WESTERN CANADA FASHION WEEK EDMONTON

 
http://www.westerncanadafashionweek.com/
 
CANADIAN DESIGNER COLLECTIONS

Fashion is not only in the Toronto/Montreal core! I have lived in Toronto for some 30+ years, but you can't take the Vancouver-born-and-raised-with-the-pride-of-the-west out of me...This Edmonton event includes a cross section of "out-west-designers", from start-up to well-established, from international-ready-to-wear to home-kept-couture. The buzz starts today, and the Collections hit the catwalk next week.

Some notes on a few, from their websites...
 
ANGÉLIQUE CHMIELEWSKI
"Angélique was born and raised in Edmonton, Canada. After pursuing broad studies at the University of Alberta, she moved to New York City to study Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Upon graduation, she began the creation of her inaugural line in the Fall of 2011.
The brand is inspired by human experiences and the idea that clothing can be a vehicle used to express one’s emotions, thoughts and ideals. What we wear everyday is an expression of our unique personalities and contributes to the stories of our lives. We believe everyone has a unique story to tell and our collections seek to provide pieces that help tell those stories. Striving to create original pieces with a focus on quality materials and comfortable fit, we work closely with a few select local manufacturers to help ensure the highest attention to detail.
The ANGÉLIQUE CHMIELEWSKI studio is currently based in New York City."
 
KAADIKI
"Libyan-born, Toronto-bred, HAITHEM ELKADIKI is a source of international style who continues to challenge the norm in Canadian menswear by offering sleek silhouettes, whimsical graphics and a bold colour palette through his label KaaDiki.
Elkadiki is a graduate of the International Academy of Design in Toronto and studied graphic design at the Applied Multimedia Centre in Calgary, where he now resides and creates the KaaDiki collections.
When designing a collection, Elkadiki sources his world travels and experiences, instead of relying on trends. "I do not create fantasy clothes, but they are distinguishable and incomparable to off-the-rack clothing," he says. Past collections have reflected the styling and energy of fashionable cities such as, Milan, New York, and Zurich.
KaaDiki collections focus on mixing traditional men's wear construction techniques with contemporary silhouettes that have a well-proportioned and fashionable appearance. KaaDiki details include patch pockets placed in an unpredictable spot, omitting elements like buttons from a jacket, or whimsical graphics silk screened on t-shirts or button downs.
 
STANLEY CARROLL
"STANLEY CARROLL  launched his first fashion collection in 1983, and has since gone on to design both mens and womenswear collections that have been marketed across North America and Europe. With a design concept based heavily on a creative and distinct look, he has garnered a great deal of critical acclaim and an intensely loyal following. Stanley continues to create clothing that reflects a handcrafted aesthetic, which he sells through national and international popup shops and online marketing campaigns."

GENTLE FAWN / DANNY AND CARLA HOGG
 10 years ago,DANIEL AND CARLA HOGG  founded  GENTLE FAWN; inspired by a rare collection of antique ceramic fawns. Today, the original fawn remains as the symbol of the company’s creative beginnings and its design inspiration.
Gentle Fawn is a young-contemporary and imaginative line of clothing known for its distinctive prints and graphics as well as casual, yet feminine aesthetic. Our style is clean and modern, with details giving each piece of clothing personality. Gentle Fawn brings high-quality design, fabrics and construction to our customers for attainable prices. The collections always reflect a strong sense of fashion and never neglect the charming nature that sets Gentle Fawn apart from the rest.
Gentle Fawn is a fun and energetic brand and this reflects the lives and philosophies of the entire Gentle Fawn team. Over the years, we have maintained a loyal customer base, giving us valuable feedback and allowing us to continue improving our fits, fabrics and designs. Paying close attention to fine details and the quality of all products has ensured that Gentle Fawn delivers nothing but the best.
Gentle Fawn is currently sold in more than 600 multi-brand stores throughout North America. The brand is expanding globally, with current distribution in the UK, Sweden, Korea, and Japan

TURN LEFT ON HOUSTON / DANNY AND CARLA HOGG
Houston Street is known to many in the fashion community as a dividing point through the epicenter for all things design, art, and culture related. It is where old meets new and modern thinking allows for an unconventional left of center approach.
Family Business Distribution introduced its first collection in 2002. Owners – husband and wife team DANNY AND CARLA HOGG have a combined total of 20 years experience in the fashion industry. Together they have assembled a team of the industry’s most talented professionals; bringing you the Fall 2008 launch of Left on Houston.
Left on Houston will build on the success of what Family Business does best; quality design and manufacturing for women’s clothing, now with a new focus on knits.
When you TURN LEFT ON HOUSTON – you are free to go anywhere
 
note: the following are excerpted from the overall weeks other activities...see the website for complete rundown - http://www.westerncanadafashionweek.com/
 
