Style. Ever difficult to define, always crushingly obvious when it’s bad, often inimitable when it’s good. And Craig David Long has it in spades, effortlessly so. During his Communications undergrad studies at SFU, he parlayed the success of his street-style blog The Commodified into a year-long online reporting stint for FASHION magazine, whetting his taste for mainstream media in the process. Craig’s departure from the blogosphere was marked by the beginnings of his editorial career with MONTECRISTO magazine.
Yet that’s just the obvious. His sartorial exterior belies his mad predilection for groaningly bad puns or weakness for raiding the crunchy-snack aisle at T&T. Ebullient yet introspective, playful yet very much an old soul, Craig is certainly a study in contrasts. He has a soft spot for grandpa sweaters, patterned shirts, and slim trousers and might very well sell his soul for two fingers of peaty Scotch served in a vintage cut crystal glass. As my ofttime cohort in the consumption of charcuterie and the creation of kickass home-cooked meals, I’m proud to have Craig as one of my best friends.
—Joie Alvaro Kent
The Proof
01 This behind-the-scenes photo was taken by Jennilee Marigomen at a recent photo shoot we did with her for MONTECRISTO. It was a coincidence that everyone arrived wearing a toque that day and Jennilee captured the irony of it. Soon after she posted the image on her blog it went viral, and people have been responding with all kinds of funny comments—the best of which I’ve highlighted on my blog. It sort of speaks to my fascination with social phenomena in fashion. Before working at MONTECRISTO, I used to document street style in Vancouver, though a website I called The Commodified.
02 This is a photo of my living space. I try not to bring design objects into my home unless they have some kind of personal significance to me. Here you see a brass wall sculpture that belonged to my nonna, an old trunk that my dad refurbished, a blanket I picked up in Mexico City this year, a pillow-case that I sewed by hand during a crafting session with a friend, and a wooden candle votive that a family-friend carved for me. The table and sofa are regrettably from Ikea.
03 This is my window sill at the office. Inside the tag attached to the monster toy, Todd, it reads, “Todd puts undue pressure on himself to succeed. It makes him walk to fast.” Though I’m proud of all my accomplishments to date, the last few years have been moving at lightning speed. These little objects—Todd, the plant, the postcard from Hawaii—are reminders that I should also take time to sit back and relax.
04 This is a custom cocktail that my friend and MONTECRISTO contributor, Jay Jones, made for me at his bar at Market by Jean-Georges. Right now I’m really loving the whole craft bartending scene in Vancouver, and Jay can always nail my craving. I think I said, “something earthy, like licorice root and stone fruit,” and he created this delicious cocktail with Chivas 12-year, Pernod, sweet vermouth and plum syrup. Jay and I also share an appreciation for vintage glassware.
05 This is a photo of my 10-year-old friend, Noah. We often like to tease each other, and one day Noah dressed up like me to give me a hard time. Actually, it was a huge honour. Noah is an inspiring kid: he is a competitive swimmer, he’s incredibly intelligent and articulate, he is an avid electric guitarist, a voracious reader, and he has a fantastic sense of humour. I recently brought Noah with me on a sailing adventure, which you can read about in the Winter 2011 issue of MONTECRISTO.
06 This is a photo I took in Paris. One thing people may not know about me is that I’m fluent in French. I’ve studied the language my entire life, worked in bilingual environments, travelled to Montreal and Paris numerous times and I get a huge kick out of French foreign films, French music and, of course, French food. I’ve often felt, when speaking or listening to French, that I was born into the wrong language. Then again, I do much prefer writing in English—it seems to be something I’ve found I have a knack for.
07 Even though I am the acting editor of a regional magazine, where I am fortunate to be exposed to the latest and greatest things in the city, I feel like there is still so much left here to discover. I’m currently on a personal quest for the authentic Vancouver experience. What I’ve discovered, so far, is that it can sometimes be the most obvious thing, like cycling the seawall, which I did this summer with a friend for the first time in ages.
08 An extension of #07: this year I have travelled a lot, for work and for personal vacation. As amazing as all of these experiences have been, there is nothing better than coming home.
The Questions
What neighborhood do you live in?
I live in the Commercial Drive area, but I exist in all parts of the city.
What do you do and where?
I am currently the acting editor of MONTECRISTO magazine, a regional lifestyle quarterly based in Vancouver. I also occasionally write for NUVO and The Business of Fashion and was previously a reporter for Fashion magazine. Prior to all of this, I had a Vancouver street style blog, The Commodified.
What are you working on?
Right now I am actively working on the Spring 2012 issue of MONTECRISTO (mid-March), which has lots of very exciting stories lined up, and am also formulating ideas for Summer 2012 (mid-June). That will soon be underway as well. I’m also working on a story for NUVO magazine about my recent trip to Oahu, Hawaii, where I had an incredible farm-to-table culinary tour of the island.
Where can we find your work??Individual copies of MONTECRISTO are available at Chapters/Indigo locations across Greater Vancouver, or you can subscribe to the magazine by visiting our website. I also aggregate items from my portfolio along with images, photos and videos that inspire my work on my eponymous personal Tumblr, CraigDavidLong.tumblr.com.
