Fashion on the Danforth

                                                   

The season of spring is upon us. What better time is there to indulge yourself in the luxury of fashion? Take a stroll through Greektown and spoil yourself from one or many of the boutiques—lose yourself in the relaxed, stylish, and friendly atmosphere of the Danforth. 

Is your boyfriend’s blazer your closet staple? Not gaga for Goth, but crazy for colour? Is your jewelry box overflowing with oversized accessories? If any of these statements describe you, this is your season to be a fashionista! The 2008 Milan Fashion Week unveiled the top trends for spring: leading the pack, men-inspired suits and silhouettes for women coupled with colour, colour and more colour strutting down the runways. Perennial favourites like the cinched belt were back, as were graphic inspired fabrics and bold baubles. One might think that heading to chic Bloor Street or hitting trendy Queen are the go-toToronto locations to recreate the runway looks; however, the Danforth, with its eclectic array of boutiques, offers some amazing choices that don’t require a couture budget. 

The first store we hit: Studio Labiri at 548 Danforth Ave. Just 3 years old, and already accredited by Toronto Life, Now Magazine, and Fashion, its modern setup with airy white walls and hot pink accents leave you feeling like you’ve just stepped into a Manhattan boutique. Mary Labiri lines her walls with beautiful fabrics made by the hottest designers. We couldn’t resist Sweetface’s (JLO and Andy Hilfigers higher end line of clothing) modern twist on the classic tuxedo suit. The fitted jacket comes adjourned with a multi-layered belt, while the pants are a trendy pencil fit. Our winners for the undershirts were Malene and Line’s cream-colored tops. The first is a jersey fitted tank with black tassels, and the second is dreamy cashmere with black beading—both equally fab to complete this springs hottest look. To add another twist to your wardrobe, try pairing some True Religion jeans, a favourite among all the top celebs including Jessica Simpson, with your blazer. They also carry James jeans and Odyn, both of which are supposed to have amazing slimming powers. For  those of you who want to bring out their inner goddess, Emmy Lauridsen names each of her Odyn jeans after gods from Nordic mythology, which come detailed on their silk label. Whether your price range is $99 or $500, the fashionista in you will definitely find something at Studio Labiri.             
 

If you’re more of a posh girl  than a Simpson,  you’ll love five0seven located at 496 Danforth Avenue, which is brimming with all of Victoria Beckham’s latest styles of Rock N Republics. This cozy store will leave your head spinning from the large selection of trends they fill up their narrow space with. For your tux jacket, we love the classic made by Tiger of Sweden, a staple menswear name in any fashion-conscious closet—Beware, your boyfriends will be jealous. For the single ladies, leave the jacket open with ONLY’s graphic stiletto tee and the men will be flocking. To top it off, add some of the jewelry they have sitting in case under the cash, or grab a stylish hat from the display beside it. Whether your style is casual, dressy, or a mix, you’ll love this fashion packed store and the prices too, which can range anywhere from $45 to $239 to shine into spring.    

If you’re a girl on a budget, like most of us students are, but still want to keep up with the latest look, try hitting Alchemy at 323 Danforth. This bohemian style shop with the wind chimes ringing,and the incense filling your nose, will make you feel right at home;even better, you can put the whole look together for about $100. Here the top brand is Fabi—the jackets are beautiful and the embellishedpocket jeans are always in style. For your accessories, they have beautiful hand made scarves and pashminas from Thailand, and a wide variety of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings in all shapes and sizes—you definitely won’t want to leave this store.

Parade, 261 Danforth Avenue, reminiscent of a downtown loft, has high ceilings, exposed brick, and soft studio lighting. Chinese lanterns dangle above, and an air of stillness hangs in the air. Scattered throughout the store arespiritual books on enlightenment, adding an ethereal quality to theatmosphere. The salesperson, an attractive, chic, raven-haired woman,whose look could be at home in an upscale lounge, sits behind thecounter. Stretch tuxedo jackets by mega-designer Michael Kors, wideleg pants by Final Touch and embellished tops by D.E.P.T. were our picks for the tuxedo-look. Cropped lemon-lime tweed jackets filled theseasons punchy colour requirements and CC Skye inspired gold and leather oversize bracelets rounded up our favourites. 

