This is embarrassing to admit, but up until last week, I didn’t know what National Denim Day was. Admittedly, I’d seen and heard little bits and bobs about it, but never processed what it was really about. This is ridiculous for a couple of reasons: one, why would a girl who loves denim ignore National Denim Day? And two, the annual day has been going strong since 1997!

After crawling out from under my rock, I discovered that National Denim Day was created by the CURE Foundation and occurs annually on the Tuesday after Mother’s Day. So what happens on this day of denim? Businesses, organizations and institutions across the country are encouraged to allow their employees, members and students to wear denim, donate $5 and help save lives in Canada. Did you know that an estimated 23,400 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in women, 190 new cases in men, and that 5,155 persons died of this disease last year alone?

Rest assured, I gave myself a good smacking on the wrist for previously ignoring such an important day. Like many others, breast cancer is a disease that has affected my immediate family and friends. Thankfully, these people are still with me today, but not everyone can say the same. This is why I partake in Run for the Cure, which I have vowed to run every year with my best friend since our first go at it last year.

This is what I wore for National Denim Day. Yes, that is a head-to-toe denim look you are seeing. What I’d like to point out most is the pair of cobalt blue jeans. If you think they’re a $200 pair from J Brand, they’re not. They’re a pair of $25 jeans from Bluenotes.

What is special about these jeans is not just that they look great, fit great and cost less than an average lunch date, but that purchasing these jeans meant $1 went to CURE and that a new pair of jeans was donated to a local charity. When was the last time spending $25 did that for you?

For every pair of jeans sold until Sunday, May 20, Bluenotes will continue to donate $1 to CURE and donate a fresh new pair of jeans to those in need.

Besides the fact that I think everyone needs a pair of these in their summer wardrobe (they come in array of other bright colour options too), how could you say no to supporting such a great cause through shopping?

What I Wore: Jeans from Bluenotes, sleeveless denim shirt from Fitzroy Boutique, vintage denim jacket by Wrangler, shoes by ALDO Rise, necklace by Blackbird, and sunglasses by Swarovski.

 (post as seen on PostCity.com, all images by Jillian Botting)

The most impressive aspect of the Baltimore-based duo is that their heavily layered sound is achieved from only two members, anchored by Legrand’s harmonious vocal range , the impact of which, cannot be overstated. With a musical precision unmatched by the plethora of indie bands who achieve the same essence of grandeur through massive ensembles, the twosome keeps listeners on their toes with a back and forth style that has been perfected since their debut.

Almost as remarkable is that despite their commercial success, the pair has retained control over their creative output, which is a testament to their artistic integrity, and seems to have  had a huge impact on their sound. Recorded on old-fashioned two-inch tape (staying true to the art of sound), Bloom tells a story as visualized by Legrand and Scally from start to finish, lifted by a creative authenticity that shines through the final outcome.

Preparing to kick off their summer tour with a show at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom, marking the debut of Bloom (released today), FILLER caught up with Legrand before the promo mania to discuss how the album came about and her relationship with her career long collaborator.

Bloom seems to present a lighter, more controlled version of the same path you were running down with Teen Dream, no?

I think it’s normal that you write four records and eight years down the line you get better at what you do, and it’s very specific to your particular mind or creative universe or sound, or whatever you want to call it. I think that you just get more exacting about things, but you know when to let go and not to force it. A lot of our processes, a lot of the ways that we work and our life together have been very consistent — it has not changed — but I think that our desires for things and where we think a song can go, [with that] we really want to push things to a certain place.

A bit more intense then when it comes to the music.

I think the highs of things — the great moments — are great, and the lows are really low. And as we go along things just intensify. But in no way do I feel like any of our records [are] just a continuation of the past. Things do continue, but I do always think that it is always in the eye of the beholder. Weather somebody feels like it’s a small increment or a large increment that’s totally subjective. For Alex and I, we were in Bloom world — we are still in Bloom world — so ya, you can say whatever you want! (Laughing) We have become more exact, we have become more perfectionists, but really we are just working: working on our art, making things, and we are just busy.

Talking about being busy, how does song writing fit into your hectic touring schedule?

