It’s the first sunny day in Los Angeles in four days. Rain and mist have pounded the pavement like a door-to-door salesman, their drops hitting windshields like fists on front doors, ceaseless and without end in sight. Fortunately, Julia Ormond has been away, and she has brought the sun with her upon her return.

Ormond is punctual as she enters through the front door of a café in Brentwood, easy with her footing and innocuously graceful. The actress, touted at the onset of her career as the next Audrey Hepburn, is unfathomably beautiful, dressed casually in white pants and a rather ratty old gray t-shirt. A few snags run from its front pocket like ladders in tights. It’s clear she intends to wear this t-shirt till its death; wasteful isn’t in her nature.

The air is brittle, even inside, and Ormond sips a large, steaming cappuccino. The tables around are empty and the speakers murmur some classical variation that runs beneath the conversation, filling in only sparse pauses. Ormond can chat, and often takes off, running away with her words, her thoughts a child on a wild goose chase in the most wonderfully excited manner.

And such is Ormond’s approach to all aspects of her life — whether personal, political, or professional; that is, she is engaged wholeheartedly, displaying a wonderful tendency to look at all things with a fine tooth comb, to really observe and interpret that which goes on around her.

It’s what first won our hearts as she played opposite Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall. She went on to woo audiences with her grace and gusto in projects such as First Knight, Sabrina, and most recently, in the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries, Temple Grandin. In short, Ormond has remained a veritable force in a profession where career casualties stack as high as dailies.

(Text: Arianna Schioldager / Photos: Peter Ash Lee)

- To read the full article, pick up Issue 8 of Corduroy, available on newsstands or through our online button above right.

Thanks to Mark Buche and Shayna McLelland for hooking us up, and thanks to our rider coaches Ty, Chris and Miriam for keeping us safe! Now that I’ve had a taste of life on two wheels, I’m thinking up whole new photoshoot ideas for Corduroy. Anyone with me?

- PL

Jean Touitou, creative director for French label, A.P.C., on why he hates the word “basics:”

First of all, that word doesn’t even exist in the French dictionary. And in English, nothing done well is ever “basic.” If I had the mission to finally achieve a perfect white T-shirt, it could take me three months of yarn research, knitting tests, designing and cutting. I see a lot of clothes with tons of “fakely-complicated” details -– things that robots can do now at plants -– that are much more “basic” than a proper grey flannel men’s jacket done properly. Okay, most of all I hate to hear that our work is basic, since I consider it very deep.”

(Jean Touitou photographed in Paris by Peter Ash Lee)

- To read our full interview with Jean Touitou, pick up Issue 7 of Corduroy, coming next month…

The New York-based Corduroy Appreciation Club showed us its appreciation at its annual meeting this week (on 11/11 — the day that most closely resembles corduroy) and we were honored to be one of its award recipients for 2009. Our creative director Peter Ash Lee was on hand to accept the award for “Excellency in the field of Corduroy Journalism,” at the rather prestigious event, held at The Old Can Factory in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn.

Hundreds of Corduroy enthusiasts packed the factory’s slightly ominous garage for the meeting, which was really an excuse to catch up with old friends, admire everyone’s corduroy duds and indulge in a few corduroy-like snacks (think Ruffles chips, celery and churros). The night was capped off with an address by keynote speaker Sloane Crosley, author of “I Was Told There Would Be Cake.” Thanks to Miles Rohan, the founder and current president of the Corduroy Appeciation Club (pictured above with Peter) for inviting us. Make sure to check out the video below (produced by our friends at Revel In New York) to find out more about Rohan, his role in the club, and why he agrees with us that corduroy will never go out of style.

- TC

Our own creative director Peter Ash Lee is one of the photographers featured in this year’s “Drawn to Develop” gala in Toronto. The annual event pairs some of Canada’s top photographers with former street kids, who submit drawings that represent their past lives. The photographers are each assigned a drawing and then challenged to re-create the work as a photographic print in their own individual style. The original prints will be auctioned off at the upcoming gala, with the proceeds going to charity. This year’s charitable partner is Street Kids International — a non-profit group based out of Toronto and the UK, that supports street youth through business skills/career training and health awareness programs and outreach.

The “Drawn to Develop” event takes place this Thursday, October 15, from 7:30 pm – 1am at the Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District in Toronto. In addition to hearing from some of the participants, there will also be music from Kevin Drew, Jason Collett and a special DJ set from Broken Social Scene member Brendan Canning. Find out more about the event, read up on the participating artists and photographers and get tickets for the gala at drawntodevelop.com.