Olsen Fall/Winter Collection Preview

The journey of being a blogger has truly been an eye-opener for me as I often get introduced to brands that I weren't very familiar with. Olsen was one of them. However, after invited to their Fall/Winter 2014 Collection Preview a couple of days ago and had a sneak peek of their gorgeous ready-to-wear pieces, I will never forget about this brand. I even asked myself why I didn't get to know it earlier.

This kind of preview sometimes could turn into a huge tease because it's usually one or two season ahead and so the collection won't drop in stores till months later. However, many of Olsen's fall pieces will actually be available in August. We are almost there, aren't we?

当一个博主有时候很开眼界因为我经常有机会认识一些以前不太熟悉的牌子。Olsen就是其中一个。不过在前几天我被邀请到他们家的秋冬预览会去一睹他们家今年的新设计，新系列之后，对这个牌子的印象就相当深刻了。因为一般预览会展出的系列要到好几个月之后才会出现在店里，所以有时候会感觉挺令人郁闷的。不过Olsen家的好多秋季系列即将在8月就出货。很快了，不是吗？

After I arrived, one of Olsen's brand representative gave us a brief presentation and introduction about the brand and some signature pieces from their fall/winter collection. I was told Olsen is known for its knitwear and unique fabric choices, but I didn't really believe it till later when I had a closer look at the pieces and touched the fabrics with my own hands. From black and white print blouse to oversized trousers with faux leather details, Olsen is always able to offer that classic and versatile piece with a unique "Olsen" twist. Although I find their pieces are little bit pricy, I do believe there still are plenty of great investment items should be added to my fall and winter collection.

他们告诉我Olsen以他们家的针织品和独特的选料而出名，我一开始并不太相信直到我亲眼目睹并亲手触摸之后才知道他们家的衣服确实用料很讲究。从黑白图案的衬衣到有人造皮细节的宽松裤，Olsen总是能给这些很经典的单品来一个他们家独一无二的设计。尽管我觉得他们家确实有点贵了，不过有一些单品还是非常值得买的。

Thank you so much for reading! Have a great weekend!

感谢你的光临！周末愉快！

Jeanne Beker's Affordable-Lux Line at The Shoe Company

Canadian fashion icon- the most elegant, intelligent and sweetest Jeanne Beker has teamed up with The Shoe Company to offer an exclusive collection that is full of affordable-luxurious shoes and bags. And guess what, the whole line will be available tomorrow (April 1st)- just in time for spring.

Couple of weeks ago I was invited to a sneak peek of the collection at The Shoe Company's new Stockyards location. And I couldn't express enough how excited I am for this collection. Whether you are looking for something sexy, edgy, cute, or comfortable, this collaboration got you covered. Take a look at the pieces I picked and of course you are more than welcomed to make your own decisions. :)

加拿大的时尚领衔者Jeanne Beker近来跟鞋子工厂合作共同打造出了一个既有高端品味又有不昂贵的系列。并且，整个系列将于明天也就是四月一号正式和大家见面。几周之前，我被邀请到鞋子工厂的Stockyeards新店去抢先提前看了这个系列的鞋子。不得不说，果然非常令人期待。无论你是想要买性感的，有个性的，可爱的，还是舒适的，你都能在这个系列里一一找到。我就选了一些我个人喜欢的。当然，我也相信你可以用心找出那款让你心仪的鞋子。

During the media event, Jeanne Beker talked about how dreamy this whole thing still was- to see the labels with her name on all the shoes seemed so abstract. She said she believed that fashion should be accessible and affordable, which is exactly what this shoe line is all about. 

在展示期间，Jeanne就有提到尽管具有她名字的商标已经可以在所有的鞋子上看见，但是她还是难以置信这一切是真的。她觉得时尚应该是可以触手可碰，不奢侈昂贵的，这也是她这个系列的宗旨和主打。

This pair of patent light green pumps is definitely my favourite from the collection. Not only the pointed shape and midi heels are right on trend, but the snake-skin-print straps also add so much character to it. It is a pair that I can think of myself wearing at multiple occasions- from an office environment to a dinner party, from brunch with girlfriends to a date night with my boy...

在整个系列中，这双薄荷绿的鞋子绝对是我的最爱啦！不仅它的尖头和矮跟正是这个春季的流行元素，再加上它那浅色的蛇纹更是给这双可爱的鞋子带来了不少与众不同的感觉。我会穿着这双鞋穿梭于各种场合－无论是从办公室到晚上聚餐，还是从与女性朋友们喝茶到晚上与男友的约会。。。

Blogger Mo (The Lion Hunter) and I

Blogger Assa (My Curves and Curls) and I

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you spotted your favourite piece(s) from today's post. If didn't, don't worry. You can always go to one of The Shoe Company stores to check them out. I'd love to hear your picks.

