Source: Fashion 18 (Online & Print Archives)
Photography: Paul Alexander
Styling: Tammy Eckenswiller
In Spring 2006, the cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation took over Fashion 18. The issue hit newsstands on March 5, 2006, featuring Cassie Steele and Miriam McDonald on the cover. While the print magazine showcased the girls in “Prom Style” dresses, the online coverage provided exclusive “Girl Talk” interviews and outtakes that didn’t make the newsstand cut.
Below is the complete archive of the interviews for Cassie Steele, Stacey Farber, Lauren Collins, Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, and Miriam McDonald.
Cassie Steele (Manny Santos)
“Girl Talk: Spring Cover Girl”
The Context:
The ultra-cool girls of Degrassi agreed to glam it up for us in the spring season’s hottest look: the dress. While they ogled the dozens of shoes, tables of jewellery, and racks of cute dresses at the photo shoot, we cornered each of them for some fun girl talk.
Showed Up Wearing:
Aldo stiletto boots; Levi’s jeans; dark brown belt with sparkly buckle; a hoodie; dark brown T-shirt sporting Toxic logo; hair worn up in a loose, feminine bun.
Spring/Summer Plans:
“Going somewhere hot for spring break—maybe Hawaii.”
Fave Music of the Moment:
The Jesus and Mary Chain, the Doors, the Gorillaz.
Her Idea of a Romantic Date:
“Spending the day doing an activity—like in the winter it’d be skating—then going to any restaurant and stuffing your face, then having hot chocolate, then falling asleep together on the couch watching TV.”
Still Dreams Of:
“A feature film scene. I want to start doing movies and more acting. I’m always looking for something bigger. Keep your fingers crossed that a Degrassi movie is just down the line.”
Books Recently Read:
Memoirs of a Geisha and A Million Little Pieces.
About Sports:
Likes shinny hockey in the winter, pickup football and swimming in the summer. She’s casually athletic.
Spotlight Dope:
“Getting your hair and makeup done for you—you just look better than you usually do. You feel pampered.”
Spotlight Downer:
“Early call times—they suck.”
Stacey Farber (Ellie Nash)
“Girl of Style”
The Context:
The fashionable Stacey Farber showed up ready to chat.
Showed Up Wearing:
Her grandmother’s vintage pumps (“I have lots of my grannie’s vintage clothes and shoes”); Tsubi black jeans with ankle zippers (“They’re Australian but we need them in Canada—you can’t get them here”); Polo Sport blue pinstripe men’s shirt; Urban Outfitters black vest; two bangles from her mom and one from a store in California; her mom’s 1980s pin; Tallulah Babaton jacket from Aritzia.
Spring/Summer Plans:
“This is the first summer I don’t have plans. For spring break the whole family is going to Vegas for my mom Rachel’s ‘20th’ birthday. I’ve heard stores there are open until midnight—I can’t gamble, but I can shop!”
Fave Music:
I Am Me by Ashlee Simpson, The Best of Michael Jackson, Monkey Business by the Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani.
Her Idea of a Romantic Date:
“It sounds cliché but dinner and a movie. It’s relaxing and entertaining—and when you leave the movie it gives you stuff to talk about.”
About Sports:
“I’m the least athletic person in the world. I wish I could be disciplined enough to go to the gym. I love to watch lacrosse (she’s a Toronto Rock fan)—it’s fast and they also play music during the game.”
Spotlight Dope:
“I love the free travel—we (select Degrassi cast) do these mall tours across Canada and the U.S. (Hawaii and Orlando, Florida are favourite spots).”
Spotlight Downer:
“Reading the horrible things people write about you on the Internet. Though there are also nice things written too.”
Lauren Collins (Paige Michalchuk)
“Girl Chat: The 411 on Lauren Collins”
The Context:
Lauren Collins is keeping busy.
Showed Up Wearing:
Brown leather pumps from Value Village; stocking leg warmers (“My secret to wearing pumps in winter”); Fidelity jeans; H&M black tank top; Hanes white boybeater; Diesel jacket; necklace from Sugar; hair worn natural (she has extensions).
