We'd love to highlight an amazing woman this month for our small business spotlight.
Paola Giavedoni is the owner of The Candy Bar Toronto. 2023 is a big year for them, as they celebrate 10 years in business.Â
Name:
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Are you able to make your own way to our studio in Hamilton, ON?:
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Please also include a few photos of yourself.
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 Electric Diner we have a strong focus on family, community and Hamilton pride! We serve up classic comfort food with a modern spin â with a focus on breakfast, burgers, and playful cocktails and milkshakes.  With a fun, 80âs inspired, neon-heavy aesthetic, Electric Diner provides a vibrant ambience fitting for all people â whether they want to relive their past, or experience a taste of the 80âs for the first time.  Electric Diner started on George St, in Hess Village, and has since expanded with a second location in the historic Lister Block on James St. N.  Electric Diner has just been awarded the 2023 Outstanding Business Achievement Award by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. Â
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Co-founder and CEO of Save Ferris Hospitality â the parent company that owns both Electric Diner locations, Erika Puckering has been a restaurateur in Hamilton for over 7 years, and a mom for 8 years!  Originally from Ottawa, Erika has a degree in the Visual Arts from Ottawa University, and prior to that she worked in the Experiential Marketing field with a background in Project Management, Visual Presentation, and Store Building for big brand names like Tommy Hilfiger, Hersheyâs and Volvo. Besides running the day-to-day operations at Electric Diner, Erika is also solely responsible for the design and marketing of the both Electric Diner locations.
VISIT THEIR WEBSITE | FOLLOW THEM ON INSTAGRAM
We'd love to highlight an amazing woman this month for our small business spotlight.
Paola Giavedoni is the owner of The Candy Bar Toronto. 2023 is a big year for them, as they celebrate 10 years in business.Â
"This little shop has brought joy to me and many others who walk through our front door" Paola says. Their collection of candy and chocolate has shipped across Canada, travelled with tourists from away, made celebrations sweeter, delighted little ones and excited recipients of every age. Community important to Paola. She volunteers on their BIA board, saying "supporting other businesses and encouraging positive change in our neighborhood is rewarding and feels good!"
You can visit The Candy Bar at 849 College St in Toronto, or shop online 24/7 at www.thecandybar.ca. Don't forget to check them out on Instagram, and be sure to subscribe to their newsletter, you get 10% off your first purchase.
Need something special, for that someone special? We've scoured the internet to find you the most, fun, dopamine inducing gifts. Fair warning, nothing boring here!
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If one of our latest instagram posts is any indication, our followers are crazy for mushroom hats. To help, we thought we'd track down some super cute mushroom hats from across the web and share them here! We have everyday options, to OTT high fashion fungi.
Founded on the principle of âArt is Movement,â the ZOFF woman is fearless in her approach to self love. She dresses to pamper herself first. The ZOFF woman is courageous, intelligent, and witty. At ZOFF, we are storytellers, and above all, dreamers.
Born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario, Michael Zoffranieriâs foray into fashion began with a hand sewn owl pin cushion. Soon after, he had the opportunity to apprentice at David Dixon. After graduating from Ryerson universityâs renowned School of Fashion in 2016, ZOFF began itâs journey. Shortly after, ZOFF received the Suzanne Rogers Award for Most Promising New Label of 2017 during Toronto Fashion Incubatorâs New Labels competition. ZOFF is nominated for the Swarovski Emerging Talent Award (Fashion Design), at the 2018 Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards (CAFAs).
Whether it is your special day, or it is for your next social gathering, ZOFF is your go to for exactly what you are looking for:
 A luxurious experience.
]]>Itâs no secret the last year and a half has been tough on everyone. It was also a time of change, a time of reflection, and a time of bad home haircuts and sweatpants. Many of us took this as an opportunity to grow, and for a lot of us this meant a change of perspective.
For me, it meant being thankful about the little things; about the amazing supportive customers that carried us through, thankful for notes from friends, and a wealth of free time I had been crying for for years!
Now more than ever, it is important to look for the small wins, and to create a collection surrounding this uplifting philosophy couldnât have come at a more perfect time!
Weâve discovered our ability to adapt, our ability to change our perspective, and after strict lockdown measures, Canada is finally getting to experience our summer to the fullest. If that isn't a little victory to celebrate, I donât know what is.
I absolutely love this collection, and Iâm so excited to share it with the world! I was inspired by the notion of celebrating a little everyday, rather than waiting for a special occasion, and that means dressing the part! The designs are vibrant and bold, with a rich, juicy colour scheme - ready to help you look the part and live each moment to the fullest.
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                   đ See more about our Little Victories collection here
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To learn more about Little Victory, click here: trussbeverages.com/little-victory
Ăźblich is the brain child of musician, artist, and creative director Connor âkilla conâ Elsaesser, a big part of the HE fam (literally) and in business. Utilizing various techniques such as bleaching, painting, and applique, each Ăźblich piece is a one-of-a-kind statement, built with used or vintage pieces that are upcycled into wearable art. Taking inspiration from hip hop, KC remixes each garment through a lens of artistic expression and social commentary and samples elements of sports, hip hop, fashion and philosophy.
An inbuilt dichotomy born at the crossroads of capitalism and anti-consumerism exists in every Ăźblich piece. Mass consumption is an inevitability in our society, but despite this, each âcommonâ everyday citizen can have an impact on the brands, concepts and ideas that gain popularity. By choosing with their purchasing power which values they uphold the individual can have a say in the societal agenda that gets pushed forward. Thus, we can remake our relationship with the commodification of our creative energy, and we can shape the future of consumerism in our own image. There is no trickle down culture.
To shop their first drop click here, and follow them on social here and Connor here.
]]>Web accessibility is so important, there are even people who do this as their entire job! With the huge role that the internet plays in our daily lives, itâs important for everyone to be able to access it properly. In each learning module, Juno emphasized the importance of web accessibility and different ways to make a website accessible such as alt text, relative fonts, and other integrations. An added bonus is that web accessibility also helps boost your website's SEO (search engine optimization)!
I learned that everyone has a favourite CSS colour that they always return to when playing around with code - mine's orchid, or #da70d6. Being able to play around with colours made realize how coding could be such a fun career for creatives like me! Also, as a self-proclaimed nerd, I'm easily entertained by nerdy things. There are some really funny CSS colour code names that spell words like #B000B5 and #coff33, because why not? See more here! There's also a very special colour called Rebecca Purple, named after the daughter of CSS pioneer Eric Meyer after she sadly passed away.
When weâre young, we're used to learning new things all the time. We work on, develop, and hone our skills. But as we get deeper into adulthood, we donât learn as many new and/or challenging skills - maybe because we often become an expert at our job, keep the same hobbies, and find a routine. Sometimes this can make it hard for adults to embark on a journey to learn new things, because when we experience confusion, we frequently give up.
However, itâs when you push past the point of confusion that important learning happens. While learning to code at Juno, I had many points of confusion that would have normally discouraged me, especially if I was learning on my own. However, with the amazing resources and teaching that the course, instructor, and mentors offered, I was able to carry on with confidence and really gain some new skills!
Why not have fun and learn all at once? There are lots of fun free games online that can help you learn and practice coding! Some examples are:
â˘Â Flexbox Froggy
â˘Â CSS Diner
â˘Â Flexbox Zombies
I like keeping my workspace fun, which doesn't just mean my deskspace, but also what I'm working with onscreen! One of my favourite resources that I'll continue to use is placekitten.com, an amazing website that allows you to generate images of kittens in different dimensions to act as placeholders when building a website. Also, I love how creative web development can be, and how you can express yourself and your style in fun little ways. I customized my Visual Studio Code, the program we used to build our websites, into very Hayley candy colours:
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One of the most intimidating things for me when I was beginning the course was the idea of having to remember so many different combinations of characters and symbols - it seemed impossible. Turns out it is impossible, unless youâre a super genius or cyborg! Luckily, there are add-ons like Emmet, an essential toolkit for web developers that generates specific snippets of code from shortcut abbreviations. Our instructor, Shang, also told us that Googling, copying, and pasting are still things she does frequently, and that it's totally normal. Youâll never be expected to know everything all the time, and learning is a lifelong journey for everyone!
The page inspector is an amazing dev tool that you can use to identify issues or examine aspects in your own code, as well as other websites - kind of like an ingredients list. A super fun feature is that you can edit the code on existing websites, so you can prank your friends by changing things like news headings and Twitter posts, and sending them screenshots!
To someone new to the world of coding, this sounds absolutely obscene, but itâs true. We actually built a webpage in our first week! Throughout the course we got to see our work come to life before our eyes, and the change each little adjustment would make. Something incredibly exciting I learned is that many things are possible with coding, like drop shadows on images, that previously I had used Photoshop for.
Each class, we learned or developed a new skill that made up the building blocks of websites, and eventually we assembled them all together to create our final project. For mine, I decided to implement elements of my brand and customize it to make it a more realistic example of how I'd use my new skills in the future!
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Overall, the main thing Iâve learned is that itâs never too late to learn a new skill and get outside of your comfort zone. It's also important to find the right people to help you on your journey. I was nervous to take the course at first, but the community and content at Juno was so welcoming and fun, all while being incredibly informative! Coders are super creative people who love to have fun and customize, so there are tons of cool things to uncover and experiment with while learning.
If you're curious about code, Juno holds free Coding 101 workshops every month that are beginner-friendly! They're a great way to get to know the community and see if coding may be your next favourite thing. Check out the workshops here.
]]>Over the past decade or so, Iâve tried so many things for my skin, some that worked and most that didnât. I even caved and tried proactive (yikes!). Iâve gotten somewhat of a handle on my skin in the last few years, struggling with uneven skin, and mild acne, but I came to terms with the fact that was the best my skin would be, and there was always makeup.
Iâve always been curious about Dermalogica, and earlier this year we began working on an amazing collaboration together. I always research who I work with, and I was so impressed by the quality and no nonsense approach to skincare. After an amazing treatment in their Toronto location with Maicy, I was absolutely hooked. I picked up a few products that day and within a week or so my skin was just brighter and looked great. Â
I worked with Maicy and also got an analysis on their website to introduce a few new products into my daily routine and my skin has never been better. I am now way more confident not wearing makeup, and this summer Iâve only been wearing concealer, ditching foundation, which is a first for me since being an adult! I am so impressed with the change Iâve experienced, so I wanted to share my favourite products!
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 From left to right:
This is a product that works to treat active breakouts, and also fade old acne and other marks. As someone with very fair skin, any sort of redness really stands out, and it seems to take my skin quite long to heal. Since using this, all of my old marks are fading tremendously, and breakouts that do happen heal basically overnight. A fun bonus is, Iâve had two red dots on my face Iâve had for many years and they are fading for the first time ever.Â
I have to use a toner to feel human, and I love the smell of this and the fact that it helps acne and can be used all over your body. I get the occasional back-ne from time to time, so the fact I can use this all over is amazing.Â
Active Clay Cleanser + Daily Microfoliant
I must say, this is the product I noticed the biggest difference with. I absolutely love how it makes my skin feel after using it and itâs cleared up my skin incredibly quickly. I actually mix it together with my daily microfoliant when washing my face to get some nice exfoliation happening without adding another step!
