Supayana

Goodbye, my friend...

2011-11-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been such a bad blogger lately. I've been crazy busy building up stock three holiday sales- Smart Design Mart, Souk @ SAT, and City of Craft. I'm doing exclusively baby clothes for these sales, which is kind of exciting. I love making women's clothing but I think that baby clothes are much more giftable. It's official....I'm a sellout! Sigh...

Oh...I have some sad news (you probably heard if you follow me on facebook). We had to put our cat Otto was put to sleep a few weeks ago. The poor guy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was getting very weak and uncomfortable so we decided not to let it go on for too long. We loved him and we didn't want him to suffer. We don't know how old he was, but we are guessing around 14? He truly was the best cat in the world.

I miss him terribly but I know it was the right thing to do. I decided to have the vet come to our house to perform the euthanasia...and I have to tell you that it was well worth the extra cost. I didn't want his last moments to be panicked in a cab on the way to the vet. He died peacefully in his home, in our arms. I think Freddy and I cried for like a week straight...it was really sad to say goodbye to our little friend.

If you have internet in kitty heaven....I love you Otto!

More pictures in my facebook album.

Featured boutique- Madame Fancy Pants!

2011-09-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about working with small, independent shops is that you really get to know the owner/s. Actually, come to think of it, some of my closest friends are people I've met because they started carrying my line in their store. For example, my now studio-mate Angie, Katie and Regine from Victoire, and my sweet friend Erin from Sodafine. I guess it's a great way to meet like-minded entrepreneurial spirits.

I was super excited when Claire contacted me about selling Supayana in her cute New Zealand shop. She is so sweet and always a pleasure to work with. We soon became facebook "friends" and she is super rad! She plays music, makes jewelry, and looks like a lot of fun.

Here's a picture of the shop. If you look closely you can see some Supayana dresses hanging on the rack...

Here's an excerpt from their website:

"Madame Fancy Pants is a brick and mortar store based in lovely lil Wellington, New Zealand and is also the name of the (made) in store jewelry label by owner and designer Claire Terry.

Madame Fancy Pants opened its Cuba Street doors in April 2007 and has been providing its lovely visitors with gorgeous, trinkety, limited edition, loveliness ever since!"

The store has an online shop which carries lots of cool artists and designers from New Zealand and beyond.

Supayana at the Ethical Fashion Show in Paris!

2011-09-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I entered Lenzing's design competition. The object was to create a garment using the same white fabric that they supplied to all of the contestants. Five people were chosen (out of 60) to win a free booth at the Ethical Fashion Show in Paris. I was one of the lucky winners! Woo hoo! The show is happening from September 1-4. Unfortunately, I can't be there in person, but Janie and Andre are holding down the fort for me!

I'll start with a pic of the finished dress (taken from Lenzing's blog).

I'll take you through the process of creating the dress. The fabric was bright white....a real blank canvas! I stared at it for days...a blank canvas can be so intimidating!

I wanted to change the color but I wanted to do it with as little environmental impact as possible, especially since the contest was to win a booth at the Ethical Fashion Show. So I dyed the fabric with tea, making it a creamy yellow color.

Here's the hot tea bath! I swirled the fabric around in the water for about 20 minutes.

Here's the white fabric side-by-side with the tea dyed fabric.

Then, I took the fabric over to my studio and took out all of my vintage trims that I've been hoarding for years.

I picked out some black pom pom trim and some super soft black vintage lace.

Since I was creating a one-of-a-kind piece, I didn't need to make a pattern for it. (I HATE making patterns, by the way) So I kind of free-hand sculpted it on the dressform...I made darts as I went. I guess that's not the "real" way to do it but it's so much more fun.

Here the dress is almost finished. Needs something. Hmmm how about some pom-poms and lace sleeves?

Here's the finished dress!

Fall is 'round the corner!

2011-08-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

Just spent the day listing my new fall items in my etsy shop.

Photography by Caroline Lafond (http://carolinelafondphoto.com/)

Makeup by Natacha C.

Modeling by Kenza Ze (Dulcedo models)

Montreal Fashion & Design Festival

2011-08-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

If any of you are in Montreal this weekend....we've got the Montreal Fashion & Design festival happening right now! They've got lots of really great events and shows happening for free. It started yesterday and will be going on until Sunday.

Check out their website for more information.

http://www.festivalmodedesign.com/

I biked to work today so I snapped some quick pics.

I'm selling some dresses in "La Boutique"- a big tent dedicated to showcasing Montreal's designers.

Oh and this is not related to the festival....but how beautiful is this? I passed it on my way up to Mile End and couldn't help taking a picture. I love the combination of overgrown plants and old buildings....sigh!

Some new things in my shop...

2011-07-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

Cat print shirt. I designed the this cat repeat pattern and got it printed using Spoonflower!

Tie back dress made from vintage rayon.

Deer print dress in a new colorway.

Owl dress in a new colorway.

Doe-re-mi blouse

Silk thistle blouse

Maze dress

Thanks to the lovely Vanessa Pilon for modeling.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Back at home

2011-06-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

I just got back a few days ago from my friend's wedding in Long Island! In the end, it was a fantastic trip, but it started off as, well...a disaster. After getting stuck in line at the U.S. border for almost three hours, Freddy realized he had left his wedding clothes in a garment bag at home! Ah! There was no way we could turn around and go back, especially after waiting so long.

Anyway, we ended up spending the night in Brooklyn, and woke up crazy early to find him new clothes, as the wedding was that afternoon. In the end it worked out for the best, as he ended up finding sooo much great clothing. I guess NY is the place to be if you forget your clothes. Now, I joke that he "forgot" his clothes at home so he could go on a shopping spree at Uniqlo...hehe.

Here's a picture from our ferry ride from Greenpoint to Midtown. They just started this ferry service a few months ago! I forgot what it's called...but it's pretty awesome that you can go from Brooklyn to Manhattan so easily now. It only took us 10 minutes!

Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of the wedding! (Too busy crying!) My friend Trish and her husband wrote the most touching vows, and oh, her sister's speech left almost the entire party bawling! Way to go guys! Maybe you should have had tissue boxes as wedding favors, sheesh!

Anyway, after NY we went to my parents house in Pennsylvania. They sold their house in Brooklyn a few years ago and now live in the woods. My dad loves it, but I think my mom really misses the city and people! I try to call her as often as I can cause I can tell she is kind of lonely :-(

Here's a picture of my dad and their cat Margosha. Yep, that's his furry little baby...hehe.

Since I've been back I've been doing some sewing and a little gardening. I ate my first kale from the garden last night! It was so delicious, and so rewarding to eat! I've always had a deep appreciation for the food I eat (maybe it's an immigrant thing...we never threw food away in my house) but I feel even closer to my food now that I've been growing some of my edibles. It really makes me appreciate all of the hard work that farmers do for us.

Anywhoooo...I photographed and listed a bunch of vintage skirts today. It's kind of fun to do one kind of garment all at once. Here they are!

Check 'em out in my shop.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday.

Crazy for apps...

2011-05-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

Weeping willows are one of my favorite trees! Here's a picture I took along the St. Lawrence River yesterday. I took it on my phone using the Hipstamatic app. That app is pure magic....it makes everything look so magical and vintage.

I know I'm a little late on the iphone bandwagon. I resisted for so long! Well, I'm a convert now. It's KIND of amazing to be able to answer work emails anywhere. It was a huge help when I was in NY last week, too. Not to mention that there are sooo many awesome apps for like, everything you could think of.

Here are a few I downloaded:

-Period Tracker (Does exactly what you think it does. Really useful for scheduling trips!)

-iPlant (Describes properties of plants, has photos, tells you which ones are edible!)

-Photosynth (Makes 3D models of the space you're in, kind of like google street view.)

Then of course I downloaded some apps that make cat sounds to drive my cats crazy. Are there any apps that you guys could recommend me? I'm pretty open- they can be super useful or really silly.

A sneak peak into fall...

2011-04-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

I know it's depressing to talk about Fall already....but according to the fashion world I'm super late! So hard to think about fall stuff when it's just beginning to be spring here.

