I had high hopes coming into Vancouver Fashion Week, showcased at the beautiful Stanley Park Pavilion from November 2nd to 5th. Although the predominant fashion taste of many Vancouverites still runs along the lines of yoga wear and Gore-Tex, I see creative and well-dressed people on a daily basis in this city. Lets just say I was a little bit disappointed. With the exception of seeing George Michael...

I have good news, and I have bad news.

Good news first...

Thursday night, which I missed, apparently showcased the VFW's best designers. My friends at Goon Pack, who kindly let me in on their VIP seats, were very impressed with new designer Chantal Nicole of Nico Clothing (see photo), as well as the established Montreal designer Valerie Dumaine. Goon Pack's co-owner Natalie told me that she was surprised by Chantal Nicole's sophisticated grasp of runway fashion at the tender age of 21. I peeked at Nico Clothing's website, and I agree. She uses luxurious fabrics that somehow hang casually, and being a woman with hips, I love the high waists on her skirts! Hopefully we'll be seeing her in local stores soon...

It did not start with the ANTM Phenomenon . For as long as I can remember, most post-puberty women have taken Halloween as an opportunity for a liberal showing of Tits N' Ass. I have battled it a couple of times, dressing as a dead grandma or as the decidedly unsexy Eddie from Absolutely Fabulous. Both times I spent the entire night convincing myself that TnA were not necessary for a good-looking costume. Last year I dressed up as a man, complete with moustache...and cleavage. I just felt better, knowing that ALL the girls were out that night.

So this weekend, I am going to have to bring it. I'm heading to Chaz Royal's Halloween Burlesque, where the girls are guaranteed to be out. The sexy witches, sexy Frankensteins (I hope), sexy zombies and sexy ghouls will be peeling their clothes and flesh off on stage at the Commercial Drive Legion on Friday and the Lamplighter on Saturday.

Last Thursday I attended a panel discussion at SFU Harbour Centre, where I listened to four well-educated and well-rounded media experts talk about the democratization of media, as well as the relationship between independent and corporate media. Luckily, I sat next to the drunk guy. The speakers were SFU Prof. Bob Hackett, Sociologist Bill Carroll, UBC Prof. Deborah Campbell and the editor of The Tyee, David Beers. The drunk guy didn't seem very interested in the discussion - he was asleep most of the time - but I found a lot of what was said to be inspiring.

Hackett and Carroll mainly discussed the themes of their new book, "Remaking Media: the struggle to democratize public communication." Hackett's main theme is that the system of corporate media as it stands fundamentally undermines a democratic public communication. He contends that on a basic level, the logic of the market, being "one dollar, one vote," is contradictory to the logic of democracy, being "one person, one vote." Corporate media aims to turn a profit, therefore they adhere to market logic insofar as their target audience reflects a small sector of society, whose dollar value brings in advertising revenue.

On Saturday, the vast white walls of Goon Pack Clothing and Gallery will be host to a show of Vancouver local Scott Pommier's work. Pommier is an Ontario ex-pat whose photography focuses on the relationship of humans to their wheels. His portraits are as much of the wheels he is photographing as they are of the people on the wheels. Much of his work is an ode to Vancouver's favourite pastime, skateboarding, but he also explores the world of motorcycles in a series of biker gang road trip and dirt bike images. Pommier's work has graced many covers and pages of magazines like Transworld Skateboarding, and has earned him the 2005 Freesports Photographer of the Year Award. He has shown across the globe from North America to Europe, and his photos are acclaimed by industry and public alike.

I'm sick of Canadian media.

As a Communications major at SFU, for years I have had the ills of CanWest and their corporate media cohorts shoved down my throat...and I have eaten it up!! When I say "Canadian Media" I don't mean my friends at CBC; I am referring to the aforementioned bunch of bastards - the ones making a profit on what should be the foundation of our "democracy"; our access to information - also known as the media. What passes for information today is "24" and "Metro" telling us the latest in the Paris Hilton and Shanna Moakler feud. That's what I read Perez for, CanWest! Stop flapping your silly dailies in my face and do some serious journalism!

Media Democracy Day, October 18th, is all about recognizing that there are some people out there giving us information and NOT making a profit at it (*ahem*). It was first organized in 1996 as a challenge to Conrad Black's Hollinger Inc. takeover of the Canadian media. This year, SFU Harbour Centre is holding a panel discussion on Thursday October 19th to recognize some of the media folks who want Canada to be democratic. "Remaking Media: The struggle to democratize media in Vancouver" includes panelists like Bob Hackett and Bill Carroll, co-authors of "Remaking Media: the struggle to democratize public communication"; David Beers, Editor-in-Chief of The Tyee; and Deborah Campbell, a freelance writer. The evening promises to be an informative look at Vancouver media, and how we can change a system that shuts down Terminal City and replaces it with CanWest gerbil cage liner.

On Thursday, Helen Pitt Gallery Artist Run Centre (whew) cordially invites Vancouver to witness the marriage of Helen to a delicious Dinner & Drinks.

There's going to be eating and drinking galore at the Heritage Hall on Main St, followed by a dance party with DJ Sloppy Architect, probably in the usual drunken lurching wedding-style. But that's the best kind of dancing, isn't it! (see random wedding dancers right)

Helen's Wedding is a fundraiser for the gallery and features food art by local artistic community members like Gaile Addison, Stephanie Aitken, Lance Blomgren, Arabella Campbell, Jessie Caryl, Mark Dudiak, Johann Groebner, Christian Kliegel, Germaine Koh, Natasha McHardy, Graham Meisner, Gareth Moore, Gailan Ngan, Christy Nyiri, Emilie O'Brien, Josh Olson, Bobbi Parker, Isabelle Pauwels, Marina Roy, Pietro Sammarco, St. George Marsh, Erica Stocking, Jeremy Todd, Ron Tran, Henry Tsang, Michael Turner, Kara Uzelman, Steve Walters and apparently more. Lots and lots of good food to gorge on - just like a real wedding!! Hopefully the wine isn't home-made wedding wine...but if it is, that just makes the dance party wilder!