The Brand is Female

On Thursday this week, CAFA, the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards, will host their sixth annual red-carpet Awards Gala, a unique evening that unite Canadian talent and fashion leaders from all over the world.To highlight CAFA and its impact in the life of Canadian fashion talent, many of them women, we will be showcasing a series of interviews with CAFA nominees and award winners.To kick things off, Eva Hartling spoke with the one and only Judith Maria Bradley, who is nominated for Model of the Year at this year’s Gala. Judith is 74, and as a member of the CAFA organizing committee recently told her, there has never been a nominee over the age of 30 in that category. What is also surprising is that Judith only recently started modelling, in her late 60s. But what is truly inspiring is Judith’s absolute love for life. She believes that life is magic, and after speaking with her for this interview, we believe she herself is pure magic. She has never followed conventional rules, and the word conventional simply does not belong in her vocabulary. One could say models in their 60s and 70s are having a moment, with the likes of Linda Rodin and Iris Apfel in the ranks; and Judith is definitely part of that movement. She’s appeared in magazines (in Canada, the US and Europe); ad campaigns (including being casted for an Adidas campaign) and is a street style star with an active social media presence. But her real accomplishment is in proving to the world, and to women everywhere, that being a woman after 40, 50 or 60 does not mean taking a backseat, and that a career — including one usually reserved to twenty-somethings — is possible for anyone who dreams it. Now if only we could have more Judiths in the world…This episode was recorded at Hoame, Toronto’s leading meditation and wellness space.

Camilla Fayed opened Farmacy when she realized there was a shortage of restaurants offering plant-based, locally-grown & organic options in London. Three years later her Notting Hill restaurant is still packed every day; she’s also launched her first book and is now taking Farmacy stateside to NYC.Camilla may be the daughter of former Harrods owner, Mohamed Al-Fayed, but she has built her very own empire, focusing on a healthy, sustainable and non-toxic approach to nutrition.Listen to Camilla's journey to opening her first restaurant (and making the choice to have it be a vegan address in a city where that's a rare occurence) and hear about what is behind her decision to focus on sustainable, locally-farmed, plant-based and organic food options.

This interview is a bonus episode in French.Melanie Blanchette is the co-owner of popular Montreal eateries Bouillon Bilk and Cadet. She and her business partner Francois Nadon opened their first restaurant in 2011 in a neighbourhood that was far from being known for white tablecloths and fine dining, with virtually no budget and no business experience. Almost overnight, it became known as one of the best food addresses in the city.A few years later, the power duo opened a second address a few doors down and named it ‘Cadet’ in homage to the army surplus store the space used to house. Today, both restaurants are filled with regulars night after night, offering the perfect setting for a pre or post-theatre or concert dinner. The opening of Bouillon Bilk played a key role in the revitalization of Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles, an area that was known for homelessness and decrepit buildings just a few years earlier. Bouillon Bilk and Cadet now enjoy a fantastic reputation both in their city and globally, having received multiple accolades for the superior dining experience they offer.Listen to Melanie’s empowering and inspiring entrepreneurial journey!

Poet and Activist Najwa Zebian and Global Restaurant Entrepreneur Janet Zuccarini came together for an evening of conversation moderated by Eva Hartling, where they spoke of their journey to unlocking their own potential.This podcast is a live recording of the event 'In Conversation with The Brand is Female' which took place at Hoame in Toronto on May 14, 2019. Najwa and Zebian shared their life experiences with the audience, including the obstacles they faced on their path to becoming their true self. Although from different backgrounds, Najwa and Janet share common experiences - they have both overcome the difficult challenges that life threw at them on their path to growth and finding their own, powerful voice.

Tara Downs has found success as a young gallery owner on the highly competitive art scene in New York City and has built amazing credibility for her career and gallery within the industry. She is known for her unbelievable instinct in finding emerging artists with a unique point of view.Tara grew up in Canada and launched her own gallery called ‘Tomorrow’ in Toronto in 2011, then moved to Berlin to be director of the Tanya Leighton art gallery until she came back to Canada and decided to take a chance and move to New York City, a decision she calls ‘the most spontaneous’ she ever took. Shortly after, Tara opened her own space in New York’s Lower East Side, and later merged spaces with her partner Alex Ross to open Downs and Ross, now located on the Bowery.Tara spoke to Eva Hartling about her experience building her business, the challenges that come with being a woman on the art scene in Toronto, Berlin and New York, and shared what keeps her going and grounded.