I've finally finished sourcing my materials for the collection, which actually takes so much longer than designing/sewing my samples, especially since I try to use as much vintage/recycled fabric as possible. This fall I'm going to be using a lot of brown, burnt orange, red, and black...

Here's a sneak peak at something I'm really excited about for fall! I designed my own fabric to match this really crazy 70's fabric that I have. The finished product will be some variation of the scarf top.

So fun! If you wanna print your own fabric....check out Spoonflower. I've mentioned them before in a previous post. Seriously the most fun you can have without hard drugs. :-D

Supababy!

2011-04-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

My friends Mike and Judy had a baby yesterday! Yay so excited for them!

The birth of their little daughter really kicked me in the butt to start a baby line. I had to make them a present...so....here it is!

It's pretty much a miniature version of the adult-sized "Milkshake dress" I've been making for my etsy shop.

It was a lot of fun to make and it really got my imagination going about other Supababy designs! Wouldn't it be so cute to have mini versions of my regular collection? Ok maybe less buttons and things that babies can choke on. :/ I probably need to do some research on that before I start selling. Anyone have any suggestions of things NOT to put on baby clothes?

Anyway, that's my exciting new project :-D

Happy Friday

2011-03-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here's me and Otto.

He looks great with my outfit.

This is really random...but I've been really into breadmaking lately! Here's my latest:

Wishing for Spring!

2011-03-10T16:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been sewing away for wholesale orders and craft sales.

Here I am at Puces Pop last weekend. I met a lot of nice people and hung out with friends. Work's not so bad sometimes ;-)

Here's my sweet kitty Otto munching on his cat grass.

Here's the view from my bedroom window. UGH! This winter has been sooo long. Spring only starts in mid-April here in Montreal so I still have to wait a few more weeks. Sigh. Hurry up already!!!

In a way, it's kind of a good thing that it's so crappy out. Otherwise my orders would never get finished...teehee.

Digital printing on textiles- a dream come true!

2011-02-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

Wow, if a few years ago, someone had told me that I would be able to design my own textiles with no minimums...I would have thought they were crazy! Designing your own textiles used to be reserved for the fashion elite, but now anyone can elevate their brand by designing their own fabrics.

The service I used is called Spoonflower. They are my latest addiction, thanks to Angie, who used them for her F/W2011 collection. I was a bit nervous at first, because I wasn't so sure I could create a seamless repeat pattern....but they make it SO easy. You can also sell your fabric design, and get a 10% cut that you can use towards future spoonflower purchases. They have a great selection of fabrics...and they even have organic cotton.

Here's a dress I made using my very own bird print design!

While it's not really cost effective to use your Spoonflower fabric for an entire garment, it's great for components for clothing- pockets, collars, panels...etc. The possibilities are endless! I printed some "scarves" that Sara Guindon designed for this new Supayana dress and this new Supayana top.

Well, I hope this got your creative juices flowing. I know I have a lot of crafty people reading this blog! Have a good afternoon :-)

Supayana Spring/Summer 2011

2011-02-16T15:11:00.000-08:00

Photos by Arden Wray

Modeling by Vanessa Pilon

Makeup by Natacha C.

Back in the USSR

2011-01-30T17:54:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, my mom gave me a giant box of slides from Moscow, ranging from the 1970's to the early 1980's. I know, I know...slides?? Hey, we Russians didn't have access to fancy capitalist technology. Har har...

Amazingly, my tech-hoarding bf Freddy happened to have this crazy contraption that attaches to your scanner specifically for film slides. These were pretty exciting to scan in because I actually don't have that many pictures from my early childhood that weren't professional photos. (I find that candid is always better) Freddy joked that I still dress the same.

Here I am with our neighbor's son on their door swing. Ok, it's true...I would still wear that.

We are so excited about that scrawny Christmas tree!

This picture pretty much sums me up. Cats, doilies, over-the-top wallpaper, and giant hair bows.

My clothes in their first music video!

2011-01-19T11:21:00.000-08:00

My friend Vanessa, who you may recognize as the model from my Spring collection, just sent me a link to this video. She wore her own Supayana clothes in this great music video by Quebecois band Panache. I love the song and the art direction.

The first outfit is mine...keep your eyes peeled!

Panache || Filles et garçons: un dilemme from Dare to Care Records on Vimeo.

That shirt she is wearing is the good ol' triangle top. She's the cutest.

Thank you Vanessa!

Spring 2011 sneak peek...

2011-01-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry if you already saw this on facebook. I decided to leak an image from my Spring collection, hehe. It's soooo hard to keep it secret!

Believe it or not, I finished the collection in October! (Which is actually considered late by industry standards, yeesh) I have been trying really hard to get into the "traditional" fashion timeline, since it makes things a lot easier for wholesale. Anyway, one step at a time I guess!

Here's one picture from my lookbook. This dress is made from mill-end cotton/silk blend fabric, silk floral fabric, and cream lace. Fancy!

The photography was done by Arden Wray, the model is Vanessa Pilon, and the makeup was done by Natacha C.

Sara Guindon + Supayana

2011-01-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

I recently did a series of dresses with the talented illustrator Sara Guindon (1/2 of Pin Pals). I initially asked Sara to work with me because I love her illustrations so much, and I think they match my clothing style so well. She made illustrations specifically for this project, and we got the fabric digitally printed on cotton fabric using Spoonflower. (If you don't know about Spoonflower yet, check it out! You can get anything you want digitally printed and there are no minimums! This is the kind of stuff you dream of when you're a fashion designer! Making your own textiles?!?! WAHH!)

Here are some pictures:

Check out Sara's awesome Etsy shop!

Photos by Caroline Lafond (www.carolinelafondphoto.com)

Modeling by Lisa-Marie Charron

I listed dresses one dress in each size (XS, S, M, and L) in my Etsy shop. The dresses are one of a kind, made from vintage fabric so I can't make the same exact one ever again!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:23:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I just wanted to thank you all for your support over the past year. I just realized that Supayana is almost 8 years old. I can't believe it!!! There have definitely been a lot of ups and downs, but I'm still going! I'm going to sound like an old granny, but I remember selling on eBay when there were only a handful of handmade clothing designers. When I think about it now, it seems almost unbelievable. Now Etsy has over 200,000 sellers!

So many exciting things happened in 2010. Freddy and I bought a house together. I moved into a larger studio space with some of my best friends. Eight of us went on an amazing group trip to Mexico. Freddy wrote and directed a 3D animation for the NFB. My friends Tyson and Angie got married. Our other friends Mike and Judy announced they were having a baby! What a year! (Yes, all of these friends have websites and make cool things, hehe)

This New Year's eve was pretty low key. We went to a potluck at our friend Krissy's house. There was food, drinks, maybe some interpretive dancing....hehe.

I uploaded a ton of new stuff to my etsy shop! Some popular designs in different colorways, etc.

Collars

2010-12-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

Below are a few of my favorite detachable collars from various Etsy shops. I think these collars are a great way to transform any outfit when you're feeling extra girly.

Peach crochet collar by FUDUMUDU

Cobalt blue crocheted lace collar by Callmemimi

1930's inspired ruffle collar by Previously

Teal lace pointed collar by Yeye

Black Peter Pan collar by Luminia

Scalloped grey lace collar by Supayana

(Sorry, I know it's not fair, but I had to throw mine in there!)

One man's trash is another man's treasure!

2010-12-27T17:01:00.000-08:00

Marc, Angie, and I got the Christmas present of a lifetime last week. Our superintendent informed us that a factory on the 3rd floor of our building that had gone out of business. He said there were a few rolling racks and some tables, and that we could take whatever was left. We were excited enough about the rolling racks and tables...but we had no idea what we were in store for!

We did some digging around and found BOXES and BOXES of beautiful buttons, zippers, and lace!

I guess to the average person it probably sounds like a lot of useless stuff...but for the three of us it was SO exciting. I'm pretty sure I screamed out loud when I saw the bags of lace!

Hope everyone had a fantastic holiday! I did a lot of relaxing. Pretty excited to get back to work tomorrow!

