All posts filed under: Canadian Designers

I want – I got Editorials – Philip Sparks Spring 2013

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A lot of bloggers love to the do the photoshoot of themselves thing. If you’ve been here long enough, you know that’s not my thing. I rarely post about my daily outfits because I honestly don’t find it or them interesting. For those of you that are curious about what I’m wearing, your best bets for glimpses are to follow me on twitter or instagram. You can search geekigirl to find me. So, I don’t like outfit posts and that kinda shit but I enjoy doing the occasional editorial. Some of these editorials I’ve organized and others I’ve just played model. I was blogging for the award-winning MasterCard Stylicity project this season and I organized three editorial shoots for the stores Philip Sparks, Nomad and Spectacle. The shots turned out really well so I’ve decided to showcase some of them here too. First up is Philip Sparks. I brought my sometime collaborator with me Dave Yan. We did the Moon campaign together and he has an amazing eye for shots. The amazing Andrew Coimbra styled …

Shan Swimwear 2013 Preview

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Did you know that some of the world’s best luxury swimwear is made in Canada? Montreal based Shan was started by Chantal Levesque in 1985. The brand is now carried in over 500 stores across 25 countries including Harrod’s and Saks Fifth Avenue. Shan is found in some of the world’s most luxurious hotels like Sandylane in Barbados and the Wynn in Las Vegas. Toronto has its own standalone Shan store in Yorkville as well as Miami, Montreal, Laval and St. Sauveur. Shan takes pride in it’s Laval based production and state of the art facilities. Everything is hand sewn by staff that have been trained for many years learning the Shan standard of quality. The Shan customer is someone who is looking for quality in workmanship and materials. Chantal’s hard work has paid off and she received the Designer of the Year,2011 award by the International Mode City Show in Paris. The Quebec Chamber of Commerce also recognized her contributions and she received the Mercuriades Award in 2012. Chantel and her Vice President, Jean-François …

Kania Spring Summer 2013

Kania Spring Summer 2013 Lookbook

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I enjoyed opening the Kania Spring Summer 2013 lookbook, the images are beautiful. Kania is the brainchild of Ottawa based Stacey Bafi-Yeboa. She is a former Broadway dancer and that experience heavily influences her designs. Kania is designed and manufactured in Canada. The Spring Summer 2013 Kania collection is called Tropical Luxuriance. Stacey brought in Tanzanian model, Herieth Paul who moved to Ottawa when she was 14. Welcome to a world where fashion meets dance and where fantasy is reality. A private island where you can escape the ordinary and be submersed in luxury. Steamy nights and hot summer days rule your world. You’ll sense the relaxed beauty of the Caribbean and be transformed into the glamour of an African queen. As you step into paradise you’re ready to let go, to let loose, to be noticed, to be free. Is it a dream? No … you’ve just entered the island of KANIA… get ready to experience…TROPICAL LUXURIANCE(source: press release) Stacey’s dance background is evident in the clothing. Everything is sexy but comfortable looking. Stacey …

Sarah Stevenson Design Spring Summer 2013 Lookbook

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Sarah Stevenson Design Spring Summer 2013 collection reminds me of the sea and Ming Dynasty porcelain. Sarah is a textile designer so she creates the prints herself and has them transferred to silk. Pattern Observer has a great interview with Sarah. All of her pieces are made in Canada. For those people who tend to skew a bit more conservative in their clothing can add a pop of colour and print with one of Sarah’s beautiful scarves. You can find Sarah Stevenson Design online at Ukamaku and sarahstevensondesign.com. images: courtesy of Sarah Stevenson Design

i want: Nomad Dress by complexgeometries

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The sleeves and the neckline is what draws me to this complexgeometries dress. The billowy silhouette looks so comfortable and perfect to pair with leggings and boots in the early spring and fall. The complexgeometries Nomad Dress is made of light weight cotton voile. It’s available on complexgeometries.net for $240. images: complexgeometries.net

