My weekend at EPIC Expo

EPIC expo is all about sustainable lifestyle, green solutions in manufacturing, fair trade, safe food and environment preservation.  I was extremely lucky to be a part of this show this weekend...

For three days Jola V. Designs was stationed at the Eco Fashion Marketplace, amongst other sustainable brands of BC.

 We showed off our new banners and a full colour range of rescued leather, canvas and denim purses.

Even though my ankles were complaining by the end of the day Saturday, it was all worth while. I met some great people, had some very supportive neighbours, talked to media and had our debut fashion show.


Eco-education is spreading wide in North America, thanks to the events, such as this one. Independent fashion has been long practising sustainability and waste reduction, and now we can encourage buyers and public to place their monetary vote on us, rather than mass produced goods, that often disregard both, fair trade, and the environmental impact.







The Runway show
I was pleasantly surprised to be invited to take part in the EPIC Runway series, in collaboration with the Vancouver Eco Fashion Week.  My bags made their runway debut, needless to say I was very excited and honoured! Here are all the eight looks by JVD for the Accessories show...

QtBeach

QtBeach

QtBeach

QtBeach

Sarah LF, Metallic

Sarah LF, Metallic

Nijole, Jewel Purple

Nijole, Jewel Purple

Sarah LF, London Mint

Sarah LF, London Mint

Virga, Brown Smoke

Virga, Brown Smoke

Renata, Syrah Industriale

Renata, Syrah Industriale

Final

Oh - and, did I mention all the great drink samples I got to try, while at the show - juice, wine, beer and coffee! I did not know we had such amazingly tasting treasures brewed right in our own back yard!

Loved my weekend at EPIC and I am looking forward to returning to the show next year...


Posted by Jolanta http://jolavdesigns.com

Coming Of Age comes to a close...

 Pre-Fall 2010 Coming Of Age is our second collection, I started early last year. I learned quite a few new skills while building it, shaped my aesthetics and continued to work around my limitations as a new craftsperson. Today, I still have alot to learn, improve and re-measure.

Last week I began sketching what will be my third, Fall/ Winter 2011 Collection, and, even, cut a few preliminary patterns - just to shred them two days later...  After a few days of re-designing and re-sketching, I think I can safely say that I have five completely new styles to be rolled out later this Summer. I will start cutting the new patterns as soon as next week!

My big Spring show, EPIC Expo takes place this weekend, and as soon as I am back home and rested, the new sample building will begin.

Now, as usual, in every transition from an "old" collection to a new one, I would like to hold on to a couple of bag styles from Coming Of Age, and keep making them alongside the new stuff. Some of you know, after discontinuing most of my Spring 2010 Intro Collection, I brought back Jaki Shoulder bag (see previous post), and Renata, re-vamped for 2011.

I would love some feedback to decide, which styles should make it into the Fall/ Winter 2011 season....

Here are all the styles in Pre-Fall 2010 Coming Of Age & Coming Of Age Fast mini-collection:

Sarah

Sarah, Limited Finish

Virga

Virga TCB

TerriAnn

Nijole

Katie, The Bag

Emma

Wrap belt

When I look at this Look Roll, I realize, how small both collections are... I have a few ideas of what I THINK I would like to keep, but nothing yet is set at this point. It feels good to review your own work, and re-evaluate it...

Posted by Jolanta http://jolavdesigns.com/

Some new things...

In the past few days I have assembled some purses in my newly found Spring colours... A few new syles, and a few new randitions....
Here are a few pics...

Emma, Mahogany

Virga, Mahogany

Sarah, Spanish Moss

Sarah, Evening, Plattinum

Sarah, London Mint

Sarah, One of a kind, Orange

Sarah, Cognac

Jaki, Shoulder bag

Some of these can be found at our Webshop...


Posted by Jolanta http://jolavdesigns.com

How we selected our winner

On the 11th of April I drew the lucky winner of the Light Grey Sarah bag.
Here is a brief stop-motion story on how it unfolded....

I typed all the names of my draw participants on separate pieces of paper..

The names

Names + the Prize

I folded the pieces of paper, so no names would be seen through. Then put them into my trusty purple hat, closed it and shook it well...

...all in the hat!..

...the shake....

This is our winner!

Draw...

Unfolding the piece reveals our winner...

...and the lucky winner...

Congrats to Sarah G!

... the Light Grey Sarah bag is travelling to its new home in Canada!


 Posted by Jolanta http://jolavdesigns.com

Metallics - new and unexplored...

Platinum coloured leather

 On one of my supply runs, I reluctantly picked up a small, but sturdy side of metallic leather. A bunch of them just got liquidated out of the States, so I decided to get one and see if I can ever work with it.

Now, I am no big fan of metallic purses. They had a few strong years of presence back around 2004, and it appears to be, that Fall of 2011 may become their another cyclical return. On occasion, I would find a metallic bag I would like in some ways, like the silhouette, or the feel of leather, but always found it hard to wrap  - even my tolerant mind -  around the bedazzled atrocities of the decor, tacky logo medallions or out-dated hardware. So, when the leather landed on my table, I knew I will need some time to distance my imagination from the countless images of other people's unfortunate metallic creations.
For the next few days I started doubting if it is even possible to make a tasteful metallic bag...Or, if I can even see any of my existing designs in a Metallic...  I almost decided to give the idea up, thinking that "bling" just was not me.


I found images of these several bags, that appeared to be free of all the traditional mishaps of the Metallic trends:

Stella McCartney

Lucca-Elliott

Salvatore Ferragamo

Foley And Corinna

 
 Ironically, all these bags, even though Metallic,- are still of Earth colours - modified shades of brown and beige. My leather was beaming Platinum, making me as nervous, as ever... 


I received some great advice from fellow bag makers and fans - to use my Metallic for accents, small purses, etc. Some were way bolder, encouraging me to "just do it" - cut it that is...


I decided to start with the latter, and take steps to tackle my points of anxiety one my one: 

1.To soften the look of the Platinum coloured 4.5 oz'er, I needed to apply it to one of my softest and simplest designs.  In Metallic.

Metallic Limited Finish Sarah

2. In order to not take the look overboard, I shortened the strap, creating an evening version of the Sarah bag.

1/2 strap for Evening version

3. Since ties would not work very well of a stiffer leather, I used an understated buckle for strap adjustments.

Buckled strap - all one tone!

Done - The prototype will make it's debut at my booth at Make It Vancouver next weekend....

I was surprised how happy I was with the final result. The next day I wore it out for my very necessary "sampling" walk, and the feedback I got, tells me, that we are on the right track with this one... Needless to say, I went back to my supplier and retrieved another Platinum side for future production.

Full metal

 Till further notice, the Limited Finish Metallic Sarah bags will only be available at the Webshop.

Posted by Jolanta http://jolavdesigns.com