Style | Sterling Shoes Fall/Winter 2012 Campaign

We shot Sterling’s fall/winter 2012 campaign in the middle of summer (take a look at the behind-the-scenes shots) and now that it’s autumn, it’s finally in stores. And I couldn’t possibly love it more.

It was shot by Evaan Kheraj, styled by Luisa Rino, and art directed by yours truly, the same team that put together the spring/summer 2012 campaign (take a look at the behind-the-scenes shots and the finished products).

It makes me want to frolic in the autumn sun. Stellar, no?

[Models are wearing Lifetime Collective, Kersh, Press, Cecile Benac and in the first photo, my ring.]

P.S. Follow The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter and you’ll be the first to see behind-the-scenes photos.

Trippin’ | Kauai’s North Shore

Right now, I’m in Hanalei Bay on Kauai’s north shore. Or, more specifically, I’m looking out over it. Let me tell you, this little gem of a spot should be on your travel itinerary — the hiking, the stand-up paddle boarding, the beach-laying…it doesn’t get any better.

But if you’re in Vancouver — or heading that way — I’ve shared a few of my favourite spots to eat, drink, shop and snowshoe on CheapFlights.ca. Happy trails!

Diary | A one-day MINI Adventure

A sponsored post. 

Owning my own business means every day is an adventure. And right now every day is a…MINI Adventure. So what does that day look like? Well, it all depends, but the other day it started at Perry & Co. where I picked out French gray paint for the stools I upcycled as part of the Vancouver Home and Design Show Upcycle Challenge benefitting Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.

Then it was off to the new(ish) Splendid store at Pacific Centre to check out the bright, colourful space and pick up a little something cozy c/o Splendid (love the displays they had in store — would make a cool bookshelf DIY, no?).

Then to Nelson the Seagull to meet Courney McGeever who was in from New York to share Lush’s newest line of handmade, animal-friendly, eco-friendly haircare products (in stores in November).

Then to my new favourite fabric shop/sewing studio Spool of Thread to pick up fabric to re-cover those once-ugly stools (not as tough as you’d think — I’ll post a little how-to soon).

Then it was off to pick up my sister in my MINI Roadster (sun’s up, top’s down even in the middle of October — thank you, heated seats!).

And that was only one day. Want to win a year-long MINI Adventure from MINI Richmond? (Of course you do!) Click here to enter to win and up your chances by sharing your entry on Facebook and Twitter @MINIRichmond  (#MINIadventure). Good luck!

Style | Inside TOPSHOP Vancouver, the brand’s biggest international store

Topshop’s biggest store outside the UK — all 33,000 square feet of it — opens today in The Bay on Granville Street in Vancouver.

“I’m still getting lost in it, I can assure you,” said managing director Mary Homer when I stopped by yesterday to get a first look at the space, which houses Topshop’s specialty boutique, a petite section, tall section, maternity wear section and gigantic shoe section. Plus, a personal shopping suite.

After my tour I sat down with a few of Topshop’s top people and here’s what they had to say…

Mary Homer on the pre-opening jitters 

It gives us such a sense of pride that people are excited for Topshop. You hope that people are going to love Topshop but until people actually come through the door and buy, I’m always a little nervous about the reception.

Mary Homer on how the web’s changed the game

You’ve got an online business and it’s brilliant, but the stores have to be even better now. Our customer is quite interesting because she will go online and look and then she’ll visit the store and buy.

Talk to teenagers and ask them if they’re going to shop online and they say “Oh no. I want to go shopping, I want to have lunch, I want to try things on.”

Topman creative director Gordon Richardson on women shopping the men’s section

You shop Topman? Please say yes. [Well I will now that I’ve seen the sweaters – Kelsey]

A lot of women shop Topman because it’s just good, great clothes, it’s like weekend clothes. Put on a sweater or a big blanket-looking shirt with a boy blazer or a boy jean and it kind of works.

Gordon Richardson on evolving men’s fashion

I think men just haven’t been let free yet to explore. We were just talking earlier that it’s taken us 10, 12 years to build brand credibility within Topman. We needed to make it a cool brand and we needed to improve the product, which I think we’ve done and we’re now at this point where we’re a fashion-led brand every bit as good as Topshop is for women.

