The Inspiring Ms. Lee

Today I want to share an interview I did with my friend, Gloria Lee.  Gloria is an up-and-coming fashion designer who is an inspiration to all of us trying to follow our dreams.  I wrote the article for the Spring/Summer issue of Oh!George, George Brown College’s fashion magazine.

To learn more about Gloria and her designs check out: www.tissh.com

Enjoy!

Tissh:  A Leap of Faith for Designer Gloria Lee

An up-and-coming Toronto fashion and jewelry designer wants to be part of a new generation of fashion: one that empowers.

As a young girl, Gloria Lee could not stifle her love for fashion. She often doodled dresses, compulsively watched Fashion Television, and found herself mentally altering clothing she would see in stores to improve them to her own taste.

After high school Lee put aside her creative interests and tried pursuing a life in traditional business. She majored in Actuarial Science at the University of Toronto and held corporate jobs for five years.  In 2004, during her corporate days, Lee was looking for a baby shower gift at Wal-Mart. She instead found herself wandering into the craft section picking out beads and string to make jewelry for friends as a hobby.  It seemed her creativity was again emerging.

In 2005 she founded her company, Tissh. The name is inspired by an internet handle she had in her teen years and is a play on the word fetish.  She soon enrolled part-time at Coco Fashion Design Centre in Toronto, where she took pattern drafting and garment construction courses. In 2009, encouraged by her brother and business partner Joseph Lee, Lee took a leap of faith by quitting her corporate job to follow her passion designing women’s clothing and jewelry full-time.

Lee has since found another equally rewarding passion; helping others. She wants women to feel empowered in her clothing and be more aware of themselves as powerful, confident beings. Lee loves to combine design with “giving back” to society. At the end of each month a portion of Tissh sales is given to local charities. The designer is also participating in Super Saturday this July in The Hamptons, New York. It’s a charity sample sale started by designer Donna Karan, with 100% of profits going to ovarian cancer research.

There appears to be a spiritual link to many of Lee’s musings on her life and business. She continuously refers to maintaining a positive attitude, a higher being, and the law of attraction; all part of her spiritual journey she says. It’s a journey that Lee intends to continue on as it has brought her to a place where she feels ready and excited to help others. She candidly offers advice to budding entrepreneurs; valuable tidbits like saving more money than you think you’ll ever need, never giving up, and reminding yourself to be happy.  After all, Lee says, “Life is about being happy, do what makes you happy and listen to your own voice inside.”

Lee wants to make it clear that starting a business is not easy, especially as a fashion designer. She talks about the difficulties of wearing all the hats; as financier, merchandiser, designer and accountant. What makes her job challenging though, is exactly what makes it rewarding. She truly seizes opportunities to expand and always learns from mistakes.

At this point in her early thirties Lee is grateful to make her fashion dream a reality as her business continues to grow. In early March 2011 Lee was profiled on eTalk and Canada AM, both part of the CTV network. It was a segment that had ten of Canada’s top designers submit wedding dress sketches for Kate Middleton’s upcoming marriage to Prince William. Lee was thrilled to have been part of an impressive group that included David Dixon and Lucian Matis.

When we spoke back in March, Lee was busy putting the finishing touches on promotional material for her spring 2011 collection. New York City is her inspiration and each piece is named after a street in the Big Apple. Her two favourite pieces from the collection are the Hudson jacket: a three-quarter sleeve camel coloured swing cropped trench, and the Lexington dress: a stretch silk halter dress with pockets and an exposed back.

Looking ahead to the future Lee hopes to participate in the international Las Vegas trade show, Magic.  She also plans to continue with social media endeavors. Her website, www.tissh.com has links to her Twitter account and blog. Lee appreciates the ability to connect with real people in real time. She enjoys the approachable relationship she has with customers and plans to stay grounded and accessible.

When asked if she has any closing remarks Lee pauses and states, “I feel there is a movement, globally, I feel like people are becoming more awakened in their lives and I hope to be part of that.”  She wants people to change their outlook on fashion from seeing it as something superficial to something empowering.  Lee wants women to feel strong and confident in her clothing; she wants them to soak in the good energy she hopes her clothes transfer. At the end of the day she wants to be proud of her work and knows she is fulfilling her life’s meaning by helping others. Even though her journey is just beginning, Lee can confidently say she is on the right path.

Tissh clothing is sold at Beyond 7, a boutique in Chelsea, NYC. Prices range from $400-$700. TisshXpress jewelry is sold at Dorly Design in Toronto. Prices range from $30-$300.

Photo by Evelina Gospodainova, courtesy of http://www.Tissh.com

Transitioning

You will look at these photos and say, "Natalie, it's freezing outside and you're wearing a tank top!? You're CRAZY! And I will say, "No, I'm just in denial, and photos look better when taken outside, and what's it to you anyways? Oh, nevermind."

