Posts from ‘Katrin Leblond’
Soft belts for summertime
The Montreal Mirror reader poll is more important for business than you’d think. Please have fun. Follow the link and go vote for all your fave MTL stuff. That includes me for best designer.
Cast your vote for the 23rd annual
Best of Montreal Readers’ Poll 2012
Rules: One entry per reader. You must fill out at least 25 categories for your entry to count and to be eligible for prizes.
» Deadline for entries is Wednesday, April 11, 2012, midnight.
http://www.montrealmirror.com/bom/
Enjoy these last days of Summer.
Biking to the top of Mt. Royal is my husbands’ favourite activity. I like sitting in the sun at the top.
It’s almost surprising to see pictures of me NOT working. I need to do more of that.
Love, Katrin
What can I say? I want everything in my life to be beautiful. These were ugly 80′s deck chairs that we re-vamped with a coat of spray paint and some custom made cushion covers. Hail to the do-it-yourselfers. Fix old stuff. Beautify your world.
Gypsy skirt 100% American made cotton, $189
Hi.
fascinator $90 made by Katrin Leblond (me)
Say hello to purple and turquoise (and Teal for Fall). It is time to start the transition to Fall. Keep those jewel tones around but pack up the peach, mint and hot pink.
Take a look in your closet and see if you have anything that you didn’t wear at all this summer. Make a bag for your friends to go through, or give it to the Renaissance.
Make space.
Create openings.
Feel free.
Fascinator $60
silk flower hair clip $24
boiled wool belt $78
Pastel Martini Dress now on sale for $199
Crinkle scarf $59-79
Leaf pins $7 each
made of 100% silk
all stitching done in the Katrin Leblond studio
I love getting wedding pictures in the mail. It is a gift to see where my dresses go and what occasions they are worn for. This is the wedding picture of Jennifer and Andrea. (Thanks guys!). They were a delight to serve and play dress up with. Obviously I only did the outfit on the right.
@ Jennifer and Andrea: You both look so genuinely happy and radiant in this photo. I wish you a lifetime of falling in love with each other anew every day. xoxo
Illustrated by Katrin Leblond
screen printed by Studio Big Dog
available at the boutique $60
I know it was months ago and I haven’t been posting a lot lately, but here are my pictures from the opening night of the Jean Paul Gaultier show in Montreal. It is the all time best show ever!
Go see it!
Don’t miss it!
I was very inspired and have been back to see it again since the opening night. It was so crazy that night, that invited guests had to line up for hours just to get into the Museum.
The first series of photos below were taken while Krin and I took were in the line up to get into the Museum.
Me wearing a turquoise silk bustier ($158-258) and Russian Bracelet ($12-16) and Silk chiffon scarf ($22-32).
My muse and circus super star Karin Maren Haglund wearing the Purple Bella dress ($278)
This Rosebud necklace is all gypsy and all modern ($248)
The slim fit crinoline in multi reds ($140) available in 12 different colors at Boutique Katrin Leblond 4647 blvd. St-Laurent
The Museum of Fine arts in Montreal decked out in JPG sailor stripes.
Just before we went in to see the show I bumped into Rosie Godbout. Her atelier is upstairs from mine and she is an incredible textile artist who specializes in felting and makes the most amazing winter coats.
Here we are inside the show admiring and stealing pictures on the down low.
My fave dress above and Krin’s fave below.
the famous Can Can dress was on a catwalk of moving mannekins. The installation of the show is superb and very fresh.
I leave you with this picture of the most incredible shoe collage: heels inside wedge sandals! WOW!
In store NOW!
Made from a sheer Italian mesh, this little number can be super dressy and pairs perfectly to navy and indigo. The print makes me think of painterly brushstrokes from an impressionist artist. Cover yourself from the sun without overheating at a summer wedding. Wear it with jeans. New and delightful, this cardigan is a great travel companion.
