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Monday, November 8, 2010

CONTINUING AN OTTAWA CHRISTMAS TRADITION

Great BIG smalls VI
December 1 ~ 31, 2010
Preview Day Wed. Dec.1, 10-30 - 6pm
Opening Party, First Thursday: Dec.2, 5pm - 11pm

CONTINUING AN OTTAWA CHRISTMAS TRADITION

Cube Gallery, 1285 Wellington West, is pleased to announce that our wildly popular Great BIG Smalls Show is back for a sixth year.
This is a seasonal group art show, this year featuring nearly 60 artists and 200 works of art.
Plan to arrive on the first day for what has become one of Cube’s most anticipated annual events
specializing in unique, intimate gifts of original art for the discerning kids and adults on your Christmas list.
Art – the gift that will appreciate and be appreciated for a lifetime.


Adrienne Herron, Aili Kurtis, Alison Smith-Welsh, Andrew Hind, Andrew O'Malley, Anne Barkley, Becca Wallace, Beth Levin, Betty Connelly, Christine Granger, Cynthia O'Brien, Dan Austin, Doug Cosbie, Eric Walker, Gordon Wallace, Gerald Trottier, Greg Manley, Greg Wellington, Janet Moore, Jean Jewer, Jenifer Lapierre, Jennifer Gibbs, Joyce Burkholder, Juliana McDonald, Karen Goetzinger, Karina Kraenzle, Katherine McNenly, Katrin Smith, Kathy Haycock, Keith Bell, Kristy Gordon, Lindsay MacKay, Marc Brzustowski, Marcel Guldemond, Mark Seabrook, MaryAnn Camps, Mary Wong, Megan Hinton, Meghan Hildebrand, Meghan Myres, Monika Seidenbusch, Natasha Henderson, Nicole Bélanger, Norman Takeuchi, Patti Normand, Paul Wing, M (Peggy) Hughes, Rebecca Mason, Reid McLachlan, Russell Yuristy, Serge Duguay, Susan Ukkola, Teresa Rozkiewicz, Tony Clark, Victoria Wonnacott, and Violeta Borisonik


--

Cube Gallery
1285 Wellington St. W. Ottawa, K1Y 3A8
613 728 1750 ~ 613 728 2111
Cubegallery.ca
info@donmonet.ca

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Monopoly

No matter who you are it's pretty likely as a Canadian or an American kid that you've played Monopoly and there's always that one kid you don't want to be the banker 'cause you know he some how managed to end up with more properties or cash. Playing Monopoly is probably the first time you realize that no one wants to go to jail and it sucks when you get there. Games like this are timeless and I can't believe no one thought of making a Canadian version of Monopoly earlier. You've played with your parents, siblings and friends and I personally think it's pretty cool that we now have a Canadian version.

We all knew that in the latest version of Monopoly with Canadian cities that Toronto and Montreal would make the cut. We did. Ottawa being the Capital was a give in as well but who knew Gatineau, Quebec would make the cut. Hold on one second, let me have a moment of cheer, Gatineau, Quebec had enough pride and as a result votes to make it on the board. I'm having a how cool is that moment. On top of having my current place of residence up, my family must be very happy to know that North Bay, Ontario made it up as well, who knew? I would've put my money on Halifax.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Hi Everyone,
The time has come that I am dividing my personal twitter account from my photography.
If you would like to get more info and updates on my photography please follow me on twitter @Photog_ontherun

Thanks

Monday, June 14, 2010

Ottawa Ferrari Festival

It's the Ottawa Ferrari Festival this weekend and who doesn't love to see a Ferrari?



The money goes to a good cause, here's the video of last year's event


Future reference, I'll take mine in red.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Street Jazz

Check Out this video, Street Jazz with Renee Yoxon and Alex Moxon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axPpibIwdW4
Now that the vernissage for the Allo Montreal show is over keep in mind that it is running until July 25th so go check it out when you have a chance.

