Linear Thinking - This Saturday!

It's time for another HQ vernissage, this time with special guest curator Rupert Bottenberg. Here's a little sneak peek of one of Ruperts images from the show.

I would like to direct your attention to the right hand column of this page for all pertinent show details... I would especially like to point out that I will be slaving in the kitchen tonight making cupcakes. You're welcome in advance.

xoxo
Angie

Outfits of the Week: August 30th, 2007

Yay! A long weekend! What to wear, what to wear....




Black top with knit pom poms detail by Soi Disant (Montreal), brass handcuff necklace by Erica Weiner (Brooklyn), floral tights by Complex Geometries (Montreal), black and white purse with gold birds applique by Roadkill (Montreal), vintage metallic shoes.




White tank by MX Jeans (Montreal), Vintage wood/brass and rope necklaces, peach leaf necklace by A Heart Apart (Toronto), Peach skirt by Parnell (Montreal), vintage pumps with snakeskin detail.

Wood is Good

I love me some wood grain, I've been dreaming of making these woodgrain pillows for at least 2 years, and I finally did it! I recently found the perfect fabric from Repro Depot and have been furiously sewing these little log pillows just for all you nice people to throw on your couches and beds for fall.




In celebration of the fact that I can check off one more thing on my "projects to do" list, check out this Canadian NFB classic, "The Log Drivers Waltz". This was one of my faves as a kid, and it's still as good as ever. Enjoy!!

Mauve Naïf

I am sooooo happy to introduce you all to this amazing new line of t-shirts and hoodies by artist Catherine Lebrun. Since I work as a clothing designer for my full-time job, I see A LOT of clothing, both here in Montreal and in Europe/Asia.





I'm telling you people, this girls stuff takes the cake. Catherine HAND PAINTS each and every one of these tops, and her eye for colour and composition is spot on. I seriously recommend you pick one of these up before she becomes super well known and her shit starts selling like hot cakes all over the world. T-shirts $60, hoodies $130.





The line basically consists of t-shirts and hoodies for men and women. Since each item is hand-painted with a unique touch, each item becomes a piece of art. Catherine also really likes coming up with new designs, so each one is different and you won't have to worry about having a indie "oops" moment at the next party you go to, no one else out there will have the exact same shirt.





I love Mauve Naïf, Mauve Naïf loves you, and Mauve Naïf wants to be your friend. Can't put it much better than that!

Live Free Freedom to Live

Well, all good thinks must come to an end, and the Garrett Van Winkle show is coming down tomorrow, to make way for the new "Liner Art" show, curated by Rupert Bottenberg. Never fear though, we will be holding onto all the small Van Winkle drawings (the ones in the black frames), so you can still browse through them on your next visit. It's never too early to start Christmas shopping! (yikes, can't believe I just went there). As of right now the plan is to put them on the "under the stairs" wall in the gallery, so keep a lookout for them.

And now that I've mentioned the "Linear Art" show, make sure to save a few hours on Saturday night to check out the new show, enjoy a drink and chat with Rupert about the concept of the show.

Telepathy at HQ

OK Tyson and I just posted on the exact same thing at the same time (Spins & Needles). Tyson did the lower post, I did the upper post. I think we can all see who is the superior blogger...

But this is really funny, 'cause Tyson and I have this telepathic thing where one of us will bring something up that the other one was just thinking about. And now it has been permanently documented on the blog, how nice. I think it's appropriate to leave up both posts.

And now everyone surely thinks we're really, really weird...

Spins & Needles in Montreal!

Lookin' for something fun and crafty to do this Friday? Get thee down to the latest Spins & Needles art party. Yes!!!

Spins & Needles craft + DJ night is a cultural event that mixes DIY projects with funky music spun by DJs in various galleries, bars and esoteric spaces across the country.

Based in Ottawa, Canada, the event was created in 2005 by organizers Melanie Yugo (the crafter/designer) and Jason Pelletier (the DJ). For a small cover charge, creative types and nightlife-ers gain access to materials and instructions to make a featured art/craft project while having a few drinks and listening to DJs spin beats. Getting messy and creative is key.

In addition to the Craft + DJ Night in Ottawa and other Canadian cities, other spin-off events have included the monthly Disco Bingo Night at Shanghai Restaurant (Ottawa); various workshops; and installments at the National Gallery of Canada, Canadian Museum of Civilization and Maker Faire (San Francisco).

When: Friday August 31st @ 9 p.m. onwards
Where: Bistro de Paris (4536 St-Denis @ Mont-Royal)
Cover: $5 (includes all project materials and instructions), 19+

DJs
* Jason Pelletier (spins & needles/disco bingo/techcetera)
* Clifford Brown
* plus guests

PROJECTS: Magnets + DIY Stencilling

www.spinsandneedles.com

Spins & Needles

Looking for something to do this Friday? Melanie Yugo and Jason Pelletier come up from Ottawa, to bring you "Spins and Needles" a craft/DJ night at Bordello: Bistro de Paris (4536 rue St. Denis). Come hang out, listen to awesome music and create with old and new friends. Cover is only $5.. The event begins at 9 pm and runs until midnight. See you there!

