Sunday, February 16, 2014

Dreamboat Lucy

Today's post is dedicated to the Canadian fashion line Dreamboat Lucy. The team behind the brand are sisters Hilary and Louanna Murphy from Prince Edward Island. After growning up in Kensington, PEI Louanna studied costume and fashion design at Dalhousie University and LaSalle College. Hilary attended Nova Scotia College of Art and Design where she studied jewellery design. Midway through her program, Hilary was joined by Louanna at NSCAD, where the sisters studied together for two years. Upon graduation it made perfect sense for them to go into business together, and in 2010 Dreamboat Lucy was born. Their designs are wearable, feminine pieces with a vintage influence that appeal to women of all ages. Vibrant colours and unique prints are a signature of the brand. Currently DBL is available to purchase online as well as at various boutiques in the Maritimes, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and at Studio Intent in Art Central here in Calgary. Hilary now resides in Calgary and is hoping to expand DBL westward. The inspiration behind the spring 2014 collection is "1950s Barbie goes to Hawaii." The collection includes a number of prints that were designed exclusively for DBL, most notably an adorable pineapple print found on a dress, crop top, and pants. The jewellery that DBL is the most well-known for is the seaglass collection. All of the seaglass is collected on a beach on PEI by Hilary's boyfriend's mother. What makes this jewellery so special is that every piece is completely unique, and the shape of the seaglass will determine what the end product will look like. The spring collection also includes pyrite, pearls, moonstone, and tourmaline. I love the various ways in which these different materials are combined to create a single piece of jewellery.





I love, love, love this top and skirt combo! The pencil skirt features an exposed zipper that runs the entire length of the skirt and is available in three different custom prints, including the pineapple one!





This top is called the Mariah top, after Mariah Carey...love it! The front part of the crop top is woven by Hilary and Louanna's mother on her loom in PEI. She is the Dreamboat Mum! This whole outfit I can definitely picture on Barbie.





I was lucky enough to get my hands on the sample of this top, and I can hardly wait until it's warm enough to wear! I also cannot wait until I get this skirt, which I've ordered.




Love, love, love this one!





And this one! When is summer coming???




The best-selling seaglass studs. I looooove the seaglass, pearl, and pyrite necklace with the bone pendant. All of the seaglass jewellery comes in a variety of colours.




Tourmaline and moonstone jewels.






Love the pyrite studs! So cool. And the pink mother of pearl is the perfect feminine touch to soften the edge of the pyrite. Actually, I think that is what I like the most about Dreamboat Lucy: the mix of soft and hard, edgy and feminine. This is what makes the line so appealing to such a wide variety of ladies! All items are now available for pre-order at www.dreamboatlucy.com























Monday, February 10, 2014

It's New and It's a Shoe...Is It For You?

This post is dedicated to a shoe designer that has popped up on my radar in the last little while, because she is  FREAKING FANTASTIC. She is Sophia Webster, a Britsh a designer. She used to be a design assistant for Nicholas Kirkwood, and you can definitely see the influence he had on her. Her designs are bright, feminine, and full of whimsy. The butterfly styles are my favorites from her spring 2014 collection. I have shown some of the styles below.


 
 
The "Chiara" sandal. Butterflies featured quite prominently in this collection, and I love it! The pink and silver combination is my favorite.
 
 
 
 
Here is the "Cleo," a pointy, closed-toe option. I prefer the sandal, but see below for a shot of "Cleo" in action, and you will discouver how much better they are on the foot.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For spring 2014 Sophia Webster did a capsule collection for J. Crew, which I've shown you above. I am obsessed with the black and white style! Now to find out if any of this is available in Canada..

 
 
 
 
 
Oooh, they come in gold too!
 
 
 
A parting shot...
Sophia Webster has many other amazing styles in her spring collection, the butterfly was my personal favorite, though. Give her a Google and check out the rest!