What does it mean to be an influencer? How do ideas become reality and creativity become innovation? This short film aims to capture the essence of influence. PS. It's fantastic.

Rosemarie Umetsu and Diana Di Mauro - Photo by Enzo Di Mauro

There are few things I love more than music and fashion, as you may have guessed, so when the fabulously talented and classical music loving designer Rosemarie Umetsu got ahold of me to cover both the reopening of her Atelier on Davenport Road and the launch of Soundstreams Encore, who was I to refuse? I took a video of the evening that features an interview with Rosemarie about her fashion designs, an interview with Soundstreams Founder and Artistic Director Lawrence Cherney about his work and music in Toronto, and a bunch of info about Encore. I think it's a fun initiative that will help draw younger audiences to more creative musical programming. Percussionist Ryan Scott did a very unique demonstration and had a special surprise for all the guests. A surprise that had me giggling with delight, that's for sure.

Video footage by Enzo Di Mauro

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I absolutely love visiting art galleries, and when I travel I make a point of exploring the artistic treasures hidden in local collections. On the days when my passport is not in hand, and the Canadian winter has snowed me in, I can now visit my favourite pieces of art almost anywhere in the world thanks to the Google Art Project.

Google Art Project is a culturati version of Google Street View. You can navigate your way through archways and over hard wood floors rather than over asphalt and concrete. Step into the MoMa, The National Gallery, The Uffizi and many more of the world's top galleries and take a lasting look at the gorgeous high definition photographs of each piece. You can also create a personal artwork collection featuring your favouries. It's a lazy traveller's dream.

Check out the behind the scenes footage of how they developed Google Art Project above, and the have a look around your favourite gallery here.

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Mark S. Doss performs Escamillo's Todeador Song at the Florentine Opera Company 75th Anniversary Concert and Celebrations May 23, 2009

*Updated Friday February 25, 2011 - Mark's signature role is Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust, not the title role in Boito's Mefistofeles, as I had originally indicated.*

Everyone has been buzzing about the COC's new season announcement, and I am just as excited as the next girl to watch Saariaho's Love From Afar, and see Susan Graham, Russell Braun and Adrienne Pieczonka perform. Another name that keeps coming up is Mark S.Doss. He has won a Grammy award for a 1993 recording of Semele featuring Kathleen Battle, and will be performing tonight at Opera Tampa's "A Night of Stars" honouring Placido Domingo.

I am honored to be performing on this very special evening as Opera Tampa pays tribute to Plácido Domingo...I am also quite excited to be preparing my selections with Sherrill Milnes, for whom I first sang the Toréador Song from Carmen during a Master Class when I was in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s training program.

Doss made his La Scala debut in 2004 as Escamillo in Carmen, and has appeared in the roles of Amonasro in Verdi's Aida at La Scala, Jochanaan in Strauss's Salome at Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, and began singing his signature role of Méphistophélès in Gounod's Faust, more than 25 years ago and has since been cast in this part by numerous leading opera companies around the world.

Mark S. Doss will be appearing as Thoas in the COC's fall production of Gluck's Iphigenia in Tauris alongside Susan Graham and Russell Braun.

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After The Hills there were the Kardashians, after the Kardashians? Diana Damrau. Our favourite German Coloratura officially has her own reality show. Well, actually more like a reality episode. The one hour documentary followed Damrau over nine months and gives the viewer a rare glimpse into the life of an artist of her calibre. Oh, did I mention it's in French. C'est la vie. 

ARTE TV will broadcast Divine Diva on Feb 21, but because everyone hates to wait, art lIfe and stilettos has the whole thing for you to watch after the jump, but first, here is what ARTE TV had to say about Divine Diva:

From Geneva to New York during his recitals and recording sessions, a portrait of the singer Diana Damrau, at the height of glory.

At the age of 12, when she saw La Traviata filmed by Franco Zeffirelli, that little Diana decides to become a singer. Maybe then she dreamed of one day singing with Placido Domingo in front of millions of viewers? A dream came true in 2006 during the opening ceremony of World Cup football: Diana Damrau and his idol interpreted together the "Brindisi" from Verdi's opera ... Onstage and backstage, but also in his family life in Geneva, the director followed for nine months that the German newspapers call "the best soprano of the moment," his immense vocal qualities are projected onto the big stage in the world .

Continue to watch Divine Diva - Diana Damrau

Here is a preview of what looks to be a very interesting documentary on the craft of men's suit tailoring. The doc looks at a group of tailors in Naples, Italy who still hand stitch each custom suit for their customers. This is one of the remaining instances of skilled sewing and design taking place in Italy by Italians, since some high end designers have traded their local atelier for off-shore production, while others have instead opted to employ illegal immigrants in Italy, for the sake of the "Made in Italy" label.  I still love me some designer goods though...

The music is fabulous, as is the cinematography. Directed by Gianluca Migliarotti of Kid Dandy.

The Simpsons fans, have no fear. Your favourite cartoon family has been renewed for its 23rd season. That means that by the end of next season The Simpsons will have produced 515 episodes.

As always, many high profile guest voices will be joining in this season, including Halle Berry, Katy Perry, Ricky Gervais, and Jon Hamm.

I’d like to see another Sideshow Bob opera, I absolutely loved Italian Bob.  Above is a clip of Krusty the Clown as Pagliaccio, singing his version of Vesti la giubba from the opera I Pagliacci.

Con affetto,

Take me to New York right now! The MoMA is currently running a career retrospective exhibition of Tim Burton's artwork and designs.

In the above clip Burton discusses his body of work, the inner workings of his mind and growing up watching monster movies. He let's us know that the circular dynamic of striped socks both calms and grounds him, and "the word normal always scared me because that indicated something that was quite subversively terrifying in some way."

Lady GaGa is a brilliant image maker, artist, and performer. She is changing the face of the mainstream as we know it, ushering the avant garde. Welcome to Art, Life, and Stilettos. Killer.