In their Twitter bio, BizZarh describes themselves as ‘two intuitive girls from the hood’ but it’s clear that they are so much more. The genre-bending duo rap and sing over a diverse array of beats to create a variety of vibes that can’t be defined or contained.
Read Morefemale
Sumiko Wilson
in toronto, female, writer, 4, ff founders
Sumiko Wilson is a student and writer based in Toronto. Since getting her start in poetry, she began to explore different forms of writing and finally decided to pursue journalism at Ryerson. She now writes a column for HOLR Magazine and contributes freelance content to NOW Magazine and NewInHomes, the Toronto Star’s real estate subsidiary.
Read MoreTheo
Caitlin aka Theo is an emerging R&B singer and songwriter whose raw sound fits right into Toronto’s moody musical tapestry spearheaded by artists like The Weeknd.
Read MoreMilly J
Milly was a part of our production team for the Joseph of Mercury shoot with Numero Homme.
You can follow Milly here.
Where are you from?
From Toronto, currently living in Brockton Village.
What do you do?
I work full time as a Makeup Artist + Hairstylist. Most days you can find me in the studio working in TV or at Photo Shoots. But one of the many amazing things about my profession is how varied my job and environment can be.
Give us a beauty tip!?
Take a moment to prep your canvas - whether you're doing your own makeup or working on someone else's hair. Spending that extra 60 seconds prepping with moisturizer, oil or whatever it may be can actually save you time in the end.
What is your dream creative project?
Wow - that's a hard one because dreams are endless opportunities. I have so much respect and admiration for Performers - Actors & Singers. They are so fearless and inspiring in their crafts. A dream would be to art direct a creative photo shoot with some of my favourite performers as the subjects - Donald Glover, Gillian Anderson, Rihanna, James McAvoy, Ilana Glazer to name just a few performers that I find inspiring and think would be so fun to shoot in a creative setting. Not only would working with them and conceptualizing a photo shoot be amazing but would also bring the opportunity to work with so many other amazing creatives from the photographer to stylist to other HMUAs.
What are your go-to tunes for…
Rising? - Something upbeat and positive like Anderson.Paak
Exercising? - High Intensity Rap & Hip-Hop & Femme Power Tracks like "Pass Out" - Tinie Tempah, "Holy Key" - DJ Khaled, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean & "Formation" - Beyonce
Partying? - Upbeat R&B and Rap, especially some older tracks from the early 2000's like "Body Party" - Ciara & "So Gone" - Monica
Where are your favorite places to…
Eat? - Two of my current addictions are Famiglia Baldassarre & White Lily Diner
Dance? - Well I haven't gotten out to dance in quite some time, I do work primarily in morning TV after all. However this past weekend my boyfriend and I had an impromptu St. Paddys/birthday party at our house and a dance party ensued - so can I say my own living room?
Drink? - Soho House & Rhum Corner
Shop? - Smoke + Ash, Adidas, V de V, & Town. Also will be missing Nomad (RIP) to shop for presents for the BF that I know eventually I will steal.
Is there something you really want to do in your city that you haven't yet?
I've always wanted to try stand up paddle boarding - I love being outdoors & heard it's a great workout. Combined with the fact that our water is too dirty to swim in 😁
List three people that inspire you…
Elaine Jyll Regio - Fashion Market Editor at ELLE Canada
Ezio Bondi - Actor
Piotr Adas - Artist
Nader Abouzeid
Nader aka FunkyWhat is a forward-thinking beatmaker based in Montreal. The sophistication of his beats can be attributed to his background as a guitar player and his immersion in rock and skate culture. The amalgamation of these factors makes for stand-out hip-hop and R&B beats with an edge.
Read MoreAudré
Audre is an emerging artist from Scarborough. She seamlessly switches from fire freestyles to silky vocals to tell unique stories and create well-rounded tracks. Her infectious energy is juxtaposed next to her smooth vocals and moody beats from her producer IVI.
Read MoreMe Time
By day, Sarah Barrable-Tishauer is a marketing consultant for major brands. By night, she is DJ Me Time, a self-proclaimed ‘bass witch’. Since her character Liberty Van Zandt graduated on Degrassi, she has spent a decade putting in work in the marketing industry and has recently transitioned to freelance life to make room for more Me Time practicing behind the decks.
Stats: 13.1K followers
Read MoreDawn Lam
Where are you from?: Montreal
Where do you live now?: Toronto
What do you do for work?: Culture Curator at an Advertising Agency
What do you do for fulfillment?: Live life with my friends.
