Like a Prayer Issue 001

Like a Prayer.

ISSUE 001

JULY 2020

MAGAZINE

LIKE A PRAYER | ISSUE 01 COPYRIGHT JULY 2020

the team.

We, Paulette and Josefa Cameron, are a sister team. We’ve worked on numerous projects together: from making music to interviewing musicians, from building publications to hosting a radio show. We have decided it is now the time to blend these varied experiences into one publication. We are excited to highlight people who are putting effort, thought, and intention into their work and go in-depth into the process by which they achieve their outcomes. Interesting people. Interesting things. Interesting ideas. We look forward to sharing Issue 001 of Like A Prayer with you.

Co-Editor-in-Chief Executive Editor

JOSEFA CAMERON

Josefa (she/her) is Co-Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor of Like A Prayer Magazine. She works in radio research and is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. She brings her freelance writing and interviewing skills as well as experience in newsrooms and publications to Like A Prayer. She hopes to build the publication and brand as a tool for connecting people, amplifying varied voices, and sharing stories and ideas.

Co-Editor-in-Chief Creative Director Paulette (she/her) is Co-Editor-in-Chief and Creative Director of Like A Prayer Magazine. She is currently an architecture student living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. Drawing from her background in design and conceptual theory, she brings her graphic design and photography skills as well as her commitment and understanding of the creative process to Like A Prayer.

PAULETTE CAMERON

content.

[ BEAUTY ]

The Cure Apothecary

Nitasha Goel

[ IDEAS ]

Virgil Rose Vintage

Hector Harold

[ PROCESS ]

Maggie Jayne

Maggie MacCormick

[ INSPIRATION ]

Women in Health Care

Britany, Mary, and Bernardita

[ SHOWCASE ]

Cabot Trail Documentary

Canopy Creative Live Life in Tents

[ ART ]

Salina Ladha

Salina Ladha, Artist

[ POETRY ]

Della Orrey

“Jeremiad” Poem

[ POLITICS ]

Julie Leung

Hong Kong Piece

[ GLIMPSE ]

Akram Hamdan

Closet Feature

[ FASHION + TECH ]

Elvaux’s Cyber Fashion Show

Christina Tadros Solenne Tadros

[ MUSIC ]

Fasttoe

Justin Devenish

[ GRAPHICS ]

Hasan Murad

Hasan Murad, Artist

contributors.

DELLA ORREY “Jeremiad”

JULIE “How to Keep the Flame Alive?”

Della Orrey (she/her) is a multi-faceted audio creative currently residing on the traditional, unceded, occupied, and ancestral territories of the xwmə0k’ wəyəm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl’ ílwəta’/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. Her capacities include, yet are not limited to freelance music composer, music producer, audio engineer, mixer, sound designer, performer, vocalist, songwriter, pianist and creative director. With roots in classical piano, this foundation has been unpacked on a wide variety Julie recently graduated with a Masters of Architecture at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People. Originally from Hong Kong, she moved to Halifax to pursue her studies in architecture and to explore possibilities in Canada. She has been running the Halifax-Hong Kong Link page and working on supporting Hong Kong since the outbreak of protests in 2019. Julie is also a photographer, her photos accompany her submission about being a Hong Kong activist and advocate in this issue.

Bea (she/her) is an architecture student based in Toronto, land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River. Before moving to Halifax for her Masters of Architecture at Dalhousie University, she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Design at Ontario College of Art and Design University in 2015. Bea took photos of her mother, Bernardita in this issue’s feature of women in healthcare.

BEA Photos of Bernardita

of projects ranging from experimental fashion marketing, short film, documentary and animation. Multimedia collaboration has been central to Della’s work and focus as an emerging artist. Della has a huge passion for social justice and change that comes with the responsibility in providing marginalized communities the ability to define their own narrative.

She considers it an honor to use her skills for the empowerment of others through the agency of story and identity. In this issue, Della shares her beautiful and profound poetry.

We would like to begin by acknowledging that our magazine is based in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

[ BEAUTY ]

the cure apothecary A CONVERSATION WITH NITASHA GOEL, FOUNDER

Nitasha Goel is the founder of The Cure Apothecary, a natural skin care brand with a focus on sustainable ingredients.

Nitasha moved to Nova Scotia from Toronto last year, bringing with her, The Cure, which got its name from the band. In The Cure’s ingredients, there are no fillers, perfumes, emulsifiers, or parabens.

“There is nothing to hide when it comes to the ingredients,” Nitasha tells Like A Prayer. Transparency is at the core of the company. Every ingredient that goes into The Cure products are selected for their effective and sustainable properties.

The Cure started as a boutique on Queen Street in Toronto where she consulted customers on different skin care products. In Nova Scotia, The Cure became a studio where she creates and sells her own product.

“In Toronto, it was a boutique, I carried brands from Canada, the United States, and mostly Australia and New Zealand.

The shop was a curation of all different skin care brands for skin types, hair, and body,” Nistasha says, “It was probably one of the first natural skin care boutiques in Toronto that was outside of a health food store.”

In 2014, Nitasha notes that a global and nation-wide “movement was happening with how we ate and how we exercised.

We were looking at everything a little bit differently and more holistically.”

The Cure was born out of this movement

Words by Josefa Cameron Images from The Cure Apothecary and Akram Hamdan

images (left) Nitasha, Founder (top right) Campaign photo from the Cure Apothecary (bottom right) Nitasha wearing The Cure products

and out of her personal love for natural Shore of Nova Scotia and in Prince Edskin care. She began noticing gaps in the ward Island. “The ingredients work togethbrands she admired. Filling in those gaps er to help with everything you want really,” became very important to her as she beshe says. She admits that if she stayed in gan experimenting with ingredients when Toronto and tried to launch there, the prodcreating her own product. Firstly, she creatuct would not be the same, “I can say that ed a body whip moisturizer and cuticle oil. with confidence, it would not be this prod“I created those products and sold them uct.” in my store. I sold them under a different People in the Maritimes, she’s been nobrand, because I didn’t want people to ticing, have been exposed to local eating know it was my brand,” she says. and shopping for a while. “Local brands, The body whip was created when she local food, local wine, and local skin had an intense heat rash, “I tried everycare – there are so many farmer’s markets, thing, I did the oatmeal bath, the creams, there’s one on every corner,” she says. The but nothing healed it. I found when I put mindset is different here than in Toronto, any sort of medicated topical on, it just consumers are exposed to opposite ends clogged my pores even more.” of the skin care brand spectrum and not She started doing research on natural necessarily anything in between – either ingredients and why small, local brands, or they work. “I looked loud, giant brands. back to our ancestors, “I said, I guess I’m doing this, “There’s so much hapthey used natural ingre- I guess I’m ripping this band- pening here,” Nitasha dients and it worked for aid off and putting it out says, “I feel like I was them. I thought ‘why arinspired when I moved there” en’t we using this now?’ here to create this prodSo, I found this very simuct, the Maritimes in- Nitasha Goel ple recipe for the body spired this product to be whip, used it, and it achonest,” she says about tually healed my heat rash.” the face serum.

Shortly after creating her own products, She is confident that the quality of her her friends began encouraging her to sell brand speaks for itself, “I did zero marketthem. “I developed them, tweaked them, ing,” she remarks, “I just gave it to the right and made them what they are today,” she people.” says.

She gave it to the women who run and In 2018, Nitasha closed her Toronto own Nature Folk Wellness Studio in Dartstore to move to Nova Scotia with her mouth, Nova Scotia. Nature Folk, she says, husband Steve. Without knowing many is an infrared sauna, “it offers a little bit of people here, she brought her products and that Nordic spa experience in the city, so decided to open a studio and see what lovely. I gave the girls there a sample and would happen. they went crazy over it.”

Moving to the Maritimes was positive The newfound fan base in Nova Scotia for The Cure. The face serum product was inspired her to launch the brand, “I said, I created and launched here in January guess I’m doing this, I guess I’m ripping this 2020. Nitasha refers to the face serum as band-aid off and putting it out there.” “a powerhouse product.” It is made with Nitasha recognizes that skin care does Irish sea moss which grows on the South not need to be fussy, but it does need to be

functional. Consumers can easily fall into a convoluted trap spun by over-complicated skin care marketing. There also exists an expansion of sustainable, clean skin care in the mainstream beauty world. However, Nitasha has faith in the savviness of consumers.

“Sometimes the term ‘plant-based’ means nothing. A small percentage of the product can be plant-based but the rest can be filler ingredients,” she says. Bigger brands carried in bigger stores find loopholes, but again Nitasha reiterates that “luckily, consumers are very savvy.”

However, brands who advertise as clean and green are at least taking a stepping stone in the right direction, Nitasha points out. “The way I look at clean beauty is, do whatever you can. There are

no rules, if you don’t want to have a fully clean skin care routine, don’t. That is totally up to you,” she says, adding “I do believe, though, you will see the best results once you switch to actual clean, natural, plant based, chemical free skin care.”

Growing up, she had always been interested in skin care. “When I was a teenager, I used all of the stuff being marketed: using step one, two, three, four, five,” she says.

