I am constantly Instagramming everything from architecture to cool things in stores to street art and found objects. I read blogs constantly and I'm always inspired by other people's design style.

Meet Jennifer Stevens, author of Callooh Callay, a popular lifestyle blog for the design-obsessed. Jennifer touches on everything having to do with design, be it fashion, interior, decor, or food-related. Her unique tastes, edgy style and clean aesthetic coupled with her mix of high-end and affordable finds made Callooh Callay one of Vancouver’s most popular blogs, and also snagged Jennifer a nomination for Ninjamatics’ 2013 Canadian Weblog Awards.

Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog because I am obsessed with design and needed an outlet. Honestly, at the beginning I didn't think too much about what I wanted it to evolve into but I've very much enjoyed the process of growing it over time.

How would you describe your blog and your blogging style?
I try to keep it light and fun and somewhat design-related although I am considering branching out in a few new directions. In general, I try to appeal to a young, hip, urban sort of audience. I'm also rather casual in terms of what I blog about. If I think of a great new idea for a column, I go for it.

Your blog touches on many different subjects. What inspires you?
I get inspired by anything and everything. I am constantly Instagramming everything from architecture to cool things in stores to street art and found objects. I read blogs constantly and I'm always inspired by other people's design style. Travel is another huge source of inspiration.

Your favourite interior & fashion designers? Why?
There are so many. I adore the work of Kelly Hoppen. She has a very dramatic and strong sense of style that can be seen in all of her work and I think that is something to aspire to. I also love Kelly Wearstler because she is fearless and constantly pushing the envelope.

My favourite fashion designers include Alexander Wang and Helmut Lang for simplicity, McQueen for drama, Marc Jacobs for all things cute and fun. I like a cool downtown sort of fashion look in general but I also will always love Chanel.

Your favourite design sites/blogs?
I read lots of blogs but for design things. I really love Emily Henderson, Nubby Twiglet and Miss Moss.

Best part of blogging?
I like meeting new, like-minded people, getting to media kits for new products and obviously getting invited to store openings and parties!

We have had the pleasure of providing studio facilities to well-known artists like Drake, Platinum Blonde, and Fucked Up, to name a few.

A gallery? A space for artistic collaborations? An event and party venue? Housed in an industrial building part of Toronto’s gallery district, The Brockton Collective can certainly be called an exciting multidisciplinary initiative. The idea behind it? “To create a self-sustaining system that provides artists with a venue and resources to exhibit and market their talents,” says Brockton partner Bruno Sousa. And has it ever succeeded in its mission. In less than two years, The Brockton Collective has hosted various art and photography exhibits, late-night parties and high-profile music video shoots. Intrigued? So were we. Société Perrier got the multidisciplinary lowdown from Sousa.

Could you describe The Brockton Collective?
It’s an all-inclusive collective providing free membership to both emerging and established artists. To make it work, we had to create a business that funds the art collective through commercial endeavours. The Brockton Collective location operates as a production photo/video studio, art gallery and event venue.

What made you want to open a place that caters to both artists and parties?
The location was selected with two fundamental purposes in mind – studio production and art exhibition. The concept of events came after, as both commercial launches and art exhibitions began with opening parties. The result is a location that does all three! We have had some parties by acclaimed DJs and art installation parties for Nuit Blanche. On the commercial front, we have had the pleasure of providing studio facilities to well-known artists like Drake, Platinum Blonde, and Fucked Up, to name a few.

What's your favourite part of the initiative?
The people we meet and the art we see go through the space. I truly believe in artists’ intent – that anything they create has tremendous value both to society and for them personally. Additionally, I love that we are assisting members in their collaborations with one another on creative projects, and I think many great things will come of it. Our goal is to revolutionize art and its accessibility.

What are you hoping to bring to Toronto's art/party scene?
To create a platform for artists that will act as a stepping stone in their professional development. We want to exhibit and promote the collective’s artists and their art through our exhibits and parties. We are even contemplating the idea of the "creative party", where we would produce artworks throughout the night.

Any cool future projects?
Currently, we’re creating a periodic publication about The Brockton Collective and its members. Also, we plan to launch an online store that will allow members’ artworks to be sold online.

