Frances

Frances: "My style is a lot everything -- colour, glitter and metal. As a non-binary trans person, I think I'm inspired by androgynous models like Grace Jones, Jenny Shimizu, Casey Legler and Erika Linder who have definitely broken down some fashion walls and made fashion feel more accessible to me."

TorontoVerve: "What's your biggest regret in life?"

Frances: "I don't think I have any -- I think everything brought me to where I am now."

Frances designs her own jewellery and you can check out her cool creations on her website.

Katie

"My summer style is usually rock 'n' roll, but today I'm looking kinda sharp wearing this fluorescent jacket. And to mess things up a bit, I'm wearing a netted punk tank top. I got my Wonder Woman cuffs on because I always wear them. I broke my foot that's why I have the big boot, but I'm happy at least that it's black and matches my black shoes."

Katie is an illustrator and you can check out her Facebook and Twitter to view her drawings, which she describes as "dark, but I'm trying to lighten them up."

We previously captured Katie's mod and boyish street styles.

Heather

Heather: "I scavenge for fashion. I find a lot of things at thrift stores. I love to shop at Goodwill. It's better to reuse and recycle and it goes to a good cause. I often find stuff at the back of my closet that I forgot I had. I get a lot of inspiration from watching old movies and Mad Men."

TorontoVerve: "What's your favourite memory in life?"

Heather: "Probably when my sister lived at Ossington and Bloor. We used to walk around in the early summer evenings and buy little potatoes from the Portuguese markets and talk. It was a nice simple time."

We previously shot Heather's vintage glam 2 years ago on Bloor Street West.

Matty

"My style is psyche-funka-not-normal-delic. Jimi Hendrix and George Clinton inspire me. Their style is just different. They do their own thing and I respect people who do their own thing and not follow anybody else."

We captured Matty's funky street style 2 years ago just around the corner.

Daria

"My style is simple basics and interchangeable -- nothing fancy."

Daria is the manager of GotStyle Menswear Store.

Follow Daria on Instagram at @MsDariaT.

Stella

Stella: "My style can be described as 'sports-goth'. Singer Debbie Harry is a big inspiration. I think she's cool." 

 

TorontoVerve: "What's your biggest regret in life?" 

Stella: "I don't think I have regrets that stand out actually. There are things that I wish I could redo, but you learn from everything, don't you?"

TorontoVerve: "What do you wish you could redo?"

Stella: "I had a friend who died and we weren't talking at the time."

TorontoVerve: "And you wish you could go back and repair your friendship?"

Stella: "Yeah or I wish I was kinder."

Megan

"I switch up my style a lot. Everyday is totally different. Today my hair is inspired by Harajuku. How I look depends on which party I'm going to. Rihanna inspires me. She's unique and edgy. I'm also obsessed with London fashion. I just moved back here from England. I love cropped tops and drop-crotch pants."

Claudia

Claudia: "My style is very simple. I like having a pop of something like big earrings, sunglasses or a cool jacket. Actress Zoë Kravitz is a big influence of mine. I just love her. Her style is effortless. She wears distressed clothing, but it still looks good. It's homeless chic."

TorontoVerve: "What's your biggest regret in life?"

Claudia: "I guess associating myself with negative people. It's important to stay positive because positively attracts healthy people."

Tara

Tara: "I don't even know what my style is. Actually, I'm not wearing what I usually wear. Right now, I'm wearing a nightgown. I usually wear a lot of fluorescent because I live in New Orleans and there's a lot of colourful flowers there."

TorontoVerve: "What's your biggest regret in life?"

Tara: "I don't know what my biggest regret is. I generally do what I feel makes sense. I can't even be like 'I wish I had dropped out of school earlier and travelled the world.' No, I already did that. 'I wish I took more risks without fearing being poor.' Already did that. I think I'm doing pretty good. I have few regrets. I just follow my intuition and it hasn't led me astray yet."

Nicollette

"My style is whatever goes with my mood and right now I'm into sneakers and dresses. I don't have any particular fashion icons. I'm influenced by everybody on the street. Everyone has their own unique style and I like to take a borrow a little bit here and there, but put my own personal spin on things."

Sam

Sam: "Today my style is work-oriented. This is what I wear at MAC Cosmetics. I get inspiration from the street. When I like someone's style, I pick it up and put it together. Things that I love from the past, I bring back and mix it up with what's fashionable today."

TorontoVerve: "What's your biggest regret in life?"

Sam: "Not finishing school. I'm a beauty school drop out (laughs)."

TorontoVerve: "Why did you quit school?"

Sam: "I was modelling. I finished school early because I wanted to model internationally and I did."

TorontoVerve: "Any plans to go back."

Sam: "Yes, I'm back right now."

