Daily Candy!

Lots of news in the past week. Prior warning: I will be using a lot of those dreaded exclamation marks here but I mean every one of them.

1. This week Suzabelle is moving within the same building from suite 303 to suite 305. The new space is much bigger and better than the space I work in now. Hardwood floors, lovely old world moldings and french doors, windows galore. I'm so excited to move in, I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas!

2. Suzabelle was published in the Philadelphia issue of Daily Candy today (a popular US online fashion and lifestyle magazine). My website got over 1000 hits between 7am and 10am and I've been getting phonecalls from PR around the country all day! Fun!
you can visit them at www.dailycandy.com

3. Most of the samples have arrived for Fall 07. They look spectacular! Here are some photos from a quick photoshoot.
I've published a preview for buyers but you can have a look as long as you don't tell anyone...shhh! You can see more styles at
http://homepage.mac.com/skjaberg/sp06/PhotoAlbum53.html plus there are more coats and a vest yet to come.




4. This weekend, Suzabelle will be showing at the Unzipped tradeshow. It was a last minute decision but I think it will be worth the effort, if only to exorcise my fear of tradeshows, practice repping my own line and do a little networking. These things are WAY out of my comfort zone but I always get a kick out of it after it's done. It's an eekyay thing. (eek first, yay later- kind of like the first you successfully rode a bike or went down the big kids slide)
http://www.unzippedevent.com

trend forecast for Spring 2008

Here is an early trend report for next spring. Unlike some of the others I've seen, this report is quite specific and even shows some design sketches. These things can be uncannily on or terribly off; it's a bit of a gamble for those that look to these reports as the gospel according to Promostyl. Although I do look to them sometimes for a starting point, ultimately, the heart wants what the heart wants and I go my own way anyhow. I do think that I will be more adventurous with colour combinations for this season though. For my own prediction, I think "apricot" will be the next big thing. Hey-I was right about yellow!

Fall 08 Samples- part I

Here are some photos from the manufacturer of the first samples for Fall 08. The blue silk dress will have a black silk sash added. The grey wool sweater has light frosted gold domed buttons. The grey wool jersey dress at the bottom has all kinds of top stitching on the collar and cuffs that you can't see in the photo. Can't wait to get my hands on these.

General News

First of all, one of my newest shops, Blu Vintage, is holding a silent auction/fashion show to benefit the American Diabetes Association this Tuesday, April 17th. Visit http://www.bluvintage.com for more information. Blu Vintage is located in Santa Monica, CA.



Secondly, for all those shops eagerly anticipating the arrival of the chocolate silk dresses for summer, I'm sorry to say that they've been cancelled-and not by me. The excuse given to me by the manufacturers was that they were unable to find the material...silk. Yeah right, I say. I'll probably never know why they really cancelled the dresses but it's a shame because I think they would have done well for late summer/early fall.. As of right now, I'm done with that company. It's the same people that put the large labels on the size 2 coats.

I saw some photos of preliminary samples for fall "07 from the new manufacturers. Lots of kinks that need to be worked out but that's completely normal. I'll post photos as soon as I get something that looks good.

Sweetspot Vancouver

Here is a lovely little write-up about my current collection from yesterday's sweetspot. (Americans, think dailycandy.com)
Many gracious thanks to Marita for the press! Click on the image below to read the story:

for more style news go to:
http://www.sweetspot.ca
and click on your desired city.

Montreal Fashion Week

I usually like to keep an eye the Vancouver and Montreal fashion weeks, even if only out of homesickness but in the last two years, Canadian designers have really come into their own. Sadly, down here, it seems like canada doesn't even exist. It's never in the news and you don't hear anyone talking about, unless someone accidently drops an "eh". Lately though, I've been seeing more and more mention of Canadian designers in fashion mags and websites, especially when the topic is outerwear. In my biased opinion, nobody does outerwear better than the Québécois. Here are a few examples...


Rudsak


Rudsak


Telio


Telio


Telio


Nevik


Cimm


Envers par Yves Jean Lacasse


Helmer


As one of my shop owners in Ottawa put it, " C'est cool".