David Cormican

David Cormican is an actor/film producer who was born and raised in Alberta, and is currently based in Regina, Saskatchewan. He is also the founder of the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition, which was established in 2008.

How did you get involved in the entertainment industry?
I came into the industry as an actor, and then got involved in writing, in addition to acting. From there, I got into creating and filmmaking, and then a little more into producing. So, that’s what’s led me to my current actor/producer hybrid that I have become.

How did you first become interested in acting?
It was in high school where I was pulled out to an audition for the school musical. It was by a girl – of course, it’s always a girl that lures you in – and she brought me out to the audition, and I had no idea what the hell I was doing. They ended up liking me so much that they had me audition for one of the lead roles. I blew it, so they put me in one of the ensemble roles. That was where my love for theatre and the arts started. At first, I saw it as a way to maybe date the cute girl, and then sort of fell in love with the actual craft itself.

What made you want to start the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition (CSSC)?
I realized that writing is something I’m okay at, but it’s not what I’m great at. There are people that are better at it than I am, and I wanted to find those people and to celebrate their work and to produce it and make it.

What is a typical workday like for you?
I’m trying to avoid this, but it’s email after email after email. I try to only check it a couple of times a day, but it’s so tough because everyone’s trying to pull you from all these different directions.

So, a typical day for me is, get into the office around 9 or so. First thing I do is check the emails, then I start tackling my “to do” list. Usually, I have a couple of meetings scheduled throughout the day. I do a lot of meetings now through Skype, because we’re dealing with a lot of people around the world. I deal with a lot of people in Australia, Iceland… Now we’re dealing with people in Hungary, Norway, and Croatia, so we do a lot of that through Skype, which is great, because you can actually see people’s faces.

Typically, I skip lunch. I’m bad. I typically only eat two meals a day. It depends whether or not I have my daughter that I’ll leave work by 5. If I don’t have my daughter, I’m usually there ‘til maybe a little later, like 7 or 8. Take off. Get home. Eat some dinner. Read some scripts at the end of the night. I try to do all the paperwork during the day, and then read during the night.

What’s been the most memorable experience for you, working in your field?
With the CSSC, we had entries from all over the world. One of our writers, she placed fifth in the competition, and I met her at Banff last year, which is a big television festival for writers, producers, and broadcasters.

The competition was at that point one year old, and she placed fifth, and she had some of the best news for me, which was, as a result of her placing fifth, that gave her the confidence that she needed as a writer – and the validation that she needed – to attend Banff and start pitching. As a result of that, she’s got some broadcasters interested in her series she’s created, and she also was commissioned to write two additional short films.

So, that was the coolest thing that’s happened in a long time, where I just went, “Wow!” (The CSSC) is not just something that happens in my head anymore, it’s actually out there and interacting with other people and affecting them, and making an impact.

What’s the best thing about your job?
I get to pretend every day. We’re creating stories from the ground up, and it’s ever-changing. So, any stories that I get to work on.

Thumb ring

Okay, maybe we can switch gears a bit and talk about your style. How important is fashion and personal style for you?
When I’m in the public, I want to look good and I want to feel good. And I want that image to be reflective of people being excited to be around me and wanting to do business with me. I take a lot of pride in what I wear. I put a concerted effort into looking good every morning, just so that people see, “Oh, he’s young, he’s well-dressed, he’s put together, he’s got a little bit of an edge to him.”

Where do you get your style influences?
I’ll totally admit, I read GQ. I subscribe to it. So, I get a lot of influence from there. I also take a lot of inspiration from – I think a lot of people do this as well – they sort of find a couple of celebrities that they like what they wear, and you sort of see… “Okay, who’s dressing them? What are they wearing these days? What works for them?” You start trying to infuse some of that stuff into your own ensemble.