Hoakon/Helga Makes Droolworthy Purses

The "Marie" bag - $198

Just don't let me catch you drooling on the ones at HQ!!

For those of you who don't care about the latest "it" bag, and where you can get the closest knockoff, you will be happy to set your eyes on these new handcrafted goodies we received today, just in time for weekend browsing. In this special package we received four purses from the new line Hoakon/Helga, based out of Calgary, Alberta.

The "Gretta" bag - $139
(available in aqua combo at HQ)

Made from buttery soft leather in punchy primary colours, and lined with houndstooth printed satin these purses are pure luxury. With prices ranging from $139-$198 (for the purses we have at HQ) we think these bags are very fairly priced for handmade high quality goodness!! This is the kind of purse you get because you fall in love with it, not because it's "the latest trend".

The "Gilda" bag - $148

I look at these purses and I think "this is the kind of purse that people will stop me in the street to ask about". And I think that's a wonderful thing!

The "Betty" bag - $198
(available in black/red/grey combo at HQ)

www.hoakonhelga.com

Fashion + Video + Worn = Good Times

Worn Fashion Journal 5th Issue Launch
Short Video Screening

Worn Fashion Journal is launching issue number 5 with a bang. October 13th they will be hosting a screening of short videos by local artists with the theme of fashion. They will be compiling a dvd of the videos that will be for sale at the launch and on wornjournal.com.

Get a Super Super 8!
Worn Fashion Journal will be handing out ballots and tallying votes for the most popular video of the night. They will be handing out a prize to the winning video: A super cute Super8 camera in a custom, one of a kind carrying case by local artist Jesse Purcell, who’s work can be found on the walls at Morales Boutique (5392 St-Laurent, next to Green Room).

GUIDELINES:

- Between 30 seconds and 3 minutes

- Theme: Fashion/Clothing. Carte blanche on genre and interpretation of the theme, it can be anything about clothing, not just fashion in the traditional sense.

- We accept past work that fits into the guidelines.

- You can work solo or in teams. Remember this is a great way to promote a company, group, collective, etc.

Since the videos will be compiled onto a dvd, it is recommended to not use popular music. It’s a great opportunity to hook up with a local musician or band and make a collaborative video. However, if you choose to use copyrighted material, they will show it at the screening and not put it on the dvd. Same goes for copyrighted imagery and video clips.

Format: Mini DV or high quality MPEG, AVI, or QUICKTIME file, preferably with as little codecs or compression as possible. You can burn the data on a DVD-R.
****Remember this is a screening, therefore it will be blown up for projection and needs to be high resolution.

Submissions are from August 20th to September 20th.
You must hand in an information sheet with your name/names or group name, the title of your piece and a 50 word artist bio to be included in the event program.

Drop off at Morales boutique with Pascale Tuesday through Sunday. 5392 St-Laurent
514.271.5061
Store hours:
Monday: closed
Tuesday:11-6
Wednesday:11-6
Thursday: 11-7
Friday: 11-7
Saturday: 11-6
Sunday: 12-5

Questions? Need technical specifications? Besoin des informations en français?
For more information email pascale@wornjournal.com

Article in the Gazette

OK for real this time! Our article is in the Gazette, so stop by and pick one up if you get the chance. Here's a digital version of the article online.

Yeah!

xoxo
Angie & Tyson

Broken Pencil

I don't know about you guys, but when the weather is kind of dreary like this I just want to cuddle up and read all day. And now that I have a laptop, sometimes that can mean online reading in bed too, if I wasn't too lazy to actually lug the laptop home form work that is... but I digress.

If you're looking for some new reading I recommend you check out Broken Pencil, a Toronto based zine that covers zines, for lack of a better description. I just found out about this magazine from Serah-Marie (creator of Worn Fashion Journal) when she recommended me for the position of their indie artist in residence for their style issue (out now). So I've been plugging away creating style related blog postings for their site. If you're interested in checking out some of my posts here are the links:

Let Me Introduce Myself

Where the Hell Did You Get Those Weird Pants?

Making a List, Checking it Twice

Skin vs. Style

Switch Hitter

But I highly recommend picking up an issue of Broken Pencil, since it will lead you to other great zines to check out (each issue devotes a large section to reviews of various zines)

Outfits of the Week: August 22/07

We have been graced with the presence of guest stylists again! The girls decided to put together co-ordinating outfits using similar pieces, but totally different colour palettes. Let me introduce you to two of HQs strongest supporters...


Amanda Moss - This lovely lady has guest styled the outfits of the week once before, and people often ask her if she works at HQ on Saturdays since she always seems to be stopping by and giving style advice to customers. Originally hailing from Newfoundland, she now spends her days as head designer for a large clothing company which will remain unnamed (not sure if I'm allowed to mention it, hee hee)
But rest assured, she uses her powers for good, not evil!






Pale blue reworked vintage blouse with beading details by BLUEprint (Montreal), burgundy skinny vintage belt, cream vintage quilted purse with gold chain strap, tan linen/cotton shorts by MX Jeans (Montreal) and burgundy velvet sandals (sorry, sold!)

