Bellissima for Japan

When we said we were inspired by the big hearts to be found in Calgary, we were very serious. Example: there are some great Calgary businesses reaching out to help those affected by the tragedy in Japan, and we were happy to find out from our friend Ania B. (and PARK4JAPAN collaborator) that local fashion stop Bellissima is one of them.

If you follow the link by clicking on the image above or the banner on the side of this blog, and then "like" the Bellissima facebook page, the store will donate $1 to Doctors without Borders to aid relief efforts in Japan. We love supporting local fashion in the city and connecting Calgarians with local places to shop, but we think it's even better to find fashion with a conscience. 

PARK4JAPAN Presented by The Gerry Thomas Gallery

Disaster and tragedy strike without any notice. When the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, the world could only watch time stop as we felt the pain of the thousands of people affected from afar... and then it was time to take action.

Our mandate as PARK is to build culture in our city, and the best culture building often comes through the beats of that big old heart muscle of our city. Thankfully, in no time, PARK's awesome contacts and collective of creatives, artists, designers and generally, people who throw their heart into anything they do, are stepping up to put together an event with our good friends at the Gerry Thomas Gallery. It's time to do something local to help this global tragedy.

PARK4JAPAN 
Presented by The Gerry Thomas Gallery

Thursday, April 7 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm

The Gerry Thomas Gallery

602 11 Avenue SW

Calgary, AB

Silent Auction featuring several local designers & artists

Art Exhibition

Exclusive Show Room Presentation of Caitlin Power's A/W 2011 Collection

Tickets $30 (Available at the door or online here: www.tickettrunk.com/buy/850)

Dress Code: Smart Casual

Appetizers will be provided

18+ Event

All profits from the event, all proceeds from the silent auction, and 10% of gallery art work sold will be donated to the Red Cross to aid victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami

Visit our event on Facebook to RSVP and get updates, and get news in real time through our twitter. The best thing you can bring is your heart- but please feel free to contact PARK if you'd like to participate through donation or any other sort of contribution!

Special thanks to the collaborators who truly showed how big their hearts are by stepping up to take part in this event:
Gerry Thomas Gallery
Ania B
Jason Eng Photography
Shea Kearwood Photographer and Graphic Designer
Jennie Lyle Fashion Stylist
hedkandi salon, hair stylists Kristin Page and Kate Gonzalez, and MUA Julia D'angelo

 We hope to see you there!

Good Vibes: Light and Soul Party

On Wednesday March 23rd, our good friends Light & Soul threw a killer event at the Ant Hill Building in Kensington to release their new Animalistic collection.  The PARK team and I attended this event, and it was honestly something you had to see to believe because my description of what happened that night does not do it justice whatsoever. 

From the second we walked we were surrounded by creativity, friends, love, and good vibes.  It was definitely an original night and I wouldn't expect anything less from the L&S crew.  Being the fashion obsessed people we are, the first thing we did was check out their new collection which we previewed at PARKSHOW 2011.  It was a collection of art printed t-shirts and tank tops, and our favourite pieces were the hand dyed ponchos and scarves that I am just dying to get for this summer.

       

**photos by Eric Epie at PARKSHOW 2011

 The rest of our night consisted of:

An inspiring art show with work by 16 local artists, our favourite piece being a cross stitched picture of Tupac by Davey Gravy. 

Delicious organic snacks that included my childhood favourite, ants on a log. (Celery, peanut butter, raisins)

A mini skateboard ramp where everyone could show off their craziest tricks. 

Dressing up in cardboard costumes and moustaches in the photo booth. 

A fierce dance presentation/ fashion show by Dangerkat. 

Hula hooping, and a limbo contest.

The L&S van was in the building for us to paint on.  Some people painted some amazing stuff on there... I was not one of them.  If you ever get a chance to see it, look for the worst painting you can find on the back of the van and I can guarantee you that it's mine. (I tried my best.)

And we busted out our best moves and danced the night away to a 12 piece funk band.

To be honest that is only the beginning of the list of crazy stuff that happened that night, and if you weren’t there you truly missed out on a memorable event.  It was a night of building community and culture here in Calgary, while promoting local art and fashion.  The Light & Soul crew is a group of wickedly talented, passionate, and inspiring artists and designers, and it's always fun to see what they have up their sleeves.