It is time to start planning your veggie patch. Have you bought your seeds yet? Please buy heritage NON GMO seeds from the last remaining independant seed distributers. Here is a link to a local seed distributor from Lanaudiere:
http://www.ecoumene.com/
Beautiful amazing Anna. You will be a momma soon. You will be in love. You will be afraid. You will be powerful. You will be you. You are amazing Anna and you will be a great mom.
This is for you in anticipation of all the fun you will have rediscovering everyday things through the eyes of your child.
Your life is your most powerful art. See you at the boutique.
erin
Our creative process has evolved a lot as our team has evolved. This is what our collection boards look like. We move the mini mock ups of the pieces we are designing around on the board and find our matching out fits and plan delivery to store dates so that when the items finally come to you they are ready to pop into your wardrobe as single items or even better as complete outfits.
These are mock ups of our March first delivery group. Lots of black and white accented with roses. Pops of garden green and lime with fuschia and hot pink and peachy rose. Playful pieces to prep you for a great summer ahead.
Your life is your most powerful art. See you at the boutique.
erin
What happens when seven visionary women find their artistic rivers converging into the same sea?
You get the WAWA Show.
We Are Women Artists – or WAWA for short – is the brainchild of indie-burlesque singer-songwriter Amanda Mabro, one of Montreal’s most talked about emerging artists. She started this collective six years ago as a way of building community and support among women artists. More than a “concert,” it’s a veritable festival of impassioned, courageous art.
This year’s interdisciplinary show includes performances from Amanda herself, as well as eight other songwriters, circus performers, musicians and visual artists. Among those six is Katrin Leblond.
This is going to be a powerful evening. The sheer talent alone is not to be missed. Amanda Mabro is acclaimed throughout the country, and has driven critics wild at the Montreal Jazz Festival and Osheaga.
The Good Lovelies are an adored Canadian roots-folk trio, winning a Juno last year.
Our very dear friend Krin Haglund will be hosting along with Andreane Leclerc, bringing acrobatic magic to the cabaret-like evening.
Mirjana Milovanovic will be lending her haunting vocals, fresh from her two-year gig with Cirque du Soleil in Vegas.
Andree Anne Handfield‘s photography will add a visual depth to the evening.
Katrin Leblond will provide the finest couture for the performers, dazzling our senses with colours, cuts, and luscious prints.
This is bound to be a memorable evening. The unique beauty of each of these artists is very powerful. As they join forces for one single night, the energy’s bound to be overwhelmingly great.
ONE NIGHT ONLY
February 28, 2011
8pm
@ Théatre Gésu centre de créativité
$25
Tickets available at Boutique Katrin Leblond! Or visit the WAWA website.
Express your beauty as you are. Dance in your kitchen and sing to the stars.
Sarah Pearson
It’s time for another Katrin Leblond Studio Sale! Come visit Kat’s own creative space to snag some awesome deals on her collections. Prices are marked 20%, 30%, 50%, even 75% off!
If you haven’t visited Kat’s sunny Mile End studio, now’s your chance. It’s a powerful, magical place that faces west to the Mountain. The sale begins just in time to catch the late-afternoon flood of sunlight.
Curious about the sales?
This awesome skirt is down to 49.50 from its original price of 175!
I own this skirt in brown and it is a priceless part of my collection. You have to feel the velour for yourself.
These amazing jackets are knocked down to 50% off.
These elegant, asymmetric jackets are perfect for spring (which, according to the groundhog, is just around the corner).
February 21, 22 and 23rd, 2011
1 pm-9:00pm
5333 Casgrain, suite 902
We can’t wait to see you!! Get there early to snag the best deals!
Express your beauty as you are. Dance in your kitchen and sing to the stars.
Sarah Pearson
Katrin Leblond’s new spring season was inspired by a wish.
Well, actually, three wishes.
A rack-full of new spring wear!
When it came time to draw up themes for this new collection, Kat was ready to try something new. She sat down her whole creative team, and asked them to write down their three wishes for humanity.
She collected these three wishes, some in English and some in French, and read through them. There were many overlaps – wishes for the health of the oceans, for endangered animals like elephants and monkeys, wishes for clean and safe foods, wishes for the forests. There were wishes for the emancipation of children, for the heart of humanity to be wide open, and for all people to enjoy the warmth of the sun.
