Dear Seekers

The first time I met Arden Wray was at another Dear Seeker Claudia Dey's book launch in the Gladstone Hotel. Although our exchange that night was brief, I had a strong drive to reach out to have a deeper conversation with her I knew OF Arden before that first encounter. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Arden's work, she is a Toronto-based Photographer who specializes in portraits. She has been commissioned by some of the most cherished publications, like The New York Times, British Vogue, while been hired by many indie fashion labels to bring their visions to life. Her photos have this magical power to connect you with the subject who you inherently may have nothing in common with. Travelling between Toronto and New York, Arden is using her lens to mostly capture two things she is most inspired by- people and places. The stories she is trying to tell are lingering among the past, the present and the future, and she is always practice the art of storytelling and looking closely.Photography: Vai Yu

Moss & Lam is one of Toronto's most cherished art studios. Their artworks are so far reaching that there is a good chance you've encountered their work, even if you don't realize it. From Milan to Hong Kong, from New York to Toronto, Moss & Lam is known for creating massive, whimsical interior pieces and installations marrying art and architecture with an emphasis on hand craftsmanship. Now, housing a team of 25 talented artists, the Moss Studio has been commissioned by some of the world’s biggest names, such as Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, the Four Seasons hotel, Holt Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue, and so on. No doubt, their portfolio is truly impressive. But what I find most inspiring is, despite all of the success, owner Deborah has been living a very humble lifestyle far away from fame and glam. She has been constantly exploring creatively, embracing new challenges, and opening to self-learning and self-discovery, especially when she lost her dear husband Edward Lam, her best friend, her life and business

You may not be familiar with Carley Fortune if you’re not in the publishing world, but you most likely have heard of all the publications she has played an important role in. Carley started as an intern at Toronto Life and raised her hand when they needed an Associate Online Editor. Then, she joined The Grid as one of the founding members to launch this beloved Toronto weekly news magazine. A couple of years later, she joined forces as the Assistant Editor at at The Globe, and her experiences there eventually led her to the role of Editor in Chief at Chatelaine. Now, Carley is leading a team of 7 as the Executive Editor at Refinery29 Canada. Her extensive background in publications is very impressive. She is someone never shies away from opportunities- she senses them and she seizes them. During our conversation, she shares her experiences of building a team from the ground up, opens up about her struggles of finding her identity as a new mom, and talks about her way of getting in touch with herself. Despite

Carefully tracking down local dear seekers has been such a pleasure since the launch of this project. When discovered an intriguing woman in the city, I’m always like a little kid in a candy store. On a rare occasion, someone would introduce me to a potential guest who they think might be a great fit, but in today’s case, it was a husband who DM me on Instagram to recommend his wife, Tammy Yiu.After connected with Tammy, I knew I had to bring this woman on board. Working as a freelance designer, Tammy co-founded Partial in 2015 in a hope to make great art discoverable and accessible. She feels a deep sense of responsibility to her community of artists and has a strong desire to make this platform a support system for artists, a discovery channel for art seekers, and an inspirational space for people who are not yet into buying art. Tammy is fuelled with positive and kindred spirit. To know her is to lover her.Sitting down on her kitchen table in her open loft at the borderline of Parkdale and Ronces

