Meghan Markle

The Festival Season Opener: The Santa Teresa Festival and the Power of Love

Written by Sabine Demosthenes

This past weekend was such a nice weekend.

It was something we actually needed with all of the bad news we have been getting and the state of this world lately.

For some of us, we witness this weekend the power of love (I just love Reverand Curry).

For others, they meditate on how we can make this world a better place.

And for the young at heart, they dance the night away at the best music festival on the North Shore of Montreal, the second edition of the Santa Teresa Festival.

I pretended I was still a young twenty-something ingenue this past Sunday; trying to act cool like in my twenties with the young folks but, my age betrays me. I still manage to party like it was still 1999 (my favorite sentence).

The atmosphere was electrical.

Everyone was happy. For a split second, I didn’t think about how the world was falling apart. I must have still been under my “Power of Love Spell”. Festivals like this are good opportunities to discover new talent.

I was impressed with the Mount Kimbie band from the UK, just by seeing the crowd sing along, you could tell Montrealers were enchanted.

Mount Kimbie and King Krule Santa Teresa 2018

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

In my mid-twenties, I was a die-hard fan of electronic music and synth-pop. Listening to Mount Kimbie made me fall in love with this style of music all over again.

Many others artists were there too: Feist, Charly Bliss, Rose Bush, Milk & Bone, and many more.

For a small suburban community like The North Shore, they sure know how to get us to groove like there was no tomorrow!

I can’t wait to see round 3 next year!

https://www.santateresa.ca/en/

Our Canadian fashion Godmother. Her name is Jessica Mulroney.

Our Canadian fashion godmother. Her name is Jessica Mulroney.

She is sassy.

She is the ultimate cool Montrealer girl.

You know what, she is our fashion godmother.

You may have known her already for her segment on the CityLine with one of our favorite TV personality Tracy Moore.

But let me introduce you to the talented, fashionable and cool Jessica Mulroney.

The first time I read about Jessica was around 2008. I was a die-hard Hello Magazine. I couldn’t wait to buy my copy of Hello during the lunch hour and eating at a nice Italian restaurant looking to Queen Mary Boulevard. I remember the magazine issue talking about Ben and Jessica’s wedding like it was yesterday. I was alone at the restaurant and next to me, Richard Garneau was having lunch. Richard Garneau was our ultimate sports anchor. He gave so much flavour commenting ice skating competition to the Olympic hockey finals. That Friday was magical.

I still wanted to keep my cool but I wasn’t shy reading my Hello Magazine and reading the love story between two people. I got a really soft spot for romance.

I was so taken by the simplicity of Jessica’s dress and I found her to be so beautiful. During that moment, I was curious about this Montrealer fashion style. As the years passed by, I did see more and more her fashion sense. And I liked it. She can be bold but elegant.

My style has always been minimalist with a preppy touch. But I always admired women that take some fashion chances.

Jessica is Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau fashion secret weapon.

Credits: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

For the bride to be, she is a bridal expert. She is collaborating with Kleinfeld and The Bay to help some brides finding their perfect wedding dress.

What I like with Jessica is that she is showcasing our Canadian fashion brand. And for that, I say a big amen!

Brand like Sentalar (I will get one of their coats in 2018), Erdem, Judith and Charles, Lucian Matis, Di Carlo Couture, Birks, Aldo Shoes and many more are on the map.

Talking about Meghan Markle look, I was really happy to see Sentalar coats on her during this past weekend.

I know that some people may have hoped for a bigger extravaganza look but I love the simplicity of this look. It’s very CBK (Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy).

With the three looks we have witnessed, she is still the same woman that loves our Canadian brand and she isn’t shy of showing it.

TORONTO, ON – MARCH 22: Jessica Mulroney and actress Meghan Markle attend the World Vision event held at Lumas Gallery on March 22, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by George Pimentel/WireImage)

So today, I dedicated this Chronicle to Jessica Mulroney. She is inspiring, she is super cool like I wrote earlier and I’m joining her and many Canadians to showcase our beautiful fashion sense. We have the best of both worlds.

We have the chicness of the French Couture fashion and an audacity of a New Yorker.

Thank you Jessica for being a fashion strength in Canada and surely, you will rock this world.

Jessica Mulroney Instagram

Sentaler Website

Lucian Matis Website

Di Carlo Couture Website

Maison Birks Website

Aldo Shoes Website

Written by Sab Demosthenes

When Harry met Meghan

You probably know by now that HRH Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are engaged (yeah).

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle engagement

I wasn’t very surprised about this news but I was so happy for the couple. Actually, any happy couple that is happy and in love, I am so happy for them. In that last sentence, I wrote the word happy 4 times!! It is refreshing to write this word.

Back to the happy couple.

They represent our generation. I really don’t understand the fascination with the fact they are an interracial couple. What’s the deal. We are in 21st century people. Why can’t “the media” concentrate on the fact that they are two caring, humanitarians that happened to have met on a “blind date”, clicked, connected and fell in love?

In Canada, I haven’t read much about this fact, but in The States and in The UK, I witnessed that there is still some work to be done regarding discrimination and racism.

Their joint interview with the remarkable journalist Mishal Husain, “career goals”, was like having dinner with friends that are telling you “oh my god we are engaged!!” They were happy, nervous in a good way, chatty, loving, and funny.

