With the October days strangely warm, I’m still sneaking in a few rides at the Calgary Polo Club. But coming soon, dry winter weather threatens leathery skin … like an old saddle!
I’m bee-ing proactive by stocking up on Bee Lovely Body Butter by Neal’s Yard Remdies. Organic honey and orange oil soften the skin while smelling divine, with bonus karma points. The recently launched product line ties in with NYR’s international campaign to save the bees.
Wordfest is back, and with it, one of my favorite nights of raucous, intellectual battle: Literary Death Match. If you don’t have your tickets yet, get them now: LDM is back in Calgary for the third time tomorrow night. To celebrate the upcoming war of words with ensuing hostile hilarity, I am reposting my interview with host Adrian Todd Zuniga on his “Deadly Style” from his last visit to Cowtown.
“What is going to be healthy and delicious, and also make me happy?”
The host of Literary Death Match is starving. Maybe not quite to death, but definitely in that just-got-off-a-plane and made-it-through-customs kind of way. Yet Adrian Todd Zuniga is not the type to order off a menu without some intense Q&A.
I get it. We’ve met at Joey’s Eau Claire, just around the corner from the Westin, the Wordfest hotel of choice, so I can do some grilling of my own. Once Adrian finishes his blackened basa, I want to know — what will he be wearing tonight as 4 authors face off onstage?
A cornflower blue suit. Of course.
Literary Death Match is a traveling word circus. With Adrian as its ringmaster, no staid, snooze-inducing readings are allowed on his world stage. The show, which visits dozens of cities a year, is Def Poetry Jam meets American Idol (minus the meanness) meets Double Dare.
The Los Angeles-residing, Missouri-born author and screenwriter created LDM eight years ago. This is his second visit to Calgary. Being a man of style, he abhors being seen in the same outfit twice.
“I rotate through suits. It’s very important for me not to wear the same thing in the same city. It would be lame.”
Last year Adrian wore a red velvet smoking jacket, which bookended nicely with 2013 competitor Todd Babiak, no slouch in the wardrobe department himself. See my style feature on Todd here.
Besides making sure he didn’t lame out with a suit repeat, Adrian didn’t feel comfortable wearing a bow tie back-to-back with his last appearance in Calgary. Also important to note: “I don’t wear bow ties on dates. I think it’s too much of a statement. I think I’m a more subtle gentleman on that front. But I do wear suit jackets to pretty much everything.”
Even while our interview cuts into his pre-show quiet time, he has the rumpled flair of someone out of a Robert Doisneau photograph.
Like “The Kiss” sans a girl to kiss. Which is confirmed when Adrian volunteers, apropos of nothing, “I haven’t kissed a girl in Calgary yet.” Later that night, onstage, he mentions he is single.
The downside of his fashion daring can have drawbacks. Like when he told his friends his new suit was the ultimate in Don Draper. They said, ‘You mean the Pete Campbell suit?’
Luckily, the Sterling Cooper doppelganger apparel on stage at the GRAND couldn’t derail the momentum of the 2014 Death Match. In fact, the cornflower shine only added to the intrigue of authors Michael Crummey, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Alison Pick and Matthew Thomas being rated on literary merit, performance and intangibles.
LDM is normally judged by a panel of three, but the only way to compensate for a last-minute cancellation by Mayor Nenshi was to bring in two backups. From left to right at the black table: comedian Chris Gordon, author Carrie Shyder, Olympic hero Mark Tewksbury and author Johanna Skibsrud. I will totally name favorites: even though Mark claimed he wasn’t a literature type, the author of three books was hilarious and enthusiastic. Ginger Jesus, aka Chris Gordon, was a close second, and as he made very clear, sponsored by Hudson’s Bay.
The evening ended in a race to ring the bell, to identify classics from one-star Amazon ratings. Lone stars, as Adrian aptly put it.