As a child, she would sit and watch her mother carry out her lengthy skin routine with numerous steps. Her mother now uses The Cure’s face serum and told her daughter, “in my sixty plus years, I have never experienced a product like this.”

Nitasha says the face serum is “not geared to acne but it does help. It’s not

geared to reducing scarring but it does help. The ingredients all work together in combination to create this one product that you need instead of ten products.”

Nitasha recognizes that life is busy and skin care can be intimidating and exhausting, which is why simplicity is key to The Cure.

“More people than not have an overwhelming feeling when it comes to skin care because they’ve been told they need to do this and that,” she says.

To Nistasha, skin should feel healthy and hydrated, then everything else will follow.

The Cure is “ideal for the busy person who needs reliable skin care,” she says, “I know it’s not going to be for everybody, but as long as a few people are happy, I am happy.”

“I do believe...you will see the best results once you switch to actual clean, natural, plant based, chemical free skin care.”

- Nitasha Goel

images Product photos from the Cure Apothecary

[ IDEAS ]

virgil rose vintage HECTOR HAROLD’S POLITICAL VINTAGE BRAND

Hector Harold is the founder of Virgil Rose Vintage which is based in Los Angeles where he was born and raised. He handpicks and sells vintage t-shirts. Having played basketball at University of Vermont and professionally in Europe for two years, he currently has a small client list of NBA players who he sells to directly.

He also works as a freelance creative consultant with brands in Los Angeles and as a project manager, “I work with professional athletes and entertainers to help build out their ambition,” he tells Like A Prayer.

Hector spent two weeks last summer in Canada touring with Danny Green for a string of basketball camps that took place in six cities around the country. He was the production manager for Green’s film, Beyond the Arc, that aired in the fall. He was also the digital manager, camp coordinator, and, “behind the scenes person for the camp, to make sure that everything was run properly – answering parents questions, staffing the coaches, making sure that the camps sold out – basically everything,” he adds.

Virgil Rose Vintage is a part-time gig for Hector, but the spread of COVID-19 has allowed him to put more time and effort into it. “A lot of sales have been coming directly through Instagram since I’ve launched on the platform,” says Hector.

Like A Prayer met Hector while he was in Halifax on his tour with Danny Green.

How did your fascination with vintage pieces begin?

My fascination came a lot from my passion and interest in American history, more specifically Black American history.

As someone who was born and raised in the 1990s, a lot of people who I would see on TV like Martin Lawrence, Will Smith, and Marlyn Wayans, their wardrobes would always fascinate me, even back then. There was a big awakening in the early 1990s within Black America, and a lot of this was displayed through clothing. Whether it was John Singleton wearing a Malcolm X t-shirt, or Ice Cube wearing a Marcus Garvey t-shirt, these were all images that I was exposed to at a young

age and why I gravitate towards it today.

Beyond graphic tees, I have a respect for the garments that were being produced domestically before the 2000’s. They were extremely high quality, so when I find one I know it has a story to tell, because it has survived so much. To find a damaged piece, clean it up, and give it a second life is really a process I enjoy.

What inspired you to start Virgil Rose Vintage?

It kind of happened naturally. I had been collecting vintage pieces for some

time, and started getting a ton of inquiries about where I was finding my clothes that it made sense. I found myself shopping for friends when I came across a vintage piece they might appreciate and before long, I was like, maybe I can shop for everyone too.

You handpick all the pieces that you sell.

What is it that you look for in a vintage tee?

I really love historical pieces that represent a subculture or mindset that reflects the social climate of that period. Within

every generation there’s a certain attitude towards the system, whether it be US anti-war sentiments in the 60s, Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in the 80s, or the seething US racial and socio-economic tension in the early 90s, I get really excited when I find pieces with graphics that reflect those types of moments. I also search for pieces that look like they have a story to tell, whether it is extremely distressed or some type of WWII garment, these pieces are survivors.

Virgil Rose sells to a client list of NBA players and their significant others di-

“Within every generation there’s a certain attitude toward the system, whether it be US anti-war sentiments in the 60s, Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts in the 80s, or the seething US racial and socio-economic tension in the early 90s. I get really excited when I find pieces with graphics that reflect those types of moments.”

- Hector Harold

rectly through text. What have you noticed they are looking for in a vintage shirt?

For NBA guys, it’s typically pop-culture pieces, mainly t-shirts. Anything from band tees to NASCAR tees. I try to present them with a variety of options to help their style palette, especially for the ones who are looking to stylistically standout a bit more.

For the significant others, they’re really just pieces that I think are cute and funny. I make sure to give information about the pieces, that way there’s an understanding of its significance, there’s always a story to tell with vintage.

Can you tell us about the specific moments in cultural history that have drawn you in? What is it about them that you like?

Definitely Black American history moments. I think it’s important that we, the Black community, regain these pieces into

our possession. During the 60s-90s, a large amount of the black communities in America used clothing as ways to preserve identity. When people are oppressed, their identities are also oppressed, and clothing has been a way to mitigate that.

The Nation of Islam wore suits, the Black Panther Party wore black leather jackets, and in the 1990s, we wore graphic tees with black faces of power on them or green, black, and red. Anytime I can get my hands on a piece that our people made, and that represents our people, I do what I can to take it back. A lot of the time it’s a white person selling a 1990s Malcolm X t-shirt for $350 USD because Malcolm X has been symbolized so much.

To them it’s just a shirt with an important guy on it, but to many of us, it’s a shirt with one of our prophets on it.

What are three major moods that you have felt during quarantine? Can you name songs that have accompanied each of those moods?

I initially answered this question with how affected I was by the killing of Ahmaud Arbery by vigilante white men and the images of NYPD police terror amongst the black communities, due to social distancing misconduct. Since I’ve originally answered this question, I’ve been angry, extremely sad, and hopeless. If I re-answered this question for y’all every time a black person was unlawfully killed, I would be re-answering this for you multiple times a day until, what seems to be, the end of time. To say that the 2020 Black Lives Matter uprising has been one for the history books is not enough. It is one of many, where black Americans have fought against the inherently oppressive capitalist-fascist regime that maintains power, and I am nervous that it will also be one that does not end racial oppression, but will only trigger it’s shape-shifting.

Knowing my history, it makes me uneasy to hear the same rhetoric from the movements in the 1960s, and nothing has changed. I have no choice but to stay

hopeful that progress will be made, but it’s discouraging to know that it probably won’t. With that being said, 2Pac has been my theme music, as I’ve navigated through my world in the last 2 months. His music is like my Negro Spiritual, it helps my soul with ancestral connection, and as a result calms me down. The three songs I’ve been playing on repeat have been “White Man’z World”, “Smile”, and “Lord Knows”. Listen to them, you’ll know what I mean.

Let’s talk about basketball. You toured with Danny Green two weeks last summer for a string of basketball camps, in six cities across Canada. How did meeting so many people, who are drawn around the same passion for the sport, affect your relationship with the game?

It continued to strengthen my passion for the game. It goes without saying that basketball is a universal language that supersedes any race, creed, or code. To see so many people in Canada who were drawn to the game wasn’t a surprise to me, but just another opportunity to fall deeper in love with basketball. Basketball has always been a meeting point for me, it has always been an opportunity to connect with other people and build long-lasting relationships. To be on tour with Danny Green and keep that going was really major for me. It was a blast.

What were the highs and lows of your experience of Canada during the Danny Green tour?

There were no lows for me in Canada. I can say that I really enjoyed every bit of it without hesitation. Montreal is one of my favorite cities on the planet, so being back in that city was great. We were able to host the camp in Park-Extension at Lucien-Pagé High School, which was one of the highlights for me for sure. Outside

“I really love historical pieces that represent a subculture or mindset that reflects the social climate of that period.”

- Hector Harold

images A selection of pieces from Virgil Rose Vintage’s Collection

of that, every city was so welcoming and great to be in.

and overwhelming feeling. I didn’t feel as alone.

Did you discover any Canadian brands/ idiosyncrasies that you care to share?

In your opinion, what do you think of the role that basketball has played and is currently playing in fashion trends?

I definitely learned new things about Toronto and Montreal. The amount of Black Caribbean people was really unexpected, and I began to do research about it. I found that Marcus Garvey really did his groundwork in both of those cities, and his Back to Africa Movement was born in Canada. That’s something that I really felt embarrassed about not knowing. The US media doesn’t do a great job of painting the picture of diversity in Canada. We also visited North Preston, Halifax. To see direct descendants of my ancestors in a place that was so far north was something that was so emotional for me, and still is.

They looked like us, lived like us, and talked just as we do as Black Americans. It was almost like we had entered a parallel universe, and it was a really immersive

It’s hard to say because basketball players haven’t historically been known for their fashion sense (haha). I’d say it’s more of a combination of being from LA and playing basketball. As a kid growing up, if you wanted attention then you were competing with wealthy Beverly Hills kids -who could afford expensive and trendy clothes- movie stars, and other basketball players who were better than you on the court. Whenever we would all get together at parties, or some type of event, it was a little bit of a competition of who was styling the best. My friends and I always stuck out because we were so tall, so we had to make sure we were ready for eyes to be on us. Looking back it seems a bit silly, but that was the makeup of being a swaggy basketball kid from this city.