Here's a link to Gallery owner Don Monet and artist Carol Noel talking about the show
http://www.cbc.ca/ottawamorning/archives.html

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Allo Montreal

Hey all,
If you would to see samples of the Allo Montreal show go to this link and scroll down. My pieces are items 8 and 11

http://www.cubegallery.ca/exhibitions/2010_06_01_allo_montreal

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Allo Montreal


Next Week the group show that I'm in opens, here's the details.


Allô Montréal
Tuesday June 1st, to Sunday July 25th, 2010

Vernissage: Thursday Jun 3rd, 2010 — 7:00 pm - 10:30 pm


A great themed group show in honour of the city we love - Montreal. Artists from Montreal and also from closer to home will be participating in this 2 month long summer show. Sculpture to painting, abstract to photographic all of them take on the city's dash, feel, excitement.
Featuring the artists:
Carol Noël
Donna Marsh
Guy Lavigueur
Jenifer Lapierre
Victoria Wonnacott
Wellington Lambert
Jean-François Lacombe
Stuart Lanctôt Kinmond
marc andre brzustowski
(MADY) Marie Bourdages

Allô Montréal is a tip of the chapeau, a salutation, a "bec" on both cheeks to the city that beckons us, feeds us and inspires us. Montréal.

This two-month show featuring 10 artists will celebrate the city, “that is physically so close you could call it Ottawa’s kissing cousin,” says curator Don Monet.

“This show is meant to celebrate Montréal and pay tribute to a city that is an internationally-renowned cultural mecca. And we are lucky enough to have it as our very alluring next door neighbour.”

Montréal draws us with its art, its culture and its cosmopolitan verve. It feeds us with its world class cuisine, it’s sophisticated art, museums and it’s par excellence shopping. Then it sends us home feeling a little more worldly.
These ten artists, in an expression of what Montreal is and what it represents to them, will explore the people, the history and the present day pizzazz that make this city "Canada's Cultural Capital" according to Monocle Magazine.

Montréal has been named a UNESCO City of Design, in league with Berlin and Buenos Aires. It is home to what is considered the largest underground complex in the world. It has been the springboard for talent in the fields of visual arts, theatre, music, and dance.

Dit Allô Montréal , at the Cube Gallery from June 1- July 25 in a special, two-month tribute to this spectacular city.
Cube Gallery
1285 Wellington St. W. Ottawa, K1Y 3A8
613 728 1750 ~ 613 728 2111
Cubegallery.ca
info@donmonet.ca

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Random Things I loved about Belize

I did create an actual Fine art collection of Belize but for the blog I wanted to share these random photos of some of the things that I will always remember and make me smile.

The Views:

The handmade Jewelery:





I thought this was funny:
The best juice:
First time I had the mixed drink called a Panty ripper(the name made me laugh). This juice with coconut rum. Yum!




I'm not normally a coke drinker but when it's made with sugarcane, Yum! Plus no matter where you go you'll always see a Coke sign in Belize.






Friday, May 14, 2010

Toronto this Weekend

Hope to see some of you at the Clothing Show and Olivia's this weekend.
New Blog post coming soon....
Olivia's Link

Clothing Show Link

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Upcoming Shows

Hi All,

I'll be away for awhile so here's my list of places where my photography can be bought and viewed.

Toronto

May 14-16 Clothing Show @ The Better Living Center
http://www.theclothingshow.com/

March 12-May 15 Olivia's at 53 Restaurant and Micro-Winery, Closing reception is May 15 6-10, Join the event on Facebook if you would like to attend, http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=118947011453680&ref=ts

More Toronto Shows to be confirmed soon!

Ottawa

June 1st-July 25 Allo Montreal Group show at Cube Gallery (more details to come soon!)

If you can't make it to any of my shows here's my website. Unfortunately most of the pieces that will be at these shows are not on my site http://www.wix.com/Jenlap/Photography

Monday, April 26, 2010

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Photography

a few new updates on my photography website http://www.wix.com/Jenlap/Photography

Saturday, April 17, 2010

April Movie Review

Public Enemies

Who doesn't love Johnny Depp? This movie kept me interested. This gangster/bank robbing/true story was worth every penny of the rental. Johnny Depp pulled off the character and made me think at times that the cops had less morals than the "bad" guys. Watch it!

