Alberta Fashion Week - March 20 - 27 2010

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.

As a result of having been raised in a home in which sewing and crafts were celebrated, Lael Osness’ childhood was one rich with wonder and creativity. Lael was magnetized by sewing, following her mother and grandmother's predilection for this art form.The numerous textures and sewing techniques she was exposed to stirred a yearning for further knowledge in this area and under the guidance of her mother, an accomplished seamstress, she was able to explore a variety of textile-related projects in her youth.

After returning to her hometown, the designer re-discovered fashion as her main enterprise. Lael Osness debuted her Spring/Summer 2010 line at the first annual 2009 Alberta Fashion Week. She currently resides in Calgary, where her personal aesthetic and design work continues its growth.

Lael defines her oeuvre as Modern Classic with Edgy Appeal. Her vision is to create ready to wear clothing that evokes vintage glamour fused with modern versatility.

Andrew Majtenyi is an award winning fashion designer with a strong creative instinct and edgy sense of style that set him apart from the conventional.

Unlike most fashion designers who start with a sketch, Majtenyi gets his inspiration from the fabric. His vision for each piece manifests itself in his mind and is further influenced by whatever attracts his attention in that moment. The gamut runs from Hairsutism and Oxytocin to skydiving and police car chases, to name a few.

www.andrewmajtenyi.com/

andrew@andrewmajtenyi.com
sales@andrewmajtenyi.com

Born in Calgary, Canada and raised in Kelowna, Matlo displayed an artist talent from a young age. After completion of his studies in 1998, Jason competed in the prestigious Smirnoff Fashion Awards and was honored with Designer of the Year.

Jason Matlo is known for creating clothes that are bold, sophisticated and elegant. The Matlo woman is bold, audacious and sexy. The focus on couture cuts and detailing result in modern collections of utmost quality. The brand offers women luxury fabrications, comfort, fit and finish translating into designer pieces with longevity and incredible value.

All Jason Matlo garments are designed & manufactured in Vancouver and has stock lists in the United States, British Columbia & Alberta.

www.jasonmatlo.com
info@jasonmatlo.com
sales@jasonmatlo.com

From the runway to the red carpets, 442 McAdam is available in select stores across Canada. Recognized by the signature bronze emblem found on every bag and luxury leather in rich colours and textures, 442 bags are the must-have accessory this season. Launched in Calgary in October 2008 by designer Sarah Shell, the brand has recently moved its headquarters to Toronto and along the way attracted a following of fashionistas and local celebrities alike. Recent Canadian A-listers include Ivana Santilli, Amanda Brugel, Lisa Ryder, Natalie Brown and Tanya Kim!Made of 100% genuine cowhide leather, the line includes oversized bags, travel bags, and clutches, with a design that fuses luxury and practicality.

Designer Sarah Shell returned to her roots in Canada after spending several years in New York’s fashion industry. After earning her degree in Biology at McGill University, Sarah attended Parsons School of Design where she graduated with a degree in Fashion Design. While in New York, Sarah designed for Club Monaco, and then focused on buying/merchandizing at Gucci North America. It was here that she gained her appreciation for well-made luxury bags. During this time, Sarah also worked directly with designers such as Catherine Malandrino, Yigal Azrouel, and BCBG Max Azria, for a number of seasons of New York Fashion Week shows.

www.442mcadam.com/

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, Metro, CFCN, Breakfast Television, Fast Forward, 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.

bluelightning_14@hotmail.com
www.daleio.com/

Michelle Baynes graduated from Kwantlen College in the early nineties and has spent the intervening years working in the fashion industry and perfecting her skills.  After college, she worked in the pattern/design department of La Fleche Brothers, a uniform and custom menswear factory in Edmonton, AB where she began perfecting her fitting and construction skills.  In 1997, after relocating to Calgary, she began teaching sewing and design with continuing ed, and soon after started a business designing and making custom wedding gowns. Michelle enjoyed, bringing the dreams of hundreds of brides to life in their own Dream Dress Designs. 

Michelle's designs are reflect the vintage Hollywood, glamour of the past tempered with the strong independent modern woman of today.  Michelle's goal is to design clothing that women will fall in love with, envy, refuse to part with and make their own.  Emogene Couture pieces are meant to be worn together and taken piece by piece and mixed with old favourites for an eclectic, one of a kind look.  The Emogene Couture woman thinks for herself, loves beautiful clothes and wants to stand out in a crowd. Fall 2010 collection is cocktail-ey daywear for the woman who still thinks it's fun to "dress-up".

Born in Calgary Alberta, Kirsten Summersgill grew up a curious and creative child. She was always interested in fashion and sewing, but never imagined she would pursue her dream beyond high school.

After graduating from Lethbridge College in 2009, with an honors diploma in Fashion Design, she decided to follow her dream as a fashion designer.

Pout Clothing is a line for the modern fashionable woman. Each garment is designed to compliment the different personalities that a woman has. From the fierce side who wants a mini skirt, to the sweet side who wants a ruffled jacket. Kirsten designs each piece to indulge an individual woman’s diverse moods. Each garment is designed as a staple, a must have item. Months of research and thought goes into each collection.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pout-Clothing/305203371994

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.

