As part of my monthly sponsorship of Final Fashion, I have the opportunity to share in the monthly “a word from …” news post that Danielle puts together. In case you were curious, I thought I’d share, below.
Also, do take a moment to explore Final Fashion. Her illustrations are exquisite, her words are insightful, and I always enjoy the refreshing outlook on the Canadian fashion industry. My favourite part? Hands down, the paper dolls. I mean honestly, what girl doesn’t hold a special place in her heart for paper dolls? Danielle takes her favourite collections and looks from the high fashion runways, and gives us the opportunity to dress our own characters in couture. Highly recommended.
As I run around and try to tick things off my ever-growing to-do list, I wanted to take a moment to share a few things I’m currently lusting over.
1. Lune Vintage‘s vintage pop-up shop! How perfect is this ’76 Boler trailer. This is something I want to do someday, take Bicyclette on the road. One of my first posts was about gypsy queens and trailer dreams, sigh …
2. These Marais kitten heels, in cobalt, of course! Loving the simplicity and functionality of these beauties, and that colour is so perfect. I can completely see them with tights come fall as well, adding a little pop to an otherwise neutral outfit. Yes, please!
3. Buttons! And little round button-like magnets. I decided today that I’m going to invest in a button making machine and make hundreds of Bicyclette buttons to include with orders as gifts, promotions, and who knows what else. I’m thinking photo shoot buttons, rough sketch buttons, bicycle icon buttons, vintage print buttons and so much more.
I’d love to hear your ideas … any other clever designs or uses? Anyone want to have a button making party?
So there’s a little sampling of what’s been occupying my mind when I’m not focused on business related tasks. Care to share any of this week’s links or lusts with me?
It’s been a busy week, with another one to come, and a lot of exciting stuff going on.
The website is extremely close to being done. The design is done, the content is ready, and I’m currently working with a dummy site, uploading product and testing various details, etc. The whole process has taken much longer than originally planned, but that’s the way it usually is with these things, and it’s always a learning process. I’ll be continuing with more specific updates as progress is made, and am hoping that it will go live …. in about a week! I’ve been hesitant to give specific dates, as there are certain factors beyond my control, but there you have it!
This past Wednesday we shot the remaining product for the website, and also headed out to the street to experiment with some look book shots. We didn’t have very much time, but were able to play around a little and get some gorgeous shots of our model Erika posing on the porch and on the bike. How perfectly do those shoes match the bike!?! Below are a few selects, all still rough drafts and in various states of editing and treatments.
I’m curious, what shots are you drawn to, and in terms of the editing, what do you like and not like?
photo cred: shelby fenlon
I’m at the point of near exhaustion, once again. Prepping for the final stages of the online store launch (yes, it’s coming, I’ll have more info on that after tonight), doing another photo shoot all day yesterday (I’ll be posting photos from it later on), and then the usual craziness. And it won’t be ending any time soon. Yes, I thrive on the constant buzz, but it’s also tiring, to say the least.
I have a full day today, but I wanted to share one quick thing with you. I’ll be participating in a small sale that’s happening tomorrow, mid-day, through a summer program I’m involved with. Due to the relatively small size of it, I won’t have all of my stock with me, but I’ll be bringing a variety of accessories I’m selling (jewellery, feather head pieces, headbands with vintage trinkets, gorgeous printed scarves), all by local designers, as well as a sampling of clothing pieces. It’s really more about providing a brief snapshot of what Bicyclette has to offer, and focusing more on a lower price point.
The information is all below in the flyers, and it would be great to see as many people out as possible. There will be a great variety of vendors and it’s a great chance to show your support for young, local entrepreneurs. Plus, I would love to meet you! Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.
First off, just wanted to point out two lovely blogs that I’m oh-so-happy to be sponsoring this month: Bleubird Vintage and Final Fashion, two of my favourites and high on the daily must read list. So go ahead, give them a little look, and make sure to take a peek at the Bicyclette badges!
I don’t usually document my daily adventures other than those that are specifically related to the store or focused on an outfit or personal style, but I thought I would give you a little peek at a day in my life. Let me know if you enjoy this type of post!
Yesterday I took the afternoon off (in celebration of Canada Day), hopped on my bike, and took a little trip down along the lakeshore with a few friends. The sun was out, there was a slight breeze and it was the perfect mini day trip. We finished the day off by indulging in a seafood dinner, eating way too much, and watching the fireworks from our rooftop.
One thing I’ve learned about myself throughout this crazy year is that balance in life is essential to maintaining my sanity. So yes, I’m allowed to take an afternoon off here and there!
photo cred: jason holinaty
As the long weekend comes to a close, it’s finally time to get back to the computer and deal with my other, online, Bicyclette reality. I’ve spent the weekend hunting for storage options (Saturday morning Ikea hell, let me tell you!), building shelves, sanding walls and painting rooms, cleaning, purging and organizing, and trying to sneak every moment of sun, biking and BBQs that I can. Yes, a very work-oriented long weekend, but you’ll find no complaints here.
