Power play

Date June 1, 2009

This past Thursday, FASHION went Powerballin’ at the Power Plant’s 11th annual “original contemporary art party,” the Power Ball. Co-chaired by Cleophee Eaton, Michael Cooper and Queen West gallery guy Clint Roenisch, the trailer-trash bash was as much about raising hell as raising funds. Design duo du jour Castor hauled in their high-kitsch Winnebago and–what swine flu?–a real, live-looking pig roast. Next door, art (and bar) star Dean Baldwin slung vodka and Kool-Aid to the likes of Drake Hotel-ier Jeff Stober. In the “video outhouse,” scandalous “private parties” became less so, as they were broadcast to the big screen inside; other projections included “Mad Max” and a “Conceptual Art soft porn peep show.” Speaking of which, avant-garde skin-flick director Bruce LaBruce was there, palling around with artist Agathe Snow and DJ Rory Them Finest. Playing to the party’s “One Louder” credo, local folk-rock heroes $100 had the Toronto Roller Derby crew two-stepping with so-called “socials” and the designers they love, like Nada Shepherd and necklace artisan Maryam Keyhani. See these and more of the night’s big moments and best dressed below.