Gordon Richardson on what it’s like being creative director

It’s about the creative brushstroke that I have across everything, which is a great role but quite exhausting sometimes.

The stakes are higher, the pressure is there to get it right. There are some things that don’t work as well but you can’t run a fashion business on everything being right. Fashion is about creativity and constant change so you have to run with that.

Gordon Richardson on the big picture

You have to think globally now as well because we’re such an international brand although we’re very British-focused, a lot of our imagery and our look is British. Obviously we’re now going to have now consider international markets.

It has a very British slant this season with all the fabrics and tweeds. The tweed is actual Harris Tweed and I don’t think there are any other brands at our level working with it. It’s woven in the outer Hebrides, north of England. It’s proper traditional cloth gentlemen used to wear to hunt, and shoot and fish.

London calling? Put it on hold and head to Topshop Vancouver instead.

P.S. Follow The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter and you’ll be the first to see behind-the-scenes photos.

P.P.S. You’ll find all The Anthology’s interviews with the likes of designer Rachel Roy, J.Crew’s design directors Tom Mora and Frank Muytjens, and New York-based artist Jason Young right here.

Best reader mail EVER!

Christine writes:

I’m an avid reader of your blog and this afternoon my cat Tui decided to take a look at your site as well. I  couldn’t help snapping a picture and thought you might get a good laugh from it!

Tui, you have great taste. Thanks for sending that in, Christine!

Bookmark | Vancouver Cycle Chic

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

If your favourite shots on The Satorialist are of people on bikes (and obviously they are) then Vancouver Cycle Chic will be your new favourite street style blog.

It cuts out all the people-on-foot clutter and gets straight to the good stuff: chic cyclists.

Vancouver’s is an official extension of Copenhagen Cycle Chic (there are offshoot in cities all over the world from Barcelona to Ottawa) but in my very biased opinion, this site is more beautiful than most.

So bookmark Vancouver Cycle Chic already and bookmark The Anthology while you’re at it.

[Images from Vancouver Cycle Chic obviously.]

This P.S. is a PSA: wear a helmet, people. These by Sahn will do the trick.

Workspace | Erica Lam of The Style Spy

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

If you follow style blogs in Canada you’re very familiar with The Style Spy. Founded by the lovely (seriously, she’s a doll) and talented Erica Lam, it chronicles fashion trends, features interviews with industry insiders and highlights “Girls of the Week” (one of whom you might recognize).

In her own words, Erica takes us through all the shoes and books and nail polishes that fill her workspace…

1. I recently moved to Montreal and this is my current set-up at the apartment I’m subletting. I must confess, I’m typically messier than this, but moving cross-country has forced me to streamline. It’s a good feeling not to have piles and piles of stuff sitting on your desk.

2. There’s usually a rotation of magazines – it’s either fashion magazines like the ones you see or business magazines like Fast Company or INC.

3. The book Creative, Inc. is a guide to running a freelance business. It was actually recommended to me by The Anthology’s Kelsey herself [Glad you like it! – Kelsey]. I left my advertising agency job as a social media strategist in Vancouver and am now working with clients on a freelance basis.

4. The Holstee Manifesto poster sits right above my desk. It’s a great daily reminder to really go after what you want in life.

5. Brands regularly send over products for me to try, the red suede booties are from Call It Spring’s fall collection and the nail polishes are from Essie’s winter line.

6. Don’t you love checking stuff off lists? I do. Hence the weekly things to do notepad from Chapters. I always have a Moleskine notebook next to me where I jot down all my ideas.

7. Attending events and networking are part of the job. The invitation on the desk is to Aldo Shoes’ 4oth anniversary, they’re hosting special pop-up exhibit at the Aldo Flagship store in Montreal.

P.S. Click your way to The Style Spy to see the fruits of Erica’s workspace.

P.P.S. Check out the first post in The Anthology’s 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. Take a look at Lisa Wong of Solo Lisa’s cat-decorated desk and Anna Cohen’s converted stable in Denmark. And Alicia Quan’s yellow suitcase desk storage is definitely an idea worth stealing.

