2022-02-01 Elle Canada

FEBRUARY/
MARCH 2022

ELLE
INTERNATIONAL

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NO 239

FE BRUARY/M ARCH 2022

76 ON THE COVER

30 STYLE Behind the scenes PHOTOGRAPHY, ROYAL GILBERT

at Alexander McQueen.
BY RANDI BERGMAN

51 BEAUTY ELLE editors from

around the globe pick their
favourite products.
BY THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU

70 PROFILE Four Indigenous change

makers on what they’re fighting for.
BY CAMILLE CARDIN-GOYER

STYLE & FASHION

23 STYLE High-fashion menswear

brand 3.Paradis. BY ERICA NGAO

24 STYLE Celebrating the breast.

BY CAITLIN AGNEW

27 SHOPPING Colour-blocking.
28 STYLE The history of the platform

shoe. BY MAROUCHKA FRANJULIEN

29 SHOPPING Boots with attitude.
76 FASHION Young at heart.
96 FASHION The evolution of

menswear. BY CAITLIN AGNEW

BEAUTY &
WELLNESS

58 HEALTH Dealing with hair loss.

BY INGRIE WILLIAMS

61 SHOPPING Valentine’s Day self-love.
62 BEAUTY Yseult is taking over.

BY GABRIELLE LISA COLLARD

64 BEAUTY Lip tinting.

BY THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU

65 BEAUTY Chanel’s new lineup.

BY THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU

66 HEALTH Athletic performance

and your menstrual cycle.
BY MARIE-PHILIPPE JEAN

12 E L L E C A N A D A . C O M



76

FEATURES 106 TRAVEL Club Med’s new EVERY MONTH

34 SOCIETY Flipping the script resort is in Charlevoix, Que. 15 PUBLISHER’S NOTE
BY SOPHIE BANFORD 17 JOANIE’S PICKS
on traditional proposals. 18 FRONT ROW
BY EVE THOMAS 108 FOOD Bryant Terry’s uplifting 33 DEBUT
37 ELLE ONLINE
38 BOOKS Heather O’Neill new Black-food anthology. 112 SHOPPING GUIDE
BY AMAN DOSANJ 113 HOROSCOPE
explores the Victorian era in her 114 FINALE
latest novel. BY WENDY KAUR 111 DESIGN Big into bouclé.

40 TELEVISION Pop-culture on the cover PHOTOGRAPHY, ROYAL GILBERT; DRESS AND EARRINGS (ALEXANDER MCQUEEN)

resolutions. BY PATRICIA Clockwise, from top left: Victoria Kakuktinniq is wearing a
KAROUNOS coat from the Canada Goose Project Atigi 2022 collection
and a sweater by Canada Goose; Marika Sila is wearing a
43 CULTURE How metal music coat from the Canada Goose Project Atigi 2022 collection,
a top and pants by Andrew Coimbra and boots by Canada
can foster healing. Goose; Willow Allen is wearing a coat from the Canada Goose
BY MELISSA VINCENT Project Atigi 2022 collection, a dress by Stella McCartney,
an earring by ORA-C and boots by Canada Goose; Shina
46 SOCIETY The rise in domestic Novalinga is wearing a coat from the Canada Goose Project
Atigi 2022 collection, a top by Monthly Payment, pants by
violence across the country. Lisa Yang and her own earrings. Photographer Oumayma
BY CARLA CICCONE B. Tanfous Art director Marie-Michèle Leduc Stylist Samuel
Fournier (Teamm Agency) Makeup artist Nicolas Blanchet
103 DECOR Maximalism to (Folio Montreal/Charlotte Tilbury) Hairstylist Steven Turpin
(Oribe) Editorial producer Estelle Gervais Set coordinator
the max. BY RANDI BERGMAN Laura Malisan Photographer’s assistant Emily V. Gilbert Stylist’s
assistant Ana Lontos
14 E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

PHOTOGRAPHER, ANDRÉANNE GAUTHIER; STYLIST, LAURA MALISAN; HAIRSTYLIST AND MAKEUP ARTIST, VIRGINIE VANDELAC. S. BANFORD IS WEARING A SWEATER BY THEORY (AT HOLT RENFREW) AND JEANS AND JEWELLERY (HER OWN). HOME
ALONE

A REWEBORNSOCIABLEordowebecomesociableover Consider dating apps—there are more than 200 million
time? For as long as I can remember, I’ve always active users on the most popular platforms. And you can make
loved being surrounded by people. As a child, new friends with Meet Up or Huggle; avoid ever having to ask
I would visit my grandmother in her big house, for a table for one thanks to the app Never Eat Alone; play
where seven of my young uncles still lived, as often games with others on endless apps; and even study, work or
as possible. The bustle of everyday life reassured me. Often, do housework with a “body double” (a term coined by the
friends and relatives would join the cheerful group to play cards ADHD community that refers to someone who’s present
or share a meal or a bottle of wine. The huge freezer was filled while you complete tasks of any kind).
with tourtières, pâtés and pies to keep everyone satiated. The
atmosphere was always convivial, loud and full of laughter. After long months of confinement, we can certainly appreciate
Even today, nothing makes me happier than having friends these different ways to break the isolation and meet new and
and family over for engaging conversation and great food. interesting people. But should we relearn how to be alone...for
real? Being alone is not really Instagrammable, but it is an integral
Recently, I read an article about whether autophobia— part of a healthy and fulfilling personal life. When we’re alone,
the fear of being alone (a.k.a. FOBA)—is the new evil of the we can better connect with our inner feelings; psychiatrists talk
century. And since I’m accustomed to being surrounded by about “sitting with our emotions.” But today, being alone—facing
others, I wondered if I myself suffer from FOBA, because, oneself—has become a real metaphysical test. Following the
like many people, as soon as I’m solo, my eyes drift to my (small) Christmas parties and social effervescence of this past
social-media feeds in search of human contact, no matter holiday season, I propose that we spend some time in our own
that it’s virtual. So even when I’m alone, I’m not quite alone. company—without cheating. Let’s put our phones down for a
And there are entire industries that fuel this insatiable desire few hours, take the time to get to know ourselves again and start
for company. the new year right: lost in our own thoughts.

Sophie Banford, publisher @sophiebanford

15E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

FULLER, PUBLISHER SOPHIE BANFORD
THICKER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JOANIE PIETRACUPA

& LONGER- CREATIVE DIRECTOR ANNIE HORTH
LOOKING ASSOCIATE EDITOR JOANNA FOX

LASHES IN JUST BEAUTY DIRECTOR THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU
4 WEEKS!* GRAPHIC DESIGNER LAURENCE FONTAINE
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR CLAUDIA GUY
*Based on Consumer
Research Studies FASHION & MARKET EDITOR ESTELLE GERVAIS
FASHION FEATURES WRITER MAROUCHKA FRANJULIEN

DIGITAL DIRECTOR CYNTHIA QUELLET
DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER HEATHER TAYLOR-SINGH

DIGITAL CONTENT ASSISTANT ALEX GONTHIER
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT NATHALIE BOURASSA

CONTRIBUTORS
CAITLIN AGNEW, RANDI BERGMAN, GUILLAUME BRIÈRE, CAMILLE CARDIN-GOYER, CARLA CICCONE,
GABRIELLE LISA COLLARD, AMAN DOSANJ, MARJORIE DUNHAM-LANDRY, JANE FIELDING, DIANA HABER,
MARIE-PHILIPPE JEAN, PATRICIA KAROUNOS, WENDY KAUR, MARLEE KOSTINER, ELISABETH MASSICOLLI,
KATIE MOORE, ERICA NGAO, CÉSAR OCHOA, CIARA RICKARD, CAITLIN STALL-PAQUET, EVE THOMAS,

ALEX VALLIÈRES, MELISSA VINCENT, INGRIE WILLIAMS

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JOANIE’S PICKS CA N A D
A
CA N A D SHOP A

PHOTOGRAPHY, MAUDE ARSENAULT (J. PIETRACUPA) BEAUTY

The everything stick

Nudestix has been specializing in cruelty-free makeup sticks
for the face, eyes and lips since 2014. I can’t get enough of
this set with its neutral, matte, satin and metallic shades,
which help me create flawless looks for day or night.

Nudestix Dew Wop Kit ($89, nudestix.ca)

Winter Wants

Editor-in-Chief JOANIE PIETRACUPA

SHOP

JEWELLERY

Flower power
Canadian brand
Dconstruct’s eco-friendly
recycled-resin jewellery

is inspired by nature
and handmade using
materials sourced from
artisan communities in
developing countries
across the globe.

“Daisy Mania” earrings, Dconstruct
($90, dconstruct.ca)

STYLE

The padded bag

Inspired by Louis Vuitton artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière’s “Pillow
Boots,” the new “Maxi Multi Pochette Accessoires” handbag, part of
the LV Pillow collection, is quilted, cozy and made of up to 90 percent
sustainably sourced materials. It comes in two colourways (black/
fuchsia and khaki/beige) and is as fashionable as it is light, durable
and multi-purpose.

“Maxi Multi Pochette Accessoires” bag, Louis Vuitton (price upon request, louisvuitton.com)

17E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

FRONT ROW

February/March
What’s on the ELLE editors’ radar right now.

