December 27, 2010

Hong Kong Shopping Guide: SoHo

During the last leg of my Asia trip, we stopped over in Hong Kong to do some much needed fabric/trim sourcing, fashion trend researching and just some good old fashioned shopping. 

Let me tell you, the shopping in Hong Kong is excessive, extravagant and a bit dizzying. It seemed everywhere we went, there was a large mall, a street market, or a back alley of shops conveniently located near every metro stop. SoHo, Hong Kong, has the most unique boutiques and more one of a kind items. The crowd here is more international, with Expats and European business men hanging out in wine bars or hip little bistros.

Here are some of my favorite boutiques in SoHo, Hong Kong, that you shouldn't miss.


Van D is a cool little store on Staunton Street. The stairs inside were lined with a Persian rug and they carry everything from Sass and Bide, luxury denim to Haivanas. 
Van D, G/F, 34B Staunton Street, SoHo
Van D, G/F, 34B Staunton Street, SoHo

Present Lingerie is a cute little shop that carries luxury lingerie, vintage inspired accessories, cute headbands and jewelry.
Present Lingerie, 41 Staunton Street, SoHo



Mezza carries designer labels, cute accessories, jewelry, and upstairs they have a rack of evening gowns and pretty party dresses.


Home felt like walking into my friend's bedroom. You could pull out drawers and it would be filled with scarfs or belts. They carry everything from clothing, bath and body products, shoes and handbags, all imported from Korea.
Home, G/F, 63 Peel Street, SoHo
Home, G/F, 63 Peel Street, SoHo

December 13, 2010

Behind the Scenes Fashion Photo Shoot: Joan of Arc

This past summer, I lent some cuffs and some necklaces for a photo shoot entitled Joan of Arc; a five part series based on five different themes, outfits and hairstyles. I've been waiting anxiously to see post production photos of the shoot and the wait is finally over.

Here is a behind the scenes look of the talented photographer Dugraff and creative director, Catherine Lavoie at work. See if you can spot our cuffs and feather necklace.












December 8, 2010

Japanese Delicacy in Hong Kong: Mochi Cream

Two years ago I was in Japan and I discovered MochiCream in the Ginza shopping district. Much to my delight, I rediscovered MochiCream in the Hong Kong Sogo department store yesterday. They are filled with specially flavored bean jam, handmade cream and wrapped in glutinous rice. You also have wait five minutes for them to defrost before you can eat them (if you can wait that long!).

So delicious. I'm completely addicted. Is it bad that I am already planning my next snack?


Side note: prices are in Yen as these are original pictures are from my Japan trip

December 5, 2010

Fashion Illustration: Manuel Rebollo

I arrived in Hong Kong yesterday to do some fabric and trim sourcing for my new collection for Love at First Blush. Internet usage here is quite limited, so posts will be less frequent while I am here.

I discovered these illustrations from Manuel Rebollo a few days ago. I love the use of just black ink and negative spacing. Simple, but powerful. What do you think?

via Manuel Rebello

December 1, 2010

Fashion Photography: Bruno Dayan

These photos from Bruno Dayan are just blowing me away. His photography and skills are just on another level.

He works from France, and has shot fashion editorials for numerous magazines and Ad campaigns for many fashion houses; Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Celine to name just a few. I suggest you take a look at his site because each shot is a work of art on it's merit.




November 30, 2010

Everywhere I go, a Fashion Week follows

So I've been traveling in and out of South East Asia for a few weeks now. On my second week here in Kuala Lumpur, while shopping for some shoes and trying to find something to eat, I managed to stumble upon the last day of Malaysia Fashion Week in the Pavilion's Mall.

There were several up and coming designers, but the most memorable collection was Jonathan Liang's. Utilizing leather inserts, sheer fabrics, sharp tailored jackets, metal bustiers, and exposed zippers, his collection was the most experimental in design, silhouette and fabrics.

I managed to capture a few shots of the event.





November 28, 2010

Fashion Illustration: Sandra Suy

These prints from Sandra Suy's Etsy shop are beautiful and alluring. A fashion illustrator from Barcelona, she illustrates High Fashion and Couture garments with a certain ease and gracefulness in her brushstroke and line work. She draws everything from Chanel bags, Mcqueen dresses and Prada shoes. To see more of her work, click here.




November 25, 2010

Apples of my Cheeks: Linnea Phil

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Sun kissed skin, blushed cheeks and bed head hair. Richard Sund's gorgeous editorial shoot with model Linnea Phil for Costume Magazine.

