My new house track "London Town" (Joe De Simone Mix) will be showcased this evening on Electro IM Radio. Listen live online with DJ Frank Nexxus at http://www.electroimradio.com/ 4:30pm PST; 7:30pm ET. Also check out the track at http://www.thanem...

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Very excited and honoured to have been profiled in an interview with Celebrity Dialogue. Click here to read the interview.

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Very excited and honoured to have been profiled in an interview with Celebrity Dialogue. Click here to read the interview. 

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After the overwhelmingly positive response to my video, "Walls", I have decided to post it here on Sound & Style! This video features the track "Walls" off my debut album Palace of Love and was shot on location in Toronto in 2009 by Leonard She...

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After the overwhelmingly positive response to my video, "Walls", I have decided to post it here on Sound & Style! This video features the track "Walls" off my debut album Palace of Love and was shot on location in Toronto in 2009 by Leonard Shen of UV Studio.

Thane St. Andrew is a pop/soul singer-songwriter, recording artist and music & men's style blogger. For more information visit www.thanestandrew.com

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Last Thursday, I had the unique opportunity of attending The Hibebe Fall/Winter Fashion show featuring the designs of Toronto native Salem Moussalam. Rocking a leather jacket and skinny tie, I headed for Bay Station where the mood was festive, fu...

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Last Thursday, I had the unique opportunity of attending The Hibebe Fall/Winter Fashion show featuring the designs of Toronto native Salem Moussalam. Rocking a leather jacket and skinny tie, I headed for Bay Station where the mood was festive, fun and lively as a subway platform was magically transformed into an urban runway extraordinaire.

Prior to the show, revellers moved to the DJ's beats as Much Music cameras rolled. My subway car was party central as young hipsters and well heeled fashionistas filled the train cars and took to their seats in eager anticipation.

Though a slight delay to kick off, the show proved well worth the wait. The DJ pumped up the volume on the latest track by The Black Eyed Peas as fierce models strutted and sashayed their way through the subway cars to the passengers' eager delight. The collection was a hit with an 80s inspired look where glam rock met punk.

Colours ranged from blacks and whites to striking metallics, electric sapphire blues, and citron yellows. Women's wear included an array of dresses, tunics, and leggings. Embellishments and accessories included spikes, studs, jewellery and a spectacle of eclectic eyewear sure to be seen in the next Rihanna or Lady Gaga video. Though focusing mostly on women's wear, there was also a respectable guy's collection including oversized tank tops, patterned scarves, and frayed, acid wash jeans. These styles were not for the timid but for those who like their fashion bold, edgy and unapologetic!

Guests parted with generous gift bags and, for some, the party continued at Fuzion.

This young designer definitely knows how to put on a show and so we eagerly await the next emergence from “The House of Hibebe!”

Thane St. Andrew is a pop/soul singer-songwriter, recording artist and music & men's style blogger. For more information visit www.thanestandrew.com

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Driven, focused, determined, and ambitious are four words that come to mind when describing breakout stylist and fashion designer, Salem Moussallam of Hibebe Designs. At 14, Salem saw the designer labels worn by his high school classmates but he...

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Driven, focused, determined, and ambitious are four words that come to mind when describing breakout stylist and fashion designer, Salem Moussallam of Hibebe Designs.

At 14, Salem saw the designer labels worn by his high school classmates but he was never one to follow trends. Influenced by his mother, a talented seamstress, and equipped with a flair for design and aesthetics, Salem wowed his peers by designing his own unique look.

Now, at the age of 23, this burgeoning young artist has a resume rivalling contemporaries twice his age. Thriving in the face of naysayers and an often conservative and cut throat fashion industry, Salem is designing looks for music elite including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Ciara, Fritz Helder and The Phantoms and R&B artist Trish Campbell.

It was best friend, Amanda, who first thought up the name Hibebe as the perfect name for Salem’s company. This Arabic term loosely meaning “dear one” was a moniker given to Salem as a child and has come to be synonymous with his bold, daring and cutting edge fashions.   

I had the privilege of sitting down to interview this incredibly humble and gracious young designer about his life, work, goals and an upcoming fashion show set to take Toronto by storm.

Q. So tell me, where do you draw inspiration when putting together a collection?
A. I started to make clothes because I couldn't afford the cool clothes that everyone else had. I went to a Catholic high school where everyone wore designer Diesel Jeans and Parasuco. I used to take (preloved) clothing and jazz it up, add detail to it. My mother was a seamstress who used to make bridal gowns and couture dresses so my influence came from her. I started to make my own clothes and semi formal suits which people thought were pretty cool and different. That's how I found out that I wanted to be a designer - I stood out from the crowd.

Q. From where do you draw your inspiration when putting together a collection?
A. The collection this season is called Electric Diva, Fall/Winter 2010. I got inspired in New York two months ago. It was my first time riding the subway and saw this beautiful, eclectic girl, I would call her a diva, wearing her fox fur jacket, she had a Chanel bag on her, her Christian Louboutin shoes and she was rocking the subway and everyone was looking at her. She was looking hot and sexy, working it. This girl was my inspiration that, even out on the street, you’re still rocking it. Two collections ago, I was in Value Village and saw a 1960s Barbie with the tacky print fabric and that inspired me to do a Tacky Barbie Collection. So, just the most random stuff inspires me, and people - their interactions.

