A day to clean, a day to rest, a day to gather my thoughts…and I am still on cloud nine!
(A notebook doodle during a work trip from days gone by (c. 2003). A dream-like state once yearned, now achieved.)
I continue to reflect on the night, as I swell with emotion. I wanted to hug each and every one of you who came to the show, but could only manage to say hello to some of you, while only seeing the rest of you from a distance, and perhaps exchanging a wave and a smile. Nonetheless, the show stands as one of the most enjoyable, memorable, and proudest moments of my life.
To say that the show’s success was overwhelming is very fitting, but to say that the preparations and work that led up to the show was overwhelming is…well…an understatement. I think chaotic would be a more suitable choice of words.
Getting the show together was nerve racking all the way down to the wire, and even past ignition. Self-appointed tasks were greatly underestimated on my part, but with a lot of help from friends and family, I was able to avoid a failed launch.
A huge thank you to goes out to my fellow collaborating artists Carolina Siulin and Lee Allen. From our work flow towards the show to the fruition of our work during the show, as has been the case ever since I was blessed to meet you both, you continue to balance and enhance both my art and my life. You have always stood as my rocks through thick and thin, and are truly like family.
Speaking of family, thank you to Claudia Siumi Chan, aka CC Hammer, for dedicating full weeks away from home to work with us on completing the clothing and jewellery, and thank you also for coming on board as our hairstylist for the show. Thank you to Cristina Chan for all your incessant driving to and from home as you joined us in the sweatshop, aka living room, for couture and craftsmanship work that lasted well into the night, and thank you for your help in taking care of last-minute errands, and for working the merchandise table. Muchos gracias (don’t laugh at my Spanish) to Señor and Señora Chan for not only helping us with the couture work, but for also making sure that we stayed nourished during crunch time and during the show. Thank you to Mr. Allen, Jaqueline, Alfonso, and last but definitely not least my mother Lucy-Ann, for not only flying in to attend the show, but for also helping immensely in both getting the show back on track, and for taking the show down afterwards. A big thank you also goes out to Francisco José Salazar for his triple play in overseeing security during the show working on fashion alterations before the show, and moving and cleaning after the show.
The line between family and friend stays transparent when also thanking Mark Summers for not only providing amazing window signage and vinyl text for the show through your company SEEN Signs, but for also working on the display of the showcased paintings. Thank you to Ji Hong, not only for the wonderful gift, but for lending me your time, effort, and wheels to do some last minute heavy lifting…I hope it did not affect your triathlon the next day. Thank you to Michael Hosier for also lending me your time, effort, and wheels to take care of some last second errands that had almost been overlooked, and for lending us your mic. Thank you also to Jessica Willow Burke for making herself available during that last second printing rush. A huge thank you and big hug goes out to Tiffany Rice for not only coming early to help set up, but for also working the merchandise table throughout the entire show, all while taking photographs as well. An equally big thank you goes out to Atcha Kim who snapped away, not missing a moment while capturing every aspect of the evening through her lens. A special thank you goes out to Joseph P.S. Klymkiw for filming my event despite having prior film demands, your effort has not gone unnoticed sir. A two-part ode goes out to Sasha Mak and Chelsea Notte – thank you for being our mixologists extraordinaire throughout the entire event, and congratulations once again on your engagement! A loud proclamation of thanks goes to Trevor Chapman aka DJ Trey for spinning CLASSIC joints throughout the night…we have to have an official dance floor next time…not that the lack of one stopped anyone from dancing this time around. Special thanks also goes out to Matt Piacek for his extraordinary generosity in lending us a mobile bar and partition wall – the show would have had an entirely different feel without you.
Another round of thanks goes out to our friends and models. Thank you to my fellow college grad Alpha mate – Brent Ray Fraiser, for not only modelling during the fashion show, but for also helping me with more last minute errands. You came up with Lee and I in art school, and continue to be a great friend and fellow artist. Merci goes out to my brother Herby Desriveaux for showing your Superman/Clarke Kent duality once again as both a model, and in helping set up paintings before the event. You are always there for me unconditionally. And to our muses of the night – Bronnie Kirk, Lacey Cebula, Gift Pattenden, Averley Ganss…wow…I mean your names alone are fitting of your beauty. To my sister in an alternate universe Helen Balcacer, your je-ne-sais-quoi sway is one to behold. You are a natural. To all the aforementioned ladies, I take a knee and kiss your hand for not only beautifully modelling our clothing and jewellery, but for being so easy to work with as you prepared for the show while being crammed within the back room like sardines.
To our makeup wizard Zaheer R. Sukhnandan, thank you for being the artist behind the curtain who allowed our beauties to emerge from the backroom with radiance, and for even coming on board afterwards to do some photography…feel free to give me a little whack across the back of the head if I ever mispronounce your name again like that.
Another special thank you goes out to Justin Brandon – without hesitation, you brought Mill Street Brewery on board as our exclusive beer provider throughout the night, and instantly raised our show to a new level. And of course thank you to Mill Street Brewery for your wonderful selections of craft beers, getting your sponsorship means more than you know.
As mentioned at the beginning of this long-winded thank you, I wish I could have greeted and thanked everyone who came out, but the event flew by. Nonetheless I still hope to connect and reconnect with all of you individually in good time. This has been and continues to be a work of love which Lee, Carolina, and I have shared with all of you. In that vein we love and thank you all for coming out and for supporting us. It is because of you all that we were able to have a budding gathering throughout the night as originally promised.
Touching once more on social evolution – the theme of the show, not only have I come out of this experience with newfound belief in myself, but I have also emerged with a newfound belief in the city of Vancouver. I took a shot in the dark as I ventured into unfamiliar territory with this show, and landed successfully onto new grounds with support from a city that I sometimes felt was cold and distant. I have been reminded that when the initiation is taken to open yourself up and share yourself with others, even at the risk of exposing your vulnerability, people will come gather and support on common ground, and in shared love. There is much to improve on for the next show, so it goes without saying that this is only the beginning of great things to come. You have all inspired and motivated me to continue on this path of self-discovery. I will continue to ride this wave of creation to new frontiers, and hope to see you all at the next destination.
Let’s go!