I love the idea of making my skin better when Iâm sleeping, which is why I was stoked to try this overnight repair serum. It smells amazing and I think it helps my skin feel plump and fresh which is a great feeling before bed.
Bonus! What I want to try next:Â
While my skin has improved incredibly, I am still having slight issues with acne and discoloration. Iâd love to try this new product next as it has amazing reviews, fights acne and aging, and as a 32 year old this is ideal for me!Â
PS: This is not a sponsored post and it was my decision to post this. While I worked on a project with Dermalogica, I personally purchased several of their products, and I was also gifted products after mentioning how happy I had been. I simply wanted to share this because I am so happy with my skin after introducing Dermalogica into my skincare routine!
]]>I've always considered myself very tech savvy - growing up, my happy place was my computer. Not much has changed now, but I've always felt intimidated by coding, likely because it's such a male-dominated field.
Luckily, I found an incredible community that welcomes all kinds of people who are normally underrepresented in tech. I heard about Juno College last year through work and I was really intrigued by their inclusive focus, and just overall ethos. I thought it was really cool that they were actively combatting the norm of the IT world, and making it something that feels approachable for everyone.
Juno was founded in 2012 as HackerYou by the team behind Ladies Learning Code (now Canada Learning Code) and Heather Payne, when she was only 24 years old. Since then, Juno has welcomed over 3,000 students to their Live Online and In-Person courses - their downtown Toronto campus is just a few blocks from my old Queen West storefront! Theyâve also helped over 800 graduates of their award-winning Web Development Immersive Bootcamp land their dream jobs in tech.
According to Heather: âIn Roman mythology, Juno was the protector of the entire community, but especially the women. We've always been passionate about supporting underrepresented groups, and thatâs one of the reasons why we chose our new name when we rebranded from HackerYou in 2019.â
Iâm currently one week into Junoâs 8-week Live Online beginner-friendly Web Development course. In this coding course, students build beautifully designed projects from scratch, and friendships that last beyond the classroom.
I feel like this is the most approachable, and least scary way I could imagine to learn coding. Before my first class I was incredibly nervous, which rarely happens for me anymore. I didnât realise how intimidated I had been to do this, and I actually took the class with my partner because it seemed so daunting. Midway through my first class I was smiling, realising that this was not only going to be something I can do, but also this is going to be fun! My teacher is absolutely amazing, and one of the most bubbly and engaging people ever. Iâm actually excited and look forward to each class. Iâm learning so much with each session, and I canât wait to see where I am once Iâm finished. Itâs such a great feeling to learn a new skill that was so foreign to me as an adult.
If youâve been thinking about learning to code, but have felt intimidated or were waiting for the right time - this is it! Let's make the most of the extra time we're spending at home and learn an amazing, empowering, and incredibly useful new skill.Â
Check out Junoâs upcoming free coding workshops or learn more about their Web Development course. You can also follow me on Instagram to see more about my learning journey throughout the rest of my course!Â
With social distancing measures still in place it can be hard, especially for creatives and artists to feel like they are free to express themselves and all of us probably feel like we wish we could do more to help those who are most affected by this global pandemic.Â
The short film, produced by Winters Rock Entertainment, will serve as a call to action for fansâ encouraging them to donate to Frontâline Care, dedicated to providing rest and care units for frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19, via their donation site TeamStorm.org. Frontline Care is a fiscally sponsored project by 501(c)(3) Paint The World. Kiesza will lead the initiative titled #TeamStorm that will drive fans to TeamStorm.org where they can donate to build JUPE REST units for frontline workers.
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]]>Read the full article here.Â
Photography:Â Nabeel Pervaiz
Clothing:Â Hayley Elsaesser
Styling: Josephine Cruz
Assistant: Melissa Vincent
Design: Rachel Teresa Park
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]]>With the advent of fast fashion in recent decades, the fashion cycle moves much more quickly. Just like the 24-hour news cycle, where everything is presented in small, bite-size pieces with attention-grabbing titles as click bait, fashion turns over with much more velocity.Â
Technology has allowed information to disseminate with much more speed. We are no longer bound by the confines of time, and space. New collections debut in Paris and can be ripped off in Sweden a week later. Barriers to entry are also lower than ever for online retail businesses and the internet offers dreams of viral success to anyone with an idea.
The result of this new, oversaturated fashion industry, is massive waste, and huge turnover as runway styles are quickly copied, sold, and then rendered obsolete. Companies cut corners at every turn in order to maximize sales and production costs need to be kept at a minimum. It is more advantageous to pay employees the bare minimum or manufacture in places without minimum wage laws, than it is to select accredited factories. It is easier to capitalize on as many trends as possible than it is to specialize on one thing.
The net result is a race to the bottom. Weâve seen massive companies like Forever 21, Sears, and Payless shut down operations entirely, and household names like Barneys and Macys are closing many of their storefronts. Weâve spoken to retailers up and down Queen St West in Torontoâs formerly famed fashion district, and walk-in traffic was down for everyone this holiday shopping season. Itâs far cheaper to go to a fast fashion retailer than it is to support an up-and-coming designer, and itâs much faster to shop online.Â
This economic change has come at a time when environmental issues are finally at the forefront of the collective consciousness. Climate change is real, and we need to make changes to how we consume. In the face of this, many consumers are becoming more aware of their purchasing power and are choosing to shop vintage and second hand fashion, or support local independent brands. Â
We want to get ahead of these changes to the industry. We want to be more sustainable, and more thoughtful about how we design and produce collections. We want to cut down on waste and give our customers a different type of fashion company to support. Unlike many companies, we donât throw away or destroy unsold stock, and we vet all of our suppliers to ensure we are sourcing as ethically as possible, but we want to do more. We want to be part of a move towards a less destructive form of capitalism.
So what are we going to do?
This change has been tough, and weâre not entirely sure how it will all shake down. For a while it might just be Hayley running the show by herself, but we can no longer try to fit within an industry that is inherently designed to pollute and overproduce. Planned obsolescence has always been a driving force in economics in order to keep the wheels moving. In the modern age, the process has been sped up to the point where it is no longer viable, or healthy for people or the planet. The ride is moving too fast, and we are all feeling sick. It is time to get off the roller-coaster and slow down.
Letâs try something different. The new HE is launching soon.Â
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]]>We met up with Briony in her home/studio to chat with the artist about her career and art practice. Check out her interview with Hayley below (lots of career advice gems) and scroll to see some at-home photos of Briony decked out in HE along with some of her favourite sneakers!
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]]>In my life I have achieved a lot, and done a lot that Iâm proud of. Despite this, I still often feel like a failure. In late 2018 I ended a marriage, and a 9 year relationship because it was a highly toxic environment and had become emotionally abusive. Rather than seeing this as something I have overcome to help make me grow stronger, initially the break-up of my marriage felt like the ultimate failure. I felt worthless, and a little over a year ago, I seriously contemplated taking my own life due to feeling unbearably sad. Thankfully, in that moment, rather than do something harmful, I called my mom. If she hadnât answered, Iâm not sure Iâd be writing this today.
Iâve done most things right. I speak to doctors regularly, I take medication to help regulate chemicals and make me able to cope with everyday life. I go to therapy to work on myself. I avoid drinking for the most part as it can make me depressed. I try to be healthy and sleep properly. But everyday is still a constant struggle, even though I am taking so many of the right steps. Thatâs because I am mentally ill. This is not something I can just turn off-Â just like I canât magically re-grow the gallbladder I had removed when I was 20, I canât just turn off these thoughts. Our brains are an organ like any other, and something we need to take care of and keep an eye on.Â
So many people are like me. We keep our mental illness to ourselves, or whisper about it to friends with the understanding that they will keep it âbetween usâ. We are afraid to tell our bosses that we donât really have the flu. It is tough to tell someone youâre experiencing debilitating anxiety, because itâs not a tangible thing people can see. Since anxiety can come and go, you might appear okay sometimes. You look okay from the outside. You arenât pale or clammy, so you must be okay. But you arenât, and thatâs okay. Itâs okay that you are a work in progress. What matters is that youâre working on it. That you donât give up. You not giving up and growing gives me hope that I too can grow. Weâre in this together.
I have been afraid to talk about this, and many people close to me donât know about this, let alone how truly close I was to taking my own life last year. But Iâm tired of feeling alone in my pain, and feeling ashamed, so I decided to share. I went through the toughest time of my life last year. I felt that I couldnât bear to be alive. Iâve been told by many people that my brand made them feel accepted; made them feel okay to be themselves, and that has been the thing that keeps me going. In the throes of a depressive episode it is next to impossible to see value in your life, or find purpose. Knowing that I have made a small difference in some way by making people feel included was the thing that kept me going.Â
Life is complicated, and often we only share the simple things so we can control how we are perceived. If we can be more open, and share more, we will realize we are all complicated and beautiful. Weâre all fighting a lot of the same battles everyday. Behind our fake smiles and stifled emotions, we are all fundamentally aware of the pain and fear of failure that can feel all-encompassing. The feelings of anxiety that feel like they will never dissipate. We all experience feelings of worthlessness. This is my attempt to put this tough time behind me, and to try to see the good in what I went through. We all go through things and sharing, and taking ownership over our feelings can help us try to see the path forward. This is my attempt to open up properly and express myself fully in regards to the mental health issues I have been experiencing. Many of our designs are a collaborative process that I share with my team in early stages. This specific collection is something I worked on solely by myself until it was ready to be released. It is very personal to me, and I hope it creates a conversation and perhaps lets somebody out there know that they are not alone, and they will be okay. Be proud to be who you are, because youâd made it really, really far.Â
Please check out the new additions to our Nausea Nostalgia collection here.
