#CAFALoves | PARKSHOWEXPO

Image via PARKSHOWEXPO

PARKSHOWEXPO is an exciting new business to business fashion trade show in Calgary, Alberta. The inaugural show will take place from February 25 – March 1, 2017 and seeks to reinvent the business side of the industry while celebrating Canadian design.

Megan Szanik, Kara Chomistek, and Jessie Li, the co-founders of PARKSHOWEXPO, have been involved in the Canadian fashion industry for their entire adult lives. Through running several boutiques and a thriving art and fashion non-profit organization, the trio has learned how fashion works in Canada and how it doesn’t. From overwhelmed sales reps to designers who leave fashion schools with little formal education in the complexities of running a business, the PARKSHOWEXPO team has experienced what needs to change in order to allow the unique talent in our country to thrive.

PARKSHOWEXPO seeks to redefine what a trade show in Canada can be. It incorporates several consumer-focused events, educational seminars for designers and retailers, and networking parties. On February 25 and 26, the two days preceding the trade show itself, PARKSHOWEXPO will host PARKFORUM, PARKSHOP, PARKSHOW, and TOAST – Winter Garden.

PARKFORUM is a series of seminars and classes run by industry experts and industry-adjacent professionals who will discuss everything from marketing and accounting to new manufacturing techniques. It will run concurrently to PARKSHOP, a Canadian brand pop-up shop that will allow labels to sell current and previous season designs as well as samples to the Alberta market. PARKSHOP will run for the full 5 days of events and will be overseen by Calgary retailer espy experience, allowing the designers to earn back their booth rental fees while they attend to the business of the expo.

PARKSHOW is an annual art and fashion show that will welcome 1500 attendees, showcasing the current season’s fashions to the general public. With art and decor designed by Alberta’s top artists and event planners, it previews the atmosphere of the trade show itself.

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Emerging Fashion Fridays | House of Nonie

Photo via House of Nonie

Based in Calgary, Alberta, luxury womenswear line House of Nonie is acclaimed for its modern, tasteful pieces created by designer Nina Kharey.

With both parents employed in the clothing and textile industry, Nina has fashion design in her blood. “My mother sewed everything,” she recounts. Nina fondly remembers her father bringing home a box of scraped sweaters. Instead of pretending to model them on a runway, she envisioned herself as the designer.

Photo via House of Nonie

However, Nina’s dreams were not immediately realized. Due to her brother’s increasingly violent lifestyle, the Kharey family was riddled with conflict and discord. Nina was determined to succeed in school and make her parents proud and happy, as she felt they deserved to be.

Pursuing an Engineering degree at the University of Calgary, Nina found herself in a field of study far removed from the glamour of the fashion world. Nonetheless, fate had different plans for her.

Photo via House of Nonie

Halfway through her studies, Nina was confronted with the shocking tragedy of losing her brother to gang violence. In the wake of this horrific event, Nina decided to become a spokesperson for the Calgary Police Services, regularly speaking out against the disturbing truths of organized crime. It was during this trying period that Nina decided to revisit her lifelong passion.

In 2009, she began sketching, and, after giving birth to her daughter in 2012, she decided to fully devote herself to her dreams. Two years later, Holt Refrew’s Fashion Director, Barbara Atkin, took Nina on as a protégé. This once in a lifetime opportunity allowed Nina to refine her craft and develop House of Nonie, a collection that speaks to her talent and hard work.

Photo via House of Nonie

For more information, visit House of Nonie’s website, and follow the brand’s social pages below:

Instagram: @houseofnonie

Twitter: @HouseofNonie

Facebook: House of Nonie

EMERGING FASHION FRIDAYS | COUTUKITSCH

Jewelry line CoutuKitsch is linked closely to the life of its founder, Dorian Kitsch. The very name pays homage to Dorian’s roots. Coutu is a family name representing her Metis heritage, while Kitsch is Dorian’s surname from her father’s stepfather. This heritage is represented in each piece from the CoutuKitsch line, which is built on the belief that there are no rules when wearing jewelry.

EMERGING FASHION FRIDAYS | BANO EEMEE

Image courtesy of Bano eeMee

Since its inception in 2012, leatherwear line Bano eeMee has gone on to be featured in numerous publications such as Flare, FASHION and the Calgary Herald. Aleem, hailing from the world of finance decided to switch his career to fashion and form Bano eeMee in Canada. Bano eeMee, is Aleem’s way of paying homage to his grandmother and mother who nicknamed him Bano and eeMee respectively.

Bano eeMee places a strong emphasis on social consciousness. The brand aims to support the social fabric in communities that are devastated by war, poverty and destitution by creating opportunities and paying fair wages. Bano eeMee is committed to sustainable fashion and uses 100% sustainable, chrome free, vegetable tanned leather. 

Image courtesy of Bano eeMee

For F/W 2015, Bano eeMee focuses on detail and fit. The collection of distressed, hand burnished leathers with sheep shearling accents are timeless and luxurious.  Bano eeMee can be bought online or in select stores around Canada.

To learn more about Bano eeMee, visit http://www.banoeemee.com

#InstaPicks | 5 Captures by Model of the Year Nominee Heather Marks

Canadian model Heather Marks was discovered at the young age of twelve by Kelly Streit, the owner of Mode Models . She made her ready-to-wear  runway debut in the SS’04 season.  The Calgary native walked in an impressive 43 shows including Burberry, Chanel, Givenchy, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Max Mara.

Since then, Marks  has made a name for herself as an internationally-renowned model gracing countless magazine covers and even walking the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2006.

Heather Marks is nominated for the 2015 CAFA Model of the Year Award. We’ve put together some of our favourite Instagram moments by this Canadian beauty.

To learn more about Heather Marks visit: http://models.com/models/Heather-Marks

December Cover 📷shot by @xavigordo 👗Styled by @aartamon #DecemberIssue @elle_russia

A post shared by Heather Marks (@heatherdmarks) on Nov 11, 2014 at 5:55am PST

New digitals @womenmanagementny Thanks @michaelibruno @danarcooper💕

A post shared by Heather Marks (@heatherdmarks) on Oct 31, 2014 at 2:18pm PDT

Special Project with @walterobal @sarahnami @mrtonykelley 💄

A post shared by Heather Marks (@heatherdmarks) on Oct 15, 2014 at 10:01am PDT

@marieclairerussia by @chrisnichollsphotography hair @keithcarpenterhair makeup @hungvanngo styling @mudfish77 #fashion #marieclaire

A post shared by Heather Marks (@heatherdmarks) on Aug 19, 2014 at 2:08pm PDT

September fall fashion issue of W magazine for @thefryecompany @petrymichael @djunabel photo by @stevenlippman

A post shared by Heather Marks (@heatherdmarks) on Aug 14, 2014 at 12:16pm PDT