Pier Five’s 2023 Food Drive: Supporting Community and Fighting Food Insecurity This holiday season, Pier Five partnered with local business Lost & Found in Toronto to launch a community food drive, addressing the pressing issue of food insecurity. With the collective efforts of both communities, the drive successfully gathered hundreds of food items, filling14 shipping boxes of food and raised $170, all of which were donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank in December 2023. This initiative is a testament to Pier Five’s commitment to building a strong community of entrepreneurs and small business owners while making a positive impact on those in need. We want to thank everyone that donated to the drive, shared our campaign and helped raise awareness for such an important cause. See you in 2024 to do it all again!

Zing Zing Who: Jannine Rane Where: Toronto, ON Instagram Website How would you use the $10,000 CAD fund for your business? See All Winners

2023 Recipient: Inoki Bathhouse Introducing Inoki Bathhouse, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2023! Who: Helen Yin Where: Toronto, ON Instagram / Website Inoki Bathhouse was founded by Asian-Canadian management consultant turned serial-entrepreneur Helen Yin, to offer accessible and affordable spa-grade tea bath experiences at home. The brand offers homemade tea bath sets, coupled with a digital app offering curated music and bath ritual tools. This combination transforms any bathroom into a tranquil sanctuary through the art of mindfulness and bathing. Inoki Bathhouse offerings are rooted in cultural practices of traditional medicine and bathing, featuring ethically-sourced premium tea and herbal plant ingredients that benefit both the mind and skin. The tea baths are packed with powerful tea antioxidants and contain an abundant amount of nutrients for the skin. Unlike bath bombs, soaps, and syrups, Inoki’s bath blends are pH balanced, safe for sensitive skin, and provide a unique aromatherapy experience. The business is also passionate about giving back, with over $25,000 CAD donated to the #StopAsianHate movement along with many in-kind donations and volunteering hours given to local charities and non-profits. How will you use the $10,000 CAD for your business? The $10,000 will go towards our first full-time hire. As the business continues to grow rapidly, I have hit my maximum output and having someone to help me full-time will allow me to focus on larger projects and innovations for the business that have been left to the side for too long. Some of these ideas include trade shows around Canada, developing new bath mixes to expand our product catalog, and working on finding a new office/warehouse space for the company in the near future as we have already outgrown our current space. What is your big goal for the future of the business? My long term vision for Inoki Bathhouse is to become, not only the world's first, but largest remote bathhouse company, accessible by anyone. I'd like to expand our product line to cover bathhouses inspired by every region in the world and create timeless, aesthetic bath ritual items that transform the home into a peaceful sanctuary. Most importantly, I want to help this generation find moments of peace and prioritize their well-being in the way I did during my own critical time of need in this chaotic and busy worl Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2023 recipients here .

A New Chapter With Jason Faustino Of Saucony There's something about empowering emerging talents that really speaks to us at Pier Five and anytime we come across others in their field who are passionate about the same thing, we are immediately drawn to them. This was the case for Saucony collaborations manager Jason Faustino who has worked for the last 17 years to create opportunities for emerging talents, whether that was in his sneaker boutique Extra Butter or on footwear collaborations at Saucony. We got the chance to chat with Jason - hot off of his collab with our good friends Raised By Wolves - to discuss his journey through the sneaker industry, his vision for collabs, business tips for sneakerheads and his outlook on the future of sneaker drops in 2023. Hey Jason, thanks for chatting with us! For those who aren’t familiar, can you tell us about yourself and your role at Saucony? For sure! l'm Jason Faustino and I lead brand collaborations across Saucony Originals and Performance. Ive been with the brand for a little over 4 years. I work on the marketing side and am very involved with product getting to do a little bit of everything. Your history in sneakers goes way back, notably co-founding Extra Butter in 2007. Can you speak about your journey in the sneaker industry from them to now? While I was in school I used to break dance a lot near this mom & pop sneaker store and started working there and was learning a ton about those brands and products. I was doing everything, from stock room management, buying and advising on marketing strategies and without even realizing it, was getting a crash course on sneakers. While I was at the shop, I learned about Magic