You know what I love? Photo shoots. We held this one for Sterling Shoes SS/12 campaign at Vancouver’s tiki-tastic Waldorf Hotel.

And it was one heckuva way to spend a day.

While my role at Northill primarily involves writing and creative concepting, it also involves holding open the hotel’s lobby door, a very important job on a hot, sunny day.

The campaign was photographed by the delightful Evaan Kheraj.

Hair and makeup artist Melanie Neufeld did shiny coral lips and loose curls (created by wrapping the hair around a big-barrelled curling iron).

Then again, it doesn’t take much to make models Christie B. and Donna look good.

Stylist Luisa Rino used prints and pastels galore.

And the final pieces will be transformed by designer/illustrator Jenny Kim.

Can’t wait to show you the finished pics! And no, this isn’t one of them.

P.S. I tweet from behind the scenes so follow @TheAnthology.

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Gotta love these before and afters. They never disappoint, do they? This “before” shot is especially mugshot (fugshot?) esque. I can’t even imagine who would have originally owned this vintage grey-and-white striped jacket before me — an escapee from Alcatraz?

I would call its style “Jailbird chic” except there’s nothing really chic about it. It’s boxy, its sleeves hit at an awkward spot and the shoulders are just too bold for me to take myself seriously in it. But with a few tweaks, my friends, I’m predicting it’ll be a spring staple. Watch this space for the “after” shot.

P.S. Like The Anthology on Facebook and you’ll be the first to see it.

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Steph A.! Congratulations! And those of you who are not Steph will be happy to know Jenny Andrews is having a little pre-Valentines Day sale. So go ahead — bag a bag, why don’t ya.

[Photo found here.]

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Before a calm, cool and collected live segment…

…is just a touch of backstage nuttiness. (And sometimes a little on-stage nuttiness too.) But that’s what makes these things so much fun to do.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have people like Erika, who might look a little familiar, by my side. (She’s wearing a dress from H&M, a jacket from JNBY and boots from Sterling.)

And Amy (wearing a dress by Jacqueline Conoir and jacket by H&M that she really should get because it looks so good on her).

And Natasha, wearing the hottest, comfiest dress by Jason Matlo (I’m obsessed!) and a necklace from H&M that I really should have bought for myself.

If you didn’t get up early with us, don’t fret, sleepyhead. You can watch the clip riiiiiiiiiiiight here.

Thank you Natasha, Erika, Amy and Emily for all your help. Thank you Norma and CTV for making it such a fun segment!

[My dress is from JNBY, shoes by Thakoon for Giuseppe Zanotti.]

P.S. If you’re in Vancouver, mark your calendar for Thursday, March 1st. Just do it. I’ll explain later.

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Remember how Heathers was the coolest film ever? Aside from the hunk that was Christian Slater (who didn’t have a crush on him during Heathers, Pump up the Volume and Untamed Heart?!!), the film had snappy one-liners and incredible shoulder pads, and one of my personal favourite actresses, Winona Ryder.

So, OK, you know Heathers was super back in the day, and vampire stuff is super cool now? And you know how the 80′s are somehow funny, no matter what? Scrunchies, mom jeans, Christina Applegate? What does it all have in common? Well, one day my friends and I decided to stop waiting to see if Spielberg was going to call (any day now) and go out and make a short film.

We decided to make it a comedy. Tasked the writer, I decided to combine my love for 80′s films with the overly popular vampire craze, and make what is now known as 80′s Vampire Flick - a story of five high schoolers on detention, but one of them is a vampire slowly killing them all off.

Tasked with dressing the actors, I set off the ever popular Brick Lane, a place which, if you’ve been reading these dispatches, you know has incredible vintage clothes.

For my character (right), the bitchy Kiki Summers, I went for bright pink with a huge head of fake hair and a scrunchie. For Tristan Brooke, who played Kiki’s all-jock boyfriend Bobby, I went for a letter jacket and cutoff t-shirt, with a bright pink soccer ball, because nothing says 80′s like ironic pink and matching couples…

For Caroline Amer (right) who played Brandi, the head cheerleader who’s in love with the school outcast, I found a little vintage cheerleading outfit that already had MVP etched into the back (found at Rokit Vintage) and curled her hair to the nines.

Jackson Miller, who played Jimmy D, well, he was able to wear all his own clothes…

Roshni Rathore played Virginie French (below), the emo girl dressed all in black, and she had hair teased as high as Kelly Kapowski and some rad orange lipstick to off-set the whole outfit. Nothing says emo like a black cutoff denim shirt, skinny black jeans and black pumps. And nothing says 80′s like some orange lipstick!

