The #artlive Vogue Ball was a fashion show presented on Jan. 24 by the Harbourfront Centre with House of Nuance and the House of Monroehas in Toronto. It was a performative and very competitive party with the theme of bubbles. There were traditional runway categories like Bizarre, Face, Realness, Virgin Runway and Hairography with prizes.
A whole bunch of local artists took the opportunity to dress up, dance and walk the runway wearing outfits and hairstyles of their own creation.
Matt Vaile
Matt Vaile decided to bring his Hubba Bubba game to the ball. “I went with bubble gum theme because it is pink, bright and fun,” Vaile says. Most of his accessories he got from Bulk Barn. He also chose the perfect timing to find all of those Christmas ornaments to make his bubble hat. “I have been to a few balls, it is fun and I will go anywhere I need to get dressed up. If I get put my outfit together, I will be there,” Vaile adds.
Quanah Style
Serving in New York Club Kid was the most influential and inspirational factor to put Quanah’s outfit together. “I got my clothes from my best girlfriend’s closet,” Quanah says. She has been attending many balls and won five tittles in balls across America
Ike Bryan
Originally, Ike Bryan came up with the idea for his outfit for an award show in Jamaica last February. “Last year I bought some fabrics and went to the tailor who designed this outfit for me. It still fits, so I decided to were it tonight” Bryan says. That was the first time he attended a fashion ball.
Ming Yao
“I have to wear a jacket for my runway category,” Ming Yao says. He got his jacket from Topshop and his faux leather tights from American Apparel, which he combined with a godly inspired makeup look. “This is a great night to be whoever you want and not care about anything else,” Yao adds.
Michael Stead
It all started with the coat, which Michael Stead got for $5 from a black market on Boxing Day. “I wanted to go with a theme of white because you can’t go wrong with that,” Stead says. “I didn’t have any inspiration from people, I just want to have a good time at my first fashion ball,” Stead adds.
Mama Putana
Mama Putana’s outfit inspiration was her Putana family. Her brother Papa Putana made T-shirts for them. She really likes attending balls because she can dressed up like she is not allowed to be any other day. “I would never go pantless anywhere,” she says. “Last time I was on a ball I won Best Outfit category, effortless, which was crazy,” she adds.
Zack Russell
Zack Russell is working on a play called “All happy days are stupid” and it is opening the season. He was dressed black and white because the whole play is in those colours. “I love balls and I think that the only way to do it fun is with some air, so I had those balloons delivered to my home today,” Russell says.
Vanessa Faria
Old furniture stores where you go and grab some bubble wrap from the back of the store were her outfit inspiration. “I got it from the furniture store and then I put it together by myself at home very quickly,” Faria says. She has been on a couple of balls and she really likes their good vibes.
Alana Elmer
Alana Elmer loves vintage and she was inspired by art. “I actually saw a painting last week and it was really similar to my tonight’s outfit so I thought ‘I am just gonna go for it’,” she says. Her clothes are from Vintage Christian Dior collection in ‘70s, which her mother-in-law gave her. “This is my first time at the ball, I am having a wonderful evening, everybody looks fabulous and it is amazing,” Elmer adds.
Beth Wong
Beth Wong really likes the look of leather and gold combined with the accent of skin and foil. Her clothes are from Forever 21 and H&M. She borrowed the wings for a night from the Egyptian Dance Academy that she worked with.
“I don’t usually dress like this. I am not ashamed of my body and I like to show it off, but sometimes in a professional setting it is not allowed. I feel like those kinds of events give as an opportunity to be who we are and feel fabulous. And this is what I feel fabulous in,” Wong says. This is her second time at World Stage.