Sneak Peek!

My mind has been wandering and I have been so busy lately. Here’s a sneak peek at what I have been up to. My COVEN by Sonia Kang line also got published in the March Issue of Ellements Magazine. But, I have been way too busy to make any posts on it. I also now intern at Jenny Bird. :)

Preview at Quaintrella Spring-Summer 2012

In other news. I have had two new products bought off my head recently. :) They are what I call half-circlets. They also make great hijab clips which is funny because most of my sales have been from Muslim girls lately. They are a new product that I am still testing that vaguely look Elven. There are also a few more pieces that will be hitting boutiques very soon that I have posted pictures of in this post. Thoughts? I’m taking the non-bridal stuff to a different direction at the moment. It looks a lot more modern Bohemian.

COVEN by Sonia Kang

My focus for the time being will be developing my re-branded line, COVEN by Sonia Kang. 

Follow my new brand here: COVEN by Sonia Kang and COVEN by Sonia Kang FB Page

Aside from catching up on University work after being sick with the flu for so long. I will not give up Quaintrella - I’m currently waiting for the seasons to turn into Spring so I can set up an appointment with a prominent stockist (a museum) for my gorgeous Quaintrella goodies. I will be moving into a more bridal direction later on in the year and have tonnnnnssss of new product I haven’t posted about. I will do that in the coming weeks. 

Currently, I will be stocking in by stockist boutiques more so then my Etsy. We’ll see what happens. I have let my creative passions flow both ways but I have always wanted to pursue a high-end market. This will be my chance to see just how strong I can be in proving I can take a cutthroat market and challenge the way I do things. The price points are higher and my business plan is almost done. :)

Wish me luck, guys!

Little Devil Outfit Shot and new COVEN by Sonia Kang Updates!

Outfit: COVEN by Sonia Kang Braided Leather Hairband, XXI asymmetrical collar lace blazer, H&M tanktop, Danier leather studded belt, Le Chateau Short Velvet Pencil Skirt, H&M leg warmers, Aldo wedges, and COVEN by Sonia Kang bird skull clutch.

It is quite rare I ever consistently do outfit shots and this does sadden me a bit. But, it is a New Year’s Resolution of mine to try to take more outfit shots! I had actually just dyed my hair my synthetic red. I actually bought out the stock of this red at Pacific Mall when Palty (Japanese hair dye company) announced they were discontinuing it. So, that is the last of my synthetic red shade until I get another Japanese brand or find more of this color. So sad.

This outfit was for the first day opening of Underworld Awakening. I love nothing more then seeing women in catsuits in movies. Kate Beckinsale in PVC is no exception. I loved the movie and am so happy Michael and Selene have a child together. I hate how so many stereotypical fantasy-horror movie genres make vampires dead soulless sterile beings. Life would be so much more beautiful if they could have children with each other (or so the sappy romantic in me would like to think). Then again, there are probably a few sick vampires out there who would abuse this biological advantage. But, let’s not get into the technicalities. :) I definitely think the plot has been getting better as every movie is made in the Underworld series. I really wish I watched it in 3D now.

Another update with my COVEN by Sonia Kang line is that I have finally sewn chain on to the bird skull clutch. It looks amazing. So far, I have a waiting list of at least 5 orders (1 overseas) for the clutch and I have been recommended a couple boutiques to approach in Yorkville once I start production of it after all the testing and refining. Exciting news! I have also started a sample product that I made from scrap leather from the bird skull clutch. I braided the leather and made a really really cool studded headband (I’m wearing it in my outfit shot) which I want to sell very soon after I make a few more tweaks to it. What do you guys think about my new direction and re-branding?

Also, I feel like since re-branding COVEN by Sonia Kang I feel like I should add more black in my wardrobe. I spent two years removing it from my wardrobe and now I want to go back. The irony. 

MENTORS + BIRD SKULL CLUTCH SNEAK PEEK!

Bird Skull Clutch - COVEN by Sonia Kang

 I have had a crazy few days with little sleep and attempting to do as much as I can with the time I putt around being insane - creatively insane that is. People always ask me how I do what I do. I just don’t sleep that much and it has really destroyed pieces of me. Hahaha. I can’t stay on a consistent sleep schedule. Even sleeping early is hard because my body now runs on 5 hour sleep and 1-2 hour power naps.