Still buzzing from the heaping serving of cutting-edge creativity, here are a few things that Société Perrier learned while at DIScONNECT:

1. Who says Generation Y is lazy? Clearly, this multi-faceted bunch can do it all.
Multi-talented Marcelo Burlon not only has an innate rhythmic aptitude for knowing what will get the crowd moving, but he is also an artist, art director, club promoter, event manager and fashion designer. Pieces from his current House of Milan collection could be seen on both Burlon as well as strategically dressed clubgoers, exemplifying the many garments’ stylish versatility.

2. In terms of fashion, not just anything goes—everything goes, as long as you have the confidence to pull it off and dance in it.
No doubt under the influence of spring fever, the dancefloor was swarmed with everything from sleek-and-sexy to pin-up model wear, safari cowboy, football field evening garb, ‘60s Andy Warhol sleek, muscle tanks, skinny jeans, ball hats, glitter pants, '80s high-waisted love, animal print—well, everything. Mix it all up in a dancing frenzy and it is evident that Toronto has a uniquely Canadian potpourri of inspirational fashion. And damn, if we don’t look good!

3. Starving Yet Full and Fritz Helder are a vocal pair with presence.
One of the highlights of the evening was undoubtedly the moment when the duo came down from the stage to hit the dancefloor. Starving Yet Full, in a long tailored jacket, while Helder wearing a Terminator-inspired mask. The revelers circled the pair as they fed off each another’s energy in a rhythm that got the crowd as well as all those in the back, front and centre grooving for the rest of the night.

4. As if we needed further proof, music and fashion totally play well together.
This works both ways—when Starving Yet Full & Fritz Helder stepped onto the stage, you could tell that fashion played an integral role in building and bolstering their on-stage personality. No doubt you will see them in the future wearing pieces from the House of Milan collection, perhaps a personal favourite, with striking feathers hanging off the shoulders.

Photos by Taiwo Bah for Société Perrier.

There is this new interest in performance and comedy, which is exciting. The stuff that gets presented ranges from very traditional performance art to literal stand-up comedy and a bunch of crazy stuff in between those two things.

Recognized as an up-and-comer on the Canadian arts scene, Toronto curator Gabrielle Moser holds a wealth of cultural knowledge for her contemporaries and aspiring arts professionals. She is currently the curator-in-residence at Gallery TPW’s R&D space, where she has been given a space to experiment and play with. Société Perrier got the lowdown on what’s brewing in Toronto’s art circles.

What’s different about your current curatorial residency with Gallery TPW?
The focus of TPW’s programming for this eighteen-month period is really on what is considered public programming, what is usually considered supplementary to an exhibition, like a panel discussion, a screening or a reading group. Instead of exhibitions, that’s what they are putting all of their focus on, mostly doing discursive programming – which is all about direct contact with people, which I really like and why I offered to do this programming series.

What is trending right now in the Toronto art world?
There is this new interest in performance and comedy, which is exciting. There’s a crossover between performance art and stand-up comedy. John McCurley and Amy Lam are running this performance comedy night at Double Double Land in Kensington Market that is super fun. The stuff that gets presented ranges from very traditional performance art to literal stand-up comedy and a bunch of crazy stuff in between those two things.

Any artists we should look out for?
Nadia Belerique is a photographer mostly, but does both sculpture and photography together. She just had this day job where she was going through the photo archives at the Toronto Star and she found these incredible masks from before Photoshop and digital photography, which she began collecting. They’re almost like gels that you’d use for theatre lighting – they have silhouettes cut out to isolate a figure from a photograph, but she doesn’t have the photograph, only the gels. You have to imagine what it was used to isolate and what the photograph looked like. She has been using them in sculptures and layering them under glass, or re-photographing them and scanning them.

Oliver Husain is another one of my favourites. He has a show opening up at Susan Hobbs Gallery (see photo). He does video installations and performance work. He often uses inanimate objects or animals as characters in his videos. It’s super fun and very smart.

Any tips for aspiring curators?
Read a lot of art reviews and curatorial writing. Go to exhibitions and see what people are doing. I think learning different curatorial gestures is really important. Seeing stuff and being curious about what artists are doing.