Need I say more?

via:fashiongonerogue

November 18, 2010

Canadian Fashion Photography: Lucyna DanUta Bakowska

What I love about Lucyna DanUta Bakowska's work, is the way she beautifully captures her photos with such vivid colour and light. The series "Where Time Stands Still" paints a whimsical storyline of fantasy, magic and whimsy. Not only is she super talented, she is also Canadian. That's a double bonus in my books! Check out more of her work on her blog.




Via: utauta.info, behance.net

makeup and hair: Taca Ozawawardrobe: Carol Ambrosiomodel: Lauren Bphotographer: Lucyna DanUta Bakowskainspired by: Marie Blanco Hendrickx aka Mijn Schatje

November 7, 2010

Craft Show Tips: Do's and Don'ts

I've been wanting to write a review of our first craft show experience of the 6th Annual Puces Pop DIY Craft Show for a few weeks now. This is a long overdue post.

We featured brand new items from the Holiday collection which was received with positive reviews and we even sold out of our Black Leather Feather necklaces on the first day. We made new craft friends from the show and also had a steady stream of old friends stopping by our table. Thank you to everyone for coming out and supporting us.

We also want to mention that Melanie from the Montreal based ModeMangeMusic blog featured us in her Puces POP review. Thanks Mel!

courtesy of Blurasis


Here is our compiled list of Craft show Do's and Don'ts:

1. Expect the unexpected and allow time to fix it. I left printing my banners and posters two days before the show. Somehow, one of the letters in my banner printed out white. I had no time to reprint this again, so I had to fill in the letter with marker. No one could spot the difference.

My advice: Have your posters made at least two weeks in advance to allow for error time and printer troubles.



2. Have more promotional material than expected, then multiply by 3. I ran out of business cards on the last day of the show as people would browse and then take one and sometimes, two cards. I only had 250 cards with me, but really I should have been ready with 3 times as much.

My advice: Multiply what you need by 3 is the best rule of thumb. This rule can also be applied to inventory amounts and time it takes for a task to be done.
3. Make a mock display of your table in advance. Figure out ahead of time how to best display your products and add interest. The Butterfly and Bird in Flight Cuffs don't translate well flat, so it is best to show a picture or even better, to show on a hand model.

My Advice: Wear your product and have Display forms. 



4. Make sure you keep a receipt book. On the first day, we weren't using our receipt book. However, we sold too many items that we couldn't keep track of everything we were selling.  At the end of the day, it is much easier to balance your cash box and keep track of inventory if you use a receipt book.

5. Have a helper. Find someone that is willing to help you throughout the day. I was lucky enough to have my sister help out at the show for the whole two days which helped ease customer flow and my own apprehension. You will eventually need to have a bathroom break and time to eat something, so have a friend stop by to look after the table for a while.

6. Brand your packaging. Make sure your logo is either printed, embossed, hot foiled or stamped onto all forms of packaging. I had a custom stamp made with my logo and I used this on my bags and gift boxes. Let the packaging do the talking for you.

7. Have fun. Most importantly, have fun and don't stress out too much. The sales will come!

October 13, 2010

Going National: All caught up in Detail and Design

We are extremely happy to be in the National Post! Our brand, Love At First Blush is featured in the National Post's weekend edition newspaper and their online site.






September 30, 2010

Kaboodle: Make a Statement with Jewelry

Our Black Leather "Bird in Flight" Cuff was featured this week on Kaboodle's website as one of their 24 top favorite statement jewelry pieces. We were made popular through Kaboodle shoppers who discovered and hearted our cuff from that site. What a huge compliment!

Thank you to Janie for letting us know.

September 27, 2010

Puces POP DIY and Craft Fair: Prep Work


Next weekend, Love at First Blush will be doing our very first Craft show at the 6th Annual Puces POP DIY and Craft Fair.

I've been prepping for the show, building inventory, purchasing extra business cards and shipping large boxes of bags and jewelry boxes to my studio. We will be showcasing some new pieces from our Fall collection. Come stop by and say hi!


September 6, 2010

Super Heroes and Super Villains: Barbarella Leather Cuff

Recently, I had an interesting request for a custom designed cuff from the 1960's sci-fi film Barbarella starring Jane Fonda. It was the finishing touch to a client's costume while attending Dragon Con in Atlanta.

I watched the movie for the first time to get a better idea of the cuff. It reminded me of a female Austin Powers movie, high on the cheese and camp factor!

I made the cuff from silver leather to mimic the metal material, rhinestones for the bolts and a small plastic ball to represent the sensor. The ball lights up when touched and flashes bright red. (Both the wire and ball section are entirely removable. How cool is that?)


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