MORE FROM THE MAGS...FLARE Dec 2012...Editor MIRANDA PURVES gifts Keira Knightly with a vintage dress, hope it was a CANADIAN vintage dress! She also puts "undies made in Toronto", by FORTNIGHT LINGERIE and "handmade OJIBWAY MOCS" on her shopping list...nice choices!
Watch for an upcoming piece on this blog about the mocs and also check out the Heritage section on the "clothingcanadafashion" website for more from our Aboriginal past and present!
Contributing Editor MOSHA LUNDSTROM HALBERT does a great profile on CHRISTINA REMENYI, the designer of the forementioned FORTNIGHT LINGERIE. REMENYI  happily mentions that her work is "now winning coveted space in top boudoir drawers of those who turn their nose up at disposable styles" Seems another Canadian Designer is willing to go that extra mile and makes their work in Canada, to make their work covetable.
However, she also notes the so often heard "I can't even tell you how much harder it is in the Canadian Market. Eighty to ninety percent of our retailers are American. Everyone there is very excited by where it's made. A lot of the response I get here is "We just carry European lingerie. Sorry."" The refrain is deafening, I've heard it myself, and I've heard so many others say it. Do we blame the Canadian Retailer? Or do we blame the Canadian shopper won't buy "Made in Canada"?  Its a vicious circle we are caught in. Perhaps our own historic Hudson's Bay Company, now owned by Americans will buy it and bring it home? At any rate, bravo to Christina! Hopefully the media coverage will help inform those who need to know...
Also in the issue, a couple of nice shots of CHLOE COMME PARRIS!

In the "GRID"  Jan. 17/2013 Issue, ERIN PEHLIVAN gives some nice coverage to  "Made in Toronto Canada" label, MUTTONHEAD and its founder MEG SINCLAIR who in her search for the makers of a quality product went "to over 50 different properties" she says "The (factories) we work with now actually care about making your product better" Worth the work I would say, as she now ships to "50 stores around the world". PEHLIVAN also explains that "Because of strict federal laws on raw-material imports into Canada, duties on textiles have become so expensive that it's cheaper to outsource work to overseas manufacturers. but according to the Canadian apparel federation, some Canadian companies are reconsidering domestic production if gas and transportaton prices continue to rise abroad. I am hoping this increased domestic production is more than a trend!

And just so you know I am on the trail, I have e'd all those I mention seeking publishable pics, and more detailed info on these designers, in the pursuit of making this "THE SOURCE FOR ALL THINGS CANADA IN THE WORLD OF CLOTHING AND FASHION"...wish me luck and stay posted!


CHLOE COMME PARRIS http://chloecommeparris.com/
FORTNIGHT LINGERIE by  CHRISTINA REMENYI http://fortnightlingerie.com/
MIRANDA PURVES http://www.flare.com/
MOSHA LUNDSTROM HALBERT http://www.flare.com/
MUTTONHEAD by MEG SINCLAIR http://www.muttonheadcollective.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

and so it begins...

and so it begins...
clothingcanadafashion-the blog
this is where the day to day finds appear
and from here  will be filtered to www.clothingcanadafashion.com -the website...

COLLECTED, WE STAND…

I am in the process of developing a highly comprehensive website “ClothingCanadaFashion” as an archive and data base chronicling the story of Canadian Clothing and Fashion from pre confederation to the present, and am including the garments, the companies and the individuals who are, or have been, a part of our great Canadian clothing and fashion heritage and future.

 

IT IS TIME....

 

I like to work on hunches, and I like it even better when things start to flow with me....it tells me I am heading in the right direction!

 

And, while walking to the Academy this week, up Yonge St., I passed " Mirabelli",

I always look in the window, but this time a new addition, there on the bottom right, "

"FRANCO MIRABELLI

IMAGINED, DESIGNED AND CREATED IN CANADA"

WAY TO GO FRANCO...

And while snapping the pic for the new blog, Franco himself came out, strange occurence as his main locale is the factory, and I haven't seen him in over 25 years. So nice to connect in person!  

I am taking that as my omen to get moving on this project....
you will notice that at the end of each post I will add any designers names and websites that I have not already posted...
for further information you can also go to "labels" and click to find complete listing for all the designers so far mentioned...

FRANCO MIRABELLI  http://www.mirabelli.com/