Where do you do your shopping?
I do a lot of my shopping here in Toronto, just because there’s not a lot of options in Regina for men’s clothing. I also find that one of the overlooked places for fashion, or decent clothes, is The Bay. They’ve got a lot of good stuff, and they have good buyers there. And it’s always great prices, too, because no one shops there (laughs), so everything’s heavily discounted. So, I like to go there. And then, I like to go to boutique shops to find those one-off items that might not be a staple, but it’ll definitely be a piece that adds something to your outfit.

Can you talk about what you’re wearing today?
Actually, a lot of what I’ve got on today is from Vancouver. Maybe I’ve got a west coast vibe going on today.

Thumb ring
I like wearing thumb rings, lately. That’s sort of my big thing. I collect these, and I like to buy them at farmer’s markets, and festivals and events where they’ve got the kiosks out there, so I can support the local guys. This ring I got from a vendor in Vancouver the last time I was there.

Necklace

Leather jacket
The leather jacket is a recent purchase, and it’s something that I’ve always wanted. I haven’t had a leather jacket for years. The ones that I have had were always way too big. My dad gave me one, which was quite cool, because it was his when he was a boy in Ireland, but it just didn’t quite fit right. I didn’t have the heart to not wear it, because it was my dad’s. I finally gave it back to him, and I traded it for this jacket that I picked up at a vintage shop in Vancouver.

Jeans
My jeans are Jack & Jones. I think these were a Winners find, several years ago. These are the very first pair of skinny jeans that I bought. I’m a small build, and have sort of transitioned in the last couple of years to wearing clothes that fit, and slim-fit shirts are kind of in, and readily available at most places, so I’ve started to embrace that and wear clothes that really fit me.

So, these were the first pair of skinny jeans that I ever bought, and I remember being harassed when I bought them, because people had never seen me wear skinny jeans before. But now, if I wear baggy stuff, people are like, “You look weird wearing baggy clothes.”

Necklace
I got this shopping with my daughter one day. She often will pick things up off the (racks and shelves), and this is one of the things she picked up.

Shirt
This is just a waffle shirt that I’ve had for ages. I don’t even know where I picked this up. I think it’s an American Apparel that I got here in Toronto.

Boots
To be honest, I’m madly in love with these suckers right now. I got these in Vancouver. I love the zippers. I never even touch the laces. They’ve got the double zipper on both sides, and they just look so badass.

Is there anything you’d never wear?
I’m pretty open, but I have a tough time wearing cardigans. For whatever reason, it doesn’t make me feel as confident as I want to be.

Boots

What are your interests and hobbies?
I used to enjoy reading in my spare time, but I don’t seem to get to do so much leisure reading anymore, as I am constantly reading scripts, pitches, books and treatments for work that my eyes are exhausted when it comes time to my own personal choices. So, I’ve taken up catching up on seasons of television shows.

As well, I’ve started trying to do things I’ve always wanted to and never really had a decent enough excuse to justify why I still haven’t done it or am not doing it more often. For example, I want to go see more stand-up comedy. So I went just last week with a wonderful person who has chosen to humour my bucket list and ended up spending a night down on King Street at Lou Dawg’s for their comedy night.

What do you want to do in the future?
I want to be a little bit more international in my own life. I understand the appeal of snowbirds now – living in Regina – and so I want to have a warm destination that I live a portion of my year in. I know it’s a bit of a foolish goal, but you’ll understand too, if you move to Regina (laughs).

In terms of career, I want to get to a point where I’m able to successfully produce and act on a constant basis with exciting, engaging, creative people that are as equally passionate about projects, and to get to a point where the CSSC is recognized internationally – not just across our country – as a launcher of writers’ careers.

Find out more about the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition at screenplay-competition.com

JESSICA

First, can you tell us a little about your music?
I’ve been doing music ever since I was born. My mother was a musician and studies music of the world, among other things. I’ve been singing ever since I can remember. My main band, the one I write all the music for, is called The Jessica Stuart Few, and that’s my main project. It’s kind of like a groove-jazz sort of thing, but it’s a little quirkier than that.

