Final PC Merchandising Assignment: The Sweet Escape

Magazine spread. Do not underestimate the trials and tribulations of photoshop. Detail, detail detail....but it was fun at the same time since it was the last assignment of the year! Finished year one starting now : )

Fashion History and Forecasting Trend Board

By choosing inspiration from either the "Key Largo" or "En Vie En Rose" themes, we were required to create a trend board depicting Spring/Summer '10 trends. As you can see, I chose Key Largo mostly because I'm in love the beach atmosphere. The board required 3D elements, raised pictures, at least five colours from the theme- all of which you had to name yourself. 

FAT - Fashion Alternative Toronto

So, after spending the last couple of days in LA surfing, exploring Hollywood and going to a NHL game, it's back to Toronto reality!
As a writer for Fash Mag, I'm going to be covering several runway shows during Fashion Alternative Week located on 1 Pardee Ave in Studio City. It's my first show acting as a media rep- gaining access to front row seats, free swag and not to mention free tickets to the show. I'm excited!


My Fash Mag Article

Fashion Alternative Week 

April 21st-25th 2010

Fashion Alternative Arts and Fashion Week is a fashionable playground, with over 50 runway shows, photography exhibits, video screenings, live bands, art installations and multi-media parties celebrating national and international leaders in design, music, arts and culture. Often abbreviated F.A.T for "Fashion Art Toronto," this year's universal theme was "Made With Love," surveying a different emotion each night. Toronto was the perfect location for this event because of its diverse culture and savvy fashionistas, and what a better place than Liberty Village's Studio City for the venue location. 2010 marked the fifth anniversary of F.A.T, as the event promised to be a hit with its unique dressing room project, an after party presented by Scion and its first ever designer sample sale. 

The event kicked off on April 21st, exploring the theme of "Longing" as DJ Adam Smith hit the sound stage. With three runway segments, and approximately five designers for each segment, it can be said that the audience members definitely fell victim to the night's theme. Beautifully constructed garments, intricate designs, and vibrant pops of colour by such designers as Melow by Melissa Bolduc,  Jasper Garvida and Mitra could be spotted on the runway. 

The second day's theme was all about "Lust" where 13 sultry and seductive runway were showcased throughout the night. Among the talent was a lingerie line by Diepo, fetish inspired collections by Fashion Whore, feminine and contemporary women's wear line by Jessica Mary Clayton and a provocative line by Magpie to name a few. 

April 23 featured 12 edgy, conscious and conceptual collections inspired by the night's theme called "Rage". The collection, Dystropolis by Wendy NG was inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland, a world full of contradictions: "innocent girlhood and conscientious womanhood; love and hate; rage and joy; black and white; broken and healed." This collection includes dark gothic designs, huge platforms, full length trench coats made in faux fur, leatherette, PVC, lace, vinyl, chiffon, metal beading, zippers and buckles to create a sense of order in chaos. Female models wore mid-calf length platforms, leather dresses and opulent hair pieces. Male models opted for head-to-toe leather with big, bold shoulders. A non-traditional and eco-friendly collection by Vancouver based label Sans Soucie was also displayed. Pops of green, yellow and white in all natural fabrics cannot help but to affect all sense of smell, touch and feel of nature. The ruffles, natural designs, feminine pleats and colours transport you to a serene paradise. With all the focus being on the environment and "go green" campaigns, it is only natural to be inspired by your outdoor surroundings.

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The final day of FAT concentrated on the emotion of "Joy." Finally a breath of fresh air after the last three days of longing, lust and rage. 

All About Colour Assignment

My second last assingment for PC Merchandising: a magazine ad. As you can see, we were required to
chose a colour and create an overall theme.

LG FASHION WEEK!!!

I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer for FDCC's LG Fashion Week Beauty by L'Oreal Paris (what a mouthful eh?) this year! I am now reminded as to why I'm in the fashion industry. The show looks so well put together and organized, but backstage you'll see the industry's true colours:  a fast-pased, multi-tasking frenzy... or what I like to call, a total rush.
The huge, very high end venue's location was The Allstream Centre at Exhibition Place downtown Toronto. Although I have volunteered for fashion shows before, I have never experienced anything quite like LG Fashion Week.
So with that being said, you're probably picturing me in this glamours, "lights. camera. action" kind of atmosphere, but until the actual show it was quite the opposite. And truly, that's what you can expect when you volunteer- you're at the bottom of the food chain so to speak, so get ready to be ran off your feet! Do not get discouraged though, you have to start somewhere, right?! Even the mundane or trivial tasks must be taken seriously, then you will be. Simple as that.

First of all, as a volunteer you had the choice to work in either the backstage atmosphere or the fashion environment, I was lucky enough to work in both exciting areas. Day 1 I was working in the fashion environment where my duties pre-show included tasks from gift bagging,  to signing in backstage designers and models,  to even making sure the water coolers were full of water. Basically if you were a voluteer, you're probably going to be passed around like a hot potato to complete necessary tasks. During the show myself and a few of my other volunteer friends were responsible for media personal admittance, which should have came with a caution: blisters may appear on the feet due to long hours standing. Thank god for my knee-length boots! I'm not sure I could have survived in my high-heels at that time (unfortunately). The advantage of this, of course, was that we could take a peak during the actual fashion show and see the VIP reception area first hand...that was pretty cool, I must admit. One of the shows incorporated celebrities as their models. Canadian stars such as 90210's Jessica Downes, olympic skaters, television talk show hosts, Keisha Chante (as seen in the picture above if you look closely), Hilda from Sabrina the Teenage Witch (remember that show?) and many more that I had no clue who they were.


