August 2026
Devotion
Somewhere, someone is still hard at work after everyone else has gone home. A performer rehearses the same movement until it feels effortless. Another stitch disappears into antique lace beneath the glow of an artist's desk lamp. A designer pulls an old sketch from a drawer, discovering the right time has finally caught up with the right idea.
It is easy to admire the finished work. The standing ovation. The beautifully restored piece. The thriving business. The wedding day. Whatever your cathedral looks like in practice.
What we see considerably less of is the private acts of faith and stewardship that makes these things possible. The willingness to keep believing when the outcome remained uncertain. The conviction that something divine was taking shape.
That is the thread woven through this issue.
We explore devotion in all its forms: to craft, to authentic self, to the people we carry with us and to the relationships that shape our lives. These stories remind us that the things we hold most sacred are shaped by what we're willing to give of ourselves.
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Cover: courtesy of Emma Vauxdevil of Cobweb Cabaret shot by @rachel.z.photography.
Culture
Cover Story: In the Dressing Room with The Devil Herself: Emma Vauxdevil on Creating Cobweb Cabaret
As gothic burlesque's most distinctive production captivates audiences, Emma Vauxdevil reflects on the conviction that transformed an improbable idea into an alt fever dream
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
If you'd asked someone to predict where a Texas-born cheerleader would end up, gothic burlesque provocateur probably wouldn't have topped the list.
Then again, Emma Vauxdevil has always known how to make an entrance.
Like any accomplished burlesque performer, Emma understood the power of the slow reveal. Years of practice, careful refinement and unwavering devotion to her vision preceded the moment audiences met "The Devil Herself."
What began as dress-up in front of a childhood mirror eventually became Cobweb Cabaret, a gothic burlesque production built with uncompromising artistic direction. It stands as proof that some dreams aren't found; they're built so boldly that other people eventually discover what they were searching for all along.
Ahead, Emma reflects on the winding road from growing up in Texas to taking centre stage on the West Coast, reflecting on the perseverance that helped forge her dream into the career she couldn't imagine living without.
Love at First Site (Visit): Inside Toronto's Vegas-Style Elopement Chapel, Two of Hearts Chapel
Hannah Stein reflects on building a love letter to Toronto, creating a space where couples can celebrate with authenticity and pizzaz
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Most often, we think of weddings as celebrations of the devotion between two people. Yet, before we can devote ourselves to a partner, we first have to remain devoted to the life we want to build.
For Two of Hearts Chapel founder Hannah Stein, that meant refusing to accept a version of a wedding that was aesthetically basic and boring, not to mention egregiously overpriced. Overwhelmed and underwhelmed by lacklustre "big wedding" options, she imagined something more fun. A place where couples could celebrate on their own terms, leaving with treasured memories instead of years of debt.
So, she created a space where couples are invited to begin the next chapter of their lives surrounded by whimsy, leaving behind the pressure of a traditional wedding in favour of the simple luxury of enjoy the moment.
One year after opening its doors, we connected with Hannah to reflect on her journey into the wedding industry, the joy of building a business unlike anything else in Toronto, why the most meaningful ceremonies are often the least complicated and what witnessing dozens of love stories has taught her about devotion—to one another and to ourselves.
Tap In: A Conversation with Psychic Medium Christina Curran
From spirit guides to summer séances, Christina’s stories gave us goosebumps!
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Summer has a way of calling us back into the natural world.
We trade fluorescent lights for sunsets, office walls for scenic hikes and crowded schedules for slow evenings spent beneath open skies. Somewhere along the way, our curiosity expands beyond what can be measured, leaving room for intuition and the unexplained.
It felt like the perfect season to sit down with Psychic Medium and Reiki Master Christina Curran to explore the spiritual world. Together, we discuss intuition, past-life regression, spirit guides, guardian angels and even dos and don’t for communing with those who have already crossed over.
With that in mind, we invited medium Christina to share the experiences that shaped her practice. She revisits her own spiritual evolution before unpacking the recurring themes that surface during past-life regressions. If you're feeling inspired, she also offers a gentle introduction to hosting a summer séance.
