Two of Hearts GiGi Dress, Stewart and Brown Hilda Cap
Victoria’s annual fund raising fashion show was yet again a big hit for Not Just Pretty and thirteen other local boutiques. Set outside in charismatic Market Square, models strutted down a rectangular shaped runway to show off this seasons hottest looks.
Loomstate Barbara Dress, Stewart & Brown Ashton Scarf, Nixxi Antique White Leggings
All in all it was a fun filled and beautiful evening – the show even had a circus at intermission! – made even better by the donation it enabled organizers to contribute to the BC Cancer Agency. Be sure to check out our pics from the show as well as the pieces in our online store.. while they’re still around!
“If last week’s Nuit Blanche fashion show is any indication of what’s going to be hot this fall, it must be the weather — or perhaps it’s wishful thinking by Victoria’s most stylish boutiques.”
Stewart & Brown Ina Coat, Nixxi Electric Blue Leggings
Arriving for Spring 2009 to Not Just Pretty is the much talked about S(eco)nd Jeans line.
Second Jeans is a Montreal-based company led by designer Eric Wazana that searches the globe for the latest trends and fabrics to find premium class denims and styles. Each denim garment is distressed – individually hand-rubbed, nicked and reworked to give it the unique character that ensures that no two garments are exactly alike. Focusing on fit, quality and style – Second jeans fit like a second skin.
With their new collection, they hope to make people even more aware, and to demonstrate that it is possible to be both eco-friendly and fashionable. They do this by adopting washing techniques that involve less chemicals and methods that reuse rinsing and finishing water, using recycled leather and existing buttons rather than having new ones made up, and concentrating all their manufacturing in Canada.
. . . introducing the YOGA Jeans!
Second Yoga Jean
Jeans are not generally associated with perfect comfort. They tend to impede the large movements of the body and restrain stretching, but Second has changed all that!
Combining fashion and comfort, Second Yoga Jeans are perfect for any lifestyle with an emphasis on well-being, flexibility and relaxation. Made of top-quality denim containing 97% brushed cotton and 3% elastane, Second Yoga Jeans hug the curves of the body in any position. They fit the ups and downs of a hectic day and metamorphose into laid-back fashion in the evening. Second uses denim with 92 percent shape memory, while the industry standard is only 64 percent. And thanks to their revolutionary treatment, the cuts and styles actually shape, hold, and lengthen the body and help flaunt just the right areas.
Check out the pics below to see which celebs are sporting Second Jeans. . .
Watch this very interesting video interview with Karen Stewart and Howard Brown, of the sustainable clothing brand, Stewart + Brown. It’s a segment of the show “It’s Easy Being Green” hosted by the well-known green activist Renee Loux. It is sweet that their inspiration for their company came from the birth of their daughter, Hazel…
In 2002 Karen Stewart and Howard Brown, partners in life and work, realized their destiny; They gave birth to a baby girl named Hazel Stewart Brown and a baby brand named Stewart+Brown.
Design for Karen and Howard is a passion and a way of life. Their professional journey stems from a union of creativity and purpose. Karen, a trained painter and New York native, and Howard, a graphic artist and Montana native, oversee every aspect of the product and brand themselves. Each Stewart+Brown collection, at an elemental level, is a fusion of experiences and insights filtered through their creative core and rendered into their own unique and personal aesthetic. While finding inspiration in all aspects of life, their collaborations are primarily influenced by art, design, culture, travel, and nature.
Passenger Pigeon was started in 2005 by Heather Schibli and Wendy Traas. They have a small studio at 135 Tecumseth Street, where they design, sample, print and warehouse their items. All their clothing is constructed locally in downtown Toronto.
The Keel Dress, shown on the left, has a soft gathered neckline, a flattering grey waistband and a pretty forest and bird motif on the skirt. It’s made of a organic cotton/soy/spandex blend.
The Dinghy Dress on the right is made of a woven organic cotton with a sweet blue bicycle pattern.
The following is an excerpt of an interview with Heather Schibli by Tim from blogto.com about Passenger Pigeon, the state of eco-fashion in Toronto and her plans for the coming year….
What is the concept behind Passenger Pigeon?
We at Passenger Pigeon believe in supporting local business (we source our fabrics from Canadian suppliers and have everything made here in Toronto), the environment (we use environmentally responsible textiles), and playful designs (we do not follow the predicted colour trends and so forth. We work with colours and images that inspire us).
In what ways is your company/clothing environmentally friendly?
First and foremost, Passenger Pigeon is deemed an environmentally friendly company for its use of eco-conscious textiles. We source fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, organic wool, lyocell, bamboo and soy. These fibres still leave a footprint on the planet, but a much much smaller one then their counterparts. We pay fair wages to our contractors, who sew our garments here in Toronto. All our patterned fabrics are printed with water-based inks, which are better for the environment than oil based inks. We use 100% recycled, non-bleached paper for our business cards, catalogues and signs (and in fact, most of our paper work is done on the computer. We print as little as possible) printed with vegetable ink. Neither Wendy or I own a vehicle- we bike or walk to our studio and cycle when doing errands. We donate to charities like Greenpeace and WSPA.
Any plans for 2008 you’d like to tell us about?
As mentioned before, we are very exited about or Spring/Summer line. We are focusing on unbleached creams, warm blues and greys for this season with prints of bicycles and foliage. We also will be attaching a mildly political treat to each and every garment displayed on the racks at every store we sell through (it’s a surprise so you’ll have to look out for it)!
Anything else you’d like to add?
We plead – if you can not afford to support your local designers, than support second-hand shops. It lessens the burden on the planet. Avoid disposable clothing (items that survive only one or two seasons). It’s best to buy good quality classic looks that you can continue to wear for years to come. Pick up sewing! It’s surprisingly easy to convert an old sweater or dress into something fresh and exciting!
“Not so long ago the words “environmentally friendly bag” referred solely to sacks (usually brown) to carry organic groceries. Today, (these eco-friendly bags) are just one of the coveted fashion items that are planet-friendly. In fact, they started the trend — or at least gave it a big boost.
… Up-and-coming designers using environmental practices and products found themselves on the profitable edge of a major trend. Especially among those who design bags — a status staple item. Vancouver’s Ashley Watson, 29, started making her coveted recycled leather bags by fluke a few years ago. “I was at my parents’, and had this idea for a bag but was really impatient so I cut up one of my dad’s old leather jackets and made it,” says Watson. Her slouchy bright bags — made from leather jackets she finds at charity thrift stores — coincided with the boho and eco trends in fashion. She started out visiting socially conscious boutiques in person — like Victoria’s Not Just Pretty on Fort Street, which still carries her bags and accessories. Now her bag design business is a full-time job. Her edgy and fashionable bags — think bright 1980s leather, zippers and pockets — have been featured in Nylon, New York, Flare, Fashion, Lou Lou and Wish magazines, and the Today Show. “We’ve had our store for four years now and even in that time we’ve seen so many more designers emerge using environmental materials,” says Pam Skelton, owner of Not Just Pretty. She carries several lines of eco-handbags, from those made with recycled materials like billboards and old posters to those made with organic fibres.
Sparrow Handbags Lola Bag
One of the latter is Sparrow Handbags by Victoria designer Marlena Maikranz-Bryce. The 28-year-old started her line last year after a break from the fashion design business to work for her family’s company, Victoria Signs. …” for the whole article, please see Times Colonist : Tuesday, April 22, 2008
