Alessandra

Alessandra's cool street style recently appeared on the blog. This time, she shows off her latest look in a rainy Graffiti Alley.

Jessica

Jessica: My style is really open-minded, laid-back and sensual as f@#k. Prince inspires my style. Aside from colour, his duality of femininity and masculinity was way ahead of its time and is still influential today.

Maylee

Maylee: My mother inspires my style. She knows how to make every pattern work -- just like food. Every ingredient is tasty.

TorontoVerve: What's the best advice you've received in life?

Maylee: My mom always said to have patience and perseverance. It helps me discipline myself to make my dreams come true.

Follow Maylee on Instagram.

Mary-Elizabeth

Mary-Elizabeth: I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal, but I love my vintage and pin-up fashion from the 40's and 50's -- they hug my curves best. Dita Von Teese is a huge inspiration. She's incredibly strong and confident about her sexuality. She embraces everything about herself and I really respect that.

Mary-Elizabeth Willcott is an actor and will be appearing in the upcoming horror feature, Bed of the Dead.

Follow Mary-Elizabeth on Instagram.

Bed of the Dead is currently available on Demand.

Watch the Bed of the Dead Trailer

Rocketship

Rocketship: My style is career chic. I get my clothes at Value Village. It's the random mishmash of 'I never know what I'm going to find there.' I'll always buy some weird shit that some old lady died in.

TorontoVerve: What's the best advice you've received in life?

Rocketship: My mother told me, "Don't let the bastards grind you down." She told me that when I was trying to find work. After rejection after rejection, she encouraged me to keep going. I eventually found something.

Tavia

Tavia: My style is classy and chic with a touch of modern.

TorontoVerve: What's the best advice you've received in life?

Tavia: Never give up. Failure is a lesson. If you fall, just get up and keep going.

Tatiana

A few weeks ago, I captured Tatiana's impeccable street style in Yorkville. We recently collaborated on this photo-shoot in the Annex.

Olivia

Olivia: My style is a mix of old goth and new urban.

Olivia is a make-up artist and you can check out her work on her website.

Jose

Jose: I am a fashion designer from Mexico. I came to Canada to study English and Business Administration. I have three sisters so I designed many dresses for them for weddings and parties. My dream is to start my own fashion business here.

Tiera

Tiera: I don't want to walk into a room and look like everybody else. My style expresses my personality. I want to be memorable.

TorontoVerve: What's the best advice you've received in life?

Tiera: I got this great advice from theatre school: "When you go out for auditions, know that you are enough. Nothing that anybody else does is going to effect who you are or your performance." That's my mantra. It helps me remember that other people's successes are not my failures.

Follow Tiera on Instagram.

Allie

Allie: My style is unique, urban and always with a touch of me.

TorontoVerve: What's the best advice you've received in life?

Allie: My grandmother told me, "Always put your one foot forward and never look back." When I was younger, I used to be bullied all the time -- I was very insecure. I had to let go of all that and look forward. Eventually, I found my confidence.

Coleman

Nadine Part 2

Here's Part 2 of my shoot with Nadine at Glen Stewart Ravine.

Nadine: A good friend once told me, "Why not be yourself because everyone else is taken." I find that very poignant because when you're young, you tend to latch onto other identities that are not truly reflective of who you are. It's just a frank and witty way of saying that there's no point in trying to create your identity through others because literally you're true identity is the only one not taken.

See Part 1 of our photo-shoot.
  
I previously shot Nadine's fall street style in 2013 and collaborated with her on a TIFF tribute shoot in 2014.
 

Shonie

Shonie: My father told me, "Just do what you need to do. Don't follow anybody." Kids are cruel. When I was younger, I was always picked on. I didn't care about what they were thinking or doing and I just followed my own path.

Alessandra

Alessandra: Trusting people is good -- not trusting them is better. It sounds negative, but it's realistic. There are always people who want what you have and will do anything to get it.

Lexi

Sean

Mel

Mel: My style is laid back with a hint of rock 'n' roll. Anine Bing inspires me. She's a musician from Sweden who's also a designer based in L.A. I designed these boots with Modern Vice. I went to their showroom in New York and they customized these boots for me.

Check out Mel's blog, Mel Says. "You'll see anything related to travel, food, fitness, health, wellness and a bit of fashion."

Peter & Leopold

Peter: My style is confidence-inspired. I'm not afraid to mix old designs with the new.