If you know me, you know I'm basically a magpie in a woman's body: I am attracted to shiny things. When I received this package from them, my shine-obsessed heart skipped a beat. It was so absolutely sparkly! It's basically holiday makeup in a star-shaped box. What was inside you ask? Get to the point you say? Fine.Â
Inside was their new holiday collection, Starring You. It's filled with glorious, glittery products and packaging including star details on the makeup itself. Check out some of the products below or see the whole collection here.Â
 Left: KISS OF THE STARS LIPSTICK Right: SPELLBINDER SHADOW
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Left: SPELLBINDER SHADOWÂ Middle: OPALESCENT POWDERÂ Right:Â KISS OF THE STARS LIPSTICKÂ and a makeup look I created using the collection.Â
Not only are the products, instantly, obviously beautiful, the formula is amazing as well. The lipstick in STARSTRUCK is my favorite lipstick I've tried in a very, very long time (probably since I launched my lipstick collab with Annaeblle, tbh) and I think I'm going to grab ASTERISK as well. The shadows are made of ionized, magnetically-charged pigments that cling to lids "like velvet", so it's basically a loose powder that sticks to itself, meaning it worked well without using too much product. The highlighter aka OPALESCENT POWDER has a very light yet buildable opalescent shimmer that works very well with my fair skin in the pink tone. Finally, there were also some gorgeous lipglosses included that pack a glittery punch as well.Â
So, what's the verdict? Cop or drop? To buy or not to buy? For me it's a definite COP. If you love glitter, but seek sophistication this line is absolutely perfect for holiday parties or a bold NYE look.
Final Word: If you're a lady magpie searching for the next shiny item for your sparkly nest, look no further, fam. Highly shoppable. Ca caw! Â
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]]>Check out the photos we took below, all shot at Hayleys house. Be sure to watch our interview with Ralph and Leandra on IGTV, coming soon!
Ralphâs new EP, Flashbacks and Fantasies, is available to stream now. Tickets to her upcoming tour are available at https://www.songsbyralph.com/
Tickets to The Beaches upcoming tour available at https://www.thebeachesband.com/
Special thanks to our friends at The Store on Queen for additional styling.
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]]>"Some think comfort and style are mutually exclusive, or as rare as a two-headed goat. I prefer to marry the two daily, like a Justice of the Peace for fashion. Similarly, there are those who think that as soon as you make the switch from iced to hot coffee, itâs game over for colour, and you need to dress like an Italian Nonna in mourning. Iâm here to tell you that pink is more than the title of a salacious Aerosmith song; itâs a lifestyle."
Shop the look: Pink Lemonade Existential Dread Crewneck, Apple Core Print Jeans
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"If youâre a 90âs baby like I am, then you had at least one pair of overalls during your childhood and I love that these give a bold and cheeky twist to a classic wardrobe staple. As a tall and curvy individual, it is serendipitous to find a garment that is not only a statement but also a comfortable and versatile part of my wardrobe. The Thank You overalls are truly my most worn HE garment; just pair these overalls with a turtleneck and some Docs and you too can be a 90âs dreamboat!"
 Shop the look: Thank You Overalls
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"When the mercury starts to drop, so does my natural ability to give af about what I'm wearing because really I just want to be cozy. So, this means I push myself to try a ~little~ bit harder when dressing, hence the colour / print clashing of the top and jacket here. I'm wearing my FAV Universal Standard bootcut jeans, and Docs I basically have been wearing every day of late so I can stay in my comfort zone at least a little bit. I love our long line blazers because they're genuinely practical in their comfort and warmth, but also make a statement."
Shop the look: Thank You Longline Blazer, Mushroom Bottle Mesh Crop Top
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"A matching set always makes me feel put together, plus it's a no-brainer outfit which is key when you're a morning grump like me. I layered a coat over my jacket for warmth, I have no tolerance for the cold and to be honest I could have also used a scarf this day! Platform boots finish off any outfit with the ultimate accessory, the illusion of legs that are 7 inches longer."
Shop the look: Thank You Denim Jacket, Thank You Jeans
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 "Layering in colder weather is my favourite aspect of fall fashion, and I feel like its really easy to get away with being overly comfortable as well. I paired the Mushroom Cola Bottle Drawstring trousers with a dressy monk strap shoe so that the overall look appeared more formal. This oversized upcycled military blanket cardigan/jacket from Toronto label "Neoteny Apparel" creates a nice juxtaposition to the bottom half of my body, and my No Fun Press "Anti-You" beanie displays how much I despise cold weather."
Shop the look: Mushroom Bottle Trousers
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New to Staff Styles? Check out other outfits by the HE Team!
Staff Styles 2: Cosmic Dread, Again!
]]>It's been a while since we've posted a "Staff Styles" but what a better occasion to end the hiatus with than Halloween! The HE team loves to dress up so we challenged ourselves to style a Clam Dunk look as a Halloween costume, results varying from cute to creepy. Enjoy!
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For my costume I went for Lola Bunny from Looney Tunes and Spacejam but brought into 2019. As someone who loves basketball and the 90s, this was an easy costume decision, especially since I have embroidered basketballs on the Clam Dunk Overall. I love how I already owned everything aside from the ears, so I still feel very myself, just a bit more ~cartoony!~Â
Shop the look: Clam Dunk Overalls, HE x Twik Colour Block Fleece
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Carmen Miranda was a entertainer from the 30s-40s known for her iconic fruit outfits. This is definitely a loose, 21st century take on the "Brazilian Bombshell", if my Nikes didn't make that clear. I added this sample rotten apple print silk scarf to recall her iconic, colourful headdresses. Fruit props double as a healthy snack.Â
Shop the look: Lemon Spoke Top, Lemon Spoke SkirtÂ
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Despite the fact that I look like a clown all the time, Halloween is great because the comments and stares are a little more warranted. I figured the Thank You Overalls in a comedically large size would do the trick, and pairing it with this vintage polka dot button up would really pull the look together. I made a dumb hat, and blew up some balloons. Easy. I am available for birthdays, weddings, and trips to Ikea if you just want a little more attention.
Shop the look: Thank You Overalls
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New to Staff Styles? Check out other outfits by the HE Team!
Staff Styles 2: Cosmic Dread, Again!
Staff Styles 3: We Go Antiquing!
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]]>Of course, in reality, we are complex beings capable of love, and understanding, and compromise. We are capable of growth, and change, and progress. We are capable of working together to create a more balanced society where people are placed ahead of profit, and compromise is viewed as more fundamental to our success than control. Nothing in this world in pre-ordained. We created the cultural touchstones that we now fight over. We uphold the laws, and collective beliefs that prop up one group to the detriment of another. We buy into the system that places monetary wealth and political control over health or the collective interests of a society capable of more than the production of goods and services. If we are cogs in a machine, we built the machine.
Placing people into easily discernible groups and teaching them to fit in or be ostracized is a mechanism of control. Many of us buy into this system without thinking about it. Many of us judge those who act against the norm without understanding why we react that way. We rely on the concepts of traditional values, or say âthatâs just the way we have always done it.â Think of the many things that would not exist if we were content to do things the way theyâve always been done. Modern medicine is wholly dependant on asking âis there a better way?â Scientific research is founded in the concept of constantly questioning whether a theory is correct. This systematic quest for truth vaults our society forward and produces new technology that fundamentally changes how we exist. An informed population asks questions, and the more we question the nature of our reality, the more tenuous the grips of the rigid societal norms that control us become. Change isnât always comfortable. Homogeneity is good for business. Think about the media you consume, and the products you buy. Itâs CNN or Fox News. Itâs McDonalds or Burger King. Itâs Colgate or Crest. We like structure, and we become comfortable in the notion that our way, or the way of our family, or our government, or our individual culture is the one true way.
There is no denying that right-wing populism has been on the rise globally. The governments of the United States and Great Britain are currently pushing an agenda of nationalism and protectionism. Some view this as a return to traditional values. Loose associations with Christianity and family values help push the narrative that these systems are good for people. Inherently, they decide which people deserve to be prosperous, and that view is presented as homogeneously as possible in order to convince voters that they are the true heirs to the cultural throne. Canada is built on immigration and cooperation.
Our paternal grandparents met on the boat emigrating from Germany, less than a decade after one of the most devasting conflicts the world has ever seen. They arrived in Canada, on the wrong side of history, but managed to make a life for themselves in a small town in British Columbia. Eventually, our Opa bought the local newspaper in Merritt, BC, and he and our Oma both wrote for the townâs main news source as non-native English speakers. While they no doubt faced prejudice, they were accepted into society and encouraged to reach for personal prosperity. They never lost their thick German accents, and their European heritage was obvious in the food they ate, the way they decorated their home, and dressed their children. On our motherâs side, our family has been in Canada for generations. Despite this, our paternal grandfather grew up in a community in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia where one of the main languages was Gaelic. People who lived in Canada for generations worked together in a small community speaking a dialect that even those in Scotland, where it originated, were no longer speaking. When our grandfather went to other parts of Canada he was often asked where he was from due to the way he spoke. Despite the fact that his family had lived in Canada for generations, his cultural identity more closely resembled folks in the âold worldâ than it did those in Toronto. This is purely anecdotal, but it speaks to the Canada that people are referring to when they say they want to return to traditional Canadian beliefs. Traditionally, Canada is multi-cultural and diverse. If the only difference with todayâs immigrants is the colour of their skin, then the issue is not one of immigration; but of race.
When Jagmeet Singh was campaigning across Canada recently he was asked by a man he came across why he did not âcut offâ his turban to appear more Canadian. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, which were deemed to be perpetrated by Muslims, a Sikh-American gas station attendant named Balbir Singh Sodhi was murdered in Costa Mesa, Arizona as a hate crime in supposed retaliation for the attack. This was one of many incidences of race-fueled violence that occurred in the wake of the attack. These two events are not nearly the same in terms of severity, but they illustrate a common underlying issue; ignorance and misunderstanding is at the root of hatred. One does not âcut offâ a turban. Muslims and Sikhs are completely different religions, and neither group is any less justified in their beliefs than a Christian, Jewish person, Hindu, or Buddhist.
We live in a broken system where our differences are highlighted by politicians in order to win votes. Dog-whistling is a tactic utilized by many populist leaders in order to capitalize on ignorance and xenophobia by sub-consciously linking these types of beliefs to issues like unemployment and immigration. Ironically, the same class of people that encourages you to vote to curb immigration, and stop outsiders from taking your jobs, often utilizes tax loopholes to limit the amount of money they put back into the economy, or moves manufacturing offshore to increase their bottom line.
There is so much to unpack about global politics that it would take a far more educated person to properly present to you the reasons behind why things are the way they are. Trickle down economics and the myth of wealth being a signifier for inherent goodness or morality is not something we can debunk in a single blog post. We are not tied to any particular political party. We are a clothing company. We donât want to tell you what to do, or who to vote for. What we can tell you is that for the first time ever, young people make up the largest voting bloc in the federal election. More millennials are eligible to vote in Canada than baby boomers. We have the most at stake in this election. We will bear the brunt of the environmental and socio-economic blunders of our past leaders. We are responsible for creating the world that future generations will exist within. If you are weary about bringing children into the world, think about how you can change that. We have the power to create real, lasting change. The world isnât black and white. It isnât us versus them. It is all of us together against hatred and ignorance. It is all of us together against inequality and poverty. We have an opportunity to create legitimate change and it starts with being aware of the obstacles we face, and the steps we can take to make a difference. You have a say. You can speak with your vote.
