Alberta Fashion Week - Sept 26 - Oct 2, 2010

After graduating from the International Academy of Art and Design, in 2002, Cindy Renée Mathieu founded her clothing line Sodaliscious. Based on the concept that every person is unique and so delicious in their own way, Cindy incorporated these principles into her design philosophy. This effervescent designer strives to create collections as unique as the individuals that choose to wear them. Cindy’s meticulous nature and inherent flair to create pieces of the highest standards in aesthetic value has enabled her to garner several awards and media attention within the Fashion and Arts & Entertainment industries.

Sodaliscious is an Haute Couture clothing line catering to clients who pride themselves on looking and feeling good. A prime choice for a wide variety of arts and entertainment celebrities specifically looking for that x factor Cindy’s list of followers include: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Golden Globe Winner Angela Bassett, Ashley Greene (movie Twilight), Oscar nominee Viola Davis (Doubt), Natasha Henstridge, Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), Julie Benz (Dexter), Rachael Leigh Cook, Bonnie Sommerville (Cashmere Mafia), Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris), AnnaLyne McCord (the new 90210), Jessica Lowndes (the new 90210) and many more.

www.sodaliscious.com

Hometown: Calgary
Calgary’s Adejoké Taiwo got the itch for fashion when she was in grade school, taking her first sewing lesson when she was six years old. Her education continued with studies in Costume Cutting and Construction at Red Deer College, Red Deer, Alberta in 2003 and a Bachelor of Design in Fashion from Ryerson University School of Fashion, Toronto, Ontario in 2008. 

To date, her greatest challenge and achievement was to be selected from thousands across the country and compete as a contestant on Project Runway Canada 2009.

Looking to the future, Adejoke's goals are to expand her label àlalá, design a fashion line involving sustainable indigenous fabrics, and experience cultures around the world.

Visit www.adejoke.com

Hometown: Calgary
Calgary's Camille Prins headed east to pursue her design dreams, enrolling in the Fashion Design program at George Brown College in Toronto. Upon graduation she launched her "cocktail wear" line Dutch Blonde. The label name is an extension of her spirit and a reflection of her family heritage and her hair colour. Camille designs clothes with an eye on style and focus on comfort. Always pushing herself forward, she plans to expand her line beyond the cocktail crowd to create stylish looks for men and children. Camille believes anyone can look and feel great - they just need the right outfit!

www.dutchblonde.ca

Hometown: Sexsmith
Kyle Nylund is a freelance artist and designer working in the Calgary area. He received his Bachelor of Fine Art with a major in Fibre from the Alberta College of Art and Design. Kyle has actively participated in the Calgary arts community exhibiting his work at several galleries and special events such as the High Performance Rodeo held at The One Yellow Rabbit Theater, and ArtaWEARness for two consecutive years, held at the Alberta College of Art and Design. He has been very inspired by his educational travel including trips to Burning Man and New York, as well as his involvement in performance art, fashion, photography, and contemporary hoop dance. Kyle is originally from Sexsmith, Alberta and has been accredited in the Grande Prairie Live Theater, Avenue Magazine, and Swerve. He offers professional services in painting/drawing, fashion, and costume design. His creativity and ingenuity, along with his intuitive understanding of materials, makes him an innovative bold artist with a strong point of view.

Hometown: Calgary
Calgary born designer Erin Williams graduated from Lethbridge Community College in 2006 with a diploma in Fashion Design and Merchandising. She went on to create her own label called Build A Boy January 2007 which is currently sold in 3 local street wear style boutiques. Erin Williams Line will be launched in the Fall as more of a higher end fashion line, as well as the label Build A Boy still being of the street style.

Hometown: Lloydminster
Hali Sweet is a fresh grad from the Lethbridge College Fashion Design and Marketing program. She has already had the opportunity to show one of her collections along side Canadian big name designers Paul Hardy and Project Runway Canada Winner Evan Biddell. Hali is known for her exciting colour palettes and uncompromising eye for detail. She also strives to be environmentally conscious through her garments, pairing second hand materials with new and modern fabrics.

Hometown: Calgary
emery is an accessories label based out of Calgary, Alberta. all emery bags are made from 100% recycled leather. each bag is made by hand with love and care. The designs of emery are familiar, but are executed in a new and interesting way.
www.iheartemery.com

Hometown: Lethbridge
Beatrix is a re imaging of sophisticated day wear for the discerning fashion lover. This niche line is aimed towards trend setters who love vintage and high fashion mixed with a bit of quirkiness. Patricia Livingstone and Megan Debackere are the creators of the Beatrix.