The great news is that this Passion for Fashion program I completed has this great little middle? Aside from the cash prize competition the best part I think is the MENTORS. I now have FASHION INDUSTRY MENTORS. You have no idea how excited I am over this and I have Mentors who have experience in adding environmental value and charitable causes to their businesses. Something, I strive for. This is so great! I met most of them yesterday and I was so impressed by all these people who are just willing to help budding entrepreneurs like myself. The Fashion Tribe was there too! What a great thing.

I would like to personally thank, Gail McInnes, our lovely coordinator of PFF for doing this. Without her, this program would not exist and I wouldn’t have ever found the niche I belong in. I met lovely Mentors and had great insight into the industry. THANK YOU, GAIL! :)

For the Mentor Meet and Greet I made a leather envelope clutch for myself last minute. There’s the sneak peek before I take better photographs of it. :) Yes, it’s an epic bird skull clutch - I already have 4 commissions for it since debuting it. However, it’ll be at least 2 months of testing, wear-and tear, durability, and refinement BEFORE I feel comfortable to sell it. I have insanely high standards and I want to know how I can make my product the best it can be before I sell it. It makes new designs for me slower to get to the market but it also gives me a chance to perfect it.

This will be sold under COVEN by Sonia Kang. I’m hoping the upcoming editorial that will feature a few of my pieces chooses this clutch. It’s too epic to not go into a magazine. :)

NEW Stockist: MADE YOU LOOK and Street Fashion Feature

Image from Moonrox.ca

I have some rather exciting news! I have my 7th Stockist! My two lines, Quaintrella and COVEN by Sonia Kang (I have decided to re-brand and separate my more gothic and taxidermy lines to this brand) are now carried at MADE YOU LOOK a boutique on Queen West. It’s actually a few minutes from my condo - which I find quite convenient. This boutique is fabulous and was voted the TOP Jewellery boutique by NOW Magazine and BlogTO for 2011. It has a ridiculous amount of variety and is total eye-candy for the accessories aficionado. 

http://www.torontoverve.org/2012/01/sonia-veruca-all-bundled-up.html

In other news, this is myself and designer buddy, Veruca Cyn had our outfit shots taken by a street fashion photographer, Nigel of Toronto Verve while we were out with the Fashion Tribe and supply shopping. 

Funny, we are polar opposites when it comes to our typical personal fashion choices until I don my leather. ;) Only then, do we have the same tastes. I only wear my leather at night - like a vampire. A fashion vampire. Hahahaha. 

Aside from being polar opposites in our personal fashion choices we do however share an insanely similar taste for positivity. Funny enough, it has reaped us so many small successes and a ‘Never Give Up on Yourself’ outlook on life. 

Mori Girl: NEW Ofelia Ljuv SS2012 pieces!

New Ofelia Ljuv Collection SS 2012 pieces!

One of the things I always like to ask my stockists (boutiques I sell at) is for feedback. If you strive to improve upon product, services, and yourself - feedback is essential unless you want to be stuck in a habit of simply doing everything the same. I do not care if it’s hurtful, blunt, or even minor. Anything helps because if I am going to change AND succeed I will take the hits early and get over my ego. 

One of my stockists, Nathalie, had told me months ago certain things I should look into for my Ofelia Ljuv Collection. My Ofelia Ljuv Collection is all about Mori Girl aesthetics - bringing in the natural world, upcycling scrap fabrics and laces, and using bits and pieces of found objects. She had told me that I should consider silk and linens for backings of my pendant necklaces and brooches because some people are allergic to wool. That, wool was also a material limited to seasonality. She said that I should explore other color options since my palette was limited to beiges, creams, and browns. There was also positive feedback received on the versatility of certain pieces - combinations where a headpiece could be a brooch and necklace.  At the same time she said my aesthetic was very romantic and feminine which means I should attempt to test the bridal market. 

Photo Shoot for Men’s Bird Skull Necklace

I recently helped my photographer friend the brilliant, Gabe Toth, with a photo shoot he was doing. We were friends when we worked together in the same company but we are closer now that we are heading in the same direction. The fashion industry. He has done photography for some time but now it is a full-time job. His work is so crisp, professional, and I can always pick out a sort of balance in his pictures. It is a little hard to explain - but it is a feeling, an aesthetic, a touch that is really just his own. Steamy topless photos are enclosed in the link below…

Happy New Year and Holidays Catch-Up Post

This will mostly be a belated catch-up post of my holidays. I hope everyone had a awesome holidays like I did! Wishing all my readers, clients, stockists and friends the best for the New Year!