“I wanted these wishes to be the inspiration behind the collection,” Kat explained to me, “but I also wanted to make sure that my intent was clear.” She wanted to tap into not just her visual impression of these wishes, but that of the collective consciousness. In today’s world, that means paying a trip to Google.
Kat sat down at her computer and entered every wish, word-for-word, into google-image. She leafed through the images, and absorbed.
Google-image was able to make free associations that no single designer would have been able to make on her own. The wealth of inspiration was overwhelming.
The pattern from a dress inspired by native women
“Images kept coming up of spiritual leaders,” Kat told me, “that I never would have associated with some of these wishes, but there they were. We were talking about using the colour grey, and I had no ideas for that, but then I typed in ‘elephants’ and all this grey imagery came up!”
Little by little, groups of this new collection will appear at the Boutique. One group has already been released, which is inspired by First Nations women and is rich with earth tones and sandy hues.
earth tones abound in the first group of springwear
Other treats we have to look forward to are a Garden Vegetable Skirt, a Planet Earth Skirt, and lots of elephant motifs, leaf appliqués and ocean imagery.
And we’re keeping it close to the source. “The wish that inspired the piece will be tagged on the hanger of each garment, so that people can know what it means,” Kat tells me. “I want to think of each garment as a magic spell that we’re putting out into the world for humanity.”
A magic spell wished for by the women who made these garments with their own hands, no doubt weaving their intentions into each fold of fabric.
It should indeed be a magical spring at Boutique Katrin Leblond.
Express your beauty as you are. Dance in your kitchen and sing to the stars.
Sarah Pearson
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!
Aux Vivres is hands-down one of my favorites places to eat in Montreal. The unique, creative and absurdly-delicious food it serves up is made even yummier by its clean, open ambiance, local wall-art, and inviting staff. It makes an equally great spot for a business lunch, a quick takeout, an anniversary date or a birthday dinner. This famously beautiful restaurant is not only 100% vegan – it’s deliciously affordable.
love by the bowlful at Aux Vivres
Boutique Katrin Leblond loves Aux Vivres. Not only are they our beloved next-door neighbour, but Mike, the chef and co-owner, just happens to be Katrin’s husband.
Everything there is delicious. The chickpea curry is yummy and authentic, while the huge salads are the stuff that dreams are made of (mmmm….just thinking about the seaweed and kraut toppings with ginger dressing in the Living Salad makes me salivate). It’s one of the few places that a giant sandwich will leave you feeling full and nourished. Do not underestimate the power of their hot-from-the-oven cornbread, smothered with vegan butter. Washed down with a glass of fresh-pressed apple-ginger juice, you’re bound finish your meal feeling alive and refreshed.
tofu scramble, vegan bacon, sweet potato homefries and cornbread? Brunch doesn't get better than this.
Perhaps the most legendary of all beasts on the Aux Vivres menu is the BLT sandwich. Stuffed with chips of smoked, slightly sweetened coconut, mounds of fresh lettuce and tomato, and drizzled with vegan mayo, this is a sandwich that knows no match. It may just be the yummiest thing you can eat in Montreal.
The legendary Vegan BLT.
So go check out Aux Vivres. Stop by for a chocolate smoothie, then pop into Boutique Katrin Leblond to find some special treasures, and then go back to Aux Vivres again and reward yourself with a splendid dinner. The ladies at Katrin Leblond will dress you with as much love as the good folks at Aux Vivres will feed you. You’re bound to leave the ‘hood radiant and renewed.
AUX VIVRES 4631 blvd. St-Laurent, Montreal, QC, H2T 1R2
www.auxvivres.com
Express your beauty as you are. Dance in your kitchen, and sing to the stars.
Sarah Pearson
Here is a little peek inside my closet.
As I dig out my winter clothes and re-organize my mittens, i noticed how pretty some of the colours looked and thought i would share them with y’all. Below is my accessories drawer for mittens and scarves. At the top left is the unicorn scarf (still available at the store) and next to it is one of Colette Van Haaren’s amazing knitted pieces.
