Local artist -
Robert Chaplin came into my Gastown store soon after I opened. Since then he has brought me much delight with his humour and unusual work. He has just opened a little shop on the corner of Cordova and Carrall street where he is showing his snowflake series
www.royalcanadiansnowflake.com where you can sponsor a snowflake! Give it a name!!! Robert is a frequent visitor on the Fanny Kiefer show on Shaw. I have always carried Robert's books. At $20 each these signed editions are a delight for adults and children.
We are on the brink of the
Maiwa Symposium where every second year we are given the opportunity of meeting amazing artists, writers, and doers from around the world, going to workshops, lectures, shows, and events. It is an extravaganza that goes on for some months! I have taken the opportunity of having two shows in the store insprired by the Maiwa events. The first one starting mid-September will show 'contemporary head-dresses' from Jools Elphick who I met when I was staying in Brighton in 2003. Jools' hats are machine and hand knitted, and explore head-wear inspired by many cultures.
OLEANA blankets will be shown at the end of September at the
IDSWest show. Very exciting!
For the past four months Mieka has been working in
URBANITY. She took the helm last week and gave me the opportunity of taking some days to tidy up my house - which looks like a home now instead of a waste-paper basket! Mieka is a student at UBC and has been given the opportunity of having a role in the
Model UN conference being hosted by the University in March 2012. So, although she will be in for a couple of weekends in September, she has started a new path.
We are being asked when we will begin to have autumn collections in the store. They are on their way, and I expect that by Jools' exhibition we will have made the transition. I love it when the woolies take over, though have to admit, this year, I have wanted summer to really play itself out. We still have some linens that are great for fall transition.
Felt Amazing ends at 6pm on Friday October 21st. and then the work will be returned to the artists. Don't miss the opportunity of buying an amazing felt design!
We opened the exhibition on the evening of Friday, October 7th. Only on that morning did we received the box of Dagmar Binder's work sent from Berlin, Germany. The box contained one jacket and a number of collars and scarves in different colours. The red jacket is made totally in one piece, with no seams, and even has pockets. It is an amazing jacket and is priced under $700. I have included a detail image, because I want to show how this jacket has so much detail with no sewing anywhere. Most of the work in the exhibition is for sale, and as we were arranging Dagmar's pieces, we sold three of her signature collars. You can see more on Dagmar's website. 
Oleana's designer followed the silk road from Grenada in Spain where the Moors brought Islamic patterns to Europe, then on to Istanbul, and further to China. Patterns flow from one country to another, from one culture to another. 
We were expecting a summer collection from McVerdi in Denmark, but it never arrived, which for a while was a bit of a worry. As it turned out though, the collections that did come seemed to be perfect for the weather we have been having. We are close to August which is bound to be sunnier than July, and so I am pleased that a small collection of Indian cotton dresses from Anokhi via Magic Mountain, have arrived. The dresses are made by Anokhi in India for Magic Mountain which is an Ontario based company. They are block printed in wonderful colours. It is still my dream to bring Anokhi directly from India.
Two of the 6 Liberty print dresses have been sent from Up The Wooden Hills in Sweden -size S and L. Two more are expected to be sent over the coming weekend. I am very interested to see the first two dresses which should arrive before the end of the week. Designer Lisa makes each dress herself