When you are touring or travelling or things like that, its not the same thing as being in your practice space where you just have days on end and you can spend 16 hours a day working on music. You do have these little moments that you keep, and then it might be a year, might be two years, and then one day you take that piece, and you try to bring it to life. And sometimes it takes a few days, sometimes it takes a few weeks, or it takes months for it to become what it will be, but it is very difficult to write on the road…its very difficult to write on the road.

On those moments that you mentioned keeping, what are they usually; what are those sparks of inspiration that later turn into songs?

We get an insane amount of inspiration just from living and experiencing things, not specifically from being on the road, or like in Almost Famous or something, but the experience of living is awe-inspiring all the time, for anyone. Not just for me or Alex, for you, that’s where art comes from; it’s coming from yourlife. But the writing has always happened in Baltimore. Every record we have ever put out has been written, arranged, and recorded [there].  Our life is writing, and it is Baltimore and it’s touring,  it’s very fluid things and ideas for things coming all the time — they aren’t specifically limited to one place or another.

And how does that translate into a cohesive narrative and record?

All of our albums, each one we have made, have a moment where we realize, “Ok, this is a record from start to finish.” Even our first record we said, “Ok, these are nine songs, and we aren’t adding any more. This is exactly where each one should be.” We did the same thing with Devotion, we had 11 songs, and it was like, “This is exactly the order, this is exactly how I want people to travel to the record,” and then Teen Dream and Bloom.

Sounds like the order of the songs is pretty important to you two.

We care a lot about the order of the songs on our records; it’s something that has not changed for us as artists, [and] not something that is particularly new for us on Bloom, but something that we are reiterating now for people [who] are just hearing about us. We are a song band, and we write records, we don’t make one hit and have a bunch of filler. We write songs and care a lot about the work on the records.

You talk about maintaining a specific vision within your albums, and cutting specific songs that don’t tell the story you and Alex are going for. What’s that editing process like?

When you know that you have many ideas like we had with Bloom, you don’t ever have a blueprint for making a record, you just start. You have a song, and then you have another song, and it keeps building and building, and growing and informing you of what size it’s going to be or how it feels. Along the way, things just fall if they don’t work, or [if] they don’t fit: it’s not the right feel, it’s not on the level of the other ones. It’s a very intuitive process. There’s not a lot of intellectualizing about why a song doesn’t fit, it just doesn’t. It’s like well, for us, we love the song “Equal Mind,” but it did not fit on Bloom, so its B-Side, and that’s what happens to the songs that for one reason or another don’t make sense in the album.

I guess each one has its own specific identity, that either melds with others or not.

They are their own songs; they don’t need to be on the album because they can just exist on their own. And “Equal Mind” is an example of that. So, sometimes it’s a little sad, but its not — it’s just meant to be. It can be a beautiful thing, it’s not like, you know, if we were on a major label and some guy comes in and makes us scrap the whole thing, I feel very lucky that that is something I will never have to deal with. Alex and I are always going to be the ones who decide what we do and [what] goes on the album, and what doesn’t go on the album. You can’t force something to fit into a record, it just does or doesn’t. And that can be a really liberating moment when you realize that it just doesn’t. At least for us…it’s not about just throwing a bunch of songs together.

What about in the studio, tell me about the process of  perfecting the sound on this record?

In terms of sound, this record, as well as the last one, was recorded on two inch tape, I don’t know if you are into nerd information. I think it’s something important because it’s not just made on the computer. It’s always been an important thing for us. Whether it was four tracks, eight tracks, ultimately what we are working with is songs and sounds, and the way that they make you feel…and melodies. [There's] a lot of traditional song craft that goes into what we do. There are a few moments on Bloom that I think are very special.

Like?

“Irene” is a live take, and it’s recorded on live take, and I think it was the first take. When you are working with tape, things take a lot longer because you do a whole take, and it’s not like when you are on a computer and you just cut and paste. It’s kind of old-fashioned, but it can be really rewarding in terms of just creating a moment for you where that just happened, and now it’s forever.

That kind of thoughtful musical process is now a rarity, unfortunately.

Working with tape machines and intellect boards is a skill that is dying I think. It’s special and means something to us.

And it works, I love the way Beach House has such a modern sound, but goes about creating it in an old-fashioned way.

