Archive for January, 2010

Toronto artist Fiona Bailey studied Textiles at Sheridan College, but her work combines this formal knowledge with another of her hobbies – photography. Fiona prints and then tea-stains her photographs to age them and finishes them by needle felting little trails of dots over them. The photographs are mounted on cards or framed as artworks and Shopgirls has had a collection of them basically from the beginning. Fiona was kind enough to submit to a mini interview with us recently.

What kind of work do you do and what materials do you use?
I make both functional and decorative textile based works. Currently at Shopgirls I am selling needle felted photographs that I make into cards. I use wool fleece, embroidery floss, original photographs, and paper.

What makes your work unique?
With each photograph I take and make into an art piece, I make sure not to reprint and use again, this makes each piece original and different. Needle felting wool onto a photograph is a very non traditional way of applying the technique. I developed my technique through sampling and experimenting while studying textiles.

Who or what are your influences?
I am influenced by the natural world, and the environments which surround me, whether indoors or out. I enjoy photography as it allows me to capture these environments and the things that catch my eye within them.

What is your current creative obsession?
Currently, I have been working to expand my cooking skills and recipe box.

Who’s your favourite Canadian artist or designer?
I’m very inspired by Virginia Johnson, and I also love the photography of Dianne Bos.

This time of year coincides with a lot of thinking, talking, and writing about New Year’s resolutions.  I had a fabulous conversation with a cousin of mine about her resolutions for 2010.  She said her resolution was to go to on a trip to a new country this year.  That resolution really hit me – I love how positive and fun it is!

We can get so wrapped up in making resolutions focused on fixing something about ourselves that we forget about resolutions that would add laughter and fun into our lives.  Since then I thought of a few other feel-good resolutions:

• Tell a silly joke every morning at work
• Smile and say hello to at least one stranger everyday
• Take a yoga retreat to an exotic location like Costa Rica
• Celebrate one day with a bottle of expensive champagne
• Treat yourself to a personal style coach

Imagine a list of New Year’s resolutions that you are excited to complete, rather than one you are procrastinating.  Not only will it be fun to tick off all the items, you will give yourself a pat on the back because each item is complete!

I love it!

Wendy

As a personal style coach with THE REFINERY, Wendy Woods translates the world of fashion into a personal style that makes her clients shine! She is recognized as a style expert by media nationwide.

Amazing and eclectic art blog Illusion 360 turned me onto to the work of New York-based Mike Stilkey, whose paintings on books are so large-scale, imaginative and creepy (have you seen those giant faces?) that I had to post them for you!

Now, I’m a book-lover and collector so it’s a little hard for me to see books used this way (what will happen to them afterward, will they be read? discarded?), but I also like giving things a second life, and Stilkey’s paintings do just that; they also create giant narratives using books as objects, so an item that has previously told its stories in one way only becomes a vehicle for more and different stories. Pretty cool.

SALES!

Toronto designer Zuzana Grimm has been with Shopgirls for over a year now, and she’s a favourite around here. Not only does her line Zuzanium do really well in the shop, having Zu here to work with us is an absolute pleasure! We distracted her from the customers for a few minutes to do this little interview.

What kinds of materials do you use?
Bamboo, poly/lycra blends, cottons, cotton/lycra blends, pretty much anything that feels good to touch, hugs and compliments the body, and is easy to care for.

What makes your work unique?
The fit! Ten years of perfecting my style means that each piece is flattering for all different types – they hide tummies and muffin tops, but show your off your curves. I also use fabrics that are mostly unavailable in North America, so that’s a perk. Finally, there is always some unique little twist, for instance on my Wing Dresses; fin-shaped side seams can be tied together behind the dress or tucked in as pockets or left out as an interesting detail. No one else does that.

Who or what are your influences?
The women around me! Music and dance (I’ve been a DJ for a long time)… and the materials themselves. I love my fabrics!

What is your current creative obsession?
Working on a collection that gives mature women the opportunity to feel sexy!

Who are your favourite Canadian artists or designers?
Sonja den Elzen of Thieves and the awesome artist Mike Stilkey.

