Posts from ‘Fashion commentary’
These are more pictures from the Jean Paul Gaultier show at the MMFA.
This dress struck me because it contains no animal skin at all. It is a masterpiece of beadwork. The claws are rhinestones. So awesome.
I love the nude dress. It is so bold and gutsy and LOOK at those perky nipples!
This show is beyond fashion…
It is about sculpture that can be worn.
The arms of the dress become fingered gloves with bright red lacquered nails.
The sequins are actually shaded to lend contour to the body.
Go to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts before it is too late. The show closes October 2nd, 2011
These are both pictures that I took on my 3rd visit to the JPG show in Montreal at the MMFA.
The in-soles of those heels are lined with white fur. Down to the detail his work is amazing and desirable.
It’s sexy. It’s glam. I want.
We have been excitedly anticipating new Ivko pieces. They are finally here! Coming to us all the way from Serbia. These Incredible knit wear designs are covered in beautiful pattern, exquisitely made using top quality yarns. The spring collection offers beautiful styles in linens and cottons.
I find this woman and her dress very inspiring. She is stunningly beautiful and her pose is very masculine and confident. Her dress is a total work of art! I would love to know who this woman is. Is she an artists or a designer posing for a story? If anyone knows who she is, I am curious. Please leave a comment.
Photos from Creativecommons.org and by Sarah Pearson.
Hats are amazing.
Fancy hats are artful and feminine. In Montreal, we see plenty of styling hats. From fashionable faux-fur to ornate straw sunhats, to tulle-and-velour headpieces for Sunday church, women here know how to pull of the hat.
Which brings me to the Royal Family.
Everyone’s talking about princess-to-be Kate Middleton. She’s making history because, fancy-private-school-education aside, she’s a commoner. Will that make her more accessible to her subjects?
I have a different question: will she inspire more women to wear fashionable hats?
Women in the Royal Family have a habit of popularizing new hats. Both Diana and Queen Elizabeth II were hat-visionaries. I hope Kate follows in their footsteps.
Hats are indeed masterful crafts. Just look at this work of art:
A few weeks ago, I tried on one of Katrin Leblond’s headpieces for the first time. I put it on just for fun, but then…didn’t take it off for three hours. I had to have it. It felt so comfortable, so womanly, and so very classic.
Katrin Leblond headpieces on display at the Boutique
Fancy hats are as classically feminine as a string of pearls. Any woman can wear them with grace.
Feathers and fun await at the Boutique
I’m not wildly concerned about the Royal Family’s political rulership, but I am sure curious what Kate Middleton will do for young women’s fashion. I’m counting on her to Bring Back the Hat.
Express your beauty as you are. Dance in your kitchen and sing to the stars.
Sarah Pearson
Starting from $8 and ranging all the way up to $390 (item not pictured here) Katrin Leblond Boutique’s bags and totes are colorful fun for your wardrobe. Come by and find the one that is right for you. We also have eco bags for $3.
Your life is your most powerful art. See you at the boutique.
erin
I’m not the kind of gal that ever dreamed of my future wedding dress. I never “played wedding” as a kid, or drew pictures of my ideal gown. It’s only now, as more and more friends walk down the isle dressed in white, that I’m actually thinking about my own future wedding, should I get married.
Or rather, I’m thinking about how differently I would like to do it myself.
Katrin Leblond has designed many a bridal gown – some in white, some in chartreuse, some (for example, her own) in deep magenta. At the heart of her bridal designs is the same philosophy at the heart of all of our styles and designs: wear what feels like you.
Below is a photo from Katrin’s cousins’ wedding. Emilie opted for an ivory strapless dress with chiffon and beading at the bust (that is hidden by the pink mohair shawl she is wearing). Of course you can see the tradition of wearing purple at Leblond functions showcased by many in the clan. I would also like to draw you attention to the fabulous KL handbag in fuchsia on the lap of her Aunt Lucie (front right).