For more information about how to vote go to www.elections.ca
]]>Fashion loves Fall. Free from the uncomfortable humidity of the summer and the drawn out, bone-chilling winter that feels longer and longer every year, especially for us Torontonians. It's a brief but revered season. By Halloween you have to wear a puffer out over your costume, always heartbreaking. Plus years of back-to-school marketing has conditioned us to seek new clothes at this time-- what else am I going to layer with? A pumpkin spice latte is merely an accessory after all, the true star of Fall is FASHUN.
Most tend to dress in more muted and darker tones as the temperature drops, when really Fall is THE time to play with colour. Layering affords the opportunity to mix and match more pieces, allowing you more freedom to pair interesting textures and colours. Why show off just one top when you can wear two or three? Here's some vibrant outfit ideas that will ensure you're the rockstar on your morning commute.Â
Model is the sweetest Dylan.Â
]]>Fashion loves Fall. Free from the uncomfortable humidity of the summer and the drawn out, bone-chilling winter that feels longer and longer every year, especially for us Torontonians. It's a brief but revered season. By Halloween you have to wear a puffer out over your costume, always heartbreaking. Plus years of back-to-school marketing has conditioned us to seek new clothes at this time-- what else am I going to layer with? A pumpkin spice latte is merely an accessory after all, the true star of Fall is FASHUN.
Most tend to dress in more muted and darker tones as the temperature drops, when really Fall is THE time to play with colour. Layering affords the opportunity to mix and match more pieces, allowing you more freedom to pair interesting textures and colours. Why show off just one top when you can wear two or three? Here's some vibrant outfit ideas that will ensure you're the rockstar on your morning commute.Â
Model is the sweetest Dylan.Â
 Of course I got called fat as a kid and was told I had ânice titsâ on more than a few occasions, but generally I could come up with a come-back that would hurt worse than the obvious physical stuff about me. My dad, who I only saw once a year for a couple weeks at a time, eventually switched from encouraging me to eat to trying to get me to get in shape by commenting on my food choices. Despite telling me I shouldnât be so overweight, he still bragged about my size and told me he was proud of how tall I was, while saying he only wanted the best for me and explaining that getting in shape would help me get girls and be a better athlete. My mom tried to be nice about it but mentioned that I shouldnât have stretch marks considering I was a teenage boy. As a single mother she tried her best, but we often ate fast food for dinner after she rushed home from work to pick us up from daycare. We were often the last kids being picked up, and my sister and I both had sports and extracurricular activities to attend â so it was strictly about convenience. When I was old enough to stay home by myself, she would have me cook dinner for the family. But at 13 I wasnât necessarily preparing healthy gourmet meals â it was mostly ShakeânâBake chicken and homemade pizza on English muffins.
When I left home to go to university I decided I wanted to lose weight. I turned down the offer to play football because they wanted me to stay big to play offensive line. I started working out religiously, and for the first time ever I thought about what I ate. I actually took the weight off pretty easily. I got down to around 240 lbs. People started to make positive comments. I noticed I was treated differently. Girls smiled at me more. Sales associates at stores were friendlier. I became obsessed with weighing myself and would base my workouts on the number on the scale. If it was high I would punish myself and run until I sweat it all out. If it was low, I would reward myself with a weight lifting session. I weighed myself before and after running to keep track of progress. If I drank too much booze or ate too much pizza at a dorm party and felt sick, I wasnât opposed to âhelping myself alongâ with a couple fingers down the throat to encourage vomiting. I didnât view that as a problem, but rather a way around binge-drinking and eating. In my second year of university I became severely depressed and skipped class, preferring to sleep-in, get up to work out, and then stay up all night. I was essentially agoraphobic â except for the gym.
After not getting a co-op job due to my general lack of interest, I went to Australia for the term instead of working as part of my Environment and Business program. No one there knew me as formerly fat Connor. I met a cute girl. I ran on the beach. I felt better than I had in months. I decided to move to Australia to pursue a degree in music, something I had been dabbling in to fill the time at night when insomnia wouldnât let me sleep. Living on my own and miles away from family, I got more into controlling my diet and ensuring a strict routine. I always wanted to be progressing to a new unattainable goal. I played the best basketball of my life living in Sydney and playing for the defending Under-21 State Champion, Manly Sea Eagles. I could dunk with ease and was still strong and powerful.
Eventually, I got down to about 215 lbs, which for someone who is 6â7â with a big frame is getting kind of light. Despite this, I became more and more fixated on the number. I wanted to get below 200 lbs. It didnât take long, and eventually my walk-around weight was about 195-198 lbs. (For context, the average height in the NBA is 6â7â, and the average weight is around 225 lbs â and NBA players arenât known for being bulky.)
I continued the reward-based workout and eating system but would often forgo buying food in favour of buying weed, which I thought helped me write music. I liked the idea of being a literal starving artist. If I ate too much one day, I would skip meals the next. I rarely ate at work, subsisting instead on Coke Zero. At my lightest I was 185 lbs. I could feel all my ribs and needed a belt to keep up a size 32 skinny jean. I wore a medium t-shirt comfortably. This was a long way from my baggy 3XL high school basketball hoodie and size 40 uniform pants. I was over-confident at this point, bordering on cocky. I was the frontman in a band that played shows around the city. I wanted to be a rockstar and I looked the part. I was long and emaciated, and still not happy despite my newfound arrogance. In my last year of university I took acid and had a psychotic episode. I didnât eat or sleep for a week after the trip, and eventually was so distraught I asked to be taken to the hospital. I was hospitalized on suicide watch and they put me on anti-psychotic medication. It caused weight gain. I went home for a trip to Canada and quickly got back up to 230 lbs. This is an objectively better weight for my height than 185 lbs, but it didnât stop people from making negative comments. When I got back to Australia, my friend said, âDamn you got big. Were you working out or just eating American fast food?â. My colleague at work who was a woman in her 40s said, âYouâve gained some weight.â I asked, âIs that good or badâ knowing that I had been given shit for being too skinny on multiple occasions in the same workplace. She replied with, âIâm not sure, itâs just an observation.â Another co-worker would pinch my side and shake her finger.
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After struggling with depression and acid flashbacks for the last few months of university, I decided to move back to Canada. I hadnât been working out at all. I chain-smoked cigarettes. I would smoke weed and binge-eat candy. I hated my hospital-mandated therapy sessions, and my medication made me numb. I had zero sex drive. I didnât write a single decent lyric in over 3 months. I had zero will to live and just existing felt like an excruciating chore. When I moved back to Canada, I quit cigarettes and my medication cold turkey. I got back into shape quickly. Instead of 235 lbs of medicated weight gain, I got down to 225 lbs of lean muscle. I got a job. The comments about being slim, or too skinny, or not ever putting on weight started again. They called me Stretch. I liked comments about being underweight far more than comments about being overweight. In fact, they fuelled me. I went right back into unrealistic exercise and restrictive food choices 95% of the time, and binge-drinking beer and eating pizza the other 5%.
As I became more successful at my job, I had less time to focus on exercising. I was stressed over hitting my sales targets. I started drinking more casually. Around 2012 or 2013 I got close to 300 lbs again. I was right back where I was in high school. A male cousin told me: âYou need to get a handle on this. You used to be the hot cousin and youâre starting to look like the old Connor againâ. Male colleagues would tell me I had gotten fat or put on weight saying, âI guess no one can stay skinny foreverâ. People started to joke that being a âgravy-sucking salesmanâ had caught up with me. Female sales associates were no longer as friendly with me. A random stranger at the bar said, âJeez youâre a big guy. How much do you weigh?â. I replied, âI donât know, 250?â, as I hadnât weighed myself in some time. He wasnât having it. âNo way, youâre closer to three hundred.â I got angry and said, âI donât fucking know man, if Iâm that big maybe you should leave me alone before I get angry?â. I still exercised but being in my late 20s I couldnât keep weight off as easily.
Over the last couple years Iâve gotten a better handle on my diet. I try to eat healthy, within reason, without bingeing. I gave up meat about 5 years ago and eat fish only occasionally. I try to exercise as much as I can, and I average about 5 days a week. I exercise much more intelligently than I ever have. I stretch. I actually do leg day. Iâm 250 lbs, but have a good amount of muscle mass, and I am probably in the best shape of my life, all things considered. Despite being 34, I am as flexible as Iâve ever been, and can lift more. I typically run 10 km at least once a week. I have cut way back on drinking, often taking months off of it entirely. Â
For the most part I think I look good. Despite this, I still struggle with body image. I have a habit of pinching my sides and touching my stomach to feel for fat build-up. I often do it without noticing. I have a problem with thinking 250 lbs is objectively too high a number and not factoring in my height, muscle mass, or the size of my frame. Occasionally I still weigh myself before and after exercising or look at standard body-weight charts and think that Iâm obese, forgetting they donât really work well for athletic builds or anyone above a certain height. I definitely still use a reward-based system for food. If I take more than 2 days off of exercise in a row I get stressed out and assume I am going to quickly devolve into a fat mess. I am scared of getting injured because it might mean a week away from the gym. I think about my weight a lot. I plan out the next dayâs exercise and meals in my head to help me relax at night before bed. I fantasize about waking up as a completely different person, in a completely different body, almost every day.
For all intents and purposes, I come across as confident. I donât question my intelligence or ability to create a successful life for myself nearly as much as I judge myself for my physical appearance. I look in the mirror and lift my shirt, seeing stretch marks and loose skin. I touch my sides to check for fat. I repeat this process obsessively. I donât talk about this with my friends. I barely talk about this with my family. I share as much as I can with my partner, Britney, who is exceptionally supportive, but there is a lot I keep to myself.
There are no straight, cis male body positivity role models. When companies put out campaigns about toxic masculinity and male body image they are ridiculed by men and women alike. The same media publications that put out daily female body positivity content and articles from a feminist perspective, share click-bait posts about Big Dick Energy, and how hot the ripped star of the new action movie looks compared to a normal human being who doesnât have 8 hours a day to work out with a personal trainer. We donât stop to think that Big Dick Energy is transphobic, equates power with the very definition of maleness, and is body-shaming men. No, no, even women can have big dick energy! Click here to read how! We donât question the fact that there are exactly zero famous plus-sized male models, and the âfat sidekickâ trope is just as rampant in popular culture as many harmful female-directed stereotypes. We laugh at the âwhat Jonah Hill body shape is going to be in this movie?â articles without irony while heralding Ashley Graham for going âau naturelleâ and showing off her stretch marks. Short men being less desirable is one of the more popular memes in the collective conscious, and this doesnât raise any red flags to so-called progressive media sources who cancel people swiftly and follow trends shrewdly. (This one doesnât personally affect me at 6â7â, but to me itâs crazy to think that someone can share a âshort men donât deserve to liveâ meme alongside a âreal men love curvesâ meme without acknowledging the incongruency, and then blame âshort man syndromeâ or a âNapoleon complexâ when someone lashes out.)
