National Post

Instaglamo­ur

From opening the new Facebook Canada offices at the Mars building to supporting The Brain Project in Yorkville

- Amoryn Engel PHOTOS BY GEORGE PIMENTEL

Big fluffy clouds, giant paper airplanes and rivers of tequila-infused drinks – all indoors! This was done to show off the sparkling new Facebook Canada office at the MaRS building in Toronto. The dining space was transforme­d by event designer Melissa Andre into a huge Instagram love-in that reflected the new instalogo. The #InstaDinne­r was hosted by yours truly and Jessica Mulroney.

Facebook honchos Jordan Banks and Marne Levine (who made the special trip from California) lured may-jah instagramm­ers to the extraordin­ary fete, like celebrity designer Tommy Smythe, superstar athlete Sasha Exeter, travel dynamos Alejandro Portela and Melissa Panetta, creative genius Hyghly and fashionist­o Jay Strut. After a spirited cocktail hour, the meet and greet became a socking great party, as a few glasses turned into a very spirited debate on all things Instagram.

“The Instagram community in Canada is vibrant and incredibly active, with more than 8.5 million Canadians using Instagram to find their visual voice and connect around shared passions,” enthused Marne Levine, Chief Operating Officer, Instagram. “From fashion and fitness, to youth advocacy and volunteeri­sm, to entertainm­ent and travel, Canada’s Instagram community is as diverse as the country itself. I was honoured to meet so many inspiring Canadian Instagramm­ers at the community dinner in Toronto.” And we were thrilled to meet you too!

Jewelry shopping was on the agenda when Bulgari Yorkdale opened its doors for a great cause. Presented by Telus, The

Brian Project benefits Baycrest Health Sciences, and is focused on building awareness of brain health through art. Brain sculptures, such as the one unveiled at the fete, designed by Monreal-based artist Pascale Girardin, have been created by worldrenow­ned and emerging members of the arts community.

They’ve come together from the worlds of fashion, architectu­re, culture, music and visual arts. 100 creative and thought-provoking brain sculptures are currently on display at iconic venues, public galleries, studios, businesses and outdoor locations across the city of Toronto. There are cluster locations at Nathan Phillips Square, the Distillery District and Union Station, and 50 additional locations for visitors and locals alike to explore. The art installati­on will be on display throughout June.

“Noah and I were in New York City and were amazed by the incredible work done by artists who participat­ed in The Fabergé Big Egg Hunt.” enthused Erica Godfrey, co- chair of The Brain Project. “We wanted to develop a similar concept here in Toronto – an outdoor public art installati­on that would not only add interest to Toronto’s cityscape, but also support a great cause. Three of Noah’s grandparen­ts lived at Baycrest and we are firm believers in the care and research they do. Over 750,000 Canadians are living with Alzheimer’s, and we wanted to do something to help. The Brain Project is the perfect way to combine Toronto’s need for both amazing public art and brain health awareness. The Brain Project exists because no brain deserves to go blank.” Funds raised by The Brain Project will help important work to change the future of aging and help people realize their optimum cognitive well- being for a lifetime. To view the growing list of participat­ing organizati­ons and individual­s please visit: http://www. brainproje­ct.ca

 ??  ?? Instagramm­ers unite!
Instagramm­ers unite!
 ??  ?? Kirk Pickersgil­l and Tommy Smythe @tommysmyth­e
Kirk Pickersgil­l and Tommy Smythe @tommysmyth­e
 ??  ?? Jessica Mulroney @ jessicamul­roney, Jordan Banks @banks_jordan and Amoryn Engel @amorynenge­l
Jessica Mulroney @ jessicamul­roney, Jordan Banks @banks_jordan and Amoryn Engel @amorynenge­l
 ??  ?? Ashley Williams @adubbwest, Daniel Habashi@habashi and Andrea Van Leeuwen @andreavanl­eeuwen
Ashley Williams @adubbwest, Daniel Habashi@habashi and Andrea Van Leeuwen @andreavanl­eeuwen
 ??  ?? Bryan Espiritu @legendslea­gue and Hyghly @hyghly
Bryan Espiritu @legendslea­gue and Hyghly @hyghly
 ??  ?? Alejandro Portela @travelawes­ome and Melissa Panetta @bestvacati­ons
Alejandro Portela @travelawes­ome and Melissa Panetta @bestvacati­ons
 ??  ?? Joelle Maslaton @ joellemasl­aton and Noah Lehava @noahleh
Joelle Maslaton @ joellemasl­aton and Noah Lehava @noahleh
 ??  ?? Marne Levine @marnelevin­e, Charlton Gholson @cgincolor and Lysa Lash @lysalashne­xtgenfur
Marne Levine @marnelevin­e, Charlton Gholson @cgincolor and Lysa Lash @lysalashne­xtgenfur
 ??  ?? Sasha Exeter @sashaexete­r
Sasha Exeter @sashaexete­r
 ??  ?? Amber MacArthur @ambermac
Amber MacArthur @ambermac
 ??  ?? Sophia Lal @Sophlal
Sophia Lal @Sophlal
 ??  ?? Hyghly Alleyne @hyghly and Melissa Andre @melissaand­re
Hyghly Alleyne @hyghly and Melissa Andre @melissaand­re
 ??  ?? Jay Strut @ jaystrut
Jay Strut @ jaystrut
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Paulo Leone, Samantha Brickman and Kapil Suri
Paulo Leone, Samantha Brickman and Kapil Suri
 ??  ?? Fiffat Haider
Fiffat Haider
 ??  ?? Erin Koth and Clara Halpern
Erin Koth and Clara Halpern
 ??  ?? Shanea Rakowski and David Rakowski
Shanea Rakowski and David Rakowski
 ??  ?? Jeremy Pertman and Hadassa Pertman
Jeremy Pertman and Hadassa Pertman
 ??  ?? Sarah Rafferty and Pascale Girardin
Sarah Rafferty and Pascale Girardin
 ??  ?? Brittney Kuczynski
Brittney Kuczynski
 ??  ?? Erica Godfrey and Noah Godfrey
Erica Godfrey and Noah Godfrey

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