Via Dezeen, an awesome architecture and design blog, this R¿ING, by Reykjavik designer Sruli Recht has three uncut diamonds that screw onto the base, so you can switch it up as you please. Comes in a beautiful cardboard box custom-designed by Snorri Már Snorrason. LOVE LOVE LOVE this. Available only by special order, and goes for 3530€. Something to work towards?

As you’ll know, Shopgirls is anything but fast fashion. We bring you local and Canadian designers who really invest in their pieces, and their prices reflect that – excellent fabric and quality production will cost you here. But they are investments for you, too. Pieces that aren’t super-trendy, ones that will be in your wardrobe for a long time, favourites you’ll wear forever. I’ll admit, sometimes we don’t have the perfect thing you’ve been looking for (for me recently, colourful cardigans) and I fully understand needing to beeline for the place you know you’re going to find them – the big M, the Mall. Not always a terrible choice, though last week’s news made me doubtful. Word spread quickly about some H&M and Walmart stores in Manhattan that slashed up and dumped perfectly good unsold duds, the result of stupidity on the part of management, laziness on the part of workers, or just plain fast fashion.

Now what to do if you are the victim of fast fashion? What to do with all the duds you’ve accumulated but stopped wearing? There is the ever-more-popular clothing swap held at a friend’s house or vintage shop near you, or, better yet…

By way of the UK paper, The Guardian, meet ethical and green living expert Lucy Siegle! She has many tips to make sure your goods do good – tips on how they can be used for the better instead of just going to a Value Village so someone else can make money off them.

I’m looking for Canadian and North American charities like the ones Ludy mentions, so expect updates soon!

Shopgirls is so excited to be participating in the Toronto Fashion Incubator’s annual Guilty Pleasures trunk show!

Where: The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen Street West
When: Sat, Feb 6th from 9am to 4pm

Guilty Pleasures is a fabulous fashion + food one-day-only event that takes place during the City of Toronto’s Winterlicious Festival at The Drake. The hotel offers brunch to 350 fashion & beauty-minded patrons who enjoy an exclusive consumer sale featuring locally designed products from TFI accessory and apparel designers. The silent auction component that was introduced last year was highly successful, and 100% of the proceeds went to community programming offered by the Toronto Fashion Incubator. This year’s event continues to include the DaLish Beauty Bar where attendees can receive mini-makeovers and beauty touch-ups, mini informal fashion shows and door prizes (for brunch patrons only). What’s new is that the designer sale & silent auction are open to the public all day from 9am to 4pm.

Please come see us at the event! We’ll have great new accessories and gifty things, and a few suprises, too. Hope to see you there!

Danielle Suppa’s unique headwear line, Le Petit Beret, has enjoyed fantastic support and recognition basically from its inception! Created to accessorize her final collection in fashion design school, the berets were such a hit that Danielle couldn’t help but create a full collection to supply the demand was getting. We took a few minutes recently to learn about Danielle’s work and inspirations.

What kind of work do you do and what materials do you use?
I make tiny, round headpieces called fascinators.
I usually use wool since it’s the most malleable and versatile material, but recently I’ve been dabbling with cottons, silks and velvets – basically any beautiful scrap I can get my hands on.

What makes your work unique?
I have the pleasure of starting with this perfect little round blank canvas every season. Sometimes the most creative outcomes result from having certain constraints.

Who or what are your influences?
Everyone and everything. Right now I’m really into crystal formations, paper cutouts and inkblots. I’m not quite sure if and how this will turn into Petit Berets, but that’s the exciting part, I suppose.

What is your current creative obsession?
Men’s ties, especially bowties. I stared collecting vintage ones and now I’m trying to figure out how to make them. Consider it the male equivalent of le Petit Beret.

Who’s your favourite Canadian artist or designer?
My dear friend, illustrator Lauren Tamaki (who does all of the Petit Beret illustrations on the website and beyond). Her drawings always bring me joy. I also love what Jeremy Laing does every season.

Hello lovely people! Happy new year from Shopgirls! We trust everyone had a lovely holiday and we wish all the love, adventure and prosperity you can handle this year.

We have new winter hours!
Monday – CLOSED
Tuesday to Friday – 11-7pm
Saturday – 11 – 6pm
Sunday 12 – 5pm

As always, we are available by appointment, so do get in touch if you have a special request!