AnU RaiNa Spring Summer 2013 – Tathya’s Garden

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I’m a secret pomegranate junkie. It’s a problem that developed when I worked close to Chinatown. During Ppmegranate season, I developed the habit of buying up copious amounts of the fruit, taking advantage of the 3 for $5 pricing that dominated the many of the fruit sellers in the area. I knew which shops that consistently brought in quality pomegranates, knowledge after weeks of experimentation and research. I made the most of the short season and ate my way through it at every opportunity. I don’t work close to Chinatown anymore but my pomegranate addiction hasn’t stopped. My local grocer brings in good pomegranates during the season. They know my habits really well. So, it’s not a surprise that I love Anu Raina’s pomegranate dominated Spring Summer 2013 collection. My SS13 collection of prints is inspired by my memories of witnessing the majestic Echinaceas, the dew drop laden Daisys on the lazy Sunday mornings, the beautiful Pomegrante trees that humbly bore the weight of the biggest and reddest ever Pomegrantes, the riot of colour and …

i want: Accordion Briefcase by Philip Sparks

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I’m excited about Philip Sparks’s new lines of accessories for men and women for Spring Summer 2013. Right now I have my eye on this leather and canvas mens Accordion Briefcase. I love the colour combination. It’s available for pre-order right now at philipsparks.com or at the Ossington Shop until Sunday. It retails for $395.00 and will ship on March 15, 2013s ship March 15, 2013, images: philipsparks.com

i want: Justice Sandal by Abel Munoz

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Toronto based shoe designer, Abel Munoz has just launched online shopping at abelmunozshop.com. He has the Spring Summer 2013 collection in the shop now and he offers free shipping to customer in Canada and the US. Torontonians can see Abel’s shoes in person at George C. I’m pretty fond of these strappy plum suede sandals called Justice. They would be perfect day to night shoe.  I’d wear these to the office all summer. Everyone is gotten used to my crazy footwear. Abel has his shoes produced in Italy and they are leather lined and soled. The heel on these are 3.75 inches. The Justice sandal retails for $575.00. image: abelmunozshop.com

Dennis Merotto Spring Summer 2013 Lookbook

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Toronto based designer, Dennis Merotto’s Spring Summer 2013 collection is perfect for office dwellers like me.  It’s beautiful, simple and professional but doesn’t skip out on the playful side by utilizing prints and colour blocking. The collection is combines silk, cotton, linen, leather, modal and polyester into wide legged pantsuits or easy wearing colour blocked tent dresses. Nathalie Atkinson wrote a great piece on Dennis at the National Post. He’s an industry heavyweight who worked behind the scenes for a long time whose now striving for his own spotlight. images: courtesy of Dennis Merotto

i got: Nicholas Kirkwood x Erdem Ankle Boots

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Sneaky emails and reminder tweets enter my social space once the major discounts start hitting The Room at the Hudson’s Bay. It’s a good time to be hunting for bargains. It’s during these sales periods that I get strategic about things. It’s about desirability of the brand and price. During this magical time that ownership of the brands I lust for becomes attainable. The Room blessed me with an amazing Christopher Kane skirt. The Room has a great selection of shoes and the pickings are getting pretty slim by the time it’s 60% off plus an extra 40%. This shoe shopping experience was extra fun because I coerced my friend, Natalie into coming. There were a few choices of from my watch list of designers: Kirkwood, Sanderson, Olympia, Alaia, Atwood, Margiela. I tried on a few and stared wistfully at some wishing I had the same size feet as Stefania from Textstyles.ca. I wandered the racks several times with a pair of pretty loud Erdem x Nicholas Kirkwood ankle boots. They were a thick tweed …