Angie and the Uniform Project!

2010-11-30T10:29:00.000-08:00

My friend/studiomate Angie of Norwegian Wood was asked to participate in this month's Uniform Project. She had to wear the same black dress every day, and did it with style! I couldn't believe the things she came up with....it looked like a completely different garment every time. Oh and, just to confirm...she actually did wear it every day!

The Uniform Project collected donations to a charity of her choice (Free the Children) who will be using the money to build a school in India. Today is the last day to donate, hint hint.

I love the concept of reusing the same garment in different ways. Check out all of her outfits here:

The Uniform Project

New for the holidays....

2010-11-27T20:37:00.000-08:00

Bralettes! They are so pretty and come in handy, especially for dresses that have low armholes or low backs....

I made a whole bunch of bralettes during a recent late-night at the studio! Marc, Angie, and I decided to work til 3 in the morning one night last week. I probably wouldn't have liked to do it alone, but it was really great to be there working with my friends!

Otto watching TV

2010-11-27T17:30:00.000-08:00

Our cat Otto has become an avid TV watcher this past month. He never used to pay attention to the television...but now he begs me to turn the TV on.

Here's a video of him swatting at a little character on Freddy's Xbox....too cute! Heheh my boyfriend was not too happy when he saw this video and immediately began checking the screen for scratches....heheh. Boys....

Hope all of my American friends had a great Thanksgiving!

Why can't we all just get along?

2010-11-22T09:58:00.000-08:00

I promise my blog won't become a cat blog. I love to see things like this because it really proves that friendship can win over instinct. I think as humans it is in our instinct to be afraid of other people/living things who are different. Maybe if we all made an effort, our world could look like this?

United Bamboo's fancy cat calendar!!!

2010-11-19T13:54:00.001-08:00

I know what I want for Christmas! Cats+ designer clothing= DREAMY! (I normally think it's kind of creepy to dress cats but these clothes are so darn nice!)

Click this link to see more pictures...

Lookbook

2010-11-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

"Hanging Out at the Studio" by Yana Gorbulsky on LOOKBOOK.nu

I joined Lookbook.nu today....are any of you guys on there? I just did, and oh my gosh, that website is so intimidating! It feels like everyone has these amazing professional pictures of their impeccable daily outfits. Even my pictures for my online shop don't look as professional as some peoples' casual "hanging out" pics.

Regardless, I think Lookbook's a great source for when you're in a funk and want some style inspiration...looking forward to spending many hours there instead of working. I've been procrastinating SO MUCH lately!

Corduroy and velvet skirts!

2010-11-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

There are always a few vintage supplies I keep my eyes peeled for when I'm out thrifting- cotton lace, pompom trim, and crazy printed corduroy...just to name a few! I've been stockpiling nice vintage corduroy and velvet fabrics with the idea that one day I'd make a whole bunch of cute skirts.

Pretty happy with how they turned out....it's a pretty simple shape but it's really flattering for my body type....makes me feel like a lady! :-D

You can take a closer look at the skirts in my shop.

Halloween

2010-10-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

What are you gonna dress up as for Halloween? I have a few ideas, but I think I'm going as a vajazzled Jennifer Love Hewitt. All I would need to make is a flesh colored bodysuit with some rhinestones sewn onto the crotch. Ugh, why didn't I think of this earlier....I coulda made a killing on etsy.

I wish I could find a picture to post on here that wasn't super offensive! Google image search at your OWN RISK!

NY and Pennsylvania

2010-10-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of my recent trip to NY and Pennsylvania (where my parents now live!) I spent most of the time catching up with friends and family. I still can't believe I haven't been back since April...time really does fly.

Overall the trip was very inspiring, and I came home with my mind full of new ideas! I spent a lot of time (and a little too much money!) in the garment district. I'm currently finishing up my Spring/Summer 2011 collection right now so I purchased some really beautiful cotton/silk blends and silks from my favorite mill-end fabric supplier. I'm really hoping to step my next collection up a notch....still using a lot of vintage/recycled stuff and throwing in fancy mill-end fabrics. I'll be sure to post a sneak peak very soon!

My friend Jenny and I walked over the Williamsburg Bridge to hang out in Chinatown and then the Lower East Side. I ate an entire cup of banana pudding from Sugar Sweet Sunshine.

My sister's cutie cat in Jersey City.

Erin, Me, and Stella

My sister in her husband's new studio in Long Island City

My mom (really far in the distance) and my dad when we went mushroom picking at a park in Pennsylvania.

"Funhouse" near P.S. 1

Felix and I at "The Blue Stove"- a really yummy pie place in Brooklyn.

Drooooool.

Dinner w/ Erin and the ladies...

Brooklyn

2010-10-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

I'm in NY right now for a few short days to catch up with friends and family. I've also been having a creative block these past few weeks, so a trip is always a great way to get the juices flowing. The creative energy in NY is soooo special and wonderful. I only realize that now. It's crazy how we can take things like that for granted.

Well, I'm off to bed! I walked all day....over the Williamsburg bridge, through the L.E.S., into Chinatown, back over the bridge, and then to Greenpoint where I'm staying with my friends Stella and Matthew. Got to see my wonderful friends Jenny, Erin, Aya, and Deborah, as well!

Hehe, it's pretty funny to see that almost all of my friends have a website :-D

Yana

Some new things...

2010-10-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Just listed a few new things in my etsy shop....

http://supayana.etsy.com

Boudoir/Dressing room inspiration

2010-09-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

Yay! I found some great dressing room inspiration pictures. We have a teeny 6' x 12' spare room that we currently use as our "junk" room. Whenever we can't find a place for something, we put it there. Or we end up storing our bikes in it. It's a really bad habit! My super sweet bf has agreed to let me use the extra room as my walk in closet ;-D (Really buttering him up right now...)

Truth be told, my clothing could be organized a lot better. Right now I have clothes in different closets all over the house because we don't have enough storage space. For example, my shoes are in the kitchen, winter shoes are in the basement, my dresses are in an armoire in the "junk" room, and my t-shirts, jeans, and sleeping stuff is in the bedroom. Yikes!

Here are some great pictures I found online.

This one looks about the size of our room, so it's probably the most realistic.

Ahh so pretty. I love Victorian style things...

This room is huge! I like the floor to ceiling shoe rack.

Oh just threw this in there for fun. I have a weakness for ceiling medallions.

I hope I can get motivated to do this! I find I'm really slow when it comes to doing anything with the house. I guess it's because I'm so used to renting and it's hard to think past painting the walls...eeep!

Super sad cat

2010-09-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend Freddy found this cat on our back balcony two nights ago when it was pouring rain. Usually he gets mad at me when I try to take in strays, but she is really rough shape, so he knew it was the right thing to do. She is definitely the boniest cat I have ever seen- I can feel every single rib on her back. She has all of these weird bumps along her gums, too...uhhh it's so heartbreaking. She is declawed so I know she definitely belonged to someone. I found her with a collar, but when I checked the registration number, it was registered for a Shitzu dog, and the owner never left their name or contact information. :-(

LUCKILY, one of my friends has agreed to foster her, but I have to take her to the vet tomorrow to get the poor cat checked out. I hope that whatever she has isn't life threatening, and I really hope that I didn't risk infecting my cats by bringing her into my house (although we kept her apart from our cats).

She is sooo sweet and affectionate. Luckily she is eating a lot and drinking, so she still has the will to live. My friend Jen named her Super Sad Cat (one time Jen found an abandoned Himalayan cat that we nicknamed Sad Cat). Today Sad Cat is one of the happiest cats I know. My friend Janice adopted her and named her Princess (which she totally is!)

I hope that Super Sad Cat can be a Super Happy Cat one day!

Well...that's what I've been up to besides sewing! Just stressing out about cats....sigh.

Yana

Supayana Fall 2010

2010-08-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here's what I've been working on for fall. Everything you see here is made from either vintage deadstock, recycled, or organic fabrics.

Izzy dress

Fully lined stretch wool dress with a tailored fit. I named it the Izzy dress because my lovely intern Isabelle helped develop the pattern for the dress! We both learned a lot and I think the dress came out fantastic.