How would you describe your personal style?
Eclectic. Heavy on the retro/vintage, but mixing together key pieces from different time periods for my overall look.

Why is fashion/personal style important to you?
I really respect fashion design throughout the eras as functional art. It can also be the outer representation of what a person is on the inside.

Can you tell me about your hairstyle?
I lived in Israel for a year. I sort of just woke up one day and I was like, “I think I’m meant to have dreads.” Stopped using conditioner, kept using shampoo, and it just kind of clumped together. I’ve had them for over ten years now.

What was it like living in Israel?
It’s intense. In Jerusalem, it feels like something’s always about to happen. And being in the desert, like actually in the middle of the desert, just puts it into perspective about how small we are, and how timeless everything is.

What about the fashion?
I actually found Tel Aviv to be the most fashion forward place I had been at that time. One thing that struck me was how the men also were a lot more fashion forward than the men in Canada.

Can you tell me about your cape?
It’s a 50’s cape. I used to be a vintage clothing buyer, and so this is one of the pieces I picked up.

So, you don’t work as a clothing buyer anymore?
I quit that to do full-time music. Actually, my old boss was in town – we’re still friends – and he asked me if I’d be interested in doing it part-time. It’s very demanding. He asked me to do it a couple of days a week, and I said, “No, I don’t think I’m interested.” And then, he’s like, “What would you do?” And I’m like, ”I think one day is my maximum per week,” because it’s just busy and it’s hard to make time for that kind of stuff.

Can you tell me about your skirt?
Well, it was a slip in the 60s. And someone made it themselves, obviously, because the hems aren’t perfect. I just think it’s a cool colour palette. A bunch of colours you wouldn’t necessarily see together, so I like it. I’m sure back in the day it was worn under stuff, but nowadays, more is acceptable.

Shoes?
I got them last year. They’re El Naturalista. They’re the comfiest pair of heels I’ve ever had. I love them.

Is there anything you would never wear?
Big shoulder pads, leggings that go to the ankle, jeans with a denim jacket, stilettos.

Where do you like to shop?
Vintage stores, Girl Friday, Balisi, H&M, boutiques with sales on.

What was the last cool thing you bought?
Vintage off-white leather purse with a motorcycle jacket detail. (See picture)

JESSICA

What is your next must-have purchase?
Colourful dress/casual flats.

Favourite designers?
Bottega Veneta, Kenzo, Elsa Schiaparelli, indigenous peoples clothing (native culture etc.)…

Favourite brands?
For shoes – Fly Girl, El Naturalista.
For jeans – Paper Denim, Citizens of Humanity. Most of my shirts/skirts/dresses are random vintage brands!

What are your interests and hobbies?
Nature – camping/hiking/bike riding/swimming.
Arts & culture – live music, art of all media.
Meeting people – public space, coming together for a common cause, spontaneous fun.

What can’t you live without?
My guitar.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I play the traditional Japanese instrument called the “koto”. I started taking lessons when I lived in Japan as a child.

How did you end up living in Japan?
My parents had both lived in Japan in the 70s. They had both planned to go back at some point when me and my older sister were old enough to gain something from the experience. So, when I was 9, and my sister was 12, we went over there and spent a year there. We were living in a very rural place in Nagano Prefecture. There were no English speakers, or anything like that. My sister and I both went to Japanese school. And we did a Canadian correspondence course so we could go into our next grade when we came back, and not be held back. But it was an amazing experience.

What was it like going to a Japanese school?
Oh, that was weird because I was very blonde when I was a child, and those kids, being from a rural town, had never seen a blonde person before. They just thought I was cool because I was from North America, and I was blonde. I found that I felt kind of alone, because no one actually cared to get to know me, or knew anything about me. I had one real, awesome best friend, and a few other sort-of friends, but yeah, it was definitely a super formative experience in my life.

