The Theme That You Can’t Get Away From in This Industry

It’s been about 4 years since I started my illustrious career as a dressmaker, and I’ve been privileged enough to have worked in a few of the many different areas this type of work can take you. I’ve worked with big budget Musical Theatre, small budget Community Theatre, in Fashion, in Styling and also in Visual Art. Before I moved to Toronto the subject of this post was mentioned occasionally; usually when discussing celebrities or old friends of my mom’s I only knew as a small child in the early 90s. Since I moved, however, and specifically since I’ve been studying in Design School, I find the topic coming up everywhere and it has been a real smack in the face for my sense of reality in the fashion industry. AIDS: The Tragedy That Changed the World Forever.

Like I was saying, before it was thrown in my face repeatedly by the school full of Generation X professors who have all worked in the industry and watched HIV tear through it in an irreparable way, the topic was not usually at my immediate attention. The thing about us, who were only children in the 90s, is that we couldn’t quite grasp the gravity of the situation. I remember knowing that my mother had a friend who died, but that was the extent of my personal knowledge of the crisis. I recall being a little girl and visiting Silly Billy, which is what we called him when we were babies. He was a waiter at my mom’s cafe and he collected dolls. And I’m not talking little bullshit dolls, I mean DOLLS. He had a Beatlejuice doll that talked that I wanted sooo badly when I was a kid. We’d go to his apartment and it was basically play time.

Billy had a boyfriend that we never got to see when we were little. I was 7 years old in 1994 when he died, but even prior to that, we were always left at home if my mom was going to visit him. She’s since explained to me that as he became more and more sick, they all agreed it would be too frightening for small children to see a man in his unfortunate state. My mom was very sad when he died, and that’s the conclusion to my recollection of my experience with AIDS.

We watched a documentary at school last week about an artist called Keith Haring who took the art world by storm with his unique use of line work and progressive, but simplistic imagery. I hadn’t heard of him prior to that day and was really digging his style and energy and the impact he had. At the very end of the film they let you know that Harring contracted AIDS and died in 1990, and it broke my heart.

Though it seems that the epidemic exists only in the past, we must be aware that this horrifying disease does continue to affect thousands of people in Canada alone each year. From 1985 to 2008 there were over 18,000 positive HIV tests in Toronto – 28% of all positive HIV tests in Canada. Approximately 65,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Canada today and about 30% of those have no idea they’ve been infected with the virus.

When I read these statistics, I was surprised. This isn’t in the past at all; it’s real and all around us, especially in a city like Toronto. I feel like for the most part, our generation has a habit of looking to the media and internet for their facts and news on life. So when the media ceased to pay attention to the epidemic, the general public pushed it to the back of their minds, replacing it with terrorism, the economy and our beloved technology – the earmarks of our culture.

So hug your family and friends and make sure you and everyone you know are safe and aware of these continuing dangers. It’s all we have to do to avoid a tail spin of tragedy from reoccurring in our most fragile and vulnerable society .

Toronto Life Fashion Lessons: Working at Starbucks and the Daily Commute

I started work at Starbucks today and it was quite enjoyable, I must say, I haven’t worked, like, a real job since I worked at Fabricland 3 years ago so this is all kind of new for me. Starbucks is a pretty neat company though (I learned after reading about the company for four hours today.) You get lots of perks for working there and the coffee is awesome, so who could complain? I’m mostly excited to see how many ways I can interpret the dress code while staying within the rules of employment.

- Black or White solid shirt with a collar

- Black or tan solid dress pants

- Black skirt or shorts no more than 10cm above the knee

- Matching black socks/tights

- Brown or black solid belt

I wonder what I can do with this to make it more interesting....? ;)

I felt entirely out of place fashion-wise when I found myself walking under the SunLife Financial Building on King St @ University where all the people are perfectly pressed and steamed in their suits, ties and high wasted straight skirts. I had my brown military coat on over the hand knitted cream coloured sweater my mom made me. Though I love those two items of clothing in almost any other scenario, in this situation, I felt like the homeless dude screaming about Jesus up the stairs on the corner. Strange.