which is this major trade show in Vegas and used my credentials from the shop to get in. I originally learned about Magic through this shop called Fruition. I told them I wanted to open my own shop one day and they really mentored me on how to build my vision and cultivate a successful brand. Fast forward to 2017 I ended up launching Extra Butter which was a movie themed sneaker store in Long Island and NYC. It turned into a pretty successful business. I found a ton of incredible brands and did lots of collabs, including some with Saucony, and then that relationship is ultimately what led to me going to work in-house at the brand. We've spoken to people at shops on the collab side but how does working on sneaker collabs in-house work? It's a lot of fun. when I started, my main responsibility was marketing and I just focused around what stories could and should be told. Once I started to get my feet wet, I spent a lot of time looking through seasonal catalogues and choosing what silhouettes I want to work with and then figuring out who I want to collab with on those silhouettes. We'll bring in the collaborators and I'll work a lot with the product team and we'll really build everything out together. I was told - and now firmly believe - that product and marketing better be in lockstep with one another to have any sort of success. It's cool though because I have freedom to create the stories that I connect with and think our audience will really love. What’s the process for building out those story for a campaign? The big thing is really thinking about what the brands stand for. A lot of people have this misconception that collaborations have to be this big crazy thing but the most important is just staying true to each brand ethos and going from there. For example, when I was at Extra Butter, we did a collab with Asics and so I really wanted to tap into the Japanese culture of Asics and blend it with the pop culture ethos of Extra Butter and tie in a favorite movie, Lost in Translation, which is how we landed on a karaoke themed collection. Once we landed on that, it was almost like method acting. I was doing a ton of karaoke, observing others do it and really immersing myself into that lifestyle and then the story built itself from there. You’re in the midst of a big collaboration with Raised By Wolves right now. How was the launch party this past weekend? It was amazing! I really wanted to give full creative freedom to Cal and the brand and they brought in some incredible talent to put the creative and party together. I'm really happy about how this all came out, from the shoes to the experience. We've noticed that a lot of recent Saucony collabs are with emerging designers or brands that are in the midst of some serious growth. Is that all intentional? For sure! I try to find those who haven't had their chance to tell their story yet. This is something I've always been about. Even back in the day with Extra Butter, we would often be a brand's first retail partner. I see it like sports and placing bets on people. We might not always know what the outcome will be on the new talent but that's why I like it so much. Somebody's gotta give that creator their first collab and I like to be that brand. I also want to be able to grow with our collaborators and go on a journey together. The emerging creatives have so much to say and Saucony can be that brand that helps people discover them and grow with them over multiple collections. What advice would you give to young sneakerheads looking to get into the industry like yourself? If you're truly about this culture, at some point realize the difference between being a consumer vs. being in the industry and follow those industry paths. Figure out what you really love about sneakers - maybe it's design, maybe it's storytelling, maybe it's sales - and pursue that. There's not a job for just loving sneakers but there are so many cool opportunities that exist that can get you very close to sneakers. Another thing... I often see people idolizing people and obsessing over 1 role model and trying to be like them but that can only get you so far. It's important to bring your own charisma and ideas to the table. With everything that's happening in sneakers and fashion, those new ideas are what will get you far, not just being the same as someone who's already made it. That's really good advice! Before we let you go, what's something in sneakers that you're excited about for 2023? It sounds strange but I feel like the sneaker game overall is a bit stale and that is exciting to me. A lot of people don't realize but some of the launches we're getting are still delayed from the pandemic and there's a lot of the same stuff which people are sick of BUT that means that we're at the point where there's room for newness and innovation and I'm excited to see what we can bring at Saucony and also what other brands bring! Now it’s time to get more exciting and innovate Make sure to check out Saucony on Instagram for updates on all of the newest collaborations and keep it locked to Pier Five for more conversations with incredible designers and creators!