Eudicot top

This cute petaled collared, tailored blouse is made from wine colored mens' button up shirts. A "eudicot" is any flower that has four petals...if you're wondering why I named it that.

Organic cotton Night Sailing dress

This dress is made from black organic cotton with a black stretch lace inset and a sequined appliqué.

Aurora top

This blouse is made from deadstock 1950's cotton fabric! What a rare treat, to find over 20 meters of this fabric....completely untouched from ages ago. The reverse of the ties is a pale blush colored linen.

Grey wool pompom skirt, fully lined with vintage fabric.

Photos by Matthew Kristjan.

Modeling by Marcela Lazaro.

Tyson and Angie's wedding

2010-07-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

My dear friends Tyson and Angie just got married a week and a half ago in rural Manitoba. The wedding was gorgeous and SO much fun...and I usually dread weddings! Freddy and I (plus 15 other Montrealers) flew out there to celebrate their special day.

It was a super creative, original, and go-with-the-flow kind of wedding, which is just a reflection of the bride and groom. It also proves that you don't have to spend a ton of money to have an unforgettable and beautiful wedding. Angie found her wedding dress for $5, the decorations were hand-made by willing friend-volunteers , and all of the bridesmaids dresses were made by the bridesmaids themselves (ok so I had to sew a few extra dresses, hehe). The wedding took place at Angie's parents' property- it was the perfect location!

Below are just a few photos, but you can see the rest here.

Angie and Tyson

Here are all the bridesmaids...from left to right- Amanda, Pam, Cara, me, Angie, Judy, Elaine, and Jill.

Omg, I totally ruined this picture because my dress kept lifting up when I spun around (I made my dress a bit shorter than the other girls...ooops). I'm the standing awkwardly pulling my skirt down....

The tent, all set up! The girls picked wildflowers from the yard for the flower arrangements. So pretty...

Congratulations Tyson and Angie!!! :-D

Backyard photos

2010-07-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

Whew, it's been a while since I last posted! This summer has been flying right by. I've been super busy with work but I've been lucky enough to squeeze in some time to enjoy summer. James (my upstairs neighbor) and I have been putting a lot of work into our backyard, which was essentially a blank slate when we bought it. Everything we planted is growing in nicely! Here are a few pictures...

Little Girl, relaxing in the grass...

James works as a landscaper and was able to get us this gorgeous stone for free!

My cherry tomato harvest!

Echinacea, roses, and lavender...so pretty.

Well, I should get back to work! So much to do this week! :/

Some cute outfits for summer...

2010-06-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

I just added a few new designs to my etsy shop....take a peek.

Even though I've been living in the new house since January, these are actually the first photos I've taken there! (Usually I just take pictures at the studio). That thing I'm standing next to is a vintage washing machine, previously owned by my boyfriend's mother. Apparently it still works, but I'm a little scared to plug it in.

I'm really in love with this kind of over-exposed style of photography. My photographer friend taught me that trick! You know how if you're standing in front of a window and you try to take a photo, you will just look like a black silhouette? Well, if you up the exposure on your camera, the light from the window will look really white, and you'll be able to make out the details of the subject in front of the window. So easy and you get such great, dreamy results!

Vintage Mart

2010-06-14T19:39:00.001-07:00

Hey Montrealers,

A second edition of Vintage Mart is happening this Friday and Saturday! Lots of well-picked vintage at very reasonable prices.

Where:

HQ Galerie & Boutique

1649 rue Amherst

When:

Friday, June 18th 6-9 PM

Saturday, June 19th, 11-6 pm

Check out some previews on the blog.

Jen Storey

2010-06-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

My friend Jen just opened up her etsy shop recently, and I wanted to share her work with you guys! She does mostly woodcut printing, painting, and digital collage work.

Here are just some of my favorite digital collages that she's done. This particular series touches on the subject of environmental destruction and deforestation...

Here's how they look hanging in her dining room!

Some fun facts about Jen Storey-

She's my upstairs neighbor and co-owns the house with me, Freddy, and James! She's got two 16 year old cats! She cooks delicious vegetarian food and is always feeding everyone who comes over. She is one of the most generous people I know. She really, really, really likes cherries!

Here's me and Jen in Mexico....with a sea cat named Pancetta!

New tops and dresses...

2010-06-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here are a few new things I just put up on etsy. Take a peek!

My parents were in town for a few days last week. It was their first time seeing our house! It was also their first time meeting Freddy's parents :-D I don't know why, but I was really nervous about it. Come to think of it, it was actually the first time my parents had ever met any boyfriend's parents, so maybe that's why I was nervous. Everything went well, as it should have, especially since both sets of parents are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet. So, we enjoyed some wine and cheese in their beautiful backyard.

Right now, I'm working on some stock for Puces Pop in Montreal this weekend, and another wholesale order for Jupon Pressé. I just mailed some new tops to Nathalie-Roze in Toronto last week.

Alright, well....back to sewing!

Looking on the bright side of things

2010-05-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

The warm weather is here and I've been so inspired by all of the bright colors in the city. Here are some pictures from my daily life...

The community garden near my studio.

My studio is the building one on the far right.

Here's Little Girl, taking a cat nap on my new vintage bedspread. I really like that combination of dove grey and bright pink.

Here's another grey and pink combination. These are some flower petals from the park across the street from my house.

This is the tiled floor at Lionel Groulx Metro. The Montreal metro system was created for Expo '67 so all of the metros here are an awesome signature 1960's style.

This was just a funny observation so I couldn't resist taking this photo. I promise I did not paint my radiator to match my shoes! The shoes are from Modcloth and they're by BC Footwear.

Styrofoam ball alternatives?

2010-05-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Sooo Michelle and Angie have been bugging me to make these headbands for months ever since they saw the prototype I made for a fashion show last fall. I really like them a lot, but the thing that's been holding me back is that the baubles are made from styrofoam balls.

These particular ones are made from styrofoam balls I found at Value Village, so I don't mind using them since they're second hand....but I don't know what I'm going to do if I want to make more! I really really really don't want to use new styrofoam since it's not a very eco-friendly material and can't be recycled. I've looked everywhere for alternatives...and eep! I'm stuck! It needs to be something smooth, lightweight, and perfectly round. Do you guys have any ideas?Angie was suggesting that I find a place that throws away dented ping pong balls. Hmmm.

So anyway, for now, there are only two headbands. Hopefully I'll find a solution so I can make more!

Check them out in my Etsy shop...

Jupon Pressé

2010-05-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

Eeeee! I just saw a picture of the new store in Quebec City that's carrying my stuff. Soooooo cute and girly. It would be fun to take a trip up there this summer...it's only three hours away from Montreal.

Here's some info for anyone who lives in Quebec City.

Location:

790, Saint-Jean

Quebec, QC, G1R 1P9

Phone:

418-704-7114

Mon - Wed:

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Thurs - Fri:

10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Sat - Sun:

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Our new showroom!

2010-04-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

Our showroom is finally done! I posted these pictures on facebook a few weeks ago but I forgot to repost them here.

We made a showroom in the front part of our studio so stylists and buyers for stores have a nice place to browse our collections when they come. We built this ourselves and with two lovely interns, Emily and Evan. Emily even did some custom screen-printing for us.

Here's Michelle arranging her stuff.

Angie, Marc, and Michelle's beautiful creations...

Chair screenprinted by Emily Paris and necklace by Norwegian Wood.

Me! Standing in front of my little section :-) Oops, we forgot to move the ladder, but it kind of goes...

Fannypack!

2010-04-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

I've wanted a nice fannypack for a while. I know, it sounds like a weird thing to want, but it comes in so handy at craft sales when you're handling cash. It's also perfect for bike riding, when you only need to carry your wallet and phone...

So, my friend and studiomate Marc made me my dream hip pouch. It has a scalloped edge (drool!!!) and a tassle! This is by far, the girliest thing he's ever made...and it came out so great! Marc works with recycled leather and puts so much care into making his products. He scours the city for old leather coats, vintage leather belts, etc. to make his beautiful products. While I'm not a huge fan of leather, at least Marc is recycling old leather products.