The history of the white wedding dress is actually quite recent. It was Queen Victoria who popularized the white dress in 1840, having built her nuptial getup around some special lace she wanted to show off. Her wedding was widely photographed, and other brides then copied her style. Since then, the white dress has come to represent the bride’s virginity as she prepares to enter matrimony. (Is it not ironic that this fashion should develop in this era, which probably has the lowest bridal-virginity rate in Western history?)
Big white ballgowns look natural on some brides. On others there is nothing better than colour. Shouldn’t it be up to each bride to decide for herself: colour or no?
- Queen Victoria’s White Wedding Dress, circa 1840.
Before the 1800s, it was customary for European brides to wear rich colours and fabrics, to show off the wealth of the family they were marrying from (even if they were poor). In the East, red is the traditional colour for many Indian and Chinese bridal dresses.
A Japanese couple on their wedding day
Traditional Chinese wedding garb
White is a traditional choice for some women – even for those who have been living with their partners for many years, or who already have kids. The tradition of white as representing virginity is fading but the importance of the it’s symbol has not. Personally, if I have the opportunity to dump hundreds or thousands of dollars on a dress I’ll wear once, I want it to be a colour that resonates with me personally, that flatters my skin tone and sends an intimate message about me and my partner.
The plaid wedding dress: a neat take on tradition
That’s just me. On the other hand, I can completely understand the power behind a white wedding dress. It is the archetype of “Bride” in today’s culture. When crafting a meaningful ceremony, having that cultural symbol behind you is powerful.
To all brides-to-be out there: I share this message with you. Wear what you want to wear on your wedding day. If your heart says white, listen to your heart. If swatches of pinks or emerald, yellows or royal blue are pulling at your sleeve, don’t be afraid to explore that magical world of colour either. Bottom line is always the same:
Wear what feels like you.
A bridal headpiece by Katrin Leblond
Express your beauty as you are. Dance in your kitchen and sing to the stars.
Sarah Pearson
We all like a bargain. But when things are super-cheap, it’s usually because someone else is paying the price.
~
Occasionally clients at the Boutique will comment on how “expensive” the garments are. While it may be hard to imagine, Katrin Leblond Design is practically giving these clothes away for free.
Here’s why. The people who make these clothes actually get paid a living wage.
Most of us have heard stories about the evils of sweatshop factories. It bears review though. Sweatshop garments are cheap because the people (mostly women and children) who made them got paid pennies. They likely suffer inhumane working conditions – 14 hour shifts without bathroom breaks, exposure to dangerous chemicals, sexual assault from supervisors just to name a few.
Sweatshop workers
Social and economic conditions often make these kind of working conditions the only viable option for supporting a family. Obviously, major world changes need to take place to overhaul this deeply troubled situation.
Where our "cheap" clothes come from
Awareness is always the first step.
I try to think twice whenever I see a bargain on turtlenecks or basic Ts. I’m trying to train myself to find sweatshop clothes unacceptable. I can’t bear to throw paper in a garbage can, and will take it home with me if there’s no recycling. My goal is to to have the same sensitivity and discipline to sweatshop-produced garments.
As consumers, we always have a vote. We vote every time we pull out our wallets. It is a pretty empowering choice to buy clothing made by people who actually got paid a salary that they can live off of. It’s empowering to support local artists (heck, if our government won’t do it, it’s up to us).
Paying people what they're worth: supporting local agriculture at a farmer's market is as important as buying sweatshop-free clothing
The profit margin on Katrin Leblond designs are very slim. Our prices reflect what garments actually cost to produce in Montreal. The reason why sweatshop garments are so cheap? The workers paid the price so that the consumer wouldn’t have to.
It’s empowering to say, “all people deserve to live comfortably. That is why I support paying people equitable wages.”
Buying beautiful clothes made with love makes us feel good.
Express your beauty as you are. Dance in your kitchen and sing to the stars.