A Day In Montreal With LeBicar Earlier this summer, Pier Five had the pleasure of meeting up with Montreal based artist David Bicari, aka LeBicar, for a jam packed day of art, music, food and great conversations. After a wonderful visit to David’s studio in the Mile End neighbourhood and a skate sesh out back, David was kind enough to show us his lay of the land and what started as a plan for a quick meet up turned into a full day experiencing some of the best spots and events in the city. From salmon tartare avocado toast to one of Montreal’s coolest new galleries, multiple Aperol Spritz stops and VIP at the Mural Festival BBQ and concert, there was no shortage of good times and we can’t thank David enough for his hospitality. A little bit about LeBicar… David has been at the forefront of the Montreal art scene for quite some time. With a unique style, David’s black and white continuous line drawings can be seen all over the city, from gallery displays to storefront walls, murals, home goods and on the bottom of skate decks being ridden down the streets. David is a big advocate for getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things and while his style is consistent and recognizable, he isn’t afraid to take on new challenges and this has led to a flourishing career and many incredible relationships along the way. Hey David! It’s great to be in your studio. Tell us about the space. Great to have you guys. I just recently moved into this space and am loving it. I share it with some awesome creatives and brands which helps us all create better work. There’s a ton of space in here too to work on all of my different mediums; canvas, decks, paper, etc. I like doing different mediums every day to keep things interesting and keep me out of my comfort zone. So much great art here and it’s really cool to see the behind the scenes space. You’ve talked about being inspired by contrast and duality, which can be seen through the stark black & white palette of your work. Can you talk about this inspiration a little bit more? I like to think about the spectrum of people in the world and how stark the differences in lifestyles can be. The black and white in my work is my representation of both ends of that spectrum. The contrast, while simple, is very meaningful to me. This idea of black and white also stems from my early days as an artist in which I started with simple pen on paper drawings. It’s all like a bit of a dance on the paper for me. A lot of artists with simplistic styles sometimes get criticized for a “lack of creativity” (which we do not agree with). How would you respond to this statement? There’s something beautiful about mastering simple design. Just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s easy or bad. You wouldn’t tell Jack Johnson to play heavy metal. When he is only playing a ukulele and singing his songs are still incredible [laughs]. I am a big fan of the “less is more” ideology and I know not everyone likes that but it doesn’t mean that less equals less creative. Great answer! Do you ever miss colours? I feel like I have something to say with black and whit but my door isn’t closed to colours. I’ll often save the colours for my client work when I have to work with their brand colours. Ultimately for me though, storytelling is the most important thing. If the story needs colours, I’ll use it. My series “Imparfaitement Special” (Imperfectly Special in English) was inspired by fruit at the grocery store that was marked on sale for its imperfections using an orange sticker. I still saw the beauty in the fruit and the imperfections and brought that into my work so there was colour there. Again, it always just has to be about the story. Speaking of clients, you’ve also done a number of collaborations, from shoes and apparel to skateboards and drink brands. How do you choose which brands to work with and which to say no to? I’ve been lucky enough to reach a place recently where the phone has been ringing which is a great thing. I love collaborating as I feel it makes me a better artist and most brands that reach out to me have done their research and know me so luckily I don’t have to say no to many people. If I don’t feel that there is a natural connection I might say no, or I’ll work to educate them about my work to try and make something work out. I also have gotten hit up in the past for free jobs or ones that pay in “visibility” which I don’t like. Exposure or visibility is nice but I can’t pay my rent with visibility. I’ve worked hard to understand my value and I know I can bring exposure to other people as well. I don’t need to be making tons but mutual value creation is important. That’s a great mentality to have. What would you say to a new artist that is looking to determine their “value” or what they should maybe be charging for work? One thing to remember is that value doesn’t always equal money. That doesn’t mean work for free but there are other ways to gain value for sharing your work. It could be trading time, services, ideas, etc. I can’t really say how much time or what services you should get in return. That’s up to you but just remember money isn’t everything. That being said, I do think it’s important to charge when you can, even if only a little, to build your negotiating skills. Lastly, above all else, I always say that the first person you need to sell your work to is yourself. Be confident in your work and that will take you everywhere. All great points but that last tip is definitely key! Let’s talk about skateboarding! How long have you been skating for and how does it influence