Wake and Bake with Edie Parker

October 21, 2024

Edie Parker was always all about elevated fashion. The brand’s founder, Brett Heyman, started the brand as an homage to the mid-century modern era and her inner child, rolling out ornate evening bags that were the perfect cherry on top to standout looks. But after spending some time in the elevated fashion lane, the label began a new chapter as it evolved into high fashion — literally.

Taking a leap of faith and unveiling Edie Parker Flower, Heyman decided to stand her ground in the heavily male-dominated cannabis industry. And she really puts her money where her mouth is, with a women-led team and products that personify her bubbly outlook. Through her color-explosive products and imaginative perspective, she has found a way to make weed accessible and welcoming, no matter how you identify.

Interview by Kayla Curtis-Evans
Photos by Matthew Kappas

Stepping into Heyman’s technicolor home oasis, office chatted with the founder about the transforming cannabis industry, circulating education and heightening accessibility, and her favorite go-to munchies.

Kayla Curtis-Evans— I actually have never interviewed someone after smoking before. This is a new one for me. What are your favorite strains? When you want to relax after a long day, what would you reach for?

Brett Heyman— Really, I'm not so strain-specific. I love our vapes and I love the flavor of the hybrid the most. Usually, the flavor is what dictates what I smoke. But I keep the hybrid and the sativa in my purse. That's such an old lady thing to say [laughs]. But that's what I usually smoke, I rarely smoke indica.

What treat are we making today?

Treat is kind of a misnomer. I don't think of it as a treat exactly, it's just the only thing I can bake from memory. It's a banana bread loaf with flax seed, buckwheat flour, chia seeds, and cottage cheese that I eat for breakfast every morning. It's very high-protein and very filling. What do you eat for breakfast?

I eat a lot of oatmeal for breakfast. Or chia pudding.

I make chia pudding a lot too.

When you smoke, do you have a go-to snack for the munchies?

I love a white cheddar popcorn. That's usually my snack. Although, I've recently learned that some of those popular ones out there aren't really good for you. The best popcorn that's packaged is that Himalayan Pink salt one. So that's mostly what I'll go for.

Do you think that you bake better when baked? Or do you have any other activities that you feel you execute better when that edge is taken off?

Well, I mean that's the thing with cannabis, right? It just heightens all your senses. So I'm of the belief that it makes everything better; it certainly makes eating better. And smelling things. Sex is a big thing for me with cannabis. I am enjoying every part of this. Not that I wouldn't without cannabis, but it just makes everything a little bit better. Having said that, cottage cheese smells disgusting. High or not.

The fact that smoking kind of heightens everything is what freaked me out a little bit the first time I tried it. I returned to it later because I have trouble sleeping and that was the only thing that helped.

It's so personal. So many people have had bad experiences, or maybe they haven't found the right strains yet. It's about testing use cases and finding what's right for you. Because I believe there's something for everybody.

I totally agree. You've created this new frontier within cannabis. When you started Edie Parker Flower, how did you aim to shift some of the stigmas or stereotypes that exist around cannabis? How did you also aim to shake up a very male-dominated industry?

We came in during the California green wave. We thought that cannabis was the new, big business and that there was going to be almost no stigma around it. We really underestimated the fact that the stigma remains and there's still a reluctance. We came into this scene and we found that there were no women in the cannabis space. Or at least very few women in the cannabis space and certainly no brands that were speaking to women on the shelves. There weren't a lot of brands that were approaching it like we did, through accessories first. Our goal was that we wanted people to engage with cannabis like any other product in their lives — as a consumer product. We thought that if we made things that are pretty and not intimidating or overly masculine or medicinal, then we could help destigmatize and normalize cannabis.

When we launched, we had a store on Madison Avenue, and we sold all of our cannabis accessories alongside these expensive evening bags. I think that really helped — just seeing beautiful cannabis-related accessories alongside products that you were used to engaging with. All of this helped with destigmatizing within certain audiences, but as you said, we still have a lot of work to do.

That was my favorite part about the brand when I first discovered it. These are palatable products that you can have on your table and they actually look cute. So many smoking tools or accessories are so ugly. But your approach is super whimsical. I see the affinity for color carrying over, even into your home.

Yes. It's a genuine affinity.

What inspires your playful, colorful outlook?

