Style | The Heart Truth Fashion Show

Gabrielle Rose has appeared on the silver screen, the small screen and the stage. But she’d never walked the runway until last night. The actress was one of a handful of Canadian women, including Gene Simmons’ wife Shannon Tweed (in Arthur Mendonça) and my favourite redhead Jessi Cruickshank (in Adrian Wu), who rocked crimson at the Heart Truth Fashion Show in Toronto.

Before she left for T.O., I attended the final fitting of Rose’s off-shoulder, origami-influenced gown.

“When I put it on today and it was almost finished, I burst into tears. I think it makes me look stunning, like a screen siren,” she said.

The dress was designed by Heather Lewis and Jija Park of Something Blue, who were the only Vancouver-based designers to participate in this year’s show.

“Red represents passion and strength and we were looking for a gown that mirrored that feeling,” said Lewis.

While they’re best known for designing bridal gowns, Something Blue launched an eveningwear line in January (it’s all but sold out) and will be expanding into a line of resort wear (honeymoon wear!) once they move from their Yaletown shop to a studio near Granville Island this spring.

Will they recreate Rose’s Heart Truth gown for the masses? Nope. It is a one-of-a-kind piece designed just for the actress’ walk down the runway in support of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

The cause is very personal for Rose: she lost both her parents to heart disease.

“I lost my mother to a stroke two years ago and I started to think — were there risk factors that we should have been aware of?” she said. “I began to investigate and the statistics are frightening; heart disease takes more women than any other illness out there, including cancer. I was shocked by that. There’s a misperception that heart attacks are something that men have.”

You’ll find more information about heart disease (and tips for reducing your risk, ladies) right here.

If you missed the Heart Truth fashion show, take a look at the photos and video here. If you’re in Vancouver, catch Rose in the Arts Club Theatre’s presentation of Scar Tissue April 5-28.

[Photos in the first collage by George Pimentel]

March 9, 2012 by

Style | Sterling Shoes SS/12

If you’ve worked on a photo shoot you know the really fun part isn’t the shoot itself (though they are a blast). The best part is after all the location scouting and lighting tweaking, after all the prepping and primping — it’s seeing the photos themselves.

Like this shot from the Sterling Shoes spring/summer campaign I worked on a few weeks ago. We shot on location at the Waldorf Hotel thinking we’d spend most of our time in the tiki-tastic lounges. And we did. But we took over one of the hotel’s revamped rooms for a few minutes toward the end of the day and this was one of the magic moments we captured.

She looks like a movie star, doesn’t she?

Then there are the quirky, wonderful shots you get when the model (Christie B.) is a bundle of personality. Seriously, this girl is a riot. The bags she’s holding and the shoes she’s wearing are all at Sterling.

Our photo shoot dream team: photographer Evaan Kheraj, stylist Luisa Rino, hair and makeup artist Melanie Neufeld, graphic designer Jenny Kim and the peeps at Sterling (thanks, Lisa!).

P.S. For more behind-the-scenes photos follow @TheAnthology.

March 8, 2012 by

You Asked | How Do You Do It?

Shona writes:

Today for the first time, I read your about section. I found it amazing that you have established such a strong career at such a young age. How did you do it? The Anthology is awesome and I look forward to your future posts! :)

Thanks, Shona! To answer your question: sheer terror.

When I was in university, I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to find a job with a degree in English Literature so I started building a portfolio, contributing to UBC’s student newspaper. As I approached graduation I was terrified my resume wasn’t beefy enough so I took every internship opportunity available to me: I interned in the newsroom at Global Television (BCTV at the time), at TheTyee.ca and at Traction Creative Communications. When I was hired as a writer at Traction, I made a point of giving every presentation I could (even those on camera) though they made me a little, well…terrified. I presented my work to clients who were twice my age while they would comb through my writing and question every comma.

I started contributing to the Georgia Straight and would review my pieces over the phone with my editor during my lunch breaks.

I didn’t see my friends much.

When I began working more closely with my agency’s interactive department I discovered every developer, project manager and art director had a blog (I’m looking at you, Liv, Teresa, Terry, Graeme and Melissa) and I thought to myself I want one! So I started The Anthology. It was a hobby, something I wrote for fun. As The Anthology grew I learned so much about managing my own brand (very different from writing for others) that I started lecturing on the subject at SFU’s Continuing Studies.

I also started contributing to Vitamin Daily and the Province.

Clients began approaching me and I built up enough of a clientele to leave my day job at Traction Creative, a role that I loved with people I loved working with. It was a little terrifying but that was the start of Northill. And though being an entrepreneur is much more difficult than being an employee, it is also, at times, much more rewarding. (Love you, clients!) I feel very, very fortunate.

Now, I’m pushing myself to take on another big, terrifying project (can’t wait to tell you all about it!).

So I guess that’s the moral of my story: stay terrified. Thanks a million for your note, Shona! Hope this was helpful.

P.S. Have a question? Send it to kdundon@theanthology.ca

March 6, 2012 by

Diary | Social Feed x The Anthology + You!

