EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSIE

I am suffering train lag. Last Sunday we hit the rails to Stratford to visit pals actor Graham Greene (a recent Order of Canada recipient) and his charismatic wife/muse Hilary. There was no theatre involved except for the theatrics of wining and dining and walking and shopping and more wining. The day after we returned, we high-tailed it to the Sky Yard patio lounge at the Drake Hotel for the “Peace” installation by journalist Rosie Levine, Now magazine’s iconic chronicler of T.O.’s nighttime scene for decades.  Her stamina was legendary. 

And tireless Tom Sandler has been busy photographing bold face from the feet up. Here are more examples of his foot-where.

Tom Sandler shot these Tin-Man shoes at a pal’s 85^th birthday party.

Which do I like more? These cool lace-ups or the pedicure?

Additional Sandler footage: Just when I thought I was so over the ubiquitous Valentino rockstud shoes, I am seduced by these in leopard.

And who can resist neon polka dot socks with brogues?

Studded suede, block heels and red toes? You got it all going on, hot mamma.

Marquee outside the Drake Hotel for Rosie Levine’s show of photos of famous folk from Gordon Lightfoot to Mick Jagger flashing the peace sign. Appropriately she staged it on the International Day of Peace.

Uncharacteristically Rosie Levine is not flashing the peace sign, probably because she is otherwise occupied gripping a glass of champers.

Partygoer Coco all decked out in her peace paraphernalia.

CP24 Breakfast TV host Steve Anthony, moi and party promoter Kid Rock (a.k.a Keith Corren) let our fingers do the talking.

All-knowing Oprah rules in the lobby of art dealer Sandra Ainsley’s Annex loft.

Is it just me or does the dude on the menu cover of Pan resto on the Danforth look like Jeff Bridges with Medusa curls and unruly facial hair?

Graham, Hilary Greene and Rob Salem prepare to dig into pre-dinner cocktails and snacks on the patio of the Greene’s stunning Stratford home. It is so sprawling, we could have squatted there and they wouldn’t have noticed.

Horse graffiti on a Stratford side street en route to picking up lunch at York Street Kitchen.  Screw the diet. Their sandwiches are beyond amazing.

Security at the Dollar Store. The pup looks menacing but he is Mr. Softie.

A herd of elephant pants congregated at a Global March for Elephants and Rhinos event to commemorate World Elephant Day.

And yes, they come in blue.

SHOE BIZ

Veteran celebrity and social photographer Tom Sandler has snapped everyone fron the Royals to Nick Nolte. During TIFF, he's gone from crowned heads to festival feet. Here are some of the samplings of red-carpet footwear:

Sarah Beard ties one on.

A little bit retro, and a little bit rock 'n roll.

The good guys wear white hats and white boots (even though it's after Labour Day).

These stilettos weren't made for walking, but maybe for tripping the light fantastic.

These beauties reference two top trends: block heel and gladiator.

Anne Heche and Sandra Oh duet on the red carpet. Not necessarily in that order.

Jennifer Connolly is always fashion forward, this time in a pair of killer combats.

NORDSTROM, HERE I COME

I was one of the 2,000 guests at the gala grand-opening fundraiser at Nordstrom at the Eaton Centre last night and was blown away. It was 213,000 square feet of fabulousity. Holt Renfrew must be quaking in its stilettos. There were two traffic-stopping fashion shows staged at a tented facility across the street at Dundas Square and it all went off flawlessly. No fashion roadkill; kudos to the planners. The food and booze flowed, the staff was plentiful and attentive without being obsequious, and the entertainment rocked. Who knew a band called Dwayne Gretzky was so cool? And I even bought a pair of sneakers. I am not a sneakers girl but they were black Michael Kors with faux-fur magenta accents. Besides, how could I not? Nordstrom started out selling shoes and morphed into this department store with a Barneys vibe minus the attitude.

A view from the red carpet lineup of real, live mannequins posing in the Nordstrom window.

A greeting from Nordstrom staffer Dale, who I have known since he worked at Holt Renfrew, then at The Room in Hudson’s Bay. He has defected from the Bay to become personal shopper at Nordstrom. There is a lot of that going around.

Another dapper Nordstrom dude, who works in the handbag department.

Maybe he can help me track down this amazing Mongolian fur tote bag, as seen on the runway in the fashion show. I had asked a staffer on the floor, who consulted her boss, who found out that it was a Stella McCartney bag specifically brought in for the show but she would go on-line for me. I didn’t wait around, figuring she would blow me off, and went about my business of checking out the store but she actually searched me out in the bar area (safe guess), took my contact deets and promised to call when and if it came in. Now that is customer service!