Our last stop, Bodyblue is a treasure trove of brand names. Dark and cavernous, its wooden floors echo the wooden shelves lining the walls.The jazzy sound of Joss Stone trickled through the speakers as we hunted for the latest in runway-inspired looks. Located at 201 Danforth Ave, with another store at 724 Queen West, Bodyblue carries many of-the-moment names in fashion. For the menswear inspired woman’s apparel, we found Citrine blazers and trousers and graphic tees by Diesel and Element. A rack of belts is available to satisfy your waist-cinching needs and rows of multi-coloured, multi-sized bangles sit atop the counter to finish of any look. 

Whether you’re a fashionista, or a modernista; looking for a trend fix or classic pieces that never go out of style; want to delve into luxury or pinch your pennies, the Danforth is the place to go. These hot stores filled with this season’s lavish fabrics will leave you feeling like the princess you are; so go ahead, splurge a little and get a lot of quality for a small price and a closet worthy of awe.

Autism: 5 Ways You Can Help

Michelle Lane has made effective learning a reality among those living with autism, but what can you do to help?

As founder of Lane Montessori School for Autism (LMSA), Michelle Lane has provided a glimmer of hope for Danforth residents affected by autism. Lane’s groundbreaking methods combine traditional Montessori teachings with Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) techniques which have been proven to reap highly beneficial results among autistic children. Lane was awarded the Premier’s Award in 2005 for creating this program (see video below):

Even though LMSA has relocated to Toronto’s Beach area, the school is still very much a part of the Danforth community. But now that LMSA no longer holds charitable status, families are left paying tuition costs with no help from the government. This is why LMSA and those affected by autism within the Danforth community need your help more than ever. Here are 5 fun and easy ways for you to help out and raise money for autism:

1. Get your community involved

Rally together your friends, neighbours, and co-workers and start your own autism awareness fundraiser. Have fun while raising money by hosting backyard contests, sporting events, pot-luck lunches, 50/50 draws, barbeques, or garage sales and donate profits to your local autism awareness centre, or to a family who could use help with tuition costs at LMSA. To see how local Danforth residents organized their own Bocci tournament for an autism fundraiser, read Joe Cooper’s article at insidetoronto.com.

2. Go for a walk

Get in a little exercise and raise money at the same time. This June, Autism Speaks Canada will host the 4^th Annual Ontario Now Walk for Autism at Nathan Phillips Square where all proceeds will help to fund research on causes and cures for autism. Grab a group of friends and join a team, register as an individual, or sponsor a walker at walknowforautism.org.

3. Go shopping

Want to be fashionable and help out a good cause? Autism Speaks has released a new line of products from bathrobes to baseball hats that are designed to raise awareness and funds for autism. So check out their online store and start shopping!

4. Get out there

Centres like Autism Ontario are always on the look-out for an extra pair of helping hands with everything from administration to fundraiser coordinators. If you have time to give, contact Autism Ontario or visit autismontario.com to find out how you can volunteer.

5. Give a little

Autism awareness organizations are grateful and appreciative of every and any donation. To donate online, visit CanadaHelps.org, or donate through the United Way. To get even more bang for you buck, see if your company has a Matching Gifts program; many workplaces will offer to match any donation that you make.

Degrassi on the Danforth

The Danforth has a long history as Toronto’s Greektown, but not many people also remember it as the backdrop for one of Canada’s most popular teen television shows, Degrassi Junior High. 

It may be hard to recognize now without being surrounded by kids with spiky hair, scrunchies, and the occasional studded jean jacket, but squint closer and you’ll see it — yep, that’s  Centennial College’s Centre for Creative Communications (on Mortimer and Carlaw).