Hometown: Calgary
Hanmade by Hannah Grant was launched in 2008. It started out with knit wear and has progressed to much more! Just out of high school, Hannah hopes to get a more formal education in fashion. This season's collection was inspired by vintage posters of Spanish festivals.

Hometown: Russia
Sisters through marriage, Mavis and Olga, are the creators behind Knittles, a line of boutique, handmade knitwear for everyone who wants to be both warm and fashionable.Living in Calgary, and braving the harsh winters, and cooler seasons, Knittles started out as an interest but in the last 3 years it has blossomed into a business with clients from all around the world. Each item is made with love and carefully thought-through from its conception to the delivery. Our favourite materials are soft and chunky wools, silk and alpaca mix yarns, merino and anything organic. We love to accessorize our knitwear with handmade coconut, ceramic and wooden buttons cut from tree branches.

In the upcoming cold season, you can find Knittles at Portobello Fashion & Art Market, Telus Art Market, and Fort Calgary Artisan Fair.

Hometown: Calgary
Alexandra Hunt is a Calgary based Metalsmith and Artist. Hunt combines various found items, such as vintage buttons and fabrics, with precious metals and stones to create objects steeped in nostalgia. Her Closet Jewellery line of jewellery is sold throughout Calgary and surrounding area.

Hometown: Calgary
Caitlin Power caters to the modern individual who values distinctive pieces that can be effortlessly paired with existing items. She strives to create new standards of quality through uniquely tailored pieces. Caitlin focuses on different silhouettes that are always figure flattering.

Her previous collection has reference to Grecian draping, and has romantic, yet edgy details. The collection is youthful, and still represents the classic silhouette of the brand.

Caitlin is now producing in small quantities, for inquires visit www.caitlinpower.com
Designs are also available at Nicholai in Lethbridge, 330 7th St. South.
Photo credit: Eric Au Studios | www.ericau.net

Hometown: Calgary
VanityTreasure is the brain-child of Calgary-based jewelry stylist and chief designer, Cynthia Hou. Each piece of jewelry art featured on the site is uniquely designed and meticulously handcrafted. VanityTreasure's contemporary inspired designs are one-of-a-kind and exclusive only to VanityTreasure. Cynthia is a strong believer of "Love goes around, comes around."

Hometown: Kenya
Determined to spread the word that "fashion is fun" Hadija Gabunga created Hipband in 2005. Hadija grew up in Uganda, Kenya and parts of South Africa before moving to Canada at an early age. She believes much of her style is owed largely to her childhood experiences. "Art, color and rhythm are not separate things where I grew up. They are not something you do, its just a way of life and its around you all the time. Colors are expressions of culture, community and beliefs".

Designed to create that "layered look" without the bulk of added clothing, Hipband owes much of its success to its playful illusion. As an accessory the hipband is a "put on" that is slipped into and sits at the waistline under your shorter tops adding length and a layer of color! Because it is uniform, it gives the impression that it's wearer has another layer underneath their t-shirt or shirt. Additionally the Hipband can also be worn as a Obi belt and as a bandeau.

Every Hipband is designed in Calgary and produced in Ontario, Canada.

Hometown: Brooks
Growing up in Brooks, Alberta I always found it difficult to just go with the flow and blend in with the crowd. My love affair with fashion as a way of self expression began with a pair of scissors, a box of safety pins and a D.I.Y. attitude. I've come a long way since then, and I've learned a few tricks from some great people. My new line for Rock Steady is a mashup of punk rock, summer love and flirty femme fatals.

Hometown: Colombia
Maria’s love for fashion was born early in her school years when she would spend her classroom time sketching outfits instead of taking notes; time afterschool would be spent watching fashion shows instead of concentrating on homework. Her passion for the fashion industry took her all the way across the country to Toronto where she received her Diploma as a fashion designer at George Brown College. During her last year at George Brown she was selected to present her final collection as she was one of the top 20 in her graduating class. She was also in the top ten in the Triumph Inspiration Awards disputed in Toronto.

The Colombian born likes to create classic pieces with a twist; she is often inspired by the work of the first couturiers such as Charles Worth, and Coco Channel and also by architecture and nature.

