I always love seeing what Nashville designer Annie Williams will come up with next. I’ve been a big fan of her work ever since her collaborator and my good friend Nicole Irene first introduced me to her beautiful leather goods. I’ve been following her work throughout the years and have always fallen in love with what ever she creates – from the home line to her early collections.
Of course, finding out that she has a new collection just in time for autumn featuring the natural essex hide. This leather wears well and she even gives her own testimonial of using the tin cloth tote as a diaper bag for the past couple of months, which gets me pretty excited about picking out my own diaper bag in the near future. This new collection looks soft, timeless and understated; totes and clutches that can effortlessly become season-less in your wardrobe.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing the 424 Fifth’s Chief Creative Officer and Senior VP of Design Marie Holman-Rao one afternoon at Hotel Le Germain. It was absolutely wonderful to chat with her and hear all about how the collection came together, her inspiration behind the pieces and her must-have wardrobe pieces.
KK: I am so excited to have this new brand here in Canada. Can you tell me a bit about how the line came to be?
Marie Holman-Rao (MHR): It has been so exciting! The whole idea behind 424 Fifth was to create a exclusive private label brand that was more aspirational than just a commodity product. Bonnie and Richard Baker had wanted to elevate the idea of a private label and since it was Lord & Taylor and Hudson’s Bay together, it had to be something that appealed a lot of different people and different areas. The style really changes across the landscape of Canada but the line is very international. It is also coming from an age-less point of view – we don’t want to just appeal to a demographic but we want to appeal to a certain sociographic. This woman loves fashion and she knows quality value but doesn’t want to spend a fortune.
KK: What will we see at 424 Fifth for each season?
MHR: We wanted classics in the collection as well as pieces that are of-the-moment as well as have a distinct sense of humour. Those are the things you are usually attracted to.
KK: What kind of pieces will be in every collection?
MHR: We will always have a great fitting black pant. We will always have a luxury leather item – like a pant. We will always have the skirt silhouette of the moment. We were really lucky for Spring 2014 that skirts were back in fashion – especially the mid-length skirt which is so elegant!
KK: What are your top five staples for every woman’s wardrobe?
MHR: Definitely a long skirt, for this season. We have it in so many gorgeous colours. A great little cropped jacket, like our striped one is perfect with the long skirts. Coats are a must-have. Our long jacket toppers are fantastic. A classic white boyfriend shirt is key. I like the coming-and-going sweaters as well – a great detail.
The 424 Fifth line is available at all Hudson’s Bay locations in Canada as well as Lord & Taylor in the USA! The collection is absolutely stunning – you can check out the Spring lookbook here! Shop the looks below from Hudson’s Bay – this line is super affordable already but a lot of the items have recently been reduced! What an amazing deal for such gorgeous pieces for the spring.
Everyone hurry down to Holt Renfrew tomorrow afternoon! Darling designer from NYC, Rebecca Minkoff will be doing a meet + greet and signing your precious handbags! There will also be complimentary monogramming so get your initials tacked onto your handbag as well – it is gonna be a good day!
I cannot get enough crisp white shirts. They are a classic staple every boy and girl should have in their wardrobe – it is a fact! Whether you are prepping for a job interview or just off to grab a coffee, when you slip one on in the morning, you instantly feel put together. The white shirt is amazing.
One of my favourite Canadian brands Pink Tartan also knows the value of the white shirt and every season comes out with a stunning addition to help keep your daily uniform easy to pull together. This season is seeing pops of colour with neon grosgrain trim on the classic blouses, while shirt dresses are being transformed into a trompe l’oeil experience with bold black trims and high/low skirts. I spotted one of the shirt dresses in action just outside of Holt Renfrew the other week before it started snowing. Bright and fresh, this dress is stunning and I am kinda obsessed. Spring seems to finally be showing up here so it is time to pull on some dark denim skinnies and pick up one of these gorgeous shirts. Or paired with an a-line midi skirt and heels for a night out.
It is going to be a great spring – can’t you feel it?!
Add the classic Pink Tartan shirt to your wardrobe! Pick it up at Holt Renfrew or online here:
I am very excited for April. Not only do I have a small inkling that we will actually start seeing signs of spring around this town but I cannot wait until the Calgary Underground Film Festival. Running April 7 -13, the festival is going to be chockfull of amazing films (see the full schedule here) this year. The film I am most excited about is Michel Gondry’s latest effort, Mood Indigo, starring my favourite Audrey Tautou. I will let the beautiful trailer speak for itself and I’ll leave you with some style inspiration based on Audrey’s character Chloe.