Gigantic

Being one that usually likes movies with Zooey Deschanel and John Goodman, I thought this movie would be an absolute thumbs up. Although many offbeat movies can be good this one was missing something. The tone of the film was strange and finally when answers were coming, the answers didn't make any sense. I would say that this movie isn't a thumbs up or down, it just lays there flat on the table! Parts of this movie are interesting but as a whole, it's like they forgot parts in the end.

Fear
Oh Mark Wahlberg those 1996 Jeans are very funny! Although it was cool to see a young Alyssa Milano, Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg, it also reminded me how terrible the fashion was! It made me shudder realizing, I probably dressed like that too! This movie keeps the tone of 90's twenty something thrillers. Mark Wahlberg's stalker character with his sweet voice is absolutely freaky but the cheese level from the typical bad 90's thriller acting is also incredibly obvious. I say rent it because it's an amazing reminder of why the 90's shouldn't come back into style and how all of these actors have grown into actual actors now.

Blindside

Although I hesitated to watch this movie thinking that it would be overly sappy and not hit any actual emotion, a friend came over with it so I watched it. It was shockingly well done and Sandra Bullock was well deserving of an Oscar. It was a sweet movie and sometimes sweet is good!Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw have a great dynamic while Quinton Aaron pulls at the heart strings every other scene.
The movie demonstrates how one person can change another person's life forever. Warning: It is sweet and sappy so you have to like that to like this movie.

Cloverfield

My cousin informed me prior to watching this movie that the ending would annoy me and it did. I am giving you all the same warning, the ending may annoy you! It's a typical sci-fi'ish movie with monsters attacking New York.
Spoiler: The beginning and middle were good but why is it that so many movies leave the watcher with absolutely no knowledge of what happened to the world?
It's alright sometimes but too many of these type of movies are like this. There's also whole movie's on what happens after. Please write something different! I never really attached to any of the character's or really cared when they died or jumped so it didn't really serve it's purpose. It's fear level is sort of there and the writing is decent so it's a if you're bored, rent it.
Check out the Olivia's at Fifty three art exhibit featured artist,you may know her:)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=118947011453680&ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=118947011453680&ref=ts

Thursday, March 25, 2010

All That Jazz


I have a request to all of you Ottawa-Gatineau folks and that is to go see Renee Yoxon and Francois Gravel, they just blew me away. Renee has been mentioned in a previous post however she is well deserving of another.
After herding some friends together on a Monday night and pretty easily convincing them into drinks and Jazz, we went over to Collection & Bar 56 in the market to hear Renee and Francois do their thing. We took our seats, ordered our drinks, and got comfortable as we waited for Yoxon and Gravel to begin. The walls were filled with artwork which we all admired while sipping our Martinis. We were a diverse group of Jazz listeners and first timers which made it interesting to see reactions. As much as I loved hearing Renee sing through my computer, I hadn't had the opportunity to hear her live. She was better live which I didn't think possible since I already enjoyed her music. It was true, they were simply amazing! I caught a few friends moving to the beat and others eyeing the dance floor. The beauty of this cozy corner was that no one was far away but it wasn't so crowded that we felt like we couldn't breathe. It was a perfect Monday night outing besides the fact that my martini consumption should have been about two less than it was. I couldn't help myself with those tasty Apple and Raspberry martini's.
The Outcome was that everyone wanted to return on another Monday night to hear the likes of Renee & Francois.
I decided against bringing my camera as it was a night for me to kick back, relax and take in the beautiful sights and sounds of the night! These two hidden gems will soon be found so go see them while cover is cheap! For all of you out of towners, you can listen to Renee on her website




Every Monday Renee Yoxon and Francois Gravel play right


below Mercury Lounge at Bar 56 starting at 9 pm and


Guess what??