What is your dream creative project?: Anything that involves food and fashion. Beautiful people in cute outfits eating amazing food... DREAM LIFE.
Do you consider yourself a freshman, sophomore or senior in your field?: Definitely a freshman creatively, but at work I am O-L-D as fuck.
What can’t you leave the house without?: Lip balm and my camera.
What's a typical day in the life for you?: Be prepared for the most boring day ever:
Get to work LATE. Every. Single. Day.
Think about what to have for lunch.
Eat lunch.
Have my 2nd lunch at 3pm.
Go home and make dinner (or go out to eat).
Watch Seinfeld.
Go to bed.
What would your perfect 24 hours consist of?: Waking up in a foreign country on a flawless day. Being able to wander aimlessly for hours and eat the most amazing local foods. If there are friends around, even better! Watch the sunset and then stay up to watch the sunrise.
Where's your favourite place to eat?: Impossible to answer.
Where's your favourite place to dance?: My friend's living room.
Where's your favourite place to drink?: For a cute drink, there are so many nice places in the city, but to get drunk?! ... My friend's living room.
Where's your favourite place to shop?: ONLINE. I cannot handle malls or shops anymore.
Is there something you really want to do in your city that you haven't yet?: Go to a drag show! How have I not yet?!
What are your go-to tunes for getting ready to leave the house in the morning?: I usually play Instagram stories as I'm getting ready, but on my way to work I'm either blasting 90s rap/r&b or UK grime.
What are your go-to tunes for going out for a night on the town?: BRITNEY. CIARA. BEYONCE. Or anything DISCO!!!
What was your new years resolution?: I never tell anyone because I'm afraid of jinxing it for myself.
What do you think are the qualities of a life well lived?: To be happy and comfortable with myself and my relationships. When you're able to attain that, there's no need for anything else.
Kindly recommend 3 people that inspire you:
Jaz Aminata
In their Twitter bio, BizZarh describes themselves as ‘two intuitive girls from the hood’ but it’s clear that they are so much more. The genre-bending duo rap and sing over a diverse array of beats to create a variety of vibes that can’t be defined or contained.
Read MoreGimme Mar
Gimme Mar is a participant of Freshmen Friday's Sound Off! program.
Where are you from?: Serbia/Vancouver
Where do you live now?: Toronto
What do you do for work?: DJ/Singer-Songwriter
What do you do for fulfillment?: Write, sing, dance, train/workout, travel
What is your dream creative project?: Creating a sick album and touring the world with it.
Do you consider yourself a freshman, sophomore or senior in your field?: Sophomore
What can’t you leave the house without?: Phone/Keys
What's a typical day in the life for you?: Quite different every day...but for the most part:
Morning:
Wake up, say my thank you's for being alive and well. Stretch, water, tea/coffee.
Reply to emails, look up new music/research pop culture stuff. Cold calls/Emails for new potential clients. Update my moodboard. Write.
Afternoon:
Workout (boxing, pilates, gym, run etc), meetings/errands
Evening:
If not DJ'ing - take a dance class, record some ideas at home or a studio, write, read, watch a film or documentary.
What would your perfect 24 hours consist of?: Travelling, being with loved ones, creating some cool shit - music/film/visuals, laughing, and eating good food/hydrating/sweating.
Where's your favourite place to eat?: Fresh, Calii Love
Where's your favourite place to dance?: UnderGround Dance Centre, at home in front of my mirror
Where's your favourite place to drink?: When I do go out (rare these days) - Soho House, Apt 200, Mahjong Bar, any rooftop with a good view
Where's your favourite place to shop?: Sub Rosa Vintage, Value Village, Uniqlo, Top Shop, Urban Outfitters, Nordstroms | Some favourite brands: IAMGIA (online), Nike, Vintage Prada/Gucci/Versace/Armani,
Is there something you really want to do in your city that you haven't yet?: Perform my own music at a big venue sold out show.
What are your go-to tunes for getting ready to leave the house in the morning?: 90's feel-good reggae
What are your go-to tunes for exercising?: HARD RAP - A$AP/SKEPTA/KANYE/DRAKE/FUTURE
What are your go-to tunes for going out for a night on the town?: Hard rap (same as excersizing) or sexy funkadelic 60's/70's soul sexy R&B keywords: HARD & SEXY
What was your new years resolution?: Didn't have one specifically for the year, but my motto this past couple of months is: ENJOY LIFE!!!
