Knitting Values into Fashion

More than two months have past since Signe and Torbjorg came to visit, and tantalized everybody with the beautiful new Oleana spring collection!  (You can see Torbjorg here wearing the very popular long cardigan in a new spring colour.)  Partial shipment will hopefully be sent this week, so please make sure your name is on the list of first recipients.  You can see the collection on http://www.oleana.no/
If you missed the lecturegiven by Signe at Kwantlen on February 21st, you can now see it on YouTube.  It has been posted in several parts under the title "Knitting Values into Fashion"

More arrivals

As the Easter Weekend arrived so did new stock!  Nygaardsanna linen dresses and blouses arrived from Sweden, and after they have been steamed they will be hung on the racks - that will happen today.  We also received summer socks, and leggings from b.ella, more leggings are on their way from Sneaky fox. URBANITY is closed Easter Friday and Monday.  Open as normal Saturday and Sunday. For info please email me at julia@urbanity.ca

New Arrivals

We have received a small selection of Fog Linen - simple linen dresses, pants, shirts, socks, and sun-hats!  These quality garments are designed in Japan and made in Lithuania from beautiful Lithuanian linen.  The clothes are one size and mostly for those with a smaller frame.  Fog linen also makes linen items for the table and kitchen, which you can find in other Vancouver stores! 

A wonderful selection of leggings from Sneaky Fox are about to arrive.  Linen socks from Fog Linen are made in Japan from Lithuanian yarn. 

Spring thoughts

As spring tries really hard to become a reality, we have to look for ways to remind ourselves that cold WILL eventually turn to warm. 
We have had a bit of a discussion on Facebook about the pleasures of shaving pills off sweaters, as a way of passing time as we wait for warmer weather.  Pills are hard to avoid --unless the natural characteristics of the wool fibre have been changed.  The use of a purse other than smooth leather can create a cluster of pills.  Washing your sweater can help to almalgamate the fibres reducing the tenancy to pill, but when all goes to pill, just shave 'em off!  There are all kinds of pill shavers available at a variety of prices. 

Bright colourful cotton scarves have arrived from Anokhi.  I picked up some wool/silk scarves in light colours from Asia Eye last weekend when in Bellevue.  Some amazing Danish shawls in pink & red (wow!) are very slowly making their way from the customs office in Ontario, to Vancouver.

Fabulous birds and girl and boy rabbits have come from far away to celebrate the 'easter' season with us.  They come from where it is warm, so they are snuggling under woolen sweaters waiting for the sun to really shine!  They are so beautifully made and organic too--safe for little kids.

Waiting for the OLEANA Spring collection

We are going to have to wait at least a month before we get our Oleana for spring/summer order.  Some of you were lucky enough to see the collection when it was here, and placed your orders for when the shipment arrives.  My colleague Grete in Switzerland has posted a YouTube film of the catalogue for everybody to see!  This beautiful peony cardigan comes in two colour-ways and is simply exquisite.

New OLEANA skirt

The Oleana skirt with the box pleats has been available in green and brown for a few years and now black has been added.  The woolen fabric is just amazing.  This skirt is a wardrobe staple that will never go out of style.  We have combined it in the window with a new short alpaca Pernilla jacket, and an Oleana top with belt.  It looks so fresh for days moving into spring.  The necklace is from Connie Wright on Bowen island.

Also featured in the window is the work of Morija designs, from Vancouver--beautiful textile jewellery made from finely pleated silk embedded with beads

Spring cardigans

Urbanity has carried softly knitted cardigans made by Pernilla Svenre and her team of 6 people since our very early days.  I met Pernilla at the Copenhagen fashion fair way back in the '90s and loved her casual style.  I promised that one day I would have a shop where I would sell her designs!  Pernilla works with a basic model using different yarns and knitting styles.  This season she has made a short version of her cardigan that can be tied or left loose.  We have it solids,  leaf patterns, and super soft alpaca in a lacey stitch.