I'm still feeling the love from the Animalistic launch party , and the PARK team cannot wait for the next one!

  

- Maeghan

PARKSHOW Eve

T'was the night before PARKSHOW, and the PARK team has to say, that tomorrow is the big day!

Today is the last day for you to buy your tickets online at http://www.tickettrunk.com/event/buy/844

Make sure you buy your tickets in advance because there will only be a limited number for sale at the door, and trust me you do not want to miss out!

We are working hard all today and tomorrow to transform the Arrata Opera Center, and bring you an amazing and unforgettable event.

Art Exhibition: 8:00pm
Fashion Show: 9:30pm
Sample Sales: 11:00pm -12am
Performances by Ian Keteku and Lacey Taylor
15$ Entry
PARTY TO FOLLOW

Special thanks to our sponsors

Sophia Models International - www.sophiamodels.com
Conglomerate Magazine - www.conglomeratemag.com
Smashbox Make-up - www.smashbox.com
Hedkandi Salon - www.hedkandisalon.com
Studio Coalition - www.studiocoalition.com

Heineken - www.heineken.com
Victoria Park BRZ - www.victoriapark.org
PK Sound - www.pksound.ca
Night Panda Productions - www.nightpanda.ca
Pumped! Shoes - www.facebook.com/pumpedshoes
Redbull - www.redbull.ca
This event is Bull Frog Powered - www.bullfrogpower.com
Cat's Eye Vintage

T Minus 3

3 Days!

This Saturday come down to the Arrata Opera Center and check out our talented featured designers:

Light & Soul Apparel

Madame Wolf

MaNoKin Designs

NRT Fashions

KARA

Apiana Que

Chantel Traub

Emogen Couture

Alecyn Lea

And also be sure to read the amazing new article "The Empire Called PARK" on the Conglomerate Magazine Website!

http://www.conglomeratemag.com/2011/the-empire-called-park/

Final Countdown

Art Exhibition: 8pm
Fashion Show: 9:30 pm
Performances by Ian Keteku and Lacey Taylor
Sample Sale + Party to Follow
$15 Entry

4 Days!

Stay up do date with all the PARKSHOW 2011 details by following us on facebook and twitter.

You can also purchase your tickets for the show in advance on tickettrunk.com 

We can't wait to see you there!



**Visual Imagery + Design Provided by:
STUDIO COALITIONwww.studiocoalition.com
www.facebook.com/studiocoalition

Model: Claire Cormeau
MUA: Sandra Cross
Hair: Kristin Page
Styling: Jen Huxtable + Kara Chomistek 

PARK loves: MaNoKin Design

 

Marsina King, the creative director of MaNoKin Design, started sewing at the young age of 6 and hasn’t stopped since.  


Born and raised in Calgary, Marsina’s passion for fashion design took her out of Cowtown and across the country to Ryerson University in Toronto, where she received a Bachelor of Design in Fashion Design.  After completing her degree Marsina moved back to Calgary to launch her line in 2010 and showcased her Spring/ Summer 2011 collection in her first independent fashion show last October.  I had been hearing about MaNoKin for a while, and had the pleasure of attending this show; I was extremely impressed by Marsina’s unique design aesthetic and keen attention to detail. 

I recently asked Marsina to speak a little bit about the inspiration behind her lovely label.

  "Design is Everywhere" encompasses the philosophy which inspires the MaNoKin label. Minute details which can easily be overlooked are translated into a focal point on a garment. MaNoKin embodies a balance between practicality and creativity, work and play, sex appeal and modesty. The MaNoKin woman has an eye for quality craftsmanship and unique details while appreciating a wearability that translates off the runway.”

Lately Marsina’s inspiration has been drawn from past eras and her collections have a feminine, groovy vintage undertone to them. I love that a certain sort of disco-ready west coast brightness makes her last collection pop, playing draping with structure and bandage in a fascinating way.


I was lucky enough to get a preview of the MaNoKin Fall/Winter 2011 collection, which will be launched at PARKSHOW 2011, and I can guarantee you it will not disappoint!  You'll have to come to the show to see for yourself, but I can say this much: her Fall / Winter 2011 collection is very different from her previous one, showing us just how versatile and creative Marsina King really is.  She may be new to the scene but she is oozing with talent and a fresh new perspective and is definitely one to keep an eye on! 