There’s like an ethics to it too because you can do things with pro tools and stuff too…but it does work well with our sound, and our instruments and our taste in things. I don’t know…a lot of it is just based on we like it and we use it.

I think a lot of people expect you would sound the same live, but for anyone who has seen you in concert, they know how different a live experience is from listening to the album. How do you perform an album like Bloom, with its quiet tempo?

Sonically, I feel that there are always variations, but I feel that live things are more intense somehow, because sonically we aren’t a quiet group. I think that might also be a misconception to those who haven’t heard us [live] before. There is a lot of heaviness to it, and I think that the songs actually take a whole new life form. They always sound bigger and more massive, because you are feeling it live, there are vibrations, and we hope that it just washes over people. It can be an intimate experience, but also a physical experience as well.

Back to the creative process, how does your relationship with Alex shape your sound?

We are lucky because the way that we exist together allows us to create easily together, and work really well together. As far as the effect of the relationship on the music…I have no idea, but the actual working together is something that has been one of the most fruitful working relationships that I have ever had, and something that I don’t take for granted. Us making records consistently is just proof of the fact that we have a very natural creative rhythm. We aren’t holding things back, we are putting things out because we feel compelled to, and that this is our time in life to be creative and to work, and to really experience this life that we have built ourselves…and that continues to grow. [We'll] see where it takes us.

What about the future, what do you see for Beach House down the road?

 We don’t have huge appetites for success, it’s more about we are grateful for the level that we are at, we are grateful that we are able to still make records, we are grateful that we are still [able to] be alive, laughing, to live and tour and have fans, we are just very grateful. We will just take every day as it comes and as long as we are able to work together and communicate with the language that we use — a lot of it is based on intuition: things feeling right and trusting things. As long as that continues, we will continue making music, art ,and everything that’s fun about creating and collaborating.

Your dedication to the band’s artistic vision is more than apparent. Keeping that in mind, when the opportunity to do something more mainstream, like a commercial (such as the admittedly “funky” Guinness ad Beach House loaned their sound to) how do you decide about getting involved or not?

I think that artists for all of time have been lending their songs, and companies use songs in commercials. I will say for us, doing the Guinness commercial or anything, there has to be a certain level of artistic quality to it. It can’t just be some evil corporation, or a dumb stupid commercial that has nothing to it — we won’t do that. With the Guinness thing, it was specifically an Irish company and also, it seemed to us harmless. We saw the commercial as actually not a bad one at all. It has a lot of creativity inside of it, and is something imaginative, something more than just somebody drinking a beer in a bar.

Is it also a financial decision?

Artists need to survive and will do things because it’s a living, and artists deserve to and need to live off of [their] art. But as far as discerning what and where and who you let use your music, that is something that we are very conscious about. I think that is the only commercial we have ever done, and we turn things down frequently because it’s just shit, and so we try to be very discerning because it is our music after all, and we don’t want to do something that tally ruins everything for a fan. We aren’t going to see a huge paycheck and say “Yeah! sign me up for this trend.” It’s not the 80s anymore where people are throwing millions of dollars in your face. There is a lot of devaluation going on, so it’s not even about money really, it about a small mount of money, but when you are an artist and you have a publishing company and this and that, you want to have your music in films and TV, but it can be difficult to filter through where the music goes, but it’s not that hard…you just need to have eyes and a heart (laughing)…and some sort of integrity.

What do you think of bands that aren’t so discerning?

Every band is different, some bands don’t care, and they want to have their songs in everything. They don’t care that their song is in a food commercial, and that every personal at their show is a person who saw the Ford commercial and doesn’t know the rest of their songs. And that’s fine, I’m not preaching about that, but for us, we need to maintain some level of something special, so that’s our ethics.

When I asked my mom what she wanted for Mother’s Day, she requested that I cook her dinner. Always down to feed my loved ones with tasty goodness, I was eager to try something new.

In need of some inspiration, I looked to Saveur, where I found their spotlight on different recipes using kale. I am absolutely 110% obsessed with kale, and found myself very intrigued by this Kale and Chicken Brown Rice Salad with Cherries recipe.

Due to seasonal produce limitations, and the fact that I didn’t want to just serve a salad for Mother’s Day dinner, some adjustments to the recipe were made.

