élan

Sweata' weatha'

2010-06-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

First off, its been forever! Please do not take my lack of posting as an insult it was just pure laziness on my part :(
So this spring has been a bit of a disappointment.... today (in Vancouver at least...) its been cloudy, cold and wet... which is really would be fine if it was February or March... even April... but May and June... pull it together Van!
Any way, until it becomes shorts weather... well just have to keep on with the sweata' and scarf weather...

mid-spring day bike ride

2010-05-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

DIY

2010-05-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

This dress, believe it or not, was created out of old curtains.

bad weather, good clothing

2010-05-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

Spring is the most fickle month. A teach of mine once said, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. This is no more true in the schizophrenic season of spring, where the conditions will change at any moment.

elegantly sunny

2010-04-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

utilitarian is beautiful

2010-04-05T20:27:00.000-07:00

this military/ army trend is just not going away- but why should it? its completely perfect for today's economic and social environment. inexpensive, practical, androgynous; and now thanks to high end designers very stylish.

banana smile

2010-03-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

Though her pants look very exotic, even classy, when I took a closer look I noticed that they were actually sweatpants; The rest of the clothing and accessories played a big part in hiding this detail.

wearing your spirituality on your sleeve

2010-03-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

performance artist

2010-03-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

TV- suit case

2010-03-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

note: his suitcase is a retro TV which has been re-constructed.

transportation as fashion

2010-03-15T17:42:00.001-07:00

9 to 5

2010-03-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

what can i say? her outfit really excited me.

nighty

2010-03-08T20:04:00.001-08:00

rolled tweed

2010-03-04T13:18:00.001-08:00

toggle coat

2010-02-27T21:14:00.000-08:00

owl rim glasses

2010-02-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

after august sander

2010-02-21T21:27:00.001-08:00

essential hockey fan #2

2010-02-19T16:51:00.000-08:00

random out of the blue costumes... check

DONT TRASH THE STACHE

2010-02-19T16:36:00.000-08:00

so watching the half-pipe the other night and i was so amused by the french teams fake mustaches. i looked around a bit and apparently ive been under a rock because the fake stache has been flourishing in the accessories department - like the american apparel mask and the necklace below it. now if only i could catch someone pulling this off without being pretentious i would be vurry happy!

essential hockey fan #1

2010-02-19T13:04:00.000-08:00

canadian flag paraphernalia - check

essential vancouver- house

2010-02-16T11:22:00.001-08:00

wood paneled exterior, part boat house part house house, on granville island facing false creek, the yaletown condos and north mountains, with a canadian flag in the window... don't worry i'm sure this is occupied by an owner of an independent record label, who used to teach snowboarding to children, and his wife who plays bass guitar and also is the graphic designer of all the covers. On Sundays they do yoga next door, then they go shopping with their kids for the next week's (organic) groceries which sipping on chai lattes.
But that's just a hunch.

olympic youth

2010-02-15T22:58:00.000-08:00

To Mr. McQueen

2010-02-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

As many of you will know, Alexander McQueen passed away yesterday morning.
This has been quite a shock for the fashion world. It has also caused me sadness and concern over the future of the fashion industry. Alexander McQueen was one of the last designers who worked on an artistic level. He didn't produce shows for consumers. However over the past years the fashion industry has pushed towards clothing lines which are meant for mass production, and there has been a movement away from couture and other artistic lines.
I hope Alexander McQueen's death draws attention to the mechanization of the industry, and the loss of passion, love, fantasy, theater, craftsmanship and above all art which he so loved to use in his shows.

This dress which i show above (without a wearer) is made to expand and contract based on the air in the room. It is quite grand and very well made. It is a work of art.
I hope that this designer, and many others continue to push the industry back to its artistic roots. Do not let Alexander's work be forgotten.

plaid polo

2010-02-09T21:37:00.001-08:00

here's some more plaid! funny how this same shirt on someone else would be punk, but on him its more traditional.

plaid scarf

2010-02-06T20:24:00.000-08:00

a simple plaid (slash tartan... not quite sure on the difference- but im looking into it i promise!) scarf for you today. his cape is quite amazing. he told me he got it vintage and that it used to be a british cop's uniform- the numbers on the collar is the cops employee number.

oddly enough this isnt the only cape ive seen on a man... its apparently all the rage for film and foundation students.... look into it!

plaid flannel

2010-02-03T22:04:00.000-08:00

what did i say? i think im going to be unstoppable with this canadiana...

let the plaid begin!