The female body positivity movement is very, very important, and still a recent thing. Womenâs bodies are policed with far more scrutiny and regularity than men. We live in a patriarchy where women are infantilized until they are sexualized until they are âused up and devoid of appearance-based valueâ. If a woman allows her body-hair to grow naturally she is viewed as disgusting. The very act of existing as a woman in her natural state, complete with body hair and cellulite, is a form of rebellion and is either greeted with anger and rage by the ignorant masses or heralded as an amazing accomplishment. These are all facts and speak to a very sheltered, judgemental, and hateful society with corporations constantly preying on every insecurity they can for monetary benefit whether via positive reinforcement or negative criticism.
Straight, cis men donât really have a place in the body positivity movement, and this kind of makes sense. It isnât the job of female activists and body positivity influencers to stand up for men when they are only getting a voice for themselves for the first time. It isnât fair to expect that women who have had their bodies commodified and critiqued in a male-dominated society make it a goal to include men in their conversation. A lot of men would react aggressively or ignorantly if a woman who said it was okay to have body hair and stretch marks said that it was also okay for men to be vulnerable and have issues with their own body image too. That is the sad truth. We would rather ridicule than rethink our own place in the world.
To acknowledge that we are affected by the unrealistic expectations our patriarchal society places on us, we first have to acknowledge we live in a patriarchy. Many of us would rather drown insecurities with drugs and alcohol or put our head down and work. Some of us would prefer to act out of anger and hatred. Some of us would rather kill ourselves than seek help. Men are two times as likely to binge drink than women. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, in 2017 in the United States men died from suicide 3.54 times more often than women. In fact, white males accounted for nearly 70% of all suicide deaths in the United States in 2017. White men are also disproportionately far more likely than anyone else to become a mass shooter. We have seen countless examples of this lately.
You might be asking how we got to speaking about mass shootings from my personal struggles with body image. It is a bit of a leap, but is it so hard to believe that in a society dominated by white men who will do anything to uphold their power, men struggle to find an outlet for their feelings of insecurity or ineptitude? Is it crazy to think that there are young men who turn insecurity into anger, and then turn that rage outwards due to an inability to look within? Is it crazy to think that in a society where white privilege and male privilege are a reality, but class privilege and wealth trump everything, there are those who canât understand the socioeconomic nuance of their place in the world and lash out with violence?
I donât really know what the solution is, but I do know that we live in a society where men are not encouraged to talk about their feelings. We arenât encouraged to have healthy relationships with women or ourselves. We arenât encouraged to think realistically about our bodies, or our accomplishments. We arenât taught to nurture or take care of our children softly. We arenât taught to be mindful of our feelings or the feelings of other people. We are taught to be âmenâ. To be as big and strong as possible. To take criticism and use it as fuel. To protect. To watch-over. To make money, and reproduce with the best looking and most subservient woman.
It took me a very long time to acknowledge that I have an eating disorder. As I kid I would binge eat compulsively, often to the point of vomiting, and as an adult I starved myself for years and continue to withhold food as a mechanism of control. It isnât a stretch in the slightest to frame this as an eating disorder, but itâs only been the last 6 months or so that Iâve wrapped my head around that. It has only been in the last year that I have been able to view my issues with body image in concrete terms. I havenât been diagnosed, but I would say I also suffer from body dysmorphic disorder which is inextricably linked to my relationship with food, and manifests as intense anxiety when I donât feel like I have exercised enough to progress. When I was at my skinniest I thought I looked good, and part of me still feels like it was acceptable to be that underweight. Part of me still wants to get skinnier and get my weight to an arbitrary figure that I feel is good enough. When my sister came to visit me in Australia, I was at my lightest and she was shocked by my gaunt, emaciated appearance. For every five people who told me I needed to make sure I was eating enough, there was one person who said I looked good and I would take that as gospel. On the flip side, when I put weight on, for every five people who told me I looked healthy, if there was one person who made a negative comment, I would focus on that obsessively. This is textbook behaviour. So why did it take me until I was in my early 30s to acknowledge this?
I have said for years, âwhen I lived in Australia I was basically anorexicâ but I didnât really believe it, and always had to preface the anorexic with âbasicallyâ or some other modifier to denote that I was not being serious. For me, an eating disorder is not something a âmanâ deals with. Body dysmorphia is not something I am allowed to have. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, males actually have Body Dysmorphic Disorder slightly more than females (2.5% and 2.2% of the population, respectively). So why, then, has it been so difficult for me to acknowledge this in myself? Why has no one around me sat me down and talked to me about eating disorders or body dysmorphia? Itâs probably the same reason people have always felt comfortable commenting on my body. I am a tall, broad-shouldered man who comes across as confident and affable. I joke around often. I stand up straight and make eye contact. I am athletic.
I participated in sports where my size was a benefit to me. As a high school basketball player I could out-rebound anyone on the floor with a combination of mass and athletic ability. I only played football for one season and was immediately recruited. My size was never seen as a real issue to anyone but me. Sure, there were times when family members would tell me I needed to watch what I ate, but they would also say, âyouâre a big guy, you can handle itâ when heaping second and third helpings on to my plate to avoid leftovers. Sure, people would talk shit and call me fat, but as soon as I stood up tall and got in their face, the threat of physical confrontation would be enough to stifle their words. I went away this past weekend with a group of my closest male friends and I realized I have never fully verbalized this to any of them. I thought about it and I realized I have never broken this down and discussed it in full with my partner. I have never really fully come to terms with this myself. When my parents separated it was my dadâs decision. He dropped us off at the airport and put his wedding band in my hand and said, âyouâre the man of the house now â Take care of your little sisterâ. That is a lot of pressure for a five-year-old. I have always been told I need to be a leader, and more responsible because of my size. People look up to me literally and figuratively. There are certainly benefits that come with being tall or larger in stature in our society. I donât feel unsafe walking alone at night. I donât worry about the threat of physical violence. But I also donât feel comfortable in my own body.
 Iâm not sure what the fix is, but I am sure we need to look at things holistically and involve everyone in a solution that allows for happier, healthier and more well-rounded people. I donât see any straight, cis male role models in this sphere. I donât hear nuance in mainstream media. I donât see men sharing their feelings and opening up about their struggles or speaking out when their peers act questionably toward women. In light of this, I have decided to use my ability to communicate to try my best to change this. I figured I would start here. Itâs a far more complicated thing than one person or 4000 words can fix, but I am sharing this to open myself up and speak about these issues with more honesty. I donât want to hate myself. I donât want to wish I was another person entirely. I donât want people to have to grow up being judged and feeling insecure. I donât want to drown my feelings in drugs or alcohol or hide my cries for help in lyrical metaphor. I am here to talk and to share. I am here to try to change what it means to be a man. I didnât have my dad around to be a role model when I was a kid. I donât see a role model for what I continue to struggle with. I am here to try to be that role model. There will be backlash, and that is okay. I have broad shoulders. I am a big, strong man after all.Â
]]>Three gals. Two garment bags of Clam Dunk Surf Club. One mini van.
Each of us with a new (old) film camera in tow, Hayley and I went on a morning excursion to the neighbouring Chinatown to shoot with with our friend Abriana, an acting student based in Toronto. Freshly fuelled by iced coffee, we hit the bustling Dundas/Spadina intersection to snap dreamy pics amongst the markets and side streets.
If you missed part 1 of the Clam Dunk wallpapers you can see them here.
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]]>Full disclosure, I am a Kardinal Offishall fanboy, and have been since high school, so some hyperbole might infiltrate this introduction, but I feel like I can safely say without exaggeration that there wouldnât be a Drake as we know him without Kardinal.  While Iâm at it, we might never have collectively adopted T.Dot as a nickname for Toronto, Sean Paul might not have blown up when he did and the world certainly wouldnât know as much about the âScrewface Capitalâ as they do.
Kardinal kicked down the door for hip hop in Canada, and did so with a unique blend of charisma, style, bravado, and humility that has yet to be duplicated. He personified the polite chip we have on our  collective shoulder as Canadians who are sick of explaining that we have a summer, donât ice skate to school, and arenât just Americans with funny accents. His track, âBaKardi Slangâ properly introduced the world of hip hop to Toronto and by the time his song âDangerousâ made it all the way to the top of Billboardâs Hot 100, Kardinal had worked with everyone from the Wu-Tang Clan, to Pharrell, to Pusha T, to Busta Rhymes, to Timbaland.  He even appeared alongside Lady Gaga on the Red One Remix of âJust Danceâ from her limited edition Hitmixes album. Bradley Cooper, eat your heart out.
Along with Vince Carter he was part of the period in the early 2000s when people started paying attention to Toronto as a uniquely diverse hub of activity, and a burgeoning world power in terms of influencing global popular culture. Today he is the Senior Director of Urban A&R at Universal Music, and continues to perform, DJ, host and educate all while ensuring his family comes first. Kardinal came through HE HQ in downtown Toronto and sat down for an interview as well as modelling some pieces from our SS19 collection, Clam Dunk Surf Club, and our collab with fellow Toronto brand, Elsaesser x Get Fresh Company.
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Full disclosure, I am a Kardinal Offishall fanboy, and have been since high school, so some hyperbole might infiltrate this introduction, but I feel like I can safely say without exaggeration that there wouldnât be a Drake as we know him without Kardinal. While Iâm at it, we might never have collectively adopted T.Dot as a nickname for Toronto, Sean Paul might not have blown up when he did and the world certainly wouldnât know as much about the âScrewface Capitalâ as they do.
Along with Vince Carter he was part of the period in the early 2000s when people started paying attention to Toronto as a uniquely diverse hub of activity, and a burgeoning world power in terms of influencing global popular culture. Today he is the Senior Director of Urban A&R at Universal Music, and continues to perform, DJ, host and educate all while ensuring his family comes first. Kardinal came through HE HQ in downtown Toronto and sat down for an interview as well as modelling some pieces from our SS19 collection, Clam Dunk Surf Club, and our collab with fellow Toronto brand, Elsaesser x Get Fresh Company.
Kardinal wears Thank You Denim Jacket and Jeans
So firstly, you have a new single called âRunâ. What can you tell me about how youâre pushing that out?
Gently. Iâm at a point in my career where, Iâve been super blessed, and right now I have various streams of income. Itâs not just about income, but various different things that Iâm involved in, and I think as a musician if you are able to figure out the balance it comes in handy 1000%. It can be super stressful sometimes when itâs like, shit, if this song doesnât work or the album doesnât work or whatever then ultimately, pardon my expression, but youâre fucked if you have nothing else. But you know, about 10 years ago I made a decision to choose to prioritize family. You know when you have a controlling percentage of a company itâs always 51%? The controlling percentage of my life is always going to be family first, and everything else is a blessing if Iâm able to do it. A lot of people that I know, they might have made a gang of money, live wherever, do whatever they do, but their lives are empty. They donât have any kids, they donât have a wife, and thereâs not a lot of normalcy. For me, I chose a sense of it. I still donât live a normal life but itâs like I said, the majority of what I choose to dedicate my time to, or make sure that it always has a controlling percentage is my family.