TorontoVerve: Tell us about Leopold.

Peter: He does what he wants to do. He doesn't give a shit about anybody else.

Follow Peter & Leopold on Instagram.

Nadine Part 1

Here's a sneak peek of my shoot with Nadine at Glen Stewart Ravine.

I previously shot Nadine's fall street style in 2013 and collaborated with her on a TIFF tribute shoot in 2014.

Sasha

Sasha: My style is classy and grungy. Sophistication with an edge.

TorontoVerve: What's the best advice you've received in life?

Sasha: It's clichéd, but "go after your dreams." I want to become a tattoo artist. I've been told that I couldn't do anything in the arts, but I refused to believe that. Now I have my choice of apprenticeships in November. It's all good.

Follow Sasha on Instagram.

Lee

I first captured Lee's street style in the summer of 2013. Last month, we spoke about men's fashion, racial stereotypes and the Donald.

Lee: Throughout my career, my uniform has been a suit. It complements my image. Having said that, I’m comfortable in anything. When I’m casual, I’ll wear cargo pants and a t-shirt like any Joe Blow going into Canadian Tire. When I’m cycling, you’ll see me in tight spandex; which I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d ever wear, but it’s functional. In business, fashion is like role playing. When I was a banker on Bay Street, I had to dress like a banker. Image is everything and it makes a difference. Despite skills, a person wearing the right suit can sell more than a person who isn't. That’s reality.

Lee: I find it amusing how differently people treat me based on my appearance. I once walked into a Home Depot dressed up and they addressed me by: “Sir, sir, sir.” I received the best service, but when I wore cargo shorts and a t-shirt, they treated me like a bum. There was no ‘sir’. You often hear people say, “Clothes make the man.” Well, those people lack confidence and are very insecure. I have insecurities like anyone else, but I’m very confident. I remember when I was a shy, short and fat kid. I’m turning fifty this year and I’m happy with who I am now.

 

TorontoVerve: I once interviewed a Black man who said the same thing. He wears fashionable or formal clothing because he wants that respect.

Lee: Yes, Black people still face overt racism. There’s that stereotype. Whereas with Asians — Chinese, Japanese or Korean — the stereotypes are: they’re smart, they’re good with math or they’re hard working. It’s racist, but a good form of racism. I’ve been in Canada since 1975. I’m more Canadian than Korean. A lot of people tell me, “You don’t have an accent.” Well, I’ve been here since I was nine. I think they’re dumb-asses for assuming I would speak with an accent.

TV: What’s the biggest misconception that people have about Asians?

Lee: Most people who don’t have experience with Asian men assume that we all like Asian women, Oriental food, have an accent, probably don’t play hockey or golf and don’t understand Canadian culture. Sometimes I hear, “You’re not Asian. You’re White.” It’s funny. They think it’s a compliment to say that. Again, I think they’re dumb-asses. I’m very Korean because I have Korean parents and my ex-wife and girlfriend are Korean. I can fit in whether I’m with Westerners or Koreans. I have limited Korean vocabulary so my Korean friends think I’m more Canadian than Korean.

TV: So you get it from both sides.

Lee: Yeah. People call me ‘banana’; which is yellow on the outside and white on the inside. In reality, I’m a Korean-born man raised in Canada so I’m naturally Canadian. Your first language is the language you dream in or do math in and my first language is English.

TV: Ok, I have to ask: What’s with the Trump button?

Lee: [Laughs] I knew you were going to ask me that. One of my best friends is a huge Trump supporter and when I found out, I asked, “What’s wrong with you?” Like most people, I think Trump is a sociopath, but most politicians are. My friend and I had great debates about it. I'm a conservative — I always have been. If I was American, I would be with the Republican party and he’s their candidate. In my opinion, both Trump and Clinton are shitty choices for President and between them, I’d vote for Trump. He’s the lesser of two evils. As a Canadian, I think Trump would be better for our economy. I think he’s going to f@%k up America and actually make Canada stronger. Some Americans say that if Trump wins, they’ll move to Canada. I’ve learned through good sources that major banks in New York say they’ll leave America if Trumps wins. They’re still going to do business in America, but they’ll move their headquarters outside the country. I personally think they’ll move to Canada. Who knows, the Bank of America could have their headquarters here. I’m a betting man and I would wager that Trump will become the President of the United States.

After Trump’s recent hot mic fiasco, that’s one bet I should have taken.

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Follow Lee on Instagram.