COSTUME CAPERS

On Saturday, we made tracks to Pinewood Studios for the bi-annual CAFTCAD (Canadian Alliance of Film & Television Arts & Design) sale, where costumers and wardrobers for films and series shooting in the Toronto area get to shed some of the extraneous inventory they have amassed on the job. (There is also vintage, stuff from retailers, stylists and industry rental houses.)

Bargoons are to be had, but the real thrill is poking through the goodies. Where else would you find everything from leather chaps to Japanese robes to fake-blood-stained clothing from The Strain?

Rob and I scored big-time (his fave item is a brand-new Danier leather jacket for one-third of retail; mine is a vintage brocade jacket that is very Lee Radziwill meets Jaqueline Susann) and we ran into a lot of buddies, except for legendary costume designer Juul Haalmeyer, of SCTV fame, who is usually a fixture at the event acting as unofficial greeter.

We missed you, “Costume Juul.”

The signage for the sale, which included black-and-white balloons. It is essential because Commissioner St. is not exactly a major retail go-to.

Bumped into the irrepressible Sheila McCarthy, who found these awesome vintage purses, one of which will be a gift for a friend. 

Ian Drummond’s stall is inevitably our first destination. I pounced on this Union Jack T-shit, which goes with Rob’s tank, purchased in South Beach. Britannia rules!!!

The reincarnation of Groucho Marx , hamming it up with a vendor, is actually  Jonathan Hagey, owner of Kingpin’s Hideaway, destination for “gentlemenswear with balls.” It’s on his business card. I didn’t make it up. Hagey would be officiating at a wedding that night in his Groucho garb.

Super stylist/writer Loretta Chin was there as a civilian; she wasn’t doing much shopping. She’s been a vendor herself many times so it’s not like she needs any more stuff – but then again, neither do we.

I was obsessed with this hombre’s blue ombré hair when I kept running into him. Then I noticed his über cool leather ensemble. Turns out he is a designer at Raw Finery Studio, a fashion lab and studio for young and hungry up-and-comers. Then again, struggling Canadian designers are always hungry. They make even less money than struggling Canadian actors.