Keynote Speaker

lauren festa

writer/designer/student/trendhunter
Articles
18
Views
131,000
Location
TORONTO
Member Since
Nov 2009
If part-time was a profession, Lauren would be C.E.O. – P/T/ muse, model, bartender, fashion/costume designer, blogger, student, DJ, (oh my, the list continues). Fond of reading and writing, she's currently studying the inner workings of the magazine and publishing industries. Looking for an internship, a member of ed2010, and a recent trendhunter. A lover of art, Europe, and anything expensive, Lauren can't live without these four c's – coffee, cigarettes, champange and chocolate. Beware the observant eye behind plastic-framed glasses.

What is unique that's not in your bio?
I am not a natural blond.
What's your favorite accomplishment?
I hate accomplishment. It's the definate end of a process. The process is the learning, mistake making, chaotic mess that makes doing anything worth it. Check the box, and move (or dance) on.
How do you define cool?
It's an essence of something. It's something people can relate to, for a billion reasons. Like the sun. The sun is cool, because we all need it, for different reasons and seasons. But that is just one example. It can be in so many things/people/places. If you can recognize it, then you know. If you can't, well, it can't be taught.
What is your secret to uncovering trends?
Observation. I'm like a scientist.
What do you enjoy most about Trend Hunter?
Finding things that make me go ooh, aah, err and wow.
What is your favorite trend?
Still hunting.
What are your tips for writing a juicy post?
It's like farming; pick the fruit before it ripens. Plant the seed. Watch it grow. Harvest. Repeat.
How do you reset to be creative?
It's a lifestyle. 24/7 job, with little pay and no perks. The best.
What inspires or excites you?
Everything. Dirt. The Louvre. Things that glow. And anything shiny, of course.
Predict something awesome for 2020?
World peace sounds pretty awesome.
Controversial Game Rooms
Controversial Game Rooms
The Jonathan Hobin 'In the Playroom' Series Depicts Political Events
Critics are buzzing about a new art series entitled 'In the Playroom' by Jonathan Hobin. Although its title may sound simplistically innocent, the photo series actually features depictions of political… MORE
Stop Motion T-Shirt Wars
Stop Motion T-Shirt Wars
Stop motion is nothing new, and neither is war (unfortunately), but war is made to look almost cool with the help of stop motion technology, 222 T-shirts, 2 days, and 2 dudes who made a youtube video.… MORE
Saucy Wordvertising
Saucy Wordvertising
Cheeky Valentines Day Ads by RobertRedd.com
Anti-Valentines day parties are all the rage. Or maybe you are one of those romantic types who can’t wait to be showered in chocolate, flowers and red foil (maybe massage oil)? This ad for RobertRedd.com… MORE
Camel Burgers
Camel Burgers
Fat-Free Beef Alternative at Local House in Dubai
Unsure about having fries with that? Now burger-lovers have another choice to make: beef, veggie or camel burgers? Yes, the newest menu addition on Dubai-restaurant menus is said to be ‘fat-free’ and… MORE
Emotional Fembots
Emotional Fembots
Roxxxy is a Talking, Life-Sized Lady Friend
Blow up dolls are amusing. They also come in handy for a futile attempt at replacing a girlfriend to cuddle with at night. They also prove as inspiring, at least for one man, named Douglas Hines, the creator… MORE
Indoor Graffiti
Indoor Graffiti
Street Art Heads Indoors for an Edgy Design Touch
This indoor graffiti lets you take urban cityscapes home with you. Interior designers are increasingly getting inspired by urban street art, recreating that edgy vibe indoors. With indoor graffiti, walls… MORE
Beer Biking
Beer Biking
Ale & Karaoke Rides in Amsterdam (Where Else?)
While wisdom tells us “if you drink, don’t drive,” Amsterdam youth have thrown caution to the wind, quite literally, whilst on their bicycles. If you love beer and biking, why not go beer biking? What… MORE
Bacon Ice Cream
Bacon Ice Cream
Bob Blumer's Smokey Frozen Dessert Concoction
What’s better than a pig in mud? A pig in ice cream! At least, that’s what Bob Blumer thinks. His tasty creation of bacon ice cream is a mix of sweet and salty, a tantalizing combination for the taste… MORE
Firing False Fatties
Firing False Fatties
Ralph Lauren Accused of Terminating Fillippa Hamilton for her Weight
A recent ad for a luxury fashion brand has sparked a crowd of angry protesters and left a super model out of a job. And all for the sake of photoshop beauty. Ralph Lauren, a mulit-billion dollar fashion… MORE
Edible Dinner Plates
Edible Dinner Plates
Design Professor Diane Bisson Creates Delicious Tableware
Have your plate and eat it too! Mother and industrial design professor at The Universite de Montreal, Diane Bisson, had the idea of inventing an edible plate when she was dropping her son off at school… MORE
Impoverished Orchestras
Impoverished Orchestras
‘Youth Orchestra of Haiti' Helps Youth Thanks to Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean, OA and Yele Hati have come together to form a program that gives the gift of classical music to underprivilaged children in the Carribean. “Youth Orchestra of Haiti” is that growing group… MORE
Grotesque Board Games
Grotesque Board Games
Scabs and Guts is a Bloody Good Time for the Entire Family
If you aren’t the type to settle for the usual fare when it comes to board games (Monopoly, Scategories, Balderdash) which can leave us bored rather than stimulated, how about playing with Scabs and Guts?… MORE
Water Instruments
Water Instruments
The Hydraulophone Uses Fluids to Make Music
The hydraulophone water instrument is probably one of the most innovative, if not coolest, instruments I’ve seen or heard in a long time. It's a tonal acoustic instrument that is played by having direct… MORE
Canadian Indie Fashion
Canadian Indie Fashion
The Independent Designers Outlet in Toronto Carries 8 Labels
At just seven months old, IDO is thriving. Located at 1418 Dundas St. W in Toronto, the Independent Designers Outlet sits among cafes, art galleries and cake shops. The fashion eclecticism in-store is… MORE
Chicken Wire Dresses
Chicken Wire Dresses
Sophie DeFrancesca Chooses an Unlikely Medium for her Attire
Sophie DeFrancesca ‘stitches’ together galvanized steel, as a seamstress would fabric. Both create amazing works of fashion, although DeFrancesca’s is one for visual pleasure only. The metal sculptures… MORE
Basement Boutiques
Basement Boutiques
Iqbal's Underground Fashion Trends from Lahore, Karachi
Teacher by day, designer by night, Iqbal started her fashion business our of her Richmond Hill, Ontario home just 15 months ago. Catering to Pakistani women, her basement boutique is among a new wave of… MORE
Photoshop Defenders
Photoshop Defenders
Demi Moore Takes Down the Hip Doctoring Rumor
Moore hips, please! Even Demi Moore has fat days, but it’s no reason to believe that her hips were ‘doctored’ in a photo spread for W magazine, for which she appears on the cover. The photo in question… MORE
DIY Flash Sites
DIY Flash Sites
Wix.com Lets You Make Free Flash Websites
What’s better than an awesome website builder? An awesome FREE website builder! Wix.com lets you create your own blog, but unlike blogger.com and wordpress.com, it lets you create your own free flash… MORE