Nina Rahal-Kharey
nina@houseofnonie.com | www.houseofnonie.com
403.615.7271

Jenna Etcheverry of Calgary, Alberta founded Madame Wolf in 2009. After studying fashion and being an active member of Calgary’s fashion scene, Jenna decided to create Madame Wolf a women's ready-to-wear line. Many pieces are used with limited fabrics acquired on her travels to create unique items that can infiltrate any savvy girls wardrobe. They can be mixed and matched and stylized with accessories to make any outfit your own. Each design is a product of nature’s free spirit, carrying a hint of glam rock making women look and feel sexy, confident and a little bad, all at the same time.

E-mail: jenna.etcheverry@gmail.com
Blog: http://madamewolf.wordpress.com/

[anji.k] is jewelry and clothing label created by Anji Kim. The abundant exposure to art and changing environments has given Kim opportunities to experience and observe people and cultures with different angles; she disregards conventional and traditional perception.

"My work reflects on my perception and notion of the visual beauty. Rawness and sophistication, bleak and ethereality, beauty and ugliness, my point of interest lies in the fine line between these."

[anji.k] fall/winter 2010 collection explores the idea of time and deconstruction/reconstruction through sculptural and textural manipulations of fabric. The result is the distinctive androgyny look that exudes effortless chic.

www.anjik.com/

Alex Krewiak attended the Alberta College of Art + Design majoring in Jewellery + Metals.  She has recently been involved in Vancouver Fashion Week for her headpiece and jewellery line and has exhibited at the Whiskey Nightclub for the VFW designer search. 

Alex’s performing arts background has created an interest between art and the body and how the two relate. As costume is an integral part of the performing arts, it has fuelled her passion for fashion.  

Defy Gravity Designs is a jewellery and apparel company inspired by personal freedom and unconventional thinking. Through new ways of approaching ideas Defy Gravity Designs erases personal limitations and has no fear of being. Our products are a response to mood and emotion and are a reflection of these elements by romanticizing unconventional concepts. Creating and understanding emotion through fashion we instil that risk taking attitude and have  artistic freedom to create new structure. Defy Gravity Designs knows by following personal passion, cultural growth will expand in our society at an ever increasing pace.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14345658631

Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Caitlin Power is a graduate of Lethbridge College with a diploma in Fashion Design. Since 2008, she has shown full collections at Alberta Fashion Week, Edmonton Fashion Week, Lethbridge Fashion Weekend, Calgary ParkShow and has worked along side Canadian superstar, Andy Thé Anh. 



Caitlin's focus on contrast comes to light in her detailed designs through complementary colors, fabrics, and shapes. Her edgy pieces are the perfect mix between soft and hard elements. Power specializes in tailored classic garments that aim to flatter the figure. Caitlin Power pieces are wearable and built to transcend the test of time. 



Labelled as a one to watch by Calgary Fashion, Caitlin continues to steadily surpass expectations with her fine finishing and attention to detail.

www.caitlinpower.com

Ruby Ellen Johnson, of Calgary, AB, was born with a desire to create.  From the time her mother first taught her to sew, she was busy making clothing for herself and her sisters.  Inspired by a sewing and design course in high school, Ruby created her first wedding dress at age 17, and a dream was born.  After years of balancing her love for sewing with the challenges of raising three children and managing a non-profit camp facility, Ruby finally seized the opportunity to open her own design studio and pursue sewing full-time.  Fuelled by the mantra that every woman can look great in clothing that suits her body, she is driven to design the perfect dress to flatter each woman’s individual beauty and specializes in dressing hard-to-fit bodies.  At each step from the initial vision, to the selection of fabrics, to the meticulous fitting of each and every seam, Ruby works closely with her customers to ensure each lady looks and feels beautiful on her special day.  Talk with Ruby about how you can finally possess the dress you've always dreamed of.

www.rubyellendesigns.com
403 829-7850

Nicole Rita Tomney spent most of her adolescence admiring fashion names such as Alexander McQueen, Nicholas Ghesquire, and Thierry Mulgar. She entered the fashion industry in 2004; showing in her high school fashion show, then proceeding to work with friends and family, refining her skills. On raw talent and a high school sewing class, Nicole was accepted to Helen La Feaux School of Fashion and shortly after was transferred to Blanche MacDonald School of Fashion in Vancouver, Canada. She graduated November 2010 with her diploma in Fashion Design. Her line “Death By Rasputin” was her final project with Blanche MacDonald.

Death By Rasputin was Nicole’s first couture line, inspired by early 1900 Russian fashion, taste and politics. Using inspirations from gothic, heavy metal and modern burlesque Nicole’s true vision was brought to life on the runway. With only her own taste, style and intuition dictating her designs, Nicole was able to bring her creativity to the table and put out this unique collection.

NRT Fashions is looking forward to showing for the first time at Alberta Fashion Week her new line inspired by World War II German Soldiers and Lady Gaga with touches of vintage German uniform accessories.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/NRT-Fashions/76291391010?ref=ts

(Sarah Cameron and Elizabeth Hood)

Designers Sarah and Liz come from opposite back grounds. Sarah was born in California and recently graduated from design school. She enjoys designing easy going clothes for an active lifestyle.

Liz was born in Canada and was raised in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. In 2008 Liz started her own Calgary based company and enjoys designing with vibrant colors and intricate details. Sarah and Liz have combined their styles and designs to create a collection that is geared towards fashion with purpose. Their goal is to bring awareness to causes through fashion.

Monies raised from their 2010 fall/winter collection will be donated to UNICEF Canada to help the people of Haiti after a tragic earthquake.

joyfullyoutliveyourself.blogspot.com
hoodwear.blogspot.com
sarahjoycameron@gmail.com
403.479.0089