LOOKCITY: “Eugene Choo” On Main Street Expands With New “Annex” Shop Next Door

Great news for Vancouver fashion lovers! Eugene Choo has opened a new store – dubbed Eugene Choo Annex – right next to the original shop at 3697 Main. From our inbox:

The annex will feature a wider selection of shoes, bags and accessories than the original store, allowing [owner Kildare] Curtis to bring in smaller, harder to find shoe labels to compliment Eugene Choo’s growing stable of great quality shoes.

Look for new labels such as: A detacher, The Office of Angela Scott, Le Botte Gardiane and Armando Cabral alongside Belle by Sigerson Morrison, New Balance and Florsheim.

Even though he has more space to play with, Curtis wants to keep the selection tightly curated. “I really wanted to focus only on the shoes I know my customer will love. I don’t want them to have to wade through hundreds of shoe styles to find the one pair worth having. We wanted to take the guesswork out. Every pair of shoes are shoes that I, or a member of the staff, picked and would wear ourselves.”

Eugene Choo Annex carries shoes, bags and accessories for both men and women and is located at 3697 Main Street.

It’s not yet two days old, so go take a look, try on some shoes, and tell Kildare (interview) that we say hi.

Cool Thing We Want #342: Gorgeous, Made To Order Leather Shoes From Hunter Mayer

Saw these Apartment 5 leather shoes at Le Marche St. George yesterday and went into greedy conniptions. They’re beautiful to look at and smell three times more amazing than any shoe should. Each pair is custom made by local footwear designer Hunter Mayer. Expensive, but we wants.

Apartment 5 | $210 | Details

EVERY COOL THING WE WANT

VANCOUVERITES: Talking Shop & Inspiration With “Camp + Quarry” Designer Sarah Rankin

Sarah Rankin is a West Coaster, a Jewelry and Landscape Designer, a dog owner, tree hugger, and a mess maker. Her jewelry line, Camp + Quarry,  is nature-inspired and made right here in Vancouver.  From hand-dyed organic textiles to raw crystal jewelry, each piece is designed to emphasize the unique qualities of the natural materials used. Travel, outdoor adventures, and daydreaming are essential components of the C + Q design process and finished scarves and jewelry will happily go anywhere year-round. Check out her Etsy shop here. Sarah is going to take part in Got Craft on May 6th, and since we couldn’t wait that long, we caught up with her to ask her a few pre-Got Craft questions about what she’s been up to…

Three things about Dunbar that make you want to live there: I love the proximity to Kits and the University Endowment Lands — the dog walking potential is endless. Mountain views and lots of parks and beautiful gardens. Room to grow: I finally have space for a studio and a garden.

What inspires you? I’m a landscape designer by day and find a lot of inspiration in the landscape work I do. Shapes, compositions, and colours in the landscape inspire me, as does being introduced to new techniques and materials for making things. Often it’s the raw form of a given stone that inspires me to seek it out for use in jewelry. The wooden jewelry that I make uses materials and technology that I originally learned how to use to make models in landscape architecture school.

Tell us about your favourite space to work: (IMAGE: sarah-studio.jpg) Now that I have a studio set up at home, that’s where I love to work. It has great natural light and a good set up with a workbench, storage, and peg board that lets me have much better access to materials that I use. I’d love to say it’s always clean or at the very least organized, but that is not the case.

Where do you enjoy shopping in Vancouver? Tell us about some of your favourite local haunts: I love spending a weekend day in Gastown. For food, I always find myself at Six Acres. I’m loving Oak + Fort these days for clothing. They use natural fibres and make affordable basics that are unique and super wearable. And for jewelry I am absolutely in love with the Arielle de Pinto pieces at One of a Few. Someday, I hope to have one of her bracelets or necklaces to call my own.

Is there a local designer that you admire? There are so many talented designers in Vancouver that it’s hard to name just one. I do have a small collection of Heyday Design porcelain pieces. I love the clean, minimalist look of the pieces and how Heyday’s aesthetic is translated from housewares right down to tiny jewelry pieces. They make really great gifts, too.

