Kindred in Vancouver

I just got back from a visit to Vancouver where I could meet up with my fabulous model Elizabeth this week. She's actually my sister, who also designs clothes on the side. (Just kidding… I can't pay her enough, so designing for Obakki is really her full time job). I realized how much fun it is to collaborate even on a small creative project. (Note to self: more of that—vow to be involved more in creative stuff.) It's amazing what a change of scenery can do for inspiration.
She's always ready to drop her guard and pose for me in my knits. I think her effortlessly glamorous presence actually sells my stuff. I had one customer ask to buy everything she had on in a previous shoot. Only the mittens were for sale. We "styled" her in our own clothes and just threw the shoot together outside in Sunpeaks near Kamloops.
My customer wanted to buy her vintage Cowichan sweater and my oatmeal hat—I think that means the shoot was successful! Their old land rover definitely added to the lifestyle appeal.
This week I was visiting her life in Gastown. We were babysitting "Nancy the dog." We took a frisbee to run her around at the marina park. Lovely Vancouver overcast day wth the sound of seagulls music to my ears. Look, she has on the same sweater! Very Beachcombers, eh?
While we were walking around, we cooked up a new sweatery item for her in an open knit like the chainmaille shawl. We worked up the specs and did a schematic. She worked it over her croquis. While walked Nancy, we stopped into the Rennie Gallery where I snuck a peak at the new installation going on: Richard Jackson. Then we headed off to a little gastown boutique. Gentile Allouette has the most darling items: hand made in Vancouver, gorgeous drapey, reconstructed, raw-edged tops, and loosely knit tanks. My favorite (expensive) item: the silky, rough edged, capelet wings. I swear, visions of these exquisite wings come to me in the night—in my head, I crank out possibly excellent outfits to wear with them. The wings could be paired with worn, faded, ripped jeans and a white tank, with silvery shoes for the opera! A little silver clutch tucked under an arm. Fairy magic!