RUD by RUDSAK

Sep 30 11 under Designers, Interview, Ottawa Fashion Week | Leave a comment

After attending the private model casting for the newly-inspired line, RUD, by the already established RUDSAK, I had the opportunity to play fashion journalist and ask a few questions about the new line, how they feel about Ottawa’s fashion scene and OFW as an event. Read on to hear more about this amazing collection and why OFW is “fantastic”…

 

What makes you want to showcase this line at OFW/why did you choose OFW?

The organizers of OFW approached RUDSAK to act as a participating designer.  Impressed with the presentation and the designers to be joining the schedule, we decided to go forward with our recently launched line RUD styled by RUDSAK.

RUD is Montreal born and proud of its heritage.  Supporting locals- be it designers, events, organizations, etc. is crucial in maximizing Canada’s presence in the international market of fashion.  We see it as joining forces; everyone benefits.

What do you think of OFW and its impression on the fashion scene locally and elsewhere?

The dedication of the organizers for OFW and Blackbook Lifestyles has been fantastic.  Positive of a highly successful outcome- OFW maps itself terrifically as Ottawa is a city filled with university students.  Everyday youngins’ are reflecting the campaigns of top designers.

With the smooth pre-show delivery we’ve witnessed from OFW- Ottawa will certainly receive the proper recognition they deserve for hosting such an event and hopefully popularize its exposure among the Canadian fashion society.

What inspired this collection/what does it represent/what can the public expect to see?

Everyday people who just so happen to have great style have been reversing the trickledown theory.  RUD’s spring 2012 collection was inspired by hip tastemakers; nowadays street-style blogs overwhelm the web.

RUD affirms the confidence trendsetters have in wearing their clothes, unique to their own sense of style.

Spectators can expect to see beautifully eye-catching coats and jackets worn effortlessly- easy to recreate however desired. (It was amazing!)

I know I was beyond thrilled to see RUD’s Ottawa debut on Thursday night! Make sure to visit our website at www.ottawafashionweek.com for more information regarding this incredible designer, our OFW schedule, new venue, as well as when and where you can get your tickets! For photos of the show, go to our Facebook page! See you soon Ottawa!

^BB

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5 minutes with…Rachel Sin

Sep 21 11 under Designers, Interview | Leave a comment

As a returning OFW designer, what makes you want to showcase here again?
It’s like coming home; I launched the line and debuted my first runway show here in Ottawa. This Spring Summer 2012 collection will mark the fourth season showcasing at OFW. I will always be excited to show at OFW, because Ottawa has seen the brand grow and the fans are always excited. OFW has always been supportive of new designers. We’ve been together since the beginning, seeing each other grow to become a nationally recognized brand and a nationally acknowledged fashion week.

What do you think of OFW and its impression on the fashion scene locally and elsewhere?
I think it’s great that Ottawa has a bi-annual fashion week, it means we have something to say. One of the reasons I launched the collection in Ottawa was because of the lack of choice in clothing. I think if people are given more options, then you have the freedom to express yourself and make creative choices about what you wear.

What inspired this collection?
The architectural space that inspires this season’s collection is the classic Hotel Lobby. Having afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel sets the mood with an airy colour palette and richly textured materials. Keep it classically cool this summer with safari camel, silver accents and fresh watermelon as a pop of colour. Watch out for luxury fabrics including lace, crisp linen and faux leather. Afternoon tea in a Rachel Sin dress makes looking proper out of the ordinary, with refined details and a touch of class.

What do you like about Ottawa?
I love that Ottawa is a great city to network. Ottawa is a great city to start a business, when I designed the first collection; I managed to meet all the right people at all the right time. I’ve collaborated with talented photographers, make-up artist and hair stylists. It is really a group effort to have a successful photo shoot and I’m thankful for the people that I’ve worked with here in Ottawa. Even now that the brand is based in Toronto, we often come back to Ottawa to shoot the campaign photo shoot.

What are your favourite places in Ottawa to dine?
Fav restaurant would have to be Play on Sussex. I love that you can go any time of day and have a glass of wine and everything on the menu is good.

I understand that you’ve moved to Toronto; so what do you miss most about Ottawa?
I miss the good friends and talented people I have met in the industry.

Thank you for your time, Rachel!

For more on her collection, check out http://rachelsin.com
^SK

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5 minutes with… Amber Watkins

Sep 16 11 under Around Town, Designers, Interview | Leave a comment

Amber Watkins is going to heat up Ottawa Fashion Week with her unique women’s swimwear designs. Inspired by vintage cuts from 50s and 60s, as well as cut-out swimwear looks from the 70s, Watkins says that we can expect to see a mix of high fashion in swimwear for all body types.

