Operanation

You Are Invited: Operanation 2016 – Queen of the Night

3 May, 2016 Nelia

Last time I wrote about the annual Operanation party, I proclaimed it the “Met Gala of Toronto fashion”, and with good reason – I’ve never seen so many impeccably-dressed people in one place. Well, this year’s theme is Queen of the Night, and I just know it’s going to be a night to remember.

Canadian electro-pop band Dragonette is slated to collaborate with soprano Ambur Braid and the COC’s Ensemble Studio artists for an intimate performance. Other highlights will include open bar and culinary delights, a massive chocolate display by Brandon Olsen, live art installations by Gillian G, as well as custom-designed “Queen of the Night”-themed temporary tattoos and colouring books.

Following the on-stage performances, partygoers will be able to dance the night away to DJ Diego Armand or step into the Four Seasons Centre rehearsal space for live band karaoke with Toronto fave Good Enough Live Karaoke. I am not sure if I’ll be brave enough to follow in Dragonette’s footsteps by singing karaoke in front of a bunch of strangers, but perhaps after a few drinks, I’ll be slightly more daring? Either way, this year’s opera party promises to be an epic night of indulgence and wicked fun. Will you be there to enjoy it?

WHEN: Thursday, May 19th at 9pm
WHERE: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen St W, Toronto
TICKETS: $150 per person
DRESS CODE: Queen of the Night

All funds for the 12th annual event go directly to supporting the COC Ensemble Studio, the nation’s premier training program for Canada’s young opera professionals. Tickets for the party portion of Operanation: Queen of the Night start at $150 per person and are available online at Operanation.ca or by calling COC Ticket Services at 416-363-8231.

What I Wore: Operanation in a Pinch

24 October, 2014 Nelia

Operanation - Light Up The Night. Toronto, ON, Canada. October 17, 2014. (Image: Ryan Emberley)

I know I’ve already waxed poetic about how much I loved Operanation, but I wanted to dedicate a second post to my outfit…this is a personal style blog after all. As mentioned in the previous post, I had a bit of anxiety while trying to figure out what to wear and still stay true to the theme of the night – Light Up the Night. With my newly grey hair, certain colours just don’t work for me anymore, and recently I have been sticking to a muted palette of black, grey, and white – none of which would be ideal for the night’s theme.

So in a bit of a panic, I stopped by H&M a couple of hours before the party and saw this sparkly maxi dress. It didn’t look like much on a hanger, but I could feel its potential, whispering to me…”puuutt meee onnnnnnn”, and so I did. And not to sound full of myself, but in a sea of very expensive gowns, I didn’t feel even a little out of place. It really isn’t about how expensive (or inexpensive) something is, but how that something makes you feel. And obviously, this dress made me feel like a bombshell. A definite keeper.

Also, in a bit of a gross disclosure, my hair in this photo has not been washed in 6 days. It looks nice and wavy, but only because I wore it in a looped ponytail all day, which gave my hair a lovely kink. To spruce up my do, I sprayed some glitter hair spray onto my silvery locks, and while you can’t really see the full effect, I really loved how sparkly my hair was. I think I’ll do it again. And yes, I am a 30-year old that loves to spray glitter in her hair…what’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing.

So tell me, have you ever worn something really fun but inexpensive to a major event? Share your stories in the comments!

operanation-fall-2014 yourphoto

I Wore: Dress, Belt, Earrings – H&M; Shoes – Zara; Clutch – DVF

Photo Credits: 1 – Ryan Emberley; 2 – Becca Lemire

What They Wore: Operanation 2014

22 October, 2014 Nelia

COC Operanation October 16th 2014- Tara Noelle-34

I’ll be honest with you, I am not a fan of galas. Don’t get me wrong, I do love to get dressed up once in a while, but when I have to go to a big gala event, where how you dress actually matters, I get anxious. Plus, I like to be in bed by 11pm (don’t judge!), and most galas just get going around that time. This is precisely why I’ve never gone to Operanation until this year. But after finding out that Yelle was going to perform, I pulled up my big girl pants and decided to go. And boy, was I a fool to have avoided it all these years!

First of all, Operanation was an amazing place to people-watch and witness some great fashion go down. I won’t go so far as to call it the Met Gala of Toronto fashion, but it’s pretty damn close. Most people stuck to the theme of the night, and lit up the room in neon gowns and accessories, sparkly beading, and pops of colour.

And then there was Yelle…Their performance was everything I hoped it would be and more – energetic, engaging, and SO MUCH FUN! I danced, tried to sing along (my French is very limited), and just watched Julie Budet (Lady Mary lookalike) do her thang. Oh, and members of the COC’s Ensemble Circle joined her for a few songs too. Best ever!

On top of the cool performance, and great people-watching, there were also limited-edition designer slap bracelets – coolest raffle entries possibly ever. One lucky girl walked away with a $10,000 shopping spree from The Room (!!!), while a few others snagged COC-sponsored prizes. There was also a churro bar, a photobooth, half-naked Calvin Klein models, hourly drag queen flash mob…in the immortal words of SNL’s Stefon Zelesky – Toronto’s hottest party of the year is Operanation and it has EVERYTHING!

Operanation 2014 (Tyler Rumi) 60 Operanation - Light Up The Night. Toronto, ON, Canada. October 17, 2014. (Image: Ryan Emberley)