NO COVER at 56 Byward Market Square in Ottawa, Ontario


Future Shows


Ellington: The Sacred Concerts with Impressions in Jazz at Dominion Chalmers United Church (355 Cooper Street, Ottawa, ON)

Saturday, March 27, 8:00pm, $25


Participating in the NAC’s distance education series,Manhattan on the Rideau masterclass with Peter Eldridge at the NAC’s Fourth Stage.

Tuesday, April 6th, 12:00pm - 2:00pm, no cover.


Vineyards Wine Bar & Bistro (54 York Street, in the Cellar, Ottawa, ON)

Tuesday, April 13th, 7:00pm - 10:00pm, no cover.


Sunday, March 14, 2010

Olivia’s At Fifty-Three Photography Showing

My photography is up and ready to be enjoyed at Olivia's at Fifty Three (53 Clinton Street, Toronto, ON M6G2Y4) from March 12Th to April 30Th 2010!!!!!
There's some great wine, music and food so if you're looking to have a glass of wine or a delicious meal, this is the place for you!
Here's the link where you can see one of the pieces that is up and a brief bio of mine. http://oliviasat53.com/art.html
Here's the hours of operation if you'd like to drop by:
Lunch
Fri - Sat: 11am - 3:30pm
Dinner
Wed - Sat: 5:30pm - closing
Sun - Tues: Closed (open only on request for private parties over 10 with a minimum $40 prix-fixe)
We accept Visa, Mastercard, and Amex
Call for Reservations:
(647) 260-0834 or (416) 533-3989
Enjoy!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Canadians and the Olympics

Polite, passive and nice are words that are often used when other countries speak of Canadians. The truth of the matter is when it comes to such things as hockey, we are ruthless! In this past week, I've heard quite a few commentators on the Olympics mention that we better be careful how we're being perceived because we're acting as though we really want it (gold). Here's what I think, we've always wanted to win, we're just gracious when we lose and pat second and third on the back when we win. Social media has really demonstrated Canadian patriotism and a desire to see our athletes make it on the podium and perhaps this alone has shown many non-Canadians that we aren't as passive as they've been told. Our competitive spirits come out to route for our country and really is there anything wrong with that?
The Canadian women's hockey team has been absolutely demolishing their way through games but should they be apologizing for being strong, prepared athletes? Of course not. It's a win and women's hockey is still very new in the Olympics so if anything these women should just not get too comfortable. Once the next Olympics rolls around each team will train harder and be out to prove themselves. As any underdog knows the desire to win can make you persevere and push through the losses to get to the place where you become competition. I am not the kind of person that makes it a habit to watch sports on a regular basis however whenever the Olympics roll around, I'm all in.
I don't believe that this competitive spirit in Canadians is new, it's just more obvious with social media like twitter having trending topics of Canadian medalists. Social media is an easy way for people to see what the masses are interested in, paying attention to and what they feel is important at that moment.
Whether you are Canadian, American, Russian....it doesn't matter we all sit there routing for "our" team to win and it doesn't make us any less nice, it just makes us proud to be who we are.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Day 6: 7 Days, 7 Photos

It's Days 6 of 7 Days, 7 photos! Tomorrow will be the last day. Photo by me, Jenifer Lapierre. Hope you've been enjoying these photos and the exercise itself.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Day 5: 7 Days, 7 Photos

Something a little more Abstract by me, Jenifer Lapierre on day 5 of 7 days, 7 photos. Decided to mix it up on another cold day!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Day 4: 7 Days, 7 Photos

Day 4 of 7 Days, 7 Photos
by me Jenifer Lapierre

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Day 3: 7 Days, 7 Photos

On Day 3 of 7 days, 7 photos what else would be more appropriate on a saturday!
Photo by me Jenifer Lapierre

Friday, January 29, 2010

Day 2: 7 days, 7 photos


Day 2: The road block today was that with the windchill it was -35 celsius outside. I believe my camera is only suppose to work at -6 so this photo is not my best. Once again as you all know this photo is by me, Jenifer Lapierre

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Day One: 7 Days, 7 Photos


The first of 7 days, 7 photos has begun! Now due to unusually high winds and quite a bit of snow, I decided against outdoor shots this time. I have had to shoot in rain, on very cold days, through fog and high winds. This is just for fun so I said to myself, I'll pass on the trek and find something else to shoot.
Of course, this photo is by me, Jenifer Lapierre.