Julietta Dexter is the Founder and CEO of The Communications Store, London’s leading agency specializing in fashion, luxury, beauty and lifestyle PR Julietta founded TCS 25 years ago, and her clients have included global and UK top brands, among them Net-a-porter, Burberry, the House of Versace, McQueen, Anya Hindmarch, Emilia Wickstead, Charlotte Tillbury, Goop, Glossier and more. Julietta and her team have played a huge role in launching and supporting growth for these brands and others. TCS recently expanded across the pond and now has offices in New York and Los Angeles. Over the years, Julietta has mentored and helped developed generations of PR professionals; she is known as an inspirational leader who puts human qualities at the top of the list— she is deeply respected and admired by anyone who has crossed her path.Julietta and host Eva Hartling spoke about the reality of being a woman at the helm of a business and the challenges that come with the job (don’t miss her sharing how she deals with mansplaining and bullies). We also spoke about career and personal growth, leadership, finding balance in life, and how success has nothing to do with money in the bank.

Vicky Milner is the co-founder and President of CAFA, the Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards. CAFA celebrates outstanding achievement and emerging talent in the Canadian fashion industry.Prior to co-founding CAFA, Vicky worked in a number of industries including fashion retail, music, entertainment, and nonprofit management. She set out to create CAFA six years ago when she realized there was a gap in the market. The platform she helped create has since recognized and awarded the country’s top established and emerging talent, making CAFA the leading Canadian recognition in the field of fashion.We’re now a month away from CAFA 2019 and we sat down with Vicky to talk about her vision for the awards, the state of Canada’s fashion industry, how we can do our part to support local designers and what it means for one’s personal balance to be a busy mom running a successful fashion award platform.

In honour of 420 and Earth Day taking place over this long weekend, we are celebrating with a bonus episode featuring the only woman to be CEO of a publicly-traded cannabis company: Alison Gordon from 48North.Alison considers 48North to be more than just a licensed cannabis producer in Canada; she sees the company as a wellness organization, bringing the benefits of cannabinoids to consumers everywhere. Listen to Eva Hartling's conversation with a woman who is definitely shattering glass ceilings.

Today is April 20, yes, that means 420. Given that Canada has recently legalized cannabis, we are celebrating with highlighting women who are doing amazing things in this growing sector, pun intended. Now, it’s important to note that the cannabis industry is still male-dominated — if you’ve attended any industry events or panels, you’ll usually notice a lineup of white men on stage.Because we want to see that change, this weekend we are featuring interviews with inspiring women in the industry - in this episode you’ll hear from Sarah Gillin, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Olli Brands, a new player in the cannabis industry that focuses on CBD-infused healthy, accessible and natural edibles. Olli Brands products are about to hit market and include everything from teas to chocolates and other delicious treats. The interview was done a little while ago and you’ll hear Sarah talk about the facility they plan on building - the good news is that construction has now taken place and Olli is just about ready to be available to consumers.

Shannon Hamblin is a scriptwriter, director and producer based in Los Angeles. Shannon co-wrote what was named the 3rd best X-Files episode of all times (that would be season 11 episode 7!).She has been working closely with Glen Morgan (Executive Producer of the X-Files) since 2013 when he discovered a feature script she wrote. Shannon worked with Morgan as writers/showrunner's assistant on Amazon's series "LORE". Prior to that, she produced two feature films after working several years in production.She is now wrapping up post-production on her debut short film "Texas 2 Step" which she wrote, directed, and produced; it’s planned to be released in the fall of 2019.Shannon spoke to host Eva Hartling about the realities of being a female writer/director/producer in Hollywood; how she finally found her voice as a director working on her latest film… and about her definition of success, which she sums up with the following: “Success is not a place that you end up at; it’s not a hotel that you check into. It’s a long, bumpy winding road that never ends. There is no place at the end of it.”Visit Shannon’s website if you’d like to know more about her and all of her exciting projects!