Cleo

Cleo: "My style has no primary colours. They're too garish. I'm influenced by a Jewish rapper from New York named Despot. He's the most stylish man in the world. He inspires me to go out there and take the next step. He looks amazing all the time."

TorontoVerve: "I see you're taking photos today."

Cleo: "Yes. This is my Pentax K-1000. It's straight film -- no digital. I had a blog for a while, but then I hurt my back and I couldn't take pictures for a long time. I'm sorta getting back into it."

TorontoVerve: "What kind of photos do you take?"

Cleo: "Street photography. People. Situations. I like small, quaint everyday ironies."

Check out Cleo's charming ironies on her website The Photographic Abject.

Follow Cleo on Twitter.

Yuan

Yuan's elegant street style caught my attention as she confidently cycled through the busy College Street traffic. "My style is classic, vintage and chic," she said. Before packing away my camera, I couldn't help but also notice the many cuts and scraps on her arm and leg.

TorontoVerve: "What happened?"

Yuan: "It happened a week ago after I just returned home from my honeymoon. I bought these Havalanas flip-flops that were a little too big. As I was biking North on Dundas from Queen, one of my flip-flops slipped off and got caught in my bicycle chain. I lost control, keeled over and scrapped my whole right side. I cried like a baby."

TorontoVerve: That's terrible."

Yuan: "I'm trying to cover up my cuts in a creative way with my wardrobe now. I wouldn't normally wear this dress when it's so hot outside."

TorontoVerve: "Were you wearing your helmet at the time?"

Yuan: "No."

TorontoVerve: "So I guess you're wearing a helmet today because you've learned from the experience."

Yuan: "Yes, I try to always wear a helmet - plus it looks cute."

TorontoVerve: "Did any good samaritans help you?"

Yuan: Yeah, pedestrians really surprised me. Some people think that Torontonians don't care about each other. They got me water and a first aid kit. It was great."

TorontoVerve: "Any tips for anybody wearing flip-flops on a bike?"

Yuan: "Yeah, don't (laughs).

TorontoVerve made #7 on Street Style News Daily Most Popular: http://www.streetstylenews.com/most-popular-july-13-2014/

Alexis

Alexis: "My style can be described as hippy-prairie girl."

TorontoVerve: "What's your biggest fear in life?"

Alexis: "To be erased from this Earth and be forgotten. I want to do something epic and always be remembered."

TorontoVerve: "Do you have any plans to make that happen?"

Alexis: "No, not yet (laughs), but I'm working on it. Oh, my friends and I began an Instagram account: @416Adventures. That's going to be our legacy."

Asheda

Asheda: "My style is 'New World Africa.' I'm inspired by my mother and the I - Threes. They are my style icons. I love how they can be conservative and sexy at the same time. All of them are really powerful in their own way and they are able to exude an understated confidence with their presence."

TorontoVerve: "What's your biggest regret in life?"

Asheda: "When I was younger, I was really passionate about studying music and performing, but my mother convinced me to not pursue it and just go to school."

TorontoVerve: "You can still get into music."

Asheda: "Yes, I know, but I still wonder how things would have turned out."

TorontoVerve: "You say that like you're an old person. It's not too late."

Asheda: "No, you're right. It's not too late (laughs). I'm going to try."

Neesha

Neesha: "My style is a mix of preppy and boho. Model Alexa Chung inspires me because her style is very simple and elegant."

TorontoVerve: "What's the best advice you've received and from whom?"

Neesha: "My boyfriend told me when opportunity knocks, be prepared."

TorontoVerve made #7 on Street Style News Daily Most Popular: http://www.streetstylenews.com/most-popular-july-10-2014/

Montina

"My style is wannabe-boho chic."

Montina is a visual-artist and describes her art as "very surreal, colourful, expressive and focusses on the female figure." Check out her Facebook to see her cool creations.

Toby Mottershead of Black Diamond Express

Toby: "I like the 20's, 30's and 40's style. The way the men dressed back then wasn't just an image, it was kind of a way of life. Gentlemanly conduct -- men opened doors for ladies. I'm inspired by classic jazz musicians like Django Reinhardt,  Duke Ellington and Miles Davis. Also, sharp looking guys from the 40's and 50's like Bogie and Sinatra. They kinda look like their socks don't smell."

TorontoVerve: "What's the best advice you've ever received and from whom?"

Toby: "The Dali Lama said 'never give up.' Just keep on. That's pretty good advice. We got to play for the Dali Lama in Edinburgh when he was there a few years ago."

Toby fronts for the band Black Diamond Express who were in town to play the NXNE Music Festival and the retro-style is clearly a band favourite with both their look and sound.

