Deep Dish - Issue 460

Brazilian Ball

Sept 15 @ convention centre
A beautiful ending. Big money, big players, some big booties and even bigger boobies all vie for space in the massive dining room of the Metro Convention Centre for the final Brazilian Ball. It’s the perfect close to a 46-year tradition that grew from a church basement to be one of Toronto’s biggest gala fundraisers, raising more than
$57 million over the years. The event starts off on a sombre tone as Ivan de Souza speaks about how his late wife, Anna Maria’s, cancer battle changed their lives. I bawl like a baby, remembering my best friend, who lost his battle with cancer less than a year ago. But the night, like life, continues. And tonight life is good. After a scrumptious dinner in the company of MAC Cosmetics’ Philip Ing and jet-setters Miguel Martinez and Guillaume LaVoie, with live singers providing accompaniment, the much-anticipated samba parade winds through the room. With dozens of Brazilian dancers in massive feathered, beaded and sequined costumes jiggling exposed breasts, shaking muscular chests and bouncing barely contained packages, the night takes off into high gear. Though the night and the Brazilian Ball come to an end, the work and passion of Anna Maria will live on.

Fab re-vamp party

Sept 11 @ Red Bull 381 Projects
A new beginning. In case you haven’t noticed, Fab has a new editor, four new columnists,
a new logo, new layouts and, fingers crossed, a new direction that will help this former “fag rag” clean up its rep. To celebrate, we throw ourselves a decadent re-Vamp Party, venturing to Red Bull 381 Projects, somewhere between the Village and Queen West, to pat ourselves on our backs, throw back a few drinks at the open bar, schmooze with friends and watch a few shows. Performing are Fay Slift and Ivory Towers, two white queens who make their own outfits . . . but have very different dress sizes. Guests include former Fab editor Mitchel Raphael; choreographer Scott Fordham and Sheldon McIntosh, who lay claim to the dancefloor; and Neale Conway of Gotstyle. Columnist Paul Bellini is busy scoring scraps from the buffet, while creative director Lucinda Wallace and editors Phil Villeneuve,
Drew Rowsome and Lesley Fraser are swarmed by congratulators . Fab #459 also contains a most scathing letter to the editor attacking Villeneuve’s editorial capabilities. “I live for this shit,” he giggles. He’d better, because if someone isn’t criticizing Fab, then we aren’t doing our jobs.