TNA by Aritzia is jumping on the Canadiana themes of pretty much every Canadian company out there, just in time for the Olympics. And while I’m not one to be blatantly decked out in red and white as so many have been subjecting themselves to as of late, this has me curious enough to run in stores and ogle. Yes, ogle – maybe even a little touching.

More Olympics-ness coming soon (because hey, despite this commentary being carefully tinged with sarcasm, I’m still hella Proud to be Le Canadian).

A Virgin…Mobile party. Solid – an abundance of red, non-virginesque images, fashion integration (engaging local designers to create themed dresses that were master pieces), logo image pillows, hilarious tag lines, hipster dance parties, and of course, Jay Sean. All in all, the Virgin Mobile event at the Berkeley Church (Queen East) was an absolutely stunning good time. All they really needed to sell me were the fancy pillows rather than the fancy drinks (though the Blackberry themed one wasn’t half bad). Enjoyed the scantily clad girls AND boys, alongside the hilarious and gimmicky giant volt switch on stage.

A jolly good time had by us all.

Plenty cool – the fourth shirt of a six part series in a limited edition collective from ION Magazine x Robert Mearns. Nothing like getting a little taste of the rich Vancouver cultural flavour prior to going there. They call this one Ernie ’10 – it’s a street-infused, raw design that men and women can jump into. Have a look at the rest of the collabo here. $30.00 for a piece of limited-ness.

Robert Mearns is a young and talented artist from Vancouver. Robert is known for his photorealistic portraits of interesting locals, his six foot five stature and his equally large personality. In a city full of talented artists, he seemed like the perfect one to collaborate on a shirt that features a dead Expo Ernie.

> images from ionmagazine.ca

Welcome, Alice. Swarovski’s done a capsule collection to trot along with the release of the new Alice in Wonderland movie by Disney. Capturing the spirit of A.I.W, the line is representative of the movie through its vintage and gothic tones. Sifting through oh so many pieces and much marveling later, I watched the official trailer again on small-screen (aka laptop) and it only reaffirmed that Swarovski has done a stellar job capturing the sentiment in the collection. My favourite? The Round Hall Key from the White Rabbit selection ($130.00). I’ve been digging way too long for a skeleton key necklace, and I’m plenty certain that I’ve met my match. Take a look at it after the jump, and be sure to watch the trailer.

See the digital book here (it’ll make your smile sparkle).

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Over two dozen like-minded friends in the independent arts community have banded together to create a downloadable collective in support of Haiti. Donations go straight to Médecins Sans Frontières (aka Doctors Without Borders), to help with their work towards the earthquake. Their words:

Featuring a who’s who of award winning artists, the project brings together Juno Award Winners (and losers), U of T Art Professors, Underground Hip Hoppers, Latin Jazzers, Pop and Electronica Darlings, as well as Vanguards of Illustration, Animation and Photography.  It’s an eclectic mix of “creative” types who are trying to use what they do best to offer a helping hand.

While the earthquake happened over two weeks ago (January 12, 2010), I think it’s still so intensely important to keep the momentum going. If you haven’t yet made your donation, this is a great alternate route to get much needed funds to them. What better than to take home a piece of arts culture, alongside donating to a great cause?

The PPF House Neighborhood will only be available until Feb.11, 2010, the final day before the Canadian Government closes its pledge to match all private donations.
More information on the project and its contributors can be found at www.ppfhouse.com/haiti

More information about MSF and its work in Haiti and elsewhere can be found at www.msf.ca
To view MSF’s letter of endorsement for the project, please go to http://ppfhouse.com/msf-letter.php