Tag Archives: Gotstyle Man

Current Centre Fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, Kevin Pillar is what you get when you combine pure grit, passion, and an uncompromising determination to chase your dreams -and knock them out of the park.

kevin pillar walking

Originally from West Hills, California, 27-year-old Pillar didn’t have the typical path during his baseball career. In the words of another Toronto style icon, he started from the bottom, now he’s here.

Originally drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 32nd round of the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft, Pillar was called up to the Blue Jays for the first time in his career on August 14th, 2013. After a string of sensational diving grabs where he appears to glide in the air longer than humanly possible, he has earned the highly-touted Superman nickname and persona. Pillar was acknowledged for his skills in 2015, when he was named the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year for Centre Field.

Now in his 4th season with the Blue Jays, Pillar has made a home in Toronto alongside his lovely wife Amanda, whom he married in 2014. We had a chance to catch up with Kevin after our photoshoot (don’t worry fans, this was all during pre-season, we wouldn’t dare interfere with his practice time), to chat about Toronto, baseball, and his off-duty style.

kevin pillar buttoning

So, how you feel about your adopted home of Toronto.
I love the city of Toronto. Every time I come back to the city, my feelings reassure me of that. I love how it has a big city feel but in a very intimate setting. Everything you could want or need is walking distance from the downtown area. I love the fact I can walk to work from my apartment, and join the endless amount of people who enjoy walking to their destinations. I actually enjoy the weather early on in the year since I don’t get to experience much of the weather back home in California. I love how diverse the city is not only with its people, but also its food and culture. I really feel like it’s a home away from home while I am here.

How does Toronto compare to your hometown in California?
The city is much different from where I actually live in California. I live in a suburb of Los Angeles away from the tall buildings and congestion you may see on television. I live in the city of Thousand Oaks, a quiet places away from the city lights. It is my escape from the city life that I get to experience while I am here in Toronto. As far as difference, where I live the weather is much warmer year around so I can really enjoy my off-season. Tell us about your favourite spots around the city. My wife and I really enjoy Gusto 101 and Ki Sushi, on the rare occasion we get to go out for a nice dinner out. Other than that, we love break-fast at What A Bagel. After a win or a night out on the town, we tend to go to Spin, or Citizen… but the Cactus Club is my new favorite.

kevin pillar buttoning 2

Do you feel like the city and the fans have accepted you?
I love this city. People come to me all the time congratulating me on a great season and I appreciate the kind words. They have adopted the name Superman and it’s been really fun to live up to the expectations. Toronto definitely feels like a second home to me. My wife and I were both excited to get back up here and see our new place. I have a great feel for the city now and can’t wait to explore more of it this season.

How do Jays fans measure in comparison to other cities?
Jays fans are incredible. They are passionate, loud and sometimes flat out annoying – which gives us true home field advantage. What we got to experience last year in the second half and in the post-season was unlike anywhere that I have ever experienced on the road. This is my favorite place to play, and would love to play here for a long time.

•IMG_0814

They call you Superman. Have you fully embraced this persona?
I love the nickname Superman. It has been fun to be embraced by the people of Canada. I consistently try to raise the bar, and live up to the name. Blue Jays hysteria was loud and proud last year. Any predictions for this year? I expect to build off of what we had created last year.
The buzz is still around town and I expect to continue those feelings and emotions.

What is your biggest superstition or good luck ritual, on the field or before the games?
The game of baseball is so much built around ritual, since you play pretty much everyday, that I do not have time for superstition. Rituals are just ways to get yourself going, and making sure that you are properly prepared for every game that you play. Do you have any goals for this season, or for your career in general? Win. It’s that simple. I want to win a World Series, and be known as a winner at the end of my career.

Do you have any goals for this season, or for your career in general?
Win. It’s that simple. I want to win a World Series, and be known as a winner at the end of my career.

•IMG_0918

That’s a pretty great goal to have. On a more personal note, how would you describe your off the field style? Has it evolved since coming to Toronto?
I care about how I look and what I wear. I dress with confidence. I like fashion and I like dressing nice, whether it’s a suit and tie, or sweat pants; I still want to look good. My style is always evolving with the times. Toronto has a great sense of style, and a lot of the people that I have met here challenge my sense of style, and help me improve on it.

How does your style hold up to the other Jays?
I would say I am known as a very stylish dresser on our team, if not the best I am definitely up there. Stroman dresses very well, and we talk about fashion a lot and how we are constantly improving on our  own personal styles. Russ also has a very good feel  for style and fashion.

What would your wife say about your personal style?
Haha. She thinks I have great style… and too many shoes. But I do ask for her input from time to time.