Spring/Summer Plans:
“Hope to go to L.A. for a while to see what it’s like, take up temporary residence.” She’ll probably stay there after heading down in March for the film premiere of Take the Lead, starring Antonio Banderas, in which she has a role.
Fave Music of the Moment:
The Starz, Tegan and Sara, Broken Social Scene, Feist.
Her Idea of a Romantic Date:
“Talking with the person. Nothing schmaltzy or sucky-sucky—just hanging out and being normal.”
Book Recently Read:
“Just reread The Great Gatsby—I love it. Every time you reread a book you take something different from it.”
Spotlight Dope:
“That I just walk in and there are hundreds of dresses and a table with shoes to play with—it’s so much fun! It’s also fun pretending to be other people. And the travelling—there’s so much to be thankful for.”
Spotlight Downer:
“The actual filming process isn’t very glamorous. You wake up at five in the morning. Spend 14 hours on set, often filming outside in the freezing cold or boiling heat. There are a lot of things people don’t realize about this job.”
Sarah Barrable-Tishauer (Liberty Van Zandt)
“Degrassi’s Darling”
The Context:
Sarah Barrable-Tishauer is a regular fashion pro it would seem. The actress showed up to our FASHION18 photo shoot lugging a suitcase full of shoes because she knew it would be challenging to get shoes to fit her larger-than-average-size feet.
Showed Up Wearing:
Diesel jeans; glittery tank top; Swatch watch (“I have four and I’m collecting”); a necklace worn as a bracelet bought at a summer fair in northern Ontario; a ring purchased in Hong Kong; a vintage jacket; a head scarf bought in Venice, Italy; shoes from Sears (“My Minnie Mouse shoes”).
Spring/Summer Plans:
For spring break she’s “probably going with Mom to London—my mom is British. It’s such a vibrant city. Or maybe Madrid. I like metropolitan cities. You can walk everywhere, see things, connect with people.”
Fave Music:
Arcade Fire, Madonna, Coldplay, the Starz.
Her Idea of a Romantic Date:
“Definitely a night at the theatre… Then after, you can have a good discussion.”
About Sports:
“I was always an artsy-fartsy person,” she laughs.
Spotlight Dope:
“Doing stuff like this fashion shoot: it’s fun to get an opportunity like this, to be pampered and choose clothes… And, as an actor, nothing is better than being on a good TV show.”
Spotlight Downer:
“When you’re in the public eye there’s a certain responsibility to always look great and not allow yourself to have a bad day… And also to not do anything stupid in public because you’re a role model.”
Miriam McDonald (Emma Nelson)
“Degrassi’s Miriam McDonald”
The Context:
Here’s the scoop on this month’s F18 cover girl, Miriam McDonald.
Showed Up Wearing:
Tan Frye Harness boots; True Religion jeans; T-shirt with Rolling Stones logo; paint-splotched powder blue Grail hoodie with skull detail; gold angel wing earrings (“I love these—I live in them”) and necklace, both Urban Outfitters; hair worn down and natural.
Spring/Summer Plans:
Hopes to hit L.A. for spring break to hang with some friends: “It would be the first time I’d be there for fun.”
Fave Music of the Moment:
Madonna’s Confessions on a Dancefloor, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morissette. She also likes Dave Matthews Band and Shakira. “Cassie and I are crazy about Shakira—we’ll dance around while we’re doing our hair and makeup and drive everyone crazy.”
Her Idea of a Romantic Date:
“In a perfect world a romantic date would be a really nice dinner, a walk on a beach, going to listen to some really good live music then going dancing—the ideal setting would be Hawaii.”
Still Dreams Of:
“There are three things I still want to try: surfing, drumming and travelling.”
On Sports:
“I like tennis, but I’ve danced all my life—ballet, tap and jazz. I want to try tango or salsa next.”
Why She Loves Acting:
“It’s an outlet where you can exude charisma and confidence without coming off as cocky.”
Spotlight Dope:
“Having the opportunity to inspire people or spark something inside people if they see a performance and it inspires them. Also the opportunities to do things like this—fashion photo shoots—and travel.”
Spotlight Downer:
“It forces you to keep a guard up sometimes… You also become self-conscious about your public antics to avoid gossip.”
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