It seems that we are living in a time when floral design is having its renaissance. A group of florists around the world is not afraid to push boundaries and is literally flourishing on Instagram. One of our very own, Lauren Sellen, creative mind behind Coyote Flowers, is amongst this new wave. She not only has worked with cult-following brands like Glossier, collaborated with other disciplinary artists on fascinating editorials, but has also established a group of like-mined clientele who embraces unconventional beauty. Lauren has a lot of emotions. She admits that. And she expresses her emotional intension through her art. While nature is her canvas, flower is the extension of her body, her soul and her brush stroke. From Winnipeg to Ottawa to Toronto and now in Hamilton, Lauren has been seeking peacefulness. She is getting close. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From small town Elora to Toronto to the world, from selling her jewellery on her kitchen table to now over 500 retail stores internationally, from having fertility challenges to now mother to two, Jenny Bird is one of those women who made something out of nothing- through her strength to persevere over and over again and through her power of manifestation. As a young girl growing up in a town with a population of 3000, Jenny socked herself in arts and crafts. along with big dreams and deep understanding of the responsibility to provide for the family. Now, at 42, Jenny is at a very comfortable space with success and recognitions under her belt, she continues to seek for deeper meaning. Something bigger is calling her- she feels strongly. We were lucky to have caught Jenny in a moment of change- shortly before she gave birth to her second child Georgie See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On a super snowy day, I carried my recording equipment to the Junction with an extremely excited heart. I've been to Mjölk many times as a customer, but have only been able to admire owner Juli and John's astonishing home from a distance. Located right above the shop, their home has been featured in publications like the Kinfolk Home, Azure.In 2009 when the aesthetic of Scandinavia wasn't taking the internet by storm and when the similarities of Scandinavian and Japanese design and philosophy weren't yet recognized by the masses, Juli and John were already on the path of building this sanctuary space stocked with carefully considered objects, furnitures and antiques. Not only that, through their in-house magazine and occasional exhibitions, Juli and John are also offering their customers a way of conscious living.Working in sync with her husband John Baker, Juli is bringing her previous experiences with art curation, photography and publishing , except this time, all on her own terms.Photography:&nb

Tracy Wan has a way with words and has a nose for scents. This Toronto-based writer followed her parents' wish by going to Architecture school but then followed her own heart by dropping out. It doesn't take long to realize Tracy's spectacular ability to articulate words, thoughts and feelings. Using this superpower of hers, Tracy managed to write for a living, which comes unsurprisingly as a surprise to her parents.Running a passion project Invisible Stories alongside her day job, Tracy is set out to debunk the myths of perfuming making by featuring independent perfumers who came upon the craft the unconventional way and exploring our relationships with scents through memory, language and travel. To know her is to love her. Sitting in her charismatic apartment, we smelled some perfumes she made, dived deep into her memories as a kid, and explored the world of scents. Photography: Vai Yu LawConnect with us on Instagram and Spotify. Leave us a review/comment on Appl

10 years ago when green beauty was not really a thing, natural beauty products just started to surface, and luxury handmade beauty lines were nowhere to be found, Fran was experimenting in her basement with ingredients from health food stores - Not for anyone else, but to combat with her own skin problems.A few years later when she was bouncing back and forth between high-end retail and wholesale with no self- fulfillment, Fran had a now-or-never moment and decided to give this beauty line a try. With her curiosity at heart and spectacular sensibility, her namesake skincare line F. Miller has since gained recognition in many major publications such as Vogue, The File, Into The Gloss, and Monocle just to name a few. Outside of publications, F. Miller has been spotted on many IT girls' bathroom counters and top shelves.Fran is set out to bridge the gap between luxury and natural skincare and to redefine what handmade beauty products can mean. She is not just selling bottles of skincare products, but rather marr

There are some women that just stand out from the crowd and attract your attention like a big magnet. That was Beth Nicholson Crago when I first met her at an event.I approached Beth and shamelessly asked: "What's your story?" Turns out, she is one of the two amazing ladies behind the best-kept-secret- Opelle,  a luxury handbag brand that is designed and handcrafted in Toronto for women looking for something "functional and aesthetically refined".In spite of Beth's impressive career of working at Michael Kors, Derek Lam, Thakoon, while having Jason Wu, Moda Operandi on her client list, Beth confesses that fashion is not her first love. With an English degree from McGill specializing in acting and theatre, Beth was chasing after her dream of becoming an actress. After having her first taste of rejection, she soon realized that she didn't like acting enough to go through the hardships associated with that career. This realization has led her to the door of fashion. The rest is history.O

