Earlier this summer, Pier Five visited industrial-artist Simon Petepiece's montreal studio to tour the new space, chat about what the artist is working on and looking forward to, and of course, pick his brain for some tips for aspiring artists. The Ottawa native, now situated in Montreal, currently co-runs New American House, a joint studio specializing in functional art, objects and furniture as well as his own design practice. He has established himself both through personal and client projects utilizing often unnoticed materials, primarily meant for in construction, in a unique way. Scroll down to watch the video interview with Simon, as well as some behind the scenes photos. Swipe through the slideshow for photos. To learn more about Simon and everything that he has going on, check out New American House and Simon's Instagram and keep it locked to Pier Five for more stories and interviews with our favourite designers, entrepreneurs, creators, brands and more.

When you’re on a team, there is room to be comfortable. Once you’re out on your own, everything falls onto your shoulders. Depending on who you are, this can be daunting or extremely exciting. Vietnamese-Canadian artist Tam Vu sits on the side of excitement having set out on his own, only a little over a year ago, after spending most of his time with different teams in the creative fashion industry. Now on a mission to bring the stories of his native country to North America through a fashion and lifestyle goods import business and visual art, Tam is keeping very busy and having fun doing it. We had the pleasure of speaking with Tam about his business, setting out on his own, how he stays motivated and authentic through his work and his keys to finding the secret sauce that can take any creator to new heights. Hey Tam! Can you talk about the purpose behind your TKV business? I was starting to burn out at the design studio I was working at and it was difficult not to notice that the racist micro aggressions were becoming more and more overt in my daily life during the pandemic. Like, I know racism exists. It didn’t go away while I was too busy head-down-pedal-to-the-metal working. I faced micro aggressions on the daily – but I had learned to deal/cope with it by not giving it any energy otherwise I would just be angry all the time, and I just didn’t have the bandwidth, or personality, for that When the pandemic hit, like many others, I had the time and privilege to reflect on what was going on personally and professionally. This sounds so egocentric... but I thought about how unique and un-unique I was. My whole environment and context of being Vietnamese, being Canadian, belonging, not belonging, working in design and culture, skateboarding, basketball, my life experiences, language, code switching, on and on, makes me a unique person, but I also share a lot of the same challenges and experiences that other diaspora (Vietnamese or not) face. With this line of thinking, I wanted to create something for others like me. I wanted to create a framework that could both support an artistic practice and also support my golf addiction… and to do it in a way that I could still sleep at night. I wanted to create something that I never had when I was younger, something Vietnamese, something ______, something in-between, something – maybe not to look up to – but just something that existed. I want a 12 year old me to look at this project and be like WOW this is so sick, but also if the 12 year old me sees this project and thinks WOW this is so suck, I can do this, but better. That for me, is just as amazing. That’s why it was important to have my Vietnamese name be front facing, so people know – it’s Vietnamese. I don’t know, the long and short of it is exactly that, exactly the name, TKV® Business & Fine Arts. It’s just biz and sometimes it’s not. Do you find that the import business and the art business work together or are they more separate? They definitely work together. The imports help support my art practice and the art practice helps support the business. They go hand in hand. I have a flowchart that I made for myself when I was launching the project that I’ll refer to from time to time that outlines exactly how. It was important for me to create a financial framework where the business side and my art practice could sustain themselves independently of each other. I didn’t want to be put in a position where I had to make weird business decisions to fund an art project, or not be able to make a project because of a lack of funds. I don’t know – even the business side is an art project in itself. At the end of the day, it all works together in one bank account and stews in one brain, so it is what it is. Photo: Ryan Lebel How do you choose which products to import for that portion of TKV? Intuition? A lot of these items are goods that I’ve been drawn to from a young age when I would go to Vietnam. I always liked the slides, dép tổ ong, and learned through my community and family about their cultural significance. There’s no How It’s Made or Wikipedia page on them, the slides have an oral history and I am happy to share this history through TKV. This same thinking is applied to the work suits that I import, the stools, the fans, the bags. These are all common place products in Vietnam – and I love being able to share their significance to a wider audience. The suits are wild. They are labourer uniforms for blue collar workers, made all over Vietnam in hundreds of different colours and materials. The crazy thing is – from factory to factory throughout Vietnam, it’s the same pattern, same cut, same everything, same every time. Having worked in apparel production domestically, I know from experience, even having production replicate a pattern, THAT THEY MADE, is sometimes a harrowing experience. The stools are amazing, it’s like Vietnam’s monobloc chair. Cheaply made, abundant, honestly beautiful. I love going to a food stand and this is what everyone is sitting on. Obama and Bourdain sat on the XL version, but still, same same. These are products that resonated with me and through this project I get to investigate why. When you land on my website – you get all the research, all the why’s and what I’ve found. I invite you to investigate the why’s with me and hope you fall in love with the items too. Or you just like the colour, that’s fine too. Photo: Ryan Lebel What have you learned from launching the project? I learned that you need to try, to try. It’s easy to get stuck trying to perfect the sauce, or what you think is the perfect sauce, but at the end of the day you need to be able to open the restaurant. And if you don’t want to turn on the restaurant OPEN light, at least open the door. You need to be able to do it and to keep it moving. I learn something from everything I do, good and bad. Sometimes I like the feeling of being scared, standing on the top of the cliff getting ready to jump in the water. I’ll stand there for a while, and think about how scared I am, and how cool it is that I am so scared, because how often in life do I feel this scared. Then I jump. The trick for me is acknowledging that I’m scared but that I still need to do it, because I don’t want to climb back down the cliff, dry, and all my friends are there, and they will all post stories on IG that I didn’t jump, and they will laugh, but in a supportive way, and I will feel sheepish, and regret that I didn’t try. I know sometimes this is easier said than done but you really just have to do it. It’ll say on my gravestone “At least he tried” [laughs]. Couldn’t agree more with that. Let’s talk about the art side more. You recently exhibited ‘Their Country’ in Montreal, a painting series which depicts your interpretations of your family’s stories of immigration and painted by painters in Vietnam. Was it challenging working with painters overseas and why was it important for you to pursue that path? So, those painters actually lived three blocks away from my family home in HCMC. I used to walk by them every day and so the communication wasn’t really any more challenging than speaking with apparel suppliers overseas. Being able to speak Vietnamese obviously helped as well. It was important for me to work with the painters in HCMC because they were an integral part of the artworks. The paintings are the “art objects” but the entire process is the art. The communications through the supply chain to make the paintings, the conversations with my family, the translation of the memories, these are the vital and critical parts of the work. For me, outsourcing the paintings to oil painters in Vietnam was not a means to find cheap labour, but to engage the Vietnamese painters into an artwork that also speaks to their experiences and perspectives. The War impacted an entire population and continues to have ripple effects