Jeanne Beker is almost the Canadian answer to Anna Wintour: she’s one of the most recognizable faces in our fashion industry, is on a first-name basis with designers and has thick bangs, but, unlike Wintour, Beker is friendly and open. Case in point, the grand dame of Fashion Television gave a lengthy interview to Kelly Anderson of blogTO.com, in which she divulged three (somewhat) juicy details about her shopping habits.
1. She can’t afford luxury clothes
The Room at the Bay has become a great point for inspiration but I can’t really afford to pay those kinds of high-end designer prices.
2. She doesn’t shop
I don’t shop at stores that much. I’m very lucky that I get access to showrooms and I’m so busy that I rarely get a chance to shop.
3. She wears a lot of Canadian designers
I wear a lot of Lida Baday, Joeffer Caoc and Rita Tesolin (she makes jewellery). I wear Andy Thé-Anh; he’s based out of Montreal but he does have a shop in Toronto now. I wear Teenflo, which is a Canadian label out of Montreal, and they have a couple of shops in Toronto. I bought some fabulous pieces at Corbo, a boutique in Yorkville. Mikhael Kale designed a fabulous gown that I wore to the Vienna Life Ball back in May. I wear Wayne Clark. David Dixon and Greta Constantine are two of my favourite edgy designers; I wear a lot of their stuff. I love Pink Tartan; Kimberley [Newport-Mimran] is fabulous.
I can’t afford to shop at The Bay’s ‘The Room’ either. What I CAN afford are the $10 Olympic mittens, but they are NEVER in stock. As usual, when you want something at The Bay, the service or lack of stock lets you down.
December 7, 2009 at 4:07 pm | by AnaYou know that Anna Wintour has a six-figure clothing allowance right? That’s how she can afford to wear what she does.
December 8, 2009 at 10:31 am | by donnaComparing U.S. media personalities with Canadian media personalities, is, unfortunately, like comparing Louboutin to Hush Puppies. It doesn’t make sense and they are nowhere near in the same league.
I thought The Bay was going to get fixed? What happened? Putting an $80 pan on sale for $29 for one day is not what I call fixing.
Too bad. I will continue to cross-border shop.
December 8, 2009 at 5:56 pm | by Georgejeanne beker is sooo lame watch the dragons den with her i cant stand her
January 8, 2010 at 2:56 pm | by JOSHTeenflo is made in Asia.
February 4, 2010 at 9:12 pm | by Shopper MIt’a like saying Roots is a Canadian label, or Lulu is a canadian brand…yeah…but not made here.
Dont really think she is so lame as much as so fake and the note about comparing canadian personalities to US is so far fetch. Jeanne is right for canadian fashion market but so wrong internationally. Dont you think a fashionista needs to make a statement @ these fashion shows & when she is interviewing the top dogs? She really looks out of place them!!!
May 5, 2010 at 8:16 pm | by Pee