 I really took advantage of my Christmas holidays in 2011. It feels strange saying last year because it seems like it was so long ago yet I still remember it. I made a list of what I wanted to do and accomplished most of it. To top it off my University grades were awesome - very awesome for a person who balances a PT job, full-time university, and a fashion business. I was surprised. 

But, I know my perseverance has been very high since the whole debacle with my former business partner. I almost have to thank her for giving me a better view of my priorities - because without the bullshit and drama I wouldn’t have been this successful. Sometimes, I wonder what she took from the experience. I certainly learned I was stronger than I thought I was. That I can conquer my fears. :)

It makes me so proud to say that my brand has been carried by six local boutiques. 

Even prouder is the fact I did it by myself mostly in under 7 months as soon as I launched Quaintrella. There has to be something said about that and not letting people tell me: ‘You can’t do this..’, ‘You can’t sell better then this person..’, ‘You need this…’. If I faced an obstacle I just told myself to take it as an experience and learn from it. I don’t let anyone bring me down in the process. Yes, it’s been difficult and testing at times. But, I did it. 

I was recently told my unwavering attitude is what makes me different. It came up in a discussion with a co-worker about a mutual friend who was unable to find a job in her field. I told my co-worker this:

“If I can’t find a job in my field then I’d make my own. I don’t believe in being told I am not good enough.”

H&M’s Dragon Tattoo Launch

I recently attended an event that I found out from the F-list which apparently according to many of my friends was not a publicly advertised event. I shared it with the ‘Fashion Tribe’ and most of us ended up going. It’s been a while since we have all seen each other - half of us are still in school which puts constraints on certain months. But, I had one more exam after the event and I had promised myself I would go because the stress of finals was killing me slowly on the inside. I’m glad I did - H&M provided free finger foods (the mini slider hamburgers were a piece of heaven) and free alcohol. We also looked at the clothes (not shown because the pictures turned out terrible with the crowding). Click below for pictures of the fun. :)

Shopping Like a French Girl - Part 1

Picture from Kelani Fabric

The way to shop…

If she can’t afford it, she won’t buy it. If it doesn’t fit (or make her feel good, or flaunt what she’s got), she won’t wear it. If she can’t find it, she won’t compromise. If she loves it, she won’t toss it. She reuses it, rethinks it, lets it age.When a French girl shops, it isn’t a solitary act of buying something new. It’s part of a lifelong process of editing her environment, making small but meaningful additions to her home, her closet, her life.When you shop like a French girl, you buy only one of anything – and make sure it’s the best quality you can afford.- from Entre Nous: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl

Right now, I am having one of those moments where I wished I shopped more like a French Girl. 

I just splurged again on a dress, leg warmers, a new leather belt, and some socks. Sometimes, it feels like I am on a constant quest to: A) Obtain the biggest closet in the world or B) Dance around the edge of debt or C) Fill a void deep within me. When I get really overwhelmed I shop. When I feel down I shop. When I am happy I shop more… It’s a vicious cycle. 

Neat Freaking It, City of Craft, and Other Art Show Wanderings!

My 'natural parts’ supplies that include pieces of once living things mostly.

My small doily collection, with hand crochet flowers by my mom, and vintage lace applique.

HALF of my cream and white lace collection. These are the more expensive pieces from Mokuba
a lace trim place that I simply adore and spend way too much money at. Sorry, pocketbook!

I have been on holidays for the past week and whenever I have the opportunity I love to live a little. I don’t like the routine of non-spontanepus actions so this entails the setting of impossibly high standards, crazy dates, projects, and parties. Usually, being a person of whim I only get around half of the things I want done.

For example, I have been procrastinating with my bird skull clutch. I look at the pattern and I feel like it just may need more tweaking. I’m hoping I’ll have the guts to really face my fears and just do it sometime this week before I am worked to death at the part time job. 