Isn't it beautiful?

You're in luck, too, cause he's making more! You can order one from his etsy shop.

Supayana on Emergingthoughts.com

2010-04-21T07:14:00.000-07:00

I totally meant to post this last week, but I made some exclusive items for Emergingthoughts.com. Here you'll find the pompom dress and the floral onesie in other fabrics.

Ohh and I love that I'm right next to Keiko's cutiepie face. She's one of my fave bloggers.

Well, that's all for now! Back to working on my last wholesale order. One more week of being in sweatshop mode!!!! Can't wait to take a break after it's done :-)

Vintage Mart

2010-04-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

Attention vintage lovers in Montreal!

Smart design mart will be hosting a two day vintage sale friday april 16th & saturday april 17th in the gallery section of headquarters galerie & boutique! A selection of pretty vintage dresses just in time for the warm weather, vintage clothes, shoes, and deadstock vintage goodies.

All items in the vintage sale are cash only and tax-free!

Everyone is welcome, so bring your friends.

Vintage sale hours:
Friday, April 16 6pm-9pm
Saturday April 17 11am- 6pm

Headquarters Galerie & Boutique

1649 Amherst
Montreal, QC
H2L 3L4
514-678-2923
www.HQgalerieboutique.com

...and the flowers and the trees

2010-04-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for warm weather! I really can't wait to start growing things in our backyard. I ordered a bunch of seeds and starter plants from Richters. I made my order over the phone (Oooh fancy and old fashioned) and the lady was so sweet. I guess all gardeners are just nice by nature.

I seriously spent two weeks pouring over the catalogue until I figured out exactly what I wanted. I had to shorten my list because it was getting out of control. They had so many cool plants! Like, they have starter kits to grow your own mushrooms (not the magic kind, hehe). I had to draw the line somewhere and I ended up getting these:

-Blackberry (yum!)

-Arugula

-Kale

-Bay Laurel (this is the plant bay leaves come from)

-Echinacea

-Lemongrass

-Stevia (the leaves taste like sugar!)

-Horseradish

-German chamomile

-Indigo (I'm going to try to make my own dye!)

Anyway, that should be enough for the first little while! I'll probably buy tomatoes and other common herbs at a local garden center. Most of the edible plants I'll have to grow in planters, cause I'm pretty sure we'd grow extra limbs if we ate stuff grown in the backyard soil. Oh and I know this sounds crazy, but is it true that your soil is contaminated if you live within a few blocks of a dry cleaner? Somebody told me that and I wasn't sure...

Here's Freddy raking stuff in our tiny backyard :-)

Those of you who are wondering why I haven't been posting anything new on etsy lately....well I've been sewing like crazy for wholesale orders (and looking at seed catalogues). Here are a few stores that will be carrying new Supayana stock this Spring!

-Revival (Iowa City, Iowa, USA)

-Emerging Thoughts (online shop)

-Rosie's Handmade Revolution (Bellport, NY, USA)

-Jupon Pressé (Quebec City, QC, Canada, opening May 1st 2010)

Hoping that some of you who read this blog can check some of these stores out!

Mexico flashback...

2010-03-28T20:08:00.001-07:00

I took some short videos while we were in Mexico a few months ago, and I finally put them all together. I'm so thankful for the camera my friends got me for my birthday last year! It's really the best thing ever. Now I can relive these memories whenever I want :-)

P.S. Is it just me, or does the video look like it's cut in half on my blog? Uhh, if so, click to see it in youtube to see it regular size.
P.P.S. The video is set to Cuban music, and not Mexican music. So not authentic! I don't really know much about Mexican music though. Hmmm....

My favorite soap

2010-03-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know it's kind of lame to do a post about soap...but it's literally taken me years to find the perfect soap. Plus, I like to spread the word about other small businesses that I admire. I've tried lots of handmade soaps, and Mooka is hands-down my favorite in terms of quality, all-natural ingredients, and scent. I've found that a lot of handmade soaps are only good as hand soaps, but Mooka's are great in the shower, as well. You don't get that weird tight skin feeling after you use it.

I find her scents to be really soft and sophisticated. No gross neon pink "bubble gum" soap here. Haha. My favorites are yuzu (japanese grapefruit), plum blossom and silk, and patchouli and hemp. The patchouli and hemp one sounds really hippie, but it smells sooo good!

I just bought this batch:

Nice minimal packaging = less waste! I approve!

Brick and mortar shop: 3412 Saint-Antoine Ouest, Montreal QC (St Henri metro)

Online shop: Mooka Soap on Etsy

Read an interview with Carolyn here.

My new Spring/Summer collection!

2010-03-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Eeeeeee! So sorry for two posts in one day...but I was really excited to share my Spring/Summer collection!

The fabrics that I used for this collection are vintage deadstock and recycled. Most styles are available in Small, Medium, and Large...while others are made to order specifically to your size. They're now available in my Etsy shop.

Pom-Pom dress

Pinstripe ruffle top

Triangle top and denim skirt

A big thanks goes out to my friend (and neighbor!) Meaghan for being my supa-model. She has a great style blog called Left Hand Endeavor. Her style is vintage and girly, so it was a no-brainer to ask her to model this collection for me. A match made in heaven! :-D Thanks so much, Meaghan!

Hidden beauty

2010-03-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

Look at the amazing wallpaper Freddy discovered in our hallway when he took off the phone jack!

I wonder what other beautiful things are hidden away in this old house...

A day in the studio

2010-03-11T20:52:00.001-08:00

I decided to make a little video showing the progress in our studio space! We were in a silly mood today....especially Marc! What a weirdo.

Sweet five month old kitten...

2010-03-01T12:57:00.000-08:00

My friend and fellow fashion designer Jen Glascow found this sweet stray kitten. The kitty is female and around 5 months old. She's got two other cats, but she's going to hold onto the kitten until she finds a home. Is anyone in Montreal looking for a new feline friend?

It's coming along...

2010-02-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

The house is starting to come together! I'll take more pictures when things are less messy...hehe.

Dining room:

Living room:

So far, home ownership has been a lot of fun! We don't have to do any major renovations so we are pretty lucky. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but we bought the duplex with two of our friends, Jen and James. I love having them here, it makes the process seem less scary. They live in the second floor apartment, so it's easy to get together and hang out.

Here are some pictures from our Mexican-themed Valentine's day feast last night:

Oh, and here's a cat pic just for fun! Little Girl's favorite new spot is on the radiator in the kitchen. :-)

Mexico

2010-02-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

I'm baaaack! Freddy and I went to Mexico with 6 of our friends. My first time going anywhere tropical! I fell in love with the architecture and the colors. I also really enjoyed the different kinds of plants they have. One that I especially liked was a giant tree that had thorns like a rose. There was another tree whose leaves feel like sandpaper (people use it to exfoliate their feet). So cool! Unfortunately our friend Marc rubbed that leaf on his bare back and broke out in hives. We all had to laugh at him about his enthusiasm. Oh and don't worry, the hives went away the next day.

Here are some highlights:

Beautiful mansion in Merida

We went swimming in a cenote (underwater cave). I was really scared but I got peer pressured into doing it :-D

Mayan temple at Uxmal

Mexican Market in Merida

Waiting for the sunset in Holbox.

Where we stayed.

Panchetta, the sea cat!

Paldo the kitten and Marc

Amanda and Paldo

Me, Jen, and Panchetta

Our new home

2010-01-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

We got the keys to our place today!!! Come take a peek...

Time for a cat post!

2010-01-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

Tyson and Angie got our kitties this super cute cardboard cat house for Christmas. It's made by a local Montreal company called Loyal Luxe. Check them out! It's so well designed and it's an affordable treat for your pets at $20. (I promise I don't work for them...I just really like promoting cool small companies!)

Here's my black cat Otto stepping out of his cottage.

How cute, it comes with a bunch of laser cut shapes...like these antlers!

I see you...

And of course...I couldn't resist making a video :-)

P.S. Excuse the mess in our house...we were in the middle of packing!