Chinedesign presents Masquerade – February 15, 2013

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Chinedesign presents Masquerade – February 15, 2013 Chinedesign cordially invites you to “Masquerade”, A multimedia fashion presentation and masked ball party celebrating the spirit of Carnival and the mystique of the African mask. Date: Friday February 15th Time: Doors/ Reception at 9pm Fashion Show at 10pm followed by the Party! Venue: Daniels Spectrum 585 Dundas Street East, Toronto Style code: Formal or African Traditional Color Theme: Black/ Gold / Red Important: Venetian-style masks must be worn at all times until midnight. Please visit chinedesign.com/masquerade to purchase your tickets and peruse our selection of suggested masks “Masquerade” is a part of the TD Then and Now Series for 2013. Daniels Spectrum 585 Dundas Street East, Toronto, Ontario M4M 2B8

Talking About My ‘Do in Worn Journal Issue 15

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I’m in the current issue of Worn Journal. It’s been out since November but I’m only getting around to posting about it now. In June, I got an email from Serah-Marie asking if she could feature me in Worn’s hair issue. As you can imagine, I was a little perplexed at why I would be included. She explained that the piece would be feature on people with interesting hair styles. Accompanying the photos would be an interview with questions related to hair and identity. I said yes without question because it’s Worn Journal and it’s a great topic that my (lack of) hair could contribute to. The talented Lainee Dee did my makeup before I ventured to the Worn Journal offices to meet the photographer, Brittany Lucas. I brought a few different outfits to choose from for the shoot but the final decision was the Smythe Warbler Tribute Blazer, earring by Eliza Kozurno and a leather Tshirt by Danier. It was late July when this photo was taken and it was roasting outside. With the …

Dina Gonzalez Mascaro Jewellery

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I went to the opening of the SORRY, I’M NOT SORRY, I’M NOT A JEWELLER by Dina González Mascaró show held at the Ossington Philip Sparks shop. Dina is an Argentinian, born Vancouver based artist visiting the city for the Interior Design Show and the Toronto Design Offsite Festival. She has a Master’s degree in Fine Arts with a specialization in sculpture but she is a self-taught jewellery artist. Dina’s jewellery is very much and extension of her artwork. I really love what she does as it’s so unique. She is really pushing design in a different direction. The jewellery has added dimension and structure not normally seen. Strong women wear these pieces otherwise they end up wearing you. I’m not a cyclist but her bike series is amazing. The wheels move on the mini bikes and the wheel pendant is just perfect. If you are in Vancouver you can visit Dina’s shop/studio, JewellerBau. She does custom work as well. At the opening Dina described a set of wedding bands she created for an artist …

Woudenberg Spring Summer 2013 – Paragon

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I’m a sucker for anything Art Deco related so I was very interested in the Woudenberg Spring Summer 2013 jewellery collection. Toronto based, Emily Woudenberg is a self-taught fashion and jewellery designer with an educational background in Fine Arts and Graphic Design. The spring summer 2013 season marks her fourth collection under the her namesake label, Woudenberg. The collection titled “Paragon” is inspired by the most eclectic and luxurious qualities of the Art Deco movement. A paragon, defined as “an immaculate diamond”, symbolized the frivolity that followed World War I. After the Great Depression and World War II, the opulence of the Art Deco era was out of place and a stark contrast to the sombre reality of the late 1930s. The 12-piece collection incorporates rose gold, opalite, copper industrial materials, rope and hand-sculpted pendants. Staying true to the Woudenberg aesthetic, Paragon is avant-garde and androgynous with each piece as experimental and effortlessly sophisticated as the next. “I wanted to capture the essence of the contrast between extreme frivolity and sombre frugality that was seen …

i want: Raya Backpack by Rimanchik

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It’s always funny how everything runs in circles. The backpack was my staple bag during high school and university. The thought of using a traditional bag was absurd at the time. After finishing my school years, I ditched the backpack and never looked back. Now backpacks are everywhere and I’ve been broken. I want in on this action. Enter the Raya Backpack in fall’s trendiest colour, oxblood. Rimanchik is a Montreal based accessories brand that started in 2003. They keep things local and they also manufacture their products in Montreal. I like how streamline and sleek this backpack is. It’s the size of handbag but gives you the hands free advantage without resorting to something messenger style. The Raya Backpack is available online at Rimanchik.com for $260.00.

