Behind-The-Scenes: a short film in the Crowsnest Pass

Kaila in the "meadow". 

It started with a Monday morning of Raleigh in my car. Then, chills down my spine which meant an idea was slowly started to form from the music: vivid imagery of a girl frolicking somewhere in the countryside.
For the past couple months, I've been meaning to get together with my friend Ali Frost to create a short film of some sort but the inspiration was just not there. Well, believe it or not, this time around, we did not waste time.
The idea blossomed on Monday, we talked about it the day of and also found an actor that very same day; we also had our first meeting discussing the storyboard, and the film's shooting location. On Tuesday, we finished the storyboard and on Wednesday, we met up with Kaila, our solo actress for the project.

We shot the film in the beautiful Crowsnest Pass on Saturday. It was the perfect location with lots of green fields, beautiful scenic views, and ghostly towns. It was great to also catch up with Kevin, a friend of ours who has been living in the Pass for the past two years as a reporter for The Crowsnest Pass Promoter.

It was a great weekend of productivity and creativity and a great time to catch up with old friends.

Thanks to Ali, Kaila, Kaila's lovely assistant, Eymeric and Kevin for the lovely day in the mountains.

protecting myself from the mosquitos!

Kaila serene

still asleep but soon to be awake 

in focus. 

rolling camera! meadow shot!

big-ass tire

purrrdy view!

Mediterranean-style house in deserted Coleman, AB

spin away

abandoned farmhouse

talking to director Ali 

stretch!

bench shot

the train came! 

making of a fish with a rusty railway nail. *sketchy* - the nail part. 

Photography by Claire Miglionico. Shots of me by Eymeric Widling. 

Designer Dimanche: Krane

Fresh and innovative design concepts are often lacking in men fashion hence why I am always happy to see more emerging designers focusing on our beloved, yet at times, unfashioned men.

Ready-to-wear men fashion tends to stick to the conventional and “safer” roads known to the North American average Joe. But for Ken Chow – creative director and founder at Krane – his designs go beyond the normative rules, re-interpreting classic pieces in men fashion all-together. Krane’s s/s 2012 collection was showcased in an innovative and creative way. Although I overheard the photo pit complain about how difficult it was to shoot the show, to me, it was the perfect interactive and conceptual presentation we’d been missing all week.

Cute indie nerds walked the runway in vintage boyish looks and uniforms very reminiscent of the 1940s and 1950s. Chow’s minimalist approach was prevalent in his re-invention of the white dress shirt: leather harness-like straps englobed the shirts and  boldly-coloured zippers were sewed onto the front of shirts.  Bow ties, gelled hair combed to the side, Wayfarer style sunglasses and Doc Marten boots made for an eclectic/classic with a modern twist look.

Models would swagger to the end of the runway to pause mid-way in front of a display of mismatched whites and blues on their way back. Models would adopt poses at various angles: sideways and face-to-face with the audience (for detail viewing I presume). Some adopted a rather swervy route passing behind other displays to pick up bags of different shapes and forms to then hook them up onto these very same displays. Once all bags were hung, bag-less models came by to unhook the bags and carry them away.

Adorable waxed cotton and leather carry-alls and a light grey-green jacket that converted into an over-the-shoulder accessory were also sported by our nerds.

For me, this show was a breath of fresh air because Krane does men fashion the way it should be done: innovative and fearless.

– Claire Miglionico

Photo Credit: Peroni Moda Files 

Designer Dimanche: Juma

Alia (design director) and Jamil (creative director) Juma are the brother-sister effort behind the internationally-acclaimed unisex ready-to-wear and accessories line Juma. The unisex concept is an interesting one: Alia and Jamil wanted to create clothes they could both share. As globe-trotters having lived in Kenya, Russia, Los Angeles and Montreal, travel and art are among Juma’s top inspirations. Without any doubt does Juma cater to the hip younger crowd. After all, their line is highly influenced by young celebrities. Recently, they have created “custom printed outfits” for hip-pop queen Nicki Minaj. Similar colourful printed outfits were found in their s/s 2012 collection presented at Toronto’s fashion week. The runway show was an equally “in” show with “Pumped up Kicks” by Foster the People blaring through the speakers while models showed off Juma’s latest designs: re-imagined animal prints, geometric patterns and bright feather-peacock prints. The studio was lit purple and created a mod ambiance. The runway was surrounded by mannequins showcasing silk headscarfs of various prints (my favourite was the giraffe-inspired one!). Models’ hair were gilded in gold sparkles, a personal touch I liked very much. Designs seemed to be highly influenced by African tunics as most outfits were free-flowing, loose-fitting shirts and pants perfect for an urban summer getaway if paired with heels or the perfect beach or music festival outfit paired with a simple pair of flats. Juma’s designs were flattering. Definitely the kind of ready-to-wear I’d enjoy sporting!

– Claire Miglionico

photo credit: Sabrina Maddeaux