Q. What are some of the challenges you have faced in a competitive industry?
A. I would say diversity and creativity. When I did my first show for L'Oreal Fashion Week, The Fashion Design Counsel of Canada (FDCC) made me change everything to become very commercial market, from the colours I picked out - golds, blues and oranges and they made me go to blacks and browns and whites and it wasn't me. They couldn't see who would wear it but I have three stores in New York carrying my line this upcoming season. I have Rihanna wearing my glasses and jacket, Ciara wearing my razor cut jeans in her video, Work. There is a market for this but people just don't get that.

Q. Do you see yourself wanting to remain an indie designer?
A. I consider myself an artist. When I have concepts, I turn them into a theme, a collection. At my upcoming show, it's going to be an art form with special performances, singers, totally different than what you would see at L'Oreal or LG Fashion Week.

Q. What approach do you use when designing for men and how does that approach differ from designing women's wear?
A. Men here are more followers than leaders so someone has to wear it first before they can wear it. They have to see someone else rock it first before they will try it out. Women are more the dare devils than men. Men don't want to be judged, women like to be talked about, good or bad.

Q. Do you find that Toronto men or men in general are becoming more open when it comes to fashion?
A. They are becoming a bit more open. I feel like straight men are being more daring, wearing tighter jeans, wearing more vibrant colours, pinks, blues, and greens and feeling comfortable with it. Guys are wearing jewellery, chains, and thicker framed glasses.

Q. How do you define your typical male clientele?
A. A lot of artists. One client I am working with is Fritz Helder and The Phantoms. Fritz wears my pieces so I make him custom jackets for when he performs. People who are in the scene or personalities are more daring, more likely to wear my designs.

Q. Any US or international interest?
A. Two stores in New York, Seven New York and Oak, are carrying my line. I'm in talks right now with a PR company there and want to do New York Fashion Week for the next season.

Q. This blog is called Sound & Style as there is a strong connection between music and fashion. What was it like to work with Lady Gaga?
A. I was invited to Lady Gaga's party this past New Year's and I was wearing a satin blazer with 250 spikes in the shoulder pads. She came up to me and asked where I got the jacket and I told her that I designed it. I literally took the jacket off my back and gave it to her and she put it on and loved it. I got hold of her PR agency and am making a matching corset for her with 1000 spikes on it all down the front. It's also going to be a showpiece at my upcoming show.

Q. Tell me some other music stars who you have designed for?
A. Another big star is Trish Campbell, P. Diddy just signed her. Ciara is wearing my designs right now. Kid Sister also wore one of my pieces and Rihanna wore my glasses.

Q. What other artist, male or female, would you most want to design a look for?
A. Pharrell. I like pop or R&B artists. They are the trendsetters right now, more daring. If I could, I would design for Pharrell or Missy Elliott. She is amazing. I would want to make her a designer track suit with sequins, spikes, over exaggerated bling, sneakers, high tops.

Q. What are some of the emerging trends in men's wear and how are you incorporating them into your designs?
A. Right now, a big thing is tank tops. The oversized, 80s tank top look. A lot of guys are wearing them to the gym. You'll see that this summer. For a more clean cut, preppy look - polos. Bright colours - cobalt blue, citrine green. Scarves in silks, cashmeres, linens.

Q. Will you see some of these trends in your upcoming collection?
A. Yes, you're going to see tank tops, different types of shirts for guys. This season, keeping it limited but you will see some men's clothing. Really cool swim wear, Speedos to make it daring.

Q. Isn't that out of season if this is for the Fall/Winter Collection?
A. Yes, but I'm going to put a jacket over it and he's going to flash everybody

Q. What else can we look forward to from Hibebe Designs?
A. I'm going to be working with a TV show that will be following me around, reality style, following me and my life. I'm going to be in Zinc Magazine (New York) for their summer issue in April, Dress to Kill Magazine from Montreal, and Naked Eye Magazine (fashion and music) - Keri Hilson is going to be wearing my outfit on the cover.

Q. Would you like to tell readers about your fashion show at the end of the month?
A. All I am going to tell you is that it's going to be amazing. You're not going to see anything else like this in the city. Be prepared to be surprised, amazed and there's going to be a lot of divas! This is a charity event to support Global Medic. With the money raised, I'm designing a collection to send out to Haiti, so

sweatpants, t-shirts, underwear, basics, clean cut basic essentials for people to have clothes in Haiti. So that's why the TTC is agreeing to shut down the subway for an hour to do it. With that money, I'm working with two factories, getting the cottons and I'm actually going to Haiti to give the clothing out, hopefully in April/May once the production is finished. I want to go through the experience and see what's happening.

Q. Where do you see Hibebe in the next 5 or 10 years?
A. A Toronto boutique is in the works at Avenue Road and Davenport, Yorkville area. I'll be going e-commerce soon, so online shopping.

Q.  Where can we go to find out more about you and your designs?
A. I'm working with a PR company on my website which will be up by next month - www.hibebe.ca  Also Google my name - I am on a lot of websites and blog sites talking about my show.

For more information on Salem and his TTC Subway, Electric Diva, Fall/Winter 2010 Fashion Show and Fundraiser in support of Global Medic’s Haiti relief effort, visit the official Facebook event page and RSVP to electricdiva2010@gmail.com

Thane St. Andrew is a pop/soul singer-songwriter, recording artist and music & men's style blogger. For more information visit www.thanestandrew.com

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Yesterday, had a chance to interview Hibebe Designs' Salem Moussallam for my blog Sound & Style. Full write up coming soon!

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