Born in Massachusetts, raised shortly in Toronto and Ottawa, and then grew up in Hong Kong, this neuroscience graduate has been stretching her interests and experiences far and wide over plenty of cities and multiple industries. After working as an event producer/promoter in Shanghai, Nancy came back to Toronto and co-founded Mansion- a music promotion and event planning group that produced Toronto’s most unique and desirable events.After exiting the music scene, Nancy didn’t stop dreaming. In three years, she has created three restaurants- from German street eats to authentic Chinese. Now, when Nancy is not busy making sure all the food is up to her standard at SO SO food club, she probably is strategizing award-winning campaigns at Sid Lee. When she is not solving problems at work, she might be conceptualizing her next big idea.Indeed, she is a busy woman- with smart ideas and big ambitions, but she never makes her move blindly. Utilizing her science background with an extremely creative mind, Nancy can’t g

The first time I met Daniela Bosco was at an instalment hosted by Ewanika- one of the most elegant boutiques in Toronto, to celebrate Daniela as an extraordinary woman who has inspired the shop owner Trish. During the night, we exchanged thoughts on what it means to be a modern woman and what it means to be a woman in the modern world - yes, these two are quite different. And by the end of the night, I was totally under her spell. So much so that after the night, I had to stalk her on Instagram and eventually asked her for a coffee date.Being a Creative Consultant/Stylist who is very much in demand and travels often and far, Daniela doesn't let her work define her. She insists on working with her own pace, slowly but steadily. But this realization didn't come easily. Right after closing her much beloved store- Chasse Gardée, Daniela became incredibly sick. This turmoil journey was probably one of the most painful and difficult times in her life but has also helped her gain clarity and reach back to who she on

Mahro is the type of woman who is shy and quite but once you get to know her, her world is like a "Russian Doll" that has layers under layers.In December 2012, at the age of 22, Mahro bravely signed a retail lease of one of the most prime locations on Queen st. West. Nearly 6 years later, her shop Mama Loves You has not only become a must-visit attraction for international tourists who seek for hidden gems in Toronto, but has also gained its popularity among many locals, including some of the women we feature, including but limited to our first guest, Stefanie Ayoub- owner of Boneset Studio, and the most recent feature, Amber Joliat- creator of the Misfit Studio.Ever since being introduced to the world of vintage by her mom, Mahro has nurtured a genuine enthusiasm for the rare, the exotic, the colourful, and the old. Visiting her apartment was such an eye-opening and amusing experience.Sitting on the couch with Mahro beside all the artwork painted by her parents, we chat about her memory of being taken to val

The name "Amber Joliat " and "Misfit Studio" seemed to surface overnight just a couple of years ago and since then, it's been producing a consistently concise yet compelling response: "She is amazing!" and "You HAVE TO try her classes!" I have to admit, first, I wasn't convinced. Who is Amber that Toronto seems to be so obsessed with? What is so magical about her classes that everyone keeps talking about? What does it mean to mix dance, yoga and pilates (how can it even be a thing)? My curiosity led me to Mr. Google and eventually to pages of articles written about Amber and the Misfit Studio she founded back in 2010.After reading many interviews and write-ups, I became more intrigued and funny yet, more skeptical. How can a woman so amusing and enchanting exist in the real world? Until... I finally got the chance to meet Amber in person at a panel discussion hosted by KOTN earlier this year. Amber's soft-spoken, well-articulated, fruitful words can really melt your heart and re-awaken your sou

I had long heard about Claudia Dey, one of the two best dressed Torontonians, with the other being her best friend Heidi Sopinka. But it wasn't until I started doing my homework for this interview and met Claudia in her beautiful and charismatic home that I came to realize that Claudia is truly an interestingly oppositional woman. She is gentle yet firm, child-like yet serious, chaotic yet orderly, dark yet joyful. Even herself, Claudia admits that she is always drawn to people who embrace the beauty of being multidimensional and contrary.It's safe to say Claudia's life is first and foremost amongst hats and books. Her essays have been published in The Paris Review, The Believer alongside many other elegant magazines. With the success from her first Novel, Stunt - being one of Globe & Mail and Quill & Quire Books of the Year 2008, Claudia's second novel Heartbreaker has been listed as one of the most anticipated novels in 2018.During our conversation,