ASHYA X MICHAEL KORS TEXT, THÉO DUPUIS-CARBONNEAU, JOANNA FOX, MAROUCHKA FRANJULIEN & CAITLIN STALL-PAQUET; PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF PHAIDON (STUDIO KO: YVES SAINT LAURENT MUSEUM MARRAKECH)

In the wake of its 40th anniversary, MICHAEL KORS is celebrating in a new design inspired by West African weaving techniques.
the future of the fashion industry by collaborating with Ashya, a “Birthdays make you think about both the past and the future,”
New York-based unisex-accessories label launched in 2017 by says Michael Kors. “I started my company in New York in 1981,
two Black entrepreneurs, Ashley Cimone and Moya Annece. and today I find it very exciting to be able to highlight the next
The partnership, which provides a global platform for the young generation of designers working right here [in Manhattan].” The
brand, has resulted in two exclusive bags featuring Ashya’s limited-edition collection will be available starting January 13.
minimalist aesthetic and the MK signature logo coming together
michaelkors.ca

18 E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

PREMIER CRU

Put away the bottle opener—this high-end cru is not for
sipping. CAUDALIE’s luxurious Premier Cru line promises
to rejuvenate the skin thanks to an innovative discovery in
epigenetics made at Harvard Medical School, with whom
the Bordeaux-based brand has been collaborating for
nearly 10 years. The new complex at the heart of these
products is based on resveratrol and honokiol (a molecule
derived from the magnolia tree), and it boosts an enzyme
that’s naturally present in the skin to correct the eight signs
of aging by erasing the markers on our genes that hinder
the production of proteins necessary for skin health. “It’s as
if the marks on our genes were scratches on a compact
disc and this new scientific advancement has made it
possible to polish it so that it becomes like new again,“
says Mathilde Thomas, founder of Caudalie. As an added
bonus, the anti-aging moisturizing cream is now refillable.

From $89, caudalie.com

A Mark OVER THE
on Marrakech MOON

On January 19, Phaidon released YVES SAINT LAURENT MUSEUM This pretty wrist
MARRAKECH, which tells the story of how the landmark Moroccan accessory was created
museum dedicated to the legendary French fashion designer came by Longines, a
together. A collaboration between Saint Laurent’s partner, Pierre Bergé, stalwart of Swiss
and architecture firm Studio KO, the book was conceived as a diary and watchmaking.
explores the intersection of design, fashion and architecture. New to the brand’s
flagship line, the
phaidon.com Longines Master
Collection, the
watch features
a 40-millimetre
steel case, a
midnight-blue
dial and, for
those with an
affinity for our
lunar neighbour, a
moon-phase indicator.

longines.com

19E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

NSkeiwn BEDROOM PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF KO MEDIA (PILLOW TALK), MATHIEU FORTIN (KANUK) & CBC (THE PORTER)
Charlotte’s Beautiful HUMOUR
Skin Foundation, from
British makeup artist and PILLOW TALK, a new
businesswoman Charlotte Canadian sketch-comedy
Tilbury, was created after series from KOTV that’s
three long years of research premiering on Crave on
February 10, chronicles
and development, and it the intimate events, living
promises to even out the situations and emotions
complexion while infusing experienced by five
skin with active ingredients different twosomes—all
to improve its long-term within the four walls of
health. “Whether you’re in their respective bedrooms.
the outdoor light or inside, Realistic, raw and often
the finish of this product is poignant, this original show
absolutely impeccable,” explores what happens
says Tilbury. “You wouldn’t behind closed doors when
couples tangle over sex,
even say that you’re ambition, parenthood and
wearing foundation—just even underwear. crave.ca
that the skin is absolutely
BY THE
magnified and radiant.” BOOK
The secret of this new hybrid
Though she has been
product? Coconut extract, gone for more than
which plumps the skin 60 years, Zora Neale
Hurston’s influence
and minimizes moisture on literature lives
loss, a rose complex that on. The works
of the African-
illuminates and a new American novelist,
molecule developed by journalist and essayist remained
in relative darkness throughout
the brand, called “CT her life, though they have since
Defence,” that protects been recognized for their deep
the skin from pollution. influence, confirming her place in
the Southern Gothic literary canon.
$53, charlottetilbury.com Being released in time for Black
History Month, You Don’t Know
20 E L L E C A N A D A . C O M Us Negroes and Other Essays is
the first comprehensive collection of
essays, articles and criticism by this
pillar of the Harlem Renaissance.

harpercollins.com

FRONT ROW

SoHo Bound

Montreal-based luxury-outerwear brand KANUK, which has been providing
Canadians with stylishly warm coats for the past 50 years, has headed
south of the border to New York City for its first U.S. outpost. “Our SoHo
store is an exciting new chapter in our evolution from small outerwear
manufacturer to global Canadian brand,” says Kanuk president Richard
Laniel. The boutique’s design was inspired by wintry Montreal nights as well
as the energy of the city’s idealistic and transformative years of the ’60s and
’70s. Showcasing the brand’s fall/winter 2021/2022 core collection—along
with styles that are exclusive to this location—the new store also includes
Kanuk’s first transitional collection for milder weather. kanuk.com

RIGHT ON TIME MITSKING IT UP

Dive into a rarely explored chapter of Canada’s past with CBC’s new Things have been quiet on the Mitski front since
historical drama THE PORTER, created in collaboration with BET+ and 2018, when the Japanese-American singer-
songwriter released her critically acclaimed album
hitting the airwaves on February 21. Set in the early 1920s, it’s a story Be the Cowboy, which made many best-of-
about the friends and families of two Black train porters who set off on the-year roundups. But that’s set to change on
starkly different paths in search of a better life after the death of a fellow February 4 with the drop of the highly anticipated
worker. The cast of rising stars (including Aml Ameen of I May Destroy You Laurel Hell, which introduces a more uptempo,
and Ronnie Rowe Jr. of Star Trek: Discovery) portrays characters living in danceable version of Mitski while exploring themes
Montreal, Chicago and every town along the railway in between. cbc.ca of transformation, vulnerability, resilience, sorrow
and delight. “I wrote what I needed to hear—as I’ve
always done,” said Mitski in a press release. And
considering that her 2022 North American tour is
already sold out, it seems that there are a lot of fans
who need to hear Mitski too. mitski.com

21E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

FRONT ROW

GAME ON HELLO, BEAUTIFUL

As Canadian athletes head to Beijing this Meet the limited-edition beauty
February, they’re getting a little extra style collab everyone will want to
kick with the help of Lululemon, the official get their paws on this year: Pixi
new outfitter for Team Canada and Canadian and Hello Kitty. We spoke with
Olympic and Paralympic games athletes Petra Strand, founder of the
until 2028. The once-yoga-centric Vancouver British cosmetics brand, to
brand, which knows a thing or two about learn everything about this
mixing function and fashion, will be donating perfect pairing.
10 percent of sales of a special edition bag to
support Canadian athletes. Where did the idea to collaborate
with Hello Kitty come from? “I’ve
lululemon.com always loved Hello Kitty, which,
like Pixi, was born in London. It was
my first pencil case—given to me PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF LULULEMON (LULULEMON)
by my grandmother—and now I
have a Hello Kitty box to store my
makeup brushes in.”

How has the world of Hello Kitty

influenced the packaging and
products in this collection? “I set
my sights on the vintage graphic
elements of Hello Kitty, [and
they’re] drawn in gold on cases
in shades of green and pink for a
more sophisticated look. We also
created a new leaf mask that
contains antioxidant extracts from
apples, Hello Kitty’s favourite fruit,
and the Glowy powder and Eye
Effects palette are embossed with
the cat’s iconic face. At the end
of the day, we’re talking about
cosmetics and skincare, so it has
to be fun!”

What are your favourite products
from this collaboration? “I have
a soft spot for the AnyWhere
plumping and soothing patches,
which can be placed anywhere
on the face or neck, the beautiful
Eye Effects shadow palette and
the Lip Tone lipgloss, which adjusts
to the pH of the skin to create a
pink that’s unique to everyone.”

From $8, pixibeauty.com

STYLE

3.PARADIS

Emeric Tchatchoua’s high-fashion menswear
brand is constantly and meaningfully evolving.

By ERICA NGAO

TO SAY THAT THE PAST FEW YEARS have been a whirlwind for

Emeric Tchatchoua would be an understatement. Along with

navigating the pandemic, the founder and creative director

of Montreal-based 3.Paradis has also been juggling a new

role: fatherhood. Introspection is at the core of his brand (the

numeral stands for mind, body and soul), and his spring/

summer 2022 collection is all about the personal growth and

transformation that take place when one becomes a parent.

“[The collection] explores this idea of a renaissance,” says

Tchatchoua. “I almost became another person through the

birth of a child.” Signature motifs—such as doves, teddy

bears (based on the one he had as a child) and violins—recur

throughout and express themes of freedom, purity and learning.