Cougar Pillow Boot Quilty Pleasures

Cougar Pillow Boot Collection Fall Winter 2012

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Cougar Boots had a mobile installation going around the city showing off the new Pillow Boot collection for the season. I stopped by the King and Brant intersection where they had set up shop one November day during lunch. The installation was there to show off the new Cougar Pillow boot styles to the public. Media was also invited to check out the new styles. I was really impressed with the new styles added to the Cougar Pillow Boot line. The reworked original Pillow Boot is back in different colourways like black, sienna, rust and tan. New styles are a bit more feminine with wedge heels and different textures. I love the tall Pillow Boot called Quilty Pleasures. They come in black and chestnut. They are calf Leather with quilted nylon. These were the boot I received from the collection courtesy of Cougar. I wore them yesterday because it was the first below -10 degrees day. I seriously forgot how cold it could be as we’ve been spoiled with mild winters for the last couple …

I want – I got Holiday Gift Guide – Part 2

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Yup, this gift guide madness is continuing. I’ve got three more days of I want – I got Gift Guides. You might want to take a look at Part 1 of the I want – I got Gift Guide series. This is the part two of four in the I want – I got Gift Guide series. I have so many favourite things I wanted to include. This gift guide is very much I want – I got. You’ll see things I want, things I got and other obsessions. Some things are affordable and some aren’t but I’ve tried to mix it up. The list covers fashion, beauty, electronics, art, toys and booze. Basically, all the items on the gift guide are I want – I got approved. So, join me the second part of this exploration of things I would love to see under my tree at Christmas. Clover Canyon Printed crepe de chine tunic dress ($238) – Net-a-Porter L designed by Linda Lundstrom Indigo dyed red fox Shawl Collar ($395) – designedbylindalundstrom.com RIMOWA …

I want – I got Holiday Gift Guide – Part 1

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So, this year I lost my mind and I decided to create a holiday gift guide. I’m usually anti-gift guides because I’m not much of a Christmas person and gift guides are a shit ton of work. I don’t know what made me change my mind this year but here we are. People have told me this is a good idea, so I hope you find it helpful or amusing. This is the part one of four in the I want – I got Gift Guide series. I have so many favourite things I wanted to include. This gift guide is very much I want – I got. You’ll see things I want, things I got and other obsessions.  Some things are affordable and some aren’t but I’ve tried to mix it up. The list covers fashion, beauty, electronics, art, toys and booze. Basically, all the items on the gift guide are I want – I got approved. So, join me on this exploration of things I would love to see under my tree at Christmas. …

Lucian Matis SS 13

TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Lucian Matis

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Lucian Matis fashion shows are just an absolute delight. Lucian gave us prints, transparency and leather for the spring summer 2013 Lucian Matis collection. The prints are lust worthy. The images chosen for the prints added depth to garments and made use of seams to create direction and structure with the print on the manipulated fabric. “I named this collection MOSAIC as it is inspired by the mosaics of Morocco in contrast with the transparency and neutrality of the papyrus,” says designer Lucian Matis of his latest collection, “I was always taken and inspired by the beauty of the Moroccan art and it’s ornate elements. Spring/Summer 2013 seemed to be the perfect timing for this inspiration.” Present throughout the collection were a mix of custom pattern designed fine cottons, silks, leather, and crocodile embossed leather (Source: Press Release) It was slowly becoming apparent that two trends were going to dominate fashion week: the Peplum and the Midriff. I love the peplum and hope it turns into a trend that sticks around. The Midriff I could …

i want: Dagger Print b tee by Primary

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Primary has a really cute fall winter 2012 – 2013 collection. I love the black and chartreuse Dagger Print b tee. Make a statement in our dagger print b tee with our fall signature chartreuse hue that curls out on the sides. A powerful office look with a fitted black skirt, or an easy fall blouse option paired with a pant. images: primaryny.com