Millionaire Shortbread

Three simple but indulgent layers make this Millionaire Shortbread recipe a winner every time. Just 8 every day ingredients magically turn into a crispy shortbread base, soft and chewy caramel centre and a rich and thick layer of chocolate ganache.

If you adore caramel like I do, you’ll love these bars but you’ll also love these Carmelitas, Salted Caramel Brownie Bites or Homemade Caramels too.

Millionaire Shortbread Recipe

You’ll love biting through the soft and chewy top layers of this slice, then into that crisp, buttery base. It’s rich and indulgent in all the best ways but takes relatively little effort to make. It’s easy too, there’s nothing too technical here.

Ingredients in Millionaire Shortbread

One of the great things about this dessert is the simplicity of the ingredients and how, when they’re combined, they create something that tastes like a million bucks.

• Flour: Just regular all purpose flour
• Sugar: two types in this one – white (I prefer superfine but granulated will work) in the shortbread base and brown in the caramel.
• Butter: Use unsalted so you have control over the amount of salt you’d like to add.
• Salt: I use regular table salt for this and just a ½ teaspoon to balance it but you can easily make this a salted caramel by adding another ½ teaspoon.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: One tin is all you need and creates a gorgeous creamy flavour in the caramel filling.
• Chocolate: Use a semi-sweet or dark chocolate (50% cocao and above). Milk chocolate will definitely make these too sweet.
• Heavy cream: this is cream with a fat content of at least 35%. It goes with the chocolate to make a gorgeous, thick ganache on top.

How to Make Soft and Chewy Millionaire Shortbread

Here’s the easy steps to homemade millionaire shortbread!

The shortbread

1. Mix it: Beat together the butter and sugar until lightened and creamy. Don’t skimp on this step. Then add the flour and mix just until it starts clumping and you can’t see flour anymore.
2. Bake it: Press the dough into a lined 8 inch square tin very lightly then bake for 25 minutes or until the top is starting to turn golden.

The caramel

1. Cook on the stove: Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over low-medium heat and stir until everything melts together. Let it come to a light bubble then keep stirring for another 6-7 minutes until thickens and comes away from the side of the pan as you stir (it should also take a few seconds to settle back again).
2. Bake: Pour the caramel over the baked shortbread base, smooth it out with a spatula, then bake again for a further 20 minutes until the top starts to turn golden in patches.

The chocolate ganache

1. Heat the cream: (Once the caramel has cooled for at least an hour) heat the cream, then mix with the chocolate to a smooth ganache.
2. Pour over the top: Pour it over the top of the caramel and place it back in the fridge to set.

Tips and Variations for The Best Millionaire Shortbread

• Shortbread dough: Only beat  the dough until small clumps start forming. You don’t want a ball of dough but rather clumping dough that you can scatter over your tin. Also don’t press it down to firmly in your tin. This way it remains crisp rather than turning hard and doughy once baked.
• Baking the base: You want it to be starting to colour before taking it out of the oven. This also helps to keep it crisp as opposed to firm.
• Salt: Add an extra ½ teaspoon if you want a salted caramel middle.
• Caramel: The caramel will thicken after 6 or so minutes to a point where it will take a good few seconds to settle back again. At this point you add it to the shortbread.
• Chocolate: Make sure the chocolate is very finely chopped so it can easily melt into the cream and use a good eating chocolate (not a baking style chocolate). If it isn’t melting into the cream, zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds on half power, no more, then stir again.

How to Store Millionaire’s Shortbread Dessert

These bars keep well in the fridge for up to a week. Keep them stored in an airtight container, in one layer or with a sheet of baking paper between the layers.

More Amazing Caramel Recipes

• Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Amazing Salted Caramel Popcorn
• Carmelitas (The Best Cookies Known to Man!)
• Homemade Twix Bars
• Cinnamon Caramel Crumble Bars

Print

Millionaire Shortbread

Three simple but indulgent layers make this Millionaire Shortbread recipe a winner every time. Just 8 every day ingredients magically turn into a crispy shortbread base, soft and chewy caramel centre and a rich and thick layer of chocolate ganache.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword caramel shortbread, homemade millionaire shortbread, millionaire shortbread

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Setting & Cooling Time 3 hours

Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Servings 16 bars

Calories 254kcal

Author Marie Roffey

Ingredients

THE SHORTBREAD

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
• ¼ cup superfine sugar (1.8oz)
• 1 cup all purpose flour (4.5oz)

THE CARAMEL FILLING

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ cup, packed brown sugar
• 3 oz unsalted butter (¾ stick)
• ½ teaspoon salt

GANACHE TOPPING

• 1 and ½ cups finely chopped semi sweet chocolate (7oz)
• ⅓ cup heavy cream

Instructions

FOR THE SHORTBREAD

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 inch square baking tin with baking paper.
• Beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Add the flour, beating on low just until it starts forming small clumps
• Scatter it into the prepared tin, then press it down lightly so there are no gaps.
• Bake for 25 minutes.