Since launching 3.Paradis in 2013, Tchatchoua has been

widely acclaimed both at home and internationally for his

exploration of storytelling. In 2019, he was shortlisted for 3.Paradis spring/summer 2022
the coveted LVMH Prize, which recognizes the industry’s

brightest emerging stars, and he won Menswear Designer

of the Year at the 2021 Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards. GREATER PURPOSE

Now, Tchatchoua is taking his philosophy beyond the studio “The brand has always been about making a better world and

through philanthropic projects like The Little Paradis, a draw- sharing our values. To make clothes is not enough because there’s

ing book benefiting the Montreal Children’s Hospital, and so much already. What we want to do is send a message and

PHOTOGRAPHY, RASHIDI NOAH (3.PARADIS SPRING/SUMMER 2022) & YAN BLENEY (E. TCHATCHOUA) a T-shirt designed in partnership with The Shoebox Project use fashion as a platform to bring about change. As the brand

to help women who have been impacted by homelessness. evolves, the clothes are becoming almost a by-product; the

product is the message that we want to translate through the

Emeric collection. It’s really about the idea and the stories, which are what
Tchatchoua I love because, to me, they have more

VISUAL DICTIONARY meaning than a piece of clothing.”

“We’re trying to evolve with every

collection. To be human [means] TRUST THE PROCESS

constant evolution. I’m not the same “I want to be able to keep enjoying this

person I was last year, and I need to show journey. The rest will just fall into place. I

that [with my designs]. Nothing stays know where we’re heading, but I need

the same. But through this language, to keep walking to see what’s ahead.

if you [were to go] back to this body of There’s really nothing more [to do than to]

work 10 years from now, you’d be able to keep going, have fun and [try] to provide

understand everything. I’d be able to talk opportunities. It’s so important to help

to you through the symbolism. It’s just like people out when you can—to exchange

painting, but you’re telling the story with and to give. How can I help other people’s

fabrics and forms.” lives shine through my own?”

23E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

SCHIAPARELLI

style

GUCCI
GIVENCHY
LOEWE

PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE BREAST
IN SHOW

A rise in BODY POSITIVITY and SIZE DIVERSITY
is creating a chest-forward fashion movement.

By CAITLIN AGNEW

WHEN JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE RIPPED OFF a piece of Janet Jackson’s top at the 2004 Super
Bowl, it was a “wardrobe malfunction” heard around the world—a controversial
nip slip that’s still reverberating to this day via the 2021 docuseries Malfunction: The
Dressing Down of Janet Jackson. Of all the body parts, none has the power to captivate
attention quite like the breast. As a motif in fashion, art and design, it’s loaded with
meaning. In 2022, the breast has become a symbol of body positivity and celebration.

“We all have a huge fascination with bodies, especially now,” says Sashagai
Ruddock, a Toronto-based content creator and designer of fashion label Flaws of
Couture, which offers sizing from small to 5X. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve all
been super focused on perfection or imperfection—whatever that means. I don’t
really subscribe to the idea that we’re imperfect in any way.” That focus has cropped
up on spring runways, where breasts have come to symbolize that ongoing con-
versation about our bodies. Schiaparelli’s signature Surrealist approach included
metallic breastplates, bras with circus-like swirls and jackets with gold nipples and

25E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

STYLE

AS DESIGNERS JOIN IN Of course, taking inspiration from the female form in fashion,
WITH CLOTHING THAT art and design is nothing new. Consider Jean Paul Gaultier, who
OVERTLY REFERENCES famously dressed Madonna in a pink satin cone bra for her Blond
Ambition tour in 1990, and Lady Gaga, who shot sparks from
OUR MOST LOADED a metallic bustier onstage at the MuchMusic Video Awards in
BODY PARTS, THEY’RE 2009. In 2022, however, the mood feels like a departure from
ENCOURAGING WEARERS the references of yore, where breasts were put on display for
TO CELEBRATE THEIR erotic admiration or simply for shock value. “[I think that] the
BODIES AND BID ADIEU breast-forward trend in fashion is [due to] the huge rise in size
TO A ONE-SIZE-FITS- diversity and body positivity,” says Lauren Chan, an advocate
for size inclusivity, a former editor at Glamour and the founder
ALL MINDSET. and CEO of luxury womenswear line Henning, which offers
sizes 12 to 26. Chan says it’s obvious that the message we’re
soft-pink rosettes that cascaded down into floor-grazing drapes. getting from across the industry is that there’s not just one
At Prada in Milan, the linear line of a chunky-knit sweater was way to have breasts. “It’s clear to me that the influence comes
interrupted by the curvy outline of the lower bust, while over from the acceptance of what real bodies look like,” she says.
on Hollywood Boulevard, Gucci creative director Alessandro “Fashion is typically made for a very straight, very small body,
Michele added bustier detailing to dresses. In London, Simone and the clothes are cut that way. Even if you look at someone
Rocha’s ethereal collection included a deranged negligee who is close to sample size in the real world, they often aren’t
inspired by motherhood. “I also made a lot of dresses that as straight as a model through the chest or the hips.”
open at the front and back, which you do need when you’re
nursing,” she told Vogue.com. “I wanted to support the breasts As designers join in with clothing that overtly references
with corseting and release the hips.” our most loaded body parts, they’re encouraging wearers to
celebrate their bodies and bid adieu to a one-size-fits-all mind-
These designs have quickly become celebrity favourites. set. “It’s empowering to see shapeliness embraced,” says Chan.
Zendaya wore a gold Loewe breastplate to the Women in Consider the aesthetic of Victoria’s Secret, which dominated
Film Honors at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures North American notions of female beauty until very recently.
in October last year, and in early 2020, the Dune star wore a In the #MeToo era, the brand has effectively been cancelled
fuchsia Tom Ford breastplate to the Critics Choice Awards—one because of its unrealistic beauty expectations, not to mention
that was also worn by Gwyneth Paltrow on the February former CEO Les Wexner’sclose association with Jeffrey Epstein.
2020 cover of Harper’s Bazaar. And in the video for Lizzo’s hit Stepping into its place is Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty inclusive
single “Rumors,” released last August, Cardi B sported a gold lingerie line, a refreshing antidote to Victoria’s Secret’s physical
breastplate commissioned by stylist Kollin Carter and sculpted homogeneity. Backstage at her show in 2018, Rihanna told The
by Misha Japanwala, an artist known for creating body casts New York Times that her fashion shows represent what she hopes
that are worn as garments. to see in the future: women of all body types, races and cultures
being celebrated. “It’s a shame that women have to feel insecure
The breast is also being referenced in design motifs out- or self-conscious about how their bodies look,” she said.
side of the fashion realm. Known for his titillating sense of
humour, American designer Jonathan Adler explores mam- As home to movements like #freethenipple and a space
mary maximalism with his “Georgia Orb” design, part of his where women can present themselves the way they would like
Muse Collection of pottery, which references the body parts of to be seen, social media has no small role in this shift in per-
famous artists’ muses. For her fragrance debut, Eilish, Billie ception, although women’s bodies are still frequently censored
Eilish decided to house the vanilla-based scent in a metallic on platforms like Instagram. “As body inclusion, size diversity
bottle shaped like a bust, which she says is her favourite body and body positivity continue to penetrate fashion, women are
part. And Swedish design duo Butler Lindgård is well known bucking the [notion that there’s a] single way that a body and
for its textiles based on the female body, including carpets and specifically breasts are supposed to look,” says Chan. “It’s
fabrics adorned with breasts. incredible to see that play out online because we’re getting a
taste of what consumers feel and want in real time.”

Ruddock says that it’s about time we had some real, lasting
change. “I don’t think it’s a trend,” she says. “I think the reason
it can’t be a trend is that social media has really been good in
a way when it comes to having activists and influencers and
people who just won’t let up when it comes to this conversation.
That’s something we didn’t have before social media.” For Chan,
the groundswell of this fashion movement signifies progress.
“The fact that many people online are not wearing bras or are
wearing soft-cup bras or artful breastplates just goes to show
how far we’ve come from that singular idea of beauty and a
body ideal when it comes to breasts,” she says. And moving
forward is certainly worth celebrating.

26 E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

Bauhaus: World of Art by Frank Whitford ($28.95, chapters.indigo.ca) STYLE

Sunglasses, Bottega
Veneta ($377,

otticanet.com)

Gloves,
Raf Simons

($610,

fwrd.com)

Skirt, Theory ($490,
farfetch.com)

Sweater, Zara
($40, zara.ca)

Booties, Amy
Crookes ($865,

farfetch.com)
STYLING, ESTELLE GERVAIS; PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY)
Cardigan, Marni BURBERRYCOLOUR
($1,125, cettire.com) BLOCK

Rainboots, Noize Pink, white, beige, black, red,
($155, noize.com) repeat.

Skirt, Dries
Van Noten

($569,
mytheresa.com)

Dress, Staud
($252,

staud.clothing)

27E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

STYLE VERSACE

On a

PEDESTAL

Platform shoes
throughout history.