So the next day I was pulled from my fashion environment hot potato duties and designated in the backstage area where I got to dress models for the runway! This is what you call fast-paced. If you think about it, there may be 20-ish models in the show while there are around 40-ish outfits. Getting everything right, right down to the belt buckle, to the accessory placement was key. The designers were very picky, and who can blame them really-they have a rep to uphold!  I dressed models for Coccolily, BASCH by Brandon, Lucian Matis(!!!), RUDSAK, David Dixon and Bustle. Probably my favourite part of my whole volunteering experience was seeing Fashion Television's Jeanne Becker in person! That was awesome.
Bustle marked the end of fashion week for this season, but I definitely look forward to September's show!

 

Frugal Fashion Week's "Burlesque Baby" Event

March 25th marked this year's third event for Frugal Fashion Week. This month's event called "Burlesque Baby" featured sick burlesque performances by Aradia Fitness - North America's leading pole dancing and sensual fitness company- as well as three fashion shows that were all cabaret inspired.

Prior to the show, backstage was like a red bull infused oxygen tank since makeup artists, volunteers(myself included), models and photographers kept the energy alive. As you can plainly see from the picture to the right, makeup artist Tammy Wong and photographer Gwen Brydson rock peace signs and candid faces no doubt.

What better way to kick off an event with some pole dancing fun! Aradia's pole dancing instructors wowed the audience with their impressive pole skills, being the envy of everyone in the room-men included! I was lucky enough to watch the practice run before the event and was honestly amazed (and yep, jealous) of their ability to create such tranquil, muscle-enforced movements. They have to live at the gym to maintain that type of physical strength.

Vintage fashion inspired designers, Yvette Le Roy and Dia Kingly took to the catwalk as the DJ coincided with his vintage music tastes. To the right you'll see the beautiful models strike a pose in Yvette Le Roy's designs. Even though these designs are nice from a distance, up close you could actually see the seams falling apart. The dresses are nice as I said, but a far cry from "haute couture" or even basic retail sales. Oops, did I say that out loud? Sorry...

As dressers hustled to transform each model from Yvette Le Roy to Dia Kingly, the audience was entertained by yet another Aradia instructor- but this time they retired the pole and opted for a chair dance routine.

Dia Kingly's designs included a lot of animal print and black dresses, quite reminisant of the WhoWhatWhenWEARWhy designs. Below is an example, but the light has created an interesting sliver tint, differing from its actual appearance of black fabric.

                            

The best (in my opinion) was of course saved for last, Cabaret Vintage! High, high, high quality vintage clothing was rented from the Cabaret Vintage store located at 672 Queen Street West. Be sure to check out the link provided, there are some really great collections! From little black dress, to vintage RTW, to vintage glamour- the list goes on and on. FFW's main focus was placed on white dresses in particular, creating a classic and elegant feel as the night wore down.

Sadly, this was my last volunteer event with FFW (until August/September, anyway) since I'm moving elsewhere this summer :'( But be sure to check out Frugal's future events-remember, every last Thursday of the month!

Rising Canadian Designer, Angela DeMontigny

[My third article for SJFW - Check out the online article here!]

'SKINS & STONES adorn my bones and my style is what defines me' 

My third article for San Jose Fashion Week allowed me to get up close and personal with one of Canada's fastest rising designers. Inspired by native culture and women’s contemporary lifestyles, designer Angela DeMontigny is making a fundamental mark in the fashion industry. Almost 13 years ago, DeMontigny recognized the unmet potential for Aboriginal designs and went with it. Such an opportunity allowed her to not only incorporate the artistic traditions she had learned growing up, but to interpret these elements in a modern way.

Angela started sketching at the age of 12 and was engulfed in the fashion industry, whether it was through reading the latest fashion mag or creating her own designs- she loved every aspect. She feels that fashion is about personal expression, “[fashion is] a way of expressing the many aspects of an individual through clothing.” She also feels it is important to include a specific and effective message in each of her collections. “It changes from each collection,” she states, “but usually the message is that you can dress yourself as a strong, modern person in a way that fits your personality and lifestyle.”Edginess and elegance intertwine with cultural Chippewa-Cree-Métis elements in all of DeMontigny’s intricate designs, while her trademark is hand painted symbols and beaded accents-an inherent skill that has been handed down from her native ancestors for hundreds of years. Only the finest leathers, suede and sheerings from Italy, Spain and France are used to develop the finished garment. Whether you are in the market for men or women’s clothing, DeMontigny got you covered, literally. Her latest collection incorporates her favorite trend of this season, rocker chic. Leather, lots of metal studs and hardware, fringe and various fur garments can be seen in her clothing line. The unique concept of Angela’s designs is that they are extremely wear-able. They have a slight ‘edge’ or sexiness to them but at the same time, they are appropriate for the office, comfortable and possess a certain je ne sais quoi that adds to the versatility of the clothing. What else could you ask for?

Angela’s success has flourished throughout the years, and her designs have gotten a lot of coverage already in 2010. Most recently at the Aboriginal Fashion Week, she produced and debuted her new collection in Vancouver, BC during the first week of the Olympic games. One of Angela’s proudest moments to date was when Canadian Native Olympian, Waneek Horn-Miller sported a diamond gorget created by DeMontigny. She believes, “the diamond piece will kick start a legacy fund for Aboriginal Youth in design."

Angela DeMontigny Clothing and Accessories can be found in boutiques in major city centers including Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary. Her designs are also sold internationally in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and in USA. She currently has two specialty boutiques in the US, one in Wyoming and Colorado, however she plans to expand in the near future.  

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” This quote certainly relates to the success of Angela DeMontigny as she paves the road for aspiring Aboriginal designers everywhere.