Showcasing at OFW has been her goal for about a year now where she hopes this step forward will help her to go from designing at “hobby status” to business status. This brand new collection is also the first to be produced with a professional manufacturer rather than “[her] little sewing machine”. She boasted about OFW as having “gone from under the radar to something huge…and promising to be bigger”. She expressed that in addition to its huge local support and rave reviews, on a national and international level, OFW is definitely becoming more recognized and appreciated. She also said that OFW is reflective of Ottawa as a city because of the great amount of support that it garners within the community, without being too exclusive of others outside.

Originally from Peterborough, ON, she moved here for school and has been in the city for 7 years. What kept her here was the “small city feel with way more opportunities and activities”. Some of the scenic musts in the city that she pointed out include Gatineau Park in the autumn, a skate on the Rideau Canal in the winter, and a drive/bike along Colonel By. If you’re looking to dine, she suggests anything along Preston St. And to shop, she heads for vintage shops that are especially good for hunting accessories; after all, she’s a deal finder with a small budget but a big wardrobe!

Thank you for your time, Amber!

^SK

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5 minutes with… Jana Hanzel & Emilia Torabi

Sep 16 11 under Around Town, Designers, Interview | Leave a comment

Jana and Emilia are no strangers to Ottawa’s fashion scene. You may recognize their work from charity fashion events, galas, and previous OFW seasons. In this interview, they talk about Ottawa hotspots, OFW, and of course, what you can expect on the runway from the dynamic duo.

Why do you choose OFW to showcase your collection?
We are big fans of our work ourselves and we’d like to share our designer’s point of view with all the fashionistas here in Ottawa. And of course, we need a lot of exposure and that is provided by the OFW quite successfully during these past seasons.

What do you think of OFW’s impression on the fashion scene locally and elsewhere?
It has been grown over the years and every season it gets better and more organized. We like the new venue – we expect a huge success. Our clients love seeing the fashion shows – the OFW introduces the fashion and style to a wide spectrum of people. We need an event like this in Ottawa to educate people how to dress and make the best impression.


What can we expect to see from your upcoming collection?
We have brought the African ethnic fashion, and put together with modern contemporary style to create a fabulous mix, where African and western culture meet. The original African printed fabrics are used for the entire collection to capture and reflect the exotic aspect of the collection. As the result we have come up with a vibrant and joyful look, that appeals to today’s stylish African woman , as well as any woman around the world who appreciates unique and colorful designs.

What inspired this collection?
The collection is inspired by the African culture in collaboration with The Zambian High Commission in Ottawa. Jana & Emilia Fashion Design Studio will rock the Ottawa Fashion Week again, by presenting a revolutionary collection “Tubalange” which means ” lets show off ” in Zambian language.

What do you like about Ottawa?
Because Ottawa is a government-based city, it’s good for raising children and families (we both have kids), it’s clean and beautiful city with a nice environment, with the canal – boating in summer and skating in winter. In Ottawa, women are conservative and from the fashion point of view it’s too quiet so we’d like to bring some buzz into the city.

What are your favourite places in Ottawa to shop and dine?
We like Market area – there are some fine boutiques and dining as well. Also the Westboro area is waking up recently.

Do you have a recommendation for a must go-to place for someone visiting the city?
Actually, the Market area is a very nice place to spend a couple of hours – it’s not big, but very cozy and interesting. We always wanted to go on The Haunted Tour in Ottawa downtown it’s available during Halloween. That perhaps could be interesting and informative tour about the history of Ottawa AND very entertaining and unusual one for these who are not scared easily.

Thank you Jana & Emilia for your time!

Photos from Ottawa Fashion Week’s Facebook page

^SK

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5 minutes with… Karine Breton

Sep 14 11 under Around Town, Designers, Interview | Leave a comment

Originally from Montreal, designer Karine Breton sees Ottawa as “calm, but busy” with lots to see and plenty of places to go. One of her favourite things about Ottawa is the ability to be “in nature, but downtown” where both the urban hustle and serene nature are both very accessible in Ottawa’s core. Specifically, she pinpointed key attractions like the Parliament buildings, the Rideau River, and the Byward Market to exemplify this.

In connection with being “a great city…and a great ambiance”, Breton sees Ottawa Fashion Week as a great platform for designers. She says that her ready-to-wear collection was inspired by the concept of binary opposites where her collection features designs with straight cuts & round cuts and contrast in colours and fabrics. With this, she wants to demonstrate that it’s easy to combine opposites to put together something great. On the runway, you can expect to see “fresh, yet simple” designs from Breton.

Thank you for your time, Karine!

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5 minutes with…

Sep 13 11 under Around Town, Designers, Interview, Ottawa Fashion Week | Leave a comment

Ottawa Fashion Week is right around the corner! We know what you’re all thinking: “who are these fab designers and where can we learn more about them?”

Well, first you can take a look at our designer bio page

 

Or you could take a look right here, on the OFW blog :)

We’ll be featuring a few of our local designers in our new “5 minutes with…” posts where you can get a sneak peak into the some of minds that will be featuring collections on the OFW runway.

Stay tuned for these great posts!

^SK

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