What was your most valued clothing/ accessory piece as a kid?

Definitely Looney Tunes and Kobe gear. I collected both like crazy. I resold Pokémon cards in elementary school to save up for both. Kobe was with Adidas at the time and his shoes were retailing at

a price point that was not an option in my household. I would go to the card store, buy Pokémon cards, flip them, and then get my Taz and Kobe gear with the money I made from my profit.

So, will you be shipping to Canada anytime soon?

Yes! I’m definitely shipping to Canada, shipping will be a bit more but I’ll cover a percent.

[ PROCESS ]

maggie jayne

Interview by Josefa Cameron Images of Maggie at home by Paulette Cameron and campaign photos from maggie jayne

LOOKING INTO THE PROCESS OF MAGGIE MACCORMICK

Maggie MacCormick is the founder of the sustainable-oriented clothing brand, maggie jayne. Her unique garments are designed in her Halifax studio and thoughtfully produced in Jaipur, India, where she lives for chunks of the year. Maggie works with the locals of Jaipur in her production process, which involves woodblock carving, block printing, stitching, and dying the fabric. Sustainability is maintained throughout each of these steps, through to packaging. She uses low-impact dye and the labels and packaging are made with recycled material.

Founded in 2015, maggie jayne clothing has developed a reputation for being durable and comfortable. Her garments have become uniforms for the modern, creative, and conscious woman.

The art community of Halifax and beyond is excitedly and continually anticipating her next beautiful design with her signature fresh bold patterns, usually accompanied by dreamy photoshoots.

Like A Prayer spoke with Maggie about her creative design process here in Halifax, as well as her physical process of production in India.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up in Sydney, Nova Scotia. After high school, I moved to the west coast for a while and have mostly been living in Halifax for the past decade. I am comfortable being in a small city and knowing

each time I leave my house, I’ll pass someone I can talk to. Sometimes I wondered if anonymity might be nice, but lately I realize I prefer the closeness to people and also proximity to nature.

Tell us about your clothing brand, maggie jayne.

I consider maggie jayne a contemporary sustainable-oriented clothing brand.

The clothes are produced in partnership with a manufacturer in Jaipur Rajasthan that has very high labour and environmental standards. The ultimate goal of the brand is to work thoughtfully with each part of the supply chain by developing personal relationships and an understanding of the colonial history of textile production in India.

The brand also functions as a creative project. I take every opportunity I can to collaborate with people, which I think keeps a playful energy moving through the clothes.

How did the brand come about?

I studied fibre arts at the Kootenay School of the arts and fashion at NSCAD (the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design) where I developed a basic understanding of the processes involved in textiles and garment making. In 2015 I travelled to India with friends. We were all obsessed with textiles, so that motivated a lot of our trip. The four of us took a block printing workshop in Bagru, a village

outside of Jaipur, that has been practicing this craft for up to 500 years. In the workshop they used the same natural dyestuff and wood carved blocks that would have been used since the beginning. It was completely magical and stuck with me.

Later on in our travels, I met some leather workers in another village called Sanganer. I had this one leather vest that was designed in fashion school. I spent three days in this little workshop while the leather workers recreated my vest. I realize now, this is not a typical way to work with artisans. Normally, you would pass off instructions and come back to see samples, but I sat down and watched every minute of the process. It was fun to drink chai, smoke beedi, and see this garment take form. I got really excited and spent the last month of that trip asking questions and following whims until I had a small collection to bring home. I sold the pieces one at a time and figured things were going well enough to head back to India the following year.

Eventually, I was able to work with block printers to design textiles for my collections that seemed to speak to my customers and establish a sort of look that is now associated with my brand.

How do you come up with the designs and patterns?

I’m interested in simple lines and seeing how far you can take something very straight forward. For three collections in

image Maggie wears a red blouse from her upcoming Summer State of Mind collection in her Halifax apartment, Photo by Paulette Cameron

images (left images) Sunglasses designed in collaboration with Fellow Earthlings, Photos by Paulette Cameron (right) Pieces from Summer State of Mind Collection, Photo property of Maggie Jayne

a row, I only used vertical stripes, then I graduated to grids which felt like were an extension of the stripe. I often start with things being busy and chaotic and then simplify the prints down to whatever seems essential. My upcoming collection has a floral print that I drew after watching Steel Magnolias last year, it came quickly and I tried to take it to different places. In that case, the initial drawing is pretty much the same as the print that will be on the dress.

What does the physical process of production in India involve?

I typically spend about 3 months a year

in India so that I can take my time. The first step in my production process, is woodblock carving. It takes about ten days to hand-chisel the pattern into woodblocks.

After the blocks are carved, we test them and colour-match at the print and dye unit in Sanganer. This is the most interesting part for me because there are always unanticipated limitations or miscommunications that force us to adapt the design collaboratively.

I spend a lot of time with the master Tailor in the stitching unit, translating my garment mock-ups to production-ready samples. All of our hardware is cast in brass in Jaipur. My friend Sarah Sears makes

samples in Halifax and I deliver those to metal-smiths to make casts.

These things can be done remotely, but I don’t understand anything abstractly and I like human connection, so it has always been easiest for me to show up and work face to face.

There tends to be a lot of downtime waiting for the different steps to be complete, so I travel to different parts of India to meet with suppliers or work on personal projects. This year I visited a weaving cooperative called Women Weave in Maheshwar so that I can source handwoven fabric for future collections. I also spent a few weeks at a language school studying

Hindi, hoping this will eventually lead to more meaningful communication with artisans that I’m working with.

What does your creative process involve?

I’m always thinking about colour. Every once in a while, I’ll start noticing a colour over and over again, then I’ll build a palette around it. When I think about the silhouette, it is usually related to how I feel in my body that year. One year I was feeling kind of fragile, so I only wanted to wear clothes that felt protective or that made me feel prepared for anything. My collection ended up being utilitarian and based on workwear. I designed dungarees that season and wore them nearly every day until I started feeling less fragile a few months ago. Now I think I’m going through a bit of a dreaming phase, so I am interested in wearing and designing airy dresses again.

images The blouse hanging on the wall is assembled from recycled pieces from her older collections, Photo

by Paulette Cameron

How has quarantine affected you personally and maggie jayne as a brand?

images (left) Maggie in the easy blazer from her upcoming collection, Photo by Paulette Cameron (right) Maggie’s home is decorated with art by friends, plants, ceramics, and pieces from her past collections, Photo by Paulette Cameron

In terms of sales, retail has pretty much stopped, pop-up events and markets are not happening. However, our webshop is busier than ever, so things have kind of evened out so far.

On March 27 a nationwide lockdown was implemented in India and production ceased until the second week of May. Now it has started again but only at 30 per cent capacity. Our summer collection is significantly delayed which required me to make some small changes – hopefully the clothes will feel like they can cross over into colder weather. The good news is that the staff was kept on salary throughout their time-off of work and our manufacturer has a system in place to do daily health and safety checks.

I’ve been trying for a while to move away from traditional fashion seasons and schedules because it has felt impossible to keep up sustainably. Now seems like a time where the customer is sensitive to process and open to change. I imagine most others are re-thinking the fast-paced cycles, and the industry as a whole will emerge from this completely changed.

Quarantine time has also encouraged me to take stock of things. I realized I like having a small brand and I don’t have any motivation to grow it. It feels especially important to be certain that I can maintain commitments with our partners in India, while the future is so uncertain. As things have slowed down and time feels different, I have been thinking about what makes this work worthwhile for me. So, moving forward, I’m going to be doing more experimenting and collaboration.

I designed a small series of rugs that will come out soon. They are woven by hand in people’s homes outside of Jaipur. This is a way to keep supporting artisans during lockdown. I also have product collaborations coming up with east coast sunglasses manufacturer, Fellow Earthlings, and outwear brand, Fairchild. It’s exciting to me that people are making beautiful products in Atlantic Canada and it will be interesting to see how people respond to us merging our aesthetics.

image Designer Maggie MacCormick at her home, Photo by Paulette Cameron

images Model Nainaa Khan in maggie jayne, Photo by Third Dimension, property of maggie jayne

image Model Lizane Tan wearing the lilac stripe silk crop blouse, Photo by Monika Gajewski, property of maggie jayne

image Model Ndeera Medina wearing the lilac jumpsuit, Photo by Monika Gajewski, property of maggie jayne

[ INSPIRATION ]

women on the frontlines A HIGHLIGHT OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS DURING COVID-19

Interviews by Josefa Cameron Images of Britany by Paulette Cameron, Bernardita by Bea, and Mary by herself Women have largely taken on the leadership and change-making roles during the spread of COVID-19 in Canada. It has come to light, especially during the pandemic, that women are crucial in the healthcare sector, whether working on the frontlines or behind the scenes.

