I had the pleasure of interviewing another great female in the Toronto scene, Catriona aka Coco from
Coco & Lowe. Last time I had interviewed her friend DJ Lissa Monet and since she had mentioned Coco it only seemed fitting to interview her.
Many of you know her from her blog, the events she throws, and maybe you have seen her in the who's who of events, but I wanted to get to know her a little bit better outside of all that. Because the fact is, she is an influence and a mover and shaker. She tells me a little about her life as a child and things that we may not already know...so have a look see into Coco's life. :)
Tsedey: When did you and Eva start cocoandlowe.com ?
Coco: We officially launched on December 11, 2008 but spent a couple of months getting it together.
Tsedey: Where did you get your name Coco?
Coco: My hilarious friend Gigi decided one day that we all needed names with two syllables so because my name starts with a C, Coco it was. Michele became Mimi and Kathleen, Kiki... If you knew Gigi it would all make sense, one of the quirkiest and sweetest people ever!
Tsedey: How did you meet Eva? And how did you guys get the idea to start a blog?
Coco: I met Eva when I was a bartender, I liked her from the moment she said hello. I owned a store at the time and needed someone to help out part time and instantly thought of Eva. We asked and she started right away. We started to realize that we were very similar in many ways, most of all in our tastes and style sensibilities. When I decided to sell my shares of my business to my partners I was kind of lost with what to do. I knew I liked to write and we both loved giving people tips on where to go and where to shop so when a friend asked us to start blogging for him we thought, why not start a blog for ourselves?
Tsedey: What was the hardest part of starting the blog?
Coco: I don't think it's hard to start a blog. Making a blog your job is a different story....
Tsedey: What is the hardest part of keeping it up?
Coco: Keeping it fresh and constantly updated.
Tsedey: What was your occupation prior to the blog?
Coco: Designer and co-owner of a clothing line and store.
Tsedey: What is your next big project? And what do you do outside of your blog?
Coco: I don't like to jinx things, so you'll see :) Outside of the blog I write and I'm working on becoming a personal trainer.
Tsedey: You have really great style where do you draw your inspiration from?
Coco: Thank you! and everywhere! I travel a lot and am pretty observant, so walking the streets and seeing how different people put things together really inspires me. I also watch every movie - new and old -(I'm obsessed) read a ton of magazines and surf fashion blogs.
Tsedey: What is your style in music?
Coco: I really do love all kinds of music. I grew up in a family where music was always present. We had family dinners almost every night, and every night music was playing in the background. My parents tastes are quite different and we were constantly exposed to new sounds and styles. Because of that, there isn't a style of music that I could say I absolutely detest. So my style would be eclectic.
Tsedey: What motto do you live your life by?
Coco: Positivity.
Tsedey: What is it like in the day in the life of Coco?
Coco: My days are all over the place depending on what's launching (we review a lot) or what event we're covering, but they almost always begin with a workout at 7 or 8am and dinner around 8:30 - if we're not at an evening event...
Tsedey: How did you meet your hubby?
Coco: At a club. Super romantic... I know....
Tsedey: How did he propose?
Coco: He proposed at Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse at The Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo
Tsedey: Fellas I hope you are paying attention :p
Tsedey: Thailand looked beautiful from the pics on the blog, why did you pick Thailand for your honeymoon?
Coco: I've always wanted to go to
Hong Kong and my Mr didn't really have any interest. He really wanted to check out Thailand so I made a deal and said we'll do Thailand for you and Hong Kong for me and it was settled. Little did he know I wanted to go to Thailand just as badly :)
Tsedey: You travel a lot, what is the one place you are dying to see and why?
Coco: Japan. I'm obsessed with Japanese culture and want to be able to explore it in real life, not just through books, films and in photographs.
Tsedey: In a previous interview with Doll Nation, DJ Lissa Monet had stated you are one of her inspirations, how long have you guys known each other?
Coco: A couple of years now. Lissa was another 'love at first sight' for me. She's not only extremely talented, she's absolutely genuine and a magnificent person. LOVE LISSA!
Tsedey: I love how you have gone into business with friends, is it as hard as they say when going into business with friends?
Coco: Going into business with friends is one of the hardest things you can ever do. If you're able to separate the two, you're golden, otherwise it can get very nasty.
Tsedey: I always ask this question, what advice can you give new bloggers? women who want to go far in the fashion world?
Coco: Believe in yourself and what you're doing because there's always going to be naysayers. Learn how to take criticism while understanding the value in what you do. Listen, keep your eyes open and work hard.
Coco is an impecable woman, not only is beautiful and have a great sense of fashion, she has the brain and drive to succeed in everything she does. She knows how to balance her work, her businesses, and her social life while making it look effortless....a true LIFE SIZE DOLL!
Thanks Coco for doing this interview and letting us into your life. Make sure to visit www.cocoandlowe.com to learn about the hottest in fashion, beauty, style, and travels.
Bisous Bisous,
Tsedey
