| Every fashion season we’re deluged with the latest trends from the runways of Paris, Milan and New York – but what about the designers in our own funky city? What have they created for Spring 2005?
Calgary’s fashion design community may be small, but its international presence is growing. With that in mind, we’ve decided to spotlight five local designers and their four labels, each representing a strong collection and original style. These fab five are talented artists with various years of experience and expertise in their field. Most have studied their profession in the likes of Milan, London, Toronto and Montreal, but all chose to settle in Calgary and help develop a stronger style scene.
Some of these designers see fashion as art, while others see the art in their creations. In either case, all have a strong vision that challenges preconceptions about local design, and just may make you want to buy their goods and wear them in style.
GLOBAL VILLAGE – SHISOMISO
Description: A mix of South East Asian details, Canadian vintage fabrics and European styling.
Irene Rasetti and Victoria Lee are the designers behind the new label and boutique Shisomiso, which is located on the lower level of Art Central (100 - 7 Ave. S.W., 266-4211). The two ex-waitresses got a humble start, selling their goods at markets like the Lilac Festival, or hosting wine and cheese parties at their former place of employment. "We were selling out of the back room of (Diner Deluxe) on Sundays," says Rasetti. "We would actually roll the clothes on the rolling rack down the street to the restaurant," adds Lee.
Rasetti studied fashion design at Istituto Marangoni in Milan for three years, and Lee learned how to sew during her childhood, by watching her mother. Last year the pair travelled to India, where they fell in love with the country’s exotic materials and intricate jewelry, which inspired the decor of their boutique and pieces of this season’s collection.
Expect to see a lot of wrap-style clothing to address the issue of multiple sizing (will fit sizes 4-10), and ease for multiple production.
· Direction for Spring 2005: Very feminine and simple with A-line skirts, wrap tops and tie jackets.
· Key colours or fabrics: Shisomiso is an eclectic collection that incorporates vintage fabrics and East Indian-designed materials. Expect to find cottons in vintage floral prints and various jewel tones.
· Who did you have in mind when creating this collection? "It sounds kind of selfish, but generally you design something because you would like to wear it," says Rasetti. But they also keep in mind a range of women with the tastes of someone like Sofia Coppola or Sarah Jessica Parker.
· What Shisomiso piece(s) should every woman own? The Mini, a versatile wrap/scarf that is hand knitted by and named after Rasetti’s mother. The A-line wrap skirt is also a must-have from this collection, because it works for all body types.
· Describe the local fashion scene: "There is room for fashion to prosper in Calgary, whereas in Toronto or Vancouver the market is saturated," says Rasetti. "Our generation, has a great sense of style that is capable of mixing labels and styles," adds Lee.
ADVENTURE TRAVEL – KAADIKI
Description: This collection will add some sizzle to the summer in case the weather ain’t hot enough.
Haithem Elkadiki continues to challenge the norm in Canadian menswear by offering sleek silhouettes, whimsical graphics and a bold colour palette. He recently returned from Toronto Fashion Week, where he showed his Fall Winter 2005 collection – his fourth season of showing in the international fashion arena. Last year in T.O., he was hailed as the Canadian menswear designer to watch by celebrity stylist Philip Bloc. Elkadiki’s determination has paid off in uninterrupted success for his line and also earned him a nomination for Canadian Men’s Wear Designer of the Year, to be announced this fall in Montreal.
Elkadiki is a graduate of the International Academy of Design in Toronto and studied graphic design at the Applied Multimedia Centre in Calgary. He has a design studio to serve his ever-expanding clientele. For an appointment, e-mail him at helkadiki@yahoo.ca. To get a feel for the Kaadiki line as well as view the Spring 2005 collection, visit www.torontofashionweek.ca, and click on show photos, Toronto Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2005 September 2005.
· Direction for Spring 2005: Happy and cheeky. The silhouettes are close to the body, except for the tunics, which are slightly tailored for a more contemporary look. The collection is by pieces, and not meant to be worn head to toe. "I want people to make these pieces their own, work it into their wardrobes and have fun," says Elkadiki.
· Key colours or fabrics: Lots of colour play – red, pistachio, hot pink, lemon yellow and white. All the clothes are in various weights of cotton and denim.
· What is the theme or inspiration for this collection? Freddie Mercury of Queen, vacations in Morocco and cruising the kasbah. "The basic idea behind this is adventure. Also, the lack of good weather we had last summer had me fantasize about hot places and Morocco came to mind."
· What Kaadiki piece(s) should every man own? The white pants and hot pink tunic. "This piece is sexy with the keyhole neckline. The tunic has an ethnic feel, but modernized to make it accessible for everyone."
· Who would you love to see wearing your clothes? The Kaadiki man is someone with self-confidence, he says. "I don’t have a bias to age or body size. If my cuts work for you, that’s great."