Like A Prayer interviewed some of the many women who are on the frontlines right now. Britany cares directly for patients with COVID-19 as a nurse in Halifax’s intensive care unit. Mary works with patients with dementia at United Active Living Fish Creek in Calgary where an outbreak occurred. In her Toronto neighbourhood, Bernardita works in a long-term care facility which is constantly overworked and understaffed.

Life for these women hasn’t slowed down like it has for most people. Mary points out that, “as the world has been mostly shut down, I have been working harder.”

Like A Prayer spoke with these remarkable and selfless women about their experiences on the frontlines during the Coronavirus outbreak.

[ INSPIRATION ]

britany

WOMEN ON THE FRONTLINES

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am from the beautiful Annapolis Valley. I went to Dalhousie University for varsity track and field and cross country. I graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I fell in love with the city of Halifax and decided to begin my career as a Registered Nurse at the Halifax Infirmary.

I was fortunate to start my career in a medical, surgical, neurological intensive care unit and have been there for almost five years. I am also a spin instructor at Spinco Halifax/Bedford. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to lead Spin classes.

It has been an incredible way to stay connected with the community outside of the healthcare sector.

How has the spread of COVID-19 impacted your work?

Our unit directly cares for patients with COVID-19. Experiencing my first pandemic, as a frontline healthcare worker in the ICU, has been an eye-opening experience. Everyone is vigilantly taking care of

images Photos of Britany, Photos by Paulette Cameron

these patients. I am lucky to say that with the support and immense pandemic planning done by our clinical experts and management/directors, it has made working in an intensive care environment feel safe and manageable.

How has it impacted your personal life?

My personal life has been impacted outside of work similarly to most people living through COVID-19. It has been most challenging not being able to spend quality time with family and friends, which is something that I cherish. Adapting to the lifestyle was overwhelming initially, however, being forced to slow down and appreciate the little things in my day-to-day life has been a silver lining for me. Thankfully, with technology, I have been able to keep in contact with my friends and family.

I have been grateful to get outside to enjoy the fresh ocean air and sunshine as the days get warmer here in Halifax.

You work in the ICU unit, can you tell us about what that experience has been like?

My role as a nurse has not greatly changed in the way I care for patients during COVID-19. Prior to COVID-19, we cared for patients with severe respiratory illnesses such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and influenza in the ICU. I therefore felt prepared when caring for patients with COVID-19. The most challenging part of caring for patients during this pandemic has been around limitations and restrictions of family members and visitors, for obvious reasons. Luckily our unit has provided specific equipment that has allowed some of our patients to connect with their loved ones via phone or video chat, which has been greatly appreciated by both patients and family members. This has allowed us to continue to practice our model of providing family-centred care in the ICU. I am grateful for the ongoing teamwork and collaboration among various multidisciplinary teams during these challenging times.

Why did you choose nursing as a career?

I chose nursing as a career to combine my passion for healthy living with my love for helping others. I always knew I wanted to work in a profession where I could help people and try to make a difference.

Nursing encompasses the values that are important to me. Nursing was also attractive because it is so diversified and offers many different specialities. It allows your career to be a lifelong journey with many unique and rewarding experiences.

Did you foresee dealing with anything like a global pandemic as a possibility before all of this?

I did not. I can honestly say that being a nurse and practicing on the frontlines during a pandemic has been a learning

curve for me. Having only been a nurse for five years, this experience has made me realize the serious impact that a global pandemic has on not just our local communities, but the entire world. It makes me appreciate all of the dedication and hard work by frontline workers everywhere. It makes me proud to be a part of that team.

What has been one thing that has gotten you through quarantine? (ie: a song, a meal, a friend, a quote, a book etc.)

I have enjoyed getting to spend quality time with my partner Mark during quarantine. We have enjoyed evenings at home eating delicious Italian food and listening to our favourite music together. I also am grateful for the endless support and the many phone chats from my family, friends, and community during this time!

images Britany out of uniform, Photo

by Paulette Cameron

[ INSPIRATION ]

bernardita

WOMEN ON THE FRONTLINES

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in the Philippines. My family and I immigrated to Canada in 2001. I am currently living in Toronto. I work at a longterm care facility in my neighbourhood that is five minutes away from where I live. I’ve been working there for almost 18 years now. Currently, I work as a dietary aide where my primary duties are in the kitchen preparing food for patients and residents.

How has the spread of COVID-19 impacted your career?

images Photos of Bernardita, taken by her daughter, Bea

Our facility made a lot of changes to protocol. When the pandemic started, the staff was worried, there were outbreaks happening at other nursing homes around the city. Some of the staff worked at one or two other nursing homes, and they needed to choose where to stay to work. So our staff had to be cut short from our regular scheduling. We are constantly working over time, with longer hours.

How has it impacted your personal life?

I find it is hard to meet up with friends.

Since my friends are also my co-workers and they have transferred to different facilities, we have to be more careful. Now we can only communicate through phones, it’s almost all work and no social life. This is to ensure we are protecting ourselves, those who I work with, and especially the residents. Even going grocery shopping is more time consuming, the line ups are longer, mask and gloves are required for precaution, and cleaning and sanitizing all our grocery takes hours now.

Have you felt protected while doing your job? Can you expand on why or why not?

Earlier in the pandemic, there was no proper protocol for our staff. For a while, as the pandemic got worse, and more nursing homes were having an outbreak, the staff came into work with constant fear.

Early on, management began taking our temperatures at the door and no longer allowed visitors. We didn’t have any Personal Protective Equipment, and social distancing is hard in close proximity. As the lockdown continues, we now have mask and face shields for most of the staff, and the Personal Support Workers are the only ones who are in full PPE since they have direct contact with our residents.

Did you expect to be on the frontlines of the pandemic as it emerged? Did you feel prepared?

I was not prepared at all. I did not want to put myself in danger. I am already old and can get sick easily – I was afraid of getting sick. I am still working because who else is supposed to work when we are understaffed? Our facility has been very lucky that there has been no outbreak, but we are all still scared and want to protect ourselves and our family who we go home to. Even if there is an outbreak, those who work in the kitchen, like myself, can still work. But, those who are in contact with the residents, like the PSW, have more to worry about.

What is one major thing that has gotten you through quarantine? (ie: family, a friend, a movie, a book, a quote, etc.?)

I keep my health up by walking through the neighbourhood every morning. It also makes my day when my older daughter drives by with my granddaughter so I can say hi to her while she’s in the car and the windows up. She’s growing up fast, I used to pick her up every day from daycare and we spent a lot of time together. Now, it’s harder for me to take care of her and watch her grow up from afar.

images Bea photographed her mother before and after her shift at work. The top two images are Bernardita at 5:00am, prior to her shift, and the bottom two images show her at 3:00pm, after her day’s work

[ INSPIRATION ]

mary

image Mary Roe, at her workplace, Photo taken by herself for Like a Prayer

WOMEN ON THE FRONTLINES

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

How has it impacted your personal life?

Hi! My name is Mary and I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. I currently live in Calgary again after a few years of living in Victoria, BC and New York State.

I am 28-years-old and currently work at United Active Living Fish Creek location in southeast Calgary. I work with residents who have dementia. We do programming with the residents which includes walking and exercise classes, music therapy, art therapy, puzzles, trivia, and other fun brain games like crossword puzzles.

It has been a lot busier for me, ironically. As the world has been mostly shut down, I have been working harder. However, I’ve learned to enjoy a slower pace in my personal life by going for lots of walks in the evenings and exploring new neighborhoods and parks I wouldn’t usually go to. It’s been good to slow down outside of work and read outside, learn to cook new complicated recipes, and do things I wouldn’t normally do if stores and cafes had been open.

How has the spread of COVID-19 impacted your work?

How has COVID-19 affected the patients you work with?

Everything changed since the beginning of COVID-19. At work, all of the programming and group activities stopped, including meals in the dining room. Now we deliver meals to the resident’s suites, take their temperatures, and go for LOTS of walks outside.

It’s definitely been tough to see how COVID has impacted the residents as they are now more socially isolated. We as staff are the only ones coming in to see them. It’s been interesting to see how being social and living in a community is so vital and important for us as humans. Eating alone and spending a lot of time alone

can be hard, especially for seniors with cognitive issues.

Did you foresee dealing with anything like a global pandemic as a possibility before all of this?

Definitely not! I never foresaw anything

like this happening at such a grand scale that literally impacted the whole world. It has shown me to be prepared for anything and that our world is fragile. Sickness, weather disasters, and war are things that can unfortunately strike and take over at any moment.

Do you feel protected while you work?

Did you feel prepared for it?

My workplace has handled this pan-

demic very well, so yes, I did feel protected at work. We had masks and gloves early on. It has definitely been a learning curve with some ups and downs but overall, I’ve felt supported and safe during this time. I don’t think anyone was very prepared for the extent and length of this virus but with time and the right resources it’s worked out

better than I expected.

What has been one thing that has gotten you through quarantine? (ie: a song, a meal, a friend, a quote, a book etc.)

I regained the joy of walking outside.

Before COVID-19 I went to the gym and rarely exercised outside but now I look forward to my evening walks out in nature.