So, flurries are being forecasted for Toronto this week, but I’m in denial.  I still think it’s totally appropriate to focus on outfits that transition from winter to spring, even though spring temperatures are no where to be found.

I snagged this silk top recently at Banana Republic (I hear snickers from the fashion snobs!) and it was on sale (more snobby judging)!   That’s ok, you can go ahead and judge. As for me? Well, I am pretty pleased with my find because it’s a great top to wear out to a pub for a casual night beneath my winter coat, as I did on the weekend, AND, it will transition nicely into summer when I plan to wear it with shorts and sandals. I like clothes that offer variety, they make life easier. If I can wear something year round it’s pretty much insta-love.  I adore the print on this top because: 1. It’s neutral, but not boring 2. Turn around and it’s a different look 3. Stripes, j’taime!

Close up

If you were describing boots to me and mentioned lace-up at the back, I would say, "EW". But, I really have a soft-spot for these wedge boots. They're Modern Vintage and I got them from Corbo in Yorkville (probably 4 years ago). I still like them. They're comfortable, and lace-ups were all over the runways for fall so I'm not totally out of it on these.

Something Has Come Over Me

Something has come over me. This past week, as a result of my schedule and cousin’s birthday I’ve ended up eating more sugar, grease and deep-fried goodness than usual. I actually blame the cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread. It kind of started me on a downward spiral that had me wanting anything sugary and/or fried.  I’m back to normal now, I hope.  I think everyone is entitled to a few days or week of bad eating, so long as it doesn’t become a habit.
Here is a look at what I’ve been eating this week…

My cousin’s ice cream birthday cake

Berry Pie

Apple Strudel, so good!

Candy & Fries (feels like high school)

 

Nothing is wrong with any of this food (in moderation), but if you’ve been reading this blog you know it is out of character for me to have all of this within one week.  I don’t know what has come over me, although after looking at these photos I’m craving a nice big salad for lunch.  Time to get back on track.

WARNING: the food in photos above may cause upset stomach (especially if you’re aren’t used to ingesting any of it)

Popeye Pasta

I love pasta, who doesn’t? Unfortunately it’s a complete carb-overload meal so I look for ways to make it a bit healthier. My favourite, as of late, is to place raw spinach at the bottom of the plate and mix the pasta with vegetables instead of a red tomato sauce.

Place raw spinach at bottom of bowl

Top spinach with pasta and veggies

My boyfriend and I came up with this recipe using what we had in the kitchen. We started by sauteing a red onion and garlic in olive oil. Meanwhile we had water boiling for our pasta. We added some white wine and half a can of chicken broth to the onion/garlic mixture for flavour and sprinkled on some salt. Next, we added the chopped asparagus and let it cook for a few minutes, then the zucchini since it takes less time than asparagus. Lastly we threw in tomatoes for some more colour and flavour. Once the veggies seemed soft enough we mixed in the cooked pasta and added some hot pepper flakes to give the dish some zing! Last step: top with black pepper and cheese, Yum!

To serve we placed a handful of raw baby spinach on the bottom of the plate and topped with pasta.  The spinach heats up a bit from the pasta and really complements the dish.  Best of all?  The dish tastes healthy AND delicious at the same time.

In defence of fast fashion

I recently rediscovered this cream dress. It’s from H&M and is probably about 4 years old.  I thought it was long gone when I stumbled upon it one day. And you know what? I like it. I’m happy to have it back.  I love designer fashion as much as the next fashion obsessive, it’s just, sometimes I think we all get so hung up on the cost of garments or what they are made out of (this dress is nylon with a polyester lining). Well, all I know is this dress cost less than $40, survived a three year hiatus in a suitcase, and still looks cute enough fashion-wise to get away with wearing.  That is reason enough for me to keep it around a little while longer.

As for the light shade of the dress, I figure since spring has officially sprung it’s time to start sporting cream and white. Actually, I could have totally gotten away with this in colder temperatures as “winter white.”  I can’t wait to have this dress carry me right into fall where polka dots are shaping up to be a big trend.

I understand there are all kinds of issues (political and otherwise) with fast fashion brands; however, I’m in no financial position to exclude inexpensive fashion from my wardrobe. In honour of this frugal theme I’ve paired my dress with a Forever XXI faux fur vest and BCBG heels (via Winners).  Today I’m celebrating cheap, who’s with me?

Heavenly Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

I don’t like to essentially copy another blogger’s posts, but this recipe was way too good to pass up.  It’s from the blog, Joy the Baker. You must check out her blog for fabulous and mouth watering ideas.

