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November 26, 2021 at 07:55PM The Toronto gala scene came bouncing back on Nov. 25 with Bloor Street Entertains, an annual fundraiser for the Canadian Foundation for Aids Research (CANFAR). Last year’s event was a virtual one, like many charity fundraisers over the past 20 months. But the CANFAR team carefully plotted to ensure that this year’s 25th anniversary edition was a safe in-person soirée. More than 850 guests gathered in a range of locations on or near Bloor Street and at several after-party spots further afield. CANFAR ambassadors appeared at each venue to share the story of how their lives have been impacted by the virus. “I was born with full-blown Aids,” 23-year-old Ashley Rose Murphy told a rapt crowd at Tiffany & Co. Her early years were filled with hospital visits – “I thought all kids did that,” she shared. But…

November 26, 2021 at 06:40PM Can you even call yourself a collector if you don’t break a few racks in the process? Not according to Philippine-born Carl Chiang, whose hefty Helmut Lang collection caused the poles in their walk-in wardrobe to collapse. “My partner and I were having dinner when I heard this terrible sound,” shares Chiang. “My first reaction wasn’t ‘How are we going to clean this up?’ or ‘The landlord is going to kill us.’ It was ‘Are any of my pieces damaged?’” After a similarly disastrous run-in with Ikea containers, the founder of fashion events and communications agency Archival Toronto has since learned their lesson: Their 130-piece hoard is now supported on industrial cylinders that can hold over 200 kilograms. “I’ve discovered that only metal pipes can sustain the weight,” they say. Photography by Natasha Gerschon. Hair and makeup, Viktor…

November 26, 2021 at 05:16PM Capes may be fashion’s most versatile garment. I mean, what other piece can simultaneously conjure images of a late 2000s Blair Waldorf, a “Sad Affleck” in superhero tights, and a rainy ride on a Log Flume? Enter Bettina Mueller Reichl, founder of Vancouver-based Cape de Coeur and avid cape enthusiast. Playing on the French adage coup de coeur (which roughly translates to “something you love”), the brand was born out of a need for stylish rainwear. “We call it a technical high fashion brand,” says Reichl. “The idea was to create a new category of outerwear because I truly believe that it should be practical as much as it should be beautiful.” Although the Austrian-born designer has over 25 years of experience in the fashion industry, she credits the weather in British Columbia as the initial source of inspiration…

November 26, 2021 at 04:41PM It’s next to impossible to flip through the pages of a lifestyle glossy or scroll on social media without being confronted by articles speculating about a celebrity’s baby bump or analyzing their “post-baby bikini body.” This fascination with famous uteri is an extension of the way we glorify reproduction in our culture at large, and frustratingly, the media’s celebrity pregnancy obsession is narrowing the scope of how pregnancy and fertility are discussed more broadly. This reproductive surveillance not only perpetuates a culture of obsession with childbearing bodies, it also sweeps much of the physical toll, financial cost and burden under the rug. The result? A huge portion of people trying to conceive are operating under unrealistic expectations, weighed down by guilt and shame, or left out of the conversation entirely. Dr. Lila Hakim, a psychologist and director at…

November 26, 2021 at 02:00PM Athleisure has been sneaking its way into all of our closets over the last decade, but as we slowly became creatures of comfort over the course of the pandemic, athleisure jumped straight into the spotlight. As we slowly re-enter society, it seems like even the fashion-forward are no longer willing to compromise on comfort, and it’s safe to say that athleisure is here to stay. And why not? It’s versatile enough to be dressed up or down for remote work, errands, hanging out with friends, and even the office if you have the right pieces. Blazers and biker shorts, sports bras and denim, and leggings with sneakers, all wrapped up in the classic 90s aesthetic is the name of the game this season. We can’t think of a better gift to give yourself or your loved ones for…