The simple joys of life have reignited in me and I look forward to reading, cooking, and gardening now more than I ever did.

images Mary Roe took these selfies for us while working a shift as an essential worker during the COVID-19 pandemic.

[ SHOWCASE ]

the cabot trail A CONVERSATION WITH THE DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS

Interview by Josefa Cameron Images by Kyle Bernard

on this page The Skyline Trail on the next page (left) Cape Clear (right) Fall colours

Cape Breton Island sits atop mainland Nova Scotia. Its western coast faces the Northumberland Strait and its eastern coast fronts the Atlantic Ocean. The island’s original residents were ancestors of the Mi’kmaq, known as Unama’ki. The rugged island was colonized by successive waves of Portuguese, English, Scottish, and French settlers throughout the Middle Ages and Early Modern Era. The island now welcomes nearly half a million tourists each year. Visitors swell the usually quiet landscape in the summer and disperse each autumn before the bitter Maritime weather arrives.

The Cabot Trail, a 298 kilometre highway, runs along the northern shores of the island and loops around Cape Breton Highlands National Park. A group of young documentary filmmakers and photographers captured the trail’s experience while chatting to small tourism business owners along the way.

The Cabot Trail Documentary, a collaboration between Live Life In Tents and Canopy Creative, explores what Cape Breton has to offer beyond golf and boating tourism.

Lee Fraser owns and runs Live Life in Tents, a unique adventure tourism company based in Cape Breton. Wes Booth is owner and creative director of Canopy Creative, a Nova Scotian production company. Halifax based photographers, Kyle Bernard and Carter Hutton also

joined the project. Like A Prayer asked the team about their experience making their first feature-length film.

Please tell us a little about yourselves.

[Lee Fraser] I’m originally from and live in Margaree, Cape Breton. I own and run the adventure tourism business Live Life In Tents. LLIT is a boutique campground, outfitter and tour operator for hiking and river tubing.

[Wes Booth] I’m originally from and live in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. I’m the Owner and Creative Director of Canopy Creative. Canopy Creative is a production company that practices storytelling focusing on projects about people and their practices. Our goal at Canopy is to build a sense of community through storytelling partnerships based on common interests and shared values.

How did you come up with the idea for The Cabot Trail Documentary?

[Lee] The doc was supposed to be a mini web series originally but at the time in 2018, there was a lot of mini web series’ being developed so the idea evolved into a bigger concept with the ability to tell more of a story. That’s really how the idea came about - looking at what people at that moment were doing and doing the opposite.

How did the collaboration come about?

[Lee] Well, this goes back to the start of LLIT back in late 2016. Bernie and I knew one another from club nights where I was a promoter and DJ and he was a photographer. When I launched LLIT I reached out to him to coordinate a group of photographers to come to Cape Breton for a week-

end which is where I met Wes and, as they say, the rest is history.

What outcome do you want as a result of the documentary?

[Lee] Originally, the plan was to do a screening tour to promote the film and Cape Breton as a destination to plac-

es across Canada and in the US but, COVID-19 happened, so we put that on hold and almost shelved the doc until the end of the year. I was inspired by how a lot of companies were going online and in some cases, fundraising for other small businesses, so that’s when I called Wes with the idea of launching this as a sort of fundraiser for the operators involved. Most

of these companies don’t qualify for any of the provincial or federal relief programs.

In some cases, their business is how they put food on the table, so being able to do something for all of them at this time is super important.

[Wes] We’ve always wanted to be involved in a documentary project. With our focus at Canopy being on storytelling, it

made sense to take things to the next step and do a feature-length production. The story of Cape Breton Island’s rural communities reinventing themselves through tourism fits our focus on people and their practices. I’ve always had an interest in helping tell the stories of the voices less heard.

Being from rural Nova Scotia myself, there are so many hidden gems like Cape Bret-

on Island, that we as storytellers, can tap into to help each other out. Hopefully, this documentary has brought a sense of pride for locals and served as a reminder to appreciate how magical this place really is.

For those who are less familiar with Cape Breton, hopefully it has fulfilled their curiosity with new excitement about Cape Breton and a better sense of what motivates them.

How long did it take to complete the project?

[Lee] From inception to the final product about a year and a half. I pitched the idea to Wes in early January 2019 and the final product was complete May 8th literally a few hours before the launch.

[Wes] A lot less than anticipated as Lee really brought it home with some heavy lifting over the last couple of months.

What equipment did you use?

[Lee] So, I can let Wes go into specifics on camera gear but what I can tell you is that I won’t ever tackle a project like this without a proper computer ever again.

We had a lot of limitations with this project, like how we would all collaborate on the project because the budget was tight and we all lived in different places. I spent 5 weeks straight with two laptops making proxy files just so that our computers could handle the footage. Proxies are duplicate, lower-resolution files that the editing software reads while editing to easily process the footage. It was one of many hiccups with gear.

[Wes] Most of the documentary was shot on the Panasonic GH5. The drone footage was collected using the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. We used Sennheiser Lavalier and shotgun mics for audio. Mostly stuck to natural lighting, but for some interviews we set up an Aputure C120 LED light. All footage was edited using Adobe’s Premiere Pro. Do you hope it will help bring people to Cape Breton?

[Lee] It’s already doing that! The cool thing about the film is that it’s truly influencing people to venture here and we’re already seeing inquiries on bookings for later this summer. It gives viewers insight into a different side of the island that exists but requires some work to discover. There’s a lot more to our island than the skyline trail.

[Wes] I’ve had multiple people say this documentary was the excuse they needed to finally pull the trigger and said they’ll be visiting this summer. Angelo, an operator from the documentary, was actually able

image Highland Roadways, Photo by Kyle Bernard

to seal the deal with the sale of his kayaking business after the new owners watched the documentary.

Lee, why did you choose to live in Cape Breton?

[Lee] I grew up here and always wanted to live here but the challenge was finding a way to do so. I was lucky in that I had a career that enabled me to live anywhere I would like and enabled me to buy a property in Margaree. The plan was to summer here and live elsewhere in the winter but a series of events ended up with me staying in Margaree and by luck starting LLIT in 2016. The rest is history.

How has the reception of the documentary been so far?

[Lee] It’s been amazing so far, to be honest. With creative projects, it is always unknown how people will react and can be a little nerve-racking at times. From the emails and messages I’ve received, I can safely say that it’s really struck a chord with

island locals but also with people living off-island and once regulations loosed, in regards to COVID, I think we’ll be seeing a lot of them travelling to CB this summer!

[Wes] I’ve had people reach out who are from Cape Breton or have a place on the island and were emotionally moved by it. The ultimate compliment is getting an approval from a Cape Bretoner.

How has the spread of COVID-19 affected your work in Cape Breton?

[Lee] It’s too soon to be seen but I would assume that our bookings will be down this year. This all really depends on regulations once things start opening up. Luckily a lot of what we do is outside and on the river, so we’ll be increasing our safety protocols to cater to public health needs but also getting people outside in nature which is huge right now.

Do you have plans to work together in the future on another project?

[Lee] Time will tell but right now the fo-

cus is on building and expanding our operations and getting through the summer months! I have many other ideas for film projects so we’ll just have to let the dust settle on this project and see where we’ll be off to next.

[Wes] We would love to team up with Lee again. He’s an extremely hard-working person and when he puts his mind to something you better offer to help or get out of the way because there is no way of stopping him. Cape Breton is like a second home for us. Hopefully, Lee has something up his sleeve for us to bite into soon.

images (left) Cap Rouge, Photo by Kyle Bernard (right)Film crew, Photo by Kyle Bernard

[ ART ]

salina ladha Q & A WITH INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST AND CERAMIC SCULPTOR

We first discovered Salina’s work through stumbling upon a video of her process as a ceramic sculptor. Watching her hands work the clay and willing a form out of it was mesmerizing and captivating. Through greater exposure to her various mediums, her work consistently delivers with a both soft and strong voice, while unraveling vignettes, evoking dreamscapes, and capturing playful moments of everyday life.

Interview by Josefa Cameron Images of Salina and her work, Artist’s own

image Salina, Photo by Yuki Kikuchi

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am an interdisciplinary artist who grew up in Edmonton and I currently live in Toronto.

How would you describe yourself as an artist?

I like to do a little bit of everything, I am always learning and changing.

Do you remember the moment you first realized your affinity to art?

I was 15 and didn’t get my dad a birthday present, so I thought I would draw him something. I ended up making him a little book of drawings.

For the first time I thought something along the lines of, “this is fun and these drawings aren’t that bad.”

How does the concept usually come to you?

Usually on a walk or when I’m not consciously thinking about it. Sometimes I have to sit and really think about it.

Is there a certain mood or expression you are trying to convey in your art?

This changes based on the piece and how I’m feeling at the time.

You are an interdisciplinary artist, how do the various mediums compare as tools of expression?

Drawings are more literal, while sculpture is more secretive.

Can you walk us through the process of one of your recent works?

Honestly I haven’t made anything for myself in a while, I want to change that though. Usually the way it works is, first I think of something, very rarely I sketch it out (unless it’s a big piece), and then I make it.

