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Slow Fashion

By claire

Slow Fashion

Have you heard of  Slow Fashion? You may be familiar with the Slow Food Movement and such things as the 100 Mile Diet and the burgeoning interest in Local Food.  Slow Fashion is closely related to those movements and is in direct contrast with the idea of disposable fashion; buying cheap clothing that doesn’t last and puts a huge strain on the environment, not to mention the cheap labour standards that goes along with it, to keep up with the ever-changing fashion trends, to emulate runway and celebrity style, and to continue our out of control consumer spending. And yes, you can argue that in these economic times people are not wanting to spend as much on clothing, but I have to ask, is that part justification for frivolous spending, and that in the long term, buying clothing that is poorly made and in fact designed to fall apart after a season or two is really not as cost effective as spending the little bit more for quality and longevity. Not to mention consignment and thrift stores, and to not fear wearing your clothing more than once.

Well! If you’re interested in the idea of slow fashion and sustainability (and in Vancouver, BC), there’s a great workshop coming up on April 16th!

Sustainable Fashion: The Designers

By claire

Sustainable Fashion: The Designers

This is the first installment in Part 2 of my featurette on Canadian designers that incorporate some form of sustainability in their work .

Kdon by Kim Cathers


Kdon is made with 100% recycled and upcycled fabrics.

Kim Cathers has been involved in the fashion industry for over 15 years. She has worn many hats, including, model, designer, retail store owner, environmentalist, Project Runway finalist, and most recently textile recycling activist.

Kim has always been a creative change-maker in her environments. She began remaking her own clothes over 15 years ago; she always understood the intricacies and necessity of living a life close to the earth. At the age of 20, she started a business called “ReStyle” where she would take old clothing and make fresh new items out of them. Kim travelled around to music festivals and farmers markets selling her wears with great success. She then moved to Vancouver five years later to get an education in technical sewing and pattern making. After graduating with the “Innovative Design” award from Blanche Macdonald Centre of Design in 2005, Kim opened and operated a successful vintage shoppe in downtown Vancouver which carried her own unique items as well as other local designers’. Two years ago Cathers was a finalist on Project Runway Canada, which helped to promote awareness and popularity of her fashion line.

kdon by Kim Cathers is a fresh line of clothing that is inspired by the earth created with the joy of imagination and finished with precise hand detailing. Kim designs with an innovative style, and is giving Eco fashion a new, strong voice.

Available in Vancouver at:

Haiku Studios

#410 – 207 West Hastings Street

Planet Claire

51 Powell St

Online:

Planet Claire

Kdon 'Wing-tipped Jodpur' by Kim Cathers

Kdon 'Spaniard Dress' by Kim Cathers

Kdon 'Night Rider Coat' by Kim Cathers

Red Jade


Red Jade creates sophisticated and ultra-feminine clothing which embodies the spirit of a confident woman. Their mission is to inspire women to empower themselves, by enhancing their own individual style while being mindful of the environment. Red Jade sources eco-luxurious fabric such as hemp, organic cotton, merino wool, silk and linen.

Red Jade 'Qadira Vest' & 'Johanna Capris'

Red Jade 'Despina Jumper' 100% Hemp

Red Jade 'Jade Tee' and 'Nikita Pants'

Available in Vancouver at:

Planet Claire

51 Powell St

Online:

Red Jade eStore

Planet Claire


Flora & Fauna


flora&fauna is a Candian eco-fashion label founded in 2008 by Pauline Siu.  Spring-Summer 2009 was flora&fauna’s first collection, with seven unique pieces inspired by of west coast wildlife and lifestyle. Featured on internationally acclaimed eco-news online magazine, TreeHugger.com as one of “20 Green Fashion Designers You’ve Never Heard Of (But Oh You Will)”, our eco-fashion label quickly established a following.

flora&fauna produces clothing in a slow and sustainable manner, offering well  crafted pieces, that easily fits into a modern women’s wardrobe and lifestyle. Our commitment to the earth and all its creatures is shown through  the use of organic and sustainable fabrics, as well as rescued fabrics. All  of our pieces are ethically made in Canada.

flora&fauna is based in rural Ontario, among nature in beautiful Grey County, and is proud to be working along side local animal welfare and nature conservation groups, to make the world a cleaner, happier, and healthier place for our future generations.