I have a choice of coats. I have my brown coat I mentioned above, and my long black double breasted size XS beauty that I can’t wear when it’s really cold because it’s too tiny to wear anything underneath it. But I would if it were about 10 degrees warmer outside. My Elements of Design professor says it’s so utterly boring in Toronto in the winter time because everyone in the city wears a black coat. I try to wear brown and I immediately understand why.

Until next time,

VPH

The Beatles: Fashion Forward Even Forty Years Later

Okay everyone likes the Beatles. Unless you’re one of those people who says they hate the Beatles because everyone else loves them, in which case I suggest you leave this blog and never return.

I was raised by two hippies in a mid-size town and rock and roll was our religion. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr eventually became the supreme heads of that religion. As you can imagine, I was a bit of a weirdo kid. I’ve had all kinds of music phases throughout my strange life. I recall the Sex Pistols phase when I tore my clothes up and pinned them back together with safety pins (around grade 9...), and also the first of many hippie phases in grade 6 when I actually got an 8-track player and wouldn’t sit anywhere but on the ground, cross-legged in bell bottoms. When the Beatles phase came, it was so loud and so strong that it has never really passed. Though my safety pin shirt and bell bottom jeans have been retired, my absolute obsession with everything Beatles remains to this day. The music is just so good. There’s nothing else to say.

What I want to really talk about is the style and fashion sense of these 4 pioneers of celebrity-dom. Let’s start in 1962 when the group formed under no specific name, and John, Paul and George were the only lasting members. They wore leather jackets, pompadours and greaser tshirts to represent the time’s adoration of the rebel look. Two years later it’s 1964 and the Beatles have just hit #1 in America with I Wanna Hold Your Hand, and they’re all dressed in simple, single breasted black suits. This would of course set a trend for the attire expected to be worn by pop groups throughout the British Invasion.

Then the sixties happened. Not in terms of the decade, but in terms of a recognizable style change that was evident in the flamboyant counter-culture born in the United States and the “swinging” persona of London, England. The sixties showed up and knocked everyone on their asses. Suddenly the styles of the Beatles began to evolve into a more relaxed, period style clothing including turtlenecks, tunics and jeans. Of course the suits came back out once in a while... and who doesn’t LOVE a man in a suit??? Especially a Beatle.

So by the time the Beatles were visiting India and talking with the Maharishi, they were wearing the latest in ultra hippie garb featuring paisley prints, Indian inspired embroidered sheaths and crocheted ponchos. They all had facial hair at this point and were experimenting with all kinds of drugs. This was right before the release of the epic album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. When this album hit the stores and the public saw the Beatles dressed up as the fictional historic band Sgt Pepper’s, they fell in love with the bright, colourful military uniforms. This style of jacket is one of my favourites and one that Petey the Troll continues to use in our own collections. Why? They look amazing and you know any man wearing one is both very stylish and probably has a hint of the eccentric in him. SEXY.

Hop ahead to 1968 when they released the Magical Mystery Tour album followed quickly by the famed White Album. This is arguably the height of the Beatles’ creative period and of their artistic success. It is also the time that each Beatle’s individual style became apparent separate from the group as a whole. From this time onward, John, Paul, George and Ringo each were in charge of their own appearances and thought that expressing themselves uniquely was important for their continued success. Here we begin to see Ringo wearing his brightly coloured, tailored suit jackets and tuxedo shirts. George continued in the direction of the counterculture and wore a long beard and clothing reflective of his new spiritual approach to life. Paul continued to be the most appropriately dressed of the group with his turtlenecks and blazers. But later in the period, with the influence of his wife Linda (mother and father of the ultra-talented designer Stella McCartney) Paul began wearing large prints and suede coats sometimes featuring large amounts of (always fake) fur. The McCartney’s would later become very involved with many animal rights organizations in the US and UK including PETA.