Vancouver’s the biggest small town in the world. And you don’t have to take my word for it — one of the Real Housewives of Vancouver said — and I quote — “Six degrees of separation? In Vancouver it’s, like, two. And it should be legal to marry a first cousin here.”

Ummmm…anyway…Thursday’s Social Feed x The Anthology was proof that everybody in this city knows everybody in this city. Tickets for the dinner hosted by yours truly at the Irish Heather sold out faster than any Social Feed event to date (LOVE you guys!) and it was packed with creative types, design enthusiasts and fashion lovers like (clockwise from top left) Style Council’s Sam Baxter, Jon Becker (with whom I lecture at SFU’s Continuing Studies Program), articling student Annie Stewart, Dave Waterman, Aritzia’s Kelly Moss, AG Hair’s Sam Shamash, Larissa Dundon (my sis), and Bryce Dundon (my bro).

And the bloggarazzi! Clockwise from top left: Edelman PR’s Ashley Walden, A Fashion Love Affair’s Cara Jourdan, Miss Melissa’s Melissa Knight, A Beautiful Life’s Liv Hung, Jugni Style’s Manjot Bains, co-curator of the Museum of Vancouver’s exhibit BhangraMe Naveen Girn, photographer Maurice Li, Anthology contributor Erika Renfrew and Alicia Fashionista’s Alicia Quan.

I loved seeing all of your beautiful faces! Clockwise from top left: Art Institute student Marina Fernandes, Lyndsay Tilston of Tonic Apparel, in the black on the second photo from the top is HootSuite’s Ashley Jane Brookes, and that’s Dress For Success Vancouver board member Liz Sperandeo beside me in the picture on the bottom left. (Eep! I know I’m missing a few of your names — send me an email and I’ll post them promptly!)

I wore a dress by Parker and a vintage necklace I found at the Brooklyn Flea when I was in NYC — I’m told it’s a sample that was made in the 1960s but was never widely launched because it was so difficult to reproduce, which makes it extra special in my eyes. Was it made around the time Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra came out in 1963? I don’t know, but it definitely has an Egyptian influence.

We went a little giveaway crazy! Everyone went home with AG Hair’s Organic Extra Virgin Argan Miracle Oil (love the stuff!), one lucky guest slipped on a sterling silver ring by Vancouver jewelry designer Justine Brooks’ (was tempted to keep it for myself!) and a couple ladies went home with some Jason Wu for Target goodies. Speaking of which, Liz Sperandeo picked the winner of The Anthology’s Jason Wu for Target giveaway and it was…Katya P.! Congratulations!

The best part of the night? A portion of the ticket proceeds went to Dress For Success Vancouver. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Let’s do this again, friends. ‘Twas fun!

P.S. I’ll be posting more photos on The Anthology’s Facebook Diary so give it the old thumbs up!

March 5, 2012 by

Diary | Social Feed x The Anthology

A few shots Vancouver-based travel and lifestyle photographer Maurice Li took at last night’s Social Feed x The Anthology. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for making it such a fun night! I’ll post more pics as soon as I’m back from the board meeting I have to attend first thing this morning (I really should have planned that better).

Thanks, Maurice! Your shots are always my favourite.

P.S. I’ll be posting photos to The Anthology’s Facebook diary too so get your like on.

P.P.S. How many bonus points do I get for matching the ladder, door and dolly in that first picture?

March 2, 2012 by

Trippin’ | New York, New York

There are places that are best visited with your significant other (when I was in Florence with one of my friends we spent a good portion of the time talking about how great it would be if we were there with our boyfriends instead). And there are places that are best visited with your girlfriends. New York is one of those places. It’s even better if your girlfriends are NYC-enthusiasts who know the city inside and out. And it’s beyond compare if one of your girlfriends spent the last month working at Thakoon and the last week working New York Fashion Week.

Visiting NYC with my girlfriends changed the entire city for me — I went from having little interest in it (yeah, yeah, it’s the centre of the world, blah blah blah) to being head-over-heels for it.

Or should I say… head over 5-inch Alexander Wang heels, which is what my friend Laura (that’s her in pink) wore…

…to walk across this bridge. I’ve always thought the best way to get to know a city is to walk it (although biking a city is amazing too) and NYC — like these boots — was made for walking.

Our trip across the Brooklyn Bridge led us to DUMBO, home to Zoe, Front Street Pizza and, it turns out, Dan Humphrey’s Brooklyn digs (holler Gossip Girl fans!).

We didn’t get to all the places we wanted to because we’d sleep half the day (those Ace Hotel beds are comfy!) and have long, lazy lunches at places like Eataly and Lovely Day. We never made it to Amarcord or Tokio 7, both vintage shops that were recommended by a vintage-loving stylist, but we did spend an awful lot of time under the city’s whispering lights.

Which is why Stumptown Coffee became my best friend. Man, I can’t wait to go back. I’m trying to convince my ladyfriends we should make it an annual trip — the redeye from YVR to JFK isn’t that bad.