But you don’t have to wait another month to admire some vintage landmarks, since Toronto has embraced some of its rich industrial past by resurrecting some of these old haunts with a brand of futuristic techno-design. Société Perrier scoured the 416 to find three noteworthy examples.

Distillery Historic District
Once the world’s largest distilleries, this mega whisky operation known as the Gooderham Worts & Distillery fell on hard times, closed and was nearly demolished. These days, artsy types and filmmakers arrive to the cobblestone streets to ingest a laidback vibe evident by all the cutting-edge galleries, boutiques and theatre spaces.

Cool Design: It’s a walking history book with materials culled from yesteryear. In between the massive forged beams and honking huge wooden ones, pieces of the 21^st century pop up like at the Jane Corkin Gallery (see main photo). Check out the old piers used for the tank bases and spot gallerygoers eying the rotating exhibitions in the same spot.

Artscape Wychwood Barns
Who would have thought this former TTC streetcar repair building would get a second life as a community centre, not to mention as a co-op for creative and eco types who regularly congregate for workshops? Resident artists even have ateliers. Among the five buildings, Barn 3 (“the community barn”) maximizes theatre possibilities.

Cool Design: It’s the first designated heritage site in Canada to seek LEED Gold Canada certification. Now you’ll want to start this time warp visit at Covered Street – the main entrance – and prepare to see natural sunlight beaming from the ceiling rafters, with a warren of rooms and studio spaces.

Noteworthy Architect: Joe Lobko from Du Toit Allsopp Hillier.

Evergreen Brickworks
Toronto’s gorgeous Victorian red brick homes in Cabbagetown and Old Toronto can thank the old Don Valley Brick Works factory for its locally harvested hue. And the locals who now hit this revamped place for a fun weekend can thank architect-to-the-non-profits Joe Lobko too. In the heart of Don Valley, this community environmental centre has a collection of recycled buildings plus one new build used for an eco group.

Cool Design: It’s all about nature at this five storey complex. The focal point is a stack of red solar chimney sticks but the other amazing features are the dramatic kilns now open for tours and a unique art gallery with massive installations.

Lead photo: Mikhael Kale presents his Spring/Summer 2013 Collection at the Corkin Gallery, in the heart of Toronto’s Distillery district (Credit: Life’s a Blog) // Brickworks photo courtesy of Torontoist.

Worth. by David C. Wigley
Big on theatrics with a stage costume background (think West Side Story and The Wizard of Oz), Wigley is ready to make a statement at his fifth FAT show. Watch for sustainably inspired garments. One year, the former George Brown fashion grad used fabrics such as bamboo, organic cotton, and 100% felted wool. He’s been known to incorporate Swarovski crystal into his designs as well.

Loft 604
Designed in T.O. by Hong Kong Canadian Willie Fung, the artist has a huge penchant for sophisticated Paris and classic cuts as observed in this menswear line. It’s all about cozy sweaters and nice clean cuts – a collection of ready to wear garments for the guy who goes to the office and likes a good stiff drink after hours.

Matiere Noire
Born in the South of France, Cécile Raizonville wants us to think about austerity as purity in her latest collection, which uses eco-friendly fabrics. Dove white and eggshell tones are layered atop innovative geometric designs that resemble the contour lines on a map. The road to riches, perhaps?

Dystropolis by Wendy Ng
In this Brave New World approach to globalization, Ng bring together a number of futuristic themes. The result: fashion as performance art. In this collection entitled VALHALLA, the designer meshes all the marvellous lore of Iceland and makes jarring statement pieces that are truly stunning.

Dianna DiNoble – Starkers Corsetry
Chivalry might be dead but the good old-fashioned corset looks like it has a whole new lease on life. At least, that’s what this seasoned Toronto-based corsetiere is striving to do. This year’s theme: Ballerina Biker, with the use of leather, shape and lots of movement. Even Katy Perry’s worn her stuff.

|FAT| Arts & Fashion Week takes place from April 24 to 27.

Lead image by House of Etiquette. 