By MAROUCHKA FRANJULIEN

FIRST STEPS VERSACE
Ancient Greek theatre gave us Antigone, Oedipus Rex,
Andromache and the world’s first platform shoe. At the time, MOLLY GODDARD Naomi Campbell on the fall/winter 1993/1994
actors wore buskins, or gladiator sandals, with cork soles that Vivienne Westwood runway
were up to 15 centimetres high to give them a bigger presence
onstage. During the Middle Ages in the Middle East and in regions
of the Ottoman Empire, women wore stiltlike shoes, called kab-
kabs, to the steam baths to protect their feet from the hot wet
ground. In Japan, people wore wooden sandals, called getas,
while in China, they preferred Manchu shoes, also called qixies,
which featured a raised sole at the middle of the foot. In Europe,
people wore raised wooden overshoes when they were out in
the street to avoid the mud and dirt. These evolved into chopines,
which became popular among Venice’s courtesans from around
1400. Fitted with a platform as much as 50 centimetres high,
these disproportionate shoes were so outrageous that women
had to walk with a cane or the support of a servant to avoid falling.

RISE UP But it wasn’t all seamless strutting. During the Vivienne PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (VERSACE & MOLLY GODDARD) &
In the 1930s, Moshe Kimel designed a pair of platform shoes for Westwood fall/winter 1993/1994 show, Naomi Campbell— SHUTTERSTOCK (N. CAMPBELL)
Marlene Dietrich, and not long after, Salvatore Ferragamo intro- perched on 22-centimetre platforms—took a tumble in a runway
duced his “Rainbow” shoes, created especially for Judy Garland. moment that went down in fashion history. Alexander McQueen
Still available today, they are recognizable by their 8.5-centi- caused a sensation for his spring/summer 2010 collection with his
metre soles, which are made from layers of cork in several futuristic 30-centimetre-high “Armadillo” boots. This season, the
cheerful colours. But it was the disco era of the 1970s that truly It shoes come in a range of styles, from the resolutely glamorous
launched platform shoes into mainstream culture. They were elevated pumps at Versace and Moschino to the disco-inspired
seen on everyone from Elton John to David Bowie and Yoko Ono ankle boots at Molly Goddard to the hybrid loafers by Jonathan
to Donna Summer and everywhere from the city streets to the Anderson for Loewe. When it comes to reinvention, the sky’s the
Studio 54 dance floor before causing a stir on the catwalks. limit for the platform shoe.

28 E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

STYLE

Camper ($220,
camper.com)

Steve Madden ($190,
stevemadden.com)

Prada ($2,128,
farfetch.com)

Aldo ($150,
aldoshoes.com)

Charles & Keith
($116,

charleskeith.com)

STYLING, ESTELLE GERVAIS; PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (STREET STYLE) Windsor Smith NEW
($248, HEIGHTS
brownsshoes.com)
Step into some high-
performance footwear.

Zara ($80,
zara.ca)

L’intervalle ($178, Stella McCartney
lintervalleshoes.com) ($1,565, ssense.com)

29E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

STYLE

FORCE
OF

NATURE

Ever-changing London skies were the
inspiration behind ALEXANDER MCQUEEN’s

latest dazzling collection.

By RANDI BERGMAN Collage GUILLAUME BRIÈRE

“I F YOU DON’T LIKE THE WEATHER, skies. As the models began to walk the runway,
a ray of sunshine pierced through the parting
WAIT FIVE MINUTES” is something heavy clouds, bathing attendees in what felt like
Mark Twain once said about New an optimistic glow. “I felt like it was this idea of
England, but it could easily have [the weather] being completely uncontrollable,”
been meant for London, England, Burton said of the collection in the post-show
scrum. “You don’t know what it’s going to be, so
a city whose skies often light up, cloud over, erupt you have to be brave and deal with it.”

and light up again in a single day. It’s this mer- This season, Alexander McQueen women
are storm chasers. They “chase danger, face
curial climate that inspired Alexander McQueen danger, see beauty!” said Burton. And they do so
in crystal-covered double-breasted suits, trench
creative director Sarah Burton when she designed coats with exaggerated parachute sleeves and
dazzling silk corset dresses with crystal-raindrop
the spring/summer 2022 collection, which would embroidery. They—like all of us—have weathered
the turbulence of the past two years and come
be not only the house’s first to be shown on a real out stronger for it. “You want there to be a sense
of release and freedom, but I still feel there are
runway in over a year but also its first to be shown moments of both sadness and joy,” she said. “It’s

in the city in 20 years. (The brand had been pre-

senting in Paris for the past two decades.) And that

same ever-changing weather gave a perfect per-

formance one day last October, when Alexander

McQueen topped an 11-storey East End car park

with a giant cloudlike bubble for the show to take

place in, with full views of the mutable London

30 E L L E C A N A D A . C O M



STYLE The Alexander McQueen show
took place in the East End of
London on the roof of an
11-storey car park.

not about forgetting what happened; it’s “It’s not about PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAXTREE (RUNWAY) & ALEXANDER MCQUEEN (FASHION-SHOW SET)
almost like embracing what happened forgetting what
and what might come.” As such, there happened; it’s
were nods to that signature Alexander
McQueen grit: Models in zippered almost like
leather jackets clomped by in heavy embracing what
“rave” Chelsea boots, their tattoos and happened and
piercings proudly on display. Casting what might come.”
was more diverse than ever this season,
with many in the group chosen for their These references to nature hold a deeper mean-
distinct personalities. “When I was ing for Alexander McQueen, whose founder, Lee
designing, sometimes they’d come in and Alexander McQueen—a proponent of political
I’d put a dress on them and know that it messaging through his designs—issued a warning
wasn’t right, so I’d change it to a suit [to about climate change with his spring/summer
make them feel] like a heightened version 2010 Plato’s Atlantis collection. The show—the
of themselves without obliterating who first to be livestreamed and the last he was alive
they are,” said Burton. There were also to direct—imagined a future in which humans
dresses made with prints of photographs are forced to live underwater, with models dressed
that were taken from the Alexander in reptilian patterns and silhouettes that felt at
McQueen studio balcony. “You can once alien and animal. Fast-forward to today
see St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Shard; and Burton still holds those values close to her
you can see all of this old and new, and heart. “We should be protecting nature,” she
in the beginning I thought maybe [the said. As such, the collection features sustainable
print] should be the skyscape, but actually it was materials like recycled poly taffeta, poly faille
nature, it was sky, it was unpredictability and and chrome-free leather. The show space—that
wildness,” said Burton. magical transparent cloud—was also designed
by Radic to be reused for some dreamlike setting
The past two years have been marked by in the near future.
incredible change for Alexander McQueen.
Named one of parent company Kering’s fast- The day after the show, guests were invited
est-growing brands, it has been expanding back to the bubble to see the clothes up close.
across the globe to locations that include Las The skies had shifted, making the space moody
Vegas, Shanghai and Toronto, where it recently and dark. By contrast, the crystal embroidery on
opened a 370-square-metre Canadian flagship the dresses, double-breasted suits and knee-high
at Yorkdale Shopping Centre—the latest in a boots shone like glittery sunshine breaking through
long-standing collaboration between Burton and after a storm. It felt like a metaphor for what we’ve
Chilean architect Smiljan Radic, who’s known been through these past two years—moments of
for his use of natural materials. In the boutique, both sadness and joy.
sustainably sourced oak and walnut live beside
“cotton-crete”—a papier-mâché wall cladding
made from concrete and cotton recycled from
garment production.

DEBUT

Kathryn
Drysdale RUNAWAY HIT “[The cast] were all overwhelmed by
the success of the show, especially [since it premiered]
in the middle of a pandemic. There’s something quite
beautiful about it having come out during a time

[when we] needed joy and colour [while we were] sort

of locked indoors. It brought people closer together.”

SNEAK PEEK “Season two is very much focused on Anthony

The Bridgerton star is making [Bridgerton] and his finding love with Kate Sharma. They’ve both
the most of the moment. had the responsibility of being the oldest sibling and having to
care for their family, and it’s nice for them to recognize that in

each other. Kate’s a fabulous, feisty character, so, of course, there

will be lots of twists and turns. And as long as there are balls, there

will be a Genevieve Delacroix—that’s as much as I can say.”

CHARACTER BUILDING “When I first auditioned for Genevieve,

I was only sent two or three pages about her, and she really

WHILE FILMING THE FIRST SEASON of Netflix’s lavish Shonda popped for me. It was a situation where I felt like it didn’t mat-

Rhimes-produced period drama Bridgerton, star Kathryn ter how big the character was—she was just so interesting, and

Drysdale knew she was working on something special. But [I could tell] that she would be a lot of fun to play. She’s not a char-

the actor—who plays Genevieve Delacroix, a dressmaker to acter from the books, but I like that she has agency, she’s got

the “tons” with a secret or two of her own—didn’t realize how her own business and she’s thriving at a time when there aren’t

TEXT, PATRICIA KAROUNOS; PHOTOGRAPHY, JOSEPH SINCLAIR big of an impact it was having until she stopped by her doctor’s many opportunities for women.”

office shortly after the streaming series premiered. “I’ve been NEW WORLD “Bridgerton is a totally different style to what [Brits]

in lots of TV programs and things over here in the U.K., and are used to—we’re filming an American show in England. Here,

nobody ever mentions anything,” says the Brit, referring to her period dramas are very slow-paced, but Shondaland shows are

turns in films like 2004’s Vanity Fair and her role as Meghan very, very quick, with a lot of storyline. My first day on-set, I kept

Markle in the royal satire The Windsors. “But [with Bridgerton], being like, ‘Think Shondaland shows, think Scandal.’ You never

they’ve been like, ‘Oh, my God, we just have to say we really know where you’re going next, and it has been liberating to be

loved the show. It was a tonic.’ I feel like I’m part of something involved in that.”

quite magical.” And with the show having recently wrapped HIGH FASHION “I think everybody should have the experience of

production on its highly anticipated second season, which is wearing a corset once, just to see what it feels like. Even thinking

based on Julia Quinn’s novel The Viscount Who Loved Me, it’s about it now, I’m sitting up straighter automatically. It elevates

safe to say that the magic is just getting started. you in some way.”