One thing that I have done is sort all my supplies into boxes and sections as you can see above. While, this is only 10% of my total supply hoard I am very proud that I sorted everything out. I have this habit of thinking I know where everything is but…it usually results in me spending a lot more then I should and having doubles of certain supplies.

Birds of Prey Photo Shoot with Dandy Boy - my Men’s taxidermy accessories line!

Art Direction and Model - Wesley Burness
Photography - Naomi Peters
Wearing: Dandy Boy - Sparrow Skull Cuff Link

Art Direction and Model - Wesley Burness
Photography - Naomi Peters
Wearing: Dandy Boy - Dual Chain Bird Skull Necklace

Right now, I am consumed by total fear of really messing up on the first final I did. I just finished everything but I’m just petrified of the first one I did because I really should have NEVER set a foot into the room to do that exam. I spent those excruciating 3 hours fighting my body because I felt so sick. Which, most likely resulted in really sub-par essay skills. So upsetting!

However, one to better things in life. My friend, Wesley Burness who studies Fashion Communication at Ryerson University borrowed a few of my Dandy Boy pieces for a photo shoot assignment. Posted here are some of the results and my most favourite. I never told him what I wanted and he had complete creative freedom with his assignment but the first two pictures that used my pieces WERE EXACTLY HOW I WOULD PHOTOGRAPH THEM HAD I THE SKILL. The dreamy nostalgia, the slight play on androgyny, the black, the natural light, the brands… I was so surprised it was so spot on to what I liked. 

As you can see I have (if you do not follow my TWITTER and FACEBOOK then you are missing out on what I have) been secretly working on my other aesthetic. A mixture of androgyny, chains, death, leather, and natural history. It’s for Men and Women and I’d like to somehow make it more interchangeable then what I normally do. I’m definitely drifting away from what normal taxidermy jewelry would look like. I’m currently working on a clutch, too! Keep you guys updated.

What do you guys think? He’s goregeous - right? Any feedback on the photo shoot?

Some travel and a new headpiece

I couldn’t resist buying a toadstool decoration and a Yellow Owl Workshop Ink Pad (which I recommend highly because it sets pretty fast and doesn’t smudge under the fingertips).

I recently had a chance to visit the Wellington County which covers Kitchener, Waterloo, Elora, and St. Jacobs of Ontario - the province I lived it. It was quite a dreary day but it was well worth the trip to see a scenery that makes a City Girl with a Wild Heart like myself feel so wholesome. I would like to thank my friend, D. for taking me. I love learning about the countryside outside of my Metropolitan city of Toronto. There were such quaint little stores in Elora and St. Jacobs that were so pretty. So many unique things I wanted to buy! Including this 3D leather acorn coin holder-pouch which was well beyond my budget but I found it online at a much more affordable price.

New Headpiece

Detailing

Lately, I have been inspired to make some new pieces. I’m really loving patterned feathers and flowers. Evident in my latest work I’m striving to meld bohemian with romance as themes. Texture and softness. Airy to earthy. 

What do you guys think? Would you wear it?

New Collection and Pictures from Everyday Life

Here’s a picture what my workspace / studio looks like when I am actually working on things. I have a talent for working within chaos and finding order within it. It’s quite evident in many of the things I make or do. From afar it will look like a cluster but when you look closer it has a kind of balance or order. Very few notice it - but when they do I am very impressed.

Here are some of my latest pieces. I have yet to add to Etsy but they will most likely be going to stores instead. I haven’t made up my mind yet. I’ve really liked carved bone pieces. Especially cooky fish with really funny expressions. :) I’ve also found a way to use the silk and rayon tassel samples I bought from the Textile Museum Fabric Sale. This makes me happy and I hope it diminishes my hoard a bit.

Here are some of my latest works. I’m a total romantic bohemian at heart. Sometimes I feel more bohemian then usual. I think recently, it has really been a reoccurring theme in my life. To me, it’s just the essence of free-spirit. My latest pieces are inspired by islands, windswept beaches, sun-bleached fabrics, summer, salt, natural colors and just being free.

At the same time. My style has slowly gone towards the Hipster fashion for the Winter. Trust me, by no means am I a Hipster. I only identify with the fashion itself but not the subculture. I’ve also begun experiment with strange colors and different silhouettes. I bought green oxfords. Haha. 