Contact: manokindesign.com

marsina@manokindesign.com

**Photos by Samantha Murdock Photography

- Maeghan    

NAIL IT- Soft Spring

What do pretty pastels, metallic grays, and rosy nudes have in common? They're all part of the softly gorgeous and utterly fresh 2011 nail polish trends dreamily appearing on all the fashionable digits this season.


Now that spring is just around the corner, fashionistas and beauty lovers are blooming lovely with sweet, sometimes gothy, feminine influences in all aspects of their wardrobes, from wide-brimmed floppy hats bedecked with large fabric flowers, to sheer printed dresses and piles of lace. What better to accent this ladylike spring awakening than with Easter egg manicures that look good enough to eat (warning: do not chomp down- they may look like it but your nails are not Cadbury mini eggs).

Tiffany Blue & Lovely in Lavender

These nail colors showed up at the Nicholas K show and they have "Spring" written all over them. Sayonara winter, I'm ready to embrace these Tiffany blues, dusty purples and saturated lavenders that look great with most skin tones. These colours totally play off the blue sky finally breaking through and the tulips that would be making an appearance if it weren't for all that snow that is still hanging around in Calgary (like, seriously weather?). 

Sparkle Sparkle

Taking a cue from the ultra luxe golds, silvers and gemstone tones showing up as runway staples over the last few seasons, metallics on nails are the “IT" trend for all of 2011. From soft pearly quartz to gun metal rock, I'm feeling the crystal cave vibes from this trend- and think the colours would be perfect to try out a Minx manicure with. 

Pinks and Peaches, Oh my!

*All Pictures are from refinery29.com

Nothing is as girly girl, nostalgic, and neutral in the prettiest way than the blush showing up EVERYWHERE in fashion right now. Sending me back to my childhood past time of poking through my mother's closet for dress up clothes, and hinting at my favourite type of tea rose, these soft pinks and peachy nudes can make any skin tone look flushed and lovely like a new romance.

-Shelby

Studio Coalition x PARK: PARKSHOW Spring 2011 Campaign

When it came time to creating the perfectly tantalizing, beautiful images we needed to give people in the city a teaser of what will be in store with our next burlesque themed PARKSHOW, we knew we'd get the best of the best with the design and photography team behind Studio Coalition, our friends Joseph Camacho and Derek Heisler. The dream team was completed with model Claire Cormeau, Sandra Cross on makeup, Kristin Page (Hedkandi Salon) on hair, and Jen Huxtable and Kara Chomistek on styling.

Have you seen the final result? Breathtaking.

We've been so lucky to partner with such talented artists and creatives within Calgary, and we couldn't have found a better team to create and nail the sort of dreamy decadence we were looking to capture for the event.

Just to give you a little taste of what goes into the collaborative work we've done to show off the PARKSHOW, here are some behind he scenes photos, all courtesy of Studio Coalition (check them out on facebook too).

*ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF STUDIO COALITION (c) 2011.

Studio Coalition is:

Derek Heisler || Joseph Camacho

We express passion and innovation through provocative imagery. We work with visionary and ambitious brands. We fuse creative conceptual development with exhaustive execution. We stimulate thought, evoke emotion and drive action.

http://www.studiocoalition.com/

https://www.facebook.com/studiocoalition

We have more poster versions to show you soon, and would you believe it- only ONE WEEK 'til PARKSHOW SS2011 (!!!). So, have you got your tickets yet? Click the link on the sidebar if you want to buy some online. 

We can't wait for the big reveal... as always, we're really putting on a SHOW for you, Calgary.

-Suzie

Red Carpet Moment- The Academy Awards

Every year, award show season comes around, but the only one that I get genuinely excited for is the Academy Awards and it's all for one reason: the fashion. Even though other award shows are far more entertaining and recognize people I actually know exist, the other shows just never seem to have the magic and prestige that is the Oscars. There's a special sort of pageant and fairytale that comes to life on that Hollywood red carpet.


Once upon a time, when I was a little girl, I would get the TV guide with all the nominees in it and pick which ones I thought would win ( even though I had no idea what they were) and I would beg my mom to let me stay up until 11 to watch the entire show. Not because I cared who won best score in a short foreign film, but because to my childish eyes the Oscars were the royal ball and all of the presenters, hosts, and nominees were like Cinderella and Belle. And for one night, I could pretend my pumpkin (Big Wheels bike) was a crystal carriage (limo with a driver and a ticket to the after party).