The result was still incredible, so much so that my mom (who is the most brutally honest person in the world) told me it was the best salad she’d ever had (and seriously not just saying that because she’s my mom) and that this salad should be called “The Gracie Kale Salad” (nice one, mom).

Here’s how to make my version:

INGREDIENTS (to serve 4 as main, 6 as side)

1 cup loosely packed sweet Thai basil leaves

4-5 large garlic cloves

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp. sugar

1 cup cooked brown rice

Fresh-ground black pepper

1 8 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained

2 cups chiffonaded lacinato kale (stems removed, leaves chopped into thin horizontal ribbons)

1/2 cup roughly chopped/ground almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make the dressing: In a food processor, pulse the basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and sugar until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, mix together the rice and kale, toss with dressing until well coated. Gently fold in the artichoke hearts and almonds. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Keep chilled until serving.

As you can see I made a roast chicken to go with this salad but served them separately. Mixed together the next day was an excellent lunch as well. I’m eager to see how this will taste with cherries in the summer, they were obviously left out of the recipe since 1lb of cherries is currently $15 in Chinatown. This recipe is the best thing to happen to my cooking skills in quite some time, and it was so easy – try it!!

This may come as a surprise to some, but I am a huge fan of the GAP. It is mainly because I am obsessed with basics and denim, but one of my earliest back-to-school shopping memories is going to the GAP with my dad and buying a denim shirt. I think I’ve purchased that same shirt every year since then.

Needless to say, I was very excited when SheDoesTheCity.com challenged me to create an outfit around a GAP t-shirt, to celebrate their relaunch of the classic T. Perhaps you’ve noticed their new global campaign for #BeYourOwnT in your city?

This is me in my tee and it is a classic Gracie look. Why? Because it is laidback and casual, but still chic because of the twisted take on the basic t-shirt and jeans look. Incase you hadn’t noticed, this pair of “jeans” is made from 100% leather.

Tomorrow evening at GAP on Bloor St. myself and four other stylish Toronto bloggers will be hanging out in our #BeYourOwnT looks at a shopping event hosted by SheDoesTheCity from 5-8pm to celebrate the launch. Come by anytime to have a drink, have a snack, and enjoy 25% off regular priced merchandise with the chance to win a collection of GAP Ts and a Bobbin bicycle worth $700!

For further details please click HERE.

Check out all five #BeYourOwnT blogger looks – from me, StyleBlog, SidewalkHustle, UrbaneBloc, and LaurenOutLoud – below! (for outfit credits please visit SheDoesTheCity.com)

On Tuesday night, The Bata Shoe Museum opened their doors to a select crowd for a sneak peek at their latest exhibition featuring a curated collection of divinely beautiful shoes by Roger Vivier. Process to Perfection is now officially open to the public, and will be running through to April 7th, 2013. This may give you some time to go see it, but why wait to drool over shoes this exquisite? Here’s a taste of what I saw…

1. my favourite pair of shoes

2. bubbles & nibbles

3. there are no words.

Take a look through my little gallery adventure below, and be sure to note the amazing cards by Eighty Seventh ST! Designed especially for Bata’s Roger Vivier exhibit and sold exclusively through their gift shop.

Tee’s are a staple item in everyone’s wardrobe, especially during the warmer season. You can dress them up with heels and a skirt, or dress them down with jeans and sneakers. Either way It is probably the only type of garment in your closet that you can get away with wearing to both the gym and a bar (just hopefully not the same one.) This spring/summer season, why not sport a graphic tee for a good cause? Or keep it cropped and on trend, or, just go for the simple perfection found in a classic solid tee.

The Cause: Creative Growth for Everybody

The clothing brand Creative Growth for Everybody is a unique line of t-shirts with artwork created by artists from The Creative Growth Arts Center, a non-profit organization for adult artists with developmental and physical disabilities.

Having won its place in magazines including Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue, where the brand was seen on the lovely back of model Michelle Vawer, on top of celebrity endorsement both on screen (see Channing Tatum in the “Wallet” shirt amongst the action of 21 Jump Street) and off (Drew Barrymore above), Creative Growth for Everyone is the must have T-shirt collection of 2012.

