Canada’s Most Stylish: Emily Ames

This month, GLOSS got the chance to have a chat with the winner of the Globe and Mail’s Canada’s Most Stylish, Emily Ames. The eclectic redhead shares her most memorable lessons with GLOSS in getting that Je ne sais quoi effect and separating yourself from the masses.

GLOSS: What is your favorite fashion find from your shopping spree prize?
EA: I snagged a fantastic leopard jacket made from rabbit fur by Bebe. It’s just massive and ostentatious and will glide seamlessly into the eclectic mix of clothing that I call my wardrobe.

GLOSS: What are your tips for fall fashion? How will you update your wardrobe for it?
EA: I’ll probably begin by chopping off all my hair back into a cute short cut as well as incorporating lots of interesting hats into the mix- channeling the late, great Isabella Blow. As I have a yet to become a milliner’s muse, I’ll most likely stick to more subdued hats. Oh and lots of neck scarves, copping a Faye Dunaway-classic. Additionally, I will most likely feel compelled to bring my short shorts into the mix by layering a couple pairs of opaque tights underneath them.

GLOSS: What inspires you in your styling?
EA: I get utterly giddy around designs that manage to simultaneously burst with creativity while also succeeding in maintaining a tailored appearance.

Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour just baths in sixties couture by Pierre Cardin and Yves St. Laurent. Absolutely stunning aesthetic in that film which I find undoubtedly inspirational. I also have a penchant for Kate Jackson of The Long Blondes who does a fine execution of a sultry secretary-chic look that manages not to shriek horn-rimmed glasses.

Yet, my all time fashion icon remains to be the magnificent Edie Sedgwick, despite the suffocating saturation of hype that was Factory Girl. The woman defines fashion for me.

GLOSS: Your favorite designers?
EA: If I had millions of dollars I’d dress myself in any collection that Hedi Slimane has illuminated by Dior Homme. I’ve fallen in love with Jeremy Scott’s flair for the outrageous, and Luella Bartley rock n roll amalgam of edgy feminine is really appetizing. The classic shapes of the sixties pioneered by Balenciaga make me weak in the knees. Nicolas Ghesquiere has done a fantastic job reinvigorating the namesake to remain modern and current as ever.

GLOSS: What are you best finds for a girl on a budget?
EA: A $5 vintage fur hat that mounts on my head like a gigantic Russian Folklore-esque crown. It’s pretty attention seeking and I most definitely have to be in a “look at me- no shame” sort of mood or it really doesn’t fly while I sit on the bus.

GLOSS: How do you set yourself apart from the crowd?
EA: To be honest, “that’s so hot right now,” doesn’t really appeal to me, at all. I don’t intentionally do major trends unless I can reconfigure them into my wardrobe with the utmost of ease. That’s not to say I don’t get inspiration from Vogue or Nylon or ID, rather that I would prefer feeling like my outfit is a cornucopia of references all mashed into one well style entity. I like the idea of looking at fashion like adult dress up- putting unusual clothing elements together to make something utterly fresh that wakes me up in the morning and makes me excited to embark on another busy day. I’d hate to feel like I’m merely posing in my clothing.

GLOSS: What are you taking in school, what do you plan to do with your degree?
EA: I’m half way through a Specialization in Media Studies at the University of Western Ontario. The program is an interdisciplinary theory based course load that ranges from Cultural Studies to Technoculture. I couple my in school endeavors with various extracurricular activities like editing and writing for various campus arts mags, hosting and producing a radio show, and also VJ-ing for local TV show on Rogers. I’m really into writing and hope to fuse my passion for music, fashion, and culture into an exciting future career.

GLOSS: What is your favorite piece of clothing and why?
EA: By far one of my most prized pieces is my worn in Harley Davidson black vintage tee that reads “Been to Hell and Back” on the backside of the shirt. It’s far too oversized and I have to pin the back to make any resemblance of having a waist, but the soft, worn, cotton is utterly heavenly next to my skin. Nothing compares! It’s very Easy Rider meets the flair of Marianne Faithfull in Girl on a Motorcycle…well I like to think so at least.