Flora & Fauna 'Jellyfish Tube Top'

Flora & Fauna 'Busy Bee Dress'

Flora & Fauna 'Moth Dress'

Available:

British Columbia

hum clothing, vancouver
be clothing, courtenay
prudence organics, duncan

Alberta

dirt eco boutique, calgary
meese, st. albert

Saskatchewan

seed sustainable style, regina

Ontario

awear eco-boutique, collingwood
shopgirls gallery boutique, toronto
ido: independent designer outlet, toronto

Quebec

4 elements, 4326 St-Denis, montreal

Online

flora&fauna online boutique

SPATS!

By claire

SPATS!

I have loved spats for eons, and I’ll think we will start to see a lot of them.  Be one of the first to be spotted in them!

What are Spats, you say?  Spats originated in the seventeenth century and were linen or canvas shoe coverings that fasten under the bottom of the shoe and button up the side. They were first designed to protect shoes and ankles from mud and water while walking. Spats were worn by men in militaries around the world, from France to Japan, but between 1910 and the mid-1930s, spats eventually became an elegant men’s fashion accessory, often associated with gangsters and dandies.
SPAT TRIVIA  ↓

  • DC Comic villain The Joker has been seen sporting them in earlier interpretations
  • Michael Jackson wore them for Smooth Criminal
  • “Spats” Colombo (played by George Raft), the villain in Some Like It Hot, wore white spats.
  • In the film Benny and Joon, Johnny Depp wears spats as his character Sam.
  • In the classic Honeymooners Christmas episode, Ed Norton gives Ralph Kramden a pair of spats for Christmas.
  • Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s right-hand-man Riff Raff (hunchback) is known for his snazzy white spats.
  • Hillel Slovak wore them regularly while performing with his band The Red Hot Chili Peppers.  The RHCP album cover for the Abbey Road EP depicts this as well.

Wool Spats by Fait Avec, available in Vancouver at Planet Claire and online. These spats come in blue, black, ivory, grey lace, and plaid. They are a wool blend, so they keep your legs warm !

The spats are all lined for quality and cuteness, and come in a long and short version.

Brocade Spats, by Pond Hopper, exclusive to Planet Claire & one of a kind! Handmade in Alberta, Canada.
spats3spats4

Hump day Update

By amy

Hump day Update

Fashionwest has featured some great stories to get you through the week, here’s an update for upcoming events:

Vancouver Fashion Week November 2nd to 7th: Spring/Summer 2011 collection!

November 4th:

Art Central turns 6!: Wearable Art fashion show courtesy of ACAD students, artwork by David Belcourt, DJ Bruno, cake, and happy hour specials at deVille; 5-9pm

November 5th to 7th:

ARTwear 2010 (Calgary Nov 5th): The Art Gallery of Calgary’s annual fall fashion fundraiser, come out and  support youth art programs and bid on some pieces to update your winter wardrobe! Hotel Arts; Tickets $75

NakedEspy (Calgary Nov 6th):  In support of Prostate Cancer Awareness month, Espy is giving away fashion makeovers (worth up to $400!) to the first 30 guys that show up at their doors before 10am on Saturday. The only catch? You need to be dressed solely in your skivvies…Come out and support a great cause! –All guys and girls receive a 10% discount with donation to the Prostate Cancer Center of Calgary–

Make it! Calgary: the handmade revolution showcasing Canada’s own artisans and designers; Calgary Chinese Cultural Center $5 admission (see website for $2 off coupon)

November 19th to 21st:

Make it! Vancouver; Croatian Cultural Center

November 25th-28th:

Make it! Edmonton; The Alberta Aviation Museum

**Be sure to check out my new favorite Cinder & Sage Designs **

Happy Hump day!

Fashionwest Looking for a Plus-Size Fashion Writer

By megan

Fashionwest Looking for a Plus-Size Fashion Writer

At Fashionwest, we want to cover every inch of Western Canada’s fashion scene. One thing we’ve noticed lacking in the world of fashion mags and blogs is coverage of plus-size fashion. There are plenty of us who don’t fit in the standard 0-12 dress size, and we want to hear your voice!

We’re looking for someone who lives in AB, BC, or SK, and has a love of fashion, beauty, and shopping. We want to provide coverage of plus size shopping in Western Canada: the good, the bad, and the ugly. We also want to hear about plus size models in high fashion and on the runway.

If you or someone you know is a good fit, contact megan@fashionwest.ca


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