New Year's Eve

2010-01-03T11:03:00.001-08:00

Freddy and I hosted New Year's at our place this year. It's probably the last time we'll ever be able to have this many people in our apartment, since our new house is way smaller! We are moving in one week!!! AHH!!!!

Here are some pics...

Andre, Judy, Mike, and Michelle

Our friend Neil was in town...

Jill and her ukulele.

Me and Carolyn

Fooooooooood!

Berto, Freddy, and Jon

Nomnom

Me...probably trying to play Oh Canada. Haha.

Blurry dancing

We also set up an area to take silly pictures in...

Hehe, wow, sorry for the image heavy post. Back to packing!

Holiday time

2009-12-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

Just a few pics from last night at Tyson and Angie's. Friends and food...what more can anyone ask for?

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

A last update to the ol' Etsy shop before the Holidays...lots of warm sweaters!

I'm staying in Montreal this Christmas....kind of nice to not be traveling at this time of year. Do you guys have any special plans? I'm excited to take this next week or two to start designing stuff for Spring!

Some new designs!

2009-12-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

Found here.

I just added these twelve items to my Etsy shop. It feels good to get my Etsy shop going again. I've neglected it for weeks because of holiday sales/wholesale orders/packing/unpacking. Ah!

I finished moving into my new studio this week and it has been amazing! It's an adjustment to leave the house to go to "work", but overall, I am definitely able to get so much more work done while I'm there. There are no distractions (i.e. cats!) and it is so much fun to be around Angie, Marc, and Michelle. They are all such hard workers and it's really motivating to be around them. Also, it doesn't hurt that we're two blocks away from Le Cagibi (super yummy/healthy vegetarian food at an amazing price).

I swear, since I've moved in there, those crazies have been working like 12 hours a day! I'm starting to feel like maybe I'm lazy since I only work 8 hours :-D Sheesh!

Will be back with another update soon....I promise.

Wheatgrass

2009-12-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

I bought some wheatgrass and oatgrass seeds for Otto and Little Girl. Here's a cute little video!

*Smart Design Mart and the sale at Ladyfest Ottawa went super well!

*I'm almost done moving all of my sewing stuff into the new studio space. Feels good to be all set up!

*We're moving into our new house in ONE MONTH! AHHH! So much to do!

Mode de Vie

2009-11-26T06:17:00.000-08:00

I'm participating in Mode de Vie tonight. It's an annual fundraiser for La Gaillarde. Several designers were asked to make a dress using recycled materials and there will be five judges. Ahhh I hate being judged! This year's theme was "ice". I finished my dress last night and I'm not really happy with it. Unfortunately, there's no time to change it now. Freddy was like, "Oh, it's cute, it looks like a sporty wedding dress." Mmm, not exactly what I was going for, yikes!

Grey kitty came to my deck to eat yesterday but didn't want to come inside. I saw her in the alley drinking puddle water last night when I was walking to Jen and James' house. I wonder if she will try to come inside again?

OH and...if you know anyone who is looking to adopt a rescued husky, please pass this on!

"The SPCA Ste-Agathe (north of Montreal) has just had almost 100 dogs released to them and urgently needs help. They are primarily Husky/Malamute types as they were used for sledding but there are also some other large Lab mixes (no small dogs) ranging in age from 2 years and up.There are around 20 pregnant females, with many close to giving birth. One special case that she told me about is a very nice 10-year-old male Husky who is blind. If anyone can help, please contact Corinne at corinne.gonzalez@spcall.ca. Money is also needed to help feed them."

Smart Design Mart

2009-11-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

Argh!!! It's been crazy busy the past couple of days. Just wanted to post a quick little update. HQ Galerie & Boutique, Broundoor, Elaine Ho, Furni, and I are organizing the Smart Design Mart this weekend. There will be over 50 of Montreal's finest designers. We're getting a TON of press coverage so it should be a great turnout! It's the first one, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.

http://smartdesignmart.blogspot.com

sat nov 28
11am -9pm

sun nov 29
11am-5pm

5333 casgrain
suite 602

Hopefully see some of you there?

P.S. Thank you everyone for all of your comments and your advice regarding the kitty cat. So, since I've last posted, she's only come back to my house once for food. I tried to coax her inside today but she didn't want to come in, and when I tried to pick her up she freaked out. I guess it's because it's warm outside again...I'm sure as soon as it gets cold out, she'll try to come in, and now I'll know what to do. I have so many great contacts now, thanks to you!

pic...

2009-11-19T18:29:00.000-08:00

I took this pic of her a few weeks ago. Her face looks kind of long here, but it's actually really cute and round.

Angry rant time

2009-11-19T16:19:00.001-08:00

I'm so sad and angry right now. A stray cat has been coming to my back deck for a couple of weeks now and she tried to come inside tonight. I can't let her in because we really cannot have a third cat. Freddy would KILL me if I tried to keep her. Also she's got fleas, or some sort of parasite because her skin is all bumpy near her neck.

I know she's homeless because she's got some tears in her ears, fleas, and her coat isn't looking very healthy. UM and I have a sneaking suspicion that she might be pregnant because she yelped when I tried to touch her stomach...and her stomach didn't feel squishy like Little Girl's. She is really sweet and affectionate though...she lets me pet her and rubs up against my leg.

I put up several ads on craigslist a few weeks ago, asking if anyone had lost a cat and I didn't get a response. I'm pretty sure somebody just dumped her because she is definitely a domesticated cat...not stray from birth. It makes me soooooo angry that people can be so cruel. How can you just toss your pet out on the street like that?

They fully rely on you and trust you to take care of them. People are such assholes! At least have the decency to bring your cat to a shelter. Ugh, and these poor shelters...they're all packed to the brim right now. It's really, really sad.

I wish more people in Quebec would sterilize/neuter their pets. The stray cat problem here is higher than in any other province in Canada. I've actually met some people here who think that neutering your pet is "cruel". UMMMM, no, it's cruel to let your cat screw feral cats who will in turn produce more feral cats.

Does anyone know of any no-kill shelters that are still accepting?? Everyone I've contacted seems to be full. I want to try and place her somewhere by early next week...

Argh... sometimes it's hard not to hate humans. Especially humans who have no respect for other living things.

Sorry for the rant. I just had to.

Cupcakes!

2009-11-11T08:47:00.001-08:00

Freddy and I have volunteered to make cupcakes for his niece's baptism. I wanted them to be special so I found some cute cupcake liners on from Cupcake Social on Etsy. Freddy's sister liked the burgundy striped ones. I had a look around the shop and I couldn't resist buying these two for myself.

OMG, I will buy anything with a scalloped edge.

Red, white, and polka dots, you are my friend.

My mom...

2009-11-10T16:45:00.001-08:00

Hehe, my mom just called and told me she wanted to buy something from my Etsy shop. So funny...like I'm going to let my mom give me money for a vintage sweater!

Here's the sweater she wanted:

New designs

2009-11-08T09:17:00.000-08:00

Some new things on Etsy....

Wool blend dress $110

Grey "Montmartre" top- $65

Floral print bauble top- $59

(Comes with a removable matching necklace, hehe)

Parisienne top- $59

Some illustrations...

2009-11-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

I didn't feel very inspired to sew last night, so instead I scanned in some pen drawings and colored them in Photoshop. My way of procrastinating without feeling too guilty...at least it's sort of related to work. Right right?

This one started as a pen drawing of my scarf top design. Ummm, I got carried away and did her eyeshadow!

This is something I had to submit for Mode de Vie. It's an eco-fashion show that happens every year at La Gaillarde. Six designers have to make an outfit using recycled materials according to a theme. This year's theme is "ice". Hmmm I'm not sure that the actual dress will turn out like this, but at least this is the direction I'd like to go in. For this drawing, I scanned in a cover of a vintage pattern, used the girl's body, and pasted my hand-drawn dress on top of it.

Our new studio space!!!

2009-11-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

We got the keys to our amazing new space today! Angie, Marc, and Michelle are moving in this week and I'm going to move in December 1st. THEN, I'm moving into my new house in January! AHh! Wow, talk about change! I'm so excited to stop working from home....you can't imagine.

