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So Uglee & More
Guest blogger Jesse Ship writes:
I’ve attended the clothing show under many guises - as a shopper, a
vendor’s assistant, a boyfriend, a fan and moral supporter; but now,
for the first time, I come as a reporter.
As a veteran of the scene, I was surprised to hear that there would be
a Christmas edition of the show, normally scheduled for Fall and
Spring. Also, strangely, it was held at the North building of the Metro
Toronto Convention Center (MTCC) instead of its usual spot at the
Automotive Building in the CNE complex. Christmas isn’t usually thought
of as “me” time and buying clothing as gifts can sometimes be
disastrous, so it was with some consternation and skepticism that I
approached The Christmas Clothing Show.
What I love about the Show is that it allows shoppers to meet their
favourite independent designers. It’s ingenious because it transforms a
private trade show set up into a public shopping event. In addition to
holding indie labels of all kinds, the show is also a great place for
vintage finds, and what everybody is really looking for—bargains!
There were definitely some very strange items at this year’s show,
especially in the form of headgear. Top awards for creativity go to
So-Uglee, a line of home-made, strap-on, and UV reactive glow- in-the
dark, novelty fimo horns to wear on Halloween or your favorite Goth
club.
Next was Spunky Kitty Style, for the geek fantastique, with super
cute cat-ear hats for boys and girls. Their imitation lynx hat made me
want too prowl around our snowy wasteland and pounce on unsuspecting
tourists and shoppers. If deadly ninja prowling is more your bag, the
unique and extremely functional balaclava/winter war fare Caninja, by
Adrienne Butikofer is a definite must. Basically it’s “a hooded scarf
hat, convertible and multi-functional to combat all levels of the
winter chill. The outer layer is either a recycled sweater knit or a
sweatshirt knit, and the inner lining is polar fleece.”
Caninjas were not the only items made of recycled clothing. Hot up and
coming Paper People Clothing, Jennifer Fukushima’s award winning
creations, was also featured on display. Her naturally hand dyed pieces
are made from recycled clothing and organic bamboo fabric. Another
up-and-comer was Ebony Roberts, with her own line of earthy products,
well, products from earth creatures I guess you could say. Two Foals is
a collection of purses, belts, and satchels made from deer antler and
recycled cowboy boots and leathers. Her lacy cowgirl boudoir booth
set-up was easily best in the show. Ebony currently works as a waitress
but is determined to make her business a full-time endeavour.
Urban fashion has always had its place at the Clothing Show. The Deli
kept things fresh with their blinged out Kim Jong Il mascot and cheeky
new “Copy” logo, a play on Sheppard Fairey’s legendary Obey posse tag.
Gilded Panther is a new design collective with a penchant for ‘80s boom
boxes, dinosaurs, ostriches, panthers and other animals. Half are
graphic designers, the other half are clothing designers. P0isson
articles showcased their own menagerie of t-shirt designs. OCAD
Industrial design student Chris Parker showed off his functional but
very fashionable wool/tweed jackets with a Carhartt inspiration.
Whether or not there will be a Christmas show next year is a good
question, but with eight years under its belt, the Show looks like it
won’t be stopping anytime soon. There’s nothing else that comes close
to what it provides in terms of variety, selection and unique shopping
interaction, all under one roof!
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