WARNING: The following video may cause severe nostalgia for simpler times when there was no such thing as too much hairspray (at the 0:20 mark, you’ll know what I mean). 

Almost 20 years later, we caught up with Stacie Mistysn (Caitlin), Amanda Stepto (Spike), and Stephen Brogren (Snake), who revealed a few neighbourhood businesses that were one of their favourite hangouts behind the scenes. 

We decided to go one step further and provide you with their own little stories . . .

 

The Court Jester

Although there were originally two Court Jester pubs (one opened in 1989 on Yonge and St. Clair), neighborhood bar patrons should be relieved to know that their 609 Danforth Avenue location is the last one left standing. Co-founded and still run by Steve Siuta and Lawrie Kaplansky in July 1990, it stood out among the large number of Greek restaurants at the time.  Their menus have since been updated to be more health conscious and the food is made by Siuta himself, who works as a cook as well as the manager Kaplansky runs the accounting and bartending.

 

   Pappas Grill

A family-owned business since 1988, Pappas Grill was also the first to have a wood-burning pizza oven in the front of its restaurant (a feature which attracted many Danforth foodies to enter their doors). The current manager, John Klianis, has been working there since 1992; his father was one of the five partners that opened Pappas Grill to bring a chic new style of “California Greek” flavour to the Danforth. The response was overwhelming, quickly making it a popular and trendy hotspot. 

These two examples are just some morsels to offer before you can read the rest on the upcoming On The Danforth website. Keep an eye out, it’s coming soon.

Show TEGH that this community cares back.

 

As many of you now know, Toronto East General Hospital is embarking on a $200 million capital redevelopment campaign to improve the health care that this community currently receives. Of that $200 million, the hospital aims to raise $50 million at the “grassroots level.” Along with the unprecedented percentage of support from the hospital’s staff, the people at TEGH’s Foundation are relying on you—the greater East York community—to help them reach their goal. So, if you are not a philanthropist or someone with a lot of free time, what can you do to help the hospital?

• This summer, TEGH will be hosting a great community fundraiser: a duck regatta! From Easter until mid-August, you can purchase a rubber duck for $5. The ducks will be released on the waterfront near the end of the summer (don’t worry, they’re collected later). All proceeds go towards the hospital’s campaign and, with $5 such an affordable contribution, everyone can participate in this fun event. Check out this video from a duck regatta in Cincinnati in 2007:

• The hospital is always looking for volunteers. TEGH currently has over 500 volunteers who log more than 70,000 hours a year. Even if you only have a couple of hours to give a week, every little bit can help. And, as TEGH serves one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse catchment areas in the world, volunteers of all races, religions, and educational backgrounds are needed.

• If you own a local business you might consider donating prizes for silent auctions or events with door prize giveaways. Your business could also sponsor a fundraising initiative and broadcast your business’ involvement in and dedication to this community.

• A gala in honour of the late Steve Stavro (the hospital’s emergency department is named for the Stavro family) is planned for October 17^th, 2008. It is to be held at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in downtown Toronto. Tickets are $400 per person, and if you were considering donating a sum of money outright to the hospital’s campaign, you might consider donating the money via the purchase of a ticket to this grand event.

• Get a group of friends, relatives, or co-workers together and register for TEGH’s annual charity golf tournament at Angus Glen (the Canadian Open was held at this course in July 2007). On June 17^th, 2008 the East York Old Boys (the founders of the event) will tee off and they would love to see you there. $2000 for a foursome is the green fee. Watch this video in which Davis Love III talks about the course:

• If none of these options suit you, you can also make outright monetary donations to the hospital’s Foundation. You can also call the Foundation’s president, Teresa Vasilopoulos, at 416.469.6237 for ideas on other ways you can help the hospital’s cause.

Can you think of any other ways to help the hospital raise $50 million? Have you already been an integral part of the fundraising process? Post your story here and help inspire others to help put the community back into “community hospital.”

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