In Loving Memory: 20 Films About Death, Grief & Remembrance
Stories of spouses, parents, children and friends learning to carry on after loss
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
They say nothing in life is certain except death and taxes—a familiar turn of phrase that makes mortality sound almost manageable. Bereavement, unfortunately, carries no such simplicity.
It can leave us searching for language, companionship or some assurance that another person has survived the shape of what we are feeling. In those moments, film can offer a place to sit with loss and see our grief reflected in the experiences of loved ones.
These are the stories that have helped see us through encounters with loss, reminding us that carrying on does not require leaving anyone behind.
Style
From Spark to Studio: Mary & Shelley's Deadstock Design Philosophy
Lindsay and Natalie revisit the years between an ambitious idea and the independent leather goods label they imagined all along
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Great ideas have a funny way of torturing their creator until they are fully animated.
The first spark behind Mary & Shelley appeared years before the brand itself. Long before the leather guitar bags and deadstock materials, there were two alt fashion students with a shared passion in horror and music, and ambitious to pursue design. The concept lingered, bubbling beneath the surface, through corporate careers and years spent learning the realities of an industry they would one day disrupt. Rather than rushing to build something before they understood it, they allowed the idea to evolve alongside them.
For impatient individuals (present company included) immersed in a hurry-up culture; this method can feel tortuous. Yet Mary & Shelley is a reminder that some of our best ideas need time to mature like a well-cellared vintage, developing depth and character before they're finally uncorked.
Ahead, founders Lindsay and Natalie revisit the origins of Mary & Shelley, unpacking the realities of building an independent fashion brand and sharing why patience became one of their greatest creative assets.
Practical Magic Returns: Your Witchy Style Guide
Channel Sally, Gillian or the aunts ahead of the long-awaited sequel
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
With Practical Magic 2 arriving in theatres this September, the spell has been thoroughly renewed. We found ourselves returning to the nostalgia of original film and the wardrobes that made its magic feel so lived in.
At its heart, Practical Magic is a story about women choosing one another. The Owens women survive because they combine their strength; their power grows through sisterhood.
In anticipation of their return, we created three fashion capsules for finding your place in the Owens family. Sally offers witchy daywear built for real life. Gillian takes that magic out after dark. The Aunts dress for midnight margaritas with absolutely no concern for the calendar.
Whichever closet calls to you, wear it in the spirit of the Owens women: entirely yourself and surrounded by women who make you stronger.
(K)night Moves: Dark Medieval Dressing for the Modern Wardrobe
Where battlefield dressing meets everyday armour
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Beneath every fairytale is a story about survival. If medieval style calls to you, perhaps it’s because there is a survivor in your bloodline? Someone that crossed an ocean. Survived a plague. Returned from a war.
These silhouettes and symbols call back to a hard-won victory, at a time when we could all use a win.
This darker interpretation of medieval dressing draws from that not-so-distant history, favouring pieces feel like homage to brave knights and the community they served, acknowledging what has come before and carrying forward its aesthetic of protection.
Crowd Control: 13 Spiked Purses to Preserve Your Personal Space
Sharp accessories for anyone who prefers admiration from a distance
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
If you don’t like being herded like cattle in big crowds, we sure have the bag for you
The subway doors slide open and everyone presses in at once. A stranger’s breath warms the side of your face. Someone’s shoulder drives into your back as the car lurches forward. By the time you reach your stop, your shoes are scuffed and every nerve in your body is begging for six unoccupied inches. The elevator is no better. It is a cramped little nightmare with fluorescent lighting and no socially acceptable escape route.
What if you could carry your own personal bubble? Imagine a portable perimeter that buys you enough literal breathing room to arrive with your patience intact. Enter: the Personal Space Bag.
When Mars (@yung.planet), one of our favourite alternative creators, shared her New York Fashion Week story, we were furious on her behalf. We also recognized the feeling immediately. So, we assembled the accessories equivalent of a wrought-iron fence: 13 spiked bags designed to look beautiful from a respectful distance.
The Unmentionables: 13 Dark Feminine Lingerie Brands to Shop for National Underwear Day
Whether you're building your first collection or refreshing an old favourite, these beautifully crafted brands belong beneath every wardrobe
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Intimates are aptly named. They're the pieces we wear closest, often for our eyes only.