Isn’t everything cuter in baby size? Maybe it is only me and I’m just weird but whenever I am shopping for baby gifts for friends, I always find the most adorable outfits that I secretly wish I could get in my size. Freshly Picked‘s baby moccasins are no exception. I first fell in love with this brand, three years ago when I met the genius mastermind behind the biz, Susan Petersen at ALT Summit in Salt Lake City. Not only is she a great businesswoman but she is also such an inspiring and upbeat person. I got to have breakfast with her and several other amazing retailers at a little morning hang-out with Big Cartel. I even won one of her gorgeous leather mousepads when they did a little business card draw. Her stuff is quality and I would recommend it to anyone – and I don’t even have kids!
Since then, she has gone on to do big and wonderful things. The Kardashians are massive brand supporters – anytime you seem them toting around their kiddos in the celebrity gossip mags, they are always wearing Freshly Picked moccasins. How awesome is that?! She was also very successful on an episode of ABC’s Shark Tank – what can’t this girl do?!
Anyways, with so many sweet babies just born or on the way, I thought it would be fantastic to do a giveaway with for a pair of the adorable moccasins! for all of the details + to enter! Giveaway ends on Friday. Good luck + thanks! xx
Since it is still winter around these parts (thanks giant dump of snow that arrived out of nowhere) I can barely stand to look at the gorgeous summer clothes arriving in stores. Shorts? Don’t even. While I am longing for days of sundresses and sandals, the reality is that it is cold out. So, of course when I saw the Joe Fresh FW14 runway images, I was instantly coveting so many of the pieces. Faux fur and warm cozy sweaters. I am in. Too bad I will have to wait until the fall to get my hands on some of these pieces. The only solace is that this summer promises to be hot and beautiful – and I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.
“This season I was inspired by Canada’s mountains, wilderness and outdoor elements, particularly against the backdrop of this winter’s polar vortex that we’ve all gone through together,” said Joe Mimran Creative Director, Joe Fresh. “The cold seeped into our collective conscious and outerwear really became top of mind.”
Today I had a very early morning with some very cute pregnant ladies. Acting as a spokesperson for GAP Canada, I was showcasing the brand-new GAP Maternity line that is now available at the Chinook Centre location on CTV Calgary Morning Live with CTV’s Aisling Tomei. You can watch the video here. The pieces are seriously amazing. I mean, dark denim skinny jeans and white denim short shorts? What pregnant lady had ever thought she could get such gorgeous stuff for such affordable prices. Not to mention, GAP is known for their incredible sales.
I styled up each of the outfits with great pieces from GAP’s regular collection so that any expectant mothers can transition easily throughout their pregnancy and beyond. My favourite pieces are definitely the jackets. Leather, floral chambray and camo? Hello spring – you are looking bright.
You can shop all of the looks below + you are in luck – some of these pieces are on sale! Hurray!
Last weekend, my good friend Lori Andrews (The Original 10 Cent Designer) took me out to her family’s ranch just north of the city. If you are familiar with any of Lori’s photography you know that she takes a lot of her photos there and has truly embodied the magic of the countryside. It was fantastic getting to see where she has staged many a shoot; I was very excited for her to point her expert lens on me – just for fun!
I love the photos that came out of our insane wind-induced photoshoot. From her cabin to gravel back roads, I got to see all of the *famous* spots. If you are looking to get some photos taken I would highly recommend Lori. She doesn’t do cookie-cutter so you can expect to see some incredible images after your shoot. Follow her awesome Instagram feed at .
I first fell in love with Pendleton in my late teens when I came across several pieces at a thrift store. Sadly, they were menswear so I ended up gifting the fantastic red/white/blue plaid wool jacket to my boyfriend at the time. Despite not getting to wear the treasures I felt so lucky to find, I was hooked on the brand and realized that I was actually quite familiar with their blankets. Oh, those wonderful warm blankets.
I always seem to come across Pendleton in the most unexpected places – I bought my favourite wool blanket for Byron at a local fishing shop. They also had tons of great bags, flannels and other camping gear. It is one of my favourite hidden gems. The best part is the plaid I bought was the original tartan designed for the Beach Boys back in the 1950s.
If you aren’t familiar, The Portland Collection has been designed in Portland since 2011 and has a distinctly hip and trendy look as opposed to Pendleton’s regular line of apparel which includes more basics and traditional styles. The Spring collection is launching later this month and I cannot wait. Such great colours and silhouettes – I can picture working many of these pieces into my everyday look this spring and summer. I especially love the cardigans – so lovely.
Keep your eye out here for the new collection to drop – and in the meantime, shop these super sweet deals on the fall/winter goods!