Interview by Tyler Conium

Hi Everyone,
I was interviewed by Tyler Conium of The Swamp. If you have the time check it out, it's all in audio! We talked about my photography and writing. Check it out http://www.tylerconium.com/2010/01/interview-with-jen-lapierre.html

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Fashion's Future

Ben Barry, 26, Ben Barry Agency, Best selling author

Within 26 years, Ben Barry has written a best selling novel, been on CNN, The Oprah Show, has run a business for over a decade and is in the process of attaining his PHD from Cambridge University. This Canadian has demonstrated how young entrepreneurs can
help change the
Photo provided by Ben Barry Agency

face of an industry.
Ben Barry was like any other 14 year old boy, his interests were cross country running and hanging out with his friends but this was not all that he was destined to do at such a young age. Ben went to visit a friend with modeling aspirations and she told him how she had spent $3000 on such things as how to walk the runway, how to do make up and creating a modeling portfolio. After spending this money, she was told that in order to be in the industry she would need to go down quite a few dress sizes. Being a size 8, they informed her, that she would need to go down to a size 2. Ben listened to what his friend had to say and looked through her portfolio. His feeling about his friend’s photos was not the same as the previous opinion she had received. “The picture could be in a magazine or on a billboard, again I knew nothing about the industry but I thought she was beautiful.” Ben made the decision to send the photos to a local Ottawa magazine with a note indicating that he felt that they should hire this model and gave his name and phone number. “I didn't think much of it. I went back to everything else in my life. I studied for math tests, cross country running etc but then I got a call back from the fashion editor. The editor said that they loved the model, wanted to hire her and assumed that I was her agent. I just said yeah sure, I’m her agent and you know I just kind of played along with it. They asked for a fax number and I gave them my mom’s office fax number and they said great we look forward to working with you.” Ben built his business from his parents’ basement and within a year, he had 30 models that he was representing and found the time to do this at lunch, after school and on weekends.
While still in high school, Ben received a phone call from The Oprah Show and obviously being surprised that they were calling assumed that it was a joke and hung up the phone. They called back and realizing that it was actually them, he apologized for the hang up and later appeared on the show to discuss his business and his unique message. After the show aired, he received thousands of emails from people across North America demonstrating their support. “That support from everyday women is so encouraging for everyone on my team. Obviously, what we’re doing is quote ‘revolutionary’ in the industry. This goes against their entire mantra, their entire philosophy, that to sell a product you have to present an unattainable ideal. Everyday we are up against a great deal of resistance despite the successes that we've had but the support from everyday people is what helps us move ahead.”
By the time Ben was heading to university he had an office in Ottawa with approximately 150 models and his own staff. Ben decided to move to Toronto for his undergrad and opened an office and eventually moved his business there as well. Barry’s modeling agency has a unique message that stands out amongst its competitors and this is due to the fact that Barry uses real women that are not only a size 2 but a size 14 as well. “They (consumer) are sick of being bombarded with a stereotype of beauty that they know looks nothing like them and never will so they crave authenticity. We help brands reconnect with consumers so they feel empowered not discouraged by the images.” He indicates that he is not trying to get rid of the size zeros or two’s, “What we’re advocating is for body, age and racial diversity and not diversity for the sake of diversity but for brands to look at their target market and to reflect the diversity within that market.”
At the age of 24, Ben wrote a best seller called Fashioning Reality: A New Generation of Entrepreneurship which shared his story as well as other young entrepreneurs. “The vision of entrepreneurship which I think is natural to our generation is using business as a vehicle for social change. The most innovative ideas make money by solving a social problem. I wanted to share my story but also tell people that I am not an exceptional case. There are a lot of young people running cool businesses right now. The first part of the book shares my experience while the second part shares stories of young people across North America that are doing well by doing good.”
The advice that Ben has for young entrepreneurs or people considering going down this path is, “You don’t have to wait until you’re older to begin making your business. You have all the skills and all the experience to start now. No matter how much preparation you do, there is always a chance of failure. The key lesson is to act and if you make a mistake, to learn from it and continue going. The second key point is people are often scared to start their own business because they think they don’t have a lot of money…be creative with your capital, to make a list of everything you need and then in one column put a dollar amount but in the next column put in friends that can help you. That can make your business cards and design them for free, maybe a friend’s mother or father that can lend you an office in the evenings if you need client meetings. To look for goods in kind and friends with skill who can help you. What you’ll find is often you don’t need a lot of money to begin because you have all of those key resources around you already.”