33E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

PHOTOGRAPHY, VIOLET BAKEHOUSE (CAKE), UNSPLASH (HEART BALOON)

SOCIETY

He Said Yes!

Many women are flipping the script on marriage proposals
and shunning tradition without sacrificing ritual.

By EVE THOMAS

I t’s the year 2000, and 30 million people are watching are made by women. Even for millennial women who are
the sixth-season finale of Friends. Toward the end of the otherwise living unconventionally (cohabitating, outearning
episode, Chandler finds Monica in their apartment their partners, having kids out of wedlock or not having them
surrounded by flickering candles. She gets down on one at all), planning a marriage proposal can force them to recon-
knee, and, sensing what’s about to happen, the live audience sider what they really want out of a relationship—and what is
reacts the only way they know how: with uproarious laughter.  just a cultural custom. 

“There’s a reason why girls don’t do this!” cries Monica. “I’ve never been called ‘modern’ this much in my life, and
So, Chandler kneels beside her, gives I’m not always sure it’s a compliment,” says
an admittedly sweet speech and, at long Ariel Buckley, a content manager in her
last, asks, “Will you marry me?” The 30s who unapologetically loves weddings
crowd goes wild. There’s a sense of relief: and weeps at Hallmark movies. (“I’m a
Romantic order has been restored.  romantic and a cynic; I don’t think the two
are mutually exclusive.”) As someone with a
It has been 22 years since “The Ph.D. in English lit, she was all too familiar
One With the Proposal,” but it doesn’t with the trappings of Austenesque “mar-
feel terribly dated. Embarrassing? Yes. riage plots” when she decided to propose
Unrealistic? No. That same year also to her boyfriend of five years over a New
gave us a Sex and the City episode in which York Times crossword on a crisp autumn
Charlotte accidentally proposes to Trey, day—but she was still surprised by some
only for him to take her to Tiffany’s for the people’s reactions.
“real” thing. And, in 2010, Amy Adams “When it slowly hits them that I’m the
starred in Leap Year, the premise of which one who proposed, I can see their faces fall,”
is that she has to wait until February 29 says Buckley. “I have to be like, ‘No, this is
and travel to Ireland to propose to her boy- good! I’m not a spinster! He’s a catch!’ And
friend. (To be fair, it only has a 23 percent
“fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but critics took more issue these are not people who consider themselves conservative.”
with the character development than the plot.) Sometimes she helpfully clarifies that he was going to propose
first, over the Grand Canyon, before he got sidelined by travel
Even amid social and sexual progress, the legalization of restrictions. But even that feels like a cop-out, she admits, a
gay marriage and vital conversations about communication sign of her own lingering conservatism.
and consent, there’s still something awfully traditional about a
typical proposal: bended knee, velvet box, big stone, pregnant Too often, the assumption for opposite-sex couples is that
pause, gleeful “Yes!” and then champagne all around. Plus, marriage is something she wants straight out of the gate and
there’s the ring-pic post and “We did a thing!” caption for he needs to come around to, proving his commitment with a
anyone born after 1980.  grand gesture. Even on the television show The Bachelorette, in
which a woman ostensibly holds all the power, the man she
While non-binary and same-sex couples have been neces- chooses must then decide whether or not to pop the question. 
sarily adapting (and rejecting) aspects of the ritual for decades,
for heterosexual pairings, only about 5 percent of proposals At best, a standard proposal is pure romcom role play, a

35E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

SOCIETY

symbolic song and dance after a mutual, practical decision. At

worst, it’s a kind of tragic fairy tale where the woman is stuck

dropping hints and waiting for years for those four magic words

before they actually come. And to the casual observer, it’s not

always clear which is which.

“We’ve had women come in and design their ring, propose

to their boyfriend and put [the ring] on their own hand,” says

Susan Shaw, co-founder of Attic, the jewellery brand that created

the engraved gold band that Buckley gave to her fiancé (and

the salt-and-pepper-diamond ring she’s designing for herself).

“Men come in with their girlfriend’s Pinterest boards. Queer

couples come in together to design both rings before one

proposes. It all makes perfect sense. Why would you want to

be stuck wearing something you don’t like or something that

everybody else has?”

Shaw is part of what she calls the “alt wedding” commun-

ity—a tiny but growing slice of a $370 billion global indus-

try—which supports people who don’t see their particular

dreams in mainstream wedding magazines and who care less

about carats than meaning. It’s not so much that her female

clients are making a political point or simply want to invert

the man-asks-woman proposal. It’s more that, as a generation

that was raised under the spectre of bridezilla shows and viral

proposal videos, they want to make sure this step feels personal.

For Pratima Arapakota, a Canadian working in tech in

California, adhering to the rules was never an option.

When her live-in partner proposed—something she

knew was coming—she said yes but immediately

decided that she wanted to do it back. “I’m the type of “AT BEST, A STANDARD PROPOSAL IS PURE
ROMCOM ROLE PLAY, A SYMBOLIC
person who likes to think things out, to really come to SONG AND DANCE AFTER A MUTUAL,
a decision from a place of peace,” she explains. So, a
few weeks later, she surprised him with a wooden ring PRACTICAL DECISION.”
and a cake iced with “Will you marry me?”

His yes may have been even more predictable than

hers, but she says the gesture made her feel like they

could truly start off on equal footing. And, although it

wasn’t Arapakota’s inspiration, around the same time, Olympic

skier Lindsey Vonn proposed back to now-ex-fiancé P. K.

Subban, hashtagging her Instagram announcement #equality.  spotlight. Our philosophy was that it was about community.”

Arapakota’s gesture also set the stage for a wedding that Buckley says her wedding planning has been a similar process

was a mix of Western and South Indian traditions, tweaked of looking at the customs she wants to keep, drop or reimagine.

even further according to her and her husband’s tastes. They “I want to look at all these traditions for what they’ve become,

hosted an all-genders henna party, for example, and opted not where they come from.” 

out of wedding bands. (Wedding rings aren’t a thing where In 2022, a wedding can simply be an excuse to celebrate

her family hails from.)  with friends and family, just as a funeral can be a celebration

Arapakota says she never felt pressure from her family of life. A baby shower can be an elegant, mixed-gender dinner

or friends (many of whom remain unmarried) and that not party mercifully free of diaper-themed games. And a woman

considering the wedding “the most important day of her life” proposing to her male partner, if notable at all, can be a

helped her put things in perspective. She interpreted some meaningful, heartfelt romantic gesture—not a punchline, not

traditions in her own way—for example, she had both of her an oddity and not the grown-up version of a Sadie Hawkins

parents walk her down the aisle. “I almost did it alone, but it’s dance but a ritual imbued with unique symbolism and an PHOTOGRAPHY, PEXELS

nice to have people there,” she says. “I didn’t want to be in the intention to continue life together.

36 E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

ONLINE

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Golden
Girls

The Victorian women in HEATHER
O’NEILL’s latest novel go rogue.