I havenât put out music in like 3 years or something, but a few years ago I said I didnât want to do anything I wasnât passionate about. So the music for this project, for the single Run and every one that follows, this album is called Pick Your Poison, this is going to be shit that I love. You know? Shit that I would play in my whip. People will be saying arenât you supposed to do that with all your music? But it depends, because sometimes people just want to put out some hot shit thatâll get them popping in the streets and whatever. But that shit that will get you popping isnât always the shit that resonates most with your spirit. I think thatâs why Run has been connecting with people the way that it has. Iâm 90% sure that for the visuals, and thatâs why Iâve been saying Iâve been doing it gently, I want to do the right stuff, but I think Iâm going to be doing it in a collaboration with Majah Hype for the video. So you know, I think itâs going to be pretty dope.
Thatâs sweet. The controlling percentage concept that you mentioned is an interesting point. And itâs important too.
I had to learn it though, bro. You know what I mean? Itâs just one of those things. Thatâs the dope part about graduating to the OG perspective. You get to balance out your life a bit more and see whatâs really important.
For sure. There is a common narrative with artists, musicians, designers, athletes, pretty much everybody in Canada that thereâs almost a stigma to being successful solely in Canada. Thereâs an idea that you havenât truly made it unless youâre known stateside. We see that as a brand. In a lot of ways Canada is the Minor Leagues and America is âThe Showâ, you know? What are your experiences with that narrative. Youâve had massive success in Canada but youâve also worked with literally every top American musician, and international artists, with Caribbean artists and the like. Youâve had Billboard success. Youâve kind of done it all. Whatâs your take on that?
Itâs interesting man. Itâs not relegated to just music or fashion. Itâs kind of, you know, itâs kind of what you make it? If some people buy into it, then that IS their reality. For me, and you know I tell this to a lot of the new artists that I work with all the time; we never looked at it like we had to break in America, like we had to conquer America. Like, never. Because, from when we were kids in high school when we started doing our music and started playing it all around the world, at a time when vinyl was the thing. If London wanted 20,000 units of our shit, we were like âship that shit to Londonâ. At the time in my crew it was me, Saukrates, Choclair, whatever, whatever, and I remember theyâd be like âYo, Japan wants 25,000 copies of thisâ so thatâs where weâd be focusing.
So weâve always had like a global mindset, but then also, we looked at things differently. The thing is, for us, in our genre, in our city, people donât understand, and I try to explain, like it was not a reality for people to have a global, international career being a hip hop artist from Canada. It just wasnât even a thing. You understand what Iâm saying? Like when Maestro did a song with Showbiz, we were like âHOLY SHIT!â this was the craziest thing weâve ever seen. Even when Dream Warriors came out, because they had an alternative spin, and they had a lot of success overseas, we were like okay, maybe if you want to do something a little bit to the left then you could get some notoriety. But, it wasnât a thing to the point where it is now.
I know people outside Toronto will read this, but imagine there was a time in Toronto, when north of Steeles Ave, there wasnât shit except farm land. So your reality was if you wanted to get to any place north of Steeles back in the day, there was no roads, you know what I mean? You literally went there and had to figure it out. They were like, âwell it looks like farm land, so there ainât shit up thereâ, and nobody new that there were all these little communities that existed. I think itâs the same way we dealt with it where we didnât know anything outside of Toronto or even Canada at a certain point, you know? So discovery for us was a totally different phenomenon. Like now, you can literally be born into a time where, there was a black president, there was artists who had global success within hip hop that came from Canada. Itâs a totally different mindset. For us back then, we wanted for hip hop to know that there was some shit going on in Toronto.
So you know, when we had the opportunity to be on Friday Night Flavors in LA, going to be on Sway and King Tech Show, going to Stretch and Bobbito, going to whoever it was at the time, you know BBC back in the day, in London. Anywhere we went our main mission was to let people know that there was some shit in Toronto. Anything else was just bonus. Saukrates was the first one to get a deal, so when he got his deal, for us, that was life-changing because he was still in high school in 95â or whatever year it was. We were just like,â HOLY SHITâ, and then Choclair got the deal with Virgin, but then went on and did a partnership, a joint venture with Priority Records, and then I got my deal with MCA. This was all uncharted territory.
We never looked at it like we have to break in Canada. Break how? There was no infrastructure. There was no support. I literally took my own money and went across the country, and barely made it back. I mean barely, like the tank was on âEâ. Weâre in Northern Ontario and were like, âfuck how are we gonna get home?â Iâve literally done that. Iâve driven a passenger van from Toronto to Victoria on Vancouver Island and back. There was no infrastructure. Thereâs still not really an infrastructure for hip hop. You know, I would love to be able to blow up in my country and stay in my country. There are Australian artists that are wealthy, that are famous, that are touring that weâve probably never heard of.
Iâve been able to do a collaboration with people that Iâve met globally that I was super unaware of. I remember in like 2003 or something, I did this collaboration with this pop group named Texas that came from Scotland and the UK. Overseas theyâd sold like 25 million albums, and Iâd never heard of them. I remember I was on their single and it was the first time I was ever on private jets and staying in 5 star hotels and shit like that, going on Top of The Pops, and they were just like killing shit over there, you know? I would love for us to be able to, as Canadians to blow in Canada and be super successful and not have to go anywhere, but for whatever reason the gatekeepers that are still in control of what moves, how it moves, and how far it moves, unfortunately, theyâre still the blue hairs. Eventually like dinosaurs, theyâll be extinct and weâll be able to change things slowly but surely.
Kardinal wears Apple Core Denim Blazer, Lemon Button Up
So kind of building on that, like you said, when you were coming up, it wasnât as connected. The internet was brand new or it wasnât a thing, and rap, was based on different sounds. So it made sense to push Toronto to everybody, everywhere. There was East Coast Rap, West Coast, Atlanta, whatever.
We had a bit of an identity crisis at the time though, those of us who were super creative. Yeah, we had a predominantly East Coast sound, but even if you go back to my first independent album I tried everything. West Coast, East Coast, Southern shit, Jazz, Reggae, fucking Miami Bass, whatever. And it wasnât because we didnât know who we were. Saukrates was theoretically trained so he played violin, and we were just around a lot of super creative people. But you know, I specifically remember at the time, the only thing that all of us had in common was that we were all Caribbean for 90 % of the crew. We had people with lineage coming from Guyana, Jamaica, Grenada, you know a bunch of different places. Itâs funny, because people talk about the Toronto sound or what-have-you, but I was the only one out of the crew who super-embraced it and did hip hop that was overtly a fusion, if you will.
I have a couple questions that sort of play in together here. Your sound having a distinct Caribbean influence, that is Toronto. There is a huge audience in Toronto who has the same cultural experience as that sound. It exemplifies the city, and the other regional sounds you mentioned are tied to a specific cultural experience too. But with the internet now Soundcloud Rappers are recording in their bedroom. They donât ever really have to go play shows out in public, so the regional aspect is less of a thing. We have accents blending. Itâs all merged together. On top of that, did you ever feel like your cultural experience, because you put that out there, that outside of Toronto some people didnât really understand that. Were people ever like, so heâs Canadian, why does he sound like heâs Jamaican then?
Mostly only ever in America, but not really. So hereâs the interesting thing about that. I remember I was in Vegas with Walshy Fire and some guys from Major Lazer and we were talking about how with the internet came the crumbling and burning of like geo-blocking and different things like that. For better and for worse it changed how we consume things. There used to be a time as a DJ or performer youâd go into different markets and theyâd feel different; theyâd sound different. They moved different. But now you go to a lot of different markets and itâs just the same shit because of the internet. It used to be a unique experience -Â theyâd have a night of Grime, or Jungle or Garage or Gar-age depending on how you pronounce it, but now you can get that depending on who you fuck with, in Texas, or Toronto or LA, or wherever and thatâs due to the internet.
On the flip side, DJing and being a part of that whole community, there used to be specific records that would only work in certain regions, and there is still, you know some regional shit, but a lot of times now, you donât know the difference between Vegas, a big club in Toronto, New York, Dubai. Theyâre pretty much playing the same sounds. So, the internet has broken that down a lot to where there is truly a global community, but now itâs interesting because itâs hard to know where the origins come from. I remember a couple years ago there was a big thing about slang. Certain people were like âthatâs Toronto slangâ, and others were like ânah, thatâs London slangâ, but if you understand- and thatâs the one weird thing about this generation, they donât do much research, itâs just surface level - because if you understand anywhere where there is a large settling of Jamaican or Caribbean immigrants youâre going to get similar slang.
Thatâs the exact reason why people in Toronto or London speak the same, because it doesnât belong to either of them, itâs Caribbean slang infused with the Queenâs English. Thatâs where it comes from. Whatâs interesting you know, and the artist will remain nameless, but I remember there was an artist who came out and they were asked, âhow do you feel Kardinal is going to do?â Kardinal is blowing, or he blew up or whatever, and the artist was like âyou know, I donât know if people understand him or people will get itâ, like you said they will be confused by the culture. But whatâs interesting, is that for me, I didnât even realize how Caribbean people literally occupy every place on the planet.
I remember when I came out with BaKardi slang, for whatever reason the mainstream liked it, because they just thought it was a dope song. So LA would play, it, New York, Miami, these cities were all early supporters, you know London, wherever. But touring, everywhere I go, literally sometimes myself and the person Iâm talking to would be in tears because there would be Carribean people that came to a city that were not accepted. When I came out with BaKardi Slang that was literally a dictionary for Caribbean vernacular and the way that we do things. I remember people in Brooklyn that were like, âYo, people think thatâs always been accepted but I used to get chased home because of my Haitian accent or my Jamaican accentâ or whatever. They used to get beat up. But now, having it find itâs way into the music, and not just into underground shit. BaKardi Slang was played on MTV, and BET and all of a sudden people were starting to understand. People want to learn about dope shit. So itâs not about being confused. Itâs the same way with Latin music, like I donât speak Spanish, but when that shit is fire, I rock it with.
Like Despacito broke YouTube streaming records, for example.
Itâs the same thing now thatâs happening with Afro-Beats and that type of shit thatâs taking over. I used to go on tour and hear all these different stories from all these different people. I tell people all the time, part of being a visionary is understanding that youâre going to be by yourself. Because, if you have a vision, right, you have this thing that exists within your brain. If everyone else thought the exact same way, you wouldnât be a visionary, right? Youâd just be a regular person. The point is youâll be able to create things, see things, think about things differently, and eventually people will catch on. I think for me, it doesnât matter if people are up on this yet, theyâll learn about it, and thatâs the cool shit. Those are the artists that matter; that impact culture. Those people that see some different shit. Even if you think about Drake, at the time when he first came out, and he was kind of Emo and like leaning towards the girls. It was a very bravado time with in hip hop. So people at that time, were like, 'what is this?'