TUESDAY MARCH 26, 2013: Collections: 7pm door-8pm show $25.00
Bano eeMee- Calgary
Trisha Pasnak
LIsa-Marie Sciroli
Patience Soyege
Melany Rowe – Evening and Bridal
WEDNESDAY MARCH 27 2013: Collections: 7pm door-8pm show $25.00
Gypsy Eyes Prairie Skies
Nicole Campre
Gentle Fawn presented by Bamboo Ballroom
LUXX Ready to Wear
Left on Houston- Vancouver presented by Bamboo Ballroom
THURSDAY MARCH 28, 2013: Collections: 7pm door-8pm show $25.00
Kaadiki- Menswear /Womenswear Calgary
Emogene Couture- Calgary
Stanley Carroll- Menswear/ Womenswear
Angelique Chmielewski NYC
WED MARCH 20 2013 Doors 7:pm show $15.00 off site opening show
Malorie Urbanovitch

ANGÉLIQUE CHMIELEWSKI - http://angeliquechmielewski.com/
KAADIKI / HAITHEM ELKADIKI - http://www.kaadiki.com/
STANLEY CARROLL - http://www.stanleycarroll.com/
TURN LEFT ON HOUSTON / DANNY & CARLA HOGG - http://www.leftonhouston.com
WESTERN CANADA FASHION WEEK - http://www.westerncanadafashionweek.com/

WINTER MAGS 1

I will be feeding this blog from the present and the past...
I have over 30 years of Canadian Designer info archived, and there is new info being added every day, so a little from one and a little from another.
I will try for as many pictures as possible, because after all, what is fashion if we can't see it...although there are some amazing words floating around from some of Canada's press, however, I am being  very careful to not tread on the intellectual, artisitic, or copywritten property of others and so I am also in the process of directly contacting any and all that I can before I will publish anything they might own.
So don't give up if the majority of what you see is words, there will be plenty more to come.
You will also notice that when I do mention someone I will try to include a link to their visible media presence so you can find them!
If you have pics and or info, please do not hesitate to contact me...the more input the better....

So working throught the winter mags I will point out

"FASHION" WINTER 2013 and their new slant on Canadian content. Yeah!!
Editor-in-Chief; BERNADETTE MORRA, in her editor's letter speaks glowingly of Canadian design talent LUCIAN MATIS and DAVID DIXON, and points out the  "level of artistic craft has inspired "Patriot Love" (page 254), a regular feature spotlighting Canadian design." REALLY EXCITING NEWS!! Their "first up, "Montreal's PAVONI".
The issue also gives a nice bit of coverage to "New York-based, Edmonton-raised designer newbie ANGELIQUE CHMIELEWSKI", "former Montrealer...London-based designer "JOCELYN PICARD and his label "LYN", "Montreal-based leather -goods label "RUDSAK"  and its "founder and chief visionary" EVIK ASATOORIAN.
Contributor SARAH NICOLE PRICKETT asks "Is Canadian fashion glamorous?' and gives a nice call out to CALLA, DAVID DIXON, DENIS GAGNON, ERDEM, GRETA CONSTANTINE,  LUCIAN MATIS, MIKHAEL KALE, OBAKKI, PINK TARTAN and TAVAN & MITTO. She suggests "Canadian designers who keep their processes small can turn our country's basic fashion infrastruture, and their own limited budgets, into a marketing strength. Offer artisanship and the conscientious shopper will come."
I have been saying and teaching a similar thought for many years, "don't try to compete with the Gap, you can't, but you can do the unique and limited things that they can't" Today's customer is intelligent and can, with a little guidance, put the two together, and both parties go on to succeed. And as to bringing it home, yes!  Here is hoping. Its what this blog is about,  "COLLECTED WE STAND"
If you noticed in a recent issue of Vogue magazine, they discuss how many American designers are doing their "making at home in the USA". And so are we, and not following behind... as I mentioned in my first entry, there on FRANCO MIRABELLI'S store front, "IMAGINED, DESIGNED AND CREATED IN CANADA"

ANGELIQUE CHMIELEWSKI http://angeliquechmielewski.com/
BERNADETTE MORRA  http://www.fashionmagazine.com
CALLA by CALLA HAYNES http://calla.fr/
DAVID DIXON http://www.daviddixon.ca/
DENIS GAGNON http://www.denisgagnon.ca/
ERDEM  by ERDEM MORALIOGLU http://www.erdem.co.uk/
FRANCO MIRABELLI http://www.mirabelli.com/
GRETA CONSTANTINE by KIRK PICKERSGILL AND STEPHEN WONG http://www.gretaconstantine.com/
"LYN" by JOCELYN PICARD  http://www.jocelynpicard.com/en/
 LUCIAN MATIS http://www.lucianmatis.com/
MIKHAEL KALE http://mikhaelkale.com/index2.php
OBAKKI http://obakki.com/
PAVONI by GIANNI FALCONE and MIKE DERDERIAN http://www.pavonicollection.com/
PINK TARTAN by KIMBERLEY NEWPORT-MIMRAM http://pinktartan.com/
RUDSAK by EVIK ASATOORIAN http://www.rudsak.com/
SARAH NICOLE PRICKETT