through generations and isn’t bound by geographic borders. The conversations that emerged from these paintings are extremely valuable to me. What was the exhibition experience like? This was my first art show as an artist. It felt like a bootcamp putting everything together. There is some crossover from my previous work doing pop-ups and seeing what it takes to do that, but this is really another learning experience. I was able to see what worked, what didn’t work, what took too much energy, what needed more energy. It was low stakes enough that I could experiment with what felt right to me, but also high enough pressure that I didn’t want to fail. I often struggle a lot with perfectionism in my work but, with this, I really just put it out there and enjoyed myself. Shout out to the ARTCH exhibition team, Sarah, Margot, Myriam, as well as all the participating artists. Everyone was amazing. Well whatever you did, it definitely worked! You also have some other unique ventures in the works; Cheers Mate Soda & Piano Golf. What’s the story behind these? With Piano Golf I wanted to find a way to bring a new perspective to golf. It always felt out of reach with huge cultural barriers. During the pandemic I got into it, and found that it had so many similarities to things that I loved like being outside, competing against myself, hitting a ball. In a way it felt a lot like skateboarding, like knowing where your body is in space, trying the same motion over and over again. Once again, I found that there wasn’t anything out in the golf world that really connected with me. I started this fun business (emphasis on fun) with my friends Myles Perkins and Dylan Bourdeau, it’s a way to intersect golf with other aspects of our interests. Plus it was a way to find more excuses to golf. Cheers Mate (mah-teh) Yerba Soda is an opportunity that presented itself to me at a time where I was looking to work on a project that was a little more biz focused. It’s still in its infancy, a classic – we’ve opened the door to the restaurant but the OPEN sign is not on yet. It’s been a great experience working on this project so far and I’m looking forward to where it’ll lead next… cheers! In an age where everything we see on social media is so calculated, you seem to just have fun with it and post whatever is on your mind. How do you feel about the current state of social media and do you think we all need to be a bit more chill? When I was getting ready to launch TKV® Business & Fine Arts, I put so much time and thought into how my Instagram was going to be, and look and feel, and had this realization like, damn – if I stress like this every time I need to make a post or story, it’s going to be horrible. How do I find a way to make this easy? So I just really post what I think is funny, pertinent and easy, and if my business fails because of this – then there are bigger issues with my business than that. Some of the content have planning behind them, but I do that because I enjoy it – and because I feel like it’s important to tell a certain story a certain way. Honestly I’m just trying to try here. For others, it’s so subjective and so hard for me to say what others should do. People should just do what is comfortable for them. Feel that! Before we let you go, what’s next for Tam Vu? Well, I’m going home to have dinner and that’s exciting [laughs]. I am moving into a new studio which I’m super excited for. I’m going to be setting up a showroom and a space where I can execute more stuff. A severe lockdown mandate in Vietnam was just lifted, so a lot of things are about to start coming in. The supply chain is still a mess, so a 3-4 month forecast is murky, but I have the next few collections and coloured suits coming in. I received some funding to do some more paintings and have some other art projects on the horizon too. I also just received a hand me down golf simulator, so hopefully this will keep me busy over the winter. I’m also learning to play piano… The winter is usually my most productive time… I try to stave off the winter blues this way. Check out Tam's Instagram for news on his upcoming releases and hit the TKV Shop to cop some sweet Vietnamese gear. Keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

Coming off of a very successful launch for their Olympic Collection, we caught up with the founders of Circle Author, a new brand taking the arts and fashion scene by storm with their vintage inspired designs, thoughtful story telling and positive messaging. Driven by the desire to inspire change in as many people as possible, Circle Author has become a platform for connecting like minded creatives and positive thinkers in addition to offering artistic experiences and fresh products. Read through the conversation below to learn more about the brand, the meaning behind their powerful mantras, how they connect with their audience through transparency and much more. Hey Caleb & Daniel, thanks for taking the time to chat with us. For those who may not know, who are you & what is Circle Author? Hey guys! We’re Daniel & Caleb, the founders of Circle Author. Circle Author started in 2019 when we were talking about working on a project together. We’re both very into fashion but we didn’t immediately think about a clothing brand. We just knew that whatever we started had to be purposeful. The clothing brands that we love are all very idea and community driven and not just about design and we saw that as inspiration which is what ultimately led to the start of Circle Author. Today, Circle Author is a clothing brand but our goal is to use the clothing to inspire others, spread positivity and help others to find the beauty and art in their lives, which we do through storytelling with the clothing that we make. Can you speak more about Circle Author’s mantra of “Art is Everywhere”? How do you feel it translates into the products that you make? “Art Is Everywhere” is about the idea that you can be inspired by everything. A lot of people think art can only be found in galleries or online but the truth is, anything can be art. We think it’s important for people to have an open mind to the art that is all around them and that by doing so, it will create a much more innovative and creative world. With our designs, sometimes we’ll use overt messaging to inspire people and push them to open their eyes to the “art world”. Other times we just make what we like as an expression of our own creativity. At the end of the day, this project is just fun for us but if we can inspire others in some way then that is a win as well. You both do a great job of giving a behind the scenes look into the thought process and experimentation of the brand, especially with your subpage @catalog.ca. What is the reason for wanting to give your audience that inside look? @catalog.ca was created because there was a ton of stuff that we wanted to share that didn’t always match our main feed. The way you present yourself [on your main page] is super important and we wanted to maintain that clean image but still bring people in and keep them involved with us every day. Having a secondary page helps us continue to give our following something, even when we don’t have final projects to post on the main Circle Author page. This makes a ton of sense and is definitely a great way to stay top of mind. Do you think more brands should do this? Some should. Some shouldn’t. It definitely makes brands feel more approachable which can be very valuable for certain brands but others succeed based on that exclusivity and secrecy. The brands that we really like though are more inclusive so it feels right to us. What brands are you inspired by? Aime Leon Dore. Mad Happy. New York Sunshine. They all have great aesthetics, awesome products and just an all around great vibe. We’re also both heavily inspired by vintage and reference vintage designs a ton for our own pieces. What are your favourite pieces from your collections so far and why? The Change The World pieces mean a lot to us. The design is simple but it represents a community of people making a positive impact on the world. The Good Ol’ Apple Co collab tee as well was super fun to put together. We did that one with our homie Andrew who also does mockups for Mad Happy which was very cool. We also loved making the Aged Hoodie because we experimented with new methods of screen printing and it came out really cool. We unevenly hit the screen to give it a faded vintage look and spent a ton of time making each one by hand. It didn’t actually sell as well as some of the others but we really loved it. All great pieces. The Change The World collection specifically is definitely a standout collection for Circle Author and really well executed. What’s the secret to putting out a product like this that, although it is quite simple design-wise, has a bigger meaning behind it? The