•IMG_0904

As any good husband should. Tell us about your experience walking the Gotstyle runway.
I had a great time. It was something I never thought I would do. It was fun to experience someone else’s profession and all the ins and outs of preparing for the 1-minute walk down the runway. It was also fun to meet the other people that were involved, and I definitely look forward to doing it again.

How has your experience been shooting & working with the Gotstyle team?
Truly professional and their sense of fashion always seems to fit my personal style. It is like having your own stylist every time I work with them. I look forward to working together again in the near future.

We noticed a tattoo peeking out during our shoot – is there a story behind it? Is this part of a bigger collection, or collection yet to come?
I have more than just that one tattoo. All my tattoos tell a story. I would never put anything on my body that is not extremely important to me. The tattoo that is often seen on my elbow is a nautical compass, in tribute to my grandpa that passed away a couple years ago. He was a man of the sea, who always owned a boat and took the family out on it. Sometimes it was on trips from Coronado, San Diego, to Mexico; or chartering a boat in the Caribbean. He was a huge supporter of my dreams and someone I could always count on for advice.

Get Your Copy of Gotstyle Man Issue 3 Now

bar raval fix me a drink

Photographer: Ishmil Waterman
Words: Nicole Pimentel

Bar Raval is known to be the hotspot in Toronto, specifically little Italy. The Sangria is to die for and watching the two owners in action is worth every last penny.

Bar Raval drink #1 Drink shot John Varvatos Blazer $498 / Aviator Nation T-shirt $98

Bar Raval is the place to get a cocktail in Toronto. There is a distinct dynamic between Mike Webster and Robin Goodfellow, Co-owners, and Barmen of Toronto’s much hyped, Gaudi-esque Spanish pintxo bar – Bar Raval. If you have ever had the pleasure of catching these two behind the bar together, you realize the two in action is synonymous watching two dancers effortlessly execute their craft. They move in unison, they’re charming, professional and well, just down right fun to watch.

With countless awards and cocktail competitions under their belt, there is no doubt these two can whip up an expertly crafted cocktail on the fly, to suit any palette. We asked them to make us two of their favorites, and they undeniably delivered two unique and distinctly memorable cocktails. Here they show us how to make The Naughty Nurse and Speak of the Devil.

Bar raval outfit

Right: Individual Blazer $250, Pullin T-shirt $55, Zanerobe Sureshot $125,Outclass Trainer $395. Left: John Varvatos Blazer $498 / Aviator Nation T-shirt $98 / Zanerobe Sureshot $110 / Garment Projects Sneakers $290

Speak of the Devil:

– 1.25oz Godderham and Worts whisky
– .9oz Guerra Dry Vermouth
– .25oz China China

METHOD:
Stir over ice in mixing glass until properly chilled, strain into chilled 10oz
Old Fashioned glass with ice. No garnish.

Bar raval drinks

The Naughty Nurse:
– 1oz Lot 40 Rye
– 0.5oz White Port
– 0.5oz Campari
– 0.5oz Cinnamon Grenadine
– 1oz Lemon Juice
– 2 dash Angostura
– 2 dash Peychaud’s

METHOD:
Shaken with ice until bone cold, served over cracked ice in a Collins glass.

rock your dad bod feature image

“Rock Your Dad Bod” as featured in Gotstyle Man issue #3 highlights fathers with their kids. You get a glimpse of what it’s like to be a father in the modern world and how that affects what you wear.

Travel Dad

rock your dad bod 1

Outfit details: Blue Industry Blazer $349, Benson Top $85, Strellson Travel Pant $248

I took my first flight with mom and dad when I was 18 weeks old. Since then I’ve been on over 20 flights and have dipped my toe into the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, and the Mediterranean and Caribbean sea.

Since we travel so much, my dad needs comfortable clothes that are also stylish (to keep up with my fashionable mom). Jersey blazers and pants with a relaxed striped linen t-shirt do the trick. Perfect for when we’re on long plane rides and smart enough for a European dinner out.

Gotta go!

– Max 18 months with dad Shawn Leslie.

Tech Dad

rock your dad bod 2

Outfit details: Ted Baker Blazer $635, Ted Baker Polo $119, DL 1961 Jeans $198

My dad doesn’t have to wear a suit for work since he’s doing fun things on his computer (that I’m not allowed to touch). But he does let me play with lots of Star Trek toys and we even have matching uniforms.

He does get to wear fun dress up clothes when he’s going out to meet clients, events or date night with mom. I like that he wears fun blazers, shirts with no ties and dark denim for geek chic style.

– Braven 22 months with dad Curtis Priest

Daddy’s Little Girls

rock your dad bod 3

Outfit details: Van Gils Blazer $595 Oscar of Sweden Shirt $225 Nudie Jeans $249

We love it when we get our own date night with dad. We get dressed up and love it when he gets dressed up for us too. Our favorite places to go are Snakes and Lattes or Queen Margherita Pizza. If we’re good he’ll even take us out shopping!