FOR THE CARAMEL FILLING

• Combine the condensed milk, sugar and butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir for around 6-7 minutes until the mixture is smooth and thickened slightly.
• Stir in the salt, then pour the caramel over the shortbread base.
• Bake for another 20 minutes. Let it cool for 30-40 minutes at room temperature before transferring to the fridge.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• Once the caramel is cool to the touch, place the chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the cream over low heat, swirling every so often, just until it starts to bubble.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate and give the bowl a gentle shake to settle the chocolate under the cream. Leave for 1 minute to soften, then stir to combine. If it's not all melting together, give it a zap in the microwave for 20 seconds on half power, no more.
• Pour the chocolate over the caramel and level out, then chill for at least 1-2 hours or overnight before cutting into squares.

Notes

• Don't beat the dough to a ball of dough, you just want it to be starting to clump and so that you can't see streaks of flour anymore.
• Don't press the dough too firmly into the tin as this will make the cooked shortbread firm instead of crisp.
• Add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the caramel for a salted caramel flavour.

Nutrition

Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 110mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 449IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg

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5 Ideal Bridal Wedding Lehengas for the Gorgeous Bride-To-Be

Wedding celebrations are incomplete without shimmer and shine. Yes, we’re referring to elegant sarees, royal sherwanis, and colourful bridal lehengas. The bride waits for the day to choose her bridal wedding lehenga in sheer excitement. It’s her big day, and she wants to look nothing but gorgeous. What could be more relaxing than choosing a designer lehenga for the bride-to-be? That said, you must pay attention to the styles, colours, and designers that you want to wear.

We’ve got five amazing bridal wedding lehengas that are sure to catch your attention. Take a look.

Floral Bridal Lehenga: No girl makes a wrong choice when it comes to choosing a floral lehenga. The embroidery, the fabric, and the texture complete this bridal ensemble like no other. The floral lehenga-choli combination with serene thread work accentuates the overall look of the bride.There are appealing colours, such as Ivory White, Suave Pink, and Baby Blue, which could make any groom go to his knees to listen to the “I do” vows from the bride. Why should you be any behind in the game?

Pastel Bridal Lehenga: Pastel shades never lose their charm. A pastel bridal wedding lehenga lets you slay your style game on point. How about wearing a baby pink bridal lehenga with gold and ivory embroidery work? Or, you can choose mauve, magic mint, and baby blue, among other pastel colours to look gorgeous at your wedding. There are many design options when it comes to choosing the lehenga for brides.

Royal Bridal Lehenga: You want a bridal lehenga that complements the royal sherwani look of the groom. Understood! Make a perfect couple by choosing royal bridal wedding lehengas. As a bride, you may not want to don a massy collection; that’s why the royal bridal lehengas with unique blouse options make you stand out at your wedding. You can choose from bewitching red, maroon in pure velvet, or beige and red embroidered royal bridal lehenga online.

Lehenga for the Minimalist Bride: You want to avoid a heavy ensemble that may tire you throughout the wedding. But you’re juggling between options too. Let us help! Go for soothing colours, such as peach, pink, and light green, and don a minimalistic bridal look. It not only offers you an element of comfort, but you’re also gearing up to earn laurels for your elegant taste.

Lehenga for the Rebel Bride: You want to shun the custom of wearing the red wedding dress and bring out the rebel bride in you. Got it! Go for Brocade or Banarasi Silk lehenga and let your guests know that the bride has arrived. How about a sharp black lehenga with gold embroidery, or an unusual white bridal colour with golden patchwork? It sounds perfect to break the conventions of the wedding rituals.

Now you know how to dress like an elegant bride. Take note of these bridal Lehengas and let your girl gang laud your taste in fashion.

The post 5 Ideal Bridal Wedding Lehengas for the Gorgeous Bride-To-Be appeared first on Readiprint Fashions Blog.

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How to make Keto Gravy

Learn how to make the best keto gravy with this easy recipe. Rich and delicious, you won’t miss the carbs! Great with roast turkey or chicken. I should have shared my keto gravy recipe with you long ago. I’ve shared all sorts of other keto thanksgiving recipes, so why have I held back on the...

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INIKA Organic with clinically proven results

INIKA is Certified Organic, Cruelty-Free, Vegan & Halal. Their Phytofuse Renew is the World’s First 100% Natural skincare powered by 5% botanical active extracts – double compared to other skincare brands. It has clinically proven to increases skin elasticity by up to 67%, boosts hydration by up to 40.7%, reduces wrinkles by up to 21.3%.

The skincare targets signs of ageing while deeply nourishing, hydrating, repairing the skin’s barrier and protecting against environmental irritants.

Clinically Proven

Their comprehensive 28-day clinical trial of 30 women aged 25-65 proved the incredible anti-ageing power of Phytofuse Renew. An independent testing lab measured perceived effectiveness, plus actual changes to the skin assessed by highly technical machines, including hydration, elasticity, transepidermal water loss, wrinkle depth, the roughness of skin and pigmentation.

