>>PREVIEW
NO IMITATION
Wednesday, September 6
Routine Interiors
For discerning fashionistas who avoid the malls and the trappings of globalization, local designer Maria Curcic’s latest labour of love will be a breath of fresh air.
You won’t find anything mass-produced at Curcic’s September 6 showcase of independent designers and artists. Offering a treat for all five of the senses, the event is most appropriately entitled, No Imitation.
Having been in the art, fashion and music industries for more than 20 years, Maria Curcic’s talents span a wide range of mediums, from millinery (Le Chapeau Rouge) to DJ-ing and interior design. She has tapped into her contacts – and her talents – in all areas and collaborated with an eclectic range of visual artists, photographers and fashion designers to make this event happen.
"The whole theme of the show is about being an antithesis to mass production," says Curcic. "There’s no imitating here, no copying of other people’s ideas. Everything at the event will be authentic, one-of-a-kind or limited edition.
"Basically, I wanted to get a group of like-minded people together, to do an event that I would buy a ticket and go to myself. When you first walk into the space, it’s like walking into a gallery except you get a visual and audio experience as well. It’s not an arts and crafts market, it’s more like an intimate party where people are there for the experience and to see something that’s really different."
The event will be housed in Routine Interiors on two levels with a different experience on each floor. On level one, there will be music and visual displays, while on level two there will be fashion accessories, photography, paintings and furniture designs available for purchase.
Among the featured talent will be Hanna Mari, a Calgary-based textile artist who combines traditional Finnish weaving methods with fibre, colour, texture and design. Margot Van Lindenberg’s unique scarves of silks, velvets and wool are influenced by her time spent in diverse locales around the world. Barry Gunderson, an interior and custom furniture designer, is the founder of Routine Interiors, a store that provides custom design and readymade home furnishings.
Curcic says she has invited a number of local retailers to attend the show so that the artists can get exposure they might not ordinarily receive. "I’ve been selling wholesale to stores since 1994, but when you’re on your own, don’t have someone representing you and don’t have the gall to approach them yourself… that fear can really hold you back."
One of the challenges for local artists, Curcic says, lies in being able to market themselves. They’re not taught to do so at school and often are too busy juggling multiple jobs for financial survival to pursue their dream full-time.
Another challenge is being able to keep the integrity of their own ideas. "Artists or designers can be approached by people who will take their ideas without giving them any of the credit," says Curcic, who says she has tracked visitors to her website from China and is wary of the possibility of her designs being stolen and mass-produced. "As a designer you work hard to protect your ideas, and one way of doing that is when you keep on moving – creating new designs. Otherwise you’ll be copied constantly."
For more information, visit www.noimitation.com. |
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