I think the world can be quite dreary. When we started Edie Parker, it's not like I thought that there was this need for these whimsical acrylic evening bags with your name on them or with fruit inlays. But my philosophy has always been that life is very serious and your accessories don't have to be. I think our surroundings should spark joy. And maybe living in a sea of grey or beige is what makes you happy. But for me, patterns, vintage things that tell a story, things that people are curious about — like this Murano fruit glass chandelier, it's my favorite. Everybody who comes over wants to talk about it. I love having joyful things that make people smile or at least ask questions, which coincidentally is exactly (philosophically) what we thought about the handbags too. These are pieces that will make people engage in conversation with you. So if you're a real introvert, maybe they're not for you [laughs.]

What intrigues you about the mid-century modern era, design-wise? Why is that something that you often revisit?

I like it because it's this really creative time Post World War II, particularly in America, which is where the acrylic bags were created. America was setting fashion trends globally, and other trends within industries like the auto industry with the use of plastics. That was my inspiration for the bags and what initially drew me to mid-century furniture and mid-century handbags. I think it's just exciting to see the development of trends across the globe by means of these little items. They mean more than meets the eye.

What similarities can you draw between what you were doing with the brand when it was strictly fashion-forward and this space you're in now, with functional, cannabis accessories? The products are different, but I still see the overall vision aligning.

Thank you for saying that because it's hard. The purpose of the bags is to surprise and delight. We always say that these are joyful little pieces of art and we don't see the cannabis accessories any differently. It's how we felt justified getting into the business. We already made all these other pieces that are meant to be displayed, so we thought why can't cannabis accessories be displayable and collectible, much like bar accessories? Why do they have to be like your ex-boyfriend's disgusting, gross bong that's meant to be hidden away? And again, we felt like if we could make things that are meant to be shown off, shared, and gifted, it would help with normalization, de-stigmatization, and all of the things that we're up against.

You take inspiration from a lot of food. Where does that stem from?

I just love food. My favorite kind of design aesthetic is something that feels really nostalgic. Something that evokes a memory and that's also a little bit unexpected. So I think food accessories usually feel like that. They're instantly recognizable, but we make it a little bit more unexpected and certainly subversive. We like to make things that make people smirk a little.

How else do you think that we can create more inviting environments within the cannabis industry?

I think there are a lot of ways, but I really think the onerous marketing restrictions around cannabis make it hard to talk to people on social media in a normal way. It also makes it hard to advertise in a normal way. And those are both very valuable things. I think if those were eased a little bit, we could help people see more people who look like themselves engaging in cannabis. I think it's hard to see an entry point if you're curious because of the ‘stoner bro’ archetype. So seeing more people like you, like your parents or your coworkers, engaging with cannabis in healthy ways would be helpful. And then the other way is, obviously, just through having more legal cannabis retail that starts to look like other retail in your life. Spaces that feel non-intimidating and welcoming. And then seeing brands on the shelf that don't feel intimidating. We're still so early in this industry. I hope these positive changes will come.

What are some of your favorite Edie Parker accessories to use when you're smoking? I know you mentioned the pen; do you have any go-to pipes or lighters too?

I love a lot of our other accessories for decor purposes, but I'm also not a good joint roller. So if I am, the cones are great. I love all the pipes. We made a lime pipe when we first launched that I still use. But I think smoking out of a banana is the most fun. I also really like the birthday candle one-hitters that we have.

So far, you've really shaken up the industry and debuted a lot of different funky shapes and ideas. Do you have anything else in the works besides what we talked about that you're really excited about?

We're so excited about edibles. We're 10 women, give or take, in the office. And all of us love edibles. So I really wanted our own but we wanted something true to the brand ethos, which is, simply, to have a good time. We want to give people permission to just get high and have fun. There doesn't have to be an anti-inflammatory component or a sleep aid. So we're designing something that we think hits those marks. The packaging will be really fun and multipurpose. Like most of our products, I don't know if you'd noticed, but we love this marriage of charming form, but also functional form. So everything has dual use. Fun flavors, of course. One day, I'd really love to have a dispensary and I'd love to have an educational aspect there as well.

Culture

The Club Is Coming to the Stage

We enter and make our way to what is approximately front left of the DJ booth, where we’re accustomed to dancing at clubs in New York. “So is this a techno club or a dance performance?” yells an uncertain participant in my boyfriend’s ear. He laughs, bouncing along to Ben UFO, and yells back, “It’s both!” The club has long been a hot topic in European contemporary dance but it is only now making its way into New York performance venues, largely through transatlantic tours. R.O.S.E. follows recent examples like Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1 (May 2024), (LA)HORDE’s Room with a View at NYU Skirball (October 2023), and Gisèle Vienne’s Crowd at BAM (October 2022).

