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May 1 | Provenance and Prejudice @Textile Museum of Canada
Salon Talk
What ideas and on-the-ground realities can help us arrive at a personal code of consumption fit for the 21st century?
Toronto makers and thinkers explore how notions of origins, provenance, globalization, culture and authenticity impact our patterns of consumption in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.
Where are things made? Why does it matter? And what should we make of labels like “Made in China” and “Buy Local”?
Panelists:
Gabrielle Nasri – Vice-President, ça va de soi, Montreal Knitwear brand specializing in high-quality, minimalistic staples made from rare Egyptian cottons and carefully sourced cashmeres and extra-fine wools
Hoda Paripoush – Certified Tea Sommelier, and Director, Sloane Fine Tea Merchants, an alliance of Fine Tea Merchants of premium specialty teas sourced directly from point-of-origin
Father Roberto Ubertino – Executive Director, St. John the Compassionate Mission and St. John’s Bakery, a social enterprise and one of Toronto’s top artisanal bakeries, specializing in French-style organic bread
Tarah Burke – Board Member, Fashion Takes Action, Educator and Consultant advising on sourcing location choices and the impact of country of origin on profitability, productivity and consumer value perception
Professor Sean Kheraj – Assistant Professor, Canadian and Environmental History, York University, Podcaster, Nature’s Past, and Author, Inventing Stanley Park: An Environmental History, researcher of human interaction with the environment and our idealization of place
Moderator:
Urmi Desai, Host/Creator, Conscious Consumption Program, Board Trustee, Textile Museum of Canada, and Co-Founder, Realosophy
Apr 24 | The Luxury of Tradition @A Peace Treaty/Ewanika
One of Toronto’s smartest fashion labels, EWANIKA, joins one of New York’s, A Peace Treaty, to explore a new philosophy of luxury: modernity informed by craft. We chat with Trish Ewanika about her aesthetic and what she looks for in the artisanal labels she introduces to Toronto. Trish is joined by one of her finds, A Peace Treaty co-founder Farah Malik, who shares front line stories about the challenges – and rewards – of reinvigorating the disappearing textile traditions of Asia, South America and Africa.
Apr 10 | The Art of Tea @Sloane Fine Tea Merchants / Laura Slack Chocolates
Join Hoda Paripoush of Sloane Fine Tea Merchants and Laura Slack at the Textile Museum of Canada for a special tea and truffles tasting. Be inspired by a singular passion for the tradition and craftsmanship of individually blended teas sourced from tea gardens around the world paired with handmade chocolate. We start with a tour of From Geisha to Diva: The Kimonos of Ichimaru, and explore what authenticity means to us today in the context of some of the world’s oldest global exchanges – tea, chocolate and textiles. To celebrate this special tasting, Sloane debuts a golden-ivory Sencha green tea infused with the delicate sweetness of Japanese cherry blossoms.
Apr 3 | The Terroir of Fabric @ça va de soi
An intimate chat with Gabrielle Nasri, part of the Montreal family that has devoted itself to the art of slow fashion and an insistence on sourcing the best fabrics from around the world. Why should cotton come from Egypt and wool from Australia and Scotland? And how does partnering with a Hong Kong manufacturing family sustain ça va’s quest for quality craftsmanship?
(This event repeats on April 17 at 7pm)
Mar 29 | The French Method @St John’s Bakery
Exploring St. John’s commitment to the traditional French method of bread-making, we ask about France’s special relationship with bread, why organic, natural and local ingredients make a difference and why St. John’s see bread-making as restorative and healing, providing more than a salary to its employees who are in need of a helping hand up.
(This event repeats on April 5 at 10am)
Mar 27 | The Roots of Raw Denim @Sydney’s
Visiting designer and “fabric nerd” Sydney Mamane’s sartorial Toronto menswear boutique, we chat about why Japanese denim is so coveted, what the wabi-sabi philosophy of transience and imperfection has to do with it and exactly how one makes a handmade living in North America.