Chatelaine » Inside Chatelaine

Fall previews

jobrien — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:45:51 +0000

One amazing part of this job is that we get to attend all sorts of press events. My favourites are the fashion previews, where we get a sneak peek at collections that will be in stores the following season. It’s sort of like window shopping with hors d’oeuvres.

Right now many retailers are unveiling their fall/winter 2009 lines. Some of the trends we’re seeing for fall are chunky knits, strong shoulders and rocker-inspired pieces.

Yesterday I hit the Quicksilver Women preview, which was held at an adorable gallery space in downtown Toronto. There are some amazing pieces in their fall 2009 collection including several universally flattering boho tops and a great Edie Sedgwick-inspired oversized striped sweater.

Shawna Olsten and Seema Dhillon show off some items from the Quicksilver Women fall collection

Quicksilver Women's Edie button-back sweater

Peruse the whole collection at womens.quicksilver.com.

–Jen O’Brien

Vancouver’s lost women

jobrien — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:54:26 +0000

If you haven’t seen Kevin Chong’s riveting article “Mean Streets” in our August issue about the prostitutes working Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside yet, you can read it here now. Even though serial killer Robert Pickton’s trial exposed the dire situation of Vancouver’s sex workers, Chong’s piece reveals that little has changed since Pickton’s conviction. Many of the women working the Downtown Eastside are still homeless, impoverished, traumatized and discriminated against.

We felt it was important for you to hear from the women themselves, so we asked Vancouver-based photojournalists Simon Hayter and Nicole Wheelhouse (who also shot the magazine photographs) to head back out onto the streets and give us some more insight into what these women’s lives are like. Their comments will break your heart.

– Jen O’Brien

Video sneak peek

jobrien — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:57:36 +0000

Cameron Diaz on her new role as a mom
Cameron and the cast of My Sister’s Keeper discuss their new film

Producer: Jen O’Brien
Editor: Mark McKay
My Sister’s Keeper footage courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures

MMVAs & the craziest outfit I’ve ever seen

jobrien — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:56:01 +0000

All of Toronto was buzzing about the MMVAs yesterday…especially since teen heartthrobs the Jonas Brothers were co-hosting. I hit the event and first spotted the hunky teens squished into an elevator with 10 other people. But while the JoBros may have been the main reason countless teary-eyed girls lined the streets outside of the MuchMusic building, I think Lady Gaga will be the reason people will be talking about the show for weeks to come. And this outfit…seriously…I don’t even know what to say…

Photo: George Pimentel

Here are some more shots I snapped in the press room at last night’s event.

Audrina Patridge from The Hills

The Black Eyed Peas

Rachelle Lefevre from Twilight

The Jonas Brothers

– Jen O’Brien

The scoop on my interview with Cameron Diaz

jobrien — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:08:48 +0000

So as you know I was in L.A. last week to attend the press screening of My Sister’s Keeper and to interview Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin and Sofia Vassilieva.

I checked into gorgeous Casa Del Mar on the beach in Santa Monica (where the junket was being held) and headed to the screening. Most of the other attendees were television reporters from the States who attend these sorts of things together almost every weekend.

Before the movie we all grabbed popcorn and most of the ladies flocked around the napkin dispenser to stock up for what we had all heard was going to be a major tearjerker. I rarely break down in the movie theatre so I decided to forgo the napkin-stashing…that was a mistake.

This was definitely a weeper…but it’s not your typical Hollywood sob story. There’s a gritty honesty in this film – especially where Sofia Vassilieva’s character Kate’s illness is concerned. The disease is definitely not romanticized. I think that’s what I liked about this movie, but it’s also what made it hard to watch at times especially as a survivor of childhood leukemia.

I told the girls as much when I met with them the next morning. Cameron’s response was “We’re glad you’re still here.” Yeah, me too.

After we talked about the film (watch for my video interview later this week) I tried to get some beauty tips out of Cameron. When I got back from L.A. the first things my girlfriends wanted to know were (A) What was she wearing? And (B) What does she look like in person? To answer the first question I’ve attached a photo below. And I’ve got to say, Cammie D looks amazing in person. However, her beauty tips leave something to be desired. When I asked for tips she said “Love life and gratitude, those are beauty tips. Just have gratitude.” Interesting…

Anyways, here’s my tip: Get the girls together, grab a box of Kleenex and go see this movie on June 26th. I’m pretty sure you’ll love it. Within My Sister’s Keeper there’s humour, romance and pain. But I think the one thing that will resonate is its truthfulness. It shows us that no matter how hard life gets, fate will ultimately run its course and we just have to find a way to cope.

– Jen O’Brien