Do these performances compromise the club’s spirit — a space idealized for its anonymity, dark lighting, and thundering music? The notion of the club as a utopian escape is admittedly just that — an ideal — because of how its intense conditions can create barriers to entry. Still, the club remains sacred for many, a place to forge connections and embrace an alternative state of being. Looking at how performances transfer this spirit to new settings reveals what aspects of the club are essential and those that aren’t.

Sharon Eyal, R.O.S.E. 2024. Photography by Stephanie Berger, courtesy of Park Avenue Armory.

Eyal’s dancers make their entrance. The lighting shifts from roving blue to yellow spotlights as Ben UFO’s tracks transition to more melodic beats. Clad in deconstructed lace Dior lingerie with dark red tears painted on their faces, the dancers move cautiously in a tightly maintained pack, slicing paths through the horde with hoof-like steps and jerky leg extensions. After around ten minutes of this controlled choreography, the dancers vanish as the lighting shifts back to blue and Ben UFO picks up his dubby beats. The club, as we knew it, resumes. This cycle of tightly executed movements and free-flowing club-goers repeats several times, each time emboldening the dancers to plunge further into the crowd.

Clubbing in a building once built for the U.S. Army National Guard on Manhattan’s Upper East Side turns out to be surprisingly successful — at least for the audience. What starts as an awkward, scattered group searching for their non existent seats gradually gels into an engaged, bouncing crowd that erupts in cheers each time the dancers enter and exit. Performance patrons who might never step foot in a club find themselves swept up in its potential for communion, moving in unison with fellow ticket holders. But it isn’t until the very end of R.O.S.E. that the dancers finally break free from Eyal’s choreography and join the fired-up audience in a brief moment of improvisatory movement with the music. By keeping her dancers at arm’s length, Eyal seems more interested in the club as a backdrop for her signature movement style than wholly as a space with meaningful stories to be told.

Michele Rizzo, HIGHER xtn. 2024. Photography by Cameron Kelly courtesy of MoMA PS1.

Back in May, I attended Wire Festival, a multiday electronic music event at Knockdown Center that had no shortage of organically united dancefloors. It attracted a crowd of seasoned ravers who were eager to celebrate the start of spring as they danced alongside DJs who played well into the daylight. I left Wire in an afternoon daze to see Michele Rizzo’s HIGHER xtn. at MoMA PS1. My sleepless euphoria only deepened as the performance unfolded, starting with a lone dancer who looked plucked out of the festival.

The dancer, dressed in sneakers, baggy jeans, and a tight tank top, shuffled slowly into the gallery, perfectly in sync with the looping bars of an understated electronic melody. Soon, other dancers, clad in the same staple rave uniform, joined him — each having traveled from Europe for the U.S. museum debut of HIGHER xtn., which premiered at the Stedelijk in Amsterdam in 2018 and quickly became a fixture at kunsthalles and festivals across the continent. As the score’s tempo climbed, the choreography locked into a 16-count sequence, which the dancers executed with precise synchrony. They remained intensely focused, never making eye contact with each other, as they sought release in the endless repetition of synthesized beats. Once the dancers reached their limit, they stopped the sequence and exited the gallery, one by one.

HIGHER xtn. used the focused daylight of the gallery to highlight the meditative release found in the repetitive movements that dominate dark dancefloors. The performance’s restraint brought more consistency and intentionality than Eyal’s all-encompassing club construction in R.O.S.E. Yet both performances offer enticing entry points into club culture for those who may not frequent raves. Rizzo’s ecstatic, hypnotic repetitions reveal how the club can mirror other meditative practices, while Eyal’s interpolation of performance and clubbing helped hesitant audience members blossom by the end. Still, both works overlook one of the most underappreciated aspects of clubbing — its potential for individual expression. HIGHER xtn.’s pristine uniformity especially risks promoting the outdated techno trope that there’s a “right” way to dance to electronic music.

Maybe this shortcoming is, in fact, a benefit. For habitual ravers jaded by one too many sunrise sets, it’s a reminder to return to the club with more intention. If you pause and peer through the darkness, you’ll see hundreds of people moving to the same beat, each with their own subtle variations. This collective choreography is a ready-made spectacle that doesn’t need validation in a theater or museum. And when the music shifts slightly, you can watch the ripple effect sweep through the crowd while feeling the new beat in your body. Maybe this small bit of magic is best left on the dance floor.