your day to day style? Skateboarding is a huge part of my life. It is responsible for opening my eyes to so many different things within music and art. I used to always go into skate shops and just admire the skate decks on the wall. I was so enamoured by the art aspect without even knowing it. Now when I’m creating work, a lot of the stories are inspired by the skate scene. The best part about skateboarding though to me is that it allows me to connect with more people. I have my crew of guys that I go skate with at night and when I’m out there, my mind is completely cleared of stress and I just focus on the skating. It’s like a form of meditation and the people that I’m with create such a positive vibe. It’s also taught me to persevere. Some of these tricks take months to learn but you keep trying until you get it. Art is that way too. What’s a trick you’ve been working on for a while? I was just out in Vancouver with some friends and had a small line of a nose slide and then into a backside 50/50. Nothing crazy but felt good. Besides skate culture, flowers or floral elements often seem to make their way into your creations. Why the flower and do you think it is important for artists to have a symbol or shape that is a recurring theme in their art? I think whether it’s a symbol, shape, colour palette or line style, having something consistent throughout your work is important for recognizability. It allows you to take the people that love your work with you as you grow and progress through your journey. That doesn’t necessarily mean never changing, but having something, even if it’s small, be consistent will do a lot for your long term growth. That makes a lot of sense. Lastly, what are 5 tips you’d give to aspiring artists looking to “make it” as an artist? Don’t keep ideas in your head. Put things on paper so to speak and don’t overthink it. Even if it’s not perfect, that’s ok. Don’t be afraid to share your work with others and collect feedback. It’s ok to feel vulnerable but if you open your work up to people, for the most part they will be excited and try to understand what you’re doing. It’s ok if others have their own interpretation of your work at first but have conversations with them and fill them in on your vision. Let them know the story of your pieces instead of just putting out a design and letting it sit. Think about what you want to accomplish with your art. Do you want to just make your own art? Do you want to design for others? Having this understanding will guide you in the right direction. Have fun. Art doesn’t always have to be that serious, even if it’s your full time job. Just enjoy it and your best work will come out. Make sure to follow LeBicar on Instagram to get updates on all of his new work and releases and don’t forget to keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

Mental Movement Day with Pier Five and Puma Brings Toronto’s Creative Community Together for Yoga, Wellness, and Open Conversation On Saturday, May 24, Pier Five and Puma brought Toronto’s creative community together for a powerful afternoon of movement and mindfulness at Kula Yoga . Mental Movement Day , an intimate wellness experience for 25 creatives, entrepreneurs, and small business owners, blended yoga, thoughtful conversation, and community building into one energizing and inspiring event. From the moment guests arrived, the atmosphere was set for connection and care. Each attendee was gifted Puma workout and yoga gear, which quickly became a highlight of the experience; functional, stylish, and perfect for the afternoon’s yoga session. Before class began, Electrolit provided refreshing energy drinks, helping participants stay hydrated and energized for the flow ahead. Led by a certified yoga instructor, the class encouraged participants to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with themselves through mindful movement. In a city as fast-paced as Toronto, the opportunity to pause and reset in a beautiful, welcoming studio like Kula Yoga was deeply appreciated. But the day didn’t end with just movement, it evolved into something even more meaningful. After class, Pier Five hosted a roundtable discussion focused on mental health, burnout, and strategies for managing busy, often overwhelming schedules. What made this part of the experience so special was the openness and honesty in the room. Attendees were encouraged to share their own tips, challenges, and stories in a judgment-free space, creating an atmosphere of empathy, support, and community. For many, Mental Movement Day was a much-needed reminder that taking care of your mental health is just as important as staying physically active. It also reinforced Pier Five and Puma’s shared commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and creatives, both professionally, and personally. As one of several ongoing collaborations between Pier Five and Puma, this event underscored the power of community-focused wellness programming. The blend of movement, meaningful conversation, and high-quality gear made for a standout afternoon that left everyone feeling refreshed, motivated, and connected. If you are interested in getting involved with Pier Five events, send us an email at community@pier-five.com .

