Dispatch from London: Alternative Fashion Week

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This morning I had the unique opportunity to meet Emily Chalmers (more on this visit later!) at Spitalfields Market. After Emily went home, I wandered into the end of a fashion show as part of Alternative Fashion Week. The models started to filter out backstage and outside and there were lots of men with big cameras taking photos. Since I was armed with my big lens, I decided to blend in with the journalists/paparazzi.

All the other photographers seemed to be men in neutral colours and there I was in my bright yellow rain slicker and patterned Orla Kiely bag, but no one paid me much attention.

I figured I could always pull out my magazine credentials!

Eva Franco

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Last summer I had the pleasure of visiting Eva Franco in her amazing studio in Los Angeles. Eva has been an UPPERCASE subscriber for quite a while and she came to visit our booth at the Renegade Craft Fair in Los Angeles. Eva and her studio will be featured in the spring issue of UPPERCASE that is currently in progress. (A primary themes I'm exploring in the next issue is indie fashion as well as luck/superstition and how weather influences creativity). 

Eva's just posted this video on her blog. It offers a glimpse at her creative process and will whet your appetite for more!

 

Source: modcloth.com via Janine on Pinterest

 

 

A selection of Eva's clothes are available through ModCloth. More of my favourites on Pinterest.

alt: winter whites

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Because this entire conference is about blogging about various topics, here's my obligatory "what I wore today" post. Probably the one and only time you'll see me this way. The party this evening was a winter wonderland theme and guests were to wear shades of white. As a mom to a toddler, white is not something I had in my wardrobe. It was fun to go shop the post-christmas sales and get something light and sparkly. I scored some great soft corduroy jeans from Anthropologie (less than $60: marked down, then half price again!), a sequined shirt for $25 and a glittery clutch for $21. I was quite proud of my budget shopping results. The accessories and shoes are from my wedding outfit. (Actually my wedding dress was light green, so this was the first time I've worn all-white.) Anyway, it was fun to participate in a fashionable way and I'm glad I made the effort.

Speaking of parties, tomorrow night are the Mini Parties and for me, this is the MAIN EVENT. I have been planning the Squarespace + UPPERCASE mini party and tomorrow's the day to see it all come together. If you're at Alt, please do come to the party (I'm giving away complimentary copies of the latest issue of UPPERCASE magazine!) plus the activities planned are friendly, super fun and creative!

Shisomiso Fashion Show

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Our friends at Shisomiso Boutique & Gallery are putting on a fashion show benefit for Habitat for Humanity this Saturday, April 10th, 6:30 - 10:00pm at Art Central.

The night promises to be one full of dazzling fashion and good vibrations. Student tickets are 15$, adult price is $25 and all proceeds from the event go to Calgary Habitat for Humanity.

Click here to purchase tickets. Hope to see you at the show!

*Poster illustration by Karen Klassen.

Portfolio: Fashion Central

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I haven't posted any client work in a long while—because for the last year, I've pretty much been focussed on developing my own work through the magazine, books and wholesale and have been turning away clients (I know, kind of crazy thing to do during such times!) However, I made an exception to continue the design identity for my landlord's latest development project, Fashion Central. Located a block from Art Central, this new destination is also developed within heritage buildings in the heart of downtown.

Taking inspiration from the old mosaic tiles and architectural details revealed throughout the buildings, the identity consists of a strong, contemporary wordmark that plays off of the various pattern designs created for Fashion Central.

For today's media launch and grand opening, I designed and made some pocket mirror giveaways. Make sure to stop by Fashion Central and Art Central the next time you're in the city centre.


Elder Style: Doris Eaton Travis

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One of my favourite illustrated books is Lauren Redniss' gorgeous book, Century Girl, about the life of Doris Eaton Travis:

"When Doris Eaton was born on March 14, 1904, the average American could expect to live 47 years. Today, at 102, the 5' 2," blue-eyed Virginia native has already lived more than two of these life spans.

In 1918, Doris kicked up the youngest pair of legs in the bedazzling, feathered chorus line of Florenz Ziegfeld's annual Follies stage spectacular. For her 100th birthday in 2004, Doris was back on the same Broadway stage, in black taffeta skirt and silver heels, leading a conga line of a dozen dancers.

By the time she received her honorary doctorate at age 101, Doris had starred in silent and talking pictures, performed for presidents and princesses, bantered with Babe Ruth, offended Henry Ford, outlived six siblings, wrote a newspaper column, hosted a television show, earned a phi beta kappa degree in history (at 88), raised turkeys, and raced horses."

Here's a picture of Doris at a young 105 years old!

Elder Style: Iris Apfel

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On view at the Peabody Essex Museum until early February is a retrospective of icon Iris Apfel:

"Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel presents more than 80 dramatic ensembles from the personal collections of legendary tastemaker and style icon Iris Apfel. Known for her eclectic mixing of haute couture with costume jewelry and exotic baubles, Apfel has inspired bold developments in the fashion industry through her spirited irreverence and pitch-perfect taste. Now in her 88th year, she continues to challenge visual culture with radical juxtapositions of disparate influences. These spectacular and unexpected wardrobe combinations are exhibited with inventive staging and playful displays that underscore Apfel's inexhaustible creative spirit."


{see also Nubby Twiglet}

Call for submissions: Elder Style!

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For our Spring issue's style feature, we are celebrating the fashion sensibilities of senior style. Inspired by the blog Advanced Style and our own stylish grandparents, hat-wearing great aunts and dapper old uncles, we invite you to submit images and stories of fashionable elders.

There are two categories to which you can submit, images of them stylish back in the day (this beautiful woman pictured above is Kate's grandmother) and contemporary photos (below). You're welcome to submit to both categories! Please include a description (100-150 words) of why you admire their style and any personal anecdotes you'd like to share. You need to have the permission of your subject or family before submitting a photograph for possible publication.

Images should be 4 inches wide at 300dpi and can be uploaded here. Submissions are due February 10!

From The Sartorialist:

From Advanced Style:

The Gentleman's Emporium

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Looking to the past for your fashion inspiration? Head on over to the Gentleman's Emporium for entire outfits, plus a fashion gallery:

"Step into our Victorian gentleman's portrait gallery to get costuming hints and sartorial cues from the gentlemen themselves. Our fashion timeline highlights certain details specific to each decade, however you will see that the basics of men's fashion remained remarkably stable. A gentleman would often choose a style that suited him and stay with it for many years, thus you will see frock coats as well as tail coats and town coats (sack coats) throughout the period. When considering your own outfit, remember that there are a variety of styles which are all authentic, and you should feel free to take a measure of poetic license in combining historic authenticity with clothing that suits your own personal preferences."