design at the end of the day is only half of the release. The launch and presentation are super important and that’s what makes the difference between an “Instagram brand” and a proper brand that can have longevity. So many of these “instagram brands” just slap logos and phrases on clothes and put them out. Don’t get us wrong, that can totally work for some but we try to ensure that we are building a bigger story behind each piece. We’re trying to build something that can stand the test of time. We believe the Change The World pieces can do this if it’s done right and if we can get people to understand what those words really mean to us and how they represent our community. We totally back this and are glad to see that you both put so much thought behind the product and the story. Lastly, what’s next for you Circle Author that we should all keep an eye out for? We just got an office which we’re super stoked about! All of this stuff is so new to us and things are becoming really real which is sick. We really want to start doing art installments. The dream is to go to Art Basel in Miami and do an installation there. We have this idea of a Change The World vending machine with a huge billboard that says change the world. It’s still an idea in the works but we would love to have a bigger stage to spread that message of positivity. For clothing, we aren’t quite at the point where we plan things really far in advance so it’s hard to say yet. We are looking to get more into cut and sew now that we have some money from past drops. We might do a varsity jacket and a cut and sew trucker hat. Still in the works but we’re rolling with the ideas. We never thought we’d even get to a point where we could think about making these sorts of things but it’s so cool that we can, so stay on the lookout for that. Check out Circle Author's latest release and make sure to follow their Instagram to get updates on their upcoming drops. Keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

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.

Montreal based creative entrepreneur and modern renaissance man, Kyron Warrick, also known by his social channels Gotsweige, has created a name for himself as one of Canada’s fastest growing talents in fashion. As an advocate of the “don’t knock it until you try it” mentality, Kyron has made a strong effort to explore all facets of the fashion industry including styling, creative consulting for brands, content creation, product design and modelling, to develop his skills, identify what he loves and put one-hundred percent of his energy into his success. Now after nearly a decade as a Fashion Youtuber, an impressive following on Instagram and a growing portfolio of impressive clients, Kyron is on a roll and showing no signs of slowing down. Before he outgrows us all, we got a chance to link up with Kyron in his hometown of Montreal to discuss his come up, life as a YouTuber, the need for supporting local brands and never being afraid of what you love and then of course, we had to shoot some street style pics and break down his fits. You’ve been on YouTube for nearly 10 years now. What has that journey been like? It’s kind of crazy that it’s been this long. The first five years were more casual for me but the last five, I have been really focused. Content creation was something I could really take into my own hands which I liked. A lot of fashion is actually slow moving and there’s a lot of waiting around. With YouTube, I didn’t have to do that. I could make content, have fun and create new opportunities for myself through that. You’ve been really ramping up the amount of content lately and the channel has been growing at a really consistent pace. What are 5 tips you’d give to aspiring content creators to increase their success on YouTube? Consistency is definitely the biggest thing. I know people say this a lot but it’s really true. Once I got out of school and could start putting more time into content, things really started progressing. I saw the results of consistency first hand. Have your own thoughts. People will consume your content if there are your own thoughts throughout. Be inspired but make it your own. Do it because you like it and not because you’re looking for validation or growth. Know yourself. Understand what you’re good at and what you’re not good at. Once you identify your strengths, you can go full force into that. On the note of making things your own, your style has always been very unique. Did you ever face criticism for doing things a little differently? Definitely. In high school, while I did have a bunch of friends, people definitely kind of looked at me as the weird kid. I was the only person that I knew who was into fashion but didn’t let that bother me. I was so focused on learning about the industry that I didn’t care about what people thought. One of your more popular content series highlights low-key/up & coming streetwear brands. Why is shining a light on these smaller/local brands so important to you? Any you’d want to shout out today? When I was coming up, I always wished there were people that would shout me out and help me get exposure so now that I have a bit of an audience, I want to be able to be that person for others. Starting from zero is really tough so I want to help lift those people up. I also think that a lot of these brands are really cool and it’s sustainable for me to consume as well because it’s often a bit more affordable and I like knowing that my money is going to someone local and not just into the pockets of big corporations. One of the brands I really love is Wun-Off, they do a lot of pop-culture installments and have a philanthropic side to the brand as well. They recently dropped the “Covid Ruined My Spring Break” hat and used proceeds to buy toys for children in need. installments. Just did the covid ruined my spring break trucker. Grimey MTL is another one I’m really into as well. It’s a pretty common progression for content creators to start their own brands. You’ve done collabs with some in the past but would you ever consider starting your own brand? It’s definitely something that I’m thinking about. Through working with so many others, I’ve learned a lot about what I would need to put into starting my own brand and what I would and wouldn’t want it to be about. A lot of creators are making merch and I definitely don’t want my stuff to be just that. I think about this as a long term play. I won’t be doing Youtube when I’m 40 so if it’s just merch then it ends when Youtube ends. I want my brand to be something that can grow with me and outlive things that I might be doing now. Let’s talk about style now. How would you describe your personal style? What are you wearing these days? My style is very situational based but is often a combination of lively vintage 70’s style and darker silhouettes from brands like Rick Owens. I like to mix bright and dark together. Your style has followed a number of trends, from hype, to sneakerhead to luxury. Looking back on it all, what do you think were some of your best and worst moments in your fashion career thus far? I think my best moment, and potentially also my worst, was the Pyrex-Hood By Air phase. I really wasn’t aware of all that it represented. I was super impressionable, like all kids on the internet were, but it was good for me to go through that and start experimenting with things. It helped me start to really learn about what I do and don’t like. It also exposed me to some black designers who are now making huge waves. (break down Kyron’s fit with pics and labels of the items/brands) Do you think Montreal was integral in developing your style and business? I used to think that I had to get out of Montreal to make it but the internet has so much power so I have always been able to tap into cultures and people around the world without leaving. Montreal is also great as well though. It has given me so many opportunities and really shaped who I am today. In addition, whenever I go visit my family in NY or Philly I can bring that different perspective too which I think plays to my advantage. Overall, Montreal really is a power city and I think that a few more icons coming out of here will be big for putting it on the map. Justin Saunders [JJJound] is doing a lot for the city. I think a big musical figure would be huge too. Totally agree! Lastly, what's next for you? Honestly, I’m taking things day by day. Whatever I enjoy, I’ll work on. The brand is definitely in the works but I don’t have a launch date. I’m going to work on getting even more opportunities in styling as well and just see where things go. And of course, more video content! Make sure to follow Kyron Warrick on Instagram and YouTube to follow his journey and get updates on all of his new work 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.