The September Roundup Welcome to Pier Five monthly round ups, a look back at some of the people, brands & things that caught our eye this month that we thought you should know about. Eames x Reebok Club C Even if you don’t know of famed furniture design duo Charles and Ray Eames, you’ve likely seen their historic work. Now, after teasing an upcoming collaboration with Reebok months ago, we got a look at the Eames x Reebok Club C sneaker and we couldn’t be more excited. The shoe itself is rather simple but does everything right, featuring a premium white tumbled leather upper, multi-color Eames logo on the side, contrasting tan tongues and co-branded Eames Office and Reebok labels to add a little more flair. Unfortunately, these are only made for friends & family, but if this is any representation of what they will be dropping in collaboration with Reebok this Fall, our notification alerts will be on high alert! Trish Andersen Rugs Fiber artist Trish Andersen has a way of creating large scale works of art through yarn in a unique and colourful way. When we say she paints with yarn, we mean it. Her signature colour drip and paint splotch rugs emote a sense of movement, interacting with whatever space they are within. She recently launched her first rug collection featuring 3 iconic designs, “Pure”, “Splat” & “Mixy'' in various sizes which you can now buy at her e-shop . Make sure to grab one of these uniquely fuzzy, drippy works of art before they sell out. Estudio Niksen Herringbone Volume Sets We didn’t know we needed an oversized work jacket and pants set until we saw these from Montreal based design curators Estudio Niksen. They are known for working with independent designers from all over the world to bring well thought-out garments to life, with their most recent release being their Herringbone Volume jacket and pants, made in Korea by designer Peacock Kr. These come in 3 Fall ready colourways, khaki, black and beige and are designed to fit oversized to account for the layering vibes as well as overall comfort. These sets will definitely be staples in your wardrobe this fall so make sure to scoop one up from Estudio Niksen today! Izaak Brandt ‘Deadstock’ Artist Izaak Brandt is exploring archival sneaker culture with his new series ‘Deadstock’. He takes silhouettes from highly sought after sneakers like the Air Jordan 1s all the way to common footwear staples like the Converse All Star and even the Crocs clog and reduces the functionality of them down to a semi-transparent, skeletal-like structure. Brandt hopes to highlight how sneaker collectors are basically treating footwear like a sculpture and not using them for their functional purpose as footwear. Being sneaker lovers ourselves, we really like his narrative and couldn’t agree with his questioning of the culture more. Be sure to follow Izaak’s journey on his Instagram as we’re sure there’s going to be so much more great work to come. MAD mfg ‘Indigo Ultra’ After a bit of a break, we are so excited to see designer Eske Schiralli back with his brand MAD mfg’s third collection. Titled “Indigo Ultra”, the collection focuses on upcycling pre-loved jeans, deconstructing and reconstructing the denim to create 1 of 1 patchwork versions of wide-legged, straight and flared cuts. Each pair mixes different dyes and is made to order, ensuring that your pair will be 100% unique. The rest of the collection includes a boxy chore coat style shirt as well as a bandana to complete the look. Check out the lookbook and shop the full range of pieces at the brand’s website . Stay tuned to The Roundup series to discover the coolest new people, brands and releases each month and keep it locked to all of Pier Five for stories and interviews with our favourite designers, entrepreneurs, creators and more.

Your Number One Resource With Nishal Kumar of No Days Wasted "You get out what you put in" is something we all need to remind ourselves of more often. Nishal Kumar, founder of the wellness supplements brand, No Days Wasted, that helps anyone maximize life's moments after a night out, has made a living off of this mantra and his story is an incredible example to emulate. From becoming the sponsor for some of the biggest podcasts in North America, to locking in over 1200 retailer partners, Nish knows a thing or two about making your own opportunities and we got to speak to him to gain some fresh insights that are very applicable for any new founder. Check out the conversation below! Hey Nish! Thanks for taking the time to chat. One of the first things we want to know is how the partnership with Barstool, which was huge for the brand in the early days, got off the ground. Oh ya, that was great! Over 5 years ago, we connected with Paul Bissonnette 'Biz Nasty' who was spending a summer in Vancouver after he retired from the NHL and was working with a couple buddies of mine. There was one night, we're all out, and my buddies told me Biz was going to be there and to come out. I went and I had a couple packets on me and I gave them to him, and that was my first touch point. A couple days later, I saw him at the gym and I gave him a full box of product. He ended up going to an event the next day and calls me, and he tells me he tried the product, had about ten beers and woke up the next day like nothing happened. He mentioned he was joining this podcast called Spittin’ Chiclets and introduced me to Barstool Sports. We started working with them and Spittin’ Chiclets was a home run out of the gate. I asked Barstool if they had any female demo shows and they mentioned Call Her Daddy which was just launching at that time. They were like "it's pretty crazy. It's pretty out there, but it might just work." so we tested with them and saw instant return, like 7-10x right out of the gate. We were the first brand to sponsor Call Her Daddy, which ended up blowing up and becoming the biggest female podcast in North America. The big learning was really, you need to make that