Maria plans to present her collection called “Solsticio” at Alberta Fashion Week.

Hometown: Lethbridge
Laura George has been working in the costume and fashion design industry for many years. Growing up in Lethbridge, Alberta she lent her talents to local endeavors, including costume design and construction for Danceworks Dance Academy, as well as custom design for grad and evening wear gowns. She also worked as Head of Wardrobe and Design Assistant for the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra production of The Secret Garden. While in Alberta, George attended Lethbridge College, and graduated in 2004 with a Diploma of Fashion Design and Merchandising.

The Laura George bridal collection for Spring 2010 features striking gowns with clean silhouettes and unique design details, in a variety of shapes to suit a variety of brides. We pride ourselves on offering a selection of shapes and styles within the romantic aesthetic of the Laura George line to suit each individual bride’s sense of style and dreams of her perfect dress.

www.laurageorge.ca/

Hometown: Calgary
Jenna has recently returned to the design table with some fresh ideas and is excited to launch her new line "Madame Wolf." Most of her work is created in her dingy basement while motivated by her eclectic playlists. Madam Wolf attempts to find a common ground between dressing for mood and keeping up with current trends. By combining natures free spirit and an edge of Glam-Rock this collection can infiltrate any wardrobe. This line focuses on retro silhouettes and combing them with what is flattering on the body. Jenna looks forward to launching "Madame Wolf" Spring/ Summer '10 women's ready to wear line this fall at AFW.

Hometown: Lethbridge
My fascination with designing and constructing clothing has taken many forms from unique fashion pieces for selected clientelle, custom couture bridal wear and prom wear, tailored suits, theatrical costumes for stage, dance costumes to art pieces. My education is in Fashion Design, Interior Design, Art and Theatre Design. Amalgamating these skills and experiences I created the line, "Once" that combines recycled and new materials and objects in unique ready-to-wear garments and accessories. A new line, "BGlow" is to be launched this fall that is high end ready-to-wear clothing featuring couture tailoring and style. I am most happy when I am designing, constructing and making people look fabulous. This drive has sometimes been referred to as my "fairy godmother complex".

Hometown: Lethbridge
As founder/director of Lethbridge Fashion Week & with a successful line of eco-friendly designs called secondhand smoke (thebrandthatkills) under her belt, Shelly Court Kanyo continues to expand her love of fashion into her newly minted higher-end label Shelly Kanyo. Staying true to the designers’ personal style, the Shelly Kanyo label is full of effortlessly cool & distinctive pieces for the woman seeking the “I can’t believe I found this!” response. Look for interesting textiles, creative detailing & casual yet polished silhouettes that have a taste of grandma’s closet.

Recent collections have included quirky combinations of delicate florals, metallic studs, feathers & chiffon & tend to be for the girl who has potential for multiple style personalities.

Designs available at Nicholai (330 7th St. South Lethbridge).
Inquiries www.shellykanyo.com

Hometown: Calgary
Holly Irwin is a Calgary based textile artist, designer, and model. She grew up as a performer, thus her childhood was primarily spent either practicing for the stage or playing amidst the mountains of fabric in her mothers sewing room. This was the cornerstone for her future development as a fashion designer. Her work is inspired by mixing modern Japanese subculture with the Victorian era and infusing elements of intricacy and femininity. She uses this technique to create garments that enhance the wearers’ perception of their own identity as well as the world around them. She has recently taken up modeling as a reaction to this alternation of reality – whether it be in her own designs or an alternative high fashion/couture environment. Every garment she creates is designed, drafted, and constructed by herself. In addition to her collection she also specializes in corsetry and creates one of a kind custom wear. Irwin is a recent graduate of the Alberta College of Art and Design as a Textile major.

Hometown: Edmonton
442 McAdam is a line of leather bags. It enters the world of fashion at a time when branding is on the wane and individuality is on the rise. The designs are inspired by vintage integrity, bohemian silhouettes and workmanship reminiscent of the days before mass manufacturing. The line is proudly Canadian, maintaining both the design and manufacturing process in this quiet and embracing country.

Hometown: Calgary
Sara Chalupnicek was born and raised in Calgary. She started sewing when she was 8 years old. All throughout elementary and junior high she took private sewing classes as well as sewing classes in school. For the past several years Sara has been challenging her creativity in drawing her own designs and constructing them herself. Some of the designers that have made an influence on her are John Galliano, Carolina Herrera, Dsquared and Marc Jacobs. As an enjoyable hobbie and a passion for fashion design, she continues to pursue it and would like to one day open up her own boutique.

