Freedom Team Visits One of a Kind

The Freedom team took a field trip to the One of a Kind show to support our artists and designers. It felt a little bit like a reunion - we got to say hi to our out-of-town designers that we barely get to see, catch up with those that have gone MIA in preparations for holiday madness, and check out a wide selection of their goods.

It was inspiring to see the booths that each of them put together. These little habitats shed another light into their creative vision and resourcefulness (of course, upscycled and restyled materials were often used in the building of these nooks).  

Without further ado, here are some quick shots that we took to share with you guys!

atelier b., made in Montreal by Catherine Metivier and Anne-Marie Laflamme. We carry an extensive selection of their extremely well-made, sustainable line. Each of us owns numerous items by them and we're still wanting more!

Jen Kneulman is the power girl behind Freshly Printed: a line of organic tea-towels, aprons, and other kitchen wear. She prints at her Harbourfront studio with all natural dyes, as you might have learned from our blogpost way back when.

Based in Montreal, Cindy Cantin makes incredibly well-made bags from wool felt and leather that she obtains from furniture factories. Learn more about her line by scrolling down or clicking here.

Another fabulous Montreal designer is Noujica. These. Scarves. Are. The. Warmest. And. The. Coolest. Cannot emphasize that more. 

Krystal Speck makes colourful earthenware with imagery from nature. Her pieces bring a bright touch of the outdoors to your kitchen and home. She's based in Toronto, but sometimes scours Ontario farmlands for discarded wood, in this case, she used these remnants for this comfortably rustic booth.

Made just a few minutes away from Freedom, these mittens by SLO are becoming a common sight all around Toronto. Made from upcycled wool sweaters and lined with fleece for extra comfort and warmth. Check out these new ones for them little guys!

Last but not least is Voyou by Lise-Marie Cayer, who is so sweet she got us free tickets to the show. This whole blogpost would not happen without her generosity, and yet ironically, I forgot to take a photo of her booth. Truth be told, I was too distracted by her new winter coats. (They come in black and red, with tan leather detailing and huge pockets.) Good thing Karen took a photo for tweeting purposes though! 

We also made new friends, because there is no way we can walk right pass pretty handmade items!

1. Maude makes beautiful vases, mugs, espresso cups, and other dishes in Montreal.
2. Fiona Louie makes stunning sterling silver jewelry. Here's a close-up view of a bunny ring, and there's a slug right next to it too.
3. Jenna Rose designs and screen-prints her own fabric to make adorable throws, pillows, and home decor items. Kate Hunyer helps with the production process out of their studio in Hamilton. Sometimes she knits and works at shows too.
4. Adea Chung makes jewelry out of recycled wood in British Columbia. Her line is called billy would.
5. Ashley Coulson designs and screen-prints her own line of stationery and custom wedding invitations under the label Flakes Paperie.
6. Kessa sews the cutest line of children wear called Patouche. She also made an amazing fabric tree for her booth.
7. This adorable owl is by Hilary Cosgrove. It is simply the cutest creature in the whole show! 


The One of a Kind show is still going on for a few more days. It's just a subway ride and $14 admission price away! Of course, if you can't make it, our doors are open every day from noon to 7:3o and we do indeed carry one-of-a-kind, handmade goods from 140 local artists, including those that you see in this post.


Wishing you the best of pre-holiday shopping!

Holiday Gift Guide 2011

We present to you a guide, that is by no means complete (trust us!), to the wonderful goodies you could buy your loved ones this holiday season.

Click on the image to make it bigger :)

Big bear hug thank you to Megan Jana for making this beautiful Gift Guide

into a thing of absolute stunning-ness!!
Of course, we also thank YOU, dear readers, for choosing to support local creatives this holiday season. We hope these one-of-a-kind goodies will bring extra warmth to your families and friends.
-
-

Reminder: Reception this Friday for Change of Seasons

Just a reminder that the reception for this month's exhibition, Change of Seasons by Geneviève Jodouin is happening this Friday, Nov 25th at 8 pm.

The exhibition consists of a four-metre-long installation piece along the top of our east wall (pictured above) and four framed pieces (see below). Each of the framed pieces represents a season from the installation. While the installation is staying with us until January, the framed works are coming down at the beginning of December. You get to see a lot of the wonderful details of the figures and the floral cityscape through these pieces, so make sure you check them out before it's too late!

Change of Seasons

By Geneviève Jodouin

Nov 11 - Jan 31

Reception: Friday, Nov 25th at 8 pm

Learn more in our original post here.

City of Craft 2011

This year's City of Craft is coming up! Are you excited? We are! We looked through photos of their vendors and Marsya ended up curating a mini show-and-tell of her favourite art prints. Check it out on the City of Craft blog!

It also features two of our designers: 1% Talent (you've seen his monster prints on tees and tote bags at Freedom) and Jacob Rolfe (keep an eye out for his prints and calendar).

             

City of Craft 2011

Sat, December 10th at 11 - 6

Sun, December 11th at 11 - 5

The Theatre Centre - 1087 Queen St West

Thrush Holmes Empire - 1093 Queen St West

For more info, check out their site!

C comme ça bags Now Available at Freedom Clothing.

C comme ça is a concept born from the desire to combine 

design, ecology and everyday living. 