Toby: "Musically we take from the old-time American and Celtic roots and we put it together with a big 8-piece band. We take influences and inspiration from that era and we play it with the awareness of everything that's passed -- all the crazy music that's been and gone. We try to do it our way and stay true to our roots and look forward."

Visit Black Diamond Express' website to check out their videos, music and photos.

Follow the band on Twitter and Facebook.

Loni

Loni: "I like very tailored masculine pieces with a little bit of a feminine edge."

TorontoVerve: "What's the best advice you've received?"

Loni: "Not to take life too seriously. I used to be a pretty uptight and driven person. Now I'm starting to enjoy things more. Today I'm riding my bike with my cast doing whatever I can."

Marie

When I met Marie on Queen Street West, she was surrounded by a ton of luggage, waiting for a friend to take her to Pearson Airport. Since January, she had been living in Toronto for an internship and today she was flying back to her hometown in Northern Sweden.

Last year, I captured the magnificent street style of Stockholm and I couldn't resist asking her what she thought about Toronto Fashion. "Actually, I think we're better," she reluctantly responds. "I like European style more. I can't really explain why, but there's something definitely different about it."

Bisera

Bisera: "I couldn't describe my style, but if I had to, I'd call it the gypsy look. It's all about my mood. I'm having fun. My mom is my inspiration. She's just like me, but I'm a little funkier."

TorontoVerve: "What's the biggest lesson you've learned in life?"

Bisera: "To be honest. I made mistakes by trusting people and being too honest, but I still think honesty is the best policy. I'll never give that up."

We also captured Bisera's street style last summer.

Mike

"I just have whatever I need and throw it on. My girlfriend buys a lot of my clothes."

Mike is an animation designer and you can check out his work on his website. "I've draw a lot of cartoons," he explains. "But I've been branching off towards more realism and watercolour paintings."

Catherine

"My style is a mix of hand-me-downs and whatever I can find in thrift stores."

Stop the Presses!

Our banner is prominently featured in a student fashion textbook entitled "The World of Fashion!"

So proud!

A big thanks to all the models who appeared in our photo (Left to Right): Myles Sexton, Tennille Read, Laura Desiree, Asante Tracey, Lauren Pettigrew, Rudy Lee, Mariko Lauren & Richard Kikot!

Haseeb

Haseeb: "My style is relatively modern, but I like the old-school stuff. I try to blend them both together. As you can see I have the double-breasted suit on because I like the 70's retro look. Plus the suit is trim; hence, the modern style. I'm inspired by the Roger Sterling character from Mad Men because he wears fancier suits instead of your standard 2-button ones."

TorontoVerve: "What's the best advice you've ever received and from whom?"

Haseeb: "From my dad. He told me to be responsible."

TorontoVerve: "Are you taking your dad's advice?"

Haseeb: "I'm trying (laughs)."

Haseeb is the Assistant-Manager and Style-Consultant at Surmesur on Queen Street East. When it comes to recommending the perfect suit for his customers, he says "I work with need and want and try to compromise them both together."

Christine & Saira

Christine: "My sister really inspires my style. We tend to bounce fashion ideas off each other a lot."

Saira: "It depends on our mood."

Christine: "Yes, it's definitely mood-based. I don't even look at fashion magazines anymore to get inspiration."

Saira: "She'll come up with something and I'll go "ohhhh" and then I'll come  up with something and she'll go "ohhhh," and then we build on that. We have a whole bedroom…"

Christine: "Ok, we have a 2-bedroom apartment and one of the bedrooms is our closet (laughs)."

Saira: "We collect a lot of clothes (laughs)."

Christine: "We're hoarders (laughs)."

Saira: "No, we appreciate interesting things."

Like her sister, Christine is an artist and paints portraits and flowers. "But they're not normal portraits," as Saira says. "Christine has a definite style. When she captures a person, it's not realism or boring at all. It's very interesting."

Christine: "Ok, stop it (laughs)."

Saira: "She's also moving to Dubai."

TorontoVerve: "When are you moving to Dubai?"

Christine: "Next month for just a year. I'm going to be a flight attendant."

TorontoVerve: "So what inspired you guys to wear what you're wearing today?"

Saira: "This actually wasn't what I was going to originally wear, but my sister changed her outfit because of her mood. So then we decided to wear something similar."

Christine: "I was a little bit moody today."

Saira: "She's wearing pink eye shadow. She didn't want to wear it."

Christine: "She totally talked me into it (laughs)."

TorontoVerve: "And what are you guys up to tonight?"

Saira: "We're going to see a musical artist called Mo Kenney at the Horseshoe. I just styled and did her make-up for her to take press release photos."

TorontoVerve: "What's the best advice you guys received?"

Saira: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Christine: "And we were talking about this before: if it happens once, ok -- if it happens twice, then it's going to happen a third time. So watch out (laughs)."