· Describe the local fashion scene: "It is growing in the right direction… but there is plenty of room for improvement."
PRAIRIE PUNK – NATALIE GERBER
Description: Soft and feminine colours with a punch of attitude in the styling.
Gerber, originally from South Africa, is an Alberta College of Art and Design graduate with a bachelor’s degree in fibre arts. After her studies at ACAD, she received a travel scholarship to Central St. Martens in London, England. "I studied a variety of skills that all designers need to improve on, such as tailoring, pattern-cutting, portfolio design and professional sewing techniques," she says.
Gerber considers herself more of an artist than a fashion designer and her approach to fashion is self-directed, resulting in hybrid creations. "My work has a little bit more of a conceptual background to it, but it’s wearable and consumer friendly," she says, adding she doesn’t like the idea of creating art that no one can wear or use. "This doesn’t make any sense to me, because there is so much garbage already, which is also why I make things out of what people discard."
Five years ago, Gerber began making small bags out of men’s old ties and suits. The concept expanded into clothing and she has been making unique jackets for the past three years under her Natalie Gerber label. Her jackets and bags can be ordered online at www.nataliegerber.ca or you can purchase ready-made items at Sagesse Clothing, Eye on Design and Galerie Petite.
· Direction for Spring 2005: This collection is more about appealing to a wide audience. "I see each piece as an accessory – it depends on how you put it together." Gerber has created tunic T-shirts, A-line skirts and clutch purses. Each piece is unique, with appliqué designs or floral brooches created out of men’s old ties.
· Key colours or fabrics: The fabrics for the accessories are all vintage or recycled from old pieces of clothing. The tunic T-shirts and tank tops are made out of jersey cotton, and are in muted pinks, yellows and greens – colours inspired by an old, beaten-up barn Gerber saw on a trip to Saskatchewan. "I like to think of the colouring as Prairie Punk. The barn had all these crazy colours from the ’70’s like turquoise, greens and yellows. So when I think of Prairie, I think of this old farm house."
· Theme or inspiration: The imagery of U.K. textile designer William Morris and Czech art nouveau printmaker Alphonse Mucha. "The mood of the clothing was inspired by these artists. I wanted the collection to be soft and feminine."
· Who did you have in mind when creating this collection? French film star Audrey Tautou’s character Amélie, transferred to the Prairies.
· What piece(s) in your collection should every woman own? A tunic T-shirt and a clutch.
· Who would you love to see wearing your clothes? "Someone that can see beyond the garment and use it more as an accessory for her own purposes."
· Describe the local fashion scene: "There is more of an underground-indie fashion scene of designers who are not promoting themselves, but just doing it." She cites a few ACAD hybrid art-fashion designers who are making beautiful pieces that are yet to be discovered.
BEAUTY RESTRAINED – KENDALL YELLOWHORN
Description: Getting in touch with your carefree, fashionable side, yet expressing it through tailored clothing.
"My entire design esthetic is to think outside of the box of menswear fashion," says Yellowhorn, who studied fashion in Montreal for four years, then added fibre arts and silk screening at ACAD’s continuing education classes. It was from these classes that Yellowhorn discovered a new level to his creativity, which gave him clarity and a stronger esthetic vision. "By adding silk screening, hand-dye detailing, or custom-designed transfers, more depth is added to my clothing," he says.
Yellowhorn has been designing for almost 10 years, mostly for himself, and has recently established the Kendall Yellowhorn label. To set up an appointment, contact him via e-mail at kendall_yellowhorn@hotmail.com.
· Direction for Spring 2005: "The shapes of the clothes are intense, but the fabrics make them approachable," he says. The pants are a baggy capri with a cuff. The silhouette is loose, but comes in below the knee. Shirts are structured and have stitched detailing. Tank tops and T-shirts are slim and have custom-designed iron-on transfers. Yellowhorn also created ponchos for men out of light wool, as well as long and short jackets.
· Key colours or fabrics: Dark palette with white used as a contrast. Fabrics include denim, jerseys, a polyester and wool blend, and cotton shirting.
· Theme or inspiration: Yellowhorn used the concept of the trained falcon as a metaphor throughout the entire collection. "I took the idea of wilderness and beauty being restrained. This is conveyed through the garments, which are fitted and structured."
· Who did you have in mind? "I create everything for myself. So if I don’t like it, I won’t put it out there."
· What Kendall Yellowhorn piece should every man own? Jewelled underwear. "They are ornate in black sequins, and the wildness is being restrained – only you will know that you’re wearing them."
· Who would you love to see wearing your clothes? "Basically the whole cast from a Pedro Almodóvar movie, and women like Grace Jones."
· Describe the local fashion scene: "If you look hard enough, you will see fashionable people, but if you are not looking for a fashion scene you won’t find it." |
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