Here are my belts. I guess I don’t wear a lot of belts, but you can see my travel belt folded up with the sunset stitched over the water. My travel belt was detailed in an earlier post. It is an embroidered belt in which I documented a trip across Canada through stitching.
Here are my handbags all piled up.
And my long dresses including Vintage Fairyesque and Ana Sui.
The most important drawer of all: BIKINIS.
The skirt bikini, a little number I released way to late last summer, is available again at the store for all you snow birds.
From left to right: Cozy coat 2009, Ivko coat (two left in L and XL), Purple and Red Velvet coats…still some left at the store on sale now at 1/2 price and of course my purple parka! Wish I could design parkas, that would be fun.
Silk scarves in multi colours and textures are a must have for summer and travel. Cover your hair when you enter a church in Italy or visit a temple in Thailand. Add a touch of colour to a simple summer dress. Identify your luggage as it travels with you around the world. Collect them and enjoy the luxury of soft shiny silk.
The minute I installed these shelves for my shoes, i knew it would not be enough room for them all. So, these are just my summer shoes and …just the pretty ones.
Now go buy some colourful clothes so that you too can have a princess closet!
KissesXXXX
Kat
These are my new curtains! They are hanging in my dining room and they cover a set of doors that lead to our deck. I wanted to create something that wasn’t too girly (for Mike’s sake) and that still looked stunning. Mission accomplished.
My patternist at the studio lovingly assembled the panels for me. The whole curtain is made with box pleats. At the top they are tacked open and closed to create this diamond effect. When the sun shines through it is amazing.
In between the white linen panels are colourful strips of fabric from Thailand and Africa.
They took four days to make. The process was interesting as we had to do a lot of calculations and planning before we started. Most curtains are 1 1/2 to 2 times wider than the space they cover, but these ones had to be exact. All the volume already exists in the design and they did not need extra undulations. The box pleat back in the coloured fabric is two times wider than the white panels and contains two pin tuck stitches running lengthwise ensuring they always fold into the perfect pleat. The white panels run the length of the curtain, but the coloured ones are patched so that the diamonds are warm tones of reds and yellows alternating and the long panels are greens and plums and blues. I had initially made the curtains to narrow and to short which is why they are now framed by wide bands of Thai fabric. That was one of those happy accidents making them better than the original plan.
These curtains were inspired by a design I saw on a home decor website, but very quickly became a better version of the original. Having materials with sentimental value from our travels really makes them special for me. Not to mention, my living room looks much cosier and warmer.
Here is a fun flash back. These are all still great pieces. I wish I had bought the floral grey party skirt with the chicken crinoline under skirt. Anyway I liked seeing it again and I thought you would too.
enjoy.
Your life is your most powerful art . See you at the boutique.
erin
All photos in this post by Erin unless other wise mentioned
Fabric. Art, that is then used to make more art, that is then used in the art that is your life. High quality 100% cotton. This is luxurious, high thread count, cotton. We love this print by Kaffe Fassette. Kat’s team made it into a “cerise” dress (that means “cherry” in french), a skirt, bedding and more…. available in the store.
I personally can’t wait for it to come in as throw pillows. I really want one for my bed that is already dressed in various Katrin Leblond bedding mix and matches.
It reminds me of a kaleidoscope, mandalas, Van Gogh’s Starry Night swirls, Klimt, Toller Cranston’s costume details in his paintings of the nutcracker, summer, fall, arts and crafts, the universe, gypsy magic, and the bindis on my daughter’s custom embellished bicycle that she loves and I Love, LOVE, LOOOOOOOOOVE.
Bindis are normally used for ceremonially decorating the faces of women and girls all over south Asia including Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Indian. They are kind of like tattoo stickers. They come in all different shapes, sizes and colours. The ones on Aya’s bicycle are covered in rhinestones.
I have to brag. I thought I was a genius when I came up with the idea of lacquering bindis onto her bike.
I loved fitting the bindis onto the shapes of the bike frame. I loved finding a place for them that seemed like they were always meant to be there.