200o square feet! Looks big now, but imagine four people with a ton of machines and fabric? This will fill up fast!

Angie and her lovely interns. They are helping us build a showroom!

I'll keep posting pictures as the studio progresses...

Shoes!

2009-10-28T12:28:00.003-07:00

I rarely ever buy new shoes but... I really want these in black! I came across these online and they only have red and taupe.

Does anyone know if there are any stores in Montreal that sell something similar in black? Or worst case scenario, an online shop that ships to Canada?

I've seen a lot of shops online that have shoes with this ruffle detail, but the heels on the other shoes are SOOOO HIGH. The thing I like about this particular model is that the heel is totally wearable.

These shoes are from www.shopplasticland.com.

lap cat

2009-10-27T12:10:00.001-07:00

Ooooooh I totally can't get any work done with cats around! I was on the computer answering some emails and Little Girl jumped right on my lap. She looks like she's smiling in this picture...

Ok....back to work...for REAL this time!

The dilemma of sourcing second-hand fabric...

2009-10-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

One of the most time-consuming things about using only recycled materials for my clothing line is sourcing the fabrics. It's not as easy as going to a fabric store, picking out a few bolts, and starting production. I usually go to at least two thrift stores a week to see what's available, and I only buy the nice fabric. There is just wayy too much gross 70's polyester out there, ick! Sometimes I leave empty-handed, and sometimes I find an amazing stash of fabrics!

Saturday, I went to the Salvation Army on Notre Dame and low and behold, there were rolls and rolls of fabric! A fabric store must have gone out of business and needed to get rid of them. I was ecstatic because I found some really great, nice quality fabrics- all in one shot.

I have some ideas brewing for what I want to make with these...I guess you'll see in the next couple of weeks!

Montrealers- If you're looking for some nice fabric, there are still tons of rolls there. I bought mostly woven cottons, but they have tons of beautiful jersey there.

Brrrrrr

2009-10-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's getting really cold outside and the leaves are slowly falling off the trees. I think I actually cried last year when winter was starting. Just so you know, I've never cried about weather in my life. Although we have winters in NY, they are nothing compared to Montreal. Think -20 C and so much snow that you don't see the sidewalk for 5 months.

On the bright side, I guess it really makes you appreciate spring and summer so much more. I love that feeling in the city when the snow melts and spring is finally starting. Everyone is just so happy and the vibe is indescribable. A lot of people love fall, but it just makes me sad because it means that winter is right around the corner. :-(

For now, I'll enjoy the changing colors, spend some quality time indoors, and snuggle up to my kitties. I can't promise I won't cry again...

Purple carrots and green tomatoes...

2009-10-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

I love the great variety of fruits and vegetables offered here in Quebec! Apparently there are over 60 varieties of carrots native to North America, but we normally only find the orange kind at the grocery store. I guess it's not as profitable for farmers to grow these kinds of things because people probably find them "weird", or think they're genetically modified. Ironically, a lot of the food we think is "normal" is probably genetically modified.

Finally...new things on Etsy!

2009-10-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to list new things on Etsy in a while, but I just did it! Whew! New tops and lots of cute vintage items.

There are lots of things happening in my life right now. They include:

1. My friends Jen & James, Freddy (my bf), and I are buying a house together! We've been looking for about a year and we finally found it! It's a nice duplex in Verdun, directly across the street from a park and a metro. Our offer was accepted and we've been shopping around for the best mortgage all week, plus gathering all the documents needed. Soooo time consuming! Our move in date is in January....eep!!!

2. Our cat Otto got super sick with pneumonia when I was in Paris, and Freddy had to take him to the vet. Poor Otto had to stay there overnight for a few days, but he's almost 100% better now. He still has a teeny cough sometimes, but overall he is back to his regular playful self again. Now we're just monitoring him and giving him his pills (which is not a fun task, btw). He's really sweet and doesn't try to claw or bite when we give him the pills though, but he definitely tries to fight us. I'm glad he's doing ok.

3. I'm moving into a for-real studio space with Angie, Marc, and Michelle in December! I'm sooo excited to take Supayana to the next level! By next level, I mean actually wearing pants. Yes, no more working in my pajamas....no more working from home! The space is awesome...it's a 2000 square feet industrial space with bigggg windows. Another nice thing is that it's in a building with lots of other artists/designers/screenprinters, etc, so it will be cool to see what kinds of collabs will come out of it. We're gonna build a showroom in the space, too. Exciting!

Here are two new things that I just listed. Same style as before, but these are in different colors/patterns.

Voir

2009-10-19T15:14:00.001-07:00

I got a nice little write up about my fall collection in this week's Voir newspaper (the city paper). Woo hoo!

It's in French so here's a rough translation in English for you guys.

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We caught Yana Gorbulsky, the designer of Supayana, just before her flight to Paris and asked her to speak with us about her new collection. Her inspiration for Fall 2009? The old French style. "The bow top (pictured above) was created after watching the movie La Vie en Rose. Berets and small gloves....I love that style!". It's therefore not shocking that the designer is presenting us with a style that's frankly vintage. Originally from Moscow and having started her label in New York, Yana finds herself at home in Montreal. The globe-trotter (haha yeah right) assures us....she is here to stay! Discover Supayana at the following boutiques: General 54, Headquarters Galerie and Boutique, La Gaillarde, Perfide, and on ecocentrikapparel.com.

London

2009-10-12T13:47:00.001-07:00

Back in Paris now and I'm going home tomorrow! This was a wonderful trip but I am soooo ready to be home.

Eley Kishimoto

2009-10-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

I really really love this collection! Go to style.com to see more...

Paris

2009-10-06T02:27:00.001-07:00

I love this city! The Ethical Fashion Show finished on Sunday, so yesterday was my first day not working. We walked around sooo much...and I even went on a carousel. Here are some pics!

Early birthday gift!

2009-09-20T16:46:00.001-07:00

Yay, I got my birthday gift early this year!!! Freddy organized our friends to pitch in for the Canon SD 780. I really wanted a camera before I went to Paris, so my gift came early this year. HEHE! Thanks to everyone who pitched in. I love it and I already made a little video outside my house!

Oops, I just realized I messed up with the sound....some of the background sound didn't get deleted. Whoops!!! ;-)

New things...

2009-09-16T17:50:00.000-07:00

YAY collage. Featured here are two new items that I made from a vintage tablecloth. I think it's pretty cool, but I wonder if people will think it's too weird that it might have been used for dining on at some point.

I had an interesting discussion with a friend about used clothing tolerance levels. I know some people who won't wear anything used, and I know some people who will wear a used bathing suit. Two extremes. I guess I'm ok with wearing anything used, especially if it looks like it's in great condition.

Where do you guys draw the line with used clothing/accessories? Dress, shoes, bedsheets, bathing suit?? I want to know!

New designs for Fall

2009-09-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

Here are two new tops from my Fall collection. For this design, I used either deadstock vintage or second-hand fabric for the body of the shirt, and the corners of vintage scarves to make the triangle shaped front. The pointed sleeve details were inspired by a 1940's dress. :-) I secretly hope the plaid one doesn't sell cause I would really love to keep it!

These tops, as well as some other things, can be found in my etsy shop. Yay! :-)

NYC

2009-09-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

I've been hanging out in Brooklyn the past few days. I got to see friends, ate great food, and went to a bunch of stores to check out "what's happening" in fashion. Overall, I really like the trends for this season...SO not excited about big shoulders, but I can see how it looks good on some people. Excited about ruffles and the scalloped details showing up on so many garments. Sooo my style ;-)

That pic of Topshop is for you, Angie.

hat collection

2009-08-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Hello blog, sorry for the lack of updates! I'm currently at my parents log home in Pennsylvania. I came down here to make sure my dad's surgery went ok. Luckily, everything went smoothly. The doctor did give my dad a stern talking to, and told him that he needs to start going for regular check ups. Ahhh, he's so stubborn! Haha.

I've really been enjoying the nice weather here! I went swimming with my nephew, went mushroom picking, and went into "town" to go to some cute antique and thrift shops!