Finally John Lennon was a conglomerate of many types of styles throughout the entirety of his career. Sometimes during this period, and later he is depicted wearing workmen’s clothing – overalls, plaid shirts etc. Other times, such as on the cover the album Abbey Road, he is wearing a high quality white couture suit. John was depicted in the press as both loving fashion and hating it, part of his rather ambiguous persona throughout his career as a musician. In the end, the final image of the Beatles that I always get is the way they looked on the roof of the Apple building in London as they performed their Let It Be album in 1969. George is rocking a huge fur coat with some crazy green pants, John is also wearing fur, with his wild long hair flowing. Ringo’s got a bright red jacket on and Paul of course, always dignified, is in a brown suit.

Not every band can say that they’ve had such lucrative relationships with fashion over the course of their epically documented careers. I love the Beatles because they affected every facet of the arts world with their presence and contribution. It further impresses my opinion that the way one dresses is the difference between success and failure. Fashion is the secret ingredient to make it all come together. And I love it.

Life Changes and Fashion Evolution - Stories of Adapting to Toronto

Right now I have homework to do for Fashion School. I like calling it Fashion School, it sounds awesome. My homework is first, to glue images of a blocked out skirt pattern onto a thing called oaktag, followed by intricately cutting out all of the little details of the pattern. The second is a collage I must create on art board with Vogue Magazines in an effort to uniquely but effectively express the element of line and how it's used in clothing construction.

I just got home from a four day trip to Windsor. My official purpose there was to acquire the remaining Petey the Troll clothes from the store we sold them in, but I was also really excited to see my sister, my mom and my bf. The experience getting the clothes was less than desireable and it was raining the majority of the time. I did have some quality time with some very good people, but as a work trip...it fell far short of being beneficial.
Now I'm super tired and really just want to sleep, but instead I decide to post a blog in honour of the fact that Petey the Troll, Meaghan and I, finally have the internet at our apartment! :D :D :D
I'm so happy.

One thing I did in Windsor was go thrift store shopping. I may not have mentioned this before but I am a huge fan of the thrift store. I think thrift stores are the absolute most brilliant creation we've come up with in the fashion industry since leopard print spandex.
At a store like Value Village you can get some pretty high end clothes if you know how to look. I've got three pairs of Banana Republic pants that I got at Value Village for about 90% less than they would have cost in the store. Not to mention the fact that in the fashion industry, though we love it, there tends to be a lot of waste. People go through clothes quickly and throw them out, moving on to more clothes. If this wasn't the way the industry worked, we'd all be out of a job. So why not send those used and discarded clothes to a thrift store where someone else can buy and wear them? It's just such an amazing thing.

I actually visited a Value Village in Toronto for the first time last week. I got a gorgeous black and gray rayon sweater, a black high wasted straight skirt from H&M, and a pair of vintage front flap button up trousers (that are a little big, but I can take in ;) I was pretty happy to say the least. In Windsor, where you think the clothes would be of a lesser quality due to distance from the fashion world, but I was equally happy with me hall from the Windsor Value Village on Techumseh Road. I got three dresses - one navy blue with a little embroidered chest piece, one is a super soft chocolate brown v-neck knit shift dress that I love for its simplicity and the winner was a gray pleated cocktail dress from Guess that I totally fell in love with. I'm still quite happy.

To conclude, I'm going to get some coffee, put Forrest Gump on, wear my soft new brown knit dress and do my homework. Wish me luck!

V

Fashion School and the Advantage of Having Industry Experienced Profs in the Classroom

First and foremost, Petey people, I, Vanessa Petey would like to apologize for the delay in blog postings over the past two weeks. I'm back-writing blog posts at home because Meaghan and I continue to live an internet-free existance. We can only hope this nightmare will be over soon. Here's one about professors at the Academy: A shorty, but a goody.

Anyways, having just finished my first week at the Academy of Design here in Toronto, Ontario, I have a few comments to make regarding my enthusiasm toward the fashion design program and the school as a whole. This is not an advertisement for anything specific. I just want to talk about the good fortune of having contact with amazing people plucked directly from the industry and dropped into my classroom with the responsibility of teaching me what I need to know about the fashion industry. The professors are professional, they are real, and they are full of all kinds of knowledge. I talked about a couple of the professors in the program in my previous post about my Construction and Intro to Fashion profs, allow me to elaborate.

