the 2008 One Of A Kind Christmas Show

I left the house at 8 am and made my way down to the exhibition grounds and the direct Energy Centre for the “media breakfast” for the Toronto One of A Kind Christmas Show 2008. All I can say is Coffee, Coffee, odd little Blue berry cream cheese stuffed Bagel Bites and Coffee again. Deep breath, some deep knee bens and “on your mark, get set,…”

This years (textile/fibre) inductees into the One of a Kind Hall of Fame are.. “may I have the envelop please.”

Susan Harris, Susan Harris Design, Booth: R-54, Toronto, ON, Duration: Full Show

Susan Harris has a piece in the Hard Twist exhibition at The Gladstone Hotel which runs untill January 2009, visit thw website for more information about her work. http://www.susanharrisdesign.ca/

Karyn Gingras, Lilliput Hats, Booth: O-5, Toronto, ON, Duration: Full Show
This year Karyn Gingras, owner and designer of Lilliput Hats celebrates 20 years in business http://www.lilliputhats.com/

Lucille Crighton Lucille Crighton Booth: Q-4Toronto, ONDuration: Full Show

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Fashion and Accessories

Melissa Ferreira, adhesif clothing co., Booth: R-47, Vancouver, BC, Duration: Full ShowThis is another first for me. I am glad to say new people do get into the One of a Kind Show, Having met Melissa about 14 hours ago, and you can appreciate that I don’t know that much about her.

I came home around 2 in the afternoon and through a buch of photographs onto my facebook, then started on the blog. I checked back on face book and saw people hat stared commenting on the image. so here is a facebook comment.

Performance Artist part-time domestic priestess Margaret Dragu aka Lady Justice wrote “I LOVE this jacket !!!! It is archaeological and referenced and urban and green and kewl!”

Melissa's website is http://www.adhesifclothing.com/

Marie-Eve Gauthier, Terre_Plein Booth: Q-54, Montreal, QC Duration: Full Show

From the One of a Kind Website : Terre_Plein is, first of all, a desire to combine the visual arts and artisan skills. A space of reflection and of creation feeding from external activity and bubling humanity. Terre_Plein is the emergence of the image through the fibre of textile. A visual testimony, an impression, an everyday happiness. To wear Terre_Plein is to wear unpublished work, the unique and original creation. The pleasure of hand crafted work. Of the worn artifact.

you can find Marie-Eve's work at Bounty in the Harbourfront Cantre

Emilie Desmeules & Marie-Eve Guy, Emilie Desmeules, Booth: Q-52, Alma, QC, Duration: Full Show

Emilie is hard working and joyful in that dark brooding French way, and it reflex in her sexy sophisticated felts with which she creates some of her clothing. Add to that a “Punk Rock” sensibility to her appliqué and embroider stitch and you have stunningly original designer of women’s clothing that transcends age.

Emile was profiled in the "Quebec Seen" issue of fQ Volume 3 Issue 3 September 2007. She currently has an exhibition running from November 6 until December 17 on at the Centre for Contemporary Textiles, 5800 Rue St. Denise in Montreal. There is also a facebook group for her if you want to keep track of her doings
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Toddlers and Toys

Roisin Fagan, bespoke uprising, Booth: P-36, Halifax, NS, Duration: 5 Days

Over the past few years of meeting and revisiting Rosin at her booth I have watched the “wearablity” of her children’s clothing increase they now have the booth the durability and flexibility for any rough and tumble toddlers who aren’t being dressed up to visit the grand parents, these are clothes to live in. “bespoke uprising” is good textile work, imaginative and practical. Each article is vibrantly hand-dyed, screenprinted with her drawings, sewn, and embellished by Roisin, and made of all-natural fibres. The colours and screenprinted patterns are inspired by the cultures & eccentricities of the places that Roisin has lived. Rosin studied at NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia,

Majorie Labrèque-Lepage & Benoit Masse Velvet Moustache Booth: G-52Montréal, QCDuration: Full Show

I met them last year and liked the name VELVET MOUSTACHE how cool is that. I didn't take a photograph of their booth, like i seem to have done for every other one. But I did photograph their great long long long dog, i want it, its so funny.

from the One of a kind website: VELVET MOUSTACHE is an ecologically aware Montreal based company working toward the creation and conception of DecoToys. We are two, a fashion and a graphic designer. It all started with the desire of doeing our part for the environnement in the context of our profession. We wanted a unique way of expression, something that would combine our two fields of creation.

Adrienne Gibb, Fabricawakuwaku , Booth: V-59, Ottawa, ON, Duration: Full Show

Fabricawakuwaku is an absurd, hybrid Japanese-Italian word meaning "over-excitement factory". It is an art and design project that fosters good consumer Karma with locally produced, hand made and lead-free art toys. We offer an alternative to mass produced toys made in sweatshops. We make designer, avant guard, Da-da inspired dolls using reclaimed and vintage fabrics whenever possible. In order to reduce our waste we now have bags made entirely out of the by-products emitted during the doll-making process.