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Culture

Porsche SCOPES Brings Art, Music, and Design to Toronto

The festival was a full immersion into Toronto’s dynamic creative energy. Day one set the tone with DJ collective Living Room, followed by an experimental performance by Claire Rousay that captivated the crowd. Jewelry designer Steff Eleoff unveiled her Porsche Taycan 4S art car installation—a bold fusion of automotive and wearable art inspired by her Sedona ring—while OVO Sound’s Naomi Sharon and DVSN wrapped up the night with powerful, genre-defying performances.

We witnessed SCOPES Toronto bridging underground and mainstream with day two’s lineup. DJ Korea Town Acid’s set paved the way for Angelphroot and Dameer’s debut of BASSMATI, a track blending South Asian influences with bass-driven sounds. Chippy Nonstop’s return to Toronto and Richie Hawtin’s extended set were milestones of the evening, proving that the city’s underground scene has a global resonance.

The final day featured standout performances from local pianist Harrison, Indigenous artist Tia Wood, and hip-hop visionary Sean Leon, who elevated his set with a live choir. Moonshine Collective’s film and musical performance explored themes of African utopia, showcasing art’s power to bridge culture and technology. Rising Toronto star SadBoi, who paused her tour to perform at SCOPES, further underscored the festival’s commitment to nurturing local talent.

Throughout the weekend, we experienced installations from artists like Mitsu Mitsu and culinary creations from Bar Mordecai, capturing the multifaceted creativity Porsche SCOPES brought to Toronto. This milestone 10th edition, open to all, allowed Toronto’s vibrant arts scene to thrive, underscoring SCOPES’ mission to celebrate local talent while connecting it to a global audience.

office had the chance to connect with rising star SadBoi ahead of the event. In our conversation, she shared insights into her creative journey and reflected on what performing and growing up in Toronto means to her and her work.

How are you, and where are you at right now? You told me you were traveling.

Um, I’m good, I’m feeling really good right now. I’m traveling back to Salt Lake City. I had a show yesterday in Seattle. I’m on tour right now with Coco and Claire.

How is touring life treating you? Do you like it?

I love being on the road. To be honest, I feel like I don’t know—like I’ve had good experiences and bad ones—but this time it’s really fun, especially with the people I’m surrounded by. It’s also the longest tour I’ve been on; I have about four more weeks to go. I’m trying not to think about how many days I have left.

Do you feel homesick?

Yes, because when I start thinking about how many days are left, I start to miss my dogs. I’ve just been trying to stay in the moment—I don’t even know what day of the week it is, to be honest with you.

Oh, sweet! What are your dogs’ names?

Jillian and Winston. I know, they’re crazy names.

You’ll be performing at SCOPES in Toronto, which is where you grew up. Do you feel like the crowd is different when you perform in Toronto compared to other cities?

Yes, I mean, Toronto just feels different because it’s home. Every time I come back to perform, something in my career has changed. The last time I performed in Toronto, people just wanted to have a good time, and I’m excited to perform back home again to see everyone’s reactions. I know it’s going to be different from the last time. It’s exciting to see your own growth. Toronto is a tough crowd, though. If we’re with you, we’re really with you.

So, they’re super picky? You have to gain their respect, or what is it?

I think Toronto people are in their own world, but when something really connects with them, they’ll lose themselves in the moment. But it takes something to bring them out of that. Toronto crowds are tough because even if they like you, they won’t show it outright until they’re really vibing with you.

It’s like a vibe check, right?

Exactly. They’ll enjoy your performance, but it’s hard to explain. When people visit Toronto, they often say, “Oh, you guys are so nice,” and I’m like, “I don’t think we’re that nice, we’re just polite.” Like, you can walk down the street, and no one will say anything, but it’s just our mannerisms.

You mentioned Toronto can have a moody energy, especially at night, and that the underground night scene there really inspires you. Can you talk more about what makes Toronto's nightlife so influential for you?

Absolutely, Toronto has this unique energy that comes alive at night. Similar to New York, there are the popular clubs everyone knows, but you need to find your niche—the people who know where the real parties are. I remember going to raves in high school yards, sneaking in because I wasn’t old enough. Events like Baby, Jerk!, and Yes Yes Y’all were pivotal, exposing me to DJs blending dancehall with EDM—something I hadn’t seen before. Toronto nightlife is moody and intense, but when everyone’s out, it’s like the whole city is alive.