investment and take a chance on things early on when and if something works, double down on it. It seems like now there are so many brands doing this? What do you think of the competition? Yes the space got very crowded but in general but between those days and now, my view on competition is very different. Early on, I was actually very averse to competition and I was concerned about what all of our competitors were doing. I would be offended if they did anything too close to us. These days, things have shifted. I really welcome the competition from players that have staying power and are creating a meaningful product and brand. The reason being is because ultimately, this competition drives awareness to a category that's emerging. If we're the only player on shelf, who's going to know about the category? Only the people that know about us. But, if you think about the value that competition provides, it's that they're providing extra eyeballs onto us for free and we are validating a new category together by creating great products with high efficacy, safety and value for consumers. That's a very good attitude to have and regardless of the competition now, it's incredible to hear about how you created that opportunity for yourself. If you're proactive, you're assertive, you are charismatic and personable, good things will happen. That's why I spent quite a bit of time in New York, and continue to do so. It's the epicenter of chaos, and there are a lot of people doing great things out there. My focus is always to meet cool people doing great things. At the very least, I could just make a friend, or on the other end, we could do something meaningful together from a business point of view. If you're not there, if you don't show up, if you're not putting yourself out there, it won't happen. As an emerging brand, use what you have. You may not have tons of capital behind you, but you have your energy that you put out to the world, and the best way to showcase that is by actually going out there and doing it. Would you say that's your big tip for brands, especially ones in the early stage of their business? I have a few tips but the biggest thing is to remember that how you do anything is how you do everything. For me, whether that's going to the gym every day and staying focused or playing ball and putting my best foot forward, I just want to be consistent, I want to care about what I do, and I want to solve problems. That's the same way I treat my business and that's not just work, that's life. Your success and your achievements are going to come from your efforts. So top three things; give a damn about what you do, be consistent and just do it well. We couldn't agree more. Before we finish off, any other advice for new founders? You need to go where you're wanted. For example, maybe you have a dream retailer or dream partner that you want to work with but at the end of the day, make sure it's not a delusion. It's like when you're growing up and there's that girl you see that you're into but turns out they're the most toxic person in the world. You don't want that. You want to go where you're wanted. That's been a big part of our retail strategy. We always want to hear a no from a retailer rather than a maybe, because that will allow us to move on to the yeses and find the places where we're wanted. Make sure to check out No Days Wasted and keep it locked to Pier Five for more founder conversations just like this!

2023 Recipient: Spice Girl Chai Introducing Spice Girl Chai, one of the ten recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund 2023! Who: Rebecca Pereira Where: Toronto, ON Instagram / Website After noticing that commercially available chai products lacked the depth of flavour and overall spice that she was looking for, Rebecca Pereira worked with her mother to create their own Chai concentrate in-house. With the recipe’s success, Rebecca launched Spice Girl Chai in 2021, and has landed her Chai concentrate into over a dozen restaurants and retailers in Toronto, numerous high-volume trade shows and in the hands of over 100,000 customers. The brand, rooted in Rebecca’s culture and Indian traditions, has seen major success through specialty collaborations and samplings. She makes enjoying authentic chai at home as easy as brewing a cup of coffee. How will you use the $10,000 CAD for your business? One of the biggest challenges is keeping up with demand from existing and new retail and restaurant partners interested in bulk orders. With all of our product created at a shared commercial kitchen, we are limited in the volume that we can produce. The $10,000 will help us work with a co-packer facility to produce ten times the volume that we can daily. This will allow us to quickly expand our distribution, exponentially increase revenue and give me time to focus on other parts of the business like marketing and sales that have taken a back seat. What is your big goal for the future of the business? My long-term dream is to establish our very own facility for producing our Chai Concentrate and upcoming canned Chai drinks. We have significant revenue projections to hit in the next five years that would allow us to open this facility and build a team of incredible women who love Chai as much as I do. One of those women who I would love to bring on full-time is my dedicated mother, who has been with me every step of this entrepreneurial journey. It's a bold goal, but my unwavering dedication makes it an achievable one. Learn more about the Mastercard & Pier Five Small Business Fund, and discover the other 2023 recipients here .