I really was so damn happy when they spoke as a team. They want to conquer the world as a team. They are not afraid of humanitarian work, or of being the people’s Prince and Princess with a twist.

For us, Meghan is our home girl because she spent so much time in Toronto (except I’m from Montreal, but close enough) and she has really shown that she can integrate herself easily with some help of her friends of course.

I always enjoyed her blog, The Tig, because she was a foodie, she enjoyed fashion, and she didn’t take herself too seriously. It was an inviting blog. Another aspect that I integrated into The Chronicle, it was so important to me.

She is another woman that I thought hmm, she is easy-going,and chill like me and a few of my girlfriends, with this fire in her eyes to fight (like Angelina) the good fight, no matter what.

They are both lucky to have found each other and with HRH Prince William and The Duchess of Cambridge, we may see a new era ladies and gentleman. I think they could bring out the best of one another all together.

Prince Harry and Meghan are in love and they are ready to rock this world. We so need this right now. The sky seems less grey suddenly. I will follow their charities closely and maybe (I got nothing to loose), one day, I could interview them.

Alright, alright…

You are all laughing and rolling your eyes.

You never know!

Like the two of them, they probably didn’t know they would find each other and realize they found their perfect partner.

In British Royal history, we do know of some couples that were deeply in love, but couldn’t be together because of Royal protocol and the timing wasn’t right. In 2017, we are witnessing a new mentality in the royal family. We all had previous relationships that didn’t work out and maybe we got married and unfortunately, a divorce was the solution. Again, I kept reading about how Meghan was married and she is now a divorcee.

So what?

What matters most is the personality of the person, the fact that she has her heart in the right place. Let them enjoy this happiness and be supportive, like we are supportive to our friends that may follow the same path.The only difference is that your friends are not part of the biggest royal family of all time.

It’s our time, as a generation, tojoin them in bringing in a new chapter into this story called LIFE.

Mishal Husain Twitter

Royal Family official website

Kensington Royal Twitter

The Gals

It’s been a while since I wrote a fashion post…

What is happening with me? I’m a die hard sports enthusiast with a flare with fashion.

That’s why I want to write about this fabulous Canadian company that I fell in love with 5 years ago.

Their message is why wait for the man of our dreams (sort of) to give us that shiny rock, a diamond, when we can treat ourselves with one and put it on our right hand. I was so on board with this mentality!

The Right Hand Gal is a Montreal (yeah!) based jewelry company that two passionate sisters have built in the spirit of empowerment, with such beautiful, simplistic jewelry designs.

Shawna and Randi Herlich are the two sisters behind this successful Canadian brand.

Their creations are so nicely done and so comfortable. I just can’t get enough of watching their website.

And, the gals are some of nicest people I have met. I met them in Montreal at Billie’s store on a December night in 2013. They both helped me pick up a nice ring in order to bring an outfit to life.

Until now, when I want to feel I could conquer the world, I wear it with no other jewelry.

Mission accomplished!

A few actresses, musicians, and public personalities are big fans too. I will leave you the pleasure of Googling their names to find out or go to the Gals website.

Meghan Markle and the Right Hand Gal necklace

This Monday, my post is an ode to my favorite gals. We can be sure the gals will surprise us in 2018 and we will still be amazed by their talent.

Gals forever!!

The Right Hand Gal Website

Erdem pour la vie

Quand je pense à Erdem, je pense à la classe, la romance, la délicatesse et la beauté.

Ce designer qui a conquis le coeur de Cate Blanchett, Marion Cotillard, Meghan Markle, Alicia Viander, Keira Knightley, Julianne Moore (que j’adore), la Duchesse de Cambridge et la première dame du Canada Sophie G. Trudeau.

Credit: (Mandatory): Ivan Nikolov/WENN.com

The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Canadian Tour - Day 1

Credits: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Ce montréalais qui a grandit à Montréal et à Birmingham en Angleterre détient un baccalauréat en arts en Mode de l’Université Ryerson de Toronto et une maîtrise du Royal College of Art. Je respecte énormément qu’il ait fait des études universitaires pour perfectionner son art.

Il a appris des grands de ce monde tel que Vivienne Westwood et de Diane Von Furstenberg. Deux grandes femmes de la mode avec deux styles très différents mais que les deux ont la même adrénaline qui coule dans leurs veines pour la réussite.

Photograph by Yu Tsai Diane Von Furstenberg

J’aime les motifs qui n’a pas peur d’utiliser sur ses créations. Autant que c’est classique, il y a une bonne touche d’audacité avec la dose exacte pour captiver notre attention.

Je n’écris pas cette chronique comme une expert en mode mais plutôt comme une admiratrice.

On peut sentir dans les créations de Erdem est la personnalité paradoxale de Montréal. Je m’explique. Montréal est le meilleur de deux mondes. Il a un côté très européen et un côté très cosmopolite. À mes yeux à moi, Erdem Moralioglu représente la même chose et plus encore.

Fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu poses with his trophy after winning the Red Carpet award at the British Fashion Awards in London December 2, 2013. REUTERS/Neil Hall

Continuons à encourager nos designers de chez-nous. Même si ils sont super connus et en demande, je crois qu’il n’y a rien mieux quand des admirateurs de leur ville et de leur pays les encouragent soit en achetant si ils peuvent leurs vêtements ou bien d’en parler entre nous et de les encourager en utilisant les médias sociaux.

Erdem, tu continueras à me faire rêver.