If you would like to know more about Ben Barry, you can check out his website
http://www.benbarry.com/

Written by Jenifer Lapierre

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

The Sweetest Thing

Juanita Koo, 36, Creator of Custom designed cakes and cupcakes and a Personal trainer

A year and a half ago, Juanita Koo’s life was packed with triathlons, marathons, volunteering as a coach, her hobby as a cake decorator and she was also juggling a career. “I really thought I was balanced but I wasn’t really. I was just trying to fit in as much as

Photo courtesy of Juanita Koo
Note: The purse in above photo is a cake.

possible.” This woman, originally a director for a software company knew prior to her lay off that this path was not what she desired to do with the rest of her life. Although there were perks that came with being in such a position, she felt that she needed to move forward in another direction and follow her passions. Juanita Koo is an example of when times get tough, it’s time to get creative! “In April 2007, I knew for sure I had to leave that place, I was not happy. I actually remember, I was on the airplane with my boss and he was the CTO of the company, I said you know what, I will give you one more year of my life, I have to leave because this is not what I am meant to do. He just goes what are you going to do? And I go, I want to do cakes. We’re literally in first class, drinking champagne going to London for work. It was just very ironic and this is what I am doing a year and a half later and I love it! I wouldn’t change a thing.” Juanita has no regrets in regards to previously being a director of a software company due to feeling that this has helped her business with the knowledge she obtained.
Juanita was out with friends discussing their interests and things that they love and she explained to her friends that she “always loved really cool wedding cakes…they said you could probably take a course to learn that stuff and I never really thought about it. The next day I just googled cake decorating in Toronto and that popped up and I signed up.” Now, Juanita creates custom made cakes and cupcakes that appear to be as tasty as they are pleasing to the eye and to create some balance in her life she is also a personal trainer. “Now, when I kind of got the kick in the pants to figure out what I was doing, I realized it’s a total balance. I love coaching people it is so rewarding and then what my hobby was before is now my own little business. It’s so amazing; they don’t feel like jobs at all! It’s just my hobbies are my life!” The first cake that Juanita was proud of was her first creation in her cake decorating class. It was pink with flowers and cupcakes on top and as she puts it, “It was ugly; I have it posted on my blog, actually. It’s horrible! I just realized that it was something that I was going to do and it just continued. Every cake I’ve made, I loved it. I never felt that way about anything.”
Juanita’s advice and what she has to say about being an entrepreneur is “I really believe everything happens for a reason, I know that sounds cliché. My life has been such a rollercoaster in the last few years. People always say that I’m positive but I have had a lot of lows. It’s really tough when you get laid off…You just have to be resourceful! Everything I’ve learned up to that point, I was able to apply. I was working at a marketing software company, now I have this blog and I can’t believe how many visitors are on there commenting on me. I’m really into twitter and all that stuff, it just comes naturally now…I use to write communication pieces too, I wrote to a home renovation show saying I lost my job…and I was picked for the show and the show came and renovated my basement into my cake studio. It was just being resourceful and seeing every opportunity…Running your own business has taught me so much, I am still learning so much…It’s hard running your own business but it’s also exciting and I wouldn’t do it any differently!”