Located between Pont Chauderon and Grand-Pont, the district named after the underground river Flon was seedy until the nineties. But the former tannery district, once fraught with freight rails and storage terminals, is now urban chic. Street furniture and urban art pieces from international artists like British designer Samuel Wilkinson, the creator of L’arbre de Flonville (see main photo), dot the pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood.

Many stop by the outdoor Flon Square Gallery, along Voie-du-Chariot, which showcases five art installations in glass cubes that change regularly. Everyone else walks in tandem by the vestiges of the old railway track, now ripped up and replaced with a sunken lazy river engulfed in bold, black polished stone. Interestingly, you’ll find a cornucopia of fabulous galleries, bars and boutiques brimming with new ideas inside this cluster of 19^th century storage buildings. Crowds gather at the Esplanade de Flon (pictured, left), a funky piazza, for alfresco concerts.

Head to the Swiss graphic designer Albin Christen’s atelier (by appointment only) to see what are the artist’s latest inspirations. His work has been commissioned by companies like Swatch and Adidas (Rue de Genève 21). Expect the unexpected at Espace Abstract Art Gallery (pictured, right, Rue de Genève 19). An incubator for young contemporary Swiss artists, its white walls serve as the backdrop to thought-provoking exhibitions like Cheese Coma, a photographic series. There’s nothing like a pair of great jeans for gallery hopping so sneak inside G-Star Raw for some cutting edge designs. (Voie du Chariot 3)

Then it’s time to hit the basement of Place de L’Europe 9 where chunky pink chandeliers and fat cat black leather sofas give off a boudoir vibe at the Punk Bar (pictured, left). This nightspot is popular among the cabaret set and those who enjoy kicking back to the sounds of cutting-edge DJs.

1. You should look into sausages. Especially the bubble-gum pink links painted on the MOCCA’s wall by artist James Unsworth. They reveal hidden secrets of our collective gluttony and push gallery-goers to question that which cannot be answered. But seriously, go check it out for yourself.

James Unsworth, I Think of Demons

2. We have a bizarre obsession with creating sterile spaces in which to work and live, driven by a misconception that dirt and imperfections will hold us back. Taking on the imagery of glossy advertisements, Laura Oldfield Ford reveals the ramifications of our consumer desires with her book works, whose pages have been blown up and pasted on the gallery walls in street art style. Oldfield Ford reveals Britain’s continuously widening class divide, which often excludes the lower half.

3. A thread of references from art history runs through the exhibition, with either direct references or by choice of medium. For instance, Caroline Achaintre continues dialogues started by feminist artists from the sixties with her use of yarn and clay.

4. We have a problem with over-fetishizing things, from people and objects to institutions. One such example is Harry Burden’s use of a rag-headed mop to paint the white walls with the gallery’s own debris. Thus defiling and negating the sacristy bestowed upon the walls of the “White Cube”.

Clem Crosby, Picasso

5. Also adding to my experience was MOCCA staff member Brett Despotovich—after spending some time with the exhibit, I had lots of questions and Brett was thankfully there to answer them. I can’t say enough about interacting with the staff at galleries… often, they’re very eager to chat about the show and offer a lot of insight.

ARE YOU ALRIGHT? New Art From Britain, until March 24 at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (952 Queen Street West).

Lead image: Graham Dolphin's Wall (Walk in Silence)

When it comes to gig posters, it should be cool and attractive enough that someone will want to hang it on their wall and stare at it every day.

There’s a curious energy that fills a room full of rock posters. A vibe, an attitude like a teenage wasteland under sky-high dreams; even if that room happens to be a well-lit gallery. Doublenaut is Matt and Andrew McCracken and they make gig posters. These fraternal twins began in 2004 and won the loyalty of art patrons, music lovers and musicians alike. Their illustrative pieces have represented notable musical acts such as Arcade Fire, Bloc Party and Modest Mouse.

Rock music, unlike many other genres, has an affinity towards illustration and an admiration for the past. With the resurgence of vinyl and the introduction of apps that transform smartphone snapshots into vintage photographs, it’s clear that this generation has fallen in love with the new retro aesthetic.