Wadding into the mainstream, the brand recently collaborated with teen-preffered retailer Urban Outfitters, featuring the work of Creative Growth artist, Aurie Ramirez, who creates ink and watercolor works inspired by glam rock, punk, and candy. Look out for the brand’s 2012 collection titled, “The Misunderstood,” out this June; with Scarlett Johansson as the collection’s official spokesperson, cool hunters the globe across will be after a tee from this one.

The Difference: Shared

“Not your typical t-shirt line” is the best way to describe Shared — a company that gives back to the community with significant portion of profits donated to various charities. By actively participating in social responsibility, Shared hopes to set an example and encourage others to follow. A brand that is striving to change the world one perfect t-shirt at a time, the brand has extended its love to Canada’s beloved Hudson’s Bay Company with a recent collection of limited edition t-shirts for the national department store’s Heritage line, available at HBC stores in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal. Those living or visiting Toronto, can also find the line at the Drake Hotel General Store, while shoppers outside of Canada can browse the line via drakegeneralstore.ca, or contact info@weshared.com for more information on how to snag the line.

The Trend: Lifetime Collective

Founded in 2002 by Reid Stewart and Trevor Fleming, The Lifetime Collective began as a collaborative group of artists and friends. The inspiration for the clothing line comes from the places that surround us such as the community we live in, the places we travel to and the people that we encounter. More than a “brand of lifestyle,” Lifetime is defined by the changes that occur and the creative ways we adapt. In fact, the theme of Lifetime should be, “a work in progress,” as it is ever-changing and far from finished, a dream never fully realized. In the spirit of interactivity, the Lifetime Collective is reaching out to their customers with it’s weekly Tweetin’ for Tees contest. To be entered, just snap a candid of whatever you’re doing, tweet the picture at @LFTMCollective with the hashtag: #showusyourtees, and keep your fingers crossed; the winner receives a Lifetime t-shirt of their choice.

For quite some time now, the dainty stud has dominated earlobes. The fash pack, it seems, favours the oversized statement necklace (and plenty of arm candy) over flashy earrings. But fashion works in a cycle, and when our desires for high-impact ear wear washes out, it is sure to come right back in again.

There’s just something that feels oh-so-right about reintroducing “the statement earring” into our wardrobe this season. But the challenge, when dealing with chandelier-esque style, is to make it look fresh and cool: meaning, we don’t recommend reaching for just any old pair you’ve still got lying around.

The girls behind Toronto-based jewellery label Blackbird agree, and have filled their latest collection with covetable earrings to boot. Most notably, we can’t take our eyes off these dagger earrings, a Navajo-inspired pair that combines black plexiglass with natural porcupine quills.

To quote the girls, they’re a “weapon of choice.”

$140. Available at Blackbird’s online store 

(post as seen on postcity.com)

Remember the days when being a skate kid was cool? Then you probably also remember when Avril Lavigne came rolling along and ruined the entire culture for everyone. Luckily, after enduring way too many years of the white tank top and black tie combo, it seems that the Avril effect has finally phased out.

Even mega skate chains, such as West 49, have switched back to their bohemian roots to catch up with their trendy teen clientele. Thanks to the Internet (and all the social media outlets that come with it) the style of our younger generation is maturing, and evolving, faster than ever. Thankfully, the latest slew of cool role models include girls like Vanessa Hudgens, Kristen Stewart andEmma Roberts, who appear less in the tabloids stumbling out of blacked-out SUVs and more at hot-spots of cool, such as Coachella.

This has resulted in an overall positive effect in terms of style, for both teens and the retailer. I’ve openly written about my past as a “skater girl” and my undying dream of one day becoming a professional surfer who lives in L.A. (even though I’ve never surfed in my life). Another important style motto of mine (which may or may not have come across so far) is that I. Will. Shop. Anywhere.

So when West 49 called to tell me about their new, revamped girl’s collection, they challenged me to check it out and see if I could style myself in a Gracie Carroll-ified outfit (that I would actually wear). If I would shop from Wang to Wal-Mart, why not West 49 too?

Upon arrival, there is no doubt that West 49’s Avril girl is long gone. In her place is a cool, beachy girl-next-door. It is clear that everyone from the staff to the customers is ecstatic about the change.