Obi Ugoala (left) as Carter Luther is a very, very tall man, but with some specs and Santa braces (suspenders), he suddenly looked shy and vulnerable. Not only was every item of clothing affordable, it was all found on one street – the always incredible Brick Lane!

Special thanks to Sally Miura for make up and teased hair and Laurence Chater for directing!

P.S. Want to keep adding to your “When I’m in London” list? Catch up on Katie Burnett’s earlier dispatches: Sundays on Brick Lane, Saturdays in Camden Town, Friday nights at the theatre, and her East Coast nostalgia.

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The mic pack.

Which is why I get to do this little dance.

On set. In front of the entire crew, all of downtown and, now, you.

Keep it classy, Vancouver.

Catch my segment with CTV Morning Live’s Norma Reid (and my firmly secured mic pack) right here.

More behind-the-scenes shots coming your way, my friends. Including shots of my gorgeous models and their rather spectacular outfits. Thank you, Emily Hyde, for snapping these photos!

[Dress by JNBY, shoes by Thakoon for Giuseppe Zanotti.]

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I’m shooting a segment for CTV Morning Live this week. The focus? Dressing in dresses. So I stopped by Jason Matlo’s Yaletown studio to pick up a few of his because they’re so gosh-darned purdy.

And I got a peek at some of his works in progress, too, which thrills me because I love nothing more than to see other people’s creative processes. I’m a creative creep like that.

I find the blueprints as fascinating as the finished pieces, which, by the way, you can find at The Room at The Bay.

My segment (which is not about how you make dresses, but how you wear them) will be broadcast live on Tuesday, January 24 on CTV. Down a triple shot of espresso and get up early with me!

[Vintage faux fur jacket, vintage scarf, DKNY sweater, AG jeans]

P.S. Enter the Jenny Andrews x The Anthology giveaway, sweetpeas.

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Red and pink are everywhere right now. (Valentines Day would be so happy to hear that!)

Don’t believe me? Just ask Natalie Portman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Emma Stone…

Or Jenny Andrews. The Vancouver-based leather goods designer is giving away two of her popular mini pouches (one in pink and one in red, obvi) to one of you lucky Anthology readers!

Handcrafted in super soft recycled leather and lined with a navy blue striped canvas, they’re each about 4 x 3.5 inches, perfect for your coins, lip gloss, hair elastics and bobby pins, what have you. (I have a Jenny Andrews bag, I take it with me everywhere I go.)

Want to win them? (Is Cupid an adorable little troublemaker?) Of course!

For one entry: Comment on this post and tell us what you can’t leave home without. (For me it’s my Moleskine day planner — I’m old school like that.)

For two entries: Write on The Anthology’s Facebook wall and tell us what you love (Jenny Andrews, The Anthology and red/pink are all acceptable answers).

For three entries: Holler @TheAnthology on Twitter. (Bonus points if you write a love poem in 140 characters or less.)

The contest is open to Anthology readers worldwide. The lucky winner will be chosen on January 27th (contest closes 5:00pm PST 27/01/12). Good luck!

[First photo found here, second photo found here, last photo found here.]

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We all admire the style of those who come before us. Heck, half the time we’re repurposing trends they started anyway.

Advanced Style takes it to a whole new level.

Run by New Yorker Ari Seth Cohen, the blog is like a Sartorialist of the silver-haired, built on the premise that personal style gets better with age.

It features style tips from a centenarian (dress up every day and don’t wear blue jeans), collaborations with Dita von Teese and vintage style galore.

So bookmark Advanced Style already. And bookmark The Anthology while you’re at it.

Thank you, Masey, for sending this my way!

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There were emeralds galore, a little leg and a whole lot of tie-dye, but none of that compares to art deco details, my favourite micro-trend on the 2012 Golden Globes red carpet.

Kristen Wiig’s necklace is stunning with her deep-V dress. I love it, I want it, I’d wear it with everything. Imagine a costume jewelry version — it would look b-b-b-bad to the bone with a white t-shirt and jean shorts. You could totally rock that look on the red carpet… that’s in your living room.

Architectural details lit up the front of Salma Hayek’s dress while Claire Dane’s razzle-dazzled in the back. But my favourite art deco detail, by far, was the eagle belt on Emma Stone’s gown. It’s the coolest, no? Geometry was never this stunning in school.

P.S. Put on your red carpet wear and add The Anthology on Facebook.

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