Boner

Instagram: @MrLanceChung

Had an especially amazing night with my friends Marcus and Septembre at the Royal Ontario Museum's Friday Night Live event celebrating the opening of their newest exhibit, "Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants of Gondwana". I can't even begin to tell you how badly I wanted to go home afterwards and watch the Jurassic Park movies over again. Ah, nostalgia. 

If you haven't seen it already, the ROM is truly a stunning work of art in and of itself. The curation is quite nice and the combination of old and new in its architecture will leave you in awe. I highly recommend any person visiting Toronto to go and see this landmark (and then pop on by the Hermés across the street afterwards.)

Korea House

My grandpa apparently opened the first Korean resto along the Bloor West neighbourhood of Toronto that would one day become Korea Town. Went there for the first time today. #Pioneer

Instagram: @MrLanceChung

Spotted: Toronto Fashion Week

Day 3 at Toronto Fashion Week.

Source: The Hudson's Bay Company's B-Insider

Day 4 at Toronto Fashion Week

Source: Street Style Blog, Silhouetted Skyline

Day 2 of The ShOws. Seen with Fusion of Effects' Marcus Kan

Source: Fashion Magazine

Fashion Week

Busy week coming up. Getting some good mileage out of my moleskine.

Instagram: @MrLanceChung

I'm Baaaack!

From end-of-semester finals to holiday shopping (aka pure MADNESS), I've been on a brief writing hiatus due to my busy schedule. To say the least, it's been quite the eventful past month! December finals were my very last set of exams of my undergraduate degree at the University of Alberta School of Business (YUSSS!!), which was a landmark in and of itself. It's an odd feeling, not having to go back to school - something that I have been doing since I was 6 years old. It's become a way of life, and now i'll be transitioning full time into the workforce at the end of the month! Which leads me to my next point, after being offered a position at SHARP magazine, the publication that I interned at over the summer, I will be moving over to Toronto at the end of the month to start a new chapter in my life! Although it has brought about a tiny bit of anxiety (moving across the country, ay caramba!), I'm extremely excited and grateful to have this opportunity and be able to immerse myself in such a creative community. Other then that, it was my family's turn to host the Christmas party this year, so we had about five families stay at our house in Banff, Alberta over the holidays. In other words: chaos, great food, and great company! 

Hope Santa was good to you over the holidays, and that the new year has treated you well, thus far! 

Expect new posts to come shortly ;)

Ben Sherman

While I was in Toronto, I called into London to talk to Mark Maidment, Creative Director of Ben Sherman, to discuss the brand, Savile Row, and the company's debut in the Canadian marketplace, with the opening of their first stand-alone store along Queen Street in Toronto. He was a really laid-back and great man to interview, easily one of the most comfortable and casual interviews that I have ever conducted. You could tell that the he was very passionate about the brand that he heads, which is evident in the company's new direction and product offerings! Featured in the September issue of SHARP magazine, you can read a small preview inside the issue (out on stands now!), or read the interview in its entirety below! Enjoy :)

5 Points to Remember When You Shop Vintage

Until fairly recently, I was a bit unaware of the joys and wonders of vintage shopping. Boy was I missing out!!! Since participating in a little merchandising showcase for Goodwill Industries, an entirely new world of sartorial choices has been opened up to me! Whether that's a good or bad thing depends on your perspective. Let's just say, my wallet is consistently famished while my wardrobe remains momentarily satiated. Oh, the plight of the fashion obsessed.

I wrote an article today for SHARP Magazine focusing on things that every vintage hunter should know. You can check out the article online here, or continue reading below!

Vintage Hunters

Craving some good vintage finds, my friends and I decided to take a lovely little stroll down Kensington market and Queen Street West on a sunny saturday afternoon. Vintage shopping can be a really interesting experience. You honestly don't ever know what to expect, it's very hit or miss. But every once in a while, you'll find a gem amidst a pile of junk that'll be the exact piece you were looking for. And the fact that it's vintage, that it's pre-worn, means that there is a story behind that piece, a history - I like that.

Dan Levy

Just interviewed the incomparable Mr. Dan Levy for an article i'm working on for the magazine. Check back for the piece later!

Note: Did not intentionally mean to dress like a waiter :(

RECAP (Pt.II): The QUEEN & the Princess

So, in less then a week, i've been within a few feet of Lady Gaga and witnessed Aretha Franklin slap her own damn ass in person. Not too shabby, huh?

This past weekend, Toronto saw to it that the Much Music Video Awards would be one of the biggest and brightest productions put on by the Canadian music scene this year. And with artists like Gaga, Bruno Mars, Bieber, Drake, and more, set to make an appearance, the MMVAs were the place to be. I was lucky enough to get accreditation for the event, so I was stationed in the media room, where the artists came and had their interviews. Needless to say, the entire experience was quite surreal and kind of amazing!

RECAP (Pt.I): ABSOLUTely on TOP(shop)

So, I thought I would give you all a quick recap on the festivities that have been going on in this wonderful city. I was invited to a casual event for ABSOLUT vodka's launch of their newest drink, Orient Apple, at Brassaii restaurant (which, can I say, is just an absolutely beautiful venue!) My friend, Viktoria (who I brought as my guest), and I were treated to a 3-course meal, with each dish thoughtfully paired with a drink using ABSOLUT's Orient Apple as the foundation ingredient. Suffice to say, it was a wonderful way to introduce the company's new product. You could tell that a lot of thought was put into the event, as the choice of venue (stunning), the food, and the pairings were done in a very strategic and effective way! Great job ABSOLUT! 

the Hudson's Bay Company

Since my move to Toronto, i've been fascinated by the re-branding that has occurred with the Canadian heritage brand, Hudson's Bay Company. While the department store still very much remains on a mediocre and shoddy level of quality and aesthetic back where i'm from (Alberta), the same cannot be said for the stores here in Toronto. In fact, they're nothing short of spectacular!

"Alexander McQueen, et ou"

One of the many great things about living in this city is the sheer amount of fashionable diversity there is (actually, diversity in general!) From the department stores right down to the streets, the selection is enough to make any wallet tremble in fear. And let's not even get started on the designer trunk shows and sample sales. If you know what's what, you'll probably be able to at least find one or the other (or both) every week!

Genesis

So, i've managed to survive my first work week in the big TO, and am happy to report that all is going just swimmingly! Minus the fact that I apparently live in a bloody concrete rainforest. The humidity in this city is just astonishing. All you have to do is literally stand, and five minutes later you'll have lost a pound or two. Throughout the day, you just have to learn to accept the fact that you will end up sticky and gross. Had I known this nifty little fact, I would not have brought a good, ohhh, 80% of the stuff I packed. Coming from Alberta, perhaps I am biased. But when you wake up in the morning wondering why and how you fell asleep in a sauna, biased opinions do not matter.