Try and find the bits of broken disco ball.
Peeka boo! I see you!
Dring! Dring!
The image on the bell is Ganesh the Hindu elephant god of abundance. Success! Good fortune! This cheerful safety accessory for your two wheeled vehicle is made by a local Montreal artist, Glen, that crazy Mile end metal sculpture artist, responsible for the sculpture park near the train tracks. You can get his bells at the used sports equipment store on Bernard between Parc and Saint Urbain.
The seat is covered in swimwear fabric, of course! Kat helped to hand stitch. Swimwear: Stretchy so it fits snug and dries fast when it rains. Cover a bike seat for a small person you know with one of the swim suits they have just out grown. A few whip stitches is all it takes!
We made this bike from a street side reject with a sign on it that said “If you want it, you can have it”. My daughter and a friend cleaned it up and she rode it for a while till she complained about the rust.
What colour would you like it to be? I asked.
“Gold” she said to my surprise.
The end result is covered in bindis, spray painted gold, lacquered with nail polish, sparkles and more spray laquer.
I am very proud of this little art project and Aya and I had a really lot of fun doing it. The basket and handle bar fringe are from Canadian Tire.
Yeah for bikes! Pedal freely forward. Free from gas prices. Free from constant repair costs. Free from the emissions guilt. Float on two wheels. Yeah! Bikes! Don’t forget your helmet!
I bike in my cerise dress on my own bike, along side Aya, all the time.
Kat wears the cerise dress available in store. Photo by Barry Maccleod.
Your life is your most powerful art. See you at the boutique.
Erin.
Aya and Kat designed a dress in one mornig for Aya’s “Bal en Blanc” (that means the white ball) for Aya’s graduation from Daycare Ceremony.
She was soooo proud of herself.
She asked me if I cried when I watched her do her Song and dance with the rest of the kids in her group.
I did.
Lovin’ the cowgirl style!
Here’s a new goddess dress that Kat designed for high summer August weddings and parties.
It has a layer of ivory silk chiffon over a soft jersey lining. The embellishments are all silk and beadwork and lace.
And of course some Bridal bibis…we love headpieces!
Summer heat is still here.
Now you are tanned.
This is the time to wear white and ivory and feel like a fairy queen.
See you at the boutique.
Erin
Kat’s love of purple is about more than the color. It is about a family legacy.
It is a family legacy that started with her Grandfather, “Bonpapa”.
Bonpapa and Bonnemaman…where it all began…sitting on a purple couch in the purple house (otherwise know as Val Mauve).
Kat’s grandfather was a scientist at McGill University.
It is Kat’s grandfather that tracked the movement of living cells through the body and discovered that cells regenerate. You know how when you look at the pictures of cells they are always purple. Why purple!
Maybe he didn’t choose the colour… maybe whatever he invented had to be that way to be able to photograph the living cells… Maybe he wanted to make all his work purple… Kat doesn’t really know.
What she does know is that he had custom made purple polyester suits….and a purple office… and a purple house with purple bubble chairs made by a french designer from the french pavilion of Expo 67 because he was just oh so French. So French!
“I always had a grandfather in a purple suit before I ever knew why” says Kat.
Yes! That’s Kat at a family party in the country. The dress was found at a vintage dress boutique and fit like a glove.
What does purple mean to Kat now? Loyalty? Fidelity? “Mostly celebration. … the wild side of people” says Kat.
“People who choose to wear purple are celebrating themselves in this crazy wild way. There is this little bit of rebellion in purple that comes out more like celebration. I like it because everyone else that I know who loves purple is awesome. …Like Rebekah Crown(the boutique’s star quilter and fiber artist) to name just one, and grandmothers that keep dying their hair and it becomes kind of purple.”
“ Purple is the opposite of conformity” continues Kat.
“I put purple in fashion because I love all colour.” She states.
Purple in the store now
Elizabeth Johnston earrings available in purple (and lots of other shades too) in store now.
Let free. Live in purple. Be crazy. Laugh at the confines of society!
Visit the Official Site!
