In this exclusive series, photographer Voula Monoholias goes behind the curtain to see where and how creatives live.
This week Toronto-based Chris Kalisperas, Executive Chef of Brassaii, and Juliana Carlucci, the fashion designer behind ‘Carlucci,’ invite Monoholais into their home.
Chris, when did you know you wanted to be a chef?
CK: When I was four. I would always dress up like one. At 14, I worked part time at a diner in Toronto. I was hooked.
Juliana, when did you know that you wanted to create clothes?
JC: When I was a little girl I would make clothes for my Barbies. In middle school, it dawned on me that I could actually make a career out of it.
Chris do you have a specialty that you like to cook when friends come over?
CK: I’d rather not cook when have people over. I’d rather entertain. Juliana will usually do the cooking. Or at least, she’ll start and then, I will jump in.
Favorite city for the best eats?
CK: I love Toronto. It is so multicultural. We have the best of everything. In recent years, there has been a shift towards cautious eating. People want to know what they’re eating and where it comes from. This results in a lot of good quality options.
Juliana, where is your favorite city to observe stylish people?
JC: New York City. Style and fashion is everywhere. Here, people dress more for comfort than style. In New York it’s the opposite. I also love New York’s world-class department stores.
Juliana, where do you draw inspiration from when designing?
JC: When I discovered Valentino, I knew I wanted to design eveningwear. He is a huge inspiration. I studied at Ryerson and after school I worked in many different areas of the fashion industry. I designed everything from ladies wear to costumes to hats. It was good to gain varied experience but eveningwear, which I design now, was a definite result of my love and respect for Valentino and his work.
Juliana, what advice would you give young designers just starting out?
JC: School is very important, but hard work is critical. My advice to them is to work in various areas of the industry to get a good understanding of where they’d like to specialize and to develop their unique style.
Chris, any advice for aspiring chefs?
CK: Definitely. Make sure that it is what they want to do. It’s tough once you devote so much to something and then realize it’s not what you really want. Plus, the money isn’t great in the beginning. And if you aren’t really passionate about it, you won’t be ready to give up your evenings, weekends, holidays, your social life, basically.
Chris, what are the best things about being a chef?
CK: The food. I get to eat! I love the creative part. I love to feed people and the challenge of feeding many people at a time. It’s a great rush. I also love receiving compliments. Who doesn’t? But I equally love learning hearing about unpleasant experiences so that I can constantly improve my craft, become a better chef.
Favorite restaurants?
CK: I really enjoyed Toqué in Montreal.
JC: Brassaii, of course!
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Voula Monoholias is a contributing photographer for Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter @voulavous.
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