We previously captured Christine's Spring street style in 2012 and Saira's street style 3-times before. Until this day, we didn't know that they were sisters. Small world.

* * *

WorldPride 2014 Toronto Street Style

Toronto's 34th annual WorldPride festival draws to a close today and to mark the occasion we're showcasing some of the extraordinary street styles that have graced Church Street.

Gabby

Gabby: "When I was a kid in Guatemala, I always wanted to be a woman. It was really hard to live there because it's all about being macho. My brother would beat me up a lot. I couldn't wait to turn 18 years old and move away from there to live my own life."

TorontoVerve: "Do you dress like this often or is it just for Pride?

Gabby: "It depends on my mood in the morning, but inside I feel like a woman. I am a woman. It's very hard for trans people because we get harassed every single day. You have no idea how many men I have to fight. They call me 'faggot' or 'freak.'"

TorontoVerve: "Is there a particular woman who inspires you?"

Gabby: "I would have to say Jennifer Lopez because she's very hot and sexy."

TorontoVerve: "What's the best advice you've ever received and from whom?"

Gabby: "From my mom. She said do whatever you want to do as long as you don't hurt people -- just be happy."

TorontoVerve: "Are you happy now?"

Gabby: "Yes, I'm very happy."

Brandon & PJay

Brandon: "This is my every day look. It's androgynous. Model and designer Jeffree Star inspires me. He's original -- a rocker with pink hair and tattoos everywhere."

PJay: "My style is eccentric and out there like Lady Gaga. She's not the same every day. Her look is different, her albums are different and her perception of the world is different. I love her."

TorontoVerve: "What's the best advice you've ever received and from whom?"

Brandon: "Every queen I've ever met from New York, London and Paris has told me 'never fucking give up.' I've never given up and I've been the most successful at the age of 22."

PJay: "Be yourself. Don't try to be something you're not. The world will see you as you see yourself."

Gracie

Gracie: "Someone once told me that my style is 'sparkle punk,' but I think it's more alternative goth-chic. I'm actually visiting here from Vancouver."

TorontoVerve: "You came down for Pride?"

Gracie: "Yes, I love it. It's just so beautiful to see so many gays and happy people. It's like the Olympics for gays. Everybody is loving everyone. People only have good things to say to one another here -- it's awesome."

Gracie owns a hair salon called Sugar Skull Studio in downtown Vancouver. Check out her Instagram @Lickrish.

Ronaldo

"I'm so happy to be here. I've been coming for 14 years. This year I'm wearing my cowgirl outfit."

Hannah

Hannah: "I just put on stuff that looks good and isn't too bright."

TorontoVerve: "What's the best advice you've ever been given?"

Hannah: "To always stay outside of your comfort zone because that's the only thing that's going to help you grow."

TorontoVerve: "Is that working for you?"

Hannah: "It is working for me. I was able to start up my own business and become one of the top North American District Managers in my industry."

Xavier & Christoph

Xavier: "This is my new revamped style. I call it 'preppy tourist.' You want to look like you're not from the place, but you also want to look educated and smart."

Christoph: "My style is a mixture of punk rock, preppy, glam and sequins -- I love to shine. I'm inspired by Michael and Janet Jackson, Aliyah and Rihanna. They're all edgy and I love their fashion."

TorontoVerve: "What is the best advice you've ever been given?"

Christoph: "To be comfortable with myself because at one point I wasn't and I needed someone to tell me that."

Xavier: "I was told not to be an attention whore and always speak my mind. It's a negative thing, but I always try to make it a positive."

Check out Xavier and Christoph's Instagram.

Laura

Shahir

"My style manifesto is to combine androgyny and mysticism. It's divine chaos. I get inspiration from queer films like Lucifer Rising. It's a problematic film, but it's aesthetically gorgeous. It merges underground queer paganism with Egyptian culture to create psychedelic and ancient art. It's very elegant and androgynous."

Steph

Steph: "I love vintage clothing. I'm wearing a Fever London dress. They're like modern-vintage. I bought it at a Goodwill for $6, but we sell it at our boutique for like $200."

TorontoVerve: "What's the best advice you've ever received and from whom?"

Steph: "I guess from my sister. She told me not to always worry about what other people are thinking."

Anne & Chinny

Anne: "My style is easy-going and androgynous."

Chinny: "My style is eclectic, fun and comfortable. David Bowie and Grace Jones inspire me. I just love their hair and make-up."

TorontoVerve: "What's the best advice you've received and from whom?"

Anne: "My mother told me to live a happy life."

Chinny: "Trying to please anyone or everyone is the key to failure."

TorontoVerve: "And who told you that?"

Chinny: "Bill Cosby."