Saturday, December 29, 2012
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
What It Means To Be A Best Friend--- By Chelsea Fagan
We often take for granted how precious a thing it is to be a best friend, how many people can’t freely use that term, how many have never experienced that very particular kind of love. When you think about it, to pronounce someone in your life as being more important than all of those other friends somehow, as being on a different plane of relationship that, despite not being romantic, is still profoundly important, is incredible. So many wait for the cue from their most-beloved friend to be able to tack on the profound, terrifying modifier of “best.” Who wants to be the person who prematurely proclaims the other their one-and-only-best-friend, when they were not ready to take that leap themselves? It’s the “I love you” of platonic relationships, and to be able to securely declare that with someone is a privilege not bestowed upon everyone.
But holding that title for someone else is as much about commitment and honor and respect as a romantic relationship is — it involves compromise, trust, and a mutual growth that allows certain friends to last through decades and incredible life changes. Keeping in touch and maintaining a level of intimacy that was easy to achieve when both of you were in the same school and had no real responsibilities becomes a serious investment when life begins to insert itself between the two of you and attempt to pry you apart. Being ready to stay up late for phone calls, to truly listen to each other’s problems (and not just wait to pounce on the end of their sentence and start speaking yourself), and make the effort to visit are all part of what is expected of you if you want to be a best friend. Showing another human being that you care about them and that their happiness and presence in your life is important to you on a regular basis is, though it may sound obvious, a fairly big commitment in practice.
Because this isn’t a romantic relationship, though, the obvious expectations and requests for a certain amount of effort or deference can’t easily be vocalized. A couple would be expected to tell each other what their needs are, to request that a certain gesture be made or that more involvement is needed on one end. Often, however, friendships can go years in a state of slow withering, not feeling comfortable saying, “Hey, I need to talk to you more often,” but so profoundly needing that contact. Being a best friend means having to make that effort without being asked, or to even prompt the question yourself. To understand the role that a confidant and platonic partner plays in another’s life is to be ready to is to be ready to treat with care, to hold gently and speak softly. It means knowing that they may not be able to tell you as easily as they could their romantic partner, that they have been taught by society (like all of us) that friendship should go perfectly smoothly or not at all, never to be actively worked on.
And yet, working on things is such an essential part of being a best friend. You will have disagreements, you will want different things, you will fight. Having an argument or taking a few days off to think about things is no more out of place in a deep friendship than it would be in a marriage. You are two distinct people with lives that are constantly molding you into different people, and you don’t have the glue that keeps many relationships together — cohabitation, marriage, children — you are expected to navigate this changing landscape as entirely separate entities. Being a best friends means being willing to learn and adapt, to understand that you cannot control this person or make them be who you want them to be, that you love them precisely because they are their own person.
You are the keeper of their secrets, the one they cried in front of, the one they are able to be fully themselves in front of. You were there through different relationships the way a people weathers different administrations, learning intimately what it is they are looking for and the mistakes they are making — mistakes you know you have to let them make for themselves, just as they allow you yours. Seeing this part of another human being, watching as they turn into people they wouldn’t have recognized a few short years ago, is nothing short of a gift. Just as they keep feelings, confessions, and desires tucked away safely for you — things that would have been too heavy a load to carry on your own — you are charged with being this person for them, with talking to them about family and relationships and all of the other topics we often feel we have no one to turn to for. Being a best friend is to be a therapist when we are still so very deeply in the process of figuring things out for ourselves.
It may sound like a job, and in many ways, it is. It’s not a straight line cutting through your life that starts with “meet this perfect person” and ends with “die laughing as old people drinking tea.” It’s something that demands admitting you’re wrong, making sacrifices, and coming to understand that the decisions you wouldn’t make for yourself may be the right ones for them. To have a love like this — one that you cannot control or tie down or even really fully define — is as precious as it is rare. We have endless guidebooks on how to navigate romantic relationships, but so few that tell us what to do when our best friend moves to a new city for the first time and we have to learn how to redesign our patterns and communication to bridge the gap. There are endless questions and challenges to be faced in a best friendship, almost all of which we have to figure out entirely for ourselves. But when everything is going wrong and there is only one person you know you can call who will be there free of judgment, of imposing their worldview on you, you cannot say it isn’t worth it.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Amanda Lew Kee FW 12
Canadian designer Amanda Lew Kee began her eponymous brand at age 19, while attending Toronto's Ryerson University School of Fashion, and debuted at Toronto's World Mastercard Fashion Week. She works closely with the entertainment industry, designing looks for HBO's True Blood and custom pieces for Shenae Grimes and Deadmau5. The brand focuses on unique designs for the modern metropolitan woman.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
GenArt Fresh Faces in Fashion NYC S/S 2013---Designer Bio: Amanda Lew Kee
I am beyond honoured and excited to be heading to NYC to work with my friend Amanda Lew Kee on our fifth season together. Wishing her all the best during this time of insane preparation
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GenArt Fresh Faces in Fashion NYC S/S 2013 Presented by Moroccanoil Designer Bio: Amanda Lew Kee
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Details Magazine- Summer Men's Grooming
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Dolly Shots
http://www.dollyshotmusic.com/
CONCERT FRIDAY JUNE 8TH 2012
THE CAMERON HOUSE (408 QUEEN STREET WEST, TORONTO)
9 PM / $5 / 19+
Special Guest: Kevin Myles Wilson
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The Six Enemies of Greatness (and Happiness)
Availability - We often settle for what’s available and what’s available isn’t always great. Imagine if a brand decided to settle when it came to quality in their products. Resulting in an average or OK brand identity, instead of striving for and achieving greatness. Where would our favourite brands be today if they all just said, "Good works, we don't need to be great."