“I believe the way you dress is a compliment to the people you are with,” says Adrian. “So I’m sorry that I’m basically saying, go fuck yourself, by what I am wearing today.”
Don’t worry, Adrian, I’m not taking it personally. And thanks for this candid with the cows, by the way.
Kidding! Great to see you! Literary Death Match marches on to Austin, London and San Francisco next. I have no doubt Adrian’s closet can support the world tour.
Pieoro Guidi’s purses have arrived in Calgary, with cocktails and canapés at Teatro’s private Opera Room. Because where else would you launch a collection of Italian handbags?
In Louis Vuitton-meets-Little-Prince style, the Magic Circus collection offers Calgarians a whimsical take on handcrafted status bags.
Melissa Grassi, of the Soundsaround family stores, first fell in love with Piero Guidi’s creations twenty years ago. Now she’s following her heart, bringing them to Canada. Vancouver and Calgary are the first to get their circus on. For those who prefer to skip the trapeze, she’s also offering the Lineabold collection — sleek leather and nylon Prada-esque understatement all around. Find them both at a pop-up shop at the Devenish Building on 17th Ave. Benvenuto to Calgary, Piero!
Simon and Gabby had a busy day of polo planned on Saturday, but they were happy to take a few moments to help spread the word about a Toronto-based initiative making the world a better place — through fashion.
The Fabric of Humanity offers ethical employment for those in the apparel industry, from as far away as Columbia and Mongolia. And gives us a chance to wear our hearts on our tee.
Fresh off a Kickstart fundraising success, in which 82 backers pledged $20,588, the Fabric of Humanity will be helping apparel industry workers in Tado, Columbia create their own co-operative and invest in professional sewing machinery.
So when you don a Fabric of Humanity tee, you’re doing more than just making a change of clothes. You’re wearing clothes of change! Show your support in style here.
I always have time for a little snuggle with Simon…
… but soon it will be game time on the field behind us at the Calgary Polo Club. Time to get ready. Oh, and the players who oppose Team Blue Besos today? FYI, the charity stops with the T-shirt.
Spruce Meadows may be a show jumping facility of international acclaim, regularly hosting the world’s best equestrians — but it took Hermes to get me there. I was glad it did, because not only did I get to salivate over my fantasy saddle, but I met a local rider who is making his mark on the world’s show jumping stage.
My first stop was a white tent in the plaza near the West Grandstand. Inside, Hermes saddle maker Nicolas Cornebois had come all the way from Paris to demonstrate his craftsmanship on the item that every horse-mad girl with a weakness for luxury brands covets. Aka: moi.
The press release calls him a Master Saddle Maker, but Monsieur Cornebois demurred, telling me it wouldn’t fly with his colleagues back in France. Talented and humble.
Meanwhile, salesmen swooped in with equestrian-themed scarves to swooning shoppers.
The mercurial Cheval Fusion from this year’s Spring/Summer collection caught my eye.
But the Hermes pop-up shop devoted most of its space to items for the horse enthusiasts attending the Masters CSIO 5. If your pony’s been hinting they’d like a tack upgrade, this was the place to take that carrot to the next level.
While many of us associate Hermes with high fashion for humans, the brand is still very connected to its roots as a 19th Century saddle and harness maker. Although I can’t help but give a thrifty heads-up: my secret source at the orange H tells me the $60 glycerin soap isn’t that different from what is available at the dollar store.
However, Hermes isn’t above a little collab in the horse department. The historic brand recently worked with Freejump to develop these quick release stirrups…
… which I saw in action a short time later …
… in the Hermes branded warm-up ring.
Romain Duguet, a Swiss riding superstar, is no stranger to Hermes. Not only is he sponsored by the company, he won the Grand Prix Hermes in Paris in April.
The custom-built jumps mark the first time Hermes has partnered with Spruce Meadows. Obviously making Romain and Otello du Soleil feel right at home.