Actual Changes to the Skin

Use of the Serum + Day Cream together demonstrated the most impressive results of a 67% increase in skin elasticity, 40.7% boost in hydration and a 19.4% reduction in wrinkles.

Those using the Maca Root Day Cream twice a day experienced a 36% boost in hydration, a 31.4% increase in skin elasticity and a 17.1% reduction in the depth and number of wrinkles after 7 days.

The Eye Cream saw similar results of a 38.4% increase in hydration, a 39% boost in skin elasticity and a 16.1% drop in the appearance of wrinkles.

Meanwhile, women using the Night Cream saw a 21.3% reduction in wrinkles, a 45.3% boost in skin elasticity and a 39% increase in hydration.

Packaging Innovation

Boosting product efficacy is central to their design ethos, which is why the Eye Cream has a ceramic cooling tip (even better when kept in the fridge), and the Cleanser features a hygienic and effective silicone massager.

INIKA Organic Phytofuse Renew is wrapped in beautiful eco-friendly packaging, with tubes made from sugar cane, glass bottles & jars and recyclable plastic lids. Our boxes are made from responsibly harvested FSC paper. Kind to your skin and the planet – without compromising on results.

Here is a list of the Phytofuse Renew Skincare Hero Ingredients:-

• Rose of Jericho extract is our hero ingredient, present across the Phytofuse Renew range. It shields the skin from water loss and ageing carbon residue while improving density. They source Rose of Jericho from the Mexican desert where the plant is known to miraculously resurrect upon contact with water, instantly transforming from dry tumbleweed into lush, green foliage. Rose of Jericho extract is also a powerful antioxidant that creates a highly effective barrier against dehydration and environmental aggressors.
• Maca Root in their Day Cream, is a powerful adaptogen, helping the body (and skin) adapt to stress. The ‘Inca’s elixir’ fights free radicals and signs of ageing.
• Caviar Finger Lime in their Exfoliator. The Australian native plant is rich in AHAs, known for its ability to brighten skin and dissolve shedding dead skin layers.
• Resveratrol Grape Juice Extract in their Serum is rich in antioxidants that neutralise free radicals, maintain skin structure and boost collagen production.

The Full INIKA Range

INIKA Organic Phytofuse Renew skincare was created over five years and has been clinically proven to perform. The range includes:

 

Phytofuse Renew Camellia Oil Cleanser – RRP £33
Phytofuse Renew Caviar Lime Exfoliator – RRP £33
Phytofuse Renew Maca Root Day Cream – RRP £45
Phytofuse Renew Maca Root Rich Day Cream – RRP £49
Phytofuse Renew Resveratrol Night Cream – RRP £55
Phytofuse Renew Resveratrol Rich Night Cream – RRP £59
Phytofuse Renew Resveratrol Serum – RRP £59
Phytofuse Renew Resveratrol Eye Cream – RRP £39
Phytofuse Renew Avocado Hand Cream – RRP £29
Phyto-Active Botanical Face Oil – RRP £45
Phyto-Active Rosehip Oil – RRP £39
Phyto-Active Micellar Rosewater – RRP £29

About INIKA

INIKA Organic began life in Sydney in 2006. Born out of a dream to detox and simplify makeup bags globally. They wanted a cleaner beauty space free from toxic chemicals – it had to be pure, organic ingredients that enhance your natural radiance. That goal is unwavering.  Inika remains 100% Australian-owned but continues to grow, with physical presence spanning 35 countries. That’s because their beauty products are only Organic, Natural, and they work. Your skin will love them.

https://www.inikaorganic.com/

The post INIKA Organic with clinically proven results appeared first on Wellbeing Magazine.

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The Christian Psychedelic: Should Christians Use Plant Medicines, Is Microdosing (Or Tripping) A Sin, Accessing Spiritual Realms, DMT & Much More With Paul Risse.

My guest on today's show, Paul Risse, is a husband, father, and a bit of a modern Renaissance man—but also

The post The Christian Psychedelic: Should Christians Use Plant Medicines, Is Microdosing (Or Tripping) A Sin, Accessing Spiritual Realms, DMT & Much More With Paul Risse. appeared first on Ben Greenfield Fitness - Diet, Fat Loss and Performance Advice.

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What Is Protein And Why Is Protein So Important To Your Health – The Ultimate Guide

When I started to learn about “becoming a healthier version of myself” and learnt about exercise and diet, one of the first things I learnt was that protein plays an … Read More

The post What Is Protein And Why Is Protein So Important To Your Health – The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Amazon Warrior by Caroline Bakker.

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Experiencing Hair Loss Right Now? You’re Not Alone – Here’s How to Help Stop It

According to Google Trends, breathing apps, CBD skincare and sound baths were some of the most commonly searched items under the category of wellness in 2019. Indeed, many of us are looking for new ways to feel better and live healthier lives—now more than ever. But while we are applying hyaluronic acid-infused sheet masks to our faces, getting regular pedicures and dry brushing our bodies, there’s one area we may be overlooking: our hair. But something called seasonal hair loss, or hair fall, is changing that.