How has living in Montreal and Toronto impacted your work?

I now live in Toronto, it has been less than a year. I lived in Montreal for eight years before this. Montreal was good, it was cheap to live there, so it allowed me more time to work on my artwork versus spending all my time working a shitty job.

What are some differences you’ve experienced as an artist living in Toronto versus Montreal?

I’m pretty new here in Toronto, I was traveling a lot shortly after I moved and now with COVID my experience here is pretty limited. One obvious thing is that it is more expensive to live in Toronto, so being an artist on a smaller scale isn’t as easy.

How has creating helped you through quarantine?

I haven’t been able to make anything for myself this quarantine so I guess it has not helped at all. I keep telling myself I will make something again, not pushing it at the moment but might have to soon.

What are a couple songs you’ve been listening to during quarantine?

Right now I have been really into: By the Sea - John Carroll Kirby, Baby Four Tet, Do Yourself a Favor - KeiyaA

[ POETRY ]

della orrey

COMPOSER AND POET

Poem and images series by Della Orrey We are honored to include Della Orrey as one of the contributors for our first issue. Della’s voice, powerful and silky, resonates as she reflects on her mixed-race identity in the context of growing awareness around Blackness.

She writes these words in the heat of the moment, in a world of tension, cries for justice, and the ongoing exposure of present-day oppression. In the midst of her own activism and the tumultuous aftershocks of the killing of George Floyd around the world and in her own personal life, Della generously lends her time and her words in a poem submission to Like a Prayer

[ POETRY ]

della orrey

COMPOSER AND POET

“Jeremiad” You caught me on the brink of insanity.

Or wrenching my heart free, desperate to do different things for different results.

This seems a concept simple enough. Yet - in a land where time slows and conversations seldom reach outside of the agreeable familiar patterns - I’m slowed by thick oozing reluctance to admit these strange and new truths.

Buried wounds piled on top of each other stacked high and deep are now laid bare, with a white awakening demanding to see, listen, (miss)understand, capitalize, reduce and reject.

I don’t know how to walk this earth no longer shackled by the ability to uphold another’s comfort over my own. Screaming in my ear is the constant internal assessment of what is truly worth fighting for, and at what cost?

This blindness is the pestilence that depths caverns into even my own kin.

I’ve felt choked by lack of understanding from the ones who raised me as I fight to disentangle myself from their chains.

You taught me to question?

You taught me to seek hard truth!

When did you give up?

When did your soul grow weary to the point where it was just about surviving the narrow lanes handed by society’s hollow promises at the end of a lifetime’s labour.

When did that become good enough for you.

This pain is a festering sickness, infection that keeps me awake, and wakes me early to the same sliver of wondering if today will be different?

A prayer to heal my foundation lay an exposure so broad that the climactic grand reveal found me scrambling for refuge in the fact

that I could still breathe.

I didn’t numb myself, maybe that’s me getting stronger.

Never before has the world broke open and charged it’s way into the deepest parts of me.

I merely joined a cry for freedom started long before my time.

Echoed by thousands throughout the ugly chasms of time edited for the erasure of whoever thought my skin disposable worthless property.

Here I stand, hundreds of years worth of defiance coursing through my veins and my strength is collapsed and hollowed out.

I do not have clarity, the contents of this chest are sprawled and scattered with too many knocking at my door demanding entrance, demanding answers, demanding, demanding, pleading, asking STOP. I need time, I need a revelation for the future I need more patience, even more forgiveness, even more love, even more character, even more steadfastness, and even more hope.

For that I am angry - furious even!

But hate is too heavy a burden for one built to receive and give love.

Heavenly Father, keep my heart soft.

So I will continue to sit in this and receive, somehow waiting and listening to the still small voice.

The earthquake, fire and storm still rage, but I know that it’s the quiet, the small waking hours where I catch a glimpse of Your heart.

I have the peace that surpasses, understanding will come.

Amen.

[ POLITICS ]

Images by Paulette Cameron and Julie

image The photographer took the anonymity of the subject as an artistic challenge, using motion to obscure the image, acknowledging both the shifting world occurring around Julie, but also respecting the political risk she confront when vocalizing her views on China, Photo by Paulette Cameron

julie

HONG KONG ADVOCATE AND ACTIVIST

Julie never expected to become an activist or an advocate. But that changed in the summer of 2019, as her home city, Hong Kong took to the streets to protest China’s Extradition Law. “The law takes away the last bit of freedom of speech for the people in Hong Kong and destroys the city’s judicial systems,” Julie tells Like A Prayer.

Since last summer, Julie has written to the Chronicle Herald two times and had five interviews with CBC Radio Nova Scotia. With her team, she helped organize nine rallies and co-hosted a panel discussion with the Dalhousie Muslim Association on human rights in Hong Kong and East Turkistan.

Julie, who moved to Halifax on her own at 20-years-old, feels safe in Canada for now but is constantly following the updates in Hong Kong. She says within days of the law’s passing, “people were arrested simply due to displaying promotional materials, carrying flags in their bags, or even having a sticker with a slogan. The slogan ‘Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Ours Times’ was stated illegal; new judges were appointed solely for national security cases.”

Protesters, and even those who simply voice their concerns, “are under fear of being taken away from their loved ones,” Julie says.

People in Hong Kong are now finding new strategies to protest and adapt under these oppressing conditions. Julie remains hopeful though, “while many will flee the city, it is my wish that we will be able to return to our homeland and unite in freedom.”

Like A Prayer is honoured to feature Julie’s personal entry on her experience as a Hong Kong activist and advocate.

image Julie, Photo by Paulette Cameron

- Julie

image Julie and Yellow Democracy, Photo by Paulette Cameron

“Beneath the surface, there is the dark side that each activist or advocate is learning to face alone.”

images Julie and Yellow Democracy 3 and 4, Photo by Paulette Cameron

June 4, 2020 How to Keep the Flame Alive?

by Julie I have never thought I would be an activist or an advocate.

I had always been that quiet teenager who sat at the back of the classroom. I had always been one of those who enjoyed spending my leisure time reading books, craving solitude in the busy city. I was one of those students trying to make general life plans after graduate school.

However, one year ago in the summer of 2019, my home city, Hong Kong, began to experience huge changes. Millions of people took to the streets to protest against the Extradition Law, yet the government stood strong and did not accept people’s demands until months later. Police brutality in peaceful mass demonstrations became more frequent and more severe. However, in Hong Kong not a single police officer has been charged. As the protests persisted, more systematic problems and human rights violations were unveiled, and we began to see the ugly truth of the Hong Kong government as a puppet of the Chinese Communist Party.

The evening before the first mass protest, I was reading the news thousands of kilometers away from Hong Kong. Out of worry and fear, I had the urge to write a letter to a local newspaper in Nova Scotia about the despairing situation in Hong Kong. I have never imagined that the letter would lead to a number of interviews at radio stations or the organization of protests and events here in Halifax. I got to meet many people who are from Hong Kong, or Haligonians who were simply concerned about human rights problems and want to fight for freedom. The flame inside me was constantly burning – frustration motivated me to raise awareness in Canada as the waves of protests continued on the other side of the world.

And so, I became an activist and advoimage Hong Kong, by contributor Julie

cate– just one of the millions of activists in Hong Kong.

Beneath the surface, there is the dark side that each activist or advocate is learning to face alone. They and anyone fighting for a change in their environments needs to constantly balance and strengthen their willpower against doubts from loved ones and to embrace uncertainties. There were times that family members would try to convince us not to be part of the movement because the protests destroyed the stability that they were used to. As we spoke out publicly, some would tell us that this act will bring negative impacts to our careers and safety. It would be a lie to say that we have never doubted our decisions after visualizing possible consequences for condemning the powerful state.

At other times, the burning flame seemed to have engulfed me when negative news became overwhelming. In fact, as the protests proceeded, many of my friends and I had to learn to replace the fuel of our motivation from anger to positive motivating factors such as righteousness and hope. I also realized I cannot monitor updates on protests 24 seven. I have to allow myself to spend time on hobbies – like reading – in order to sustain health and motivation.

Most of the protesters like me, were just ‘normal’ students or ‘normal’ citizens. Over the course of one year, we were forced to learn and grow as we mourned for the lost lives and also witnessed beautiful moments of humanity. Writer Haruki Murakami wrote “if there is a hard, high wall and an egg that breaks against it, no matter how right the wall or how wrong the eggs, I will stand on the side of an egg.” We might not knock down the wall in our lifetime, but together, we will make one crack, then ten, and eventually ten thousand cracks on the wall.

“The flame inside me was constantly burning – frustration motivated me to raise awareness in Canada as the waves of protests continued on the other side of the world.”