If you would like to see Juanita’s designs, this is her blog
http://sweetthings-toronto.blogspot.com/

She can also be found on twitter @SweetThingsTo

Written by Jenifer Lapierre

Spreading the Light

Stacey Bafi-Yeboa, 30, Owner and designer of Kania Clothing

Stacey Bafi-Yeboa the sole owner and designer of the clothing line Kania (Ka-knee-ah) meaning light, was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario. From about 18 years old until her 27th year she traveled, touring the United States dancing on Broadway, and also doing television,

Photo by: Jenifer Lapierre

film, cruises and car shows. By the age of 20, she was on Broadway doing Saturday Night Fever. Even though Yeboa flourished as a dancer, her abilities go beyond the realm of dance, as she now spreads the light by running a successful clothing line with the message that clothing can be comfortable yet still fashionable. “My whole mission is to make clothing that is very comfortable and that women can exude radiance while wearing it. I also give a portion of my proceeds to charity which is another way that I help spread the light.” Although Stacey dedicated herself and trained in dance, she always knew that she had a love for fashion. “My mom always had a sewing machine at home so I was able to sew all the time. I’m a performer, I danced on Broadway, I've done films and stuff like that and so I've always been making clothes for myself to go to auditions. People kept asking me where I got it and so that’s how I developed my line.”

For many years although Stacey had not yet created a clothing line, this self taught designer always seemed to be making and creating clothes for herself and other people. “I always wanted to go to fashion school. I took a course in high school…I knew I loved fashion since then but I never went into fashion school, post secondary because I went into dance. I've always designed dresses for people since I was young.” Stacey feels that her inspiration can come from many sources and at any time of day. She believes that she, “can feel inspired by just seeing someone walking down the street; it can be anything that inspires me, new people, new places.” Stacey has a distinct way of ensuring comfort and fashion for women as she designs all of her clothing on herself. “A lot of designers design on a dress form which is a kind of model size but I design on my body. Essentially, I get my fabric, I have an idea for what I want and I design it on my body. I find it works a lot better because I know what I want for my body type. It really translates to an actual real life woman and how they want to dress and how they want to feel comfortable.”

The event that I had the opportunity to attend called Flaunt Ottawa had 30 independent designers and a portion of the event proceeds went to the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre and 100% of all silent auction items went to the centre as well. Every year, Stacey chooses a charity to give a portion of her clothing line sales, as well as the event, the foundation that she has decided on this year is the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. Her decision to give to this foundation was inspired by an encounter with a woman who received an artificial heart from the foundation. Stacey was at her booth when a fashionable woman that frequently purchases Kania clothing during her One of a Kind shows in Toronto, had explained to Stacey how she loved Kania due to its level of comfort and the ability to still look fashionable while wearing it. Stacey felt honored by this and from that point made the decision that this would be the charity that she gave too.

Stacey’s advice to other young entrepreneurs is “I think the whole thing is to just go for it and to really feel one with your product and feel confident. If you don’t love your product, you won’t be able to sell it to other people…You have to exude that passion towards things and you have to stay focused…It may not come easy at the beginning but to just keep going for it.”

If you would like to know the store locations or any further information about Kania, you can go to http://www.kania.ca/

Written by: Jenifer Lapierre

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Meet MTV's Evan Starkman

Photo by: Peter Hurley

Evan Starkman, 25, MTV Reality Competitor, Branch Out Clothing Owner, Branch Out Now Founder, Suck Yeah Clothing Co-owner

