This ilk

Those of you in Montreal will know about the Souk@SAT holiday artisan show that we've sold our designs at for the past few seasons, and you will probably also know that the work being sold at the show is really amazing. So every time we're doing this show, we're also sneaking off to check out the work and see if anything will be a good fit for HQ.


THIS time however, a great new designer for HQ was literally thrown in our lap. OK well not literally, that would be a bit weird, but what really happened was Clayton & Adam from Complex Geometries came over and were like "you HAVE to have our friends stuff in your store, it's amazing, and it would be perfect."


I can hardly argue with that kind of introduction, and yes, they were right. Smartly the lovely designer (Tamara Bavdek) was wearing a few of her pieces at the show, and I was immediatley smitten. Now I'm happy to say we're fully stocked up at HQ with her beautifully ornate, yet modern pieces. Love!


To give you a bit of background info about "This Ilk" here's some info that Tamara gave me:

What about the name, "This Ilk"?
the word Ilk signifies "of the same class or kind"

Who is the person behind all this goodness?
Tamara Bavdek completed a bachelor's degree in Industrial Design at University of Montreal in 2007. After many, many years of long blond hair, she needed a change. After finally getting a short haircut, she started seeking large earrings to compliment and femininize her look. (I can totally relate to this by the way, having had long hair for many years before chopping it into the bob)

And how, pray tell, did you come up with these great pieces?
Having always been obsessed with Pop Art and the '60s era, she turned to trendsetter of the time Edith Minturn "Edie" Sedgwick for inspiration. This actress/model/heiress was, in fact, Andy Warhol's (most renowned artist of the Pop Art movement) muse and greatly inspired his work as well.

Nicely done packaging makes us super happy, what of yours?
As for the packaging, an attempt to draw attention to the "not-so-well-known-in-Canada" industrial design trade, uses photographs of fellow designers disguised as Warhol paintings.

How did these beauties go from idea to hanging in HQ?
After making a few iterations for herself, Tamara's earrings started to attract a bit of attention. Positive encouragement pushed her to start This Ilk, which is now introduced to you through a first collection of earrings.
Inspiration, let's hear it!
The collection is divided into 5 groups named after various cunning feminin caracters: Poison Ivy, Athena, Ms. Peacock, Octopussy and Jeannie.
Made of hardened lace and hypoallergenic nickel, This Ilk earrings are comfortable to wear despite their size.

Thanks again Tamara, I cannot WAIT to see these beauties swinging from the ears of Montreal beauties all around the city this spring!

xo
Angie