2011 White Cashmere Collection

      Models showing off this year's newest creations made solely from 100% 

cashmere bathroom tissue. Photo Credit: Sandy Caetano

The 8th Annual White Cashmere Collection remembers all the women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, all those who are still battling the fight of their life and all those who have survived this disease.

It’s about making a contribution to the health and wellness of women everywhere. According to Cancer.ca, breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women. 

An estimated 23,400 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,100 will die of it. On average, 64 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every day, and 14 of those women will die of breast cancer every day.

“Breast cancer touches all of us. We are mothers, daughters, sisters and wives who are vulnerable yet strong and the White Cashmere Collection is a wonderful way to celebrate the courage and strength of women affected by breast cancer and to support the fight against the cause,” says Nancy Marcus, corporate vice president, consumer marketing at Kruger Products.

The 2011 White Cashmere Collection celebrated ‘fashion with compassion’ by showcasing 15 breathtakingly stunning garments and accessories made in 100 per cent pure, soft and luxurious Cashmere Bathroom Tissue yesterday at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Canada’s best-selling brand, Cashmere Bathroom Tissue, supports the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s vision of creating a future without breast cancer.

“I am a breast cancer survivor, so I’m just as excited as anybody to be here for the 8th annual fashion show. It knocks my sock off, every year it gets better, the more intricate the designs are, incredible,” says Bev Thomson, co-host of Canada AM. “It showcases Canada’s established and emerging designers, and their support of a future without breast cancer.” 

Having debuted in 2004, this unique fashion show has featured over 87 top Canadian designers and their high-fashion BT couture. Like past year’s, the 2011 line will be part of a month-long display in Toronto and Montreal’s The Bay flagship stores.

The collection also features a limited-edition Pink Cashmere, with 25 cents from the sale of every package going directly to the Foundation. 

“Life is a celebration and today is no exception, today is a celebration - today’s collection also pays tribute to all the women who are battling cancer,” says Farley Chatto, Curator and Artistic Director. “This collection is for you, this is for your resilience, for your courage and your strength.”

For more please visit Cashmere.ca, or join the Cashmere Facebook Fan Page at Facebook.com/cashmere.

Photo Credit: Sandy Caetano

Photo Credit: Sandy Caetano

TIFF 2011 Highlights

The 36th Toronto International Film Festival was a whirlwind with all the running around to capture all the red carpets, screenings, press conferences and big named stars who were in attendance. TIFF is an exciting time for any member of the media, but it's also an exhausting one well-worth the sleepless nights. 

After an exhilarating 11-days of star sightings, reviewing films and filing to deadlines - it's now time to regroup and focus on the next project at hand. It's hard to believe TIFF is already over. While in the moment, whether it was waiting in line for a press conference or in the photo pit at a red carpet event, it seemed to take its time. 

TIFF was quite a success this year - it was gratifying for media, gave our economy a much-needed boost with revenues, and satisfied many film lovers with a variety of entertaining features, documentaries and shorts. Throughout the run of the festival, it was non-stop for all those involved with films to watch every day, gala presentations to attend, press conferences to cover, interviews with the stars and the numerous TIFF parties that went on until the wee hours of the night. Oh the parties - one of the highlights of the festival we all enjoy.

Unforgettable moments definitely include the rush of getting a spot on the red carpet, waiting with camera in hand all to grab that perfect shot of the many celebrities who came through Toronto for the film festival. I've never covered a red carpet event before, so this was absolutely thrilling. 

Toronto was booming with music, festivities and celebrations - all for the love of cinema. This year, TIFF brought 268 features and 68 shorts to the big screen, an eclectic mix of well-versed, well-created and well-executed cinema. 

Cameron Bailey, Co-Director of the Festival says TIFF is all about transforming the way people view the world of cinema, and with so much to see there's lots to choose from. These films all tell a story worth listening too, if you're open and willing to hear it.

“So we had the big ones that people were expecting to be good like Moneyball, The Descendants, Drive, Ides of March and The Artist, but we also had all kinds that were just discovered by our audience,” says Bailey. “What I like, is that we have a big enough range that there’s always going to be something for every movie goer.”

Some of this year’s highlights include one of my personal favourites Moneyball, a baseball film starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, about the challenges of a team trying to make it with not a lot of money to help them obtain the key players they need to be successful. I was rather surprised with how much I liked this film, since it was a sports film. But the story about the sport was intriguing and pulled me in right away. 

George Clooney’s the Ides of March, which stars Canadian actor Ryan Gosling, was another fan fav this year and one many critics also gave a thumbs up. This film toys with the possibilities of what may really be happening behind the closed doors in politics. Highly recommended. 

Joel Schumacher’s Trespass is a gripping film about a home invasion that unravels revealing a complicated thriller, starring Nicolas Cage and Nicole Kidman. Madonna’s W.E. was another one of those films audiences will either love or hate, there's no in-between here. Fascinated with the story of King Edward VIII and his romance with the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, the Material Girl wanted to give this story her own spin by giving it a modern-day feel. 

George Clooney and Ryan Gosling having a few laughs during 

the Ides of March press conference. Photo by: Sandy Caetano

Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler (Coriolanus). 

Photo by: Sandy Caetano

Seth Rogen (50/50) posing for a few shots. 

Photo by: Sandy Caetano

Anna Kendrick (50/50) look fabulous. 

Photo by: Sandy Caetano

Other big name films to catch once they are released on the big screen nationwide are Ralph Fiennes’ thrilling Coriolanus with the ever handsome Gerard Butler, 50/50 starring Seth Rogen, and Drive starring Gosling (The Ides of March), already playing in theatres. 

Luc Besson’s The Lady is also a highly recommended film. It’s an inspiring story about a real woman, Aung San Suu Kyi (or Daw Suu), who’s love and passion for her country has helped determine that anyone, man or woman, with faith, strength and willpower can eventually change the way the world works.

Also worthy of taking a look at include: Hysteria with actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, Steve McQueen’s Shame, Axel Petersen’s for Avalon (Sweden) who received the International Critics Prize, Discovery Programme, and of course Nadine Labaki’s Where Do We Go Now? which picked up the Cadillac People’s Choice Award.

And that’s all folks - that is, until next year’s festival gets underway. Until then, happy film-watching!

And remember to Stay Sassy! ;)