Style | Heidi Merrick’s Endless Summer

When California-based designer Heidi Merrick stopped by Oliver & Lilly’s in Vancouver (where her line is available) I chatted with her about the 1980s, her surfing pedigree, and her first kiss.

From left to right: Heidi Merrick, Oliver and Lilly’s owner Leighann Boquist and yours truly.

You and your designs are pure California. What were you referencing in this collection?

I always say it’s high glam — like surf 80s glam — and my small town beach town, but truthfully it’s about this surfer Tom Curren, the best surfer in the world of all time. He was living at our house when I was young, he was my dad’s protégé [her dad is surf legend Al Merrick]. When he was going on world tour, he kissed me goodbye in the driveway. I think I was about 8 or 9 and it was my first kiss.

I was looking at a book on 1980s surfing and I saw a picture of Tom and it brought it all back and I thought I’m going to do something inspired by strong emotional feeling so I tried to make the colours super glamourous and the seersucker and the gauze and the scarves were kind of that little girl left in Carpinteria [where she grew up]– dressed down, beach town, bleached out.

I remember imagining him going on world tour – and I’m sure it’s the most miserable experience in the world to be a surfer on the world tour – but in my mind it was the most glamourous thing in the world so I tried to put it together: the little girl left in Carpinteria and the glamour of the surf world.

You’re now about as far north, in terms of big cities, as it gets on the west coast so how does your Southern California surf-inspired collection fit in in Vancouver?

I can’t believe how cool everyone is who’s walking in the door and how like-minded it feels. Maybe yeah, they’re here for an event for me, but I couldn’t imagine a better group of friends. Take the designer Dace, for example, we met in New York and we just had this immediate connection.

There’s a real California/Canadian vibe.

From Heidi Merrick F/W12: Savile skirtJeffrey’s coat, and Savvy dress.

For your fall collection you’ve gone in a slightly more polished direction. What’s the story behind it?

For that I was trying to do a gentleman surfer. Spring in retrospect is more bohemian than I need in my closet and so I wanted to dress it up a little bit. I modelled it after this one photograph of this dude I know surfing in a toque in a yellow top and turquoise shorts and the entire colour palette is taken from that one photograph.

[Second image found here.]

P.S. You’ll find all The Anthology’s interviews with the likes of designer Rachel Roy, J.Crew’s design directors Tom Mora and Frank Muytjens, and New York-based artist Jason Young right here.

Style | A Few of my Favourite Shots from Freedman Shoes’ F/W 2012 Campaign Shoot

After the concept creation and the location scouting and the wardrobe direction and the posing and the smizing and the shooting, the work really begins. How, for example, do you choose which of the above photos of blue suede shoes you love more? (No really — guess which one we picked.)

You saw the behind-the-scenes pics from Freedman Shoes‘ fall/winter 2012 campaign shoot photographed by David Fierro, styled by Luisa Rino, designed by Dawn Newton, and directed by yours truly.

Now these are a few of my favourite shots and outtakes. Especially the one on the left which features one of the industry’s freshest faces, my girlfriend Kylie’s toddler Mya.

And these two featuring my dog-in-law Lola, whose tongue really is that long. They didn’t all make the cut, but they all have a special place in my heart. Like my favourite shot from Freedman’s spring 2012 campaign, which I now have hanging on my office wall.

Thanks again, team Freedman! That was fun!

[Photos by David Fierro.]

P.S. Kick up your heels and follow The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter!

Playlist | Ben Howard at the Commodore Ballroom

Until Ben Howard played Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom last week, music photographer Braden Paul had “Never seen a ‘small’ venue go that crazy.”

The folksy London-based singer-songwriter just won a Mercury Prize, which honours the UK’s best albums of the year, for Every Kingdom.

Still, he remains as low-key as ever. “Real nice guy,” says Braden, who met him before the show when the artist was cruising around on his skateboard outside the venue. Not quite surfing, which he’s reluctantly known for, but it’s one way to work off pre-show energy.

So add Ben Howard to your playlist already, and include this remix of The Wolves by Little Dragon. It’s a pretty one.

[Photos by Braden Paul]

P.S. You’ll find all the concerts and festivals Braden has photographed for The Anthology riiiiiiiiiiight here.