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Weavers:

Marie-Claude Trempe & Evelyne Gélinas, Rien ne se perd, tout se crée... ‘ Booth: O-34, St-Sévère, QC, Duration: 5 Days

These two are weavers and are new to the show, but the weaving is so nice, and the range of garments made from their fabric is plentiful, so shop shop shop , you can never own to many things from peole who make their own cloth.

From the one of a Kind website: Marie-Claude Trempe and Evelyne Gélinas learned weaving in 2003. Since this time, they didn't stop! They also wash, dry, press, cut and sew their organic cotton fabric to makes useful, robust and colourful creations. These are Rien ne se perd, tout se crée... witch means Nothing is lost, nothing is created

the website is http://www.rienneseperd.com/tissage.htm

Rilla Marshall, Marshall Arts, Booth: O-24, Corner Brook, NL, Duration: 5 Days

I first encountered Rilla Marshall’s work in an exhibition called Common Threads, at the Illingworth Kerr Gallery, Alberta College of Art and Design, Calgary, Alberta last December. This exhibition as curated by curated by Lee Plested and was first mounted at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown, PEI. Billed as a Group exhibition by invitation of international contemporary artists working with textile craft techniques, it was and interesting show. I was able to track her down through Mackenzie Frère (Art Cloth Text/ blog and Poplar ArtCraft on-line Gallery) and she was profiled in fQ Volume 4 Issue 2 Spring 2008

Get one of her scarves while she is in town and I guarantee you won’t be giving it as a Christmas present. If you miss her at the one of a kind…..the

Common Thread exhibition can be seen on a Flickr posting http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharkseason/2065176796/

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In the Visual Art area you will find Ann Henshaw. Ann Henshaw , Booth: J-30, Toronto, ONDuration: Full Show.

I met Ann last February at the “Best Of The Toronto Out Door Exhibition” and subsequently wrote about her in my duet column “fibre report” in “A Needle Pulling Thread” (the newest issue and column hitting the newsstand as you are reading this) Her approach to textiles is happenstance in some ways, she knits a Tea Pot Cosy, felts it, embellishes it as a haute couture dress and magic happens. How many zippers does it take to make a dress? Her clothing portraits or portraits of clothes are fun and intriguing. They won’t disappoint you.

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Men’s Ware: to not misquote Oscar Wilde, who never said “it’s a well dressed man who undresses well”

WILL BE, Booth: O-50, http://www.designwillbe.com/, Montréal, QC, Duration: Full Show

From the One of a kind site: Originally from Quebec, I grew up in a small village named Château-Richer, about 20 minutes from Quebec City. Filled with artistic and creative instinct and a passion for fashion and innovation, it was only a question of time before I would find myself in a large city. In [what year?] I immersed myself in the fashion design program at Cégep Marie-Victorin. Surrounded by fantastic teachers and an inspiring environment, my creative instinct, fashion talent and artistic expression were encouraged, explored and finally realised. Armed with new knowledge and an insatiable ambition, I launched a new clothing line in the spring of 2007. My line is cosmopolitan menswear, an area I felt had been lacking in style and variety. To create my collections, I’m inspired by a bit of everything, because fashion is neither linear nor static. Fashion is what we are feeling, and constantly being reinvented. The final product is Canadian-made, urban/cosmopolitan clothing designed for men who want to be current with the latest fashion trends and who appreciate a good value

yes it is a clip on Bow Tie

Victoria McPhedran, GreenShag Clothier Booth: P-43, Toronto, ON, Duration: Full Show

"GreenShag Beespoke is all about dressing the Urban Man in funky, fantastic clothes that get him noticed. It's the tailored look with a twist. Specializing in custom made men's shirts with classic lines to creative cufflinks + accessories. GreenShag successfully takes our client from the boardroom to cocktails at the Lounge. So take notice + have fun...because...Everyone needs a Shag." from the One of a Kind website

Their website is http://www.greenshag.com/

They have just opened their flagship store at 670 Queen Street West, in Toronto. some were in that store is an Orange Shirt with French cuffs and all I can say is ‘Christmas is coming”

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it is past 1 am Firday morning and there is more to tell, more to see and more fun to be had. so get on your trackshoes, get your umberella and winter coat, grid your loyns and get down to the Direct Energy Centre in Toronto and "On your Mark, get set and...

the Toronto One of a Kind Show Christmas 2oo8th runs from now November 27 for ten days, on Monday the 5 day booths will have a new group of sellers. so check back here and see if you have to..."on Your Mark..."

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