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.

After helping so many others launch their projects, from Opening Ceremony, Belstaff, Little Burgundy & Call It Spring, it was only a matter of time before Gerard Cleal would dive into his own venture. As the Creative Director for norda, Gerard would finally face the opportunity to bring his decades of experience into building the brand identity for trail running’s newest, most advanced and most inclusive footwear brand. From the look and feel to the voice and mission, Gerard has helped develop a brand identity for norda that approaches the sport and all of its athletes differently than any of its competitors, which has positioned norda as a major player within months of the launch. We were fortunate enough to speak with Gerard about how he approached the creative direction for norda, how they treat runners differently than any other brand, tips for new brand builders and of course, what it’s like to be the non-runner at a company of runners. Hey Gerard! Thanks for making the time today to chat. Can you walk us through the process of developing the norda brand identity? What were some of the key things to focus on to develop a brand identity for norda that would stand out from its competitors? Hey guys! Excited to chat. So, here it is. Traditionally, running brands have been built around performance and speed only. There’s sometimes an exclusionary factor to this in which the brands group you into the elite runners bucket or the beginner bucket. If you’re elite, you get the tech. If you’re not, then they give you a lifestyle “runner” without any of the tech or best features. We wanted to get away from that. While we are built on highly technical, next generation materials - and we’re very proud of this - we celebrate every runner equally, whether you’ve just hit your first 5k or you’re an ultra runner. For norda, it’s less about how fast you can run and more about what your running journey looks like, regardless of how far. This led to the question we like to ask; “What do you run for?” We built our customer triad to help us ensure that we were meeting the needs of all runners through our brand identity. There are the elite performance runners, the intermediate runners and the beginner runners or those just hanging out in the lifestyle space (me). norda has to be for all three of these groups but also be able to support people moving up or down the triad. Authenticity was also huge in everything that we built. This was the first opportunity we had to really decide how we wanted to wear our heart on our sleeves. We wanted to be supportive and empower everyone with great products. Our focus is on buying better, not more and about making people feel like they were buying into something that would make them feel something special. It’s not just about putting a flashy logo on the shoe. It’s much more than that and we don’t want our customers to just be walking billboards for norda. Can you talk about the visual identity of the brand? How did you land on the logo, fonts, etc? Speed and performance have generally been synonymous with italics in branding as it denotes movement . We wanted to take a slightly different approach. I am a huge fan of Scandinavian and Nordic design. They have a tendency to sit back more and focus on material and connection to their landscape , culture and history. It’s never overt and obvious. I love this approach and is a cornerstone to why I think branding should always get out of the way. This is what we wanted for norda. The word “still” has really sat with me throughout my design career. We didn’t need the brand to evoke speed or movement. The materials and Louis’s design of the shoe would tell that story and we didn’t need anything to distract from that; the result: a beautiful sense of stillness living throughout. With regards to the typeface, we wanted to explore a more mid-century look, inspired from the original identities of brands we love. That said, Helvetica Now from Monotype which is a new, re-drawn take on Helvetica became our default. Helvetica has been around for ages and is used by a ton of brands like The North Face and even Off-White. In effort to promote a ‘quieter’ presence we went all lowercase and kept it all super simple. Score one for Dieter Rams! For the logo, we wanted to go old school. We’re all huge fans of heritage style sportswear brands like Rapha and Tracksmith. We landed on the shield that is inspired by our own Canadian Shield and that is shifted like a tectonic plate. There’s a strength to a shield, even a disrupted one, that just feels right - it’s really a love letter to this country. -. The norda site was a pivotal moment for the brand and its storytelling. What was it like working with an agency like LG2 to develop the digital experience for norda? LG2 is an incredible agency. They are very client oriented and having the connection between Nick (norda) and Stuart (LG2) helped kick things off really well. We had a bunch of ideas before working with them which I know can make things tricky for agencies sometimes but they weren’t afraid to push back and did so very respectfully which made for a great working relationship. They really cared about the outcome of the project and that led to effective push and pull from both ends. They were committed to creating the absolute best site that they could and we were all very happy with the result. What are 5 things that are important to keep in mind when formulating a brand identity? Firstly, it’s important to define brand and brand identity because they are very different concepts. The brand (logo, wordmark, colours) is really a small piece. The brand identity is the mammoth. That’s the customer, the tone of voice, the identity, the feeling that it gives to customers. That stuff is like the iceberg below the water that isn’t seen but is massively important. Be disciplined. Think about how you connect all of the dots. It’s ok to have different modules within the brand but be disciplined on how they all relate back to each other. Strip away as much as you can and get rid of what isn’t important. I always say to be intentional about what you’re doing and this definitely goes for branding as well. Like I said earlier, branding should always get out of the way. Having more doesn’t make it better. Be curious. Inspiration is going to be everywhere so don’t be afraid to be inspired by what you see and what you make of it. There’s nothing that you’ll ever see that is going to be original. That’s ok. You’ll put your own stamp on what you make to make it your own. That’s what is important. Love those tips! Lastly, we have to ask, what is it like being the “non-runner” on a team of running enthusiasts? I love it. I think you need an outsider on the team to advocate for that newer or non-runner if you’re going to be for everyone. We have this joke with our “What do you run for?” slogan. I run for coffee [laughs]. For more on the norda™ team, check out our Introduction to norda™ and interview with the brand's Head of Design, Louis-Martin Tremblay. Make sure to keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

