Posts Tagged ‘artwork’
Why Local? Communal? Global?
Because ideas don’t emerge from a vacuum. We create in a community.
The artist expresses a distilled idea culled from the pulsing, flowing, churning well of our collective experience and reflections.
Our shared experiences lead the artists of our communities to reflect on common themes in a kaleidoscope of variations providing interesting parallels.
I find it so much more interesting to dress in many artists than to simply build my whole out fit from one designer. That is why I choose to offer over 75 different designers in the store. Sure its more work, but its worth it.
I try and find artist who communicate an interesting dialogue with their own work and that of Katrin’s. I love finding great outfits among the offerings of so many different artists. I love how each outfit created can belong entirely to the person who is wearing it in part because the combination they have selected is theirs alone.
When you buy from within your community you are already part of the art at its inception. The art belongs in part to you and you are part of art, the artist, and the community. The reach of the communal net begins at home and extends out around the wold.
At boutique Katrin Leblond that means beginning with Kat’s creations and then looking at what is creatively being generated in her immediate neighborhood: The Plateau, and then looking at the context of that in the greater Montreal area, and then further out in Quebec, and then in Ontario, and the Maritimes, and then the rest of Canada, and then further still, till you are culling a bit from the USA, and a bit from Serbia, or Mexico, or Thailand,or… . It’s like a fashion rock being thrown into a pond of design ideas. The biggest splash is at the center and the ripples get lighter and lighter as they move away from the center but they still travel out quieter and quieter as they go across the whole lake.
It’s about dressing yourself while answering the question “What are you part of?”
Don’t forget…..
Your life is your most powerful art. See you at the boutique.
erin
The store is committed to local. What does that mean for the store. How Boutique Katrin Leblond expresses local.
It’s cool to know that there is an artist half way around the world sharing an interest in similar visual themes to a collection that Kat is working on here in Montreal. There is all these great Montreal artists of course we are going to sell their stuff.
Super soft and lovingly made, these belts are built with leather remnants that Genevieve recycles into the magical and practical accessories. These belts do a great job of holding up your pants or cinching in the waist on that dress you love. Use them to jazz up the sweater or coat that you want to wear everyday in as many ways as possible.
Your life is your most powerful art. See you at the boutique.
erin
Look at this Klimt inspired image. These textiles are crazy awesome and inspiring.
These are not all traditional wax prints, but for the most part a wax print has more than one layer of printing anyways.
How it is done: The core element in Wax Print is of course the wax. Using two deep engraved copper rollers, with the mirror image of the design, the two sides of the cotton fabric are printed with a pattern of melted wax, hence the name Wax Print. The fact that the cloth is printed on both sides enables you to wear the fabric on either side. This is the true sign of a quality wax print. Following this, the cloth is immersed in a bath of dye, often Indigo, that penetrates into the areas that are not covered with wax. After the wax as been washed off in varying stages, a negative image of the printed pattern remains on the cloth.
The next step is called a The Wax Cover. It is a Wax Print which is enriched with one or more coloured patterns. These ‘cover’ patterns can be of very varying designs such as circles, stripes, birds, leaves, in fact any graphic form.
Even the photography blows me away and I can’t get enough of these prints. They are beyond incredible. They are so bold it would scare any North American Fashionista into a rabbit hole to hide and cower with her wardrobe of shlumpy grey and black minimalist modern outfits. If the goddesses from the heavens could come down to earth and shop, I am sure that these are the fabrics they would buy for their ceremonial gowns and cloud sitting leisure wear.
All of these prints are from a company called Vlisco. They are a Dutch wax printing company that have been making high end fashion fabrics destined for the African market for over a century.
Here are the photos from the most recent collection at Vlisco. Just stunning!
and my favourite ones have been saved for last:
Since it`s Friday (and we all know how loved Friday is as a day of the week), I felt the utmost responsibility to leave you for the weekend with something truly incredible. Something that the first time I saw, I could not believe.
Take a good look at the ladies above.
Beautiful, yes. Physical sculptures, no.
Japanese native Seiko Ohmori is a graphic artist. If you can believe it, these are all her personal illustrations! How she got them so life-like and realistic I have no idea, but it is safe to say that this woman is supremely talented! From the textures to the colors… she is spot on with her compositions and her single inspiration for depicting solely women in her art remains being a woman herself!
I especially love the flowers and adornments on the clothing, really reminds me of some of the Emilie Desmeules thread collages and Katrin leaf appliques!
Be sure to check out her website, there is much more inspiration to be found!
Have a beautiful weekend!
xox
A studio is a creative space where you must feel safe and free to flourish. Katrin’s studio is exactly that – a sanctuary where you can let your mind free… to create, to love to master… here is a look at the studio’s inspiration board, some of the artwork found in the office and the sayings and motivation that keep the positivity factor high and booming!
Have a beautiful Friday!
xox
The lovely, mega talented Zina Comics encapsulated the theatrical KL show via cartoon! I seriously cannot get over this… every time I come back to these images I trip out!!! Not only are they perfectly visually accurate but the emotion and mood of the show were captured immaculately. Amongst all the amazing press the show has gotten ( Eva Friede of the Gazette, Noo Montreal, Maddy K Events, and the National Post) to have a visual non photograph recollection is simply divine!
From ladies of the front row to the beautiful models and KL creations, Zina’s artwork brings out some of the shows many vibrant highlights!
The little lady!!! A crowd favorite for her fairytale appeal as well as honest and brave approach to the catwalk, I am so happy to see this already character-like persona exemplified into an immortal finished sketch!
I’m really not quite sure you could ever even begin to understand how I reacted when I first saw the cartoon version of myself… I literally screamed and jumped up and down while waiting with my boyfriend in a line (yes… in a public place)! I am truly amazed at the dress details (my bag!!!), and everything perfected down to the color of my eyes. Truly amazing.
Oh… and for the record… I had no idea this dress was going to be in the show! I picked it up one fine day while visiting the boutique – couldn’t say no to the red of those poppies (and the fact that I am addicted to tunics of every shape and size)! Must have looked pretty impressive from an outsiders point of view when there I am sitting in the front row and my dress walks right past me…. LOL… truly too funny… still think I’m some crazy VIP?!? Hahaha… cat’s outta the bag!
And here are the beautiful Arveen, Line and Zina (the TELEGRAPHE team) apparently in a sea of tall monster fashionistas… sorry if I added to that group 
Thank you SO MUCH Zina – this seriously made the KL teams day (or month)!
xox
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