By WENDY KAUR

H eather O’Neill has an edge in the Canadian tragic and forces them apart when Sadie is sent to a boarding PHOTOGRAPHY, JULIE ARTACHO (H. O’NEILL) & COURTESY OF HARPERCOLLINS CANADA
literary landscape. She comes at it from every school in England against her will.
angle: as a novelist, a short-story writer, a poet
and an essayist. The Montreal-based author’s As Marie Antoine’s name suggests, O’Neill’s original inspir-
work has claimed the limelight more than once throughout her ation for the character was Marie Antoinette, the 18th-century
career: The Lonely Hearts Hotel won CBC’s Canada Reads, and queen of France. “Everyone was so interested in her decadence,
Daydreams of Angels was shortlisted for the Governor General’s body and sexuality,” says O’Neill. “Similarly, Marie has so
Literary Award for Fiction. When she set out to write When We much wealth and people pay attention to her physical being.
Lost Our Heads (out on February 1), O’Neill knew she wanted to When she becomes the head of the sugar factory, she has to
shed light on female desire and friendship. fight all these expectations. Everyone wants to objectify her
and see her as this sexual being, and she has to isolate herself
“In my previous book, The Lonely Hearts Hotel, the main entirely because of that.” Marie’s face has been profiled on
relationship is between a man and a woman, so in a way it’s a sugar packages throughout the province since she was a child,
romantic love story,” she says. “[This time], I was very interested so she is labelled as being devoid of thought or feeling—as if
in the question of what it looks like for a woman to be alone and she isn’t really a human being in her own right.
not have a male partner. I think that female bonds [of all kinds]
are so much more inscrutable.” It’s ironic, then, that the novel Sadie, on the flip side, makes sex and sexuality the centre of
is set in Victorian-era Montreal at the height of the Industrial her life—and her livelihood. Her principal desire is to become
Revolution, when rules—especially for women—were all the the most provocative and liberated of writers, and she draws
rage. It was an age when marriage was considered one of the inspiration from her childhood relationship with Marie as well
few worthwhile pursuits in a woman’s life, and O’Neill wanted as her experiences as a young woman currently working at a
none of her main characters to be married. brothel. Sadie was born out of O’Neill’s research on the French
philosopher the Marquis de Sade, known for his debaucherous
When We Lost Our Heads is centred on the anomalous writing on libertine sexuality. “He was this total psychopath
relationship between Marie Antoine and Sadie Arnett. who was convicted of rape and torture,” says O’Neill. “The
Marie is the spoiled daughter of Louis Antoine, a sugar Marquis de Sade saw women as being something other than
baron who is the richest man in Montreal, and they live mothers; to him, motherhood was grotesque. I wanted Sadie
in the Golden Square Mile district. Sadie is the new girl to have some of this sadistic inclination too.”
who moves to the prestigious neighbourhood—situated
in west-central downtown Montreal—with her politically True to the controversial inspiration for her name, Sadie
minded social-climbing family. The 12-year-old girls start specializes as a dominatrix at the brothel. By day, she pens a
an intense friendship that is empowering but also powerful pornographic novel and becomes infamous for her risqué writ-
enough to ruin their lives when a game they play turns ing, although she is secretly revered by young women around
the city who are often spotted carrying her book. “She breaks

38 E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

BOOKS

The novel peels back the layers between the upper and lower
classes to provide insight into why they were so intensely
divided in 19th-century Montreal.

every taboo with her body, so she isn’t this Victorian woman caught up in their mutual love and excitement for each other
anymore,” says O’Neill. In both her art and her life, Sadie that their actions become dictated by passion rather than reason.
explores her femininity through her sexuality, discovering how “They deliberately take everything to irrational extremes,” says
useful sex can be in breaking her connections with men and O’Neill. As the women lose sight of their idealistic pursuits,
escaping ownership by them. Though this may seem paradox- they start to engage in greedy power grabs that collide in a
ical, Sadie’s outlook weaves in a feminist question about free chaotic climax. The title is also a nod to the excesses of the
love and how sexuality plays into a woman’s self-idealization. French Revolution—the period that inspired the persona of
Marie. “It was a time when people, quite literally, lost their
When creating these characters, O’Neill felt the need to heads—which is what more or less happens to the characters.”
love both women equally and without judgment. She wanted
to make sure that one didn’t overshadow the other, but at the
same time they each had to be exceptionally intriguing in their
own right. O’Neill wanted to create a scenario in which the
girls could only relate to each other. Yet when Sadie returns
from England, the chasm between the now adult women feels
immense as Marie makes her mark as the head of the sugar
factory and Sadie’s status keeps on falling.

The novel peels back the layers between the upper and
lower classes to provide insight into why they were so intensely
divided in 19th-century Montreal. Moving between those
living in the Golden Square Mile and those living down by
the factories—or “the Squalid Mile,” as O’Neill calls it in the
book—shows the discrepancy between these two different
worlds. “The wealthy white men who owned the factories
were accumulating so much wealth on the backs of the lower
class and all the immigrants who were coming in during the
Industrial Revolution,” she says. Lower-class women, of course,
had the added burden of their sex, and O’Neill wanted to
stress just how hard they worked. They laboured in factories
for meagre wages and had virtually no workers’ rights, and, of
course, they toiled as maids and midwives around the clock.
In the Western world, these women were the underpinning
of the first wave of the feminist movement.

When We Lost Our Heads is also tinged with humour, starting
with the title, a playful reference to Sadie and Marie being so

39E L L E C A N A D A . C O M



TELEVISION

POP-CULTURE

CLEANSE

The guilt about what you watch—or don’t watch—is real. Here’s how to embrace your
viewing choices, accept what you’ll never actually see and expand your horizons.

By PATRICIA KAROUNOS

ILLUSTRATION, JESSICA BIRD I ‘VE BEEN WATCHING GREY’S ANATOMY since it first aired SAY GOODBYE TO HATE-WATCHING
back in 2005—so, more than half of my life. For 18 seasons, Don’t get me wrong—hate-watching comes with its own endor-
Meredith Grey and the rotating crew of good-looking doc- phin rush. Yes, every single character on HBO’s buzzy drama
tors surrounding her have been there to make me laugh Succession is so despicable that you love to loathe them, but
and cry and terrify me with obscure illnesses. For the most that’s not the type of hate-watching I’m referring to. As you might
part, it’s been a good run, but in more recent years, whenever I’ve have guessed from my Grey’s devotion, I’m a completionist. If I
started a new episode of the medical drama, I’ve done so with start something—a new show, a book, a project—I have to finish
trepidation. I can’t help but think “When will Ellen Pompeo free it, even if it quickly becomes clear that said thing isn’t for me.
me from this show?” That’s how I ended up rolling my eyes through three seasons of
Grey’s Anatomy has become more of an obligation to me Netflix’s serial-killer drama You even though I not once thought
than a healthy dose of escapism. It’s not even that the show has the show was even close to good. But no more. If something isn’t
gotten bad (though it’s certainly capable of turning in some enjoyable—be it a show I obsessed over in its first season that has
less-than-stellar episodes); it’s more that 17 years is a long time taken a serious dip toward the dumps or an Oscar-bait-y movie
to spend with one single thing—I could have actually become that everyone loved but is making my skin crawl—I’m cutting it.
a doctor in that time. These days, episodes practically feel like Seeing certain things through to the end can be virtuous, but not
a chore to tick off my weekly to-do list rather than a cathartic when it comes to staring at your screen—which, let’s be honest, is
catch-up with my onscreen pals. something we could all be doing less.
I will watch this doctor drama until it wraps (if it ever does),
but my evolving relationship with the show has helped me EMBRACE “GUILTY” PLEASURES
realize something: Just as in other aspects of our lives, we can I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. You should not feel ashamed
form bad habits when it comes to the pop culture we’re deeply of what you like; nor should you let others shame you for it. If you
connected with. Being a ride or die for Grey’s Anatomy is one get pure, unadulterated enjoyment out of watching, say, The
of mine, along with constantly leaving my TV on in the back- Real Housewives flounce around various cities stirring up drama,
ground like it’s a white-noise machine and scrolling through lap it up. And if your jam for zoning out is something more
Twitter when I’m watching a movie. staid—like Sarah Jessica Parker’s mind-numbing choice, House
For this new year, I’ve ditched resolutions about quitting sugar Hunters International—so be it. Regardless of your viewing
to focus on my pop-culture sweet spots in the hopes of making habits—from dutifully watching a revolving door of contestants
the things I turn to for entertainment more, well, entertaining. on The Bachelorette who are there for the “wrong reasons”

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TELEVISION

to harbouring a fascination with who would want to be a paying MAKE MARIE
yacht guest on Below Deck—one of the kindest things you can KONDO PROUD
do for yourself is change your own mindset. Make Marie Kondo AND RECLAIM
proud and reclaim the pop culture (no matter how trashy) that THE POP CULTURE
sparks joy for you.
(NO MATTER
REMEMBER: YOU CAN’T READ, WATCH OR LISTEN HOW TRASHY)
TO EVERYTHING THAT SPARKS JOY
Hours upon hours of content come out every day. It’s impossible
to keep up with everything—just ask my under-eye circles. It’s FOR YOU.
natural to have blind spots. Take the prestige drama Breaking
Bad, for instance, which is widely considered to be one of the
greatest shows of all time. I haven’t seen it. I just missed it and then
never had the time to go back to the beginning. For a while, I had
the series in my Netflix queue, guilting me every time I opted
for a Vanessa Hudgens holiday flick instead. But the truth is that
even though I’m sure I would like the Bryan Cranston-led show
very much, I’ll always pick a romantic meet-cute over a terrible
man making meth. I’ll also probably never read Dune or con-
sume anything with Stephen King’s name on it. (I’m a wimp.) And
that’s okay.

BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS
When South Korean Parasite director Bong Joon-ho accepted
the Oscar for Best International Film in 2020, he delivered quite
the mic drop: “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of
subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
With the success of Bong’s movie, along with that of Netflix’s
South Korean smash hit Squid Game and slick French heist ser-
ies Lupin, just to name a few, it seems like people are listening.
We shouldn’t be waiting around for the next Parasite to come
onto our radar; instead, we should be actively seeking it out for
ourselves. We have access to more international work than ever
before, so let’s take advantage of that. I know I’ll be making an
effort to watch at least one international movie or show every
month to see just some of what the rest of the world has to offer.

LOOK FOR THE CANADIAN CONNECTION
It can be easy to overlook homegrown art in favour of big-
ger, splashier projects. But it shouldn’t take a show like Schitt’s
Creek blowing up on an international scale for it to get wide-
spread attention at home. So many talented Canadian art-
ists are creating work that should be celebrated. Follow the
careers of up-and-coming stars like Never Have I Ever’s Maitreyi
Ramakrishnan, check out those smaller indie-produced shows,
docs or shorts, take a little tour of CBC Gem and watch as many
Canadian-made films as you can because—and here’s a little
shout-out to Ontario—it’s all yours to discover. Chances are you’ll
be pleasantly surprised.