What are your favourite cities?
Tokyo, New York, Toronto, Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico.

What’s your current obsession?
Last.fm

Last good book you read?
Paul Auster’s ‘The New York Trilogy’

What music are you listening to lately?
Hanne Hukkelberg, Thom Gill.

What would you like to do in the future?
Continue to write music & play it to the widest audience possible!

ROMA

Roma is the guitarist for HOSHI*FURU, a J-rock/pop-influenced band based in Toronto.

Can you tell us about HOSHI*FURU?
We’re all influenced by Japanese music. At first, the style started as a Visual Kei band. Now, we’re more influenced by the hardcore scene, but we still dress up sometimes.

Hat: From some random accessory store
Jacket: Club Monaco
Shirt: French Connection
Pants: J Brand
Shoes: I got them at Winner’s. They’re Italian. I really like them, because they’re really comfortable.

Why is fashion/personal style important to you?
I can’t stand myself when I look the way I don’t want to.

How would you describe your personal style?
It’s so random. And largely depends on my mood. My style definitely
needs a new term to be invented!

What are your style influences/inspirations?
My parents, music, and friends.

Favorite designers?
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Zaitsev, and Tina Ou.

Favourite brands?
Diesel and Royal Order.

Where do you like to shop?
Winners and online.

Whose style do you admire?
I used to like Miyavi’s style.

What was the last cool thing you bought?
New guitar amp.

What is your next must-have purchase?
New dSLR.

What are your favourite cities?
So far, Kiev and Toronto.

What can’t you live without?
Water and food. Other than that, I’m pretty adoptive =)

Is there anything you would never wear?
Sticky clothes.

What are your interests and hobbies?
Guitar equipment, music recording, xtreme sports, fashion,
photography, math and traveling…

When did you start playing guitar?
I started way long ago, but I took it seriously like five years ago.

What’s your idea of a good time?
Hanging out with friends.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I’m an open book.

What’s your current obsession?
Guitar equipment!

Last good book you read?
Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt.

Last good movie you saw?
CRANK 2!

What music are you listening to lately?
Random Indie bands like Coconut Records, MGMT, The Pierces and Tearwave.

What would you like to do in the future?
Travel!

Check out the HOSHI*FURU picture gallery!

MARIA

Maria is the vocalist for HOSHI*FURU, a J-rock/pop-influenced band based in Toronto.

Can you tell us about HOSHI*FURU?
We’re really crazy. We love playing music together, and we love making stuff together. We always hang out, and we’re really close. That’s the best part of HOSHI*FURU.

Shoes: I got them from Payless. These are American Eagle.
Shorts: They’re from Kensington Market, from this boutique called Usato. They have really nice things there. I used to buy everything from that store.
Dress: I got it from Pacific Mall. It was on sale, so I had to get it. It’s really comfortable, too.
Purple hoodie: American Apparel
Scarf: Usato
Glasses: Usato
Drag cart: Betsy Johnson, from Winners

Why is fashion/personal style important to you?
It describes who I am just by looking at what I wear. Fashion, along with music, is basically my lifestyle. Plus, I build up more of a relationship with my older sister, Esther, whenever we shop around or talk about clothes.  : P

How would you describe your personal style?
Really depends on what the day is like (i.e. weather) and what mood I’m in. Most of the time, my hairstyles vary. My absolute favourite is the odango style. I put my hair up into a ball like Sailor Moon, but with just one on the very middle of my head.

I carry different styles of backpacks – my favourite kind of bags – and hang them low so that they cover my backside. Also, the bags need to have a large key chain attached to a zipper.

In my closet would be all sorts of polka dot colours on my clothes, and
other types of patterns, including plaids and checkers.

Let’s just say the majority of the clothes I have symbolizes me as a wild child.

What are your style influences/inspirations?
I grew out of this but I have to give mad props to the kids in the Japanese underground fashion scene. Because of their unique and over-the-top styles, I instantly fell in love with them and it‘s what made me aware of fashion in general. They don’t care what others think of them, and I like that!