Here's what I scored:

1940's stiff velvet hat....It makes your head look like an apple :-)

Nice beaded detailing

Vintage sailor hat...this will be so good for photoshoots!

1950's grey felted cocktail hat

I love vintage hats. Each hat has so much personality! I recently took out a library book on old millinery techniques, and it's sooo much work to make a nice, well-crafted hat. I can really appreciate the craftsmenship that went into making them.

Hmmm, so I'll be here until Sunday, and then I'm going to NYC for a few days, and then to Long Island for a friend's wedding. Luckily there's a serger and sewing machine here...so I'll be able to get some work done, too! Anyway, I hope everyone has a great rest of the month. I can't believe September is almost here! :-(

Tree necklace

2009-08-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

I'm always in awe of the beautiful things people create on Etsy! This awesome tree necklace is on the front page right now. Drooool! So beautiful! It's so clever and the colors are great. I love how she crocheted the little acorns! Sooo cute. Ok, I'm done freaking out now. Back to sorting mens' shirts and getting them ready for production!

Back from camping!

2009-08-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

I went on my first canoe camping trip and just got back a few days ago. It was a very Canadian experience...we all joked that I had to do it to get my citizenship. :-P We drove really far north and ended up in a place called La Verendrye.

It was really beautiful and serene, and the water was so clean you could drink straight out of the lake! We picked wild blueberries and rasberries, yum. It was definitely an experience, but I probably won't do it again. I was surprised...I thought I would actually really like it, but it turns out I'm way too much of a wuss. I can't handle not having cell phone reception, total darkness terrifies me, and I hate cold water. Oh, and my friend got a creepy blood-sucking leech stuck on her butt! Yikes! If that won't scare you from ever going camping again, I don't know what will!

Here are some pics (stolen from my friend James Kerr!)-

Now I'm back in civilization, enjoying running water, electricity, and um, a toilet that's not a hole in the dirt. If anything, camping really does make you appreciate what you have.

I'll end this post with some shameless self-promotion. Here's a new style I'm making for the fall! I listed two shirts on Etsy. Click here to view.

Playing dress up

2009-08-09T14:42:00.001-07:00

From left to right it's me, Angie, Amanda, Elaine, and Judy.

It's uncanny that most of my friends design clothing or jewelry...I guess birds of a feather really do flock together! Amanda suggested we play dress up to mix and match our designs.

It was so fun to document the outcome!

Here's me in a Groggy dress, a Roadkill belt, and MiJu necklace. Angie's wearing a Supayana top, and a Groggy skirt.

Here's Judy in a Groggy top, vintage hat, and Supayana skirt.

Here's Amanda in a Supayana top, and Norwegian Wood leggings. They're new and will be in her shop next week! Oooo you're getting a sneak peak here :-)

Here's Elaine in a Roadkill skirt and a Norwegian Wood harness.

Aya Kakeda

2009-08-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd start featuring some of my friends on my blog, since a lot of my friends make really cool art, clothing, and etc!

My friend Aya was just here in Montreal working with the YPF on their Osheaga art installation. Not only is she a super talented artist, but she's one of the nicest people I know. Aya is originally from Tokyo and now lives in Brooklyn, NY. If you met Aya, she is exactly the live/human version of her artwork. We love Aya!

Here are some of my favorites:

Check out her website to see more of her work! It's really inspiring.

Oh and, I just listed some super cute vintage items in my etsy shop. Here's a sneak peek:

(I have way too much fun doing this little collages!)

Pretty things...

2009-08-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

I realized I never posted pictures from this photoshoot last summer. Vanessa and Frederika are so fun to work with.

Photos by Frederika

Modeling by Vanessa Pilon

Clothing by me!

Cat nap

2009-08-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Brenden, Tyson, and I made our friend Elaine this cat bed for her birthday. It's made out of a vintage suitcase, vintage chair legs, and Amy Butler fabric.

Here's Elaine's kitty "Poof" enjoying the new bed.

Go to her blog to see more pictures...I promise they'll make you go "awwww".

Custom doilies!

2009-07-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

My custom doilies came in the mail today!!! I love them!!!

I found out about this great Etsy shop called Crocheting by Rose through the girls over at Victoire. They got a really pretty one made for their boutique- it looked so beautiful displayed under glass.

Well, needless to say, I couldn't resist getting some doilies made with my cats names on them! I also ordered Supayana one, hehe. Now I want to find some cute vintage frames so I can treasure them forever.

The lady who makes them is an elderly woman named Rose, and her daughter runs the Etsy shop. Apparently her mom's been doing it for years, so she's really fast. It took her less than a week to make all three doilies! The price is amazing, too. Go, order a doily!

2009-07-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. Been busy working on some fall ideas, house hunting, and showing my sister around town. She came to visit Montreal for a few days with her friend Vera and just left today. We ate lots of delicious food, walked around, and took a day trip to Mont St. Hilaire. She took lots of pictures, so I'll steal one from her later and post it.

I did manage to list some new things on Etsy today. One of my favorite new items is this top, which I called the "Petit Dejeuner" top. It means "breakfast" in French, btw. The vintage deadstock fabric is so cute!

You may wonder why a lot of my recent shirts have a French ring to them. Well, I have French on the brain! I found out last week that I'm going to Paris (!!!!) in late September for the Ethical Fashion Show! I was sooo lucky to get a round trip ticket for free, thanks to the OFQJ. The grant is intended for French speaking Quebecers, so I had to fill out all of the paperwork in French, answer lots of questions in French, and talk to people on the phone in French, which usually makes me pee my pants, but I freaking did it and I'm really proud of myself. I just need to keep practicing and be more assertive. Le sigh.

So yeah, that's good news! :-) Are you guys going on any trips this fall?

Supayana giveaway on Designformankind!

2009-07-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

I've teamed up with Design for Mankind for their weekly giveaways. I'm offering a grey reconstructed top for FREE in your size!

Click here to see the blog posting: Design for Mankind. All you have to do is leave a comment there! The winner is picked randomly, so it doesn't matter what you write. :-) Yayyy free stuff!!

Cat House on the Kings

2009-07-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

This is a really heartwarming video about a cat (and dog!) sanctuary in California. The woman who runs this is amazing!

Give donations on their website here.

Sneak a peek

2009-07-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Call me creepy, but I really love glancing into peoples' windows when I'm walking around at night. I promise I don't actually walk up to their window- I just slow down my pace. Hehe.

I loved window peeking in the West Village when I still lived in NY. Those amazing townhouses make me drool! Ahhh! The archways, original plaster mouldings, the furniture- so beautiful! I guess that's one of the reasons I was drawn to Montreal. There are so many gorgeous old buildings that remind me of NYC, except an average person can actually afford to live in one here.

This blog post is a little peek inside my home...in case you're like me and wonder what peoples' homes look like. Keep in mind that I basically moved up here with two suitcases and my sewing machines, so almost everything belonged to Freddy....so he takes credit for the decor. I guess if I had it my way, the furniture would be more girly and antique-y...but I'm fine mooching off of Freddy's furniture for now, hehe.

View from our window.

Entrance.

Bay window. Vintage recovered chair from Salvation Army. Cute cat on the window sill. Teak side table from Freddy's parents. Cat "house" from Hong Kong- a gift from our friend Emily.

Living room. Artwork by the YPF (holding it for them til they ask for it back...). Log pillows- gift from Norwegian Wood. Vintage lamp.

Dining area. Vintage bookcase. Prints from Parnell Collective (Freddy's art collective). Vintage side table (found in the trash!).

Back deck. Freddy playing around with his bike.

Bedroom. The headboard was a divider from a chinese restaurant. Freddy found it in the trash! Vintage lamp and diy lampshade. Walrus artwork by Freddy. Vintage bedsheets.

Sewing room! This is an old picture, but it's the only one I have...and right now the room is just WAYYYY too messy to show the world wide web.

Well, that's it for now! Hope you enjoyed the tour. :-)

Worn Fashion Journal

2009-07-01T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'm the Worn Fashion Journal "crush". Read article here!