Halloween: Fetish Masquerade Ball

I had the opportunity to be invited to the Fetish Masquerade Ball by my friend, Veruca Cyn, who put me on the VIP list. It has always been something I had wanted to attend but never found the right crowd to go with or had the time. But, this year is different. It was wild and I loved it. Veruca was modelling for a fetish designer, Heather D. and she was absolutely breathtaking on stage dancing in her little nurse outfit. Hahahaha. With her huuuuuugggeee red hair all dolled up. 

There was a feeling I got when I removed my coat and checked it in…and walked into a wildly dressed crowd not knowing anyone or what I was getting into. It made a shiver go up my spine. I felt…different. I felt like somehow I belonged - so small dark part of me just belonged here.

Short story, I got really drunk off gin mixed with juice. Made new friends, saw a lot of half naked people, some wild folk, danced for the first time in my LIFE on STAGE. I’m a very reserved person by nature and I in part blame my rather sheltered upbringing. However, everything I was ever afraid to do comes apart under two influences: Peer Pressure and Alcohol. Hahaha!

I have defied all odds this year so far. I left my business partner and I survived. I was able to do much better then we would have ever done together. I went out and got myself into stores. I saw new perspectives. Made new friends. Changed a complete crowd of people I hang out with. I balanced social life with full-time University, a part-time job, and my business. I danced. For god sake, I danced on stage. All I can say is life is awesome. I have another party to attend tonight and of course the wicked never sleep. 

I enclose pictures taken with my iPhone of my costume and Veruca and I at the event: 

New Stockist: Treehaven in Erin, Ontario and PFF ‘Fashion Tribe’ at Nuit Blanche in Toronto

Mehreen, Veruca, Melodie, Me, and Ranu = "Portion of Fashion Tribe"

I have really been neglecting my website / blog, lately. I have been so swamped with school, life, business, work, and other things that have slipped my mind lately. I really need to start blogging about all the things that I have done recently. 

Most notably, I made got my things into another store (not consignment, thank god) called Treehaven Natural Foods up in Erin, Ontario. I’m a City Girl so it was quite a feat and I have a lot of people to thank for it. Notably, K., D., A., A., and L. for giving me (a complete newbie) the opportunity to help stock some Christmas items at Treehaven. It was wonderful learning about the wildlife, small town life, the environment, and overall it was thoroughly inspiring. I’m touched by the generosity people have shown me and eternally grateful they put up with someone like me. I have never really done a large-scale wholesale and I think I was a complete mess because I had noooo clue they would buy much of my sample stock there and then. Hahaha. I’m still painting the "Thank You" cards. I made a small mistake with something so I’ll do my best to rectify the situation like I always do.  :) I’m so grateful right now.

I attended Nuit Blanche with my ‘Fashion Tribe’. Has anyone ever read Kelly Cutrone’s book: If you have to cry, Go outside? 

If you haven’t then let me explain to you what a ‘Fashion Tribe’ is. It’s a group of people you are linked to by profession, passion (for fashion), and who you solemnly swear to help out in a time of fashion-related need (haha). Fashion, I have been told over and over by my parents and some of my close friends is an ‘inane’ thing. Almost superficial. 

But, you know what? It’s where my heart lies. Quite frankly, it’s where THEIR hearts lie. We are a group who go to social events, hang out, and help each other out by creating a bigger network. As you can see this is a portion of my ‘Fashion Tribe’ and it keeps growing as I learn to navigate the networking waters. 

I’ll post more often as I finally get internet. I’ve been cut-off for several weeks now because I ended by Internet commitments with Rogers and Teksavvy is booked up in my rather newly constructed area. Expect a Taobao review, lots of pictures, some outfits, my new hair cut…etc. I’ll have a formal Nuit Blanche post up, too. I need to get all my pictures off all my devices and such. :) 

The Creative Heart Collective, New Ideas and a Farting Alpaca!

I really love having those moments in which inspiration just strikes you hard enough to wobble your brain. I had one of those moments at 5AM while reading my Ecological Economics textbooks for University. I kept thinking about Consumerism and how it was King -> Crown -> Death…viola! My latest inspiration and foray into more gothic aesthetic. See the picture above. Wouldn’t they be perfect for an ornate necklace or ring? :)

The Creative Heart Collective was pretty nifty. I table-shared with Morico buddies Chu and Cindy. It was nice to meet old familiar faces and new ones. Thank you everyone who came out to support me! I hope to participate at bigger venues next time around. 