Here in North America, not many people wear extravagant clothing in
multiple layers, a ton of accessories, and funky hairstyles like the kids do in Japan.  : /

Not many people here like the idea of stepping out of their doors dressed as a porcelain doll or Strawberry Shortcake. People here are mostly too into commercialized shops and tend to look like everyone else you see in the streets.

Favourite designers?
Anna Sui. Hands down. Her work gives me a lot of inspiration for my designs. Love her cosmetics line, by the way. Also, the vocalist Ryuuji, of the Japanese band ZORO. Dude makes his own clothes and wears them to their gigs! Man, do they look as wild as ever.

MARIA

Where do you like to shop?
Mostly downtown, because that’s where I’m at when I’m not home in Scarborough, hehehe. Definitely has to be Kensington Market, Chinatown, Queen Street West, and wherever my sister or my friends take me. Pacific Mall is definitely a must because when the sales are on, you’ll see me there, dude! I get my band shirts at shows our guitarist, Nan, and I attend.

Whose style do you admire?
One of them would definitely have to be G-YUN, the vocalist of the Japanese ska band GOLLBETTY, and a former model of the fashion magazine called Zipper. She always has something different up her sleeves. Every month she comes up with a drastic change.

What was the last cool thing you bought?
Oh, wow, that was quite a long time ago, hehehe. The most recent shopping spree I’ve had was a few weeks ago. It’s got to be my Polaroid camera. I’ve always wanted to own one of those ever since I was a kid. Although the film’s expensive, it’s fun to take pictures with them.

What is your next must-have purchase?
Hair extensions. I’ve always had the cheap and frail ones. This time, I’ll look for something much more pricey and long-lasting. Besides, with the hair extensions, my odango hair will be much bigger.

What is your favourite city?
Hong Kong — hell yeah! I’m so going to fly back there next summer to go on a shopping spree with my cousins. Stuff over there is cheap and nice.

What can’t you live without?
Lots of stuff! Family, HOSHI*FURU, friends, my laptop, iPod, records, wallet, ID cards, portfolio, and art supplies. I need so much.  : S

Is there anything you would never wear?
A pair of booty shorts. I see girls everywhere with a pair of those shorts on, letting their butt hang out on a hot summer day with guys constantly staring at their junk.

What are your interests and hobbies?
My band, HOSHI*FURU, for sure! We play the type of music we enjoy listening to and have fun with it. Call me nerdy but I have fun with my visual merchandising program in college. Everything in it has to do with design and creative thinking, and those I like and am good at. Oh, of course the hardcore shows Nan and I go to.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
An emotional person. When I need to cry, I do it alone with nobody around at all.

Last book you read?
A boring short story from my English class last year. Dayum, it’s not even a book.  : |

Last good movie you saw?
American Hardcore, a documentary on 1980‘s hardcore punk bands. Dayum good film for anybody who’s into the hardcore punk music scene!

What would you like to do in the future?
Play, tour, and record with the band and to become a visual
merchandiser part time. That would be it!  : Db

Check out the HOSHI*FURU picture gallery!

KIMBERLY

Occupation: Public relations practitioner, blogger

White shirt: My dad’s
Green shirt: Gap
Jeans: J Brand, from Aritzia
Shoes: Zara
Purse: Coach
Bangle: H&M
Earrings: My Aunt Elsa’s. They’re from Africa. She used to live there.
Pendant: Vintage – my mother’s

Why is fashion/personal style important to you?
Fashion/personal style is an exterior representation of yourself to the world – people see the physical you first, and first impressions are very important. It is also a sign of how much you cherish and take care of yourself.

How would you describe your personal style?
I have a variety of styles and dress. I would use the words eclectic, simple/classic, and funky.

