Bling in the sun has come to Toronto courtesy of India. But this shopping trip will not be taking you to Gerrard Street East for a tour through the mountains of handbags stamped with Hindu gods or past the rows of sparkly polyester chiffon saris. After all, princesses need shopping options, too. So it’s uptown […]
Why the jewellery store crossed the road
Originally published in June 2008 in The Globe and Mail
Made You Look ‘s second location highlights the fun and funky side of gems Jaywalking has gone up in Parkdale ever since Sarah Hamel, owner of Made You Look Jewellery Studio & Gallery on Queen Street west of Dufferin, opened a sister accessories store across the street. But a recap for those not yet in-the-know. […]
Good till your last drop
Originally published in September 2007 in The Globe and Mail
Old habits die hard, especially in the funeral industry. The preservationists (of bodies, that is) would have us believe that Cadillac-sized coffins are the only way to go. And, so far, most Canadians agree. These traditional models, made of rare woods with plush interiors, metal linings and multiple coatings of shellac, are designed to comfort […]
Selling labels
Originally published in September 2007 in The Globe and Mail
The pull-tabs on the Red Bull were hissing and the volume on the house music was calibrated to organ-jostling decibels at the recent opening of COAL, Toronto’s newest destination for premium street fashion on the trendy Queen West strip. Lured by the electronic beat, passing cars, stroller pushers and Sk8er kids all rolled to a […]
Sitting Pretty
Originally published in July 2007 in The Globe and Mail
The great modernist Vidal Sassoon understood the link between high design and hair. In 1963, he spent £40,000 (today about $827,000) to ensure that the leggy clientele at his Mayfair salon perched on Bauhaus-style leather benches before being called to the master’s chair: a boxy swivel designed by British architects Gordon and Ursula Bowyer. “When […]
Cattle Battle
Originally published in June 2001 in The Globe and Mail
The Walkerton crisis brought the problem of manure in streams to urgent attention. Now, a cow-watching Ontario scientist says we’ve been looking at it all wrong Ever since seven people died and thousands more fell ill in Walkerton, Ont., after drinking water contaminated with bacteria from runoff from farms, the study of cows, cow pies […]