Digging...My Friend The Cinematista

To kick off the social and environmental sustainability features of this blog, I will now introduce you to a wonderful woman I know from my time in Chicago, Dorothee Royal-Hedinger.

She has been making interesting videos and short films for several years now (most notably in her video magazine Fresh Cut) and it is time share Dorothee's great perspective with a wider audience (a.k.a. YOU).

Dorothee has worked on a film about a great nonprofit organisation, Latin American Medical Providers (LAMP), that travels to Jalapa, Guatemala to provide medical services to communities that would not otherwise have access.

Dorothee writes: "In just under one week, the team sees over 1,000 patients and completes up to 80 surgeries for people who couldn't normally afford treatment. As you may know, Mark and I traveled to Jalapa with the team this February and we got to see firsthand how much this humanitarian work is needed."

Check It...

Latin American Medical Providers: Journey to Jalapa http://vimeo.com/5194291, a Fresh Cut Media Production by Dorothee Royal-Hedinger & Mark Andrew Boyer.

The very dope Fresh Cut website http://www.getfreshcut.com.

Another impressive project, Organic Nation, from Dorothee and her people: http://www.organicnation.tv.

Plus, Dorothee is a contributing blogger on Change.org's website http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/dorothee_royal-hedinger_to_guest_blog_at_changeorg.

And this is just the beginning!

Digging...Boutique Razberry

Discretely tucked away at 1841 St. Catherine Street West, founder Castle Ho has meticulously pieced together a dynamic collection where sleek-casual, high fashion, and edgy urban international form the unique treasure trove that is Boutique Razberry. Whatever your style, budget, occasion, or fancy, this fashion hotspot has a lot to offer.

Having dreamed of becoming a fashion designer since she was a girl of seven, Castle moved to Canada from Malaysia in 2001 to complete her fashion design studies in Montreal. When asked about the roots of her fascination with fashion, Castle recalls the early influence of her aunt who was a talented tailor and dressmaker. Castle explains “When I was a kid I would hang out at my aunt’s workshop where I was inspired by her beautiful sketches. I would help dress the mannequin and always dreamed of becoming a clothing designer.” Upon finishing her studies in Montreal, Castle immediately launched her own clothing line, CastleDream.

In spite of CastleDream garnering a reputation in the Montreal boutique scene, the desire to explore a more social side of fashion ultimately took hold of the designer. Castle had been spending long hours alone sewing in her home-based workshop and was ready for a change.

“I started working part-time in retail,” Castle explains, “just to interact more with clients and to see what was happening in the stores. I immediately fell in love with the work.” Castle’s greatest pleasure comes from connecting with her customers and helping customize each individual’s shopping experience. “After a year of managing at Bluberry down the street, with the blessing of the store’s owner, I was inspired and ready to create my own sister store, Boutique Razberry."

Why love Boutique Razberry? Apart from gorgeous clothes, jewelry made by Montreal-based artisans, unique accessories, and affordable prices (not to mention a year round “sale” section), Castle and her colleagues seamlessly make shopping an easy and positive experience. Whether in a hurry (as when I had less than an hour to find a holiday outfit in December and walked out with a glamorous yet versatile black C’est Moi party frock), or if you have plenty of time to browse, chat, and play dress-up (as is more often the case for me, and which has resulted in several great finds including a pair of bright floral earrings, an original graphic tee, a pair of perfect-fitting dressy trousers, not to mention special gifts for my mom, aunt, cousins, and friends…) – at Boutique Razberry not only do the clients obviously come first, the quality and service mean they are likely to keep coming back.

Quarterly events at Boutique Razberry also provide a great opportunity for new and returning customers to check out the latest arrivals. On such occasions, clothing and accessories are accompanied by tasty treats such as pretty pink cupcakes, Allison’s delicious homemade cookies, as well as a bottle or two of bubbly. Boutique Razberry’s Valentine Extravaganza provided the perfect excuse for me to bring my girlfriends en masse to check out the store they had been hearing about for ages. Not only did we have a great time browsing and helping one another make selections, at the end of the night my friends were all smiles exiting the shop with different stylish purchases, each appropriate to the person’s individual taste.