When the seasons change, your body takes notice and it loses a little bit of hair, says David D’Amours, hairstylist and editorial director at Kérastase. “It’s not a drastic change, but it’s a small change your body feels,” he says, and it’s enough to cause more stray strands than usual to appear on your cashmere sweater.

While hair loss has traditionally been viewed as either a male concern (something our dads, brothers and boyfriends need to deal with) or a side effect of aging, that’s not the case, says D’Amours, who has worked with celebrities like Celine Dion and the former first lady of France Carla Bruni. In fact, it’s the number one hair concern among millennials, which makes sense considering that 88 per cent of women experience seasonal hair loss by the time they are 40 years old. It’s no wonder that another trend, coined “hair wellness” by the beauty industry, is gaining momentum.

Canadian women know first-hand how our hair reacts to frequent and often extreme temperature changes (a fact of life in Canada that inspired the popular meme that we have 11 seasons, not four), but there are a number of other factors that cause hair fall, says D’Amours. There’s daily exposure to pollution and UV rays as well as our collective obsession with heat styling tools that weaken our strands, causing them to break off mid-shaft. Meanwhile, at the scalp level, our diet, in addition to biological factors like fluctuating hormones, can trigger hair fall from the root, as can the stress of a busy lifestyle or, say, living through a global pandemic. When D’Amours reopened his Old Montreal salon in June after closing because of COVID-19, he noticed hair loss in many of his clients. “Even the quality of hair had changed,” he says, adding that Genesis, Kérastase’s collection of products developed to prevent hair fall that serendipitously launched this spring, couldn’t have come at a better moment. “The pandemic caused a big change in our lives. And I think it’s why more people are noticing hair loss.”

 

 

The new collection features six products that work together to reduce hair fall by both strengthening the hair fibre to prevent breakage and stimulating the roots to reduce long-term hair fall. And just because they work doesn’t mean they need to smell like they belong in a medicine cabinet— which is why they are infused with a luxurious bergamot and citrus scent conceived by Calice Becker, the woman behind popular perfumes for fashion houses like Marc Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta.

Photograph courtesy of Kérastase

One of the key ingredients, Aminexil, is believed to inhibit an enzyme that tightens collagen in the scalp—one of the causes of hair fall from the root—and works in tandem with caffeine and ginger root extract, two more scalp-targeting ingredients that stimulate circulation. On another front, edelweiss native cells provide moisture to hair and protect fibres from extreme environmental conditions. (Hello, polar vortex.)

 

 

There are two shampoos for different hair types: Bain Nutri-Fortifiant, which helps smooth thicker hair for less breakage when detangling, and Bain Hydra-Fortifiant, which is ideal for finer hair because it removes pollution and excess oil from the scalp to restore volume to limp strands, says D’Amours. Volume for all hair types comes via the Anti Hair-Fall Fortifying Serum and Treatment Ampoules. While some of D’Amour’s clients worry that using extra products might weigh their hair down, these have the opposite effect. They add body but feel very lightweight in the hair, he says. But his favourite product in the collection is Défense Thermique, a heat-protective spray that works for up to 220ºC. He recommends it to his salon clients (who use their flatirons to do beachy waves at home) as well as his celebrity and model clients (whom he instructs to bring a bottle on photo shoots and film sets). D’Amours loves that, as with all Kérastase products, he can customize treatments, allowing him to mix and match Genesis products with other lines depending on hair type and colour as well as other needs—something that reminds him of a favourite destination in Paris. “It’s like a trip to the French pharmacy,” he says.

While Genesis products take a strategic approach to preventing hair fall, maintaining healthy hair and a healthy scalp is a holistic endeavour, which is why Kérastase developed the line with the guidance of a dermatologist. Dr. Laura Scott says that losing between 50 and 100 hairs a day is normal but cautions that when there is extreme breakage, or when hair is significantly sparser in a specific area, it needs to be addressed.

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At the salon

D’Amours says that whether his clients come to the salon for a blowout, balayage or bangs trim, they love the instant results of Fusio-Dose. “It’s one of the most popular treatments in our salon,” he says of the customizable hair application that’s now available in the Genesis range. Applied at the sink and rinsed out, the treatment takes just a few minutes, which is why it’s ideal for busy clients, he says. It can also be mixed and matched with a selection of boosters from other ranges that do everything from brightening blond to thickening strands. And while the at-home version of the Genesis treatment Masque Reconstituant is a great DIY option, it’s a nice treat to top off your service when you’re in the salon, says D’Amours. “It’s like the cherry on the sundae.” 

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SPECIAL OFFER: Want to try the Genesis range? Enter the code FASHIONMAG at checkout to get a special gift with purchases over $75. To discover more professional luxury care for your hair, follow @kerastase_official on Instagram. To find your nearest Kérastase salon, click here. 