- Julie

images Images of Hong Kong, by contributor Julie

[ GLIMPSE ]

akram hamdan A GLIMPSE INTO HIS CLOSET Interview by Josefa Cameron Images by Paulette Cameron

Issue 001 takes a peek into the wardrobe of Akram Hamdan. A photographer based in Halifax, he began experimenting in photography alongside a group of emerging artists. Akram is drawn to the practice of portrait photography with an interest in fashion. He has an extensive portfolio as a photographer which includes the product photos from the piece on Nitasha Goel and The Cure Apothecary in this issue. His photos are ravishing and delightful, and carry with them a tangibility that leaves the viewer craving for more. However, today, we sit down with Akram, not to discuss his artistic medium, but to take a peek into the person behind the work and to appreciate his unique personal style.

left and right Akram is wearing a Maison Margiela white tee, phone case by KNOK, UO house brand pants, Nike A-Cold Wall sneakers, and a beanie from ZARA

image Akram Hamdan, photographed at the Halifax Grain Elevator and South End Container Terminal

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a 26-year-old photographer based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. My family is Palestinian, my ethnicity holds great inspiration for my work. I went to school at Dalhousie University for Urban Design and NSCAD for their foundation year.

What kickstarted your interest in fashion?

It’s hard to pinpoint a specific time that marks my interest in fashion. I guess I would say that being raised in the Arab culture dressing up or looking nice was always a part of our daily life. Looking ‘put together’ was essential in my upbringing. It wasn’t until the beginning of my adulthood that my interest in photography and design pushed me further into the fashion world.

How would you describe your personal style?

Ever evolving, experimental, elusive.

Currently, what are some of your favourite brands/designers?

Raf Simons, John Galliano (Maison Margiela), Samuel Ross (A-Cold-Wall), Telfar Clemens, Prada, and Acne Studios.

I also really enjoy thrifting.

consumer of fashion in the editorial sense, it was a very natural transition from taking portraits at an elementary level to working to highlight specific stylistic components presented by my subjects. Similar to those fashion photographers I was previously exposed to, combined with my own eye for fashion, I was able to build a niche market here in Halifax career-wise.

How does fashion play into your passion and career in photography?

I initially started to experiment in photography alongside a group of emerging photographers in Halifax. While shooting with them, I was always drawn to the practice of portrait taking over other forms of photography. Already being a hyper

left Akram in a Raf Simons black oversized denim jacket, backpack from the Raf SimonsEastpak collaboration, Maison Margiela tee, and holds boots

by Dr. Martens

You are a very talented photographer.

Where do you draw creative inspiration from and who has been an inspiration to you?

Digging through fashion show archives is always inspiring, especially since the aim is to produce something that is unique, redefining, and thought provoking enough to challenge other creatives in the fashion industry. As for fashion photographers – those who are most inspiring to me – are people who are also challenging the norms in fashion.

Beyond fashion in the commercial sense, my inspiration is drawn from countless outlets. There is no specific way of pinpointing a single thing that pushes my creative button. From art forms like music and cinema, to things that are happening in society or in my daily interactions, I’m constantly inspired with all things I encounter. The challenge is converting and elevating what I’m inspired by into a scene that is worth capturing and to add a personal vignette to this forever evolving artistic expression.

images Black Adidas workout shirt, oversized black denim Raf Simons jacket, Dickies pants, Maison Margiela fanny pack, KNOK phone case

left and right Akram wear a black oversized denim jacket by Raf Simons, hoodie by ASOS in-house brand, pants by Dickies, and Dr. Martens boots.

[ FASHION + TECHNOLOGY ]

christina & solenne THE TADROS SISTERS TAKE ON CYBER FASHION WEEK Words by Josefa Cameron Images by Christina and Solenne

Christina and Solenne Tadros are a Palestinian-Jordanian sister duo currently based in Toronto. Growing up, Christina was interested in both politics and design and believes they go hand in hand, “rather than being placed at opposite ends of the spectrum,” she tells Like A Prayer.

Chistina is founder of Elvaux, a t-shirt label, and Solenne is a virtual reality artist. When the Palestinian clothing brand, Trashy Clothing, facilitated a Cyber Fashion Week in May, the sisters collaborated to create an immersive experience of Elvaux and what it stands for. The creative director of Trashy Clothing reached out to invite Solenne to exhibit her VR work and have Elvaux be part of the project as well.

“Around the same time, Solenne and I were already discussing a collaboration, so we saw this as the perfect opportunity,” says Christina. Cyber Fashion Week focused on digitally exhibiting brands and designers from major cities as fashion week events worldwide were cancelled due to COVID-19. Christina, who started the Elvaux label less than a year ago, found Cyber Fashion Week a perfect platform to exhibit her work.

Solenne is a creative technologist currently exploring the potential of narrative-driven retail entertainment through virtual reality technology. She graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City with a Design and Technology BFA. Due to quarantine regulations, she is presently stuck in Toronto, “which luckily led me to collaborate with my sister,” she tells Like A Prayer.

Christina moved to Toronto from New York last year. Being born in Vancouver, she moved to Jordan when she was fouryears-old. After high school, she enrolled in Parsons School of Design in New York as well, and studied Communication Design and Political Communication as a dual degree. She transferred to the University of Toronto for a double major in Architecture and Near and Middle Eastern Studies. “I chose these two specific majors to cater to my interests in art, design, history, and politics in the Levant region,” she says.

For Cyber Fashion Week, Solenne and Christina examined and traced back all the elements which came together to

form the brand of Elvaux. From the books they read, to the political figures who inspire them and “to the documents and archives from our land,” says Christina.

During her time in New York, Christina came across Edward Said’s writing. He coined the term ‘Orientalism’ to describe “the dogma created by the West towards the ‘Orient,’” she explains. The misleading narrative put forward by the West fuels Christina’s focus for the label, Elvaux unpacks and confronts ‘exotic’ and ‘barbaric’ representations of the East and “Arabs in particular”, she says, which is “deeply ingrained (in) the minds of the West.” Seeing the impacts of colonialism on Arab culture and identity, Christina decided to make social change. In observing the presence of fashion and how it creates time and space to open up conversations, she felt that “creating a fashion item was the smartest way to spark change in any community.”

One t-shirt in particular has caused controversy. The t-shirt, released last year, prints ‘Orientalism’ in both Arabic and French with the French artist Jean-Léon Gérôme’s work The Slave Market 1866 placed in the centre. The painting depicts an unspecified Middle Eastern or North African setting where bearded men wearing turbans inspect the teeth of a nude, white female slave. Christina chose to work with Gérôme’s art and this particular painting because of its significance. It was used in the far-right political party, Alternative for Germany, in their campaign as an anti-immigration tool in 2019.

“The far-right party used this painting to warn against Arab immigrants, and how the European ‘essence’ is at risk if Arabs migrate to Europe,” says Christina.

Gérôme’s painting is a skewed representation of Arabs constructed by a European in the nineteenth century, and still, “Arabs are being held accountable for it in the twenty-first century,” Christina says.

“While designing this shirt, I have been told to sensor the woman in the painting as it was ‘too revealing’. But I felt that if I censor this image, I am only censoring the degree of Gérôme’s ignorance towards the Arabs,” says Christina.

The front of the shirt brings attention to the racist painting. The back of the shirt

“Only through dialogue and discourse are we able to decolonize ourselves.”

- Christina Tadros

images The Tadros sisters, Christina (left) and Solenne (right)

lists influential Arabs who emerged from the time of the painting to this day. Christina’s goal is to take consumers on a tour that presents highly successful Arabs.

“These people’s names are printed on the back of the shirt, as despite their influence on Arab culture, they are never at the forefront of what Arabs are defined as,” she says.

“We do not really have room to discuss our own narrative,” notes Christina, so she created Elvaux as a platform to voice what matters to her. “Topics of colonialism are so ingrained and internalized, not only by the West but also by us,” she says, “many Arabs of this generation have internalized the colonial narrative constructed

by the West.”

Christina is aware that her designs are either controversial, or do not make sense to the mainstream consumer and cause confusion to the viewer. She embraces this outcome as a challenge and an opportunity, “The point of this is to spark dialogue between one another,” she says “Only through dialogue and discourse are we able to decolonize ourselves.”

For Solenne, Cyber Fashion Week allowed her to use her skills in narrative-driven retailainment (retail marketing reworked as entertainment). This gave Elvaux a new dimension that can now be accessed at any time and in any space through a VR headset. Solenne designed

3D models of Elvaux’s t-shirts.

“The real beauty behind the project is having viewers immersed in a surreal 3D animated world they have to discover for themselves – to grab things, observe, look around, and ultimately have the viewers question this crazy, weird environment they’ve been subjected to,” says Solenne.

Cyber Fashion Week gave the sisters leeway in the project, as Solenne points out, “there was no colour palette or mood board that we were working off of. The only criteria we were following was digitizing Elvaux.” The result? A captivating experience that not only allows for a visual fashion delight but also one that gives space to think outside the confines of ideologies set by power structures.

Like A Prayer knows how magically a sister team can work together and asked Christina and Solenne to share some pros of cons.

“Pros: we share the same values, vision, and drive towards the cause. We cut

the crap and can be blunt with our critiques and feedback. We both have strengths and skills in different areas and by uniting we can create and deliver stronger pieces of work that come from the same heart.”

The only con involves the time it takes to learn from each other’s expertise, “Solenne is tech-savvy and Christina is knowledgeable about Arab history and culture.