For over a decade, from Canada’s capital city of Ottawa to Montreal and back again, Cal Green has been at the forefront of the nation’s streetwear scene. As a trained graphic designer who felt uninspired by traditional design roles, Cal found happiness in entrepreneurialism, linking up with long-time friend Pete Williams to start the famed streetwear brand Raised by Wolves, and put Canada on the streetwear map. We got the chance to speak with Cal about navigating through the last year as an entrepreneur, supporting his community, putting together a cohesive collection that can speak to the masses and tips for the new generation of designers. As fellow Canadians, speaking with Cal was an absolute pleasure and we know the reading won’t be any different. Hey Cal! Thanks so much for taking some time to chat with us. The first thing we want to talk about is production. One of the core pillars of Raised by Wolves is the “Made In Canada” mantra. Why has producing in Canada been so important to you and Pete for the brand? When we started the brand, our collections were quite small and finding local suppliers seemed like the easiest way to get things made. We had no idea where to start looking overseas so we found a local screen printer to do our tees. After that we got a connection to a knitting mill and so on and so forth. Our production network in Canada grew over time and has become one of the cornerstones of the brand. While it wasn’t a consideration at the start, we grew to really value supporting domestic production and the local economy. Ensuring factory workers are paid fairly in a safe space and that we’re minimizing our environmental impact by avoiding shipping overseas is super important to us. We know that producing clothing isn’t a sustainable practice but doing it locally is at least a step in the right direction. We also try to use as much existing or deadstock materials as possible. Do you think that being Canadian played to either an advantage or a disadvantage during the development and growth of the brand? When we started there weren’t many Canadian brands around yet. I think it helped define us for sure. Ultimately I wouldn’t say it was advantageous or not but it helped shape the brand internally because we were so separated from the industry. We had to learn everything on our own by observing what was going on in places like New York and LA where there were strong streetwear subcultures at the time. Fall/Winter '21 Details Raised by Wolves has worked hard to uplift local communities, especially during covid. Why has this been so big for the brand? It has always been important for us to have a strong local presence and community support. We gained traction early on by throwing club nights and events, so we began to build in the community that way. With covid, our business basically ground to a halt when all of our factories closed. We knew that other businesses were going to have a hard time. We started a series called RBW Support Local to highlight Canadian artists and small businesses in our community doing great things. It was a lot of fun and we saw a number of other businesses coming together to do similar things. I think covid forced a lot of people to get creative and step out of their comfort zones while helping one another. We also used that brief pause as an opportunity to publish Braised by Wolves, a digital cookbook featuring recipes from local restaurants, to raise money for the Ottawa Food Bank. It is still available online and has raised just over $13,500 at the time of writing this. Definitely agreed! Speaking of RBW Support Local, who are some up and coming Canadian brands or artists that you think are doing great things right now and deserve a shoutout? Oh man, there are so many people killing it right now. Jeremy Karl - Amazing designer who always impresses with his ability to seamlessly mesh military, luxury and tech. Most recent work includes Arc’teryx System_A and NOCTA. Excited to see what’s next. Colin Meredith - Incredibly talented and inspiring designer making techwear/gear by hand from scrap materials. Has done everything from work for Louis Vuitton to making an entire collection with products from Dollarama. Tam Vu - All around great dude and Beast Bowler. His eponymous label and art biz is one of the most exciting projects that I’m watching right now. Courtney of @idorugsnow - The most fun! The giant burning cop car rug Court made for us is dropping soon. Penny of @torontodenimrepair - Love this project! Garment repair is super important and undervalued, in my opinion. There is no better way to make something your own than to wear the shit out of it, fix it and keep wearing it. Would love to see more of this in general, not just with denim. My friend Katie grew up around sewing/the garment industry and recently discovered her love of quilting .. and she’s a natural! Keep an eye out for some RBW work ;) Julien Arphi, the designer behind atelier DNHN, is doing some really amazing upcycled work. He makes ball caps, apparel and accessories from scratch in his Montreal studio. When I say scratch, I mean he is literally making the visors and sweatbands. Over the years, RBW has graduated from a couple tees and hats to large collections and collabs and now Fall/Winter ‘21. Can you break down your process for developing this recent collection? In terms of designing a collection, I start with the season. Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer. That helps determine the weight of the fabrics I’m using, what kind of garments or accessories I’m going to make. I tend to design for Canadian seasons, although that’s not necessarily the most practical approach for customers in warmer climates. After that, I’ll sort of build a skeleton collection, really it’s just written down - what product categories do you need to design for, headwear, outerwear, bottoms, etc. Depending on the season and my interests at the time of designing, I’ll come up with a broad product type, like “polar fleece half-zip” and do a bunch of research on that particular product. I ask myself what are my favourite versions of this product. Vintage Patagonia? Is there a military reference? A sportswear reference? I’ll make an image folder for each product, save a ton of images and break my favourite pieces down. I like this zipper. I don’t like these pockets. It’s a bit like creating a Frankenstein product. I nerd out about the smallest details. And then you have to ask yourself how can I make this mine? How can I change the fabric in a way that’s unexpected, but still references workwear or whatever you’re doing. How will it be branded? This is more or less how I approach the design of each particular product, but then you also need to take a step back and look at the collection as a whole. Is it cohesive? Does it make sense? I honestly don’t know how other people do it, but this makes sense in my head. Coming up with specific products can be challenging enough, but finding the manufacturer who can actually bring these products to life, the way you envision them, is another beast altogether. Many manufacturers have a niche and are good at producing a specific type of product. Finding the right manufacturer can be a challenge, but worth the effort when you do. Fall/Winter '21. Shot by William. Modelled by Kevin. Rug by Courtney. You and Pete have been working together all the way back to the very early 2000’s and built some incredible things together. What are some tips you’d share for fostering a strong business partnership that can last for decades? Pete and I met in middle school and started hanging out in high school. We have a lot of shared interests and values which brought us together. Good communication is super important. Being aware of your individual strengths and weaknesses. Make sure that you’re both putting in equal efforts. I think these are some of the things that form the basis of a strong partnership. Photo: Pete (left) & Cal (right) from wayyyy back. What is some advice you’d give to new designers trying to turn their passion into a business? You have to do it for yourself and because you’re passionate about it. Don’t do it because you think it’s going to please others. Don’t let a lack of information stop you from trying to make stuff. Do your research, teach yourself, refine your craft. Take risks, but know when to play it safe or say no. Lastly, what are you working on these days that you’re excited about? We have a bunch of exciting collabs in the works. Some footwear, headwear and amazing accessories. Not going to share more than that, but they’ll start rolling out soon! I’m also really excited to introduce our upcoming alpha/beta line we’ve been developing with Julien Arphi. This collection will consist of one-of-one or super limited runs of upcycled/recycled apparel and home wares made by independent artists, sewists and designers. The focus is on using our samples, defects, returns and overstock fabric/trims as well as military surplus, vintage denim, etc. alpha/beta is a reference to the hierarchy or pecking order in a wolf pack. alpha products get to eat first so to speak. They get access to premium materials, are more experimental, one-of-one pieces. beta products reference alpha, but are more accessible and produced in limited runs. delta products are accessories, made of scrap materials from the entire process. The pandemic made us realize just how much material we have accumulated over the years. We’ve never destroyed anything, as is unfortunately commonplace in the industry, so it was important for us to challenge ourselves to use these materials to create new products. I hope to see more of this kind of thing throughout the industry. Photos: Materials and wash tests for alpha/beta line. Make sure to check out Raised By Wolves Fall/Winter '21 collection out now on the brand's website and follow their instagram for updates on the alpha/beta drop and more great releases coming soon. As always, keep it locked to Pier Five for more interviews and stories with the coolest entrepreneurs, designers, artists, activists and more.

Pier Five recently got the chance to stop by Editorial Boutique, one of Montreal’s premier streetwear fashion retailers. Editorial is a women-led operation, bringing some of the best streetwear and skate brands to the Montreal fashion scene. Throughout covid, Editorial was able to capitalize on a successful e-commerce operation and expanded its brick and mortar space, allowing them to bring in new product categories like skate hardgoods, as well as some great new brands from Europe, Asia and North America. We spoke with some of the team to learn about their favourite trends right now, what brands they’re excited about in the shop and of course, we had to break down their stellar fits. Check out the breakdowns below and head to Editorial Boutique’s site to check out the shop’s incredible mix. Anh - Sales The Fit Hat: Polo Ralph Lauren T-Shirt: Braindead Cognitive Prophecy Tee Pants: Levis Ribcage Denim Shoes: Rokit x Converse Pro Leather Ox What brands are you really into these days? I really like Stussy and Pleasures. The fit on their stuff is really good for me and I find it very easy to style and wear. Sierra - Sales The Fit Shirt: Editorial Boutique x Arthurs MTL Pants: Vintage Levis Shoes: New Balance 990 Watch: Cartier What was your last big purchase? I just bought a pair of super nice bright red cowboy boots which I’ve been wearing around a bit. Once the weather get’s cooler I’ll be styling those with a nice trench coat - it’s going to be sick! Are they comfortable? No [laughs] but I just gotta keep wearing them. I love them so I’ll deal with the pain. Levina - Stylist & E-Commerce The Fit Tank Top: Editorial BDG Pants: Custom overdyed Dickies by Editorial Shoes: Converse Chuck 70 ‘Combat Green’ Rings: Peel Metro Jade Necklace: from Mom <3 Do you have any tips for styling? For me, I can’t plan out my fits beforehand. I need to just wear whatever I’m feeling that day. I think the most important thing is to feel comfortable in what you’re wearing. You’re wearing the clothes. The clothes are not wearing you. What upcoming trends are you excited about for Fall/Winter ‘21? I think camo is making a huge comeback. Low-rise pants are also definitely coming back. I know not everyone is into it but it’s definitely coming back. What are some of your favourite brands in the shop right now? Dickies has always been one of my favourites and we’ve carried them for so long. It’s super hard to keep them in stock. Ragged Priest is a london based line which is super cool. It’s super edgy but you can mix it into basic fits even and it works well. Brain Dead is also sick and we have Fucking Awesome’s sub-line Hockey which I love. Their graphics are sick! Follow @editorialboutique on Instagram for more news on the latest drops and keep it locked to Pier Five for more stories and interviews with our favourite designers, entrepreneurs, creators, brands and more.