They're the garments we choose for ourselves first, not because anyone else will see them, but because of how they make us feel. Whether your confidence comes wrapped in delicate lace or your favourite cotton essentials, the right pair becomes the underpinning of the day ahead.
In celebration of National Underwear Day (August 5), we've rounded up 13 dark feminine lingerie brands that make the first layer every bit as considered as the last.
House & Haunt
Another Chapter: Soul Perchers on the Care Behind Every Creation
Inside the philosophy of ethical taxidermy and the artistry of preserving animals through character and costume
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Some artists work with canvas. Others work with marble, clay or paint. The Soul Perchers team works with legacy. Every stitch is sewn by hand. Every garment is designed with the care of a historical costumer. Most importantly, every animal is treated with profound dignity, preserving a life that deserves to be remembered.
There is a palpable tenderness at the heart of this shop. Before the velvet, antique lace and jewelled crowns, there is an unwavering belief that every animal, every soul, deserves compassion. That philosophy guides each decision the team makes, from sourcing only ethical specimens to allowing each creature to inspire its character.
Inspired by Victorian dress, the visual language of Guillermo del Toro and Tim Burton, art history, fashion and fairy tales, their anthropomorphic taxidermy transforms each specimen into a character with a story of its own. Each finished piece grants an animal's story another chapter.
We sat down with the team to find out more.
Afterlife: 15 Natural History Artists to Know
From traditional taxidermy to lace bats designs, the intricate handwork of these artists give each creature another chapter
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
A butterfly seemingly paused mid-flight allows us to appreciate the intricate patterns across its wings. The preserved vertebrae of a snake reveal the elegant architecture that once supported its movement. Even the familiar raccoon becomes newly arresting when we pause to notice the dexterity of its paws or the intelligence held in its expression.
These details can pass in an instant while an animal is alive and in motion. Natural history art gives us time to see them. The artist looks closely at what made each creature singular, then considers how its character might be carried forward translating its unique essence through the passages of time.
That transformation demands an extraordinary kind of devotion. Each specimen is studied closely before the artist begins the patient work of preserving its form. Even pieces rendered in lace or traced from abandoned spiderwebs carry the same attention to the architecture of the living world.
The 15 artists featured here pour themselves into giving each creature another chapter. Through their work, nature becomes an enduring object of wonder and an invitation to look closer at the life around us.
Content warning: The following article contains images of finished taxidermy pieces. Readers who prefer not to view preserved animals should stop here.
Natural Curiosity: Inside Esoterica's World of Specimens & Storytelling
Esoterica founder Sofia reflects on how a childhood spent collecting the natural world became a lifelong devotion to preserving its beauty
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
It starts earlier than we think. Perhaps it's a feather discovered on a morning walk or a mushroom tucked beneath fallen leaves. Or, maybe it's a smooth stone slipped into a coat pocket simply because it was too interesting to leave behind. Long before those moments become collections, career paths or carefully curated spaces, they begin as simple curiosity.
For Esoterica co-founder Sofia, that curiosity first took shape alongside her grandmother in the forests of Russia, where afternoons were spent outside in nature, learning about flora, fauna and the personality of places. Years later, those early lessons found a new home in New Hope, Pennsylvania where Esoterica invites visitors to rediscover the same sense of wonder that first inspired its founders to begin collecting.
In our conversation, Sofia reflects on how childhood curiosity became a shop devoted to preserving the natural world.
Bed of Roses: Gothic Botanical Décor for the Boudoir
Cultivate a dreamier space with decadent florals, insect motifs and garden-inspired details
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
Close the bedroom door and the garden begins to stir. Night-blooming flowers spill across the bed, velvet pillows deepen the shadows and vines curl around lampshades glowing like rare specimens beneath glass. The air carries traces of rose, jasmine and damp earth as moths, beetles and serpents emerge among the foliage.
Inside the botanical boudoir, nature feels slightly untamed. Rich textiles invite you to sink deeper beneath the covers, while every framed flower and winged creature rewards a closer look. Together, it becomes a seductive secret garden designed for darkly romantic escape.