With formal training in art and design and also extensive experience with aboriginal communities, Cindy Cantin has made felt, a material used extensively by our ancestors, her material of choice. She discovered that it possesses many remarkable, yet unexpected properties; made of merino wool or recycled fibres, felt is sustainable, durable and water resistant. Her custom-made protective sleeves for laptops, iPhones, iPods and iPads provide a natural protection for today's most modern devices while her storage baskets or desk organizers bring a touch of warmth to contemporary interiors. Cindy combines felt, recycled leather and other diverse materials into clean streamlined designs. Playing with the modern as well as the traditional, she has developed a unique, timeless style; simplicity married with classical, or sometimes even vintage.

www.ccommeca.ca

All of these unique items were handmade in Montreal.

.

.

Tonight is WORN Fashion Journal's Black Cat Ball

As always, Freedom is your one stop shop for all you need to be the belle of the ball!

Saturday, Nov 12th at the Dovercourt House (five minutes away from Freedom!). Doors open at nine. Learn more about the event here.

November Exhibition: Change of Seasons by Geneviève Jodouin

Change of Seasons

By Geneviève Jodouin

Nov 11 - Jan 31

Reception: Friday, Nov 25th at 8 pm

Geneviève has taken on the changing of the seasons as her subject matter. As time passes in her piece, the 175 figures she has illustrated walk through a floral cityscape while adding and then removing layers of clothing to reflect the temperature outside. The simple actions of taking a walk and dressing become a four-metre long narrative that takes the viewer through one year in the city.

The relationships between people and the spaces they live in is a recurring theme in Jodouin's work. In these prints, she focuses on the streets that she travels to and from work every day. The city becomes a secondary character in this piece, dressed up in her trademark floral patterning. It is a whimsical background to the quiet solitude of the figure, walking alone as the colours around her are turning.

Geneviève Jodouin was born and raised in Northern Ontario, she now lives and works in Toronto. She holds a BFA from the Ontario College of Art and Design, from which she graduated in 2006. She prints and teaches at Open Studio and works at The Japanese Paper Place. She is represented at LE gallery where she has been exhibiting for the past 7 years.

Learn more:
www.genevievejodouin.ca 
www. le-gallery.ca

Meet and Greet with Priya Means Love!

We are hosting a meet-and-greet with Priya of Priya Means Love next Saturday, Nov 12th at 2 to 5 pm. Can't wait till then? Thank goodness for Francie of Sister Valentine who interviewed Priya for us as a prelude to the event!
With the days getting increasingly colder here in Southern Ontario, we're all beginning to remember the little pet peeves that are expected every year: your hair is a frizzy mess, your hands feel like sandpaper, and your chapped lips are begging for relief. Priya Means Love natural and organic products are just what your skin and hair will be asking for! 
They are made from all-natural ingredients like organic herbs, clays, cold-pressed organic oils, local beeswax, and organic essential oils. The natural smells of these products alone will surely invite you to try them.

Made from scratch by Priya herself, these products are not at all like what you would find in malls or department stores. “Sometimes when I’m going about my day, I smell something that triggers an idea. I get a visual olfactory in my head that I want to create,” said Priya.  “I do the whole process, from start to finish, myself: I formulate my concoctions, craft them by infusing, melting, and blending my ingredients in just the right way, and I package and write the labels myself.”

Priya believes there is a certain energy from truly handcrafted goods and hopes that this quality shows through in her line. “It’s especially exciting when I’ve created  a product that not only works, but also one that people say to be impossible to make without using synthetics (haircare is a good example) – and yet I’ve made it without compromising one bit of my personal policy of only using whole ingredients.  That’s the best feeling!”

When first starting to craft skin care products, Priya made sure to bring her personal values to the things she made, such as eating good food that has been locally and sustainably grown. Though it can be chancy and tricky to work this way, Priya says the bonus is that every ingredient has an origin you can be proud of and is the best in its effect on the skin.

“Combine these ingredients in the right way and, just as with food, the result is deeply nourishing and is sensually pleasurable in a way that no synthetic can touch.” said Priya. “There’s a ton of trial and error, of course, but it’s so satisfying when I’m able to turn the vision I had into a full-bodied reality.”

Unable to chose just one must-have product for this winter, Priya pinned it down to two.

The Lavanilla Body Butter is great for after a shower to lock in moisture. Its buttery rich mixture of wild lavender and organic Tahitian vanilla makes it almost impossible to have dry, damaged skin. Organic mango butter, olive oil, and sunflower oil moisturizes the skin, reduces inflammation, and regenerates damaged cells.

The runner up product is the Herbal Lip Therapy. Priya suggests slathering on a coat at night and behold the healing, softening power! “I’ve made a lot of lip balm and am still experimenting with different formulas but nothing else seems to compare,” said Priya. Her natural and organic Herbal Lip Therapy comes in both stick and tin that are packed with ingredients like rosemary, extra virgin olive oil, and calendula - a flower plant that has anti-inflammatory, calming and soothing qualities. All these make an excellent balm for sensitive, environmentally damaged lips.

Intrigued to learn more?
Of course you are! That's why we're inviting her to talk to you personally about her products. Priya will have a table set up at Freedom on Saturday November 12^th from 2-5pm to answer any questions. She may even offer some exclusive samples of her new products  - all made with only what Mother Nature gave us, of course. “I'll try to début a couple of new products for the very first time! I’m so excited to finally release the Face Cream I’ve been working on for months, and I should have my new, super-rich Nail & Cuticle Balsam as well!”


See you then!

November 2011 Newsletter

To receive a higher resolution version and subscribe to our newsletter, please e-mail us at freedom.clothing[at]gmail.com.