“a Qa h RAT L - “RERCASTERS QUEER AND A an HWY Clockwise from top left: Main Street café, 49th Parallel, known for its minimalistic menu. Inspiration Furniture focuses on contempo- rary, neutral furniture. Distrikt Movement, a yoga and fitness studio in North Vancouver, styled with antique decor and solid tones. Making simplicity look good Aesthetic minimalism 1s the new wave of Vancouver branding By CLARE HENNIG inimalism, popular as a life- style choice in Vancouver for many years, has exploded across social media and made its way into the branding of busi- nesses across the city. The simple, essentials-only lifestyle is more photogenic and aesthetically- pleasing than ever. Steen Skaaning, president of Inspiration Furniture, said the trend of prioritising quality over quantity makes sense in a city like Vancouver. “It’s very popular in big cities,” said Skaaning. “[It] accommodates the tight condo living that we have here.” Skaaning said minimalism is not the same as small and it’s not just scaling down a product, but also improving the quality. “Minimalism is a way to using a re- source,” he said. “It’s making a shelf stronger so it can be smaller.” He chooses furniture with clean lines that use materials like wool and oak, a softer version of the contempo- rary look. The same trends Skaaning described in couches and curtains cross over into fashion too. “Everyone wants to do basic right now,” said Bayleigh Patron, the assis- tant manager of Aunt Leah’s Urban Thrift. She said the clothing shop is unique in that it combines up-cycling clothes for charity with following the latest trends. For now, that means minimalist pieces — simple cuts and neutral co- lours. “We're really picky, we choose the best quality,” Patron said. “We’re more of a trendy thrift store.” Fewer choices but more quality is the backbone of 49th Parallel. The sim- ply decorated café is always packed and known for two things — coffee and donuts. “Tt’s a very simple menu,” said Sofia Busse, the manager of 49th Parallel. “We’re so busy that if we had a big menu, it would be hard.” Minimalism, Skaaning said, is a form of rebellion against the establishment and a removal of all the unnecessary excess. 66 Minimal- ism is a way to using a resource STEEN SKAANING PRESIDENT OF INSPIRATION FURNITURE Managers take a slice Tips become an incentive to encourage service staff to strive for promotions By ALYSE KOTYK taurant industry might be sur- prised to discover that a portion of the tips end up in their manager’s pock- et. “Tipping out” is a common practice in restaurants where a portion of a server’s tips is distributed amongst front and back house staff. Steve Stafford, hospitality manage- ment instructor at Vancouver Commu- nity College, said it emerged to encour- age teamwork. “The tip pool, basically, was to ac- knowledge that there’s [a] team in- volved and you’re trying to get every- body to be on the same page,” he said. “Somehow, somewhere, management has gotten involved in some cases.” Stafford said that while servers might be frustrated by this policy, it’s an incentive to move into management positions. “When I was working on the floor as a server and a bartender, I always made a lot more money than I did when I went into management,” he said. “Why don’t we all want to stay as bartenders and servers where you’re making the tips?” Stafford said by email that some managers aren’t paid at a significantly higher rate than other staff because they’re “entry level” management, but will be better compensated the longer they are in the position. Simonne Kraigher, a cocktail wait- ress at The Keg on Scott Road in Sur- rey, said a percentage of her tips don’t go to her manager, but she has worked in jobs where they did. “T absolutely think that’s garbage. The servers are working for their tips — that’s essentially why you have a server job,” she said. “The restaurant should have enough money to pay their managers more.” Stafford said that a manager’s por- tion of the tips shouldn’t be a large amount. If the restaurant does tip out to managers, it should be limited to en- sure qualified people get into manage- ment. Sa new to working in the res- JESSICA PURVER photo Vancouver-based model, Destiny Millns, wears her own affordable version of ‘homeless chic,’ highlight- ed with distressed overalls. Controversial trend hits Vancouver Kanye West made “home- less fashion” famous; some say it’s a mockery of one of the city’s biggest issues By JESSICA PURVER latest controversial fashion trend to reach the streets of Vancouver. Kanye West’s fashion line YEEZY Season 3 resulted in a prominence of long sweaters, distressed jeans and shirts riddled with holes. While some consumers have em- braced this new fashion trend, others see it as a mockery of an epidemic that is widespread throughout Vancouver. Jennie Orton, communications and public relations officer of First United Church on East Hastings Street, said she believes the trend is in bad taste. “T felt that back in the 90s when her- oin chic was a thing,” said Orton. “Any- thing trying to make another person’s very legitimate suffering chic and fash- ionable in any way is distasteful and insensitive.” Orton, who works on the Downtown | H omeless chic’ is the term for the Eastside, sees first-hand the daily struggles of Vancouver’s growing homeless population. According to the Vancouver Home- less Count 2016 report, the number of homeless persons counted was 1,847, higher than any previously recorded year. “Tf people are go- ing to emulate it, they should at least have some oppor- tunity to under- stand it and em- pa - thize,” s he said. “I would hope that there would be some sense of education on the other end of it because this isn’t a lifestyle, this is a significant societal problem.” Eric Li, assistant professor of mar- keting at UBCO, said that it may repre- sent the dark side of consumerism, but controversy is a marketing tactic in the 66 fashion world and consumer culture. He said that homeless style has two sides to it. “One is more cynical, play- ing with the de- signer’s power,” he said. “They’re tak- ing advantage of the poor, so there’s negative criticism. I also think that maybe the design- ers want to send out a message.” “High fashion designers are tak- Anything trying to make another person’s very legiti- mate suf- fering chic and fash- ionable in ERIC LI Assistant profes- sor of marketing at UBCO ing their time to show off these vulner- able populations,” he said. “Maybe we need an open dialogue to talk further about this term.” Vancouver-based model and actress Destiny Millns said the trend allows her to keep her faded, ripped clothes instead of throwing them out. “The fact that it is so expensive here, it kind of gives you a little bit of an out,” she said. “So, you’re either pok- ing fun and offending people, or you’re making them feel more a part of soci- ety.” any way is distasteful and insen- sitive JENNIE ORTON COMMUNICA- TIONS AND PUBLIC RELA- TIONS OFFICER FIRST UNITED CHURCH