What do you think are the qualities of a life well lived?: Knowing what you want, what you enjoy doing, what you're good at and DOING IT EVERYDAY. Surrounding yourself with love and good energy, staying consistent and disciplined in anything you put your mind to. Achieving milestones you set for yourself and enjoying the feeling of all those accomplishments.
Kindly recommend 3 people that inspire you that we can continue the conversation with...: Nina Kiridzija ( @neeenze )
Teaunna Gray ( @teaunnagray )
Charlotte Johnston ( @charwhore)
Kim Esquila
Kim Esquila is a designer, DJ and event producer from Toronto. She has dabbled in fashion as a production assistant for Nomad and has collaborated with Soho House’s Monique Hinds and Thank You Kindly to create the Take-Out Social Club, where she championed IRL experiences with some of Toronto’s most prominent influencers.
Read MoreBeatrix on the Beat
in Nike, toronto, vancouver, female, music, graphic designer, music producer, 3
Beatrixx is a bicoastal beatmaker, originally from the Philippines. Just as she splits time between Toronto and Vancouver, between beats she moonlights as a graphic designer. As a woman in a very male-saturated industry, each of Beatrixx’s beats breaks barriers and bops.
Read MoreSisi Berhe
Sisi Berhe is a PR maven who has quickly ascended from associate to executive with MSL Group, where she specializes in lifestyle, beauty and fashion. After her 9-5, she works with L’Ame Inconnue (Unknown Soul), a creative collective working to bring the designs of African designers to the forefront of the industry and to change the mainstream perception of African fashion. Staying true to her Eritrean roots, Sisi’s work with L’Ame Inconnue is setting the foundation for borderless future for African designers.
Read MoreJacqueline Ashton
in 3, toronto, female, film, art, photographer, influencer, model
Jacqueline Ashton is a self-taught photographer and self-proclaimed ‘good gyal’ based in Toronto. Since studying film and dance in high school, she transitioned into photography, where she captures subjects through her signature raw, filmy lens. Her work has been featured by CBC, Vice, The Fader, Kastor and Pollux, and Lola Who.
Stats: Almost 10k Instagram followers.
Read MoreDana Wright
in toronto, female, 3, influencer, model, music, los angeles, dancer
This emerging genre-bending musician has already caught the attention of Into the Gloss, Wonderland, Dazed and fashion industry fave Petra Collins. Drawing inspiration from Marilyn Manson, Eminem and the Backstreet Boys, her diverse influences transcend to her broad online reach.
With over 11k Instagram followers, Dana receives 410 likes per post and 2.5 video views, on average. Last year, Dana’s music was streamed for 29k hours in 57 countries on Spotify, where she currently received 5286 listeners each month.
Read MoreDesiree Shaka
Desiree Shaka is an emerging model rep’d by the Toronto chapter of Elite Model Management. Her striking feature and signature cropped ‘fro has been seen in work with Andrew Coimbra and on cover of The Kit Compact.
Read MoreLizz Jardim
Lizz Jardim is a Bushwick babe who splits her time between bartending and making jewelry. Her eponymous line is comprised of bracelets, earrings, necklaces and rings that exude both angst and elegance. Most notably, her pieces have been worn by Zoe Kravitz. When she isn’t working part time or building her jewelry brand, you can find her posing in her signature bold, colourful outfits along her Instagram timeline.
Stats: 8378 followers on Instagram.
Read MoreVonny Lorde
in 3, toronto, art, photographer, female
Tory Lanez, Jorja Smith, and Skepta have all been captured through Vonny Lorde’s signature grainy lens. Vonny is an emerging photographer born and based in Toronto who specializes in digital and analog forms. From editorial work for the likes of Sony, Chanel and Complex to photos of Toronto’s party scene for her platform, FILMFORFUN, her work seeks to highlight young creatives in Toronto.
Read MoreOdessa Paloma Parker
Odessa Paloma Parker works double-time as contributing fashion editor for the Globe Style Advisor and head of content for Toronto cannabis giant Hiku and their sister brand Van der Pop. She also moonlights as DJ Weird Dad. Odessa wears multiple hats while wearing her signature bold outfits, characterized by masterfully mixed patterns that you would probably see if you were on the best high ever.
Read MorePatricia Yeboah
When she isn’t doing marketing for York University or backstage at shows for Oscar de la Renta and The Collections, Patricia Yeboah is behind L’Ame Inconnue (Unknown Soul), a collective working to bring African designers to the forefront of the fashion industry and to expand the mainstream perception of African fashion, beyond just textiles. Staying true to her Ghanian roots, Tricia’s work with L’Ame Inconnue is setting the foundation for a borderless future for African designers.
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