A Conversation with Sylvia Hoang of Studio S Over the last 12 months, creativity has been on the rise and DIY projects became the new norm. For this special interview, we caught up with Toronto based artist and one of Complex Canada’s Top 30 Female Designers Sylvia Hoang, owner of Studio S, a creative brand founded on the ethos of “doing it yourself”. Coming off of a strong launch with her streetwear inspired concrete home goods collection and most recently a tasteful apparel release perfect for the spring & summer months, Sylvia has been on a roll and has a positive attitude that is taking her to great heights. @studio.sylvia Hey Sylvia! For those who may not be familiar, tell us a bit about yourself. Hey! So excited to be speaking with you. So, I’m Sylvia and I’m a fashion student at Ryerson University in Toronto, a freelance graphic designer and the founder of Studio S, my home goods and now fashion brand. My entire life I’ve been surrounded by art and started studying art in my early teens. I’ve had incredible opportunities to explore clothing & product design, event planning, retail & merchandising and so much more which has allowed me to work in so many different mediums and led me to where I am today with Studio S. Right now I’m really excited about sculpture and working with concrete which is what kicked off Studio S and I just launched an apparel collection called “The Forest Hill Collection”. I also love biking in the city and my favourite ice cream flavour is Vietnamese coffee ice cream! Oh so good! Most people that start brands might begin with something more common like t-shirts or hats. Why was it important for you to do something unique like concrete home goods right out of the gate? While I studied fashion, I took a lot of art history and architecture courses which spawned a huge interest in industrial design. After working with print and digital for so long, I wanted to work with a new medium and making functional and aesthetic 3D objects was really exciting to me. I hadn't ever worked with concrete but I had some conversations with Toronto creative Natalya Amres who is amazing and she really pushed me to give it a shot. With this brand I really just want to experiment with all mediums and this one was a ton of fun to learn about and work on. Speaking of creatives, who are you inspired by and how, if at all, did that influence your first collection? First and foremost, my grandfather has always been a huge inspiration to me. He’s a self taught artist who grew up in China and taught himself how to paint, draw and play five different instruments. From a young age, I’ve always looked up to him. I mentioned her before but Natalya Amres is always a big one being from Toronto. She’s been an awesome contact to have as I start my journey. Daniel Arsham and Matt Williams of Alyx are also huge inspirations for me; Daniel Arsham for his large scale sculpture works and MW for his sleek, dark aesthetic. Lastly, the entire creative community in Toronto that I’ve watched and met parts of is so inspiring. Seeing everyone do their own thing and make their own lane is exactly what I want to be a part of. We’re sure people are interested, so can you walk us through the process of creating your concrete collection? Absolutely! Firstly, I knew I wanted it to be sneakers and streetwear inspired which is how I landed on the nike swoosh, Murakami flowers and more recently the Nike and Jordan sneakers. To make it all happen: Drawing . I drew the concepts a bunch of times first to get an idea of what I’d want to make. Clay modelling . I used modelling clay to make the 3D shapes so I can get a good feel for the pieces. It usually takes a lot of clay iterations until I’m happy with the design. 3D Printing . I was luckily able to find a great local 3D printer who I work with to make the prototypes. Usually there are a couple iterations but I try to prep with clay and work on digital renderings to reduce the number of 3D printed models which can be expensive to make. Making the molds . Once the 3D prints are done I bring them to my friend who can help me make molds of the pieces. Lastly, once I have the molds I fill the molds with concrete and let the pieces sit to dry. This usually takes anywhere from a couple hours for the small pieces to a couple days for the big ones. It was fun experimenting with the different types of concrete mixes to find the perfect one from a texture and colour standpoint. This is super interesting and we love to see the process. On to the apparel launch, tell us about the inspiration for your recent Forest Hill Collection. This was actually my first time getting into apparel and it was a lot of fun and learning. This collection was dedicated to personal growth and for me it served as another reminder that it’s ok to keep trying new things. I started planning the collection in January and it took some time to find the right suppliers and understand the supply chain for apparel first hand. Luckily my roommate runs an embroidery business so that helped with the decoration part but it wasn't easy at first to source all the apparel I wanted. Design wise, I wanted to make something fun and a little different than classic colours like black, white and grey, even though that’s my normal aesthetic. I love forest green and wanted to make something lively for spring and summer and thought the green/gold aesthetic was great for that! Love that! Any tips or things you learned along the way that others might find useful when starting their own brand? The first thing I learned is that communication skills are key . The Studio S projects were the first time I really started working with other people like printers, other artists, suppliers, etc and I had to learn how to speak their language to get things done. I also think patience is important , understanding that new things take time and practice. Things won’t always be perfect on the first try or maybe suppliers won’t always have what you need but being patient and testing a lot will get you where you want to be. Trust the process and have fun with it. This is great advice! Lastly, while you’re just coming off of a big launch, any idea what’s next for Studio S? When we get closer to the fall I really want to start experimenting with outerwear like maybe a varsity jacket. I think that would be a challenging project but I love those vintage varsity jackets and the BBC Ice Cream varsities so I think making one of those would be really cool. I also have been ideating a personal project that will involve the community and concrete at a large scale. This one is in the ideation phase right now so I can’t share too much but if I can rally some people, it will be very cool and bring concrete and plants to a new level! To keep up with Sylvia & Studio S, check out her Instagram and latest drops available on her website and keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest designers, artists, activists, entrepreneurs and more.

