As Coco Chanel stated, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
For fashionable Torontonians, inspiration is ubiquitous; friends and family, shopping, travelling and blogs seem to spark the trendiness inside of all of us, but today life is a fashion show and Instagram seems to be our runway. This week, we sat down with a few of our favourite Toronto fashionable Instagrammers who inspire us with not only what they wear, but in how they think, live and portray their lives visually through their Instagram,
1. @getjanet
Janet Han is a celebrity stylist, entrepreneur and founder of Fashionably Yours, a designer consignment boutique and online store.
“The inspiration behind my Instagram is really just to give my network of clients, potential customers and friends a place to connect with me, follow my day to day life and inspire luxury lifestyle and fashion with my own unique, edgy twist on things – what I like to call street luxury.”
2. @thinkreese
Sherise Cromwell, better known as REESE, is the owner and designer of clothing, jewelry and swimwear line REESE.
“I take pride in my social media, Instagram being my guilty pleasure. My inspiration for the content on my Instagram is all about my lifestyle and career. I live and breathe the luxuries of life; fashion and travel being on the top of my list. Being able to document milestones and accomplishments, Instagram is a virtual scrapbook for all of my memories.”
3. @dirtysox
J.S. Vann is a stylist at the Bay Street menswear purveyor Garrison Bespoke. His commitment to his craft helps clients create their own brand through style.
“I’ll try anything fashion-wise, from eclectic streetwear and cool kicks all the way to beautiful bespoke suiting with my own twist. I try to inspire creativity and a passion for clothing all while showcasing individualism. That’s what my Instagram is about.”
Vanessa Cesario is the black-and-white obsessed blogger behind TheBrunetteSalad.com. A 22-year-old media studies graduate from Toronto, Ontario, she has a huge passion for edgy, street-inspired fashion and an incurable obsession with biker jackets.
“I admire clean, visually appealing feeds (like @oraclefoxblog) and try to emulate that as much as I can with my own account – with my own twist of course!”
Michael Levine is an advisor on Bay Street by day and a men’s wardrobe stylist by night at Garrison Bespoke. He has recently taken part in styling many professional Toronto athletes such as the Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs and TFC.
“I love posting inspirational, well put together photos on my Instagram of guys I’ve styled, myself (not selfies!) or cool photos of men’s fashion I have seen from around the world. I like keeping my Instagram followers guessing and I am constantly changing it up.”
6. @byseanbrown
Sean Brown is the designer of the luxury sportswear brand NEEDS&WANTS Studios.
“To me, fashion, architecture, food and travel are all one in the same. These ideas and industries all meet somewhere in the middle — I’m just appropriating them all into one and translating them through my brand and day to day experiences. It’s all more colourful from where I’m sitting.”
7. @jacbeale
Jac Beale is a content creator and strategist, exploring visual culture through the realms of photography and design.
“With my Instagram I always prioritize consistency and balance; my intention is always to provide a new perspective on the beauty of everyday life. If everyone’s standing up for the shot, I’m laying down.”
8. @liztrinnear
Liz Trinnear is a television host and producer on Much Music.
“Instagram is my way of sharing my love of all things fashion, girly and fun. I love following insta-bloggers for my own personal inspiration, so if I can help others to get fashion motivated or inspired in any way shape or form, I’m happy.”
Tran Pham is the founder of Scene Queen Event Personnel event staffing/promotional services.
“My line of work requires staying attuned to a visual inspiration of fashion and entertainment. Within the events/promotions industry, I’m constantly surrounded by fashionable and creative individuals who’ve established a presence and style persona. My Instagram is a collective archive of my present looks, offering my followers a different look with my hair, interesting styles of nail art, featured pop art and cities I’ve visited.”
10. @hotoblack
Kyle ‘Hoto’ Reid has been a top lifestyle connoisseur since the early 2000s. Reid’s retail success catapulted him onto a blurred path where he would instinctively mix business, creativity and partying with many of Canada’s cool elite – Drake, Justin Bieber and Down with Webster to name a few.
“Instagram is the new blog. While I have an existing blog that I share more photos on, Instagram is where the cream of the crop posts end up. I always have my Sony Nex camera with me to capture every moment. I’m a huge culture fetishist. I’ve been lucky to be able to travel a lot within the past year and experience various cultures. I think that has been the biggest influence for me as an Instagrammer.”
11. @biancavenerayan
Bianca Venerayan is a 22-year-old designer/blogger at kastorandpollux.com.
“I am relentlessly trying to marry minimalism with maximalism, colour with shades of grey, and fashion with art via my Instagram feed. Though it acts as a style diary (read: mecca for shameless selfies) most of the time, there’s always the odd shot of a dog or an aerial food photo to balance everything out.”
12. @jyotimatharoo
Jyoti Matharoo co-owns a catering and consulting company called The Blank Plate with her sister, who is an amazing chef. The Blank Plate includes revamping menus, training management, and increasing online presence for start-up and existing businesses.
“What inspires my instagram is capturing a moment that will never happen again and immersing myself in that moment completely. Having the perfect photo consists of having the right outfit in the right city, whether it is harem pants and headpieces in Dubai, Ankara textiles and chunky jewelry in Nigeria, bold stripes with large sunhats in Monaco, or a Brazil jersey and flag in tow during World Cup in Sao Paulo.”
13. @patrickmarzouk
Patrick Marzouk is the owner of &Co Resto Bar.
“When we were working with our designers to build &Co Resto Bar in Mississauga, I had a certain look and feel in mind, and seeing how they were able to bring my vision to life through little details really impacted my personal sense of style. I realized that design, much like style, is for the most part all the same… it’s the little details that bring life to both venues and outfits. I started posting my looks on Instagram to get feedback and the response was generally positive, so I’ve tried to keep with it. I’ve had some misses, but as they say: ‘it’s better to try and fail than fail to try.’”
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