Cereal Artist has made a name for herself with her impressive sneaker and streetwear inspired sculptures. Coming off of strong collaborations with Footlocker and the mecca of footwear brands, Nike, Cereal Artist is taking the design scene by storm and crafting some of the coolest, functional, pieces for the streets. ​ @cerealartist As someone who has turned DIY into a career, what are 5 do's or don'ts when starting to "do-it-yourself"? ​​ Definitely start things off easy depending on your technical skills, whether its a simple silhouette or even just sewing straight lines until they're perfected. Don't copy others. Practice a lot and find different ways to make things work until you develop your own flair. Nobody gets it perfect on the first go so don't stress the errors too much. Don't spend too much money up front. Don't think too far ahead. Focus on your current progress and have fun! ​ We love the sneaker-made bags and hats. What are 5 other garments you'd like to make out of sneakers next? ​ It's not 5 but I've got 4 key categories I'm going to be working on. Clothing pieces Definitely some other accessories Wall art Art decor ​ There's a lot to choose from but can you rank your top 5 creations you've ever made? Mc'Nike Set Jelly Dunk Shoe Bag Shoe Hat NikebyYou With all the creativity going around Instagram these days, who are 5 other DIY artists that you're into? @kevinconcepts @hoopfr3sh @miniswoosh @gunuw228 @danielarsham ​ And last but not least, you've spoken out about the importance of mental health. With such a busy career, what are 5 steps you take to maintaining good mental health? Make sure to take time to rest. A good break is important! More work isn't always better. Don't force yourself to take jobs that don't feel right. Connect and socialize with other likeminded creators. Don't consume too much social media. Don't worry about others. Do things at your own pace.

Photo: @lognamakya The term "busy" floats around a lot as being synonymous with successful. We live in a "rise and grind" culture which puts mental health by the wayside and can turn incredible work into a struggle to hold on. Albert Nguyen, Managing Art Director for Hudson's Bay, one of Canada's longest standing department stores, understands this all to well. Having gone through periods of burnout and overworking through his craft, Albert has become an advocate for mental health and pushing the conversation around the topic forward, especially for men and minority groups in which the stigmas around vocalizing feelings are eminent. We got the chance to chat with Albert about his struggles with burnout, his outlook on the creative industry, what it was like coming up as an Asian designer in Montreal and his advice for new designers looking to establish themselves and build a career through their passions. Read through the conversation below and share with a friend as the information that Albert shares is priceless! Hey Al! Great to be chatting with you. For those who aren’t familiar, can you tell us a little bit about yourself? So my name is Albert Nguyen and for a living and as a hobby, I am an art director and a designer. I come from a fashion, art and design background so I’d say I’m a designer first but I love my work as an art director. My art, my photography style, it all comes from design. I worked in the fashion industry for corporate brands for a long time like Le Chateau and Rudsak and was the art director for Little Burgundy for a while. After a while, I chose to leave the corporate world and design on my own which was great. A couple years later, The Bay called me up for an art direction role and I took that which is where I am today. What led you to the decision of leaving your stable corporate job and going solo? Honestly, I faced some serious burnout. I was working like 12 hour days grinding through. We live in this culture of being busy and I thought 12 hours days were the norm and never thought I’d hit a wall but I did. When that happened to me, I was able to take a month off of work but at the end of the month, I didn’t feel ready to return back to that lifestyle. I had always had this feeling like I could be my own boss. It was tough though to start my own thing. Especially as an Asian designer, it was very tough. The design community is very white and I felt like there were all of these lines I had to stay in [at Little Burgundy] but I was like “Ok, I’m not white. I can do my own thing.” I started really tapping into my Asian roots, which was super scary, but I did that for about three years and got some awesome clients like SSENSE and Raised By Wolves which were really great. And now you’re at The Bay. What was the return like after 3 years of being solo? When The Bay called me, COVID was pretty nuts and things were drying up a bit for my solo work. I had a couple options of what I wanted to do next but I thought The Bay could be a good fit to try out. Now that I’m there, I see a lot of value in what I’m doing there. Although it’s not as wild and crazy, it’s a place that really values new ideas and new perspectives which is needed because it’s been around for so long. Luckily, when I came in, I got the keys to concept out the spring 21 season and made it super fun and different and it’s been great since. They’ve also let me take breaks when I need, which is something most companies wouldn’t be ok with. I really value that with The Bay and we have a really good working relationship. Albert Nguyen on Thinking Out Loud by La Rue Inspire That’s awesome to hear! It’s definitely not always easy for creatives to find that balance in the corporate world so we’re stoked to hear that you have it. Let’s talk about the burnout a bit more because we think it’s super important for people to speak about. Can you tell us what that was like, how you identified it and what helped you through it? Yes! I really like talking about it because you’re right, people definitely don’t speak about it enough. There’s a lot of stigma around this, especially for Asian men too, but it’s super important for everyone to be aware of. Men don’t talk about mental health much and it’s not discussed in Asian communities. I’m glad that the conversation around mental health has really stepped up lately and it makes it easier for people to talk about it. Recognizing burnout So firstly, I felt tired all the time. Like I said before, we think it’s normal to keep pushing until you break but it’s not. I wasn’t focused and my work wasn’t as strong. If you notice this happening for a long time, definitely take a step back and look at your situation. Treating burnout So these are some things that worked for me but it might be different for others. The big takeaway for all of them though is that it’s important to be consistent with them. You can’t just do these things a few times and then it’s over. Consistency is key and even though I’m in a better place now, I still do these all of the time. Therapy: What helped me a lot was therapy. During that time, I started meditating every morning. It doesn’t have to be a really long time. Even 10-20 minutes is great. The future is uncertain and the past is the past, but meditating to focus on the present which is, in that moment, good, can really help start your day off the right way. Now I’m doing it a few times a week and still love it. Improving your diet: Eating bad will make you feel bad and if you’re overworking yourself on the wrong diet, it’s going to be really tough. Mushrooms: I’ve started incorporating micro doses of mushrooms into my day to day a bit. There is an incredible movie called Fantastic Fungi which explains everything around how mushrooms have helped humanity for millions of years. That’s really good advice and we’ll definitely need to check out Fantastic Fungi! Switching gears a bit now. You have this great role as Art Director for Hudson’s Bay which takes up a bunch of time. What are you working on for your freelance now? The Bay takes up a ton of my time now so I really only do t-shirt designs these days as a freelancer. I did some