Kardinal wears Elsaesser X Get Fresh Company Denim Jacket and Track Pants
It was like the tail-end of like 50 Cent Gangster Rap.
Of course. Dude, it was a very male-dominated, full of bravado, ego type shit. So when hereâs this guy thatâs coming in and heâs kind of like crooning to the girls at the same time as rapping, initially itâs not like people off the top were on it. People have to learn how to consume. At the very least, the dudes, because the girls were like, âI like this shit. It speaks to me.â Dudes were like, âI donât know what the fuck this guyâs doingâ, but eventually his genius caught up. I think itâs the same type of shit. And then in terms of embracing the Caribbean culture, itâs a fine line between embracing and appropriation coming from here. Itâs the same way that I grew up with a lot of Greek people, you know going to Taste of the Danforth and this and that. You get to absorb a lot of different cultures living in Toronto in a lot of different ways. I think as long as people do things authentically and you can usually feel authenticity more than you can plan for it, on either side, I donât think thereâs anything wrong with it and it is a very Toronto type thing. As long as you do thing tastefully, I donât think thereâs a problem with any artist infusing whatever it is: African sounds, Caribbean sounds, this, that and the next thing as long as theyâre true to it. You can always tell. People will definitely shit on people and be like âyeah bro, youâre reaching, famâ. You know what I mean?
For sure. We kind of have to talk about the Raptors after everything that went down if youâre okay with it. I think thereâs parallels with your journey and how you came up as an artist and the Toronto Raptors. When you first came on the scene and you were collaborating with the Wu-Tang Clan, Busta Rhymes, The Neptunes, Clipse, and had Billboard hits with BaKardi Slang, Vince Carter was winning the Slam Dunk Competition at the exact same time. I remember hearing the Wu-Tang, âCarefulâ Remix back in the day, after knowing you through BaKardi Slang and seeing you on Canadian TV and when that happened it was mind-boggling. It was like âthis is crazy, heâs Canadianâ and when Vince Carter was winning the dunk competition it was kind of the same thing. It became cool to wear a Toronto Raptors jersey. I remember I had the original jersey as a kid back in 95, and saw them play at the SkyDome and you almost felt weird wearing that jersey. And then when Vince Carter came out everyone wanted to be a part of it.
That was the start of it, for sure.
Definitely. Can you tell me about that time? Did it feel like there was a synergy between what you were doing and the Raptors rise?
There was! And listen, to be honest, like it was so cool, Vince and I, eventually we became cool and he would support me, and I didnât even realize how crazy it was until way later. I remember I would have events, and Vince would be like, âIâm going to come throughâ, and it would be midnight, and Iâd be like âoh I guess this guyâs not comingâ, and then he would show up at like 1 am, and Iâm just looking at it like, âDope. This guyâs a good dudeâ. Sometimes you donât even realize how important Vince was to our city being able to develop on a certain level because Vince being able to win that dunk contest and wearing the Raptors shit, and at the time embracing Toronto and the nightlife and the whole culture it was dope because, we were not a respected franchise. People thought it was a novelty thing that would last for a couple years and thatâs it. So, seeing the Raptors organization become legitimized, kicking down the door, little by little, and of course having things like Vince Carter winning the dunk competition and just crushing it that whole year, similar things happened in Canadian hip hop. Or just hip hop that came from Canada. I donât think we have like, when they say, Canadian Hip Hop, I donât know what that is.
Itâs not really a sound.
Right, so hip hop that originated in Canada. You know, the Dream Warriors, Maestro, Michie Mee era was like a long time before me, but seeing the things they were able to do, and then seeing my boys do cool shit. Like Choclair, doing shit with like, Dre and Snoop becoming big fans, and us interacting with them, and Saukrates doing shit with Xzibit and so forth. We were making all these little marks, and then I remember when I signed the MCA deal it was a big deal, but from that first album being able to work with Pharrell and the Neptunes and being able to work with Busta Rhymes, and you know Pharoahe Monch, and Timbaland, and going on tour with 50 Cent at the height. All those things were so necessary because I spent a lot of time educating America and the rest of the world. The rest of the world they got it. It wasnât that big of a deal, but America was just like scratching their head like youâre Canadian, but youâre Jamaican.
Even when I signed the deal they didnât even really know what to do with it because they literally were just not educated to how it worked. I had âMoney Janeâ which was a number one song in Canada, and the president Jay Boberg was like, âyeah we passed on Sean Paul, I had the opportunity to sign him but I just donât get itâ. I remember it was that year that he came out with âGimme The Lightâ and blew the shit wide open. There were a lot of different things that I experienced in the music industry that definitely coincided with the Raptors and it felt familiar all of a sudden when the Raptors actually made it. It was the same thing when I first started to break the Billboard shit. It was a thing like, âwait a minute, what?â The Hot 100, like not one of the specialty ones, but like âthe oneâ. Like yeah Iâm number 1, and not to discredit it, but not like the RâNâB chart, or the Hip Hop chart, no, youâre going head-to-head with, whomever at the time. I remember people were like âI donât understand thisâ, and they didnât even report about it until I was in the top 40. So I had broken the top 100, super fast within a couple weeks and people here didnât even report about it. I was top 30 before I did my first interview where they were like, âwhat happened?â And I was like, âwhile you guys were covering whatever Canadian rock artist Iâm over here breakingâ.
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While they were covering Tragically Hip for the 10th time.
Exactly and I think thatâs one of the problems that we have, and I tell people this all the time; no disrespect to Blue Rodeo or these guys, but every year weâre honouring the same people, recycling the same shit, and weâre finding different ways to big up the same people whoâve been here forever. And you know, if itâs not me, then it should be somebody else, or somebody else. There are so many people that have done amazing things that have never gotten their credit or just desserts. But I think for here, thatâs not going to change. I tell people that all the time, infrastructureâs not going to change. One of the reasons why I currently enjoy being an executive, and hats off to everybody at Universal because they are putting their money where their mouth is.
They truly want to try to change the infrastructure, because you canât do things the way it was 15 or 20 years ago and expect shit to be different. Theyâre really giving opportunities, and I think the same way for the Raptors even, that weâre willing to pay those massive dollars weâre really, really going for it. Like that move that Masai did to get Kawhi here people were up in arms, like âMasaiâs a fucking idiot, Demar blah, blah, blah,â and then you saw what the result was. Itâs the same within the music industry, where now you have the major label system here thatâs actually spending to try to keep the players here. The musical players. Theyâre not wanting for whomever to go to America to get their deal. Theyâre wanting for them to stay here so that we actually change and build what we have, and thatâs the only way to really build legacy here whether itâs music or basketball. Just invest in what we have here.
That kind of brings me to my next question. When Drake blew and signed with Young Money, he kind of had to go to the States. And like you said previously, I was one of those dudes who was like âI donât get it. Itâs music for girls.â I grew up on Wu-Tang Clan. I was a huge fan of you when you came up, because it has a little bit more aggression.
Iâm still that way to this day, to be completely honest. For my hip hop, for the most part I still love aggressive shit.
For sure, like Iâm a sensitive dude, but thatâs just what I want to listen to. So when you look at that, and building infrastructure do you ever look at it, like the Raptors bandwagon now is massive. The Drake bandwagon is arguably even bigger.
Yes. For sure it is.
And when he came out, like you were on Comeback Season, so there was that link where you helped him out or at least acknowledged him on his journey, and when he first came out did people even know he was from Toronto? Now, yes, Drake and Toronto are hand-in-hand, but do you ever look at it like people on the bandwagon kind of have no idea, that there wasnât a scene. Itâs basically non-existent. Itâs pay to pay, or itâs not a thing. Itâs still like that. You have this massive star and then thereâs nothing in between. You have the bottom and then thereâs Drake. You have the bandwagon and then a huge gap between the actual diehard fans.
Thereâs a hollowed out middle class for sure. So hereâs the thing, I remember when Glenn Lewis went gold and platinum in America, Nelly Furtado, a bunch of different people. Itâs not everybodyâs journey to be a super promoter of their place of origin. Like, The Weeknd. Thereâs nothing more Canadian or more Toronto than The Weeknd, but heâs not one of those people where thatâs part of his story or makeup, or what he is. He just on some other shit. Not everybody that comes from New York, or Memphis or whatever has to wear it across their chest everyday.
This would be a question for Drake, but as somebody who knew him beforehand or whatever, like, the guy was a child TV star, for Degrassi. This is the reality. I donât know what his transformation looked like or obstacles he had to face. From my understanding his father is American or his family was American, and he had Canadian family, and so for him that was his reality. The same way that my dad instilled in me my culture and my lineage and it was important for me to know that I am a Jamaican Canadian, maybe for him that was his reality? Maybe he used to go and spend summers in America and go hang with his cousins in whatever city and maybe that was his reality and his existence. And maybe he just looked at shit differently. And eventually, I donât know if itâs influences around him, maybe itâs friends, maybe itâs research, maybe itâs just evolving as an artist, maybe thatâs when the whole Toronto thing became important in his career. I donât know why or when that became a thing for him, but that fact that it did - everybody needs to be given space to grow. Just like some people might rap about some bullshit, maybe one day theyâll come out with some real shit. Like when Jay-Z first came out he was just stunting on people, period. It was a money thing, it was drugs, it was the streets, whatever, and now heâs at a place where heâs doing records like 4:44, you know? So everybody - we gotta give them the opportunity to evolve and grow as a person, as a man or woman, and culturally sometimes that happens. We may wish for a person to rep us more, but for some people Toronto is kind of like itâs where I live but itsâ not who I am. Like for me, itâs who I am. For some people itâs just where they live.
Fair enough. And itâs kind of like, you want to have balance. You want to rep your city, but you want to have mainstream success. Like, now, Drake is very much tied to Toronto, but when you were rapping about how people talk in Toronto they donât necessarily care in Sacramento, but I guess, you did say if itâs dope shit, itâs dope shit and theyâll adopt it as their own.
Thatâs the thing. People will fuck with anything as long as you do it in a dope way. Thatâs really just the bottom line. Itâs the same way that, thereâs some shit that might happen in London or the Deep South in America or whatever, where itâs like, âI donât relate to it, but something is so dope about the way they said that, or some shitâ. Itâs the same way when BaKardi Slang came out, and they donât know how we speak. I remember going to Memphis and meeting dudes, and we would do a show and be on the highway back home, and theyâd pull up beside you, like â I know you, youâre the guy with the Hummer in the video, whatâs your name, Catfish Erickson?â and Iâd be like âno itâs Kardinal Offishallâ, and theyâd be like, âthatâs you, I was telling them about you.â
The thing is, itâs not even necessarily the content, but the visuals that connected with some people. You know what it is? As long as you present your shit and people have an appetite for it, theyâre gonna eat it up. Itâs just the same way with your clothes that I wore for the shoot today, like I always see these ball players in these short-ass pants and Iâm like âis it just shorts that are too long, or pants that are too short?â I have no idea, but like when I wore the shit Iâm like, âYo, this some dope shit.â I think thereâs always going to be an appetite for what you have if itâs some dope shit and you present it well. Sometimes you have to kind of walk people through it.
