Polo Style with Dayelle Fargey

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The only female polo pro in Canada, Manitoba-born Dayelle Fargey started swinging a mallet at age six. Currently playing at the Calgary Polo Club, it’s just another stop on her yearly circuit. If it’s not Indio, Santa Barbara or Houston, it’s a tournament in Singapore. But forget about how accomplished she is in a sport where both genders of all ages play against each other, on thousand-pound steeds — let’s get to the fashion. Dayelle took a timeout just before this match to talk to me about her sense of style. On the field, it’s all about the monogram, from tack… to mallets…to this belt she had handmade in Argentina, the motherland of polo. Off the field, she favors Gucci handbags and shoes, for the horse bit details, and Ralph Lauren. “It’s money well spent to get some timeless, classic pieces that you can dress up or dress down,” says Dayelle. “Rather than going with all the latest trends.”One of Dayelle’s go-to Guccis.Even her string of ponies is stylish, accented in red — her father’s color. Mixing the white into her equine style scheme signals the three times she has played for Team Canada.But her biggest fashion coup could be the time she was in charge of buying the prizes for the 2011 Women’s Polo for Heart Tournament in Calgary. She blew the budget on trophies that would keep up the white pants of the winners — rose gold belt buckles designed by Craig Becker. Meanwhile, the consolation prizes were basic gloves and whips. “I had a pretty good team that year,” Dayelle laughs. “We had a really good shot at winning.” The gamble paid off, but she was never asked to shop for the prizes again.Seen here during half time, Dayelle talks strategy with the rest of the Gordon Ross Remax Team, in a game they would win. The last thing the polo-ess with prowess is thinking about right now is fashion, but one of the perks of her job means she can rock a pair of white jeans.“One of the good things about polo is you’re outdoors,” she says. “You’re tan, you’re fit, you’re athletic. Clothes in general just look good on polo players because they have the body to support it.” Of which she is a prime example. Play on, Dayelle, play on!

Flood Relief Fashion

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As the flood cleanup continues in Calgary, the heartwarming stories of volunteerism are enough to make you cry. From the strangers who show up at flooded homes, armed with shovels, offering to help, to the dude dragging a cooler down sludgy streets, asking if anyone wants a cold one. The bare necessities — strong backs and beer — are still desperately needed, but Calgary has taken flood relief to a new level: art + fashion. This is a “bad portrait” of Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, who has been a true leader in this time of tumult. For $20, you can order the limited edition shirt with this image until Sunday at midnight, with proceeds going to the Red Cross.

Artist Mandy Stobo is well-known around these parts for her Bad Portrait Project. When she paints someone, she doesn’t stop to think about things for too long — that’s how her Bad Portraits work. So when she needed a facial embodiment of Calgary’s massive flood, Mayor Nenshi was a natural. And her first instinct to symbolize a massive amount of water? Scuba goggles.

“I felt so helpless,” she says. “The only thing I knew how to do is artwork.” But her art is helping — big time. With the sale of her shirts raising $4000 so far, she has decided to create a series. She launches another shirt Monday. Just who will be the subject of the next portrait is a closely guarded secret.

I wanted to stop by Mandy’s studio today, safely up on a hill and not waterlogged. However, she was busy helping family dig out, so she sent me this picture of herself in drier times.

You can order shirts, tanks or an 18” x 24” print of Mayor Nenshi here. They should be mailed to you within two to three weeks. Collect ’em all! A new limited shirt will be up for grabs each week. Buen trabajo, Mandy.

H Project Opens at Holt’s

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At H Project, walking the walk means carrying the clutch

Alexandra Weston, Director of Brand Strategy at Holt Renfrew, brandishes her FEED bag given to her by Lauren Bush, who runs the charitable foundation of the same name. Pay $40 to buy one of the cotton bags, handmade by Indian artisans, and you’ll feed 25 schoolchildren in India.That’s the point of H Project, the new boutique at Holt Renfrew in Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto. Satisfy your need for retail therapy and you’ll be fulfilling the real needs of struggling folks around the world. Buy a WeWood timepiece at an affordable price point of $120 and a tree will be planted. A portion of your purchase of Proof sunglasses, made from sustainable wood, will go toward sight-giving surgeries to people in India.Many designers sell items with proceeds going to charitable causes, but rarely do they come together under one roof. Some, like Cornelia Guest and her cruelty-free handbags, were already selling their socially and eco conscious items elsewhere. Others, like Canadian designer Jenny Bird and her Guardian Tusk jewelry collection (proceeds go to the World Wildlife Fund) developed lines exclusively for H Project. In all, Alexandra has gathered thirty brands of apparel, accessories, home décor items and beauty products for the boutique, elevating fashion from style statement to ethics edict. In the midst of all this global artisan accomplishment, a local artist from the Alberta Printmakers’ Society strutted her silkscreen stuff.Limited edition bags, handmade in Calgary, free with purchase at H Project. Take a stand and self-indulge. It could help change the world.

“Naturally” Blonde

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There is only one person I trust to keep me naturally blonde: Kevin Shiu, at Headspace in Vancouver. My roots have been known to turn orange during highlighting. Other stylists have tried to semantic their way out of it by saying my hair has a tendency to “pull warm.” But disaster never happens with Kevin, and as a result I am fully dependent on his prowess with my tresses.Action shot! No matter what city I live in, a trip to the hairdresser’s means a trip to YVR!Oh, and did I mention the multi-talented Kevin Shiu is also a world renowned DJ? Apparently Tiesto and I have the same taste in music – he’s also a KS fan. Catch one of Kevin’s sets on Frisky Radio.