Sarah Pearson
Equitable clothing at Boutique Katrin Leblond, made with love!
Isn’t she fabulous? Just look at this lady…stylish, multitalented and totally self-made star. I met Robyn in 2008 when she worked as an intern in my studio. She did sewing, cutting and helped to grow the business in it’s early years. She invested a lot of heart in all that she did. Within a year she was also the most beloved big sister/baby sitter/best friend to my manager’s daughter Aya, taking her horseback riding and swimming. Where do you find an intern like that, I ask you?
This is Robyn today. I think she looks stunning. I might add that she has always looked this good. She used to be the only one in the studio with full make-up and heels. The rest of us were barefoot and wearing our cozies. I was still living in my studio at the time and often showed up for work in the most unglamorous outfit of all: my pijamas. Robyn once told me that she brought her headshots to modeling agencies and they all turned her away, telling her to loose 15 pounds first. Well, that was not an option for Robyn. If you read her blog, you will come to learn that she loves food about as much as she loves fashion. So, Robyn marched away from the modeling agencies horrified that the industry is still that narrow minded and started taking pictures of herself. Thus her blog was born: Fashionista514.com
Robyn is also the reason our blog was born. She started it, bought the domain name, set up WordPress and wrote the first 100 posts. Thank you Robyn. It wouldn’t have happened without you. You are an amazing manifester! You are a star!
Above are pictures taken by Barrie Macleod at out photo booth party last year in the store. Robyn did the make-up for over 60 women who were all undressing and getting dolled up for the camera. These team shots were taken at the end of a long night.
I love this picture. It was taken the day before my fashion show last year. I was dropping by fashion week to deliver my press packs and I saw Robyn in the lounge. Italian Vague (am I remembering this correctly Robyn?) had a photographer there who took a picture of her (without me) just because she looked that good. This week she is celebrating her 1 year anniversary as the founder and star and writer of Fashionista514. Congratulations! We love you!
Here she is: the Lady!
Nowadays women don’t get to be a queen or a princess or a duchess or a lady anymore. Well, Lady Gaga says Bah! to that idea.
Whether you love her or not, she is awesomely bold and honours couture by wearing the runway pieces that no-one else dares to wear.
The origami dresses are incredible and she wore three of them ( so she must really like it). They are by designer Thierry Mugler.
And here we have the bubble dress by designer Hussein Chalayan. It seems there is debate whether or not she is sporting a real or a knock off of this dress. Either way, she is not sitting down.
This is the best of all. It is by Armani and it reminds me of the good witch in the Wizard of Oz, just in the future. She looks incredible! Not to mention, she is carrying a starburst accessory that is not a wand, not a purse, not really anything …and she is pulling it off. Her hair is barbie fabulous. Her shoes, oh my goddess, her shoes become her tights which go all the way up her leg in a thin line of sparkles.
Rocking Alexander McQueen! Here we get a glimpse of the lady that she is. She is not the kermit the frog wearing pop star. She is not wearing the meat dress. She is all woman. She is a lady.
I say this to YOU now: Wear it. Dare to buy and wear the couture pieces that designers create. When that occasion pops up and you need to get media coverage, what you wear will make a difference!
Katrin
Visit the Official Site!
Goodbye Jean Paul – Montreal will miss you!
Tomorrow is the last day to see the Jean Paul Gaultier show at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Below is a dress that must have been crazy to sew. The stripes are lined up on the diagonal, but the seams are going in the opposite direction also on a diagonal. Tartan is not a fabric I would ever design with, but I admire people who do and do it well. We have a new designer in the store called OcuniD (phonetically Aucune Idee) who has made his whole Fall collection of party dresses in tartan. They are great. I got one.
And this is the but of one of Jean Paul Gaultier’s muscle leotards. He designed the fabric and you can see the top of thigh high boots that go with the outfit. What cracks me up is the anatomical heart he placed on the right butt cheek.
I love JPG!