One professor that I’m sure will be a favourite is a remarkable man named James Fowler. His opening lecture for Elements of Design knocked me off my feet. He went through the history of style and fashion through the 20^th century and hit all of the key points that I wanted to hear. I’ve never been in a situation (with the exception of Dr. Michael Farrell at the University of Windsor with regard to art history) where I was one of very few in the room who got the references and appreciated the detail. It was fantastic and his own life story was awe inspiring. It was great. Finally, my pattern drafting professor is a woman of strict teaching ability with knowledge spilling out of her every time she opens her mouth. I’m actually pretty excited about pattern drafting, though I'm sure most people think it’s super boring. Maybe I’ll be a pattern drafter at some point on my journey toward life as a designer.

The point is I’m mesmerized by these professors who have the advantage of true industry experience behind them. I want to become a sponge of fashion knowledge, collecting everything they have to say for the benefit of Petey the Troll.

All I can say is that we’ve been in school a total of three days and already Meaghan and I have come home full of ideas and energy for the furthering of our little business. We’re gonna do it, we’re gonna do it!!

PS. Petey the Troll Apparel is in the process of re-designing and re-thinking our image and web site, so temporarily, there is no official Petey the Troll Headquarters. Check out this blog for updates and out Etsy site or Facebook for the photographs of the clothes until further notice!!

The First Week In: Petey in the City

This week has been psycho, but here we are, still alive, and ready to pick up the pace to 200%. Things are starting to fall into place. Meaghan and I are now proud employees of two local Starbucks’, which is an excellent response to the problem of “How are we gonna pay for food this month?” and also the supplier of delicious, life sustaining coffee at every available opportunity. We’ve discovered the best ways to get to school and work by using the Toronto Transit Commission and the commute isn’t even that bad. Things are coming together alright.

Meaghan and I have fallen into a state of almost complete focus on how we can use every aspect of our lives t further the reputation, quality and success of our little company. We still don’t have the internet, so social life hasn’t really begun at this point... but we’re preparing to push ourselves as hard as we can to make the opportunities happen. One of the good side effects of this devotion for me has been my sudden desire to become as healthy as possible. I’m using the logic that the more healthy I am, the more energy I’ll have, the more hours I’ll get out of the day, the more money I’ll make. Time is money, time is money. Time is money.

Did I mention we’re in Design School now? It’s pretty amazing, actually. Aside from the fact that some of the first semester courses are a little on the basic side, and are thus quite boring, the professors are very impressive. Each professor we’ve encountered thus far has either worked in the fashion industry in the past or continues to be very involved in it today. Our entire class, on a whole is a little on the older side. Most of us have had previous degrees or careers and are starting over with this program. We’ve got only one dude in the class and he’s this absolutely hilarious guy from Taiwan who has like eight degrees and certifications and is just trying out fashion design for fun. We’ve also got a couple of older lady- moms who are by far the coolest people in the class. I’ve been really impressed thus far with those aspects of the Academy and I seriously look forward to what these very awesome profs have to offer with these courses.

Wanna know our courses? It’s neat, there’s Introduction to Fashion, taught by a former buyer in the industry, which focuses on the business side of the fashion world as opposed to just the creative. Another is Textiles, which i’m sure I’m one of few who finds it insanely interesting, and is taught by a woman who designed and sold clothes for her own small fashion house in Toronto and nationwide – super cool. Then there’s Clothing Construction 1, which has an amazing instructor, but is slightly below my level of ability with sewing and is therefore a bit of a yawn. Tomorrow we’re having Pattern Drafting 1 and Elements of Design, which I don’t really know what that means, but i’m sure I’ll catch on quick enough. We’re going supply shopping this weekend down on Queen West and I’m super excited.

I’m planning a trip to Windsor for the weekend of the 22^nd, the last weekend before I start work, so if anyone wants some clothes while I’m there, let me know and I’ll do my best to help you out!

Otherwise, I’ll keep you posted on our Design School adventures and what’s happening in the Toronto fashion industry over the next few wintery months of the season.

Happy Chinese New Year!