Costume Drama: Olivia Chow’s many vote-courting fashion statements
Costume Drama: Olivia Chow’s many vote-courting fashion statements
Sartorially speaking, Olivia Chow has the edge this election season. Fashion is one of her shrewdest political weapons: she goes all out to stand out, dressing the part at every event she attends. Over the years, that’s meant Starfleet uniforms for Trekkie conventions, bedazzled bustiers for Caribana, traditional Punjabi dress for South Asian festivals and rainbow headdresses for Pride. When it comes to seducing voters, no fashion crime is too risky. Here, a look at her most outrageous, ingratiating ensembles.
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- Chow’s team posed this shot to court soccer-loving voters. The ball is suspended from fishing wire.
- (Image: Mitchell Raphael)
- World Cup, 2014
- World Cup, 2014
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- The night before the parade, Chow realized she didn’t have a top for her costume. She stayed up all night glue-gunning sequins and beads from old costumes onto a bra.
- (Image: QMI Agency)
- Caribana, 2014
- Caribana, 2014
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- The dramatically collared gown came from a streetside rack in Chinatown. It cost less than $40.
- (Image: Nicholas Lee)
- Dragon Ball, 2013
- Dragon Ball, 2013
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- Chow wore campaign colours to the Pride parade. Her vintage Vegas showgirl dress came from Exile in Kensington Market, the feather boa from Courage My Love.
- (Image: CP Images)
- WorldPride, 2014
- WorldPride, 2014
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- At a Stephen Lewis Foundation fundraiser, Chow wore a Peach Berserk dress screen printed with images of children, and a jacket with the faces of older women. The shoes and glass jewellery came from Chinatown.
- (Image: George Pimentel)
- Fashion Week, 2009
- Fashion Week, 2009
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- At a promo event for the retired pro wrestler the Iron Sheik, Chow tried to fasten his gold WWE Championship belt.
- (Image: QMI Agency)
- Hot Docs, 2014
- Hot Docs, 2014
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![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/olivia-chow-costume-drama/&title=Costume Drama: Olivia Chow’s many vote-courting fashion statements&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/olivia-chow-costume-drama-caribana-2014-415x624.jpg&description=By Bronwen Jervis
Sartorially speaking, Olivia Chow has the edge this election season. Fashion is one of her shrewdest political weapons: she goes all out to stand out, dressing the part at every event she attends. Over the years, that’s meant Starfleet uniforms for Trekkie conventions, bedazzled bustiers for Caribana, traditional Punjabi dress for South Asian festivals and rainbow headdresses for Pride. When it comes to seducing voters, no fashion crime is too risky. Here, a look at her most outrageous, ingratiating ensembles.
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Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It’s a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. 14-year council veteran Olivia Chow is running for Mayor.
…here’s her CLOTHES?! FFS, TL.
Olivia is the smartest cutie I know!
What does she wear when she is maxing out expense accounts and pulling TWO taxpayer funded pensions? I guess that is called everyday-wear.
As a Chinese Canadian I am ashamed that this is the person people will relay to when they think of Chinese Canadians and Torontonians definitely DONOT want this face to represent them.
And we definitely DONOT want all the low income people from all over Ontario to rush into Toronto just so they get the cheap project housing that are built with us TAXPAYER’S money!
This woman is a clown and don’t care about protecting the city’s majority.
Olivia Chow has done more for this city and our country than all the other candidates combined. She would represent our city well. What her past wardrobe has to do with anything is once again pathetic of Toronto Life – where are the items about the clothes of the other candidates. You are becoming so much like the Toronto Sun in your coverage, and silly you shame yourself. Stop all this nonsense and report on things that matter. How Olivia Chow’s past clothing has any bearing on anything is beyond me. Grow up Toronto Life.