Ignorance - If we don’t know how to make something great, we simply won’t. If we don’t know that greatness is possible, we won’t bother attempting it. All too often, we literally do not know any better than good enough. Giving up, reaching for the mediocrity instead of greatness. Consider this when sitting down to create something; the scent of confidence and pride in ones work speaks volumes and can be the needed edge.
Committees - Nothing destroys a good idea faster than a mandatory consensus. The lowest common denominator is never a high standard. A slight rebellion is good for the soul. Sometimes the consensus of others can make a person second guess something brilliant and force them into a place of ease. The willingness to take a risk and the desire to be different, be better, be great; that is what separates the strong from the weak.
Comfort - Why pursue greatness when you’ve already got 324 channels and a recliner? Pass the dip and forget about your grand designs. This enemy is by far the worst. So often people fear change and rocking the boat worried that a rough current could lead to a sunken ship or an over dipped chip. I say dip that chip as much as you want layer things on and create something entirely new. The greatest designs come from the unforeseen.
Momentum - If you’ve been doing what you’re doing for years and its not-so-great, you are in a rut. Many people refer to these ruts as careers. A career is a fraction of a person but not their defining characteristic. With that said one must enjoy what they are doing. To produce the best work you need to have zest and a thirst for knowledge. Don’t get stuck between the areas of sure, fine and whatever. That is how you end up doing things you hate well into your retirement.
Passivity - There’s a difference between being agreeable and agreeing to everything. Trust the little internal voice that tells you, “This is a bad idea" Many people suffer from being a lemming, so scared to separate from the pack that they let themselves be lead willingly to their death. Because I greatly enjoy all of you who read this blog I caution you; DON’T EVER BE A LEMMING! Voice your own opinion and have faith in your ideas.
What do you think your biggest obstacle in achieving greatness? Sound off in the comments below.
- Eric
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
FLARE Mention
THE TEAM
The people who are making Lew Kee's show happen this season:
Gabriel Graham (Schaumann), Hannah Sider (Schaumann), Daryl Gervacio (Hair Assistant), Samantha Loyat (Make Up Assistant), Karim Olen Ash (Photographer), Amanda Lew Kee (Designer), Felix Wong (Photographer), Yen Chen (Stylist, Plutino), Kristjan Hayden (Beauty Director, Plutino), Absent: Eric Omikunle (Public Relations).
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
The Power Of a White Dress Shirt
In our heritage-obsessed shirting craze, an oxford shirt or button-down collar are all good and well. But as Michael Fassbender proved on Late Night last night, to promote his new film Haywire, there's something to be said for a proper dress shirt with a higher, stiffer collar — even when worn open without a tie. Find the brand that fits your own frame best, and get it tailored if necessary. Because it a) looks excellent with any blazer you own, b) dresses up jeans just enough for television, and c) works wonders for your own late-night dinner.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Hunters and Prepsters Dinner Party
Tomorrow my lovely friends Roxanne Chapman and Rachelle Saevil are hosting a "Hunters and Prepsters" themed dinner party. The night will no doubt have elements of fur and plaids.
Pictures from the evening will follow.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
I..
I....
I inhale..I exhale..I cry..I sleep
I eat.. I laugh..I frown.. I smile
I speak..I learn..I stress..I relax..I forgive
I forget...I one-day wake-up, look at the sky, the clouds have aligned.
The sun is perfect it's glow is so warm. I close my eyes and bask in it's warmth.
When I wake up, I look beside me, and realize.. The I has now become we.
We are blessed, on life's journey we have found love and it's pure and never ending,
Close your eyes, think to the moments you first learned how to breathe, in those first few moments you were shown love. Now open your eyes, look around you, you're breathing and with each breath you're loved.
No longer am I just “I”.. The “I” has now become we.
I inhale..I exhale..I cry..I sleep
I eat.. I laugh..I frown.. I smile
I speak..I learn..I stress..I relax..I forgive
I forget...I one-day wake-up, look at the sky, the clouds have aligned.
The sun is perfect it's glow is so warm. I close my eyes and bask in it's warmth.
When I wake up, I look beside me, and realize.. The I has now become we.
We are blessed, on life's journey we have found love and it's pure and never ending,
Close your eyes, think to the moments you first learned how to breathe, in those first few moments you were shown love. Now open your eyes, look around you, you're breathing and with each breath you're loved.
No longer am I just “I”.. The “I” has now become we.
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