2010-02-03T21:48:00.001-08:00

how could i not show plaid for the olympics? i warn you this is only the first-

just take a look at the details in her pants- its awesome! there are buttons going up all the way in the back

thrifty victorian

2010-01-28T22:41:00.000-08:00

this look seems to reference victorian style for me. mainly because of the tights and shoes, as well as the purple dress she is wearing, but maybe it also has to do with her stiff posture... but maybe that's because a complete stranger smelling of old coffee asked to take her picture

here's a detail of her shoes and tights

stoic rocker?

2010-01-28T12:02:00.000-08:00

stoic in fleece

2010-01-25T22:13:00.000-08:00

has fleece ever look this good?
here's a closer look...

vest-tacular

2010-01-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

nice tuque!

2010-01-21T21:28:00.001-08:00

i love when hats are worn with some extra material at top-

it looks like something that the love child of Donald from Fat Albert and Smurfette would wear.

(assuming of course that Donnie Darko's theory that smurfs are asexual is incorrect)

green hoodie

2010-01-20T23:43:00.000-08:00

hey look another american apparel hoodie!
Its fascinating how the same hoodie can fit well on both men and women- I swear there is a guy in my class who wears the same shirt and possibly same jeans as i do... twins?! ... i should look into getting a DNA test.

grey-out

2010-01-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

the grey American apparel hoodie has become the new black on black for art students.

black-out

2010-01-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

black-out

Flashin' the watch... whatcha doin' bouyee? this aint no Tommy Hilfiger ad!
...sometimes I get all Eddy-Murphy-as-a-fat-black-women- only sometimes.

grey-out

2010-01-20T10:28:00.001-08:00

Hi everyone- currently the Emily Carr server is down and has taken my photos with it (grrrrr). But fear not, once the server snaps out of it I will post a bucket full of photos to compensate.
-I swear on my first born child!

the many faces of kathy

2010-01-18T12:39:00.000-08:00

*Note: her numerous expressions were caused by my gooferkins of an assistant who was trying to relax her for the photo shoot... any guess as to what he was saying?

smoking diptych

2010-01-15T21:40:00.000-08:00

I end my first week slash theme with a couple photos and infos....
Aside from being a non smoker I have been drawn to photograph people when they smoke- to try to figure that out i looked into what smoking evokes:
Over the hundreds of years smoking has become associated with a persona of the lone cowboy (thanks Marlboro) being lost in thought or contemplation, independence and sexuality. What got its boom with the creation of the new middle class has now become a symbol for lawyers and bohemians a like.

But that doesn’t really answer why i am so drawn to photographing smokers - at times (especially during my beige-tastic summer job at an insurance company) I find myself jealous of smokers- the romantic act of stepping outside for fresh air (no matter the weather) to take a quiet moment to yourself. It acts as an excuse for being outside in such awful whether- or for even being alone.

oh to be a pipe smoking bohemian smoking/swimming against the current towards an art school education... but for now ill stick to my favorite drug of all.... the jittery headache inducing latte!

smoking couple

2010-01-15T14:17:00.000-08:00

smoking in the sun

2010-01-13T22:24:00.000-08:00

Continuing the smoking trend this week with this photo taken in the fall.

As I said yesterday I have many photos of people smoking in my collection. As I looked closer I realized that all of the smokers in my photos were women - this is very interesting because that up until the early 20th century women who smoked in public were seeing as promiscuous, the act was even associated with prostitution. The act of women smoking in public was frowned upon greatly. Women were not seen as being graceful or proper if they smoked in public.
Compare that today- my friend here is smoking at the front of Emily Carr -a very public place- yet one would hardly criticize her of appearing improper or ungraceful.

Ill look more into the psychology of smoking and style on Friday.

smoking out front

2010-01-12T21:01:00.001-08:00

i'm continuing on a smoking trend with my photos. a teacher noticed last semester that i photographed a lot of people smoking - especially women (which used to be taboo- more tomorrow). i think the reason for smokers appearing in my photographs so often is that when they are out side (they are in good light), relaxed, and being active (if you can call smoking active).
more tomorrow on the social changes of smoking, and how it affects ones personal style

black smoke

2010-01-12T13:54:00.000-08:00

detail of tights

under eye circles

2010-01-12T02:09:00.000-08:00

"Under eye circles are my thing"