The post Experiencing Hair Loss Right Now? You’re Not Alone – Here’s How to Help Stop It appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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The Truth Behind Anxiety and How to Manage it

Anxiety is often caused by the fear of the unknown. It makes you question your own truth and can discourage you from believing in yourself, or having the confidence to proceed with clarity.

A huge step in overcoming anxiety is to find and use pattern/feelings of familiarity to create some normalcy into difficult or overwhelming situations.

When anxiety enters our lives, our reactions can cause overwhelming pain to our bodies. Instead, we need to welcome and explore the reasons why we’re feeling anxious and whether those feelings are similar, or can relate to a previous situation we’ve experienced.

Once we acknowledge or consider the patterns, or feelings of familiarity in these anxious situations, we can feel immediately calmer which helps us navigate our way through the trickier thoughts, so that we can find peace in whatever is actually worrying us.

We all know that anxiety is something we cannot run away from, however, if we don’t figure out a way in which we can handle it then those anxious thoughts can be a product of intestinal distress, because of the brain and GI system are intimately connected, also known as the gut-brain axis.

The vagus nerve plays an important role in this process of the gut-brain axis, as it allows you to breathe, swallow and digest without thinking about it. This nerve Is made up of fibers that connect the brainstem to the digestive organs, where they’re embedded in the lining of our digestive organs. This highway allows the brain and gut to communicate with each other, sending messages about what’s going on.

The vagus nerve fibers are connected to the cells in the gut lining. They use these cells to gather information about activities in the gut and also your gut microbiome, then transfer this information to the brain so that it can make a valuable decision about your digestion. So if the information is negative, or harmful then it could begin a cycle of distress between the digestive tract and brain!

If you haven’t realized it yet, there’s a good chance that your digestion may actually be affected if you’re currently living with high functioning anxiety. This is not an uncommon thing, and as mentions when the brain is under stress, the stomach responds in the same manner – so regardless of how good you are at dealing with stress or operating under stress, your body may not be coping at all.

Luckily there are ways to tell whether your anxiety issues are causing digestive health issues and if your anxiety is the cause, then you can find ways to cope with your disorder.

Some digestive health issues to look out for are:

• Acid reflux
• Constipation
• Food sensitivities
• Diarrhoea
• Stomach cramping before certain events, or from thoughts
• Vomiting when stressed

So while you may be playing the chicken or the egg with your anxiety and GI issues, this article is mostly here to help describe ways in which you can deal with your anxious thoughts, in hope that it can alleviate some digestive health distress (because for most parts, we’ve already explained what a healthy diet looks like).

There are many ways in which we can manage anxiety:

First: Welcome it. Don’t fight or ignore it. Distraction only prolongs the problem.

Second: Use patterns or feelings of familiarity to create some normalcy into difficult or overwhelming situations. Have you been in this situation before? What did you do?

Third: Once you identify what it really worrying you (the fear of unknown), practice a breathing technique, meditation, talk to a friend, or exercise to allow room for clarity so that you can find peace with this thought, knowing that everything is going to be okay…

What works for me? I love writing! When I write, it clears my mind, I’m more productive, I can simplify complex thoughts, I learn and understand more, it’s calming and it settles my nerves. Writing helps me speak my truth.

We’ve always thought that what happened to the gut stayed in the gut and vice versa, however, science continues to prove this theory wrong every single day. It’s difficult to fully understand and give advice on neurotransmitters and how to manage them from the gut because they all behave in different ways, but managing stress, anxiety and focusing on a healthy plant variety diet could certainly be the beginning to your anxiety healing journey…

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My Story: Filmmaker Michelle Latimer on Indigenous Stories, Her New TV Series Trickster and More

For Michelle Latimer, who used to work at the TIFF box office just so she could get passes to see films during the festival, 2020 has been a full circle moment. This year, the Métis/Algonquin filmmaker premiered two projects at TIFF: a documentary titled Inconvenient Indian, and CBC television series Trickster.

“Growing up, I saw very little of my experience represented accurately on screen, if any at all. That’s part of the reason why I’m doing what I’m doing,” she says over the phone.

Latimer grew up in Thunder Bay, Ont., moving first to Montreal to study theatre at Concordia University, and later to Toronto to pursue a career as an actress. But she quickly began to feel dissatisfied with the stories she was telling, and yearned to find other ways to have an impact. When she saw that the ImagineNative film festival was offering a mentorship program for short films, she decided to throw caution to the wind and make a film of her own.

“It just changed my life,” she says. “I remember a mentor saying to me ‘your community’s underrepresented in the media; you have a voice—don’t underestimate the impact you could have.’”

That was in 2007, and now over a decade later, Michelle Latimer is still going strong. We caught up with her to hear more about Trickster, a supernatural television series based on a bestselling novel by Eden Robinson; her latest documentary Inconvenient Indian, which explores the cultural colonization of Indigenous people in North America; the need for more contemporary Indigenous stories on screen, and more.


You’ve been in the industry for over a decade. How do you think things have changed over time in terms of the kinds of Indigenous stories that are being told?