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PHOTOGRAPHY, BNB STUDIOS; COLLAGE, ROSALIE CHRETIEN CULTURE

SACRED SOUND
Screaming can be healing. Metal teaches us why.
By MELISSA VINCENT

WHEN For as long as I can remember, I’ve help with mindfulness, there are plenty
been unable to look away from moments of methods that call on elevated uses of
I WATCH AN ARTIST PERFORM LIVE, of unrestrained extremity in music, breath and voice to foster feelings of tran-
I typically wait expectantly for a certain whether they’re intentional or not. I’m quility. Last year, a Vogue writer described
definitive moment that jolts the rhythm a fan of heavy music in all its iterations. her experience with the Pyramid Breath
of a set. With Janelle Monáe, it came up The best way I can describe it is that I’m Method, a form of sound-release therapy
during the final chorus of “Cold War,” like an insatiable mole peeling away at that involves breath work akin to scream-
when she released a scream just outside an onion, tearing through layer upon ing and crying. Nicole Kelly, host and pro-
of her control, ending the song with layer as I look for a wellspring of a sound ducer of Divesting From People Pleasing, a
an exhaling outcry. With Inuk artist more jarring, more heart-stopping, more series on The Heart podcast, talked about
Tanya Tagaq, it happened at a moment capable of making me abandon all of my a group workshop she attended in which,
when the melody sped up: She came long-held tastes and preferences. When to confront internalized shame, she got on
face to face with one of her vocalists it comes to extreme metal, describing all fours and then flailed and screamed
and through the colossal range of her what it “sounds like” is straightforward to connect with her inner beast. And an
throat singing, a hard-fought legacy enough—it usually involves distorted, iconic 2005 training video by legendary
of protest could be heard. The best of low-tuned guitars, rapid-fire blast beats metal vocal coach Melissa Cross, who
the best—the Ninas and Whitneys of and relentless bellowing vocals. But few has trained vocalists in bands like Slayer,
the world—have built their careers on elements of heavy music are more identi- Lamb of God and Arch Enemy, is aptly
these moments: when they somehow fiable and beloved than the voice and its titled The Zen of Screaming.
manage to inflate a song to be big- capacity to transform into an instrument
ger than its arrangement, launching with power and potential. In her groundbreaking book, What
their voice into the abyss and landing it Are You Doing Here? A Black Woman’s Life
with perfection. Metal isn’t unique in its devotion to and Liberation in Heavy Metal, cultural critic
stretching the limits of vocalization. On and ethnomusicologist Laina Dawes
Recently, I saw Lido Pimienta per- the long list of things that are said to credits the genre with freeing her from a
form at Festival de Musique Émergente pervasive social restraint that’s specific to
in Rouyn-Noranda, a former mining Black women. “The music let me scream
town in rural northwestern Quebec. and vent my frustration at times when
It was the first time in more than no one wanted to listen to how I felt,”
18 months that I’d attended a festival she wrote. “Heavy music helped [Black
where I was watching a show on an women] through periods of personal strife,
outdoor stage surrounded by hundreds even when we secretly wondered how we
of people. Toward the end of a set rich didn’t lose our sanity.”
in intricate traditional Indigenous
Colombian folk melodies, her clear- Black people are all too familiar
pitched falsetto dropped a few octaves. with the fact that to ensure safety and
Then, for just a few beats, Pimienta, who protection for ourselves, we often have
played in death-metal bands growing to be hyper-vigilant when we dialogue
up, released a guttural growl overtop with the world around us. This means
an ambient loop, coordinating her adjusting the volume of our voice or, once
lyrical intent with the sound of someone we read the room, adjusting our tone and
making a soul-baring statement. That anecdotes as a form of code-switching.
time, like every other time before it, It involves constant tongue-biting and
when I heard the unmistakable sound of concealing winces behind a tight smile.
surrender, a line of goosebumps charted It involves contorting, curating and
a path from my jaw to the back of my shrinking ourselves. There are few places
neck. I felt my heart rate lull and steady. where we can be loud and let our big
emotions run wild and even fewer that
are hospitable to screaming.

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CULTURE

Sometimes freedom occurs in the kind “YOU WILL STOP. how they’re using their tongue and teeth,
of setting that the late literary scholar AND YOU WILL which direction their head is facing and
bell hooks (a.k.a. Gloria Jean Watkins) LISTEN TO US. how they’re tilting their chin. “I wanted
described, in her 1990 essay “Homeplace: AND YOU WILL to learn how to control my instrument
A Site of Resistance,” as a site unbound in a way that [doesn’t] hurt me,” they
by the restrictions typical of a white-su- RESPECT THE say. “Now, I just feel so confident about
premacist society—a place where we can FACT THAT THERE it. I’m able to have power throughout
“restore to ourselves the dignity denied the entire song without feeling like my
us on the outside in the public world.” IS SOMEONE vocal cords are going to jump out of my
I’ve seen this happen in my own circles O[ISN] SATAMGINEOWRHITOY throat.” Ensuring they can scream and
when heavy music has nourished Black TALKING ABOUT not injure themself is crucial because
healing: when an album is recommended there are some things that need to be
in a long message chain because words SYSTEMIC belted from the top of their lungs.
alone are insufficient, for example, or when OPPRESSION.”
my friends feel safe enough to headbang “[I’m] someone who has survived
together at a show. Finding a space to to do,” they explain. “Then when I ring drug addiction, domestic violence,
not only identify rage but also loosen its out, like, a couple of screams, people rape and abuse, [so screaming] feels
tight-fitting lid and let it bubble up past its just stop right in their place. And I’m different [for me],” says Fernandes. “It’s
boiling point can be a radical act. like: ‘That’s fucking right. You will stop. something I’ve never felt before: a sense
And you will listen to us. And you will of catharsis, a sense of respect and a sense
The first time Kayla Fernandes respect the fact that there is someone of power.” The first time I listened to
screamed onstage, they surprised them- onstage who [is] a minority talking about “Intro,” the opening track on Vagina
self. It was at a gig in 2018, and, in keeping systemic oppression.’” Witchcraft’s self-titled debut album,
with a long-held tradition, Canadian each word resonated with me as if it
hardcore punk group Cancer Bats had To access that level of rage, Fernandes were touching a nerve ending. Fernandes
asked if someone from the audience had to learn the contours of their voice. shrieks a monologue that name-checks
would sing a part of one of their songs. Early on, they would get weary and Maya Angelou, Angela Davis and
Fernandes didn’t hesitate—they raised sore after screaming, often finishing Sojourner Truth, their voice becoming
their hand and took to the stage. “I had a set exhausted. But once they started more emphatic and blood-curdling with
screamed at shows before when I was in working with a vocal coach, they took every line: “I write this for those who, like
a crowd, but I literally spent my time pro- an active role in figuring out how they me, spent three hours flattening every
testing and working at a non-profit—this wanted to sound. It required developing bump, every kink and every shred of
was not in my realm,” they say. “But the a self-care ritual that includes napping their dignity to subscribe to a facade. I
more I was pushed and [the more] it felt in the middle of the day, drinking lots of will no longer shut my mouth.”
like I needed to push myself to do it, the water and going on walks before a show
more I realized that being onstage was to get their blood flowing. It also involved That sense of power felt communal,
exactly [what] I needed to be doing.” learning to think about vocals as a total raw and uncompromising. It also helped
physical experience—one where they clarify something for me: To bear wit-
Now, Fernandes is the vocalist and become attuned to their whole body, ness to someone shedding that kind of
songwriter for Winnipeg sludge-doom- noticing where their arms are positioned, weight requires you to be a listener who’s
metal outfit Vagina Witchcraft, and equally involved in their journey; to see
they howl poems about the never-ending someone hack away at their innermost
process of confronting the black hole of self means you’re seeing their true self.
your psyche. When sung over pummel- It’s giving them permission and hold-
ling sun-scorched riffs reminiscent of ing space for them to scream at you,
tracks by Black Sabbath and Sleep, their because only then can it feel like they’re
lyrics morph into powerful affirmations screaming on your behalf, revealing
of resilience. “We like to get up onstage to the world what can sometimes feel
[when] no one knows what we’re going impossible to say out loud.

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Out of the

Shadows

The pandemic has illuminated how our current system is failing
survivors of gender-based and intimate-partner violence,
and now’s the time to advocate for change.

