-5.

Strike a pose. Vogue’s FNO team has given the go-ahead: Fashion’s Night Out is coming to Vancouver this September.

Spring clean your closet. Together with 150+ nonprofit partners, Donate and Make a Difference is encouraging all you horders to clear out your closets and turn otherwise unused goods into revenue for local nonprofits by donating items. The event takes place this weekend (April 28-29) at all Value Village locations across North America.

End quote. I sat on a panel at the North Shore Writers Festival this weekend. A key takeaway from my talk? Something all fellow bloggers can relate to:

April 23, 2012 by