We have seen a lot more filmmakers come to independent cinema through things like ImagineNative where I got my start, but it’s still hard for those voices to cross over into mainstream cinema or television. Our show Trickster is the first time the CBC has greenlit a show that is adapted from an Indigenous woman’s novel and created by Indigenous people. I think that we are slowly changing [on-screen] representation, but it’s after hundreds of years of misrepresentation, going from the days of the cowboy western films right up through to the horror trope with Indian burial grounds and shaman vision quests and stuff. That kind of misrepresentation is quite harmful to a community. I think Native people are often seen—and accepted—in mainstream media set in the past. So a safe abstraction of a romanticized Native on horseback, let’s say. But we’re rarely seen as contemporary individuals dealing with contemporary struggles in a modern world. And I think it’s really important to see representation like that. Because the fact is we don’t exist in the past, we exist now, and our cultures are adaptive and flexible, and we need to see reflections of that. 

You’ve described Trickster as “Indigenous gothic horror.” Can you elaborate on that?

The show is a coming-of-age tale, except the difference is Jared [the main character] is seeing visions that he thinks could be a result of maybe an inherited mental illness that he fears he has from his mother, or that he’s just partying too hard and has to lay off the sauce. But he quickly realizes that the visions are actually a result of a legacy. For me, this is really a metaphor for ideas around assimilation and identity politics. Jared is a young Indigenous man. He’s not particularly politicized even though he’s living in a community where the greatest infrastructure project is a pipeline. He’s just trying to make ends meet, and in some ways he just wants to be “normal” and fly under the radar and fit in. But he realizes that he’ll only be able to move forward positively in life when he accepts who he is and understands where he comes from—he’s not just a homogenized kid, he comes from somewhere really specific. I feel like it’s this beautiful metaphor for issues around assimilation and colonization, and the genre allows an accessible way to lightly tackle some of these deeper issues. 

Enjoying the new sounds in the @TricksterCBC premiere tonight?

Listen to the music from and inspired by the show on the official Trickster playlist, featuring @TheRezKids, @Jbthefirstlady, @atribecalledred, @tagaq and more: https://t.co/HGQHqqOJch pic.twitter.com/yaD8ruJzSs

— CBC Music (@CBCMusic) October 7, 2020

The show contains elements of magical realism and also draws from Haisla folklore. Can you tell us about that?

I think the specificity of the storytelling is really important. Eden [Robinson] is Haisla-Heiltsuk and Jared is as well. In the Haisla tradition, the trickster stories are usually articulated in the form of a raven. We believe that our stories are in the land. We didn’t write down things in books, our culture is an oral storytelling culture and the land itself holds the stories. Our past is in our stories but so is our future. It’s not a separate thing. In the present our ancestors walk with us, but how we tell our stories and what we share and what we perpetuate will become the future we move into. So with the stories, we’re writing our futures in a way. It’s important to see story as an alive thing, not something that’s stuck in the past, but something that’s adapting and changing based on who the storyteller is and how the listener takes in the story and then furthers it. 

You mentioned during a recent virtual panel that since there were people from different Indigenous Nations working on this project, you relied on a document from the Indigenous Screen Office that offers recommendations on how to work across Indigenous communities. Can you tell us more about that?

The Pathways and Protocols document was created by the Indigenous Screen Office with the help of ImagineNative and a few other partners, I believe. It was modelled after a similar document that was used in Australia and outlines how both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can work in a healthy balanced way with Indigenous communities. What I took away from that is the idea of meaningful consultation and discussion around what the community wants, so it’s not just extractive. We can’t go in and pull out what we want and profit off it. How do we create an infrastructure and partnership within the community so there’s meaningful dialogue? I don’t want to co-opt someone else’s story; I think it’s really important that they’re asked to participate in the storytelling. So how do we do that? I think at the heart of it it’s about being inclusive to that community, to invite them into the process and have them be part of making the story, creating it, crafting it from the ground up.

In your documentary Inconvenient Indian, you show that the current generation of young Indigenous people is focused on reclaiming their identity, and embracing their cultural traditions. Is that something you’ve been seeing a lot in your own social circles?

In the documentary, we show filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril getting facial tattoos, and I think she really hit the nail on the head when she said there’s intergenerational trauma around reclaiming these cultural practices. It’s because our grandparents were put in residential schools and shamed so badly, and the middle generation was [caught] in the trauma of that, and now our generation is doing these things but it’s hard for them to watch us do those things because they were shamed so badly for it. I’m very excited about the next generation coming up behind me because they don’t really have the same shame or responsibility to their parents in that way. They can just step into it unapologetically and I think that’s the next frontier. I think that’s where we’re headed and that’s really exciting. There’s energy in that.  

🪶 The #NFB at #iNfestival2020!
We're excited to share the news that Michelle Latimer's (@NORTHERNGRRL) award-winning documentary #InconvenientIndian is part of @imagineNATIVE's Official Selection! Don't miss this opportunity to see this film. ℹ️ + 🎟️ → https://t.co/4aaVcrx9vt pic.twitter.com/sE753gxxGf

— National Film Board of Canada (@thenfb) September 29, 2020

There are a lot of discussions among creatives of colour where some people say they want to be able to tell the stories of their own people and communities while others say they don’t want to be pigeonholed into telling one type of story. What are your thoughts on that?

