Crowd sourcing before 9 am at Chinook Mall: Eileen Fisher’s grand opening is the bugle call for a herd of Calgary bloggers.
We fashion reporters respond rapidly to a Mimosa Reveille.
The second Eileen Fisher store in Canada (Vancouver’s the first) opened at the north end of the mall in August. Wisely, they waited until everyone finished their holidays before holding the media event today. Brought to you by powerhouse distributor Sece Apparel, the Canadian stores are the only EF franchise shops in existence. The others, in the US and the UK, are all in the family. 
Eileen isn’t just for old ladies any more. No longer satisfied with prime placement on the fab-over-fifty blogs, Ms Fisher has taken the blue-haired ladies out of most of her promo materials and is moving toward hipper textures, like waxed denim. I fell in love with this besos-blue sweater. Thanks for the heads-up, Joan!
Get your head in the game this Saturday, with $25 off at the Eileen Fisher stores in both Vancouver and Calgary. Ten percent of sales proceeds will go to the Women In Leadership Foundation. Happy shopping!
Polo Style with Mariano Gutierrez
The best thing about Britney Spears’ Radar video spent the summer in Calgary.
In the video, shot at the Santa Barbara Polo Club, Britney ditches the patron (played by an English model who exaggerated his riding abilities to get the gig) for polo pro Mariano Gutierrez. Good move, Brit.
In real life, Mariano “Guti” Gutierrez spends much of his workday at a flat-out gallop…
… so it’s no surprise that around the barn, he likes to enjoy his tranquilo time dressed casually. I figured his favorite fashion items would be trademark Argentine attitude, like the Alpargata shoes that Toms has appropriated, but the boy from Buenos Aires doesn’t wear much of his country’s traditional clothing.
Still, when I join the 5-goaler at the back barns of the Calgary Polo Club, I find him at a table covered in the makings of the ubiquitous Mate, the must-have drink of Argies everywhere.
Mariano never planned on being a polo pro, even though he started playing when he was 7. It wasn’t till after he logged a few years in law school that he was lured away by the siren call of the white ball. After a dozen years of playing in places like Paris, Deauville and Aspen, the 34-year-old came to Calgary to play in Fred Mannix’s 20-goal league.
Meanwhile, he has several businesses back in BA. “Soccer there is like hockey here,” says Mariano. The polo player takes full advantage of that, renting synthetic turf fields by the hour. He also has a skateboard shop which sells surf and skater styles. But don’t expect to find him in a pair of board shorts any time soon. 
“I dress casual,” he says. “Very casual.” And he’s low-maintenance, cutting his hair only twice a year…
…unlike his ponies, whose manes are shorn on a regular basis.
At the game, his Converse are usually close by.
Even his mallets are low-key. No flashy paint job on these babies.
His only act of conscientious color coordination is a burgundy helmet to match his horses’ burgundy wraps — btw, buen trabajo Amanda!
This pony switch could qualify as flashy, except it’s just part of the game for Guti.
After riding into the Calgary sunset, Guti plays in Buenos Aires this fall and Indio this winter. Hasta luego, Mariano. Come back next year!
Wearing White After Labor Day
Happiness is… 
… being told by your dermatologist the week of a big party that your cancer scar is not ready for another round of lasering, setting the stage for scab-free socializing.
Happiness is a borrowed Roberto Cavalli dress and Fendi bag. And looking much, much classier than you planned for the Calgary Polo Club President’s Ball.
Happiness is being able to wince your way to the car an hour later, where you have a pair of backup shoes, after realizing your feet are not yet ready for high-heeled prime time.
Happiness is also no shoes at all. And wearing white after Labor Day, because games continue through September at the Calgary Polo Club.
Fall Fashion… Already
Stopped by Holt Renfrew to check out some of their autumnal offerings in the middle of Calgary’s heat wave. Holts was happy to provide H2O so we didn’t dehydrate, but there was no stopping what came down the pink runway: tidings of winter, just around the corner.
Looks like those shiny skinny black leggings American Apparel made popular a few seasons back are still chugging along. Revved up with motorcycle deets and upscaled to pleather and other thicker materials for fall, we’ll be able to pair them with the oversized tops that will best hide our fall love handles. You can’t stop them — it’s a daylight savings thing. You can only work with them. I’m not a fan of this Theory jacket’s 80s sillouehette… but I might be in a month or so.
Pretty In Punk was one of Lisa Tant’s themes for the show. On a spectrum from Sid Vicious to Punky Brewster, I’d say this is somewhere in a safe middle ground for the department store consumer. The studs on this Alice and Olivia leather jacket are riding the motorcycle theme. More daring, the McQ pink plaid leggings. I have one word: yes.