Kardinal wears Thank You Denim Jacket and Jeans
Back to the Raptors again for a quick second, I know youâre a Raptors fan. With Kawhi leaving it kind of feels like weâre back to where we were before. You know, Vince left. Weâve won, but is there a way to retain stars, or do we have to focus on international players?
Hereâs the thing. I want us to get away from this weird inferiority complex. If you look at New York, and we are not New York, but theyâve been shitting up the place for a long time. People leave the Knicks all the time. People leave LA. Just as long as we donât become Cleveland. It was pathetic to see people begging for Lebron to stay like, thatâs just wack to me. People were upset that Kawhi left, and because Iâm a Toronto guy at the end of the day Iâm like, âFuck him, though.â You know what I mean? Itâs a thing to where, respect for what you did, and youâve chosen yourself and to make yourself happy, and thatâs cool, but in terms of the team that I love and the city that we represent, fuck him. Now youâre competition. Thatâs all there is to it. I just want us to get away from ânow you guys are gone back to garbageâ. No weâre not, not by far. The thing is we have been a competitive team without a mega star. Even before we got Kawhi we did dope. I was there. I went to Washington to watch the playoffs. We were rocking. I think, as long as Masai keeps moving the pieces around in an intelligent way, then whatever, we definitely have a chance to still be a competitive team and do well. So all this Kawhi stuff, cool, but weâre over it now and weâre going to keep pushing. And nobody can ever take away the fact that at the beginning of the season nobody said we were going to win it all.
Right, there were people who said it was a dumb move trading Demar, who loved the city.
As a matter of fact every single round that we played in the playoffs people kept doubting us. So itâs no different. To me itâs the same with music. If you go and Google Kardinal on Funkmaster Flex he was like, âthereâs nobody else in Canadaâ, and I was like ânah bro, there actually isâ, and he was like, âno there isnât.â There was a time in music where they thought there was only going to be Kardinal. Then they were like, âokay thereâs Kardinal and Drake. Okay thereâs Kardinal and Drake and Weeknd. Thereâs some guy named Bieber. Thereâs Torey, Alessia Cara. Thereâs Jessie Reyez, thereâs Danieal Cesar, thereâs DVSNâ, the list goes on and on and on now, but at some point in time there was people doubting on us and shitting on us the way they do the Raptors. You know what I mean? It is what it is. Just as long as we remain confident and steadfast weâll be fine.
And then authenticity, youâve touched on it a few times, itâs kind of the key point. Whether itâs the Raptors identity, your identity as an artist, trying to represent your brand or whatever, as long as youâre being authentic and youâre doing dope shit, theyâll figure it out eventually. Your visionary point really spoke to me too.
Thatâs it. Masai was a visionary. People were like, âwhat are you doing?â and he was sitting here like, âyouâll see.â Itâs the ultimate satisfaction. I can only imagine how he felt when he got that ring. Thatâs what itâs all about, bro. Just being able to have a vision and stick with it and just be confident and feel like people will catch on. Look at where weâre sitting here. Iâll be honest, like if I would have met you however many years ago and you were in some crazy bright shit with patterns all over it and youâre like, âIâm going to have a dope-ass store on Queen street.â I might have been like, âhey, I fuck with it, but I donât if the storeâs going to work.â But you, obviously having a plan, sticking with it and presenting it in a dope way, when I walked in here I was like âyo, what? How did I not know about this?â Itâs something like, now that I do know thatâs the discovery part. Now that I do know thatâs what really matters. Because once people become aware and youâve got them hooked thatâs where itâs most important. Sometimes itâs not just the discovery, because we discover shit, like garbage, all the time. Itâs about how youâre going to create enthusiasm and excitement and have people want to consume but then keep it long term, and thatâs what Masai did with the raptors. He could have made some bad long term decisions and we could have been popping for like 2 years, like âHOLY SHIT this is amazing.â Giving up all our picks until 2029, but then youâre screwed if those guys are like, âit was a cool two yearsâ and then theyâre out. Then youâre fucked, as opposed to building out the team and doing shit the right way, and maybe having an actual legacy. I donât think itâs going to be a one ring and done.
Thereâs a plan.
Absolutely.
Playing on the concept of the parallel consumerism of the fashion and food industries, Clam Dunk Surf Club finds itself in the fictional city of Trash Cove, USA. Hayley was inspired by the concept of trying to be conscious in an industry that is propped up by over-consumption. Combining food-inspired imagery with nods to consumerism, Clam Dunk prints present a visual narrative against thoughtless consumption. To celebrate our new prints we've made some phone wallpapers so you carry around your favourite print daily!
P.S. Our second drop of Clam Dunk Surf Club comes out soon! There will be new prints you've never seen, so follow us on Instagram to be in the know.
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Against this cultural backdrop, the NBA star stands out as the perfect fashion plate. Americaâs Pastime, baseball has steadily declined in popularity amongst younger generations due to rigid maintenance of tradition, and the NFL has seen backlash due to safety concerns around concussion protocol and their conservative political stance as evidenced by the blackballing of Colin Kaepernick after his peaceful protest. Canadaâs favourite professional league, the NHL is still very much a niche market in the USA, and God bless the toothless, floppy-haired, and ill-fitting suit wearing fellows who make up itâs ranks, but the vast majority are far from stylish. Enter the NBA: there are no helmets, no facemasks, no goofy baseball pants, no bulky equipment. There arenât 22 guys on the field at any given time. One guy can take over a game, and as the camera zooms in to capture his drive to the basket, we can connect with the individual and watch as he attempts to assert his will over the outcome of the game. The Toronto Maple Leafs are Torontoâs team, but how many murals do you see of Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner painted on buildings around the city? Granted, the Raptors success has surpassed that of their stick-handling counterparts, but the fact remains that the coolest athletes on the planet play basketball.
This isnât a new phenomenon. There was of course, Michael Jordan, who launched not one, but two brands into the stratosphere. Before that, Magic Johnson propelled the showtime Lakers into Prime Time, must-see TV. In the 60s there was Wilt Chamberlain who gave opponents fits, and broke hearts all over the continental United States and in the 70s there was Walt âClydeâ Frazier who wore velvet suits and animal prints and whose signature Puma shoe still turns heads. Conversely, try to picture Wayne Gretzkyâs most stylish moment. Itâs kind of hard to do. And, sure, Tom Brady is married to a supermodel, but would you scour his Instagram feed for fashion tips? Probably not. The NBA is primed to be the most popular league in North America, and itâs stylish, charismatic stars have a lot to do with that.
While it may be hard to imagine near 7-footers buying off the rack, todayâs NBA stars effortlessly combine streetwear pieces, athletic wear and high end designer components to create outfits worthy of emulation. There are entire Instagram accounts dedicated to pre-game fashion, like League Fits with over 230K followers, and players routinely post their âdripâ (read as stylish outfits if you are over 30) to their own social media pages, garnering millions of likes. The potential for a wide-ranging, mainstream audience to appreciate the wardrobe of todayâs crop of talented ballers far exceeds the audience for such content in Jordanâs heyday.
So whether youâre new to basketball fandom, or simply havenât really thought about it all that much, weâve done the heavy lifting for you by listing our picks for the 5 most stylish NBA players. Here they are in no particular order:
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LeBron James
Given that heâs played 16 years in the league, LeBron has definitely ridden the waves of prevailing trends, sometimes with some pretty terrible results. His gargantuan white draft suit with shiny black and white wing tips looked like a very special episode of Hanginâ With Mr. Cooper where Mr. Cooper becomes a minister and then canât stop stealing from the collection plate, but over the last few years heâs really found his stride. King James is now a King on and off the court, and his forays into acting and hosting are justified by his amiable personality and penchant for cutting a mean silhouette. He runs the gamut from track pants to tailored short suits that conjure images of ACDCâs Angus Young on steroids, but these days, like a crisp chest pass, he is always on point.
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Russell Westbrook
Russâs off court looks run a similar route to his on court abilities. He is flashy, high energy, and doesnât mind taking an ill-advised shot from a weird angle. His style of play isnât for everyone, with purists labelling him inefficient, or selfish but one thing is for certain: he takes risks. After his former teammate, Kevin Durant famously left the OKC Thunder to go play with arch-rivals the Golden State Warriors, Russ wore a fluorescent vest printed with âPhotographerâ which many believed was a not-so-subtle dig at Durant, who dabbles in photography as a hobby. Russ doesnât mind going super tight, or super colourful, and his accessory game is on point. You canât make an omelette if you donât break a couple eggs.
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PJ Tucker
Former Raptor PJ Tucker is known for his shoe-game, as well as his very polished sense of personal style. There is seemingly no pair of kicks too bulky or uncomfortable for Tucker to wear on court. His stance is evidently fashion over function in that case, and he must have some pretty decent orthotics and a steady supply of ankle tape to be able to make his pay as one of the leagueâs most tenacious on-ball defenders. From the ankles up, PJ would not be out of place in the front row at Paris Fashion Week, and his chic style is punctuated by colour, print, and deft accessorizing. A personal favourite.
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Kelly Oubre Jr
The youngest on the list, Oubre Jr. would definitely be voted most likely to be the face of a global fashion campaign in the NBAâs high school yearbook. His combination of good looks, and a penchant for classic monochromatic palettes, and punk-influenced styling has led to a partnership with Converse, typically reserved for players with more on-court success. Despite the fact that he has been a borderline starter at this point in his career, Oubre Jr has gained prevalence specifically for his style. Although heâs been unfortunately relegated to markets like Washington, DC and Phoenix, AZ which arenât necessarily known for their fashion, Kelly has NYC taste-maker written all over him. Iâm fairly confident you will see him in more mainstream media as his reputation grows. Who else can pull off fashion Beetlejuice?Â
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Serge Ibaka
The Raptors own shot-blocking, finger-waving, multilingual Mafuzzy Chef, Ibaka, is a grown-ass man when it comes to fashion. Bespoke suits, designer belts and tailored outerwear are paired with African and European flourishes to create a uniquely masterful sense of style. Ibaka seems to run opposite in both personality and fashion to many of the NBA's top stars who lean more streetwear, and come across as more brash, but his quiet confidence should not be overlooked. Stay out of the lane if you donât want to get blocked, and come correct with your outfit if you donât want to look silly next to The Serge Protector.
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