Ok so onto the good stuff: Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread.  To sum up this dessert, it’s a variation on cinnamon buns.  I know you might be surprised that I’m featuring this type of dessert seeing as I stress the health benefits of the recipes I blog.  I tend to always lean towards “healthy” meal options, even when making dessert.  But, every once and a while I crave some teeth-rotting, belly fattening, ooey-gooey goodness.  This recipe nails all of the above. You will have to prevent yourself from finishing the whole thing straight out of the oven. Make sure there are other people with you to help you eat it, or else I’m afraid you are risking gaining some weight here.

I followed Joy the Baker’s recipe step-by-step. I’ve never made bread before and I did not have any problems.  I should note that instead of whole milk I used 1% milk and next time I will use less sugar – you will notice it calls for A LOT and I’m sure it will taste equally as yummy with 1/4 cup less.

I’ve posted some of the photos from my process, but if you want to make this yourself I highly recommend going on over to Joy the Baker and following her excellent post.

Making the dough 

You'll require some patience with rolling out the dough. It does take some time (and muscle) to get it 20 in x 12 in

Evenly distribute butter

Spreading on the sugar mixture

Woah, that looks like a lot of sugar!

Cutting dough into strips using a pizza cutter

Cut again and stack

Pile of excess sugar that shook off while putting the stacks in the loaf pan

Ready in the pan, just has to rise for another hour or so and then time to bake!

Fresh out of the oven. After cooling for a bit, I anxiously put the bread on the closest plate I could find. I was desperate to give it a taste!

I was very pleased with the results, ooey gooey perfection!

Stuffed Apple Dessert

Here is another dessert I’ve been making lately when craving something sweet for after dinner. It’s really easy and we usually have all the ingredients on hand. This recipe calls for peaches, but since I just discovered it within the last few months I have been substituting apples. I’ll definitely be using peaches once they’re in season.

Nutritious Info: 161 Calories; 5g Fat; 2g Saturated Fat; 31g Carbohydrates; 3g Protein; 8mg Cholesterol; 4mg Sodium

Blanching apples (until soft):

After coring and slicing the apples in half I lay them on a muffin pan to simplify baking

These turned out good, but we used Red Delicious apples since that’s what I had on hand. McIntosh and Royal Gala turn out better though.

around the corner

These pictures were taken in my Scarborough neighbourhood. I love living so close to the city, but also so close to this. Our clocks sprung forward last weekend and I’m still adjusting to seeing sunshine at 6pm. Spring is just around the corner, and I can’t wait to shed some winter layers!

I’m wearing: Benetton coat, Calvin Klein blazer and top, cargo skinnies from The Bay, and riding boots from Browns. My pants are green, in honour of St. Patty’s Day of course. Have a good one!

Creamy Chicken & Chives

Sauteed chicken in a creamy chive sauce on basmati rice with broccoli, sweet potatoes, and peas

I for one love creamy food: sauce, dessert, you name it.  So I was pretty happy to stumble on a creamy chicken recipe that doesn’t pack all kinds of unhealthy-ness.  This is a decently nutritious dinner option for when you’re craving hearty and filling comfort food. So, for a dinner that is healthy, but doesn’t taste it, try this recipe I discovered on the Eating Well website (a great resource of healthy meals).

The sauce has a great creamy taste from the no-fat sour cream and a little bit of zing from the dijon. After taking a bite the nutritional information will surprise:

Calories: 244   Fat: 9g (3g saturated, 3g monosaturated); 1 g carbohydrates, 26g protein; 679 mg sodium; 24 mg potassium

Here are a few photos from my experience with the recipe, but follow the link for step-by-step recipe.

Sauteing the chicken

Coating chicken in added wine and broth

The tastemakers of this recipe

Sour cream, dijon and chives added, thickened sauce deliciousness

Sometimes I crave lots of little sides, so I really piled them on here: broccoli, peas, sweet potatoes and basmati rice. Not ideal to control carb intake, but at least I get much-needed vitamins from most of them!

Polka Dots & Football Shoulders

The Fall/Winter 2011 shows had all the elements we expect from the season: black, lace and fur.  But, I wanted to do a quick post on a couple trends that stood out to me, Football Shoulders and Polka Dots.

Football Shoulders – This new shape was seen coming down the runway at multiple shows consisting of an exaggerated shoulder span.  It had me immediately thinking of football padding. Which is appropriate I suppose, seeing as there may be an NFL strike next fall. At least fans will have football fashion to fill the void.

Polka Dots – Spotted patterns are nothing new, but I was taken aback by how many models were seen sporting dots. I think the tiny polka dots on Jason Wu’s tights and the gorgeous Stella McCartney dress with sheer + spots details were especially pretty looks that will easily transition to women’s wardrobes.

Coming up this week in food: a creamy chicken dinner, baked apples with crumble, and (the one I’m most excited about) cinnamon pull-apart bread. Mmm!