What are your style influences/inspirations?
My Aunt Elsa – she always challenged traditional ideals of style and knows how to express her individualism without compromise. She was a model in Jamaica who was one of the first women to wear a two-piece swimsuit (very scandalous in the late 1950s/early 1960s). Also, the women on my maternal side of the family have an innate sense of style – it’s in our genes.

Favourite designers?
I have many but among my favourites are Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gauthier. From Canada they are: Andy The-Anh, Lucian Matis, and Sunny Fong.

Favourite brands?
Brands I can buy or aspire to buy? (Laughing) I like Chanel, H&M, and Zara.

Where do you like to shop?
H&M and Zara. If in the U.S., I go to Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, and when I was living in Tokyo, Japan I shopped a lot in Marui Co. and La Foret Harajuku.

Whose style do you admire?
My Aunt Elsa, Coco Chanel, and Chanel Iman.

Is there anything you would never wear?
No, not yet. I think you must not limit yourself when it comes to fashion and clothing.

What was the last cool thing you bought?
A book called The Fashion Questionnaire, published by Assouline. It gives an inside look at the designer icons who influence fashion and contemporary culture. The designers answer a series of questions (similar to Style Invasion) about style and inspiration in their own handwriting.

What is your next must-have purchase?
Lagerfeld Confidential (DVD).

What are your favourite cities?
Tokyo, London, and Toronto.

What can’t you live without?
My cell phone, computer, iPod, and high heel shoes!

What are your interests and hobbies?
Blogging, books, fashion, social media, shopping, and yoga.

What’s your idea of a good time?
Going shopping when there is barely anyone in a store, or spending time with friends and family.

What’s your current obsession?
Writing about fashion and the retail industry on my blog, Thesoulsofmyshoes.com.

How did you decide to start a fashion blog?
I’ve always been a lover of fashion. I’ve always felt very passionate about it. I felt this was the time to take it to the next level and show how much knowledge I have – use it as a hobby to express myself intelligently and creatively, and also give myself something to add to my portfolio and body of work.

Last good movie you saw?
Coco Chanel, 2008 television movie.

What music are you listening to lately?
R&B, jazz, and reggae.

What would you like to do in the future?
To work for Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) or PPR.

KATE

Occupation: Singer-songwriter

Shirt: Some people at my school started this group that was like a mini-eBay kind of thing, so we were bidding on items and I got this for like $3 dollars.
Dress: From a place called Twylite.
Belt: My mom gave me this. It’s vintage from the 80s.
Doc Martens: My friends all pitched in to get them for me for my birthday.
Bag: From King of Kensington. I bought it for Pride.
Bracelets: I really like the rainbow bracelets. They just go with everything.

Why is fashion/personal style important to you?
When I was younger, I was really insecure, & I felt like my appearance
didn’t reflect my personality, & wasn’t showcasing who I was. I
started to dress up because I wanted my outer shell to match all the
electricity & vivacity I felt inside, & now I feel confident that it
does.

How would you describe your personal style?
The name I’ve given to my overall style concept is “neon pinup”. It’s
sort of a mix of quintessential 50s bombshells & 80s teen queens, with
a little bit of androgyny & British schoolboy thrown in for good
measure.

What are your style influences/inspirations?
Indie musicians like Regina Spektor & Bryce Kulak, who make up
story-songs about these incredibly eclectic characters. There’s this
one line in a Bryce Kulak song that goes, “a shifty-eyed girl with a
purple knapsack that stuck out in a crowd,” & that definitely has
inspired me many, many times.

Favourite designers?
I think Emilio Pucci has always been incredibly courageous with colour
& pattern, which I admire a whole lot. Betsey Johnson is also a
mastermind of visual decadence. My favourite independent designer is
Rhiannon Toast of Toast Clothing – her stuff is so whimsical, cheery &
inventive.

Favourite brands?
At the mall I always head straight for H&M or Fairweather. They do
reasonably-priced pieces that are genuinely classy & make me feel like
a modern-day princess.

