“When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, there was a moment of, ‘How could this happen to me?’ But then, very quickly, I thought, ‘Well, why not me?’ One in eight women get breast cancer. I guess it was just my turn.
My treatment was at the Princess Margaret (PM) Cancer Centre, which felt daunting. When I was growing up, several of my mom’s friends were treated for cancer at the PM. Every time we drove by, my mom would say, ‘That’s a wonderful hospital, but you don’t ever want to have to go there.’ As I walked into the centre for the first time, though, I thought of a quote from Confucius: ‘Wherever you go, go with all your heart.’ In that moment, I decided that PM was going to be my temple of healing. And it was. It was an incredible blessing to be at such a brilliant cancer centre with such compassionate and accomplished doctors.
I lost 60% of my hair during chemo. My eyebrows fell out, my eyelashes fell out. I was the hairless wonder at one point. I decided right away that I was going to let fashion help me through this journey. The Toronto milliner David Dunkley gifted me this fabulous little newsboy cap — very chic, very cute — and I wore it all the time. Some days I felt like I’d aged 30 years, but then I’d put on a little lipstick, some false eyelashes, and my cocky little hat, and instantly feel better. It was really a lesson, yet again, in how fashion can transform and empower us.
I also decided I was going to keep working right through everything. I didn’t want people to think I’d disappeared because of the diagnosis. I’ve had the most wonderful, colourful, interesting life because of fashion, and this was my opportunity to use my place in the media to talk about something far more meaningful.
I want to convey to women how important mammograms are. With early diagnosis, breast cancer is not only treatable, it’s curable. No one knows what’s going to befall them. But I love my life so much, and I want to keep drinking it all in, the agony and the ecstasy. We’re so lucky to live at a point in history where these tests and treatments are available. How can you not take advantage of them?"
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