We love colour and love our dad in color too, he looks handsome.

– Riley 7 / Quinn almost 6 with dad Mark Ferrier

 

We’re always down for a party and the launch of our third issue of Gotstyle Man is an excellent excuse. Come celebrate our home team with cover model and Toronto Blue Jay, Kevin Pillar. Enjoy an open bar and ball park themed food all night. You can purchase tickets online and in store.

The proceeds from the ticket sales will go towards a local charity program called The Remix Project. It as created in order to help level the playing field for young people from disadvantaged and marginalized communities.

As expected, there is a dress code in effect: 50 shades of blue. All those in blue will receive a gift bag. No untucked shirts or square toed shoes.

We’re giving away a pair of tickets to the Gotstyle Man party! Scroll down to enter. You can also purchase tickets online.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gotstyle Man issue 3 Kevin Pillar Cover

We’re more than excited to announce the launch of Gotstyle Man Issue 3 with Kevin Pillar!

Gotstyle Man issue 3 Kevin Pillar
Centre Fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, Kevin Pillar shares with us how he feels about Toronto, playing for the Jays and his style. We also explore spring trends, recipes guaranteed to get you some, wedding style and more.

Get Your Copy of Gotstyle Man Issue 3 Now

Get your copy 3 in store as a gift with purchases of $300 or more, or online. It will also be available for purchase at your local Wholefoods, Shopper Drugs Mart, Loblaws and Chapters/ Indigo in June.

CELEBRITY STYLE

I remember King West back in the day when buildings were boarded up and abandoned with dilapidated cars in the alleyways. It definitely wasn’t a safe place at night and it was practically impossible to find a cab. We would head down there occasionally for 606 and Roxy Blu (where I first discovered house music). Then West opened up and quickly became the “cool spot” in the city despite being in the middle of nowhere.

When Brassii opened in 2003, King Street felt like it could be somewhere in New York. Then Century Room and Brant House came on the scene and the party got started. As time went on and people came down Brassii lead to Buca, Jacobs and now Buca Bar and Century Room begot Blow Fish and Portland Variety. Brant House added Cheval (now Valdez) and partnered in the birth of Everleigh.

But this isn’t really about the evolution of King Street, although the transformation is extraordinary and begs further discussion. It’s about a group of guys who have been friends, family and business partners for longer then most couples have been together. Together they shared a vision to build an empire and today they sit on their respective thrones as the Kings of King West. – Melissa Austria

RALF AND ZARK

Photo 2015-03-18, 4 50 35 PM

“So, I figured I’d better get to know this guy. If you can’t beat them, join them…”

Melissa: How did you guys first meet?

Ralph: I kept bumping into Zark in Yorkville where he was promoting for Fluid Sundays.

Zark: Ralph’s like “who’s this fucking guy”, then he showed up at one of my parties and realized that there were some cute girls there.

Ralph: So, I figured I’d better get to know this guy. If you can’t beat them, join them…

Melissa: So then you joined together to start ZRF (Zark, Ralph and friends) promoting some of the best nights in the city at the best clubs. How did it go from promoting to opening up Century Room?

Ralph: I actually did one of my first parties here back when it was a pool hall called Mocking Bird.

Zark: I wanted to do parties here after I came back from Miami but the owners wouldn’t let me.

Melissa: How did you know that you you’d made the right decision opening Century Room?

Ralph: Oh god in the first week. But those Century Room days are now non-existent; it will never happen again. We opened right after they introduced bottle service.

Zark: It was crazy – people were spending money. It was great energy.

Melissa: What is the future of King Street now?

Ralph: Now with all the restaurants, I think it’s one of those places where people come, jump around. But I do think that people still want to go and dance at some point. That’s why we made [Everleigh] a little more “lounge-y”. We kind of get a slightly older crowd. No 19 year old is going to want to hang out here.

Zark: The best years of Toronto nightlife have passed. It definitely takes more work… constantly coming up with new ideas… more programming. With Everleigh we’re trying to be less trendy and more about being a brand and a fun place to hang out on King Street.

Melissa: So you’ve been partners since 1999 then?

Zark: Nothing prepared me for marriage like my relationship with Ralph. You’re bound together by something you love, but there’ll be days that you’ll come to the office and want to punch the other person out.

Melissa: What happens when one partner wants to cheat on the other?

Ralph: It happened with Zark and Blowfish and with me and Portland Variety, but it’s all still under the same umbrella.

Zark: That’s the only thing I would do different. With different partners its harder to make a unilateral decision to do something like a percentage spend on marketing.

Melissa: So partners forever?

Zark: As long as we both keep making money for each other (laughing).