Hometown: Edmonton
Jessica Halabi is a new and upcoming designer born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. Jessica Halabi's childhood memories consisted of fine art and a deep-rooted interest in fashion. Before Jessica decided to pursue fashion school, she was looking to become an art teacher. The decision of leaving the more secure path and going with her true passion is a choice she will never regret. Her strong interest in fine arts is easily viewed through her striking designs.
At the young age of twenty-two, Halabi has achieved much more than expected in her first post-grad year. After graduating from Marvel College where she studied Fashion Design and Apparel Production, she first entered a design competition where her skills won her very own showcase in Edmonton Fashion Week. This gave her the title "Best Emerging Designer" of 2007.
Jessica Halabi specializes in modern couture evening wear. Although Halabi is fresh to the fashion industry, her talent is evident in her eminence of work; everything is completely sewn, drafted and designed by herself. In addition, she also makes custom wear.

Hometown: Calgary
Taking advantage of Calgary's budding fashion community, Lael hopes to exercise her enrepeneurial skills on Western Canada's fresh fashion stage, prefacing her goal of attending Parson's New School for Design in New York City. This opportunity to launch a Spring, 2010 line at Alberta Fashion Week is highly anticipated by Lael, who defines her ouvre as Modern Classc with Edgy Appeal. From a young age, Lael was magnetized by sewing, following her mother and grandmother's predilection for this art form. After high school in Calgary, Lael received a scholarship to attend university in the United States where she studied Vocal Performance. Upon returning to her home town, the designer rediscovered fashion as her main enterprise. Lael draws her inspiration from New Wave and Glam Rock music, Film Noir and the Art Nouveau movement.

Hometown: Calgary
House of Nonie designs, creates and markets ready-to-wear women’s clothing with an emphasis on evoking class, elegance and unique style. Founded by Calgary-based designer Nina Rahal-Kharey, Nonie’s essence is contemporary style blended with vintage glamour.

Nina grew up with her mother working for a clothing manufacturer and her father working as a manager of a knitting company. She learned to sew at an early age and the stitches for a lifelong interest in designing and creating art out of fabric were sewn. In 2007, she received her degree in Engineering from the University of Calgary but couldn’t shake off the dream to pursue fashion and express her creativity. While working as an engineer, she sketched her designs and found therapy in her pencil. Finally, seeing waste in fear and doubt, she decided to transform her sketches into reality… creating classic pieces of art to live in.

www.houseofnonie.com

Hometown: Calgary
Datona Designs are creations of Sarah Moore. Fashion and design have been a part of Sarah’s life as long as she can remember. Her love of color and texture have followed her in all that she does. After attending college, Sarah began designing clothing, but was soon drawn to the texture of jewelry. For the past 5 years Sarah has been designing and selling her jewelry in the Calgary area. Her love of the art of designing jewelry has led her to begin teaching at The Stitching Corner in Cochrane. Sarah’s “Above the Heart” line will be showcased at White Raven Emporium, Didsbury, Alberta in June of 2009. Datona Designs are also available at Blue Moon Accessories, a boutique in Willow Park Shopping Centre, Calgary. Datona Designs celebrate the use of metals with stone, wood, crystal and ceramic.

Hometown: Calgary
Tiffany Wollman is the creator and designer for Estella. The distinctive feminine line is elegant with clean lines and primarily consists of dresses, skirts and one piece garments. Tiffany is now offering custom design services to unique individuals for special occasions. Fashion Art and Charity events she is part of can be followed on her website: www.tiffanywollman.com

Hometown: Montreal
Heather has been designing since she could sit at a sewing machine. Her clothes are in keeping with the trends without directly following them. She generally projects her own distinct style that is uniquely funky and innovative.

Hometown: Calgary
Broken Ghost Couture's designer, Jana Foehrenbach, transforms heaps of unwanted clothing into one-of-a-kind whimsical pieces. This owner and operator of a Calgary consignment boutique applied her life-long love of art to making unique pieces featuring bright colors & feminine silhouettes.

Her designs have become very popular with her store's customers and Jana is working on branching out to make her clothing available in other markets as well.