Anthology Fashion Show

Stylists Christine Dale and Monica Berg collaborate for Anthology indie fashion show

By Sarah Rowland

Publish Date: May 25, 2011

Usually designers and boutiques enlist the help of stylists to showcase their work on the runway and not the other way around. But as local stylists Christine Dale and Monica Berg prove, people who normally work tirelessly behind the scenes deserve to take centre stage as well.

The two style mavens recently did a bangup job of hosting a collaborative unisex fashion show called “Anthology”, in which they mixed and matched spring/summer pieces from a few different indie clothing stores, including Lark (2315 Main Street), the Block (350 West Cordova) and True Value Vintage Clothing (710 Robson Street—for now; sadly, it’s set to close at the end of July). And they couldn’t have picked a better venue for the event. If you haven’t been to Guilt & Co. (1 Alexander Street), it’s a funky little venue under Chill Winston that looks and feels like a Glaswegian church basement that’s been converted into a minitheatre.

Surprisingly, the wardrobe experts kept the outfits simple and didn’t overaccessorize or make a point of showing us all how eclectic they are as stylists. Instead, Dale and Berg let the clothes more or less speak for themselves.

The first outfit down the makeshift catwalk was a tough act to follow. Here we had a beautiful black-silk Surface to Air jumpsuit ($425 at the Block) that had a cute, but not overly whimsical, cream palm-tree and flamingo pattern. Dale and Berg paired this one with a black ’70s A.P.C. floppy hat ($150 at the Block) and some vintage platforms from True Value. Adding to the undeniable indie-French appeal of this ensemble was the model who rocked it down the runway—her wispy Carla Bruni bangs were a perfect match for this chic Paris-meets-East Van look.

That wasn’t the only one-piece to turn heads. The duo paired some rolled-up, pin-striped denim Chimala overalls ($648 at Lark) with a plain red T-shirt and some sockless black oxford footwear—the whole getup was supercute in an updated “Come on Eileen” kinda way.

Another standout among the women’s outfits was the silk tunic-style Navajo-patterned dress ($325 at the Block) from Tucker by Gaby Basora, a New York designer who makes her own prints. She also created the fabric for her beautiful multicoloured cami ($195 at the Block). To showcase this top, Dale and Berg paired it with some simple black walking shorts and a wide-brimmed straw hat—a refreshing change from the fedora.

For men, it was all about ’50s-inspired shirts, rolled-up pants, and vintage oxfords with no socks. There was also a surprise celebrity model on hand. Steve Bays of Hot Hot Heat fame sported an A.P.C. safari jacket ($425) with matching cotton-twill pants ($235) and a short-sleeved white shirt ($140), all from the Block. He also rocked a sky-blue, waxed-cotton, pullover raincoat ($325 at the Block), which was designed by one of Vancouver’s newest fashion talents, Ian Chen.

Bays got cheers from the packed room, yes. But in the spirit of collaboration, so did every model. All in all, it was a smashing success, and I wouldn’t be surprised if more stylists start getting their names out there by throwing fashion shows. Kudos to Dale and Berg—they may have just started their very own trend.

Ethereal

This is a sample of one of the very first uses of motion colour picture, and it’s quite simply BEAUTIFUL. I want to surround myself with only this ethereal palette of colours and the women in this film are impeccable. It was created in 1922, more than a decade before the first full-length colour feature film was created (1935) . Enjoy.

1930′s Fashion Predictions for the Year 2000

A hilarious video from the 1930′s predicting what fashion will look like in the year 2000:

Eugene Hütz is the sex.

After seeing them 4 times live, it has me pretty stoked that Gogol Bordello has a new album (Trans-Continental Hustle) because this gives a pretty good indication that my favorite Ukrainian might be stopping by my neighborhood once more. If you’re not familiar with these guys you better go buy, download, or steal this album from your friends.

And on a side note, can my future husband please look like this:

Well Dressed

To me, the words “fashion” and “style” have very different meanings. Fashion is for the masses. Style is a very personal thing. There are countless people I look up to for their interpretation of fashion. Style can’t be replicated or imitated, and it’s a damn tricky thing to learn. But if there ever was a class titled “Style 101″ in need of a professor, I’d want these characters to teach me everything they know:

1. Edith Bouvier Beale (“Little Edie”)

If you’ve never seen the Maysles’ documentary Grey Gardens, I strongly urge you to do so…like, right now. This self-proclaimed “staunch” gal, and cousin of Jackie Onassis, used what little resources she had to their full potential. No one could pull off a head scarf or a sweater used as a make-shift skirt with more panache. She inspired an endless list of designers, such as Galliano and Marc Jacobs, and showed up in Italian Vogue a number of times. Edie and her mother (“Big Edie”) made headlines when their East Hampton estate was declared condemned due to it’s dilapidated condition until Jackie O saved the day. This clip from the documentary takes a peek  into the dressing thought process of one of the most eccentric style influences in my roster.