And why wouldn’t they be? Even I find myself getting giddy over the super-cute floral printed rompers from Billabong that retail for a mere $44. A frill-hem and a cut-out back? Yes please! What better item to wear while frolicking on the beach, pretending to take a rest from my hardcore surf session earlier that morning?

It isn’t often that you’ll catch me without an extra layering piece stashed in my bag during the spring and summer months (hey, it gets cold at night!), which is why I fell in love with Element’s printed Eva tunic at a reasonable $50. Rocking print-on-print has become a bit of a signature for me, and I love how these two pieces work together as much as I love each one separately.

This is an ideal summer outfit because I can see myself wearing it everywhere, from the park to the cottage to the beach. The white cat-eye sunglasses also give the overall look a splash of ’90s that, combined with the surfy-babe look, really captures my ideal me quite well.

What I Wore: floral playsuit by Billabong $44 at West 49, Eva tunic by Element $50 at West 49, sunglasses from Buffalo Exchange in Brooklyn, shoes by Cacharel, puppy from a friend.

(post as seen on PostCity.com, all images GracieCarroll.com)

Since the launch of his line, his main connection to Canada has been only through the factory where his Paris-designed clothing line is made, for the sole reason of it “being a well-oiled operation,” that he would do anything but change. With such a deep-rooted loyalty to us canucks, it really is a wonder that it has taken him so long to finally grace us with one of his shows (and presence). We caught up with Hourani to inquire about his much-anticipated visit, but, via email since he hopped a plane straight back to Paris right after his final bow.

Tell me about your 5th collection, what’s the inspiration behind it.

The inspiration always starts by what I feel like wearing. I have spent a lot of time recently in the forest and in nature, so the collection reflect that thought. I feel like wearing green, so I have designed some continuous silhouettes of my Unisex style in black and green, using some new materials and techniques.

Short films opened a number of shows this season. What led to your decision to incorporate film into your creative vision?

It is not something new for me, since the very first season I have used that medium to project what I had to say and feel. I have used film in my exhibition, as well, and I have used film also to present some of the Rad Hourani shows instead of producing a formal show, and I just felt that the projection of the 5 Yrs of Unisex made sense to be projected before the show.

Do you think the integration of short films/docs has to do with the audience’s hunger for a more personal relationship? Is it a way to fill a gap that’s missing from the runway experience, or modernise it?

I think it it just part of an evolution process where it is more accessible to do so. However, to me it is part of my self expression as I don’t define myself to be either a designer, a photographer, nor an artist, nor a filmmaker ,nor an art director. I consider myself all of that at the same time, so using all the mediums accessible is natural for me.

Not being dictated by trends or seasons, do you hope someone to have a Rad Hourani piece forever, not just dispose of it once deemed “last season?”

I think we are conditioned to think that what I do by not having seasons, time, gender is not traditional for a start. So I would say that its not traditional in that sense if you want to use theses words… I avoid all stereotypes in my life. I don’t use theses words, traditional,trends etc. What’s drives me is to create a signature piece of work and a garment that can be worn by anyone at anytime.

Do you think more designers will begin to show more “seasonless” collections with the changes in the global climate? Now we’re seeing snow in summer and summer in winter…

I’m sure that it could be an influence, as it gets worse the consumers will need to adapt themselves. I was the first one to do that, and the first to design a high end unisex line, I did it because it made sense to me and hopefully the whole world understand one day the exact massage.

Considering you haven’t been to Toronto in a decade, why did you say yes to showing at Toronto’s World MasterCard Fashion Week this season?

I said yes because this season it is the 5th anniversary of the brand, and as we are travelling and producing events around the world to celebrate it. I thought to celebrate in Canada should be a part of it as I am an adopted Canadian.

As you are based in Paris, why do you have your clothing made in Canada?

As a pure business point of view it is because our factory is located in Canada, and that it is a very well-oiled operation, and as the saying goes: ” why change something that works well?”

With all the traveling you have done recently for your 5th anniversary, have you decided upon a favourite city in the world?

I don’t have a particular city that I prefer, but I enjoy the way that I am stimulated by different environments, by different cities. New York makes me feel very productive as of Paris inspires me and make me think out of the box. Each city I go to can be my favourite, as I’m not a nationalist.