Events Recaps of the latest Pier Five events designed to bring creatives and entrepreneurs closer together. The AI Studio: How Pier Five and HP Canada Empowered Canadian Small Businesses with AI Pier Five’s Mental Health Mixer: A Space to Reset, Reflect, and Connect Mental Movement Day with Pier Five and Puma Brings Toronto’s Creative Community Together for Yoga, Wellness, and Open Conversation A Spring Clean-Up Day to Remember Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Mastercard x Pier Five's 2024/25 Priceless Experience Pier Five’s 2024 End-of-Year Celebration Celebrating Creativity and Community at the OOAK Show '24 Pier Five Community Dinner Vol. 2 - Financial Foundations Toronto Community Court Day Recap: A Slam Dunk Success Community Court Day MTL: Pier Five x PUMA x Ball Her Way x Double Dribble

The August Roundup Welcome to Pier Five monthly round ups, a look back at some of the people, brands & things that caught our eye this month that we thought you should know about. norda™ 001 x Ciele “Cooper Hawk” Our friends at norda just don’t stop working and have made it back on our list again. This time collaborating with another iconic Montreal based running gear brand, Ciele Athletics, on the norda 001 Cooper’s Hawk Edition. This collaboration marks Ciele’s first ever footwear collab and it makes total sense to do it with a like-minded brand like norda. The shoe combines the technology of the world’s first seamless, lightest, trail running shoe in the norda 001s with a new colourway featuring a yellow Vibram midsole that is inspired by the fast & skillful Cooper’s Hawk known for its bright yellow talons. Fun fact, this is the first time that Vibram has ever allowed any brand to do a yellow midsole as the company had concerns about it hiding the yellow Vibram logo. I guess norda and Ciele just have their way! The shoe is available now on both norda & Ciele’s websites as well as your local running shops. Raised By Wolves for ntwrk’s Open House With over a decade of experience in creating high quality, Canadian made, pieces & collections, Ottawa based streetwear brand Raised By Wolves have caught our attention with their latest drop of home goods exclusively for ntwrk’s Open House series. The drop featured their highly sought after Souvenir Wolf Rug along with a new take on their “Fuck Off” door mat designed by Luke Norrad , a throw blanket, ash tray and dish. If you missed this drop, fear not, as the brand’s Fall/Winter 21 collection will surely include more great pieces. Make sure to follow them @raisebywolves to not miss out! DONDA Need we say more? Kanye West’s tenth studio album titled “DONDA” (whether he intended for it to or not) dropped on the last weekend of August. We’re sure you all know about it already - how could you not after the prolonged release teasers and live listening shows - but this album has lived up to the hype so far and we’ve been playing it on repeat nonstop. The album has a total of 27 tracks with loads of big features on there like Jay-Z, Travis Scott, The Weeknd, Kid Cudi & much more. If you haven’t given it a listen yet, you can check DONDA out on all streaming platforms. Kith x Wilson Tennis After the opening of the beautiful Kith & Wilson Sports public tennis court in Queens, NY, Kith & Wilson gave us a sneak peek of their partnership with a limited-edition collection of tennis inspired hard goods that made waves across the sporting & streetwear universe. The initial rollout features the Wilson Pro Staff and Ultra racquets along with other pieces of tennis equipment including tennis balls, racquet dampeners & a racquet stencil, all given the Kith facelift of clean logos & design. With Ronnie Fieg & Kith’s incredible storytelling & vision paired with the rich archive & history of Wilson Tennis’ products, we are very excited to see the rest of this collaboration. The initial collection dropped August 30th; some items are still available on Kith’s website , but act quick as they probably won’t be available for long. Off The Hook x Art by J Arthur To celebrate the return of Montreal’s Mural Festival, Off the Hook reached out to local artists to reimagine their retail space with installations through their artistic lens. For the final installation they tapped into J Arthur , an up & coming young artist who is known for his unique thought provoking character drawings. Titled “Peace Out”, he created a 2 storey mural of one of his characters holding up a peace sign on the front of the store that represents his honest feelings towards how he is slowly recovering from the pandemic and moving out of the box at his own pace. The meaning is really relevant to all and we love the thought he put into this project. To commemorate this mural, OTH has also released a limited t-shirt run featuring the peace out character which is still available on their website . Stay tuned to The Roundup series to discover the coolest new people, brands and releases each month and keep it locked to all of Pier Five for stories and interviews with our favourite designers, entrepreneurs, creators and more.