Remember when Brangelina had their baby last year? Barely introduced to the world and Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt managed to create massive hype for the Pots & Pans Band t-shirt that she wore in the much anticipated People Magazine photos shoot. Now THAT’s star power.

Kingsley, the designer of the line with the same name, was in Vancouver for the first time this past weekend and sat down with me to chat about the evolution of children’s clothing and life after the whirlwind of publicity.

The brand was formed three years ago after the birth of Kingsley’s son, Zephir. Like any new parent-to-be, Kingsley and Amy were excited to start shopping for their little boy and very quickly realized that there was a very limited selection of clothing that defined their lifestyle. They didn’t settle however. When Zephir came out of the hospital, he was wearing the first ever hand-crafted Kingsley onesy. That got a huge response. All their friends were into it and that is how Kingsley Clothing was created. Their local community was very supportive but they never anticipated celebrities like Gwen Stefani, Johnny Depp, Chris Cornell (their favourite rock star), Seal & Heidi Klum, to turn to them for their children’s fashion needs.

Kingsley isn’t into the habit of sending celebrities clothes. That’s never been his philosophy. “We don’t like to shove it down people’s throats no matter who they are, celebrity or not. We just figured if they like it, they’ll buy it and that’s always been the case.” They send Brad & Angelina a package once in a while now as a thank you for all the exposure they’ve given him but that’s where it stops. Kingsley is confident that the quality of the product speaks for itself. A lot of copycat brands have emerged as a result of his great success but the motives are different. Kingsley saw a need and wanted to fill a void in children’s clothing.

Much of his inspiration comes from his son. The Pots & Pans Band t-shirt came about when Zephir started a band in their kitchen. He was the drummer, banging on all the pots and pans and that sparked an idea. With a background in fine art, graphics, and photography, Kingsley is now expanding the line to pants, wovens, a line of accessories, and larger sizes. Look for an adult line this Fall at Holt Renfrew and if you’d like to carry the brand in your store, click here for contact info.

In today’s ‘Gap’ed world, we all need “a little more style…a little more flavour.”

In Part II of our makeup series, Beau Nelson of Beauté Cosmetics gives us a lesson on how to achieve those perfect brows. You won’t realize how put-together you can look until you actually pick up a brow brush and apply the simple steps in today’s video. You’ll learn what shade to buy for your individual palette, what to look for in a proper brow brush, and the ‘glue’ that keeps the whole look together. Click on the image above to find out more!

For details on what tools to use, read on…

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Pole Dancing. Put together, these words are bound to raise some eyebrows. Once the exclusive domain of exotic dancers, you wouldn’t be going around telling people you spent last night spinning around a brass pole. Then there was the introduction of pole dancing as a fitness category and it sent everyone abuzz with excitement at the possibility of a merger between two very different worlds. The adventurous jumped at the opportunity to try something new but it was more giggled than bragged about between close friends. Now, only a few short years since its creation, pole dancing has evolved into a legitimate form of exercise and recognized by the North American business world.

Aradia Fitness is the innovative product of two friends, Christine Boyer and Tracy Gray. Perpetually bored of going to the gym, they decided that there had to be a more interesting way of staying in shape. Pole dancing came to mind but they couldn’t find a single facility that offered any classes. Immediately recognizing the appeal of such an option, they set out to create the first Canadian pole dancing studio. Skeptics brushed the idea off as another fad that wouldn’t catch on but boy are they eating their words now. Since opening up their first location, the two entrepreneurs can’t seem to meet the demand. There are now 17 locations across north America and with professionally trained instructors like Caroline MacGillivray, Aradia has taught over 20,000 women of all ages, sizes and professions.

I sat in on one of Caroline’s advanced level classes and I have to admit, Christine and Tracy have achieved the goal they set out to accomplish back in the summer of 2003. There are plenty of women eager to learn and you may be pleasantly surprised how down-to-earth all the students are. I have to admit I anticipated finding model thin types with a lot of attitude but I got none of that. This class proved to me that every woman has a sexy side that they have yet to unleash. You don’t necessarily need to be an extrovert or have an unbelievably out-there personality to appreciate pole dancing. You’re just as likely to be in a class with a 20-year-old student as you are with a 50-year-old engineer or lawyer. All these women are after is a fun way to work out.
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I renewed my yearly gym pass in February and I’ve hauled my ass to class all of three times since then. Does this sound like you? The cacophony of agreement is overwhelming. If you get bored easily and are as lazy as me when it comes to physical activity, this might just be the thing for you. What if I told you you could lose weight and tone those nonexistent muscles just by doing what you do every day? Walking is probably the last thing you would think of to help get rid of those love handles but then again, you probably haven’t heard of Nordic Walking.

Are you envisioning those people that walk madly past you on the seawall with their arms flinging all over the place? That’s a whole other kind of walking. Nordic Walking, also referred to as Pole Walking or Ski Walking, is something that evolved, as you may have deduced by now, from cross-country skiing. In the mid 90′s, competitive skiers in Finland were looking for a way to train in the summer season and realized that this type of exercise served their particular needs. Since then, its popularity has grown dramatically and millions of people all over the world have taking up the poles. The Vancouver Sun Run this year was the first Canadian road race to include Nordic Walking when they teamed up with SportMedBC and Exel to launch an InTraining Program with Nordic Walking clinics. North America is a little late in the game but then again, aren’t we always behind Europe? (why IS that!). Here is Donna Hutchinson of On the Edge Fitness Educators with a quick 101 on Nordic Walking.

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Even though Nordic Walking is a widely accessible sport, there is a proper technique that you have to get used to if you want to reap the physical benefits. Make sure you keep the poles close to your body and take long strides, ensuring that you use your entire foot, from the heel when you step to the toe when you alternate legs. Maintain a good posture and keep your arms straight but not locked. As you plant each pole, make sure to apply pressure to them to create back, core, arm and shoulder resistance. Apparently the biggest mistake people make is using the poles as walking sticks. Instead of swinging them in front of you, the feet (or ‘booties’) should be planted behind you. Watch Donna Hutchinson as she demonstrates.

If you’re interested in learning more about this, contact our very own trainer Donna Hutchinson at:

On the Edge Fitness Educators
1542 Westover Rd
North Vancouver, B.C. V7J 1X5
t: 604.985.7410 or 778.231.7410
e: edgefit@shaw.ca
i: www.edgefit.ca

If you need more incentive, Urban Poling from North Vancouver is offering some FREE demonstrations on June 24th. The space is limited so call 604.733.1173 or email info@ladysport.ca for further details.

For retailers, visit their website here. Exel is the original Nordic Walking brand so if you want a comparison for your shopping, check out their products here.

In this first of a series of video demos, noted makeup artist Beau Nelson of Beauté Cosmetics shares tips most women don’t know about makeup application to make them look amazing. This is a rare opportunity for you to learn some of the secrets behind the most beautiful images in the fashion and beauty industry. Are you ready to be a cover girl?

Featured in today’s entry is a lesson on how to apply the perfect bronzer. Achieve that natural sun-kissed look with these very quick and simple steps. As Beau demonstrates, the trick is the “Big 3.” For this and other secrets, click on the image above!

For details on what tools to use, read on…

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