Monday, May 01, 2006

Getting to know... Roadkill







So many of you Montrealers may have seen Elaine's designs around the city, probably you've lusted after one of her bags after seeing someone on the metro carrying one, I know I have. Well, as of June 1st, there will be no more need for futile lust (actually, futile lust is probably unavoidable, but in terms of accessories...no more unfullfilled lust) We're proud to be carrying Elaines bags, wallets, clothing and jewelry, and whatever the hell else she comes up with actually!

As Roadkill celebrates its third year in MontrĂ©al, Elaine Ho goes back to her first two loves and introduces a line of silver and gold jewelry with skulls, guns and cute animals, and a mini collection of very wearable clothing. This season, Roadkill digs real deep to try and remember what she learned so many years ago from her elderly pattern drafting professor at Parsons School of Design- whose rigid curriculum for the past 30 years has been the three staples of every fashionista’s wardrobe: the jumpsuit, the cape and the ever stylish culotte.

Elaine finds that she still gets inspired from the many internships that she had during her 4 years in New York. (She also finds that this time spent in N.Y. really balances out her first 19 years spent in Calgary.) From putting on hundreds of eyelets on latex leg-binders, to hand knotting the 16 pieces of leather fringe on 300 handbags because the contractor wouldn't do it, to dragging 60lbs rolls of leather thru the subways, to dealing with designers who refer to their cocaine problem as “allergies”, (don't worry mom, they never give cocaine to the interns) to overhearing her boss tell her one night stand: “Sun’s up, get out!”, Elaine finds that the invaluable experience she has gained through these internships comes in handy on a daily basis, and makes her truly and deeply thankful that she now works for herself.

The bags keep coming, each one is handmade, some with more love than others, but all in limited runs. Roadkill has been collaborating with a monkey
obsessed store, to make one of a kind bags, and has most recently has teamed
up with DJ Maus to come up with some dj friendly accessories.


Roadkill has a passion for all things cute, dead and shiny. The company’s one and only reported protester in Toronto, upset by Roadkill’s “I Love Bacon” t-shirt in the store window, cried: “You are promoting an unhealthy lifestyle and that mannequin is much too thin to have loved any amount of bacon!!” and with that, she stormed out of store. Despite such incidents, Roadkill’s love for bacon remains as strong as ever.

www.roadkillroadkill.com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I totally love Roadkill. I proudly own a bag of hers. So Eric told me that you may be interested in selling my plush creations? So I guess I will see you this week!