Diane von Furstenberg, diva of the wrap dress, brings us a tweed trench. Dig it, DVF.
Fur! Don’t know if any of the sleeveless-dress-wearing audience members are ready for it yet, but I’m pleased to see that all my hats will still be in fashion. I’d like to keep them in storage until November. But here in the big YYC, that may be too much to ask. Marni fur-trimmed coat.
This little cropped coat with thick knit sleeves (Holt Renfrew Fur Salon) is more palatable for forthcoming fall foliage. Meanwhile, if you have legs laroux leftover from summer fun, flaunt ’em. Glad to see we’ll be able to get our money’s worth out of last season’s OTKs. Boots shown here are Miu Miu. As for short shorts and skirts, I might have a closet full of them, but am always glad for an excuse to stockpile some more.
The Next Eastwood Western
If you’re filming in Alberta, this town is big enough for the two of us.
When Hollywood comes to Calgary, Hotel Arts is a natural choice for a meeting. But when it’s the team producing the next film in the Eastwood legacy of western epics, the art at this boutique hotel simply makes good horse sense. Seen here, Producer/Director Lawrence Roeck and Executive Producer Shana Wilson had just arrived from Longview…
…where they met with John Scott, Clint Eastwood’s wrangler from Unforgiven, among many other IMDB-worthy accomplishments too long to list here. But does that little Brad Pitt flick Legends of the Fall ring a bell?
Let’s just say when Hell on Wheels needs saddles, John Scott has a loaner or three. 
Between rustling props from farms in the foothills to moseying through this art-laden lobby in the heart of Calgary…
… pre-production on the feature starring Clint Eastwood’s son Scott is keeping Lawrence busy. Meanwhile, at Hotel Art’s new Yellow Door Bistro, Ennio Morricone isn’t part of the DJ selects, but Lawrence does his best Good, Bad and Ugly anyway — under the watchful eye of yet another equestrian objet d’art.
Maintaining LA standards, we paired Dungeness Crab Salad with St. Supery Sauv Blanc. Food not visible because we gobbled it all up. 
It was a very serious meeting. Which led to a very serious article on creative financing.
Afterwards, I went out front to collect my ride from the valet…
… the bike, not the Bentley. And discovered another thirst-quenching service touch.
Thanks, Hotel Arts! Diablo starts filming in Alberta early 2014. Dress, Diane von Furstenberg.
Vive la Veuve
Taking in a game at the Calgary Polo Club is always an exciting way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but when Team Veuve is playing, look out.
Welcome to the 2013 Veuve Clicquot Calgary Polo Classic.
As mallets clashed on the field, the Ranch House morphed into Maison Veuve. Signature orange umbrellas served a vital dual purpose — protecting the beautiful people from the sun while keeping the champagne cold.
Power player clan of the day: Bill Lloyd of Black Watch Property, Bev Jarvis of Urban Development Institute, Margot Seaman and Josh Morrissey, recently scooped up by the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL draft.
Just in case there wasn’t enough on the field, Maserati and Ferrari had extra horsepower ready to roll.
Patronus president Cathy Butler, polo apropos in her Ralph Lauren tank, with South African polo pro Warren Lurie, taking a brief bubble break from his hectic summer match schedule in the 6 goal league.
It’s all in the details: you can never have enough equestrian-style accessories, as evidenced by Cathy’s covet-worthy gold Gucci.
Meanwhile, there was a game to watch and more champagne to drink. Remax’s Gordon Ross reminds us he’s both a gladiator on the polo field and in his sandals. Beside him Lawrence Roeck, director and producer of Diablo, starring Clint Eastwood’s son Scott, takes time out from pre-pro to take in Team Veuve.
Polo fans were too polite to tell me to get out of the way while I seized the limelight, courtesy portrait photographer Barbara Blakey. Perhaps they realized the world would be a better place with my farmer’s tan recorded for posterity. Sunglasses, Dior. Dress, American Eagle. Hat, random Jysk offering for $3.50.
At halftime, the genteel and well-heeled are put to work. And when a divot stomper is this dedicated, you know a future polo patrona can’t be too far away.
In the yellow jerseys, Team Veuve went on to win the day. ¡Enhorabuena! to Roberto Foster, Chris Fochuk, Daniel Roenisch and Pedro Orellano.
Polo and champagne, the perfect pairing. Vive la Veuve and carpe diem at the Calgary Polo Club!
