Last night, the Spoke Club launched the film festival season with its annual Canadian Filmmakers party, hosted by actress Lisa Ray, who looked fresh-faced and fabulous, as usual, and Ben Mulroney, who looks more like dad Brian every year. The frigid temperature and grey sky spitting rain didn’t mar the festivities; guests huddled around propane heaters on the rooftop patio and warmed up by dancing to Motown jams downstairs. Industry insiders and Spoke members lapped up the free Skyy TIFF-themed cocktails, but actual celebs (other than the OC‘s Melinda Clarke) were few and far between.
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Canadian filmmakers, Lisa Ray and an OC mom party at the Spoke
Thompson Hotel opening: pillow fights, pool parties and an hour wait for the rooftop
The roof pool at the Thompson Hotel (Image: George Pimentel)
By 10 p.m. last night, the wait for the elevator was an hour long, and the rooftop patio was at capacity. We shouldn’t have been surprised that the place was packed. Yes, yes, everyone was there. To drop some boldfaces, Kelly Rowan, Trevor Born, Jeanne Beker, the boys of Greta Constantine, Jeremy Laing (who designed the fabulous dresses the servers wore), Stacey Kimel, Ben Mulroney, Galen Weston Jr., teen blogging sensation Tavi Gevinson, Society gals Ashleigh Dempster and Amanda Blakley, Jian Ghomeshi, DJ Tony (from Ellen), et al.
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A baby bump on Mrs. Ben Mulroney? The evidence builds
(Baby: TedsBlog; Mulroney: George Pimentel)
It was only a matter of time before The Hype found it necessary to take up one of Hollywood’s most time-honoured traditions: the bump watch. And what better maybe-baby to zero in on than the possible heir to a Canadian dynasty (and, if it’s a girl, a pretty sizable shoe collection). We’ll let the photos speak for themselves, but we’re pretty sure that Mrs. Ben Mulroney, Jessica Brownstein, isn’t hiding a watermelon under that fancy frock. It’s too soon to say for certain, but let’s just say now might be a wise time to make an investment in the infant tanning bed industry. We’re sure possible papa-to-be is beaming from pompadour to chin.
The photographic evidence, after the jump.
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Kardinal Offishall doesn’t hate Drake, he just doesn’t want to talk about him
Kardinal Offishall, once Toronto’s ambassador to the world of hip hop with his 2001 single “BaKardi Slang,” wherein he enumerates the idiosyncrasies of our city’s particular dialect, isn’t jealous of hip-hop it boy Drake, and he wishes people would stop thinking that he was. It’s not that he and Drake are at odds with each other because one is massively famous and the other less so; it’s just that they are different, mainly in the sense that one is massively famous and the other less so.
As Kardinal so eloquently told Vibe:
I remember when [Funkmaster] Flex one time said I was the only thing coming from Toronto, and I said, “Nah, there’s a lot of MCs” and he was like “Nah.” Then the next year Drake got his buzz out. It’s one of those things that’s whatever. I’m into the music. I don’t really care about who gets credit, who’s the best. I’ve always been in this game to outdo myself. As long as things don’t stop me from getting my paper, then I’m good. Right about now, music has turned into a real tabloid. Shit don’t really make sense.
Kardinal also says that the fake rivalry is no good for Toronto. We have to disagree. Fake rivalries keep the city interesting: Queen East vs. Queen West, Rick Campanelli vs. Ben Mulroney, and Drake vs. Kardinal.
• Kardinal Offishall wants you to stop comparing him to Drake [Vibe]
Harper’s YouTube snoozefest reaches out to young Canadians, lulls them to sleep
In his live Web video last night, Prime Minister Stephen Harper tried to reach out to Canada’s youth but apparently didn’t stop to look at what normally passes for decent YouTubery. The interview, which ran the gamut of issues from childcare to the economy and even briefly touched on marijuana policy, was predictable and redundant, with Harper repeating the canned responses Canadians have encountered in the papers and on TV.
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Joe Fresh Style show causes quite the commotion
Theodora Richards for Joe Fresh Style (Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani)
It’s almost unbelievable what a kerfuffle the Joe Fresh Style show causes at fashion week. It is one of the most well-attended shows, with extra-tight security before the event and a late start that had even Ben Mulroney squished while waiting in the crowd. Model Theodora Richards, daughter of Keith, opened the show and upped the star wattage, though she lost her shoe on the first walk. The show was a good reminder of the supremacy of affordable, attainable style, which, in this case, just about anyone can pick up at their local supermarket. The line’s designer, Joe Mimran, presented a pastel collection of schoolyard-chic pieces. There were sheer knee-highs, checked bloomers (hello, Bo Peep), wee purses and pink gingham shirts.
Like his wife did in her Pink Tartan collection, Mimran made underwear outerwear: a checked bra over a sheer top was paired with bloomers, and super-short shorts were, dare we say, panty-like. A few of the pieces looked suspiciously like one of Pink Tartan’s. But never mind—we’re happy we can score Joe Fresh’s sheer rosette tees for $16.
See all the looks from the collection after the jump, and check out Fashion’s interview with the designer here.
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This is Boredom: on attending the eTalk TIFF Closing Party
We never would have guessed that the most difficult TIFF party to gain access to would also be our last. Friday evening, we headed over to This Is London for the eTalk TIFF Closing Party, hosted by Ben Mulroney and Tanya Kim, where we encountered more than a little resistance at the front door. When we told the guest list attendant we were from Toronto Life, she demanded proof. Our editor’s business cards (we had eight of them) were not enough. Thankfully, we had our BlackBerry with Internet access to prove that our name was indeed on the Website. This also wasn’t enough, and the intrepid young lady further asked for ID to confirm our name. At first we were irked by all this obfuscating nonsense, but not long afterward, we concluded that she was likely trying to save us from what awaited inside.
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Shinanigans ensue at Holts Café book bash
Shinan Govani at the launch party for his new book, Boldface Names (Photo by Jen McNeely)
Amid TIFF hoopla, the National Post’s society and celebrity ink slinger, Shinan Govani, held a launch for his book Boldface Names at the Holts Café—an event that seemed to procure more boldface names than Vanity Fair’s tiresome TIFF party the night prior. The event condensed every big schmoozer-boozer in the city, culminating in champagne-induced strategic chit-chat, name-dropping and back-handed gossip.
Few parties in Toronto could hope to pull in so many prominent figures. Here’s a run-down of the crowd: Jeff Stober owner of the Drake Hotel, Amber’s Toufik Tarwa, ever-so-tanned club king Michael King, Zoomer’s Suzanne Boyd, Society dolls Ashleigh Dempster and Amanda Blakley, Ben Mulroney of eTalk, Roots founder Michael Budman, Fashion Television’s Glen Baxter, Hello! Canada’s Ciara Hunt, brash book agent Sam Hiyate, Bustle’s design man Shawn Hewson, PR powerwomen Debra Goldblatt and Natasha Koiffman, actor Kristin Booth, singer Jill Barber, the Globe’s Leah McLaren (who rode her bike into Holt Renfrew) and a sprinkle of hot-to-trot 20-somethings that brought just the right amount of sexiness to mill about the lingerie section.
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