The Oscars is an event known for ultimate Hollywood glamour and guests dressed in over the top princess gowns that make my heart melt, but this year it seemed like the stars' fairy godmothers didn't show up with their magical pairs of glass slippers. While there were a few dresses that made my jaw drop, for the most part everyone played it safe and looked like each other: I swear I just saw the same pretty but plain, straight, floor length, short sleeved dress over and over again. 


Plus side: every one wearing the same thing made my job of picking out trends a lot easier- the red carpet was littered with white, red, silver, bold solid jewel tones, short sleeves, column dresses, intricate details, less is more jewellery and simple hairdos.  The outfits at the Academy Awards, and the award show itself (sorry, James and Anne!) could have really used the wave of a magic wand, because I just sat there waiting for the clock to strike midnight so that the curse of boredom the show cast me into would finally be over. So instead, I'll make up my own fairytale about the characters I saw on the red carpet:

 Natalie Portman not only won the Oscar for best actress but also won the Oscar for best dressed in my books in a plum Rodarte off the shoulder gown. Mirror mirror on the wall who's the fairest of them all? Definitely Mila Kunis in lavender Elie Saab. And newly single Scarlet Johansson didn't leave with Oscar but she will have no problem finding a prince charming in that stunning lace covered Dolce & Gabbana column dress.



Florence Welch from Florence and the Machine looks like a medieval princess in an ivory, ruffled Valentino, a colour reminiscent of her Grammy's dress but somehow working better here.  And all Halle Berry in Marchesa and Hilary Swank in Gucci Premiere need to make these gowns royal ball ready is a tiara because their dresses are the perfect combination of classic glamour and modern day detailing.  



Didn't the evil stepmother always wear black? Well obviously not because all three of these nice ladies look like royalty in their black ball gowns.  Left to right- Elizabeth Chambers in Armani with some Social Network actor arm candy, Camila Alvez in Kaufman Franco that made me not even look at the gorgeous Matthew McConaughey next to her.  And Oprah commanding the stage in Zac Posen.

It was a bright red apple that poisoned Snow White, but Anne Hathaway in Valentino (with the designer, whose skin colour matches the carpet), Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein, and Sandra Bullock in Vera Wang look delicious enough for me to want to risk it and take a bite.



Finally a princess-worthy poofy gown on Marisa Tomei! Thank you Charles James! And no tiaras necessary for Penelope Cruz and Amy Adams, both in L'Wren Scott (and both new moms!), because their dresses already have the perfect amount of sparkle.



Future princess Kate Middleton still looking for a white wedding dress? She should talk to these ladies! Cate Blanchette was a lot of critics' choice for best dressed in art deco inspired Givenchy Haute Couture. Melissa Leo caused a little controversy by dropping an F-bomb during her acceptance speech, but we forgive her because she looks elegant in a lace scalloped Marc Bouwer.  And Michelle Williams lets her natural beauty shine in this plain beaded Chanel Haute Couture.

Celine Dion (left) in Armani Prive and Gwenyth Paltrow (right) in Calvin Klein show that silver can sometimes be better then gold. Meanwhile, Nicole Kidman (center) is forcing me look into my magic mirror for an opinion- I am undecided about her white Dior Haute Couture dress and orange shoe combination.

Sharon Stone must have been riding with the top down in her carriage because it looks like a bird flew into the top of her dress. I wouldn't want Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter in Colleen Atwood to be my wicked step siblings; who knows what kind of crazy pranks they would come up with. And Virginia Madsen obviously is against the killing of cute little forest animals so she went with a nice fun fur Romona Keveza dress instead.

I'm confused if Jennifer Hudson in Atelier Versace is going to a royal ball or her high school graduation? Kathryn Bigelow must have gotten a ride to the Academy Awards in the Starship Enterprise because her Yves Saint Laurent dress is screaming Captain Kirk (or someone attacking a sweater with a pair of scissors). And when Mandy Moore showed up in  Monique Lhuillier who did they call? Ghost Busters! She's definitely the phantom lady in the castle- but the dress is a work of art.

**All images from style.com

-Maeghan