I’m so excited to continue the switch of rooms in my apartment, moving our bedroom into the second room and transforming the old bedroom/large room into the Bicyclette studio/office/showroom. Everything is still a mess, but it’s starting to come together, and I’m hoping that by the end of this week, the majority of it will be complete. I promise that I will document the transformation with photos after all is said and done! Trust me though, at this stage, there is nothing you’re going to want to see. It’s very subtly organized chaos!
As I mentioned, I’ve been busy being away from the computer (a welcome change, I must say!), so for tonight’s post, I leave you with a quick snap of one of my favourite Bicyclette outfits thus far. Since Audrey the Mannequin took up a permanent residency in the studio, I’ve been constantly dressing her up and styling her in various items from the boxes of merchandise that have a temporary home in the middle of the floor. It’s been hard for me not to be able to properly display or organize anything, and since I’m such a visual person, I like to be able to see what it is I’m dealing with. So being able to put together outfits is the perfect way for me get my fix!
Everything you see here will be for sale on the website once everything is ready to go … crochet vest, silk crop top, organic cotton tank, lace skirt, Soos jewelry. I’m loving the play on proportions, mix of textures and hint of colour.
I’m thinking of making this a regular feature on the blog, is this something you’d like to see more of? Playing dress-up, putting together an outfit …”what Audrey wore” …”
Technically this isn’t a Bicyclette specific blog post, but because it has to do with shopping, dresses and floral prints, I figured it was fair game. Plus, I’m curious to see what other people think of this.
So here’s the situation: last week I was window shopping at 69 Vintage, which quickly turned into real shopping when my eyes fell on this dress, Exhibit A:
The sweetheart neckline, slim silhouette, slightly impressionistic floral print, and cool colour palette were perfection, and upon trying it on and discovering that it was practically made for my body, it was a sure purchase.
Throughout the rest of the day, as I had lunch with my girlfriends and gave them a mini-tour of the studio, the dress remained on my mind, not because of shopping guilt (it was too fantastic to regret), but because I kept thinking of how familiar the shape and print was.
And low and behold, it came to me. Allow me to present Exhibit B, the Minkpink “I Ken Done It” dress:
How close are these two prints? And the style? I know mine is vintage because the fabrication is different than this Minkpink style, and the tag is obviously vintage.
So what do you think? Did this vintage dress inspire the Minkpink style? Purely coincidence?
Finally got some of the photos developed from my graduation party a couple weeks ago. These ones are courtesy of the boy and his Holga camera. The theme was Rebels Wear Pink, hence the assortment of lovely pink accessories. And don’t mind the squinting and closed eyes, the flash on that camera is oh-so-bright.
Last night I celebrated my finishing of school and launching of bicyclette with friends and family and let me tell you, it was the perfect party. I hoped to be able to share photos (it had a pink theme, which made for some fun outfit choices) today, but I’m still waiting to receive them, so you’ll have to wait for a few more days.
Tomorrow I leave for a quick trip to LA to do some more buying for the store, so it’s been a hectic weekend of planning and preparation, but I’m quite excited for the mini-getaway, let alone the opportunity to pick out more product for the launch. I’ll be blogging from there, and trying to take lots of photos to share, courtesy of my always-handy iPhone.
I’ve packed only dresses and sandals, and am looking forward to the sun and a visit to the ocean. West coast dreaming, that’s for sure.
Any styles/shapes/colour/prints/patterns you’re craving and just can’t live without? I’ll keep my eyes out, so give me any special requests you can think of …
I’m really tired. Like, already took a nap and still exhausted tired. I think the month is catching up to me, and after studying for my one and only exam that I wrote this morning, my body and mind are demanding a hiatus. No such luck, unfortunately! I still have a few school assignments to wrap up by Friday and an ever-accumulating bicyclette to-do list.
So instead of challenging myself to put together a blog post that would require me to determine a theme, collect images and write captivating copy, I’ve decided to exercise my creativity, styling and design sensibility and give you a lovely, bicyclette inspired outfit. Polyvore, je t’aime.
I believe this outfit was subconsciously inspired by a little online shopping/social networking experience I had. I recently found my ideal brown wedges online here, courtesy of Farylrobin, only to discover that they didn’t ship to Canada. Of course. So I tried a little Twitter shout out:
This, ladies and gents, is a perfect of example of how social media can benefit both the customer and the business, and an example of exceptional customer service. I was honestly blown away. We’re still figuring out the details of the transaction, but it looks like I may get my wedges after all.
Now I just need the perfect cream lace dress and I’m ready to bring my outfit to life.
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