Two seasons ago, Evan Starkman made Canadians proud on the MTV RW/RR challenge, The Duel 2 by winning the first place prize of $100,000. “I kind of felt like I won the lottery, it’s perfect. It is worth a lot more in Canadian, that’s for sure.” On the latest MTV challenge entitled The Ruins, Evan has once again taken home the first place prize along with fellow competitor and co-owner of Suck Yeah Clothing, Kenny Santucci.
At the age of 20, while attending Cornell University on a hockey scholarship, Evan’s life changed forever. Evan decided to audition for MTV’s Real World Key West but unfortunately would need to forfeit his student visa in order to be part of the show and also unaware of the shows popularity due to it not yet being on Canadian television; decided he would have to pass. One week later, he received a phone call from MTV requesting that he be on a challenge show called Fresh Meat, he accepted and from that point on Evan has been on six challenges and as a result, this has enabled him to do some great things and allow youth to find ways to help their community and beyond. Many people are aware of Evan the reality show competitor however something that might be surprising is his philanthropic nature and his desire to change the world.
In 2005, Evan founded Branch Out Clothing, a line designed to give to charities. Branch Out Clothing originally grew out of the foundation he founded called Branch Out Now which was based on empowering youth to take action and change the world. “Some people went off and did huge things with it and other people did small local projects but it was all based on youth empowerment.” Evan soon realized after being on MTV and continually being re-invited to shows that there was an “unbelievable marketing potential that I had, not only to network but also because I do interviews, travel the world on speaking tours and bar appearances…How can I get kids more involved in Branch Out Now, that’s where Branch Out Clothing started. If we could sell t-shirts that were not only cool and also carried a message and follow up with those for Branch Out Now, that would be a beautiful thing. Each shirt has a unique code printed on the inside of it and once you buy a shirt, you go on our website, type in the code and it shows you where the money has been donated. You’re automatically signed up for Branch Out Now which will hound you with emails, press packets and basically force you to change the world, that’s what we do.” The company has recently been restructured and signed an exclusivity deal with Plan Canada and will be concentrating on the Because I am a Girl campaign. “Once women go to high school in the third world, they stop becoming a possession and they become a woman and a person which is really important.” Evan believes the youth of North America are incredible people who are creative, have quite a bit of energy and the resources to change the world. “They (youth) say I want to change the world, I just don’t know how and all Branch Out Clothing really does is say why don’t you just do something as simple as make a better T-shirt choice. Buy a cool t-shirt that is hip and trendy and just upgrade your clothing choice. By doing that you’ll be exposed to and learn about a whole range of charitable issues.”
Branch Out Clothing and MTV’s challenge shows are not Starkman’s only endeavors. He is currently in the middle of publishing a children’s book and has recently launched his second clothing line which is made and manufactured in Canada and the United States called Suck Yeah with fellow competitor and best friend Kenny Santucci. This line is a much more rambunctious line that demonstrates Evan’s multifaceted nature by having a responsible line and a line that clearly has a fun, less serious message. “We’re bringing back the idea that you should be able to feel good in just a t-shirt and go to the bar and be the badass guy that you want to be…The whole idea of Suck Yeah is to make clothing for men that appeals to women.” They make the conscious decision to create these t-shirts in North America and take the financial hit because as Starkman puts it “One of my clothing lines is a charity and the other one I need to sleep at night.” Evan adds that there’s absolutely no way that he could manufacture Suck Yeah in a sweat shop while trying to spread the message of changing the world. Although this line is currently selling men’s t-shirts, Evan believes that they will eventually expand and have women’s t-shirts as well.
The advice that Evan would like to give young entrepreneurs is “Try. Let’s put it this way, I’m 24 years old, I don’t have a girlfriend and most of my life despite even all of my companies, fits into a bag. This is as rich as I’ll ever be, if you’re young and an entrepreneur that’s as rich as you’ll ever be. Even if I go on and make a hundred million dollars, now all of a sudden, I have big problems. I can’t leave my house for 3 hours without someone calling to ask what do you want to do with this account, that account, with the couch, you probably have a dog, you have a car, you have bill payments…Right now if you’re young and an entrepreneur then that’s as rich as you’ll ever be even if you only have a $1000 in the bank…as soon as you start making money and accumulating things, your wealth actually decreases in my mind. I just feel that while I’m young and have this great opportunity as I said I do, to be young and frivolous and stupid, take advantage of it. Life will catch up with you eventually, do you want to look back and say you never took a shot?”

Evan can be found on twitter @Evanmtv and if you would like to check out his clothing lines here are the links.

http://branchoutclothing.com/

http://suckyeah.com/

Note: This article was written when Evan Starkman was 24, he has now also created http://mycollegesurvival.wordpress.com/ which looks to give advice to College students.

Written by: Jenifer Lapierre