Then came Ben. Perhaps in preparation for this moment, but more likely because the photogenic Ben Asselin is an amazing rider, Hermes’ most recent recruit is a hometown hero — who also happens to have the ultimate hometown advantage. Not only is 21-year old Ben from Calgary, he is the son of Canadian Olympic riders Jonathan Asselin and Nancy Southern… whose family owns Spruce Meadows.
Ben’s horse, Plume de la Roque, makes Hermes gear look good. From quilted saddle pad to branded ear bonnet.
Ben and Plume enter the International Ring at the Spruce Meadows Masters.
Even though Plume sailed over this fence in the sizzling heat of Friday’s competition, Ben didn’t make the top twelve in the overall standings. (Romain placed 11th).
However, the Hermes sponsorship makes Ben a winner in my books. Meanwhile, newsflash: Hermes also makes polo saddles. What do you think, Simon? Should I try one?
ECCO, the Danish footwear company, rolled out their tastefully understated grey carpet this week for their new store at Chinook Centre, featuring street wear styles so suave you’ll forget that they’re also… comfortable.
Retail Division Manager Ron King prefers not to use that word. “Comfortable conveys the wrong image,” he says. Ie — these are not your grandma’s shoes. In from Toronto to help launch the store, he shows me the super-lightweight, super-soft leather that signals ECCO’s core craftsmanship.
Watch out CTV Calgary. Bob Sumner is considering a new career in shoe modeling. 
And who thinks jumping up on new yak-leather benches is socially acceptable? But you can tell from the lack of raised eyebrows that it’s standard fashion blogger behavior — when one is amped up about ECCO’s just-launched Soft 7 leather high-tops. Light as a feather!
It’s here! After months of anticipation, Calgarians will no longer have to stalk West Elm online. The fourth Canadian bricks-and-mortar location has sprung up just off the 17th Ave shopping district — part of the recent revival of Mount Royal Village. Maybe this means the nearby bizarre public toilet that costs a quarter and is used by no one will soon be flushed from the hood. As usual, I digress.
The urban-loft-warehouse style space opened in the Blue Besos preferred manner: with a party! Catering was provided by the delectable Nicole Gourmet. If you were lucky, your glass was topped up by the marvelous Marlene McCarthy, who is also marvelous on the Calgary polo field, the site of many other fantastic parties.
Back to the shopping. The Brooklyn-based West Elm is a sister store to the Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn empire, so it is essentially all kinds of hip for your home. On the local front, it’s partnering with Calgary artists and craftspeople for unique in-store items. Welcome to the neighborhood, West Elm!
Another Stampede has come and gone in Calgary, in a blur of pre-parties, concerts at Fort Calgary and a midway victory that left me with a giant stuffed moose on my first try, thanks to a Whack-A-Mole hammer that reminded me of a polo mallet. It was a stretch, but allowed me to channel my inner winner, just like Team Blue Besos did for the second week in a row on Saturday. But looking back on Stampede 2015, two highlights stand out the most — one of which was, claro, a fashion moment.
Met this miss from Texas in her custom-made Maida boots in the VIP tent at Sheryl Crow. Tear your eyes from the deluxe dirt in our alcohol-flowing cage beside the stage and feast your eyes on Cynthia Wood, who wins the Blue Besos Fave Stampede Outfit award, due to the details.
From the saddlebag with the perfect rodeo trifecta of leather, fringe and rhinestones…
… down to the ostrich and calf boots that took nine months to make…
… it was the heel-clicking positivity of her soles’ soulful message that spoke to me: lucky in love and lucky in business. Those gears in the right horseshoe are her company logo, Gimmal.
But even if they’re straight off the shoe rack, any kind of boots will help you stomp your way through Stampede. On my right, LA producer Debbie Emery puts her best foot forward to blend in with the locals while shooting her new sports insider travel show, Sportstown USA.
Of course, to get the right shot, you have to get up close and personal. Being right on the rail comes with a risk, as the cowboy to my left kindly warned me. If I kept gaping, mouth ajar, I’d probably swallow some mud.