Another dramatic runway look. The designers included Alexander Wang, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Marchesa, Missoni, Lanvin, Loewe, Simone Rocha and Sonia Rykiel.

Fun faux fur on parade on the main-floor accessories department.

A trio of sassy femmes in quirky chapeaux poses for the paps.

The second-floor bar complete with banquettes, is a welcome watering hole but wreaks havoc with sales resistance. It also gives the store a grown-up vibe without being stuffy.

The catering included pizza in what looks like a cigarette box. The smudgy glass (don’t judge me, the pizza was a tad greasy) gives you an idea of the scale.

A tray of devilled eggs, minus the one I scarfed down. Why was I the only one eating them? What is wrong with people?

The biker jacket I so lust after that I stumbled upon on the second floor, which carries labels from Madewell to Marchesa. 

The coolest guy in the place had to be stylist Luis Rajiv, who is wearing an ensemble consisting of hand-cut brown leather trousers on the bottom and Japanese obi at the back, topped by layers of neck pieces.

Moi and Derick Chetty, current fashion director at Zoomer and former Toronto Star colleague, sit one out.

Footnote: This is how it's done. The gold medalist in the shopping Olympics is John Maloney, Oakville transplant to Dallas, where he is a mild-mannered accessory designer. This haul was in London, England, and he claims it's all for research.

FILM FESTERING

It’s nearing the end of TIFF and I have been negligent. Last year we were in Sicily and avoided the whole festival, the first time in about a quarter of a century of covering it. And guess what? No one died. So this year I have been cherry-picking TIFF events and just attending things I have been invited to and/or attached to people I know. Or involving champagne and seafood.

The three large noggins occupied by Gene Valaitis, Geoffrey Dawe and Rob Salem at the pre-festival cocktailer held in the green room at Roy Thomson Hall and hosted by Dawe’s TIFF Festival Style magazine.

Massage therapist Claire Blondeau, moi and broadcaster Gloria Martin at RT Hall. Claire inevitably gets busier as the festival progresses.

Moi and Bill Marshall, co-founder of TIFF, at his All Star Luncheon at Barberian’s Steak House, serving arguably the best food at the fest. I mean, c’mon: monster shrimp, oyster bar and pass-around fare like oysters Rockefeller. Yumola!!!

Moi and dueling Robs: Rob Salem and Robert DeNiro, part of a celeb portrait installation by veteran photographer Tom Sandler.

The huge wine cellar at Barberian’s, which houses 20,000 bottles of red wine, with an additional 18,000 bottles of white secreted across the street. Imagine being locked there overnight with a cork screw. I have been told that should one find oneself corkscrew-less in such a scenario, one can use the heel of a shoe to uncork the wine. I have yet to try this at home, kids.

The irrepressible Jaymz Bee with comely companion at the luncheon. Told he is channeling Colonel Sanders with that goatee, Bee retorted that he was going for Burl Ives.

Henk Van der Kolk, another co-founder of TIFF when it was called Festival of Festivals, with wife Yanka, iconic photographer and stylist, with just a walk-on by effervescent actor/singer/DJ Melleny Melody at the luncheon.

Rob Salem with the ultimate accessory at TIFF – a moustache fashioned from swizzle sticks.

 

I bumped into this sign in the window of a shop on Queen Street West and it spoke to me, unrepentant shoe slut that I am.

My Marni fake fur shoes face off with Melleny Melody’s glow-in-the-dark high-tops at the All Star Luncheon.

A pair of Chanel see-throughs I encountered and coveted during a non-TIFF cocktailer at a penthouse apartment on Avenue Road. I was a plus-one.

A fabulous pair of men’s Louboutin slip-ons worn by a femme guest at the Birks Diamond Tribute party for this year’s Women in Film honorees at the Shangri-La Hotel.

A killer pair of $20 shoes purchased at Kind Exchange thrift store sported by another guest, who checked the label because she thought they were Betsey Johnson’s but they weren’t. Never mind. They were cool and only $10 a foot.

Actor/comic Naomi Snieckus (right) killed it in a sexy black concoction designed by the fashionable woman beside her and made from vintage fabric.

Another standout gown in a sea of babeliciousness at the Birks event.

I met this delightful staffer at The Bay while I was interviewing a leopard clutch by Brian Atwood. Note how her hair colour perfectly matches the tassel on the bag.

Loved the red Mohawk rocked by a fellow passenger on the Queen streetcar, a.k.a “a streetcar named perspire.” Though a streetcar is not nearly as sweat-drenching as the non-air conditioned subway cars on line two.