I relate to that. I think for any artist who’s developing their voice, it’s really important to write about what you know, and to write or create from your authentic experience. But I think as artists grow and evolve and mature, it’s really important that they’re able to stretch in different directions. When I think of artists who say they don’t want to be pigeonholed, they just don’t want a glass ceiling, they don’t want to be strapped into a box. It’s pretty frustrating when you meet with a broadcaster or someone who has a preconceived idea of what you should be doing as an Indigenous filmmaker. I think that should be left with the artist to decide. Because great creativity comes from curiosity and a willingness to take risks, and I think inevitably that means moving outside of yourself sometimes.

The post My Story: Filmmaker Michelle Latimer on Indigenous Stories, Her New TV Series <em>Trickster</em> and More appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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The New Collab Between Knix and The Birds Papaya Has a Waitlist of 30,000 People

Last week, Canadian intimates brand Knix – which recently launched its newest range of Leakproof underwear – announced that it was teaming up with Sarah Landry of The Birds Papaya on a limited edition collection of custom items. The Papaya Box will launch on October 18 and has already garnered a waitlist of more than 30,000 people.

Taking to social media to announce the partnership, the brand revealed that the collab has been two years in the making. As for what you’ll get in The Papaya Box? Most excitingly, the box includes Knix’s first ever pair of leggings. Called the Papaya High-Rise Legging, the leggings “offer a smooth, sleek silhouette that hugs the body” according to a release and are finished in a high shine, leather-look foil print. The box also includes a pair of Knix’s high-rise thong in an exclusive print, and the longevity bra. There’s also a selection of products from other brands, too, hand-picked by Landry for inclusion including earrings from TISH Jewelry and sustainable drink labels from NOMI+SIBS – both of which are women-led Canadian brands.

Photograph courtesy of Knix

The collab isn’t the first time Knix and Landry have worked together. In 2017, Knix founder and CEO Joanna Griffiths asked Landry to be shot for a Knix campaign in 2018 after spotting a photo of her on Instagram. From there, the relationship continued to blossom with Landry joining Knix as a consultant as she simultaneously built The Birds Papaya.

The box will be available in sizes S-XXXL and is $150. You can sign up to be added to the waitlist here and be notified when it launches.

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Winnie Harlow Talks Ontario Beginnings and Opening the Door for Others

“I don’t think I realized at first that I was different,” says Toronto-raised, Los Angeles-based model Winnie Harlow of how a childhood vitiligo diagnosis impacted her notion of what her life would be like. “That was due to my upbringing. It wasn’t until I was out in the world that I could sense the differences.”

While reactions to Harlow’s appearance have shifted from devastating bullying to praise and admiration, her uniqueness is what ultimately made her a star in the fashion sphere. Vogue covers and catwalk appearances at some of the most exclusive events, like Jean Paul Gaultier’s 50th anniversary show, speak to the power of her self-possession and determination, and these are traits she has been cultivating for quite some time.

Photograph by GREG SWALES. Jacket, $3,800, and pants, $1,565, Alexander McQueen. Shoes, price upon request, Haiki. Headpiece and necklace, prices upon request, Area.

“My grandmother took me with her to pick up my cousin at school one day, and a little kid came up to me and was like, ‘What’s on your skin?’” she recalls. “My grandmother has a very strong personality and is very confident, and I was raised around her. She remembers me replying ‘Child, my skin is none of your business.’ That was my energy growing up.”

Photograph by GREG SWALES. Dress, price upon request, Iris van Herpen. Earrings, $3,465, Grace Lee.

Harlow’s ability to retain and expand that energy has led to her landing campaigns for Puma, Fendi and Diesel — all lofty achievements after less than a decade in the industry. Her foray into modelling began after a friend urged her to attend a casting call for the annual Fashion Art Toronto event. Harlow, who was working at La Senza in Yorkdale Shopping Centre at the time, put off the suggestion, but her friend persisted and Harlow gave in. “I thought I should at least try,” she says. “I got off work one day and took a bus to the casting; I was in a ton of shows that week. It was encouraging, and I’m really happy that I listened to my friend.”

It was a breakthrough moment for Harlow in terms of showing her “what the fashion industry could look like.” Up until that point, she’d been rejected by modelling agencies. “People didn’t really know what to do or where to place me or how to book me because it had never been done before,” she says. “That was my challenge in the beginning. I just had to make a voice for myself to be heard.”

Photograph by GREG SWALES. Top, $1,475, and dress, $5,805, Robert Wun. Earring, $1,340, Katkim.