“I think this generation loves the simplicity, cleverness, and beauty of mid-century design. There were a lot of bad design trends in the 90's and early 2000's. Design got somewhat complicated and lazy when everything could be done on computers,” says Matt. “Simple, smartly executed design always connects well with people and is more timeless.”

Doublenaut uses bold colour fields, solid shapes and silhouettes, black and white half-tone clippings and strong, dark outlines. All the while committed towards legibility and communication. Matt points out: “A successful poster is one that holds the viewer and presents information in a clear and easy to read manner.” Modern graphic designers such as Saul Bass, Alvin Lustig, Abram Games, Stefan Kanchev and Charley Harper rank among Doublenaut’s key influences. Of course there is a more basic, emotional rationale for what makes a good poster. Matt states: “When it comes to gig posters, it should be cool and attractive enough that someone will want to hang it on their wall and stare at it every day."

While technology has provided amateur photographers a number of shortcuts, with point and shoot features and readily available photo filters, the world of illustration has remained sacred – for lack of a better word. Matt believes this is because “illustration needs to 'start from scratch’ in a way. There are things that already exist like vector icon collections and clip art that can make it easier for people to generate illustrations.” Despite all the techy tools available, Matt reveals that strong pieces are based on ideas. “However, I don't think those things can replace a talented designer who is able to come up with a clever, original illustration. I believe that is what clients are looking for and value.”

With that piece of insight, you see a common denominator between the screen-printed rock poster and rock music itself. Both require the willingness to start from scratch and a fearless attitude towards the labour intensive. It’s an unspoken celebration of the human touch – with a personality in each piece that a computer can never emulate. Perhaps this is the energy that emits from the posters of Doublenaut. Pop art that rocks.

Lead photo by Jacklyn Atlas

On the happiness index, Toronto scores similarly to the U.S., meaning always close to the top but never quite number one. This usually goes to Denmark and Switzerland.

In the thick of the winter blahs, some Torontonians are fighting SADs by paying a visit to The Happy Show at the Design Exchange. Stefan Sagmeister aka graphic designer to the stars (think album covers for Rolling Stones and David Byrne) and author of Things I have learned in my life so far has cracked the code on happiness and wants you to get interactive with this exclusive show now on until March 3. Société Perrier checked in with Sagmeister during the Toronto Design Offsite Festival to see how happy things are lately.

So ... what do you think of T.O. on the happy meter?
On the happiness index, Toronto scores similarly to the U.S., meaning always close to the top but never quite number one. This usually goes to Denmark and Switzerland.

So what does happy look like?
I think it’s helpful to distinguish three different levels of happiness according to time spans: Short term like bliss, joy and ecstasy; medium term like satisfaction and well-being and long term like “finding what you are put on this earth for.”

What prompted you to make The Happy Show?
I was always interested in how design touches me emotionally, and eventually put a talk together titled “Design and Happiness.” We’ve received a lot of excited feedback about that talk. During the last sabbatical, when I looked for something meaningful to do with my time, that same subject came up again.

Is there a back story on the show’s title?
I’ll answer this question with a quote from the 17^th century philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal: "All men seek happiness. This is without exception. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. This is the motive of every action of every man, even those who hang themselves."

How did you test happiness in this show?
With chewing gum ball dispensers.

Any cool surprises you discovered during your research?
My biggest surprise was that for me, 15 minutes of running in the morning has a bigger positive impact on my well being than 30 minutes of meditation. When I told this to a bunch of neuroscientists at Columbia, they stated very matter-of-factly that most authoritative research would back me up on this.

What one piece in the show would you consider your favourite and why?
It changes daily. Right now, it's the bike you pedal that lights up a neon sign.

What take-away do you want people to have once they see your show?
I met one woman who said she used the show like a church and returned to it three times a week. The exhibit in itself will likely not make viewers happy (in the same way as watching Jane Fonda exercise won’t make you lose weight), but I do hope that it might be the little kick in the ass to some viewers to explore these directions, like meditation or cognitive therapy.

Are we getting happier?
The research suggests that we are not.

Stefan Sagmeister’s The Happy Show, until March 3 at Design Exchange (234 Bay Street).