Winning in Windermere
My blog posts this summer have been the Most Sporadic Ever. I can only offer excuses, excuses, excuses. So I’ll skip them and move on to my most recent nature break in Windermere, BC. 
Being from British Columbia myself, you’d think I would have heard of this place, but it took moving to Calgary to put it on my radar.
The lake retreat on the western side of the Rockies is only a quick 3-hour zip from Calgary, which takes you through Banff and its famous animal overpasses. I took this photo while driving — please ignore the bugs on my windshield. Or don’t. Those are Rocky-sized bugs.
Back to the beauty. Turns out the lake isn’t really a lake, it’s actually a wide part of the Columbia River. It’s also part of the Columbia River Wetlands, one of the longest undisturbed wetland ecosystems found in North America, stretching over 180 km. Sorry, my American friends (I say in that passive-aggressive Canadian way) you’ll have to do the conversion yourself. I’m feeling especially bad at math tonight.
Meanwhile, the rugged, natural beauty shines beyond metrics. I saw a few developers’ signs claiming ownership, but so far the hills are forested and “community” free.
There are no schedules in Windermere. Nor any hotels that I could recommend. It’s the type of place where, if you’re lucky enough to be invited to a friend’s cottage, you go. And if a thunderstorm scares the butterflies away for a while, there’s always a good board game to keep you busy.
The Hoodoo Hike on the west side of the lake was my favorite. Thanks to the Nature Trust of British Columbia, this conservation property provides a vital migration corridor for all kinds of critters, including grizzlies, badgers and woodpeckers. I didn’t see any of them, but I did spot the most gigantic juniper trees. 
Until this hike I thought my gin martinis came from bushes, not trees.
But even at the foot of the Purcell Mountains, it’s not all nature all the time. In the nearby town of Invermere (no one could tell me why all the towns end in mere here) the stacks at the Book Bar are wonderful to stock up on dock and deck reading.
Your BBQ will never go wrong. German settlers in the area still make an impact with the incredible quality of their grillable items.
And tucked in behind the tall grasses and trees, it’s the Kicking Horse coffee factory.
The fair trade organic roast is so popular with the locals, they don’t waste any time getting in line. Pausing to remove your bike helmet could delay your extra-bold cup of Kick Ass.
Hopefully my one-woman movement to bring the bandana back from burglary chic to boho style won’t be successful. I’m going to have to imbue more passion for fashion into my sunblock statement. Shirt, Michael Stars. Shorts, Mossimo Supply Co. Hat, Calgary Polo Club.
Miss you already, Windermere!
Polo Style with Dayelle Fargey
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!
Skoah Summer Scents
I have never been more appreciative of a handy way to keep body odor at bay. With the never-ending delay of restoring pre-flood modern living basics to my home, like electricity and hot water, a good shower is sometimes hard to find. Add the polo ponies that need to be exercised six days a week, and you have a recipe for an extra-spicy personal bouquet — one that I don’t care to promote.
Luckily I discovered that Skoah, a Vancouver-based skin care line, now has fragrances. The Oh! de Toilettes can be layered with Skoah’s body lotions and creams. They are not the most subtle, but right now a high-octaned scent suits me just fine. About the same size as a lip gloss, they’re also easy to throw in your purse. Sometimes all you need is love — be it Tropikal, Summer or Fresh.
Poolside at Hotel Arts
Think you have to go to South Beach to enjoy a poolside mojito with piped-in DJ sounds of summer? Don’t book that flight to Miami just yet. Here in Calgary, Hotel Arts is the destination for bikini-clad bevvie-sipping hotties looking to cool off.
Now that most post-flood cleanup scenes like this are in the past and the crowds from Stampede have corralled elsewhere…
… the pool at Hotel Arts is one of the verrry attractive reasons to party in Calgary. One of the first boutique hotels to hit Cowtown, it did an Ace Hotel-worthy conversion of the Holiday Inn in 2005. Look beyond the exposed skin and you’ll notice a camera crew shooting video and still shots.
It’s part an Tourism Calgary campaign currently running nationwide: We’re Open! The subtext being that the water is in the pool, not on the streets anymore. Welcome tourists! 
Of course Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is the star of the campaign. This photo, taken by Chris Bolin (who was enjoying the sunshine after covering the floods for the Globe and Mail) was snapped right after I interviewed the mayor on the hottest, sweatiest day of the year so far… 37 degrees Celsius. Watch the finished video here. Meanwhile, as the sun bakes into our backs, I feel like I can speak for the both of us here: we’d rather be in the pool with the We’re Open guy.