Harlow’s ambition was bolstered through meeting TV and online personality Shannon Boodram, who discovered her and made a viral video clip in 2011 about vitiligo and the fact that it didn’t detract from Harlow’s standout qualities. “I’m grateful for Shannon’s eye — for seeing a story there,” says Harlow. “She was the first person to say she could see me on the cover of Vogue. It wasn’t something I could visualize because I hadn’t seen it. But she had that visionary eye.”

In fact, Harlow remembers looking at posters in the store where she worked — all featuring “white girls with blond hair and blue eyes” — and thinking she wanted to be in that position one day. “I worked at La Senza and ended up walking the runway for Victoria’s Secret,” she says. “That was a full-circle moment for me.”

Photograph by GREG SWALES. Jacket and pants, prices upon request, Marina Hoermanseder. Earrings, $3,465, and rings, from $3,855, Grace Lee.

The tenacity Harlow has exhibited throughout her career perhaps shines most brightly when she speaks about her fears. Reminiscing about our cover shoot in southern California’s Joshua Tree National Park (a locale known for its intimidating wildlife), she says, “I thought about there being snakes, and that was kind of scary, but I worked around them before, for a Nike shoot.” She is also afraid of swimming, but she learned the skill in order to do an underwater photo shoot. “While I did cry at one of the lessons, I went back and kept pushing myself. I’m just the type of person who can’t let my fears stop my progression.”

Photograph by GREG SWALES. Dress, price
upon request, Iris van Herpen. Shoes, price upon request, Simon Miller. Earrings, $155, Misho.

While Harlow doesn’t allow dread to consume her, when speaking about the anxiety that the uncertainty of 2020’s events has caused, she says that she “tends to internalize things a lot. Sometimes it’s hard to verbalize things that are complicated or frustrating, but it’s good to talk about them.” Her go-to confidants include her mother and her boyfriend, NBA player Kyle Kuzma — she flew to Orlando to join in his team’s quarantine “bubble” this past August.

Touting her Jamaican grandmother (a fellow Leo) as a strong influence in her life, Harlow now counts Naomi Campbell as a “powerful force” in her career, adding that the legendary supermodel called her on her birthday this year. This connection is a long way from her attempts to enter the fashion industry so many years ago, when she was told that if she wanted to work in the industry, she “should be a makeup artist.”

Photograph by GREG SWALES. Vest and bra, prices upon request, Coperni. Briefs, price upon request, Marc Jacobs. Earcuff, price upon request, Rinaldy A. Yunardi.

Now, Harlow is in demand for not only her beauty but also the ingenuity she brings to editorial shoots. “I take pride in being more involved in the process now,” she says of her work, reflecting on how social media has allowed her to feel more connected to her followers — although her favourite interactions with them are still when she meets them on the street during fashion week.

“I remember getting a DM from a fan in the Middle East who also has vitiligo,” she says of her fortuitous interaction with Shahad Salman. “She showed me comparison pictures of her and me, and they were so similar. A while later, I had the opportunity to do a Vogue Arabia cover, and we were trying to figure out how we could make it powerful. The idea struck that we could have a shoot with Shahad. It’s not just about me being the first; it’s about me being able to open the door for others.”

Photograph by GREG SWALES. Jumpsuit, price upon request, Alexandre Vauthier. Boots, $320, Schutz. Earrings, $290, and ring, $180, Misho.

This notion sets Harlow apart from others in the fashion industry — an industry that’s notoriously narrow in terms of who it allows into its realm. And it exemplifies the idea that if people have someone to look up to, which she points out she didn’t have when it came to modelling, it can make a world of difference.

Harlow’s desire to broaden perceptions is also evident in her downtime activities; one of her favourite stress relievers is spending time with a colouring book. “Disney princesses are my thing,” she says. “I do my own takes on them. I like to make them ethnic or Black, because there wasn’t a Black Disney princess for a very long time. I like to switch it up and make a character be from a different race or have different hair — give her a pink lace-front wig instead of black or blond flowing hair. I’ve done pink ombré wigs myself — I want to see myself as a Disney princess as well.”

Photograph by GREG SWALES. Dress, $1,995, Dion Lee. Earrings, $1,005, Alexander McQueen. Necklace, $340, Misho. Rings, from $2,140, Lillian Shalom.

As imaginative as her approach can sometimes be, Harlow is also quick to highlight the importance of keeping ideas and admiration grounded in reality. “I don’t personally believe in role models, because a role model by definition is someone who’s put on a pedestal and looked at as something that’s not even human,” she notes. “We are all humans…. You can’t think that anyone in the world is perfect, and that’s what that ideal of a role model suggests. I look at people off the pedestal and think that we are all equal. It’s more about inspiration.” And that’s something that Harlow, more than most, knows a thing or two about.

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Photography by GREG SWALES. Styling by CHRIS HORAN. Creative direction by GEORGE ANTONOPOULOS. Hair by ALEXANDER ARMAND. Makeup by ADAM BURRELL for The Only Agency. Nails by JOLENE BRODEUR for Aprés Nail. Fashion assistant: LAUREN JEWORSKI. 

The post Winnie Harlow Talks Ontario Beginnings and Opening the Door for Others appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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