Where do you like to shop?
I am a big vintage fan. Value Village is my holy grail for cheap
treasures. Kensington Market also regularly amazes me, especially
Flash Back & King of Kensington. Another Kensington shop, Twylite,
doesn’t focus on vintage, but I have dresses from there that I bought
3+ years ago that still continue to frequent & inspire my outfits all
the time.

Whose style do you admire?
I’m crazy about Gala Darling’s pairing of sweet elements, like pink
florals, with tougher elements, like a black patent leather corset
belt. Tricia Royal’s penchant for ridiculously bright colour
combinations & urban chic makes me sooo happy. Dita Von Teese always
looks fantastic, even though it’s a tad unrealistic to try to live up
to her standards of constant flawlessness.

What was the last cool thing you bought?
I was at the King of Kensington a couple weeks ago & there was this
pair of bright red sparkly boxers on the counter, waiting to be
priced. On a complete whim, I added them to my pile of purchases &
bought them for $5 dollars. To my immense surprise & delight, I have been
wearing them as shorts pretty regularly since then. I LOVE them!

What is your next must-have purchase?
I’m currently on the mad hunt for a vintage bowler hat, à la Liza
Minnelli. Preferably I’d like one in my favorite colour, royal blue,
because I want to do something different & make strangers smile at me
on the street.

What can’t you live without?
In terms of style – black leather boots, colourful stretch belts from the 80s,
black liquid eyeliner, & my purple velvet blazer. Beyond that – as
long as I have a piano, my Moleskine, & internet access, I’m pretty
happy.

Is there anything you would never wear?
Whenever I answer this question, I always end up breaking my own rules
way later (e.g. maxi-skirts, crop tops, leggings worn as pants). However, if you ever see me wearing sweatpants with text on the back, it’s safe to assume my body has been taken over by aliens.

KATE, details

What are your interests and hobbies?
Music (piano, guitar, ukulele, singing, songwriting)!! I also write a
lot, keep a delightfully kindergarten-esque art journal, volunteer at
Genderfork.com, & starting next year I will be one of the
co-ordinators of my school’s Queer-Straight Alliance.

Can you tell me a little bit about your music?
I kind of developed this style that was a mix of folk and musical theatre, because I’m really into musicals and I’ve always been a big Broadway geek. So, it’s sort of like theatrical folk.

What’s your idea of a good time?
A night at the Bad Dog Theatre! Improv is one of the great passions &
joys of my life, both watching & doing. When I’ve had a rough day or
want to forget something that’s going on in my life, nothing helps me
more than a little comedy therapy.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I have an intensely embarrassing love for awful late-90s pop music.
Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, O-Town, A-Teens… Gimme it all, I’ll eat it
up.

What’s your current obsession?
I’ve reeeeally gotten into art journaling lately, so I’ve been making
frequent trips to my local art store to buy big bags of things like
gesso, gel medium, inkpads, watercolour pencils, & metallic Sharpies.
The art store happens to be less than a block away from my favourite
Value Village, which is a bonus.

What is your favourite city?
Honestly, I positively adore Toronto & I’m so glad I live here. People
are personable, interesting, & have great style. I’ve been to New York
a handful of times, & while I loved the energy, I missed my hometown
much more than I thought I would.

Last good book you read?
Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman. I particularly love his
deeply philosophical essay about how The Sims holds up a mirror to our
idea of reality. He’s brilliant & hilarious.

Last good movie you saw?
Lately I’ve been renting all the John Cusack movies I haven’t seen
before & overdosing on his pretty face. As cheesy as it was, I enjoyed
Serendipity quite a lot.

What music are you listening to lately?
Regina Spektor (I’m a hardcore old-school fan from back before she was
famous!), John Legend, John Mayer, Daniel Bedingfield, The Softies,
Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Fleet Foxes, Stacey Kent, Bryce Kulak, The
Weepies, Chris Garneau, & old Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong duets.

