Pathfinders

Afew weeks before we shipped last year’s “Made in Canada” issue, I interviewed Lidewij Edelkoort, the über-intellectual Paris-based trend forecaster. We talked about the death of eccentricity and how it would be followed by an “embryonic moment” in which we’d all re-energize in preparation for a revival or renaissance. “We’re fed up!” she said. “We need to go bonkers! We want to be happy.” She suggested that Canadians—with our generally positive mien—were slightly ahead of the trend. Edelkoort seems to be spot-on in her predictions if the fall collections are any indication of society’s new unconventional mood. Fashion scribe Anders Christian Madsen wrote in i-D that designers were introducing an eccentric—or “kooky”—sensibility into their designs. You expect that kind of delightful and manic expressiveness from Manish Arora, Moschino and Jeremy Scott, but it was a little surprising to see Alexander Wang introduce an eccentrically gothic twist (Frankenstein boots and chain-mail shifts) into his work. And what about the subversive and quirky stylings at Dior? Here at home, designer Mikhael Kale deftly brought a zany touch to his exquisite creations. (See “One to Watch” on page 38.) Case in point? The jacket I’m wearing in the photo on this page. This plasticized tweed coat, with its chartreuse Mongolian-fur trim, captures a whimsical artistry that Peggy Guggenheim would have embraced for its bohemian opulence. Kale told Charlotte Herrold, our associate fashion editor, that he lives by the motto “Life is too short to entertain monotony.” Hear, hear! Another Canadian artist who has a loyal following of eccentric-accessory fans—including Rihanna and Kelly Osbourne—is Holly Dyment. (See “Made in Canada” on page 36.) “It’s all instinct, art, taking a chance and being brave,” the jewellery designer told Lisa Guimond, our fashion features editor. This is the same adventurous spirit that allowed our cover girl, Carly Rae Jepsen, to shed that all-too-Canadian habit of being “a little too nice.” (See “Me, Myself & I” on page 54.) After some time away from the music scene, Jepsen is returning with a new album—and a new state of mind: “I think I’ve learned a lot about myself. Even learning that I could say ‘no’ or that I didn’t have to be the ‘yes girl’ all the time was a really important lesson.” Or, as Edelkoort might suggest, Jepsen is letting herself go a little bit bonkers. Isn’t it time we all let loose, break a few conventions and set our own path?