fashion Archives - Try Handmade

Spring Fashion Crush!

September 18, 2018 by Amy L. 1 Comment

We just enjoyed 3 days of glorious sunshine (which is a rarity this time of year here on the “wet coast”) and all I could think of was how I’d love a new dress or two soon, to be ready for all that summer will have to offer. A little insight into life here in Vancouver, we locals joke frequently about how most of our city’s dwellers have at least a mild case of “SAD” (seasonal affective disorder), and how we love to watch abandoned streets, patios and beaches become almost instantly filled when the first hint of summer sunshine arrives. Honestly, I’m getting wistful just typing this! Before I segue, I’ll just let you know that if you need somewhere to visit in the summer time, Vancouver is truly where it’s at if you love the great outdoors, good food, and unique shopping (and no, I don’t work for Tourism Canada ;).

Moving along… I’ve got a wonderful fashion duo to share with you today! Hailing from Australia, Three Little Ducks is a boutique fashion label run by Katherine Humphery and Patrick McDermott. Their line is full of beautiful classic tailoring, figure flattering cuts and details that make this fashion lover swoon! More than one dress from this collection has caught my eye and has me mentally calculating shipping costs and timing for a package to arrive from Australia to Canada.

Katherine and Patrick share on their blog that the focus of their line is quality and simplicity with details brought into their pieces through the use of layers and textured fabrics. Their passion for what they do is so evident – it seems clear to me they know the power fashion can have to transform us and they say it best on their blog:

“Even the serious fashion cynic can find him or herself in unconscious appreciation of a tailored shirt and aware of its persuasive influence on both wearer and observer.

The clothes we wear of course surround us and, if we accept Alain De Botton’s notion that, for better or worse, we are different people depending on our surrounds, we should resist the gauche and embrace skillful design and construction in fabric and clothes.”

I hope you’ll enjoy this peek into their latest collection and are inspired by their passionate approach to their craft. If you have a favorite indie design label you think we should cover here on the blog I’d love to hear about it!

Me&Yu

September 10, 2018 by Ellie Thouret 2 Comments

This week I’m profiling Me&Yu, a small fashion label specialising in hand-made and hand-printed clothing for men and women.

I first encountered the label in offbeat shopping mecca Affleck’s Palace in Manchester, UK. There I had the fortune of meeting Angie, one of the label’s co-founders. Angie has wanted to be a fashion designer since she was a child and luckily she has turned that dream into a reality – albeit with a lot of hard graft along the way!

“We had the idea for creating clothes together back in 2003 whilst we were living in Sydney,” Angie explained. “We just wanted to create clothes that were a bit different, that had a bit more personality than what was available on the high street.”

Me&Yu’s designs are cool and unique, appealing to a wide audience. I particularly adore their quirky, hand-drawn prints and stylish handmade dresses! Unlike many smaller labels, Me&Yu offers both girl and guy garments and many of the designs are unisex, allowing the wearer to put their own slant on things.

Me&Yu started in 2003, with stalls at weekend markets and events in Sydney, Australia then in Manchester and Liverpool, UK during 2004-2006. The designers had to balance developing the label with working full-time – what a challenge! Finally in 2006, Me&Yu moved permanently to a shop in Affleck’s Palace, complemented by its online store and presence in a handful of boutiques in the UK.

“Affleck’s Palace is a great place to be as it houses lots of small independent businesses together – you have the support of other people around you, and that’s the best thing. When we first started we got loads of helpful advice from other small businesses, obviously every business is different but you can get some great tips!”

Designs are made up at the label’s studio in an old cotton mill in Manchester, and it is important to the company to keep the city’s heritage alive. The mill houses a number of other artists and fosters a creative and collaborative atmosphere.

Me&Yu is a great example of excellent self-promotion – the label blogs at www.wearemeandyu.blogspot.com, uses Facebook and Twitter, distributes flyers and has even secured features in magazines. In addition, Me&Yu gets involved in charity fashion shows and fundraisers – contributing to important causes as well as raising awareness of the brand.

“There is something special about selling something that you made yourself, its very personal,” finishes Angie. “However, it’s hard work. Handmade = labour intensive and not everybody understands quite how much work goes into each item.”

What’s your favourite Me&Yu design? Post your link below!

Jane Bonbon

August 20, 2018 by Erika Jurney 2 Comments

I’m a full-time vancouver plus size fashion designer, though I do seem to be making more and more things for smaller girls too lately ! Currently, my clothes (sizes 4-22) sell at Planet Claire in vancouver (212 Abbott st. in gastown) Each piece is handmade by me! <3 Jane Bonbon

Tel-Aviv, Israel

August 19, 2018 by Tara Gentile 1 Comment

[hTara]

This week, I decided to take a trip abroad to bring you the Shop Local post. My finger landed on Tel Aviv, Israel on the ol’ Etsy globe. I hope, one day, to be able to visit Israel – so much culture, so much history – but for now, this virtual shopping excursion will have to suffice!

Neta Amir is a formally trained fashion designer who left the commercial fashion industry to create one of a kind dolls. Her dolls’ quirky sense of fashion created such a following that she was convinced to recreate their accessories in people-size! The slippers above are the result of this inspiration! Neta describes the comfort of these slippers as like “walking in a blanket.” Yes, please!

Shlomit Ofir, who has a degree in industrial design, creates unique & affordable jewelry.

And now for something completely different…

Gabby from Post creates these wild “tattoo” socks! Let this winding design poke out of a skirt or cropped trousers and you will certainly turn some heads at the office. Post also stocks vinyl decals and textural silver rings, designed by Tal.

Limor from OTIOT is also a trained textile designer working towards her degree in industrial design. She features sun dresses, onesies, and other children’s clothing in addition to the burp cloths pictured above that she will personalize in any language!

If you’re lucky enough to be in the area, stop by the Tel-Aviv Contemporary Crafts Market that’s held every Tuesday and Friday in the Nahlat Binyamin Pedestrian Mall! Purchase handmade wares from the artisans themselves and discover that self-expression through craft knows no bounds.

My Black Dress

June 27, 2018 by Erika Jurney 1 Comment

My Black Dress: I discovered my passion in Fashion three years ago and just entered a fashion school without any knowledge of clothing construction or pattern-making. Now I can bring any design in my mind or on paper into reality. I purely love sewing, designing, draping–in fact, the whole process of making clothes. I work on every single piece with my soul, passion, heart, and love. I would not put anything on my store that I am not proud of. Each peice is truely well-made and one of a kind. Enjoy!!