Me with the bloggers behind Coco & Lowe, Catriona Smart (left) and Eva Rosalia (right)
The 2011 edition of the Much Music Video Awards was this weekend, and I kicked off my MMVA festivities Saturday with a visit to The BHD Experience at the Hotel Germain in downtown Toronto. Hosted by some of Toronto’s most popular bloggers, the gifting suites promised top brands like Converse, Beyond The Rack, Bench, Blo, Joico, LINE Knitwear and David’s Tea. I arrived to find four lounges with distinct vibes offering up more fun than I’d bargained for on an otherwise quiet Saturday afternoon.
BLO x COCO & LOWE – TEA & BEAUTY LOUNGE
My first order of business upon arrival at The BHD Experience was some much needed pampering, courtesy of Blo blow dry bar. I got some curls in my usually stick-straight hair, sipped on some chilled David’s Tea, chatted with the lovely ladies of Coco & Lowe, picked out a pair of cute nautical earrings by Vintage Pink Treasures, and played dress-up with a rack of fabulous LINE Knitwear. All of that in just one lounge, and there were still three more to go.
Tricia Campbell Hall in Line Knitwear
BEYOND THE RACK x JAY STRUT – SHOWROOM LOUNGE
I wandered into the next lounge to find Christian Louboutin pumps, a Balenciaga motorcycle bag and a Bottega Veneta woven leather wallet on display…oh, and Pop Chips, too. Heaven? Possibly. Beyond the Rack gifting lounge? Definitely. For those of you not already in the members-only online flash sale game, BTR is a website that offers exactly that. On one table lay samples of the very best designer goods the site has to offer, and on another sat BTR gift cards to encourage the purchase of the aforementioned designer goods. BTR fan in the making right here? Quite possibly.
Blogger Jay Strut and the lovely ladies from Beyond the Rack
HUSTLEGRL x CASIE STEWART x BENCH – BENCH. MORE REAL. LOUNGE
After chatting about YSL shoes with the BTR girls, it was on to the next – the next being the Bench lounge, hosted by bloggers HustleGRL and Casie Stewart. You might think that YSL is so much more up my alley than Bench but, much like Anna Dello Russo and her Abercrombie sweats, even I go casual sometimes. I snagged a super soft yoga jacket that fit me like a glove from the lounge, and I have a feeling this is the start of a lot more Bench in my Sunday afternoon rotation.
Blogger Casie Stewart
CONVERSE x MARCUS TROY – ALL STAR MUSIC LOUNGE
The last stop on my BHD Experience tour was the Marcus Troy-hosted and Converse-sponsored All Star Music Lounge, where the Patrón and chocolate chip cookies were flowing. Not only were Chuck Taylors being gifted, but they were also being customized by Montreal-based airbrush artist Stéphane Thériault – such a fresh idea. Host with the most Marcus Troy doubled as a shoe salesman, matching guests with their right-sized Cons. I left armed with one-of-a-kind kicks and the kind of warm and fuzzy feeling you can only get from being hooked up with free shoes.
Blogger Marcus Troy and airbrush artist Stéphane Thériault
Stéphane Thériault and Kardinal Offishall
Primping, swag and celebrities – what more could a girl ask for from her first gifting lounge experience? Congrats to The Broken Heel Diaries, the rest of the blogger hosts and MacIntyre Communications on a MMVA lounge well done!
xx, S
Looks like a fun time! Petron and chocolate chip cookies sounds like such a weird combination, but I guess try anything once eh?
Yes, just dip your chocolate chip cookies right into the tequila – delicious! And if not, you’ll be too buzzed to notice anyway.
[...] but plenty more to follow! Also make sure to check out the Vitamin Daily, MTV’s Fora and the BackSeat Stylers take on our [...]
[...] this year I had the pleasure of meeting Daniella Etienne, founder of The Broken Heel Diaries at The BHD Experience, a MMVA gifting lounge hosted by her and her BHD team and a number of other top bloggers. Daniella [...]
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