很感谢你们的阅读也希望你们从今天这篇博文里发现了你想买的鞋子。如果没心动的话，也不要紧。可以到他们的店铺里去转转，说不定就能看见那双让你心仪的美鞋啦！记得与我分享一下你买了哪双哦！

             Photography: Stephen Foks

Parisian Chic with Malorie Urbanovitch

From Edmonton to Calgary to Toronto, Mercedes-Benz Start-Up winner Malorie Urbanovitch and her label has come a long way. And luckily, we have been there to witness her success and growth and are truly happy to hear that her Spring/Summer 2014 collection will be available at Gravity Pope stores national wide. 

Last week we were invited to visit her show room during World MasterCard Fashion Week and got to have a little chat with this lovely lady.

从埃德蒙顿到卡尔加里再到多伦多，这个奔驰设计师新秀大赛比赛的冠军和她的品牌一路走来，越走越远，越走越成功。我们有幸能在这一路目睹她的成功和成长，并且对她2014年的春夏系列即将在全国的Gravity Pope售卖而特别为她感到高兴。上周在多伦多国际时装周期间，我们被邀请到她的展示室去近距离地感受了她服饰的布料和材质并与这位聪慧的女孩进行了一个简短的访谈。

Along with Dreamboat Lucy, Malorie Urbanovitch won the Mercedes-Benz Start Up Semi Final in Calgary in April, 2013

Malorie Urbanovitch was the co-winner of Mercedes-Benz Start Up Final Competition in Toronto in October, 2013

Malorie Urbanovitch and her model in her showroom during World MasterCard Fashion Week 2014

Started her label MalorieUrbanovitch in Edmonton, Malorie says she is very grateful for all the local support she has been given and is very lucky to be able to create something fresh in a not-so-crowded city. 

"But I can't be the one to start an industry there. The atmosphere is just not there yet." She says. If they decide to make a move, then the next destination should be Toronto. "We haven't decided it yet, but we do feel that being so far away from the centre does feel inconvenient," she adds: "For example this time when people asked us if they can visit the show room next week, we just had to say no. We won't be here anymore. We are leaving on Saturday." Although moving to Toronto is still not a set-in-stone plan yet, Malorie does feel that being in the fashion centre of Canada might just be what her label needs right now. 

在埃德蒙顿成立了她的品牌之后，Malorie对来自当地社区的支持感到由衷的感谢，并很庆幸自己能在这个竞争力还没有那么强的城市里做一些新鲜的事情。
“但是我没有办法作为那个来创建整个时尚社区的人。那里的整个大环境并不具备。” 如果他们决定换个城市的话，那应该会选择多伦多作为下一站。“我们还没有作出决定，但是觉得离中心城市这么远确实给我们带来很多不便。” 她又说：“比如说这次，许多人问我们他们是否可以下个星期再来我们的展示室，我们只能说不行。我们这个星期六就离开了。” 所以尽管搬家这个计划还尘埃未定，但Malorie觉得在中心城市可能正是她的品牌目前所需要的。

When I asked about her takes on fast fashion and whether the affordable clothing from big retailers is affecting local designers like her, she paused and answered: "Yes, I do think that fast fashion is affecting us as many people just want to buy something cheap and wear it for one season...But I do also believe that some women would love to have some investment pieces in her closet that she can wear for a long time and even pass on to her daughter. "

It is interesting but not so surprising when Malorie told me she is not a big fan of trends. "Whenever people asked me what current trends I like, I always told them that I hate trends. I don't follow trends at all. " To me, this actually ties in with the momentum of her design and label- minimalist with a contemporary twist. "I'm so inspired by the effortless-chic Parisian style that looks unintentional but yet so chic and stylish." 

当我问及她对快餐时尚的看法时，她表示：“快餐时尚确实给像我这样的本土设计师带来了不小的冲击，很多人都想买一些便宜只能穿一个季度的衣服。。。但我还是相信那些具有投资价值的单品。每个女人的衣橱里都应该有这样的单品，能够穿很久甚至在将来可以派放给女儿。”

有趣但并不令我惊讶地是Malorie说她对流行元素并不感冒。“每当别人问我喜欢什么当下流行的元素的时候，我都会说我讨厌流行元素。我从来不跟从流行的。” 我觉得这其实跟她的设计理念是相辅相成的－简约现代派。 “那种巴黎街头的随性时尚非常感染我，看起来不经意的搭配却那么时尚又有个性。”

Thank you so much for reading!

Photography: Stephen Foks