Caila Stangl is the cofounder and soul of Public Office, a creative and production studio based in Toronto. At a time when nothing in sight was visually thrilling, PO caught my attention. I visited their beautiful studio in the Artscape Youngplace building on a sunny day and had a pleasant conversation with Caila and Lindsay (the other cofounder). They've been doing some big things quietly- working with international elite clients like Roots Canada, Starbucks and other local beloved brands, such as Jenny Bird, Golden Ticket Candy. During our chat, Caila shares the small yet pivotal moment for her career; walks us through her first nerve-racking client pitch experience as a freelancer and how she eventually overcome that fear of "selling herself"; and she also talks about, as a designer, how to manage to be stimulated and inspired yet stay focused? Photography: Vai Yu LawConnect with us on Instagram @DearSeekersFor a chance to be included in the next episode, share your questions, comments or s

With no job, no plan and no place to live, Lisa Mok packed up her car and drove from Ottawa to Toronto to pursuit something that she wasn't sure of at the time.Now. Being the Global Creative Director of Canada Goose and having plenty of awards under her belt, Lisa has proved her success to her traditional Chinese parents. However, she could care less about all these achievements she has earned. In fact, the soft strength and resilience she has manifested allows her to strongly appreciate the small things, moments and imperfections in life. Her passion project, which she re-imagines, redesigns and alters the objects she found, has caught some attention. And if you go to her website at lisamok.ca, you will quickly fall in love with all these beautiful things and find it hard to imagine their not-so-perfect past.Photography: Vai Yu LawConnect with us on Instagram @DearSeekersFor a chance to be included in the next episode, share your questions, comments or stories by recording something with your phone and send

Today's guest is Sydney Allen-Ash. She goes by Syd. Studied Fashion Management at Ryerson university, Syd has not only nurtured a passion for local and independent designs, but has also developed an understanding of people and culture through clothing. Prior to working as a Digital/Brand Strategist at Virtue - an advertising agency under VICE, Syd acquired her interests in photography and worked with local boutiques like Ewanika and Nomad.During our conversation, I learnt about Syd's rape trauma and the catalyst for her healing. She shares her takes on what it means to be a powerful woman and the connection between woman and power; she opens up her decision process of shaving her head and how this has helped shaping her identity and improving her self-esteem; and she expresses why lacking an identity could be a curse and a blessing for countries like Canada.Connect with us on Instagram @DearSeekersVisit Syd's home on www.dearseekers.comShare your questions, comments or stories by recording some

One thing I've learnt from all the women I've interviewed so far is that as women, we don't have to live a life that is prescribed to us by anyone- the society, our parents, or even ourselves. Today's guest Odessa Paloma Parker is definitely one of the women who has been fully embracing her weirdness and celebrating who she truly is. Being the Fashion Editor for The Globe and Mail, creator of the Vintage Crawl- an annual event participated by Toronto's best vintage shops, and now the Content Lead for Tokyo Smoke and Van Der Pop, Odessa has created big things quietly. But her personal style is far from mute.In this interview, Odessa shares her journey from being an outcast to a confident woman; her takes on the fashion industry that is based on people's insecurities; and history lessons on how/why cannabis has been attached with stigma. Give it a listen. Hope you enjoy it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You may have seen Tonya Papanikolov occasionally modelling for independent brands. Her outside beauty is undeniable, but what makes her even more loveable is her strong ties to nutrition, nature, and holistic beauty. Being the brain and facilitator behind her community The Well Woman, Tonya hopes to inspire and encourage modern women to take a slowed-down, in-depth, and holistic approach towards wellness and beauty. She hosts workshops, consultations and experimental dinners, and also has an interview series on her website, called Good Morning Interviews, that lets readers peak into the lives of women who know the power of ritual during the sacred morning hours.During out chat, Tonya walks us through her journey from nutrition to fashion and then back to nutrition; she talks about what a healthy relationship with money looks like; and she shares the method that she has been practising to help her release emotions. Hope you enjoy it! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.