What would you like to do in the future?
I have so many ambitions that I want to pursue in my life. Ideally I’d
spend my days painting, writing, & setting up cool pro-queer events &
groups to support queer Canadian youth, & then at night I’d go out &
perform at clubs & cafés. Music is definitely my main passion but I
don’t think I could ever be satisfied if I limited myself to only one
avenue of expression. X

Find out more about Kate and her music here

AARON

Occupation: Musician/Radio broadcasting student

How would you describe your personal style?
I don’t really try to emulate any particular style. It’s kind of a fusion of punk and classic rock.

What are some of your style influences?
It’s a combination of A Clockwork Orange and late 70’s/early 80’s rock.

How did you develop your look?
Basically, I’ve been buying second-hand clothes since I was probably 15 years old. I always had a love for 60’s and 70’s-style clothing. There’s a period where I only wore bell-bottoms and t-shirts, and now I’ve got t-shirts and crazy pants. It’s just been an evolution over time.

What kind of reactions do you get?
(The reactions are) pretty positive, except in certain situations. Last week, I went to a bar in Windsor, and I was wearing this top hat and the zebra print pants and the guy was giving me a hard time. He’s asking me, “Why are you dressed like that?” And I said, “Well, why not?” And he said, “I’ll give you 35 good reasons.”

Can you tell me about your hat?
I like top hats and derbies and fedoras. I have a few vintage fedoras that were my grandfather’s. I’ll wear pretty well any hat but a baseball cap. I have berets as well. I’ve been looking for a long time for a top hat — at an affordable price. Usually, you find those satin, classical opera hats and they’re like 200 to 500 bucks, but I lucked out on this one and I got this for like 55 bucks at Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Sunglasess?
These were given to me by my super groovy and special lady friend. I’m a big Frank Zappa fan. I was watching one of his old concerts and the bass player was wearing sunglasses exactly like these, and I was like, “Cool!”

Bandana?
I just have them lying around the house. My dad has a whole collection of bandanas.

Can you tell me about your A Clockwork Orange shirt?
I got this at a store called Darkside (452 Queen Street West). They sell a lot of movie t-shirts — mostly horror movie t-shirts. I happened to be in there and it was the very last one they had and it was in the size that I wear, so that was perfect. I love that movie and I love the shirt, and people like the shirt as well. I’ve received compliments on this shirt.

What in particular do you like about the movie?
I like the style. I like the characters. It’s a 70’s movie. It’s a futuristic movie, but it was made in the 70’s, and you can still see the 70’s look within all the characters, like the hair and the hats. It’s just a really cool movie.

Where did you get your pants?
These pants are probably the steal of the century. I got these for $5 dollars from Black Market (256a Queen Street West). They’re actually ladies pants — I’m not going to lie to you — but the sales clerk was like, “Oh, there were three of us that wanted those pants! They just came in today.” They were my exact waist size, and they actually weren’t too short in the legs, which is always a problem. I have a thing for animal print. I don’t know why. I like zebra, leopard, tiger, whatever I can find. I have three pairs of animal print pants now, but only two fit comfortably.

Studded bracelet?
I got this at a military surplus store in London.

Shoes?
My generic, black shoes are Joe Fresh shoes that I got at a grocery store.

Can you tell me a bit about your music?
I’m a one-man band, basically. It’s called Wild Wild Water Buffalo. It’s an infusion of bass, drums and guitar. I play everything myself. It’s all instrumental rock. I just do it for fun, really. I just love music and I’ve played music since grade 5.

Outside of music, what are your interests?
I like photography a lot. I like to take a lot of pictures. And I just got into this thing now where I’m doing photographic artwork.

What do you want to do in the future?
I’d like to be employed in radio as a DJ. That’s what I’m in school for. My aspirations are within the broadcasting industry.

Check out Aaron’s music at myspace.com/wildwildwaterbuffalo