At one point in time, I was the Fringe Arts editor of a Montreal university weekly in the mid-2000's called The Link. I got to meet and become fond friends or acquaintances with a lot of neat people, shoot the shit with them and share it through print.

Since I decided to pursue design over editorship after I graduated, use of my Q&A skill is limited to the private sphere and I've been wanting to put it out again. Now that I'm blogging, I'd like to bring that back loosely. I figured getting in touch with old and present friends and acquaintances would be a nice starting point. So, without further ado, my first guest (yeah, I'm trying fill the void Oprah left for inquisitives since her last show ever) is Reanna Evoy:

Reanna and I are neighbours and share a pet-friendly stairwell where a pug (hers) and a cat (mine) tread. If you've shopped at fashionable Canadian independent establishments and picked up a Butter Magazine, you've seen her work. If enRoute Magazine caught your attention circa the later half of the '00s because you'd never seen a travel magazine as visually engaging and current in design, she was responsible for that.  These days, Reanna's busy as Art Director for Canadian shoe company Aldo, working on "the mothership" and its latest brands Locale, Feetfirst and Call it Spring. When there's time, she posts what I consider online visual musings on her blog, Reannatime.   I check in-with her with a couple questions lightly touching on her blog, work and little things that make this lady rad. So, onward to this blog's first foray into the Q&A...

Mercedes: Who are you and what do you do?
Reanna: Hi! My name is Reanna. I'm an art director which simply translates to: I make things pretty.

Mercedes: What kind of design are you pre-disposed to?
Reanna: I'm nostalgic for eras I never lived through. Turns out I'm sucker for anything vintage. They [designers] took more risks back in the day. And I adore all things minimal and Swiss. I love understated and smart design – nothing ostentatious.

Mercedes: Any interesting developments since you started blogging? (eg. someone who saw your blog landed you a really awesome gig/ a bunch of stalkers/ exclusive membership to an online pug-owning society)
Reanna: I wish I belonged to an online pug-owning society! Mick (my pug) has gotten me some attention. I posted this cute photo of him looking at a chocolate pastry. He was nearly drooling but still cute as a button. I don't really know how, but Elle Korea asked if they could publish it. I said yes but have no idea if it really got in the magazine. How crazy is that? That same photo somehow made its way on Frankie Magazine's blog, which was totally cool since I am a giant fan. Sadly no one stalks me. I think my mom reads my blog the most. Thank goodness!

Mercedes: You take pretty neat photos, what do you use?
Reanna: I use a Canon EOS 4D. And sometimes my little Panasonic point and shoot or even my phone camera!

Mercedes: What are a few things/events/trends/memes/people/places that you're fancying at the moment?
Reanna: I love trends. I'm totally not a trendy person but I find them fascinating. I look for patterns in blogs, magazines and fashion all the time. This might sound crazy but I'm into all things classic like Greek marble busts and statues. I'm also thinking Rockabilly is going to be cool for fall (think the new Cry Baby) and teenage witchery.

I'm also listening to a lot of new music. Right now I have Metronomy on repeat. I love their song, The Look. Oh and this new guy called Zoo Kid kinda blows my mind because he's some London teenager who recorded some beautiful songs in his bedroom. I love that shit.

Mercedes: How often does what you post on your blog affect your work (if it does)? Is your blog like a brainstorm activity for potential professional projects? Or do you separate it from work?
Reanna: My blog is like a giant bookmark of all the things I love. Turns out I mostly like photography, illustration and fashion which touches my work everyday. So it's not unusual for me to reference my blog when I'm researching ideas or talent. But I try not to post too much inspiration related to work until after my ideas has come to fruition... I like to make my blog a little creative space beyond what I do everyday at the office – it's more of a true reflection of my personal aesthetic stripped from commercial realities.

Mercedes: What are the top 2-3 projects that you've worked on that you're proud of?
Reanna: I would have to say my top 3 are...
Butter Magazine. Dude, my friends and I made a fashion magazine for 5 years out of my bedroom! That's nuts!
enRoute Magazine... all 44 issues! Wow, that feels like a lifetime of magazines. Oh and working on celebrity photo shoots were always neat. William Shatner was probably the most interesting. He liked my dimples.
Locale Magazine. It's something new I'm working on twice a year at my current job. I love it to bits because it's authentic. What I mean by that is I feel like I have full creative freedom to produce a magazine from scratch. And it really comes from the heart. I hope it shows! (M's note: You can download the latest issue here.)

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Mercedes: Have you worked with notable people on the abovementioned projects?
Reanna: Oh man, I've worked with some seriously talented people. From checking out Terry Richardson on set, working with the make-up artist from Lady Gaga's Born This Way, to chilling with the production team behind the amazing Dior Homme photo shoots (not that I was involved in any Dior Homming!). It's kind of out of control because everyone is so humble and talented and I am just some girl in Montreal! It's like, Whaaa? Really? Me?

Mercedes: Favourite colour combination?
Reanna: Anything with mint green.

Mercedes: 3 blogs you go to the most/without fail?
Reanna: I have a million I read. I guess these are my faves!
www.manrepeller.com
www.fieldguided.blogspot.com
www.whatkatieate.blogspot.com
www.rulesformyunbornson.tumblr.com
www.refinery29.com

Mercedes: Your top 5 magazines?
Reanna: How about top 7! I love magazines. And I have to say I mostly like men's magazines.
Self Service
Interview
T Magazine
Lula
GQ
The Gentlewoman
Monocle

Fin.