stuff for Raised By Wolves who are good friends for their FW 21 line and have been working on a bunch of charity tees lately. There is one coming for Skateistan which is this awesome organization that provides education and leadership training, along with skateboarding, to children in underprivileged communities around the world. The tee I’ll be dropping is for Skatistan - Cambodia which I’m super pumped about and there’s also another tee I dropped with Lopez MTL to raise funds for Club Sexu, a non-profit group that aims to make discussions around sexuality more fun and inclusive. That one is sold out on Lopez but we’re going to do another drop for it soon! That’s really awesome! What kicked off these charity tees that you’ve been working on? During covid when all the stuff was happening against Black and Asian communities, everyone was sharing posts and talking but I felt like it wasn’t helping much and was thinking like, “ok, so what’s next?” I was thinking about how I could actually take action and use my skills to do some good. In the example of Skateistan, that’s a culture that has always been so close to me since I was younger so being able to create t-shirts that can connect people with that culture and help those in need is so awesome to me. Love that you’ve found an avenue to use your skills to make a difference. Amongst your full time role as Art Director for Hudson’s Bay and all your freelance work, and thinking about your mental health, how do you keep organized and on top of everything? Set priorities. For me, it’s The Bay. So once I plan that out, I assess my time and be really critical about when I can take on other projects and then go down the priority list. Know your limits. We live in this culture where we see all these people saying “hustle hustle hustle”. We look down on “laziness” which is a word I hate because it makes people just work all the time. People value being busy too much and then become way too busy. Know your limits and what you want to do and stick within that. You’ve spoken about facing discrimination as an Asian man throughout your career. What was that like, especially when you were younger, and how did you get through that? I grew up in Montreal and I speak french but even being in that community, it’s not very accepting of Asian creatives. I realized a while back that none of my clients here are french. Clients in other cities and countries seem more stoked to speak to me. I’m not sure why that is but it feels different here. Quebec has a very particular style and is in their own thing. Maybe it’s the French thing, maybe not, but that was tough for me coming up. To be revered in this world as an Asian, you have to be this exceptional version of an Asian man. The ones who have a lot of clout are insanely amazing but you never hear about the good Asian creatives. Same thing if you’re Black or Middle Eastern or Indian or Arab. It sucks but I just kept pushing and knew that I could get to a place to make a difference. I’m luckily in a position today where I can start opening doors for other Asians and all the homies. This season for The Bay I cast all Asians. These people are already really good but just not tapped into enough. It’s amazing to be able to give people a chance with what I’m doing. That’s probably the best part of my job. It took me some time to get to where I am but I’m glad I had the path that I did because it’s forced me to get out of my comfort zone and I’ve built so much character through my work with others. Hudson's Bay Summer 21 Campaign Let’s show Asians some love! Who are 5 Asians doing incredible things that you admire? Tam Vu (artist): He’s doing great things for the vietnamese community Lian Benoit (photographer) She just left an agency to go solo. I just wrapped a job with her and she’s awesome. Yang Shi - She’s a model but also turned photographer with her partner. JG & Shi is their collective. Celia Spenard-Ko (art director): She’s like a sister to me. She lives in Paris and is the Art Director for Goodee which is an e-commerce platform for ethically minded consumers. Christian Chico: A homie in NY that always kills it at whatever he does. Some great names in there and others that we’ll need to check out! Given your many years of experience, what tips would you give to new artists or creatives looking to make a name for themselves in the space? The first thing I’d say is do your research and put in the hours. My work is a little crazy and non-traditional sometimes but I had to learn all the rules before I could start breaking them. A lot of young designers start with “I want to make all the wild stuff” and it can turn out poorly. Study up and pay attention to what’s out there. With that being said, to stand out, your work has to be a little bit jarring. It has to make someone feel like “woah, what’s happening here?”. Once you learn to be thoughtful in your design, you can break the rules and that will help you find your voice. Albert Nguyen for SSENSE x 88Rising Any tips on developing a unique point of view when crafting your voice as an artist? Inspiration comes from everywhere. Put down the phone and get outside and experience things around you. If you only get inspiration from what you see online, that’s what your stuff is going to look like. Get outside and get out of your comfort zone with stuff? Try new things. Don’t stay stagnant. Never stop experimenting. As expected, these are great tips. It seems obvious when you say it but it’s definitely easy to forget these things. Lastly, what’s coming up that you're excited about, whether in work or in life? I’m really excited about this charity work that’s coming out. The designs are awesome and the money is going to a great cause. I always get excited to see my nieces and nephews too. Something about kids sparks a lot of stuff for me. I’m also talking about moving to Ottawa. I need a change in scenery and somewhere quiet to create. I don’t need the big city anymore and I have tons of people in my network in Ottawa that are helping me find a spot. I’ll get out there soon I think! Make sure to follow Albert on Instagram for updates on his work and t-shirt 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.

A couple weeks back, we were lucky enough to get the invite out to the launch party for the norda x ciele “Cooper’s Hawk” 001 sneaker. This shoe marked the first ever footwear project for Montreal based running brand ciele and an iconic milestone for norda in regards to footwear development, with special details like the Cooper’s Hawk inspired yellow Vibram midsole, something that Vibram has never approved to any other brand in the world due to concerns around it contrasting with the Vibram logo. The launch event consisted of a community gathering at Off The Hook, Montreal’s premier sneaker boutique, where guests got to try on the norda 001s, followed by a 7km trail run hosted by Run Rite. Post-run, everyone gathered back at Off The Hook for some refreshments and music. This event marked the first launch event for norda and the first time that many got to feel and try on the norda 001 in person so we were absolutely thrilled to be able to attend. Pier Five got the chance to chat with runners and the norda team about the launch and even laced up the norda 001s to join the Run Rite run club for what was a very fun and challenging hike through the famed Mont Royal park in the plateau of Montreal. The energy was at an all time high, everyone’s feet were more comfortable than ever, and it’s safe to say that this evening solidified norda as a force to be reckoned with both in the running and lifestyle footwear space. Scroll down to watch the official event recap video filmed and edited by Pier Five, as well as check out photos from the event and run. Swipe through the slideshow for photos. To learn more about the norda x ciele “Cooper’s Hawk” 001 and purchase a pair for yourself, head to norda’s website and keep it locked to Pier Five for more stories and interviews with our favourite designers, entrepreneurs, creators, brands and more.