We are sisters with the same goal but equipped with different skills to achieve our goal. The inability to fully understand and grasp each other’s fields puts us in a position to learn as much as we can from each other along the way. We are constantly exchanging knowledge throughout the process of collaborating and this definitely slows down the process- making a million tweaks and constantly redrafting,” say Christina and Solenne, adding, “However, by the end of our projects, we learn more about each other’s fields, leaving us stronger and more equipped for projects and collaborations to come.”

images Stills from Elvaus’s the virtual reality digital show as part of Cyber Fashion Week

images (left) The Orientalism shirt by Elvaux (top right) Solenne Tadros (bottom right) Christina Tadros

[ MUSIC ]

justin devenish INTERVIEW WITH JUSTIN THE MAN BEHIND FASTTOE

Justin Devenish is the man behind Fasttoe, the umbrella moniker for an ensemble of Toronto based creative projects. As a graphic artist, retail designer and producer, Justin refers to himself as “a Toronto creative thinking way too much.” He produces mainly instrumental mixes. Two particularly sultry ones, he mixed for Creavalle, a sport culture brand founded in Atlanta, Georgia.

Like A Prayer asked him what exactly he is thinking too much about.

Interview by Josefa Cameron Images from fasttoe

Tell us a little about yourself.

Hey, my name’s Justin Devenish and I was born & raised in Toronto, Canada.

I went to school for advertising and now work within retail freelance. I work on graphic assets, editorials, and copy writing, so basically anything back end. With my freelance work, I’m mostly working on logos for people that I know or through word of mouth.

What is the history behind the name Fasttoe?

Honestly it’s not that great of a story but I was joking around with a coworker and she ended up calling me Fasttoe McGee – guessing I was on a roll with the jokes.

Basically, from that day it stuck.

You are a producer and graphic designer, how do you find those two disciplines interrelate?

I would say the most basic connection is when the cover art and the music go hand in hand. The process of creating both, at least to me, works the same way. I can’t really force myself to work and it’s evident in both art forms when my head isn’t fully there. In both disciplines I think the end goal is to be able to convey some type of message or meaning without it being hand fed to you. When I’m making music, it’s the same breakdown of steps I take with design; always trying to figure out what is and isn’t needed to create balance.

How has Toronto impacted your music taste?

I’m not too sure if the city has really impacted the way I make music, unlike others doing it right now. Aside from being a producer and sampling, I listen to all types of music from around the world. If there’s a main genre to talk about, I was raised on 90’s and early 00’s hip hop and that will never change. Growing up, the sound of the city just didn’t connect the way US rap/hip hop did. The current mentality of Toronto just doesn’t do it for me musically. If I was younger I could definitely see

the city having a way bigger impact on me creatively. That’s not to say there aren’t mad talented acts who I look to and hope to work with, but the city made me look elsewhere.

What has been your experience in Toronto as a musician and creative?

Speaking about being a creative, I’d say there are a lot of opportunities but you really have to go and find it or create it.

Toronto isn’t really a big city in the way we look at other places around the world, so there are still lanes to be taken or created.

I think the amount of talent in this city with music specifically is unreal. The only issue is – and maybe I’m not doing enough research – but I find that once this city likes something, nothing else seems to matter. The sound that we’re now known for, ‘condo music’, is way too saturated and it’s hard for acts to make moves for their city when that’s the only vibe that seems to matter.

Can you guide us through your production process when making a mix?

When I’m actively listening to music and not using it as background noise, I’m always organizing my iTunes library into playlists. I’m not sure if I’ll ever completely organize all my music but I have about 30 themed playlists that I try to pull from when making a mix. Instead of scrolling through 35k plus worth of songs, it’s way easier to go into a pre-made playlist and go from there. Everything is also mixed live which can definitely suck when you accidentally trigger a cue or forget how short a song is.

Can you tell us about your work with the sport culture brand, Creavalle?

The guys at Creavalle are the homies so knowing I work on music here and there they hit me up for a set of mixes to go with an event they were hosting. There might have been about four or five other artists who created either mixes or art for this project which was a play on an audio visual club, AVC. They basically gave me free reign on what I wanted to create

with the only requirements being a mix full of bars and a mix to chill to. The cover art was made ahead of time without knowing of this project and they just seemed to work when both mixes were done.

What have you been listening to during quarantine?

I’ve been watching way more TV than listening to music, but an album I’ve been bumping daily is Pete Rock’s Surviving the Elements, if you haven’t heard it, find it now! Larry June and Left Lane Didon have also been on constant rotation.

What is next for Fasttoe?

Next up is getting my life back to normal and navigating this post isolation life.

I had a few personal projects that got put on hold but after years of making music, I’ve finally started putting together an EP. Hopefully I’ll be able to get this project out in good time but honestly, I’m just looking forward to the rest of 2020.

images (left) Justin Devinish, Fasttoe (right) Fasttoe’s graphic work, Photo artist’s own

[ GRAPHICS ]

hasan murad GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND SYRIAN REFUGEE

Words by Josefa Cameron Images artist’s own

Hasan Murad is a 27-year-old graphic artist from Homs, Syria. He is currently living in Istanbul where he moved six years ago as a refugee fleeing the war. In Turkey, he studied at Istanbul Aydin University, a fine arts college. He now works as a graphic designer, specializing in branding and visual arts.

“Art helped me a lot to escape from depression and gave me energy to regain my strength and keep trying,” he says.

Using his graphic design skills, he visually represents war torn regions in his collage-style art pieces. It is influenced by the Arabic pop art movement with the genre’s characteristically colourful and bold images fragmented and framed. Statements in Arabic splay across the images that entice a political outcry.

Images of doves and lilies bloom against a background of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. These moments of repose adjoin visuals of injustices and pain. In one, a woman is crying into her hands with wrinkles etched into her face, behind her is an

ebony map of Palestine. Translated from Arabic, the caption reads, “Seventy-two years of Palestinian Nakba.”

Nakba, also known as the 1948 Palestinian exodus, refers to the expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinian Arabs from their homes. The Nakba is a central issue in the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

“I always hope that my art will reflect the bad effects of the wars on Palestinians, Syrians, and Iraqis who are oppressed from the global wars against them,” he says.

“But, I’d also like to show the effects of love, freedom, and peace in my art,” he adds.

In his art, Hasan displays something that is palpable. Images of the strained faces and cornerstones on occupied streets are not only stories being told, but felt.

“I started using art to express what was inside me after I was displaced from my homeland and came to Turkey. I was suffering from loneliness and isolation with no family, no relatives, and few friends. I dis-

covered that art is the only way to express what I feel,” says Hasan.

Fleeing the conflict in Syria was difficult for him. He explains, “Firstly, psychologically, I suffered a lot after I left my family and came to a new country and began a new life from nothing. I still live in the hope of returning again to see my country, my family, and all the memories of my childhood.”

Hasan finds solace in his art, which is drenched with the sentimentality and meaning of his life in Syria and now in Turkey. His complex story is profound, beautiful, and important to tell. He draws creative inspiration from his own life, “Most of the things that inspire me to make art are from nature first, and after that comes reading books and internal dialogue about the experiences I have had in my life.”

His plan for the future? “To continue learning, self-development, and work on making more works of art to reach the whole world.”

DAVID

KIM

COFFEE

- Explore the flavour you like "Each one is unique and worthy to appreciate. Enjoy and celebrate each one while they last."

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directory.

The Cure Apothecary

Nitasha Goel

@thecureapothecary https://thecureapothecary.ca

Maggie Jayne

Maggie MacCormick

@maggie__jayne https://maggiejayne.com

Elvaux Label

Christina Tadros Solenne Tadros

@elvauxlabel https://elvaux.com

Virgil Rose Vintage

Hector Harold

@virgilrosevintage @yectorharold

Salina Ladha

Salina Ladha

@salinagram https://everydaysmile.bigcartel.com

Fasttoe

Justin Devenish

@friedbox http://www.fasttoe.com

Akram Hamdan

Akram Hamdan

@akrmyhz akrmyhz.hfx@gmail.com

Hasan Murad

Hasan Murad, Artist

@hasanmurad.34 www.behance.net/hasanmurad/projects

“Jeremiad” Poem

Della Orrey

@dellaorrey https://linktr.ee/dellaorrey

Hong Kong Piece

Julie Leung

@juliesuetying https://issuu.com/julieleungsuetying

Cabot Trail Documentary

Documentary

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/ cabottraildocumentary

Canopy Creative

@canopycreative https://www.canopycreative.ca

Live Life in Tents

@livelifeintents https://livelifeintents.com

Kyle Bernard, Chillin with Bernie

@chillinwithbernie http://www.chillinwithbernie.com

Bea Casiano, Bernardita

@btrxcsn

Britany MacArthur, Nurse

@britany_macarthur

Mary Roe, Self Portraits

@maryr333

Like a Prayer Magazine

@likeaprayermag likeaprayermag@gmail.com

Josefa Cameron

@josefa.bambam likeaprayermag@gmail.com

Paulette Cameron

@paulette.anne paulettecameron.squarespace.com

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