[In the top picture I’m wearing a J.Crew jacket. In the fourth I’m wearing J.Crew jeans, Cougar boots, vintage scarf and jacket. In the last picture it makes no difference what I’m wearing, does it?]

P.S. Follow The Anthology on Twitter and come along for the ride.

P.P.S. Can’t wait to see all your beautiful faces at the Social Feed x The Anthology party on Thursday!

February 28, 2012 by

Giveaway | $100 to Shopbop

Picked a name out of a hat and the winner of the Shopbop x The Anthology giveaway is…

Jeannelle! Congratulations! May the $100 Shopbop gift card buy you many beautiful NYC-inspired things.

P.S. Not Jeannelle? Not to worry! The Anthology has another giveaway going on right now! Enter to win a Jason Wu for Target swag bag right here.

[Image found here.]

February 27, 2012 by

Style | Red Hot/White Hot Oscar Dresses

There were bows and polka dots and a whole lotta much-too-thin leg (Angelina!), but these red and white dresses stood out on a certain red carpet outside Hollywood and Highland Center last night.

Oh, Emma Stone! I’d like to raid your closet. First, there was the stunner she wore to the Golden Globes, now this Giambattista Valli gown. With its high neck and gigantic bow, it’s one of those pieces that could easily wear the wearer, but Emma Stone owns it. Did you see how gorgeously it fluttered as she came out to present Best Visual Effects alongside Ben Stiller? (Did you see how cranky Ben Stiller seemed?)

Rooney Mara’s Givenchy Haute Couture is one of those back-that-ass-up gowns. From the front it’s a bit meh, but its back is so sexy, so nineties, so perfect.

Does the fact that Elle Kemper’s Armani Prive dress matches her hair seem a little, uh… matchy-matchy? Yes. Adorable? Indeed.

You need to be tall, toned and, well…Gwyneth Paltrow to pull this Tom Ford dress off. But man, did she look regal. (So very different from the white dress she wore to the Oscars with Brad Pitt in 1996!) Cannot wait for her behind-the-scenes Oscar recap on Goop. Please, Gwyneth, tell us you’ll be doing one.

Which were your favourite Oscar looks? Did you like Natalie Portman’s polka dotted dress? (I thought it was too cutesy.) Did you dig Michelle Williams’ orange number? (The bow pin ruined it for me.) Did you love or loathe Giuliana Rancic’s beaded number? (I loved it!)

[Top left image found here, top right image found here, bottom left image found here, bottom right image found here.]

February 27, 2012 by

Linked | Walt Street, Theorem Nouveau, North Shore Writers Festival, Two Giveaways and more…

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

Win it  — The Anthology and Shopbop are giving away $100 Shopbop gift card to one lucky Anthology reader!

Beg it — If you love vintage like I love vintage, then you’ll love the second instalment of the monthly Beggars Banquet happening this weekend (Feb. 24-26).

Feed it — Tickets for the Social Feed x The Anthology dinner sold out the day they went on sale and for that, I love you. Can’t wait to see all y’all on Thursday!

Win it some more! Jason Wu for Target and The Anthology are giving away a swag bag filled with Jason Wu for Target goodies (some of which weren’t even available at the Toronto pop-up!).

Judge it — The Art Institute of Vancouver is presenting the no-sew fashion Walt Street (Disneylicious!) on March 9th. Guess who’s going to be a judge! (Kelsey Dundon, obvi! I’ll be the one wearing this.)

See it— John Casablancas Institute presents Theorem Nouveau, a fashion show by JCI grads March 20th at Performance Works on Granville Island. Net proceeds benefit Covenant House.

Write it — Guess who’s going to be speaking at the North Shore Writers Festival in April! (If guessed Kelsey Dundon, you’re very good at this game! It’s yours truly, duh. Aaaaaand I bet I’m the only speaker at this Writers Fest who uses “Duh”.)

[Lefthand image photographed and styled by Kristina Derrick, top right image found here, bottom right image found here.]

February 24, 2012 by

Giveaway! Jason Wu for Target

You Torontonians are lucky — the Jason Wu for Target pop-up is taking over the city today. But the rest of you Canadians are lucky too, because Jason Wu for Target and The Anthology want to give you a whole bunch of goodies, some of which aren’t even available at the pop-up. (Hello!)

Enter for a chance to win a swag bag filled with:

– Floral print handbag (This isn’t even available at pop-up!)
– Printed scarf (Meow!)
– “Target Hearts Canada” tote (Made exclusively for the event!)
– Plush Target Bullseye dog (Woof!)

For one entry: Comment on this post and tell us why you love Canada. (Because it’s where Celine Dion is from!)

For two entries: Write on The Anthology’s Facebook wall.

For three entries: Holler @TheAnthology on Twitter.

The contest is open to Anthology readers across Canada. The lucky winner will be chosen on March 1, 2012 (contest closes 5:00pm PST 03/01/12). Good luck!

[First image found here.]

February 23, 2012 by