*****


Judy Lawrence - This tiny friend of mine is known for her perfectly put together outfits, often using cutting edge colour schemes. She is also the envy of many for her amazing vintage finds, her quick draw Ebay skills and enviously small feet. Judy spends her days banging out graphic design projects and has been known to sew up an outfit or two as well.




Fuschia & black houndstooth reworked vintage blouse by BLUEprint (Montreal), brass swans necklace by Charcoal Designs (USA), vintage snakeskin corset belt, black shorts with cuff by Valerie Dumaine (Montreal) , vintage black patent purse with gold closure, vintage suede shoes with leather foldover detail.

***

Thanks girls!

Jessi Taylor, Queen of the Hammer!

Cast into sterling silver from the foot of a sparrow, then oxidized.
These feet come in many different positions.

Sadly summer is on its last leg and fall is on the way. On the other hand, fun new designs are flowing in from all the new designers we've been researching this summer. The newest member of the HQ family is Seattle, Washington jewelry artist Jessi Taylor.

The more the better! made of sterling silver and stamped all around
with dots, then oxidized.
Don't expect a perfect circle - these bangles each have
their own lumpy personality.

Jessi has been silversmithing off and on for about ten years, but has only been officially in business for the last year. It all began with a few metal-smithing classes at her local community college. After learning the craft, she then took about 6 years off to travel and just screw around. Often the best form of inspiration in our opinion! She then got serious again four years ago and enrolled in the university of Washington, and last spring received a bachelor of fine arts (BFA) in metals.

Jessi loves to hammer stuff! Especially on concrete!
These earrings are inspired by city sidewalks that have been
polished smooth by millions of feet.
Made of oxidized sterling silver.

With the main goal of making interesting, unusual, quality jewelry the business began. She often works with found objects and alternative materials, but also just loves plain ol' metal. Basically this girl just makes stuff all the time.

Small, tasteful, yet eye-catching, these little accents
come in a wide assortment of designs.
Each one is hand-stamped with zest, and paired with
either an identical twin or complimenting mate.

Everything is made of sterling silver (and sometimes a little gold), and everything is handmade by Jessi herself - so no two things are exactly the same. She also really likes it when something has the marks of construction on it; so you will find a lot of her pieces still have hammer marks, wonky shapes and little imperfections - it makes each piece unique and special.

For the indecisive amongst us

And luckily for us, that's just the way we like things at HQ, a little imperfect and perfect for you. My favorite piece: the delicate sparrow feet, creepy to some, delicate and gorgeous to me!

If you're interested in custom stuff, she also does that too. Check out her website for some of the one-of-a-kind pieces she's made.

www.jessitaylor.com

To Infinity!

You know when you look in a mirror, and there's a mirror behind you or something, and it looks like you're looking into infinity? Well that's kind of the feeling I'm having right now, when I tell you to check out a blog on le Voir online, which is referring to our blog. Check out the little feature online at Voir for some kind words about the new Recycled Rings by Michelle Kendrick which we just got in yesterday.

Merci to Émilie Villeneuve the kind writer of this blog post at Le Voir!

Recycled Rings

We just received a package of something really special and beautiful, something we've never seen before, so we hope you all are just as excited about these as we are. The package in question contained these stunning hand embroidered recycled rings made by Michelle Kendrick from Chicago.


She thought of the idea last winter when she was in a fibers/fashion studio class while getting her masters in art therapy at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. One of her projects was to buy a trench coat from a thrift shop and completely reconstruct it so that it was unrecognizable. She really enjoyed this process and started looking for other items to reuse. Rings were her first choice, but being so busy in school she was only able to make a few sketches of ideas and there they sat in her sketchbook for several months until summer came and she made a few and wore them around. People seemed to like them, so a few weeks ago she made a website and the rest is history!


Michelle explained to me that there is a ritualistic element to the making of these rings. She has a little silver bowl in her living room where she keeps all the finished rings. Each time she finishes one, she drops it in the bowl, hears the clink, and then knows it's time to move on to the next one. She even has some photos on her site of the little silver bowl with rings in them.

In addition to this unique ring concept, Michelle also has a company called Strong Girl Inc. This company is more on the art therapy side of Michelles interests. She started a program that she will be running out of a public school this coming school year called the Strong Girl Arts Club. It's basically introducing adolescent girls to artwork by female contemporary artists, and then having them make projects based on the topics and style of their work, all with a focus on self esteem building. If you want more info on this project check it out at: http://stronggirl.org/

www.recycledrings.com

New Goodies from Roadkill

Elaine from Roadkill has been sewing up a storm. Check out all these new leather wallets she brought down for us. Some great new designs and some old favorites in new colours, so exciting! These wallets are so great, I have one myself for all my change. Basically I beat the shit out of this thing, and it has not broken in any way.



Oh also all the Roadkill purses and totes we have at HQ are now 20% off, now's your chance, go get that Roadkill purse you've been waiting for!