Castle’s goal is to provide something for everyone. She offers a diverse range of brands and styles, which allow customers to try something new along with timeless classics and favourite statement pieces. Castle explains, “We attract clients that like trying different things, and who like stepping outside of their usual comfort zone. I aim to provide people with what they are looking for but also to inspire them to try out fashions that they might not have tried before.” With great respect for individuality, Castle suggests that experimenting with fashion can be an interesting way for people to explore another side of themselves. As Razberry has been the impetus for my own evolving sense of Montreal-chic, I could not agree more.

Beyond having something for everyone, Boutique Razberry delivers something rare but very valuable: authenticity.

Digging...Caffè In Gamba

I first stumbled upon Caffè In Gamba (5263 Avenue du Parc) on a stroll during my first week living in Montreal’s Mile End. After journeying into the neighbouring video-telecom store to return my previous tenant’s internet modem, I found myself gazing with curiosity through an unimposing coffee shop’s window, my eyes fixed on the assortment of bags displaying the extensive variety of coffee blends on offer. The overwhelming need for a ‘real’ cup of coffee took hold of me and with the friendly barrista’s knowledge and assistance, I not only had what would be the first of many delicious Gamba lattes to come, I also walked out of the store with a bag of fresh fragrant coffee (delivered daily to Gamba from its roasters), custom ground for my home coffee-maker, in this case, a French press with which I had never expected to become so intimately acquainted.

Eight months after this introduction, I am now sitting with Gamba’s owner and founder, Jean-Francois LeDuc aka JF, a young, lean thirty-something with warm eyes. JF is intruiged that one of his regulars is beginning her urban living blog with an article about his business. With a disarming smile he begins by explaining that like me, he also enjoys writing and is fundamentally driven by creativity and independence. It was after a work stint in Rome – in his words, “The most beautiful city ever, in a country where people value quality of life, good food, good wine, and good espresso, simply put, la dolce vita!” - that JF embraced his need for a change of career. He quit his job as a lawyer and took a minimum wage job in one of Montreal’s Italian coffee shops where he had equal passion for the coffee and meeting new people. Over the course of his year as a barrista, JF also found himself conducting research for a project of his own, a combination Third Wave and classic Italian coffee shop that would introduce a new quality and diversity of coffee to the Montreal café culture. 

After discovering a number of high quality West Coast Canadian and American roasters, JF decided to provide an assortment of products that would meet the need of Montreal’s coffee-lovers who had only previously had access to these products by direct online purchase (including costly shipping expenses). The result of this decision was that Gamba has become known as a “one stop shop for espresso” where you can choose what you feel like drinking on any given day.

In spite of the present economic recession, JF notes that business is still picking up. He has clearly done homework on retail markets and points out that while luxury products and higher end restaurants will suffer from the economic downturn, coffee is one product that will not be as dramatically affected because of the low cost and the importance of coffee shops as a comfortable, sociable ‘third space’ separate from home and work. “Coffee is a break that people can still afford,” JF explains, “you come to the coffee shop because it is the cheapest place outside of ‘home’ where you can sit somewhere nice for a few hours without being bothered.” This is certainly true for me personally, although the welcoming environment and bustle of human activity also add to the appeal of this pleasant destination.

Having observed Gamba’s tastefully eclectic ambiance, I ask JF how he would describe it himself, his four word answer is: modern, kitsch, retro, and classic. Marble table and counter tops allow for the traditional clink of porcelain cups, a feature the owner identifies as essential to the authentic experience of early 20th century Italian coffee culture. The red velvet couches on the other hand add a feeling of cozy vintage luxe, the perfect backdrop for an intimate conversation or lingering over the paper with a café allongé. Elegant chandeliers, literary classics on an antique fireplace, and several small tables all come together to give this space unique character.

Gamba is ultimately most distinct because of the vision and coffee at the root of its foundation. In some ways subscribing to the Third Wave movement by supporting direct trade with coffee producers, several of whom JF met with personally during a trip to Central America last month, Caffee In Gamba simultaneously holds its own as a business respecting established Italian espresso culture – evinced by handsome traditional coffee cups that “do not come in grande or venti” as well as by the undeniably handsome E61 Faema espresso machine which uses a single shot portafilter and replicates the first machine of its kind to be used publicly in 1961 (distinguished because of its internal pressure-regulating pump). 

When asked about the future of Gamba, JF is clear that while he wants his café to thrive he is not looking to expand into a chain. He tells me, “I don’t want clones of what I have already done. I am pleased with Gamba’s success and also have other different projects in mind now. I will end this interview right where we started, what is important is independence and creativity."