Posts Tagged ‘Montreal Artists’
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
Say goodbye to cold cheeks. Say goodbye to cold noses and cold chins. Say goodbye to messy hair and bad hat head. Say goodbye to winter whining. Snuggle up in a KAZAK hood.
Let the wind blow.
I have to warn you once you have worn one of Genevieve Paquette’s hoods you may not wear your hat again. Fashionably warm yourself in recycled hipness. Genevieve Paquette brings us her winter collection for 2010-2011. As always she is consistent about offering winter warming wear that bridges Fairytale Romanticism from urban to country. The hippie goddess in you will be as warm as the urban hipster and both of your playful sides can comfortably face the Montreal elements with a mischievous smile.
Be bold. Be mysterious. Be rebellious. Be sweet. Stay toasty warm while being cooler than cool. Cast a love spell. Carry a poem in your pocket and transform every jacket and coat in your wardrobe by topping it with these gracious hoods.
Genevieve’s hoods are available with recycled fur for $88 or in a non fur version for $58. Come pick up the warmest head gear Montreal has to offer you this winter.
Your life is your most powerful art. See you at the boutique.
erin
Donna truly is a jack of all trades! Shown here modeling her beautiful cami’s (which she sews, cuts, chooses the fabric for, delivers to stores and manages the inventory for – phew!), this lady truly is a powerhouse if I ever did see one!
Donna’s cami’s are essential to the KL boutique for both their beauty as well as their simplicity.
You see, most of the KL creations have multiple adornments, bold patterns and intriguing cuts when it comes to their style – to which the perfect classic or racerback cami comes in to save the day! Tank tops have become the wardrobe basic, making them perfect layering pieces and colorful pops to any outfit – simple or extravagant!
We have the cami’s in-store for the small price of $26 (made completely by Donna the one-woman-wonder, here in Montreal folks) in a rainbow of beautiful colors for you to match with your favorite dresses, pair of jeans or KL party skirt!
It’s summertime! Stock up on DB tanks!
xox
These funkadelic hair elastics and dreads are now in-store and available for summer-time picnics, jam sessions and parties! Constructed and dyed completely by local creative mom Allison!
Allison has become known for her extraordinary skill for fiber manipulation… each and every hair piece is made by hand and is completely unique.
It’s funky time ;P
xox
Rebekah Crown has become a staple in both Katrin’s personal and boutique life.
I had the opportunity to interview her via e-mail for a little insight on the things that make her tick, and how she conducts her craft
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Enjoy, and soak up her love for the arts at her vernissage (flyer with dates and times at the end of the post)!
So tell me a bit about what you do! Everything from Spiritual enlightenment to creating beautiful textiles and artwork it seems! How did you get into all of these domains?
Fabric, red wine, warm weather, baby leaves, fall colours in this corner of the world, the desert.
What inspires you when creating?
What colours/fabrics/textures are you naturally drawn to?
Anything shiny. I also have been known as The Supreme High Priestess of Purple. Black should only be used or worn to show off colour. Purple goes with everything especially orange.
Any special treatments or processes that tribute to your signature styles?
I have explored many quilting and surface design techniques and am not sure I have settled on one in particular. I DO like to embellish with holographic gold thread.
What fabrics and materials are your staples?
I use mostly cotton fabrics, some I dye myself but I also do some felting and bead work. I LOVE the batiks from Bali. They have so much light and movement in them. Did I mention holographic gold thread?
What are you currently working on?
What does creating do for you? Is it a release, an excitement, a concentration?
Creating feeds me. It is more of an obsession than anything. Pieces arise within me and demand to be made. A blissful slavery.
What do you see in your future?
One goal I have is to have a show in Santa Fe. I feel I need to develop my work more before that happens. I would also like to have a big piece in a public place in Montreal.
Where do you think your art and spiritual work will guide you?
Into more beauty
If you could travel anywhere in the world right this minute, where would you choose?
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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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