By CARLA CICCONE Art MALINA CORPADEAN

SOCIETY

L OOKING OUT THE WINDOW had become like impact this was having on their 14-year-old son. “I would wake
watching TV for Alison*—it was a way to him up every day and say ‘We’ll do whatever he wants us to
observe something that she couldn’t be a part do; just don’t make him angry,’” she says. “It felt like prison.”
of. Outside, her friendly neighbours chatted
with one another from their front steps and According to Martin, abusive relationships usually build
driveways, enjoying the socially distanced daily up slowly and many victims get worn down by intensifying
ritual they’d established soon after lockdowns emotional and psychological mistreatment. “If you’ve been
were put in place in Vancouver in March of in a relationship where someone has been controlling you or
2020. She had joined them a couple of times, your finances or emotionally abusing you, your self-esteem
but it wasn’t worth it anymore. “[My husband] goes way down,” she says. Jennifer*, a Toronto-based sur-
vivor, knows all too well that the repercussions of living with
would get mad that I was ignoring him,” she these types of abuse are long-lasting. Even though she left her
partner in 2017, the isolation of lockdown took her right back
tells me over the phone. to the emotional hellscape of living with him. “I went into my
laundry room and started feeling alone, scared and trapped,”
For Alison and many other women living she says. “Then I realized I used to feel that way when I was
with my ex—like my time did not belong to me. Every part of
with abusive partners, the early pandemic cemented them to my life was completely controlled by him, and then it felt like
the pandemic was controlling every part of my life.”
unstable ground, taking away their ability to not only leave their
Neither of these survivors reached out to a shelter at any
homes freely but also seek safety. The United Nations called point. This is because they weren’t in urgent need of housing,
which points to a larger issue—one that Martin’s organization
the pandemic’s impact on violence against women a “shadow is trying to combat: Many people don’t realize that women’s
shelters do much more than offer beds to those in need. “You
pandemic,” in which isolation and financial precarity resulting don’t have to stay in a shelter to access shelter support,” says
Martin. “Many shelters can connect women with key city ser-
from lockdowns tethered many at-risk female-identifying people vices, whether it’s housing, legal [assistance] or employment.”
Lalonde adds that victims can call shelter crisis lines for help
to abusive situations. in coming up with a safety plan. “The cultural conversation is
always pushing women to leave but never showing them how
Their silence was loud. Women’s Shelters Canada reports to do it safely,” she says.

that across the country, crisis calls and requests for admission When shelters do provide housing, they do so in a couple of
ways. First-stage shelters, or emergency shelters, offer housing
showed a drastic decrease during the first three months of for women and children in urgent need and are equipped with
private rooms with adjoining bathrooms for short stays. Shelters
the pandemic. Calls spiked as stay-at-home restrictions eased, across the country were already operating at near capacity
pre-pandemic, and one reason for the current room shortage
but much of the world was still inaccessible. “So many of the is that COVID safety precautions have eliminated bathroom
sharing. Second-stage shelters, called “transition houses” in some
public spaces that women would have used [to contact us], like provinces, provide longer-term living arrangements: between
12 and 24 months in independent units. Martin highlights that
libraries, community centres and shopping centres, were closed the women and children who live in these units have access to
extra support, like counselling. “We all know about the cycles of
down,” says Lise Martin, executive director of Women’s Shelters violence, and these kids have clearly been impacted,” she says.

Canada. “There weren’t many opportunities to reach out.” Women often enter these shelters when they’re at their most
vulnerable, when the idea of rebuilding their lives feels like a
Even if they have the chance, many women don’t seek pipe dream. “There are psychological factors, but there are
also legal and economic factors, so they need extra time,” says
support from shelters because of the stigma that surrounds Martin. Once they’re more stable, women pay a portion of
their income or social security toward rent. Funding for these
them and because of the tendency of survivors to downplay

their situations. “To access a shelter is to acknowledge that

you’ve experienced something difficult enough to warrant

[you getting] that support,” says Ottawa-based women’s rights

advocate Julie S. Lalonde.

Lalonde explains that not only was access to support limited

for victims trapped at home with their abusers in the early days

of the pandemic but also the world around them wasn’t paying

attention. “In all the conversations about essential workers, we

failed to talk about shelters and crisis centres as essential spaces

that remained open,” she says.

Alison’s increasingly controlling husband wasn’t satiated by

*NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED. the lockdown’s forced togetherness. “I wasn’t even allowed to go

grocery shopping alone,” she says. At the store, he would forbid

her to buy certain foods and verbally abuse her for innocuous

things, like when she suggested that he wear his mask in an

outdoor line. At home, anything could send him into a blind

rage. Things reached a boiling point when Alison realized the

47E L L E C A N A D A . C O M

“So often, we hear ‘Oh, she fell through
the cracks,’ but how many times are
women going to have to fall through
the cracks and end up dead?”

spaces isn’t equal across the country, though—Saskatchewan, offences. Garrison’s reason for putting the bill forward was
Ontario and Newfoundland all provide zero support. “The backed by research as well as survivors and advocates who
second-stage shelters that exist in these provinces all need to see establishing laws around coercive control as crucial to
get their funding through patchwork systems,” says Martin. changing the conversation and ending violence against women.
Currently, there are 450 emergency shelters and 124 second- “Economic abuse has been happening to women for as long as
stage shelters in Canada. Martin says that that number should capitalism has existed, but we rarely connect the dots between
be much higher, noting that in late October, every single shelter it and other forms of violence,” says Lalonde.
in Alberta and Nova Scotia was at capacity and there were
just six rooms left in all of Manitoba. According to Martin, laws that impact intimate-partner
and gender-based violence should be made clearer and inter-
Even with their living arrangements, employment and preted with survivors in mind—something that will need to
mental-health care managed, mothers who have left abusive be taught at all levels of government and law enforcement as
partners often still have to contend with the fathers’ legal right well as to the general public. “We don’t just need more funding
to see their kids. While both Alison and Jennifer were able to for shelters; [we need] a fundamental change in our approach
leave their abusive exes, they’re now dealing with the laby- to education [when it comes to] men and boys,” she says.
rinth that is Canada’s legal system to sort out custody. Judges While it’s essential that we do more to help women who are
deciding on the outcomes aren’t always properly informed in abusive situations, gender-based violence won’t end until we
about, or sensitive to, the complexities of abuse. “[Laws are] actively dismantle toxic masculinity, starting with countering
interpreted by judges and also police, the Crown, attorneys gender-stereotyped messaging like “Boys don’t cry” and “Don’t
and child-welfare and immigration officials,” says Martin, be such a girl”—things boys often start hearing before they
which means there is too much room for subjectivity. The new can even write their own name. For girls and young women,
Divorce Act, which was implemented in March 2021, aims to Lalonde would love to see a bigger investment in programs
prioritize the child’s best interests and consider domestic abuse that bolster self-confidence, reduce self-blame and encourage
when deciding on custody. “It was the first time that domestic awareness about entitlement to protection.
violence had been considered in terms of how a situation is
analyzed, so we do have laws in place, but they’re often not The prevalence of gender-based violence is also very much
properly implemented,” says Martin. Judges still commonly a product of our nation’s shameful colonial history. A woman
favour the status quo, so if a child lived with or saw an abusive or girl is killed due to gender-based violence in Canada every
parent 50 percent of the time before their parents split up, the 2.5 days, and Indigenous women are six times more likely to
parents would most likely get joint custody, even though the be killed than non-Indigenous women. “[Indigenous women]
Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative reports are the demographic most at risk of stranger assaults and the
that children are more in danger of being harmed after the demographic most likely to be targeted by white men,” says
abusive parent has separated from their partner. Lalonde, who believes working to end violence against women
goes hand in hand with repairing the damage inflicted by
Getting the Canadian legal system to consider domestic colonialism. “They are intrinsically linked. We need increased
violence in divorce cases was a step in the right direction, but funding for organizations working with [Indigenous] survivors
it’s only a start. The federal election last year saw the scrapping in rural, remote and Northern communities where populations
of Bill C-247, a private member’s bill brought forward by British are low but risk factors are high.”
Columbia NDP MP Randall Garrison, which aimed to add
coercive control to the Criminal Code. This would have meant Early in the pandemic, Martin and her small team were
that many of the methods abusers use to ensure an emotional, called on by the federal government to distribute $36 million
financial and psychological hold over their victims—including in emergency funding to shelters across the country. It was an
isolation, surveillance, humiliation, dehumanizing behaviour, unusual event since Women’s Shelters Canada isn’t normally
threats and intimidation—would be considered criminal a funding organization and the federal government doesn’t
usually fund shelters. (Most provincial governments provide

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SOCIETY

regular funding for shelters.) On April 30, 2021, Martin’s
organization created The National Action Plan on Violence
Against Women and Gender-Based Violence, which they
delivered to the federal government. According to the National
Action Plan website, the plan answers the question “What
will it take to achieve a Canada that’s free of gender-based
violence?” “We need to address the systems that continue
to make it so difficult for women to leave violent situations;
those systems need to be coordinated across the provinces and
territories, and this is where we need federal leadership,” says
Martin. “So often, we hear ‘Oh, she fell through the cracks,’
but how many times are women going to have to fall through
the cracks and end up dead?”

When Lalonde is asked who is most at risk of getting into
an abusive relationship, her answer is both sad and strikingly
simple. “Any woman or girl who dates men—regardless of her
background, self-esteem or assertiveness,” she says. “What puts
women at risk of being in an abusive relationship is being in
the presence of a man who chooses to use violence.”

If you or someone you know needs help, sheltersafe.ca offers a directory
of all the shelters in Canada and Ending Violence Association of Canada
(endingviolencecanada.org) offers a comprehensive list of support services.

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