I end this entry with my Farting Alpaca totebag from Chu of Morico. It’s a beautifully random bag of sorts…I’m not sure what draws me to it more. The fluffiness of the pictured Alpaca or the blissful expression on it’s face as it passes gas. Hahaha. Go figure. 

Currently, in woe over two pairs of green shoes (one vintage and another XXI) that have slipped from my grasps. Now, before classes I’m going to go looking for some green shoes to fill the void. 

Future Goals and Plans for Quaintrella

I’m a very lucky girl.

I am immensely thankful for all the opportunities presented to me to pursue my dreams. I have always believed that I will get whatever I want if I work hard for it. So far this has proved to be quite apt. I’m thankful that I know at this moment who I am, what I truly want, what I am worth, how I am going to achieve it, and who will be there with me in the very end.

I’m keeping my eye out for potential store locations when I open my own boutique in hopefully a few years. I’d prefer a Queen Street storefront but there is a lot of potential and growth in some nearby neighbourhoods that are worth keeping an eye on (one reason why I fastidiously will stalk neighbourhood statistics).

I have to go to 3 stores in Northern Ontario in the latter of this month and introduce potential Christmas stock to the owners. Yesterday, I approached an local boutique about selling with them and I have a few more in mind to approach in the coming weeks.

I am also re-connecting with my German contact to see if I can begin selling my Taxidermy lines within the country despite the double-dip recession parts of Europe is experiencing. I expect France may come next if my friend there is comfortable approaching stores on my behalf. Japan seems a little more tricky - I already have a lot of friends willing to translate communications for me but it’s a matter or which boutiques to approach as I don’t have many friends IN the country right now. If all goes well by early 2012 I’ll most likely be accompanying a friend to Miami and New York - I’ll see if my aesthetic fits somewhere. :)

Wish me luck on the playing on the global market!

TIFF Party - John Varvatos Fashion Show at Ultra Supper Club

Part of a going through a 'Quarter-Life' crisis made me realize many things. 

One of them was that University does not prepare you for the real world. The real world is many things but most importantly it is a world full of social networks. I'm not talking about Twitter, Facebook, MySpace...etc. But rather the social network of who you know and who they know. I want to pursue a career in the fashion industry but it's a industry full of contacts, acquaintances, friends, and who you can connect with. In order to get opportunities you have to network. 

In fashion one of the best ways to do this is to attend parties.

It just seemed like fate that a couple weeks before I was invited to a Holt Renfrew "You've been Coveteur'd" After Party hosted by a childhood acquaintance and former ELLE UK intern.  She invited me and then I invited a few people from my 'Passion for Fashion' workshop. I even bumped into my rather famous publicist instructor who mans the workshop. It is a different world - especially for someone as tame as myself. I like to say the only club I have been to is a book club. Hahaha. 

Two nights ago, I attended another party. This one was a TIFF Party - John Varvatos Fashion Show at Ultra Supper Club. I would like to thank my new publicist-in-trainng friend, Ranu, for telling us about this party. I'm determined to cross the boundaries of just 'fashion' based networking since I believe fashion is a lot more then clothes. I brought some friends from outside the industry and thank god my friend, Veruca, brought a camera! Most of these pictures are from her camera. :) Thank you, Veruca! 

I highly recommend you visit her awesome fashion blog: http://www.verucacyn.com

I wore my new dress I ordered off Taobao from the supplier of Japanese Gyaru brand, Snidel. It's gorgeous! I bought it in pink, too! I love Snidel because it combines my love of Mori aesthetic with a romantic and girly silhouette. I'll be writing a review about my first experiences using Taobaospree and ordering from direct suppliers. 

Me, Antonio, and Veruca. You can tell we both do distinctly Asian poses and expressions.

Me and Ranu. She wearing such an aweeeesssooomeee shirt - the collar is so unique.

Taken from my iPhone. Me and Veruca.

Me and my close friend, Em. I'm holding a John Frieda swag bag - this seems to be the norm at big fashion parties. Ah, I have such a fatty face. I love Em's swanky pose. :)

Group photo of half of the people that came. We are missing the 4 other people.