2. Debbie Harry

I’m not gonna lie, there’s a part of me that simply wants to BE Debbie Harry. If anyone could do 80′s fashion the justice it deserved, she was it. Messy do-it-yourself bleach blonde hair, loads of make-up, and the ability to give literally any ensemble sex appeal were all part of her epic style equation.

3.Whoever the hell this man is:

There’s just something about extremely well dressed old people that melts my heart. However you’re dressing, these people did it first and they did it right. They understand the importance of quality clothing, and chances are they’re still sporting the same pieces they bought years ago. They came from an era when people really cared about their appearance, before sweatpants and uggs became a wretched trend. You didn’t leave the house without some proper grooming. In my dream alternate reality, we’d all be back in the 1950′s.

*To check out more dapper mature folk visit this awesome street style blog:

Advanced Style

Fashion Taxidermy

I’ve always found the idea of taxidermy to be a little on the strange side. When you think about it, it’s pretty grotesque to take a dead animal, take out it’s insides, and fill it with foam. I mean, how soon before we start doing this to humans? ohhhh, wait a minute….this guy did! On the other hand, it gives you a chance to get up close and personal with animals you wouldn’t otherwise come across in the wild (or want to).  Though not as socially acceptable today, taxidermy played a huge role in vintage fashions. Whether it be in the form of handbags, broaches, stoles, or hat adornments, the result definitely makes a statement.

How about carrying around this lovely armadillo bag?

Or wear this Bobcat Paw broach?

This looks practical...right? (by emily valentine, via crappy taxidermy)

www.crappytaxidermy.com

A Fox Stole, via the Sartorialist

Sartorialist

Modern British artist Reid Peppard makes use of the excess vermin of London and turns them into pieces of captivating one-of-a-kind jewelry, although not recommended for the squeamish. But not to worry, she exclusively uses animals that have fallen victim to roadkill or pest control.

You can check our more of Reid Peppard’s creations HERE or follow Reid’s blog HERE.

And of course, McQueen did it right:

Ps. I’m pretty bummed I never made it out to the Vancouver Museum for that taxidermy exhibit….

http://www.rpencore.com/

iamamiwhoami

Back in December this mystery woman started posting these strange music videos via youtube by the title iamamiwhoami and caused quite a stir. The high quality levels in the videos have ignited speculation that this team has got some money to play with. Most videos feature a blonde woman disguised with black murky paint or tape(?) and the finger has been pointed at artists such as Lady Gaga, Björk, Fever Ray, and Lykke Li. Although no one will fess up. The videos also each elude to a specific animal (whale, bee, owl, goat) and are titled with various numbers. Some sort of secret code going on here? Whatever the case is, and whoever is responsible, they’re definitely worth taking a gander at.

The latest video, posted a few days ago,  simply titled “b”

For your viewing pleasure:

Feline Adoration

Well i didn’t just post this picture here for the “aww” factor. This stylish feline has a purpose. Just so we’re clear, i cringe at the sight of gals prancing around the streets of downtown Van with their tiny dog wearing the latest in pet clothing fashions. But come on, when the Japanese fashion house United Bamboo created matching kitty-sized apparel for their fall ready-to-wear a few months back and then made a 2010 calendar of the pics, i couldn’t help but feast my eyes.

You should probably get yours HERE

Morbid Fascination

Things of the slightly morbid nature have always captured my interest, so it’s only natural that i become slightly obsessed when it creeps its way into the fashion realm.

The popularity of mourning clothing and jewelry originated with Queen Victoria when her dear old husband kicked the bucket in 1901 and the Queen  wore nothing but full mourning apparel to commemorate his death for the remaining 40 years of her life. Also demanding the rest of her court do the same for quite some time. Following in her example, strict rules were set for the etiquette of dressing when a loved one passed.

The most curious tradition in my opinion was the intricate mourning jewelry. Many pendants were carve from gorgeous jet glass and vulcanite.   It was common place to have the hair of the deceased incorporated into wildly elaborate pieces of art or woven into glass panels of rings or lockets. Some were even braided into beautiful bracelets, necklaces, or pocket watch chains. I can’t decide if this act of remembrance is endearing…….or just plain creepy.