But I couldn’t help it — I was obsessed with the outriders. The lead man up front is tasked with steadying five amped-up horses and pointing them in the right direction before the race. Which is enough to inspire some slack-jaw, but wait — there’s more.
When the horn blares and the stove man at the back has thrown the “stove” into the wagon (not kidding!!) he has to run out of the way before he gets run over…
… then hop onto his steed while it’s all hopped up! Somehow, even with those stirrups swinging wildly, each outrider manages to settle in for a speedy lap around the track, making sure to stay within 150 yards of their wagon. It’s not only me who considers the outriders fascinating — each one in the Calgary Stampede comes with their own trading card.
Sadly, the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth has concluded for 2015, but we’ll be back to cheer the chucks next year!
Calgary designer Kat Marks is a Jill of many trades, designing in leather, plastic, PVC and textiles, even custom moulded leather armour. She recently opened up her airy 1st Street studio so several of us lucky non-designers could try our hands at Lethrbar, a deluxe DIY experience.
Alberta actor Cody Sparshu might be cheating the shot (such a professional) but he’s not acting — he’s tapping his name into a leather luggage tag. He does all his own stunts. PR maven Katy Bond gives good background, diving in for some letter stamps of her own.
Look at this roundtable of influencers: Casey Wagar, aka Fancy Bro, on the far left. Actor/Producer Cody Sparshu, designer Kat Marks, fashion blogger Vincent “Binzento” Law and Katy Bond of Parker Bond PR. In the foreground, Mandy Balak, Founder of Branded Magazine, is totally focused on her art. The group looks well-behaved in the photo, but this stitch work station offered the bitch option. What else are you gonna do while sewing en masse?
Vincent eschewed paint to go nude.
But, claro, the Blue Besos tag had to be blue. Turns out when you layer Kat’s turquoise paint, you get a distressed denim look. Love it! Check out Kat’s website to book your own experience.
For someone who doesn’t wear a lot of makeup, I’ve been test-driving beaucoup de maquillage this spring. To incorporate something into my minimal daily routine, or use it to amp up for a night on the town, it has to be easy, high-quality and the impact has to be worth the time spent applying it. Which new products made the cut?
LashFusion XXL gives big lash bang for your mascara buck, even though it retails for a not-cheap $28 in Canada. The pinecone-shaped wand works surprisingly well, covering your lashes with one swipe (I give it two or three for uber-length) without clumping — at all. There’s even a feel-good aspect — Fusion Beauty says the nutrient rich formula will encourage lash growth.
I hadn’t tried Ceramic Glaze nail lacquer before, but now the polish ($10.99 at Shoppers) will be a go-to. Besides Papaya Sunrise nailing my current fave color, a hybrid of orange-red, it goes on super-smooth and dries shiny. Most impressive: I can get away with one coat if I’m really slammed for time. Shown here from left to right, new colors for Spring/Summer 2015 include Freshly Laundered, Papaya Sunrise and Honolulu Hibiscus.
Southern Alberta is having an unusually early spring. These photos were taken a few weeks ago, when the ponies still had their winter coats. During the shoot I discovered this hairy crocus-like bloom, growing wild.
One makeup item I can’t live without — moisturizing lipstick or gloss. Since I usually apply it while driving, and almost always without a mirror, neutral shades work best for me! Lip Fusion Lip Plump Color Shine in Sugar fits the bill. Its wand magically has the right amount of gloss, preventing overgooping. Unlike some plumpers, it doesn’t turn my lips numb. I do feel a little warming after I apply, so it seems like the “revolutionary micro-injected collagen plumping technology” is trying, however I can’t say I’ve noticed a visual. So I’m not sure if it’s worth the $41 suggested retail price.
All photos taken at the Calgary Polo Club, with no accidental ingestion of makeup-confused-for-carrots to report.