What is your favourite Camp + Quarry creation right now? Right now I’m making some new pieces that mix raw stones and brass. I have a particular necklace made with brass tubing and rutilated quartz points that I love making. Adding the brass really reinvented this piece and the rutilated quartz points are my favourite stone to work with, though they’re a bit rare and I usually have a very limited supply of them. Read more

Cool Thing We Want #341: A Pair Of Summer Sandals From “Erin Templeton” In Chinatown

We’re loving everything at Erin Templeton’s Carrall St. studio these days (just south of Pender), but we’re extra particularly stoked on these super sweet sandals. #anticipating summer

$125 with three different sets of laces | Erin Templeton

EVERY COOL THING WE WANT

VANCOUVERITES: Waiting For Summer With Local Designer Eden Rausch Of Cuchè Bikinis

by Jenny Bachynski | I recently met up with Eden Rausch, the designer behind Cuchè Bikinis, at his work/living space on Oak Street. He was busily cutting some swimwear fabric that was soon getting sent off to production. All of Cuchè’s collections are designed and made in Vancouver, but it was very clear to me that the inspiration behind his line was not only from other countries, but other decades as well. The things that were influencing Eden’s designs were obviously influencing other parts of his life, which I quickly discovered as I toured his home. We flipped through some of the new 2012 look book images and I was filled with excitement for the upcoming summer. With the weather getting warmer, and Cuchè’s new line hitting stores in May, we don’t actually have to wait that much longer!

Tell us a bit about yourself and how Cuchè came to be? I drive a money green 76′ Cadillac Coupe Deville and spend most of my time working on Cuchè bikinis. With my off time I collect and play records, swim, hit the odd skatepark and travel as much as I can. I got hooked on bikinis traveling with my folks as a kid in the 70′s, along with working the lights at my father’s disco belly dancing club.The ugly 90′s styles killed it for me so I brought back my own version of high class chic to the mix.

Working with swimwear fabric is never easy. How do you ensure a great fit and what should women look for when searching for a flattering bathing suit? Most of my new designs need to be cut a few times over until the fit develops into what I originally envisioned. Women would do much better if they’d get a suit that fits a tad bit tight. All swimwear stretches out.

If you could change one thing about swimwear fashion or a swimwear trend that you hate, what would it be? Zebra print.

If you had to choose one of your go to Cuchè styles, which one would it be? The 2012 Eugénie (see).

What is the hardest and easiest thing about owning a small business? Within the clothing world, you are expected to front the cash on retail orders. Silly industry. Tricks are for kids. The easiest thing is getting up for work.

Where do you find inspiration for your collections? Last summer I was somewhat obsessed with 60′s and 70′s cult and French/Italian mob flicks. I purposely direct my influences into my collections. It’s always best if I don’t think about it too much and not pay too much attention to trends.

Who is going to be on your summer soundtrack this year? Dj Spinna – Future Shock (listen).

One piece or two piece? What are women leaning towards this year? Women are in love with this Frédérique one piece I built but I’m thinking the hot two piece will rule this summer!

What is another Vancouver small business that you love? Black Dog video.

Best beach to wear one of your Bikinis? Bajondillo Beach in Torremolinos or 3rd beach if you’re local.

Thanks Eden! For more info visit www.cuchebikinis.ca.

OTHER INTERESTING VANCOUVERITES

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Jenny Bachynski was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. In her teenage years she packed up her bags and headed to Vancouver to pursue further education in fashion design. In 2009 she started her own small business Jenny Andrews Recycled Leather Goods, as well as her blog Jenny Loves. After starting her blog, Jenny discovered that one of her greatest joys was stumbling upon beautiful and interesting things, and sharing them with anyone who would listen.

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VANCOUVERITES: Eight Minutes With Local Ceramicist Zoe Garred Of “Fleet Objects”

by Jenny Bachynski | Zoe Garred is the owner and designer behind Fleet Objects, a local design studio that heavily focuses on ceramic goods. With an elegant, fresh, and minimal look, it is hard not to appreciate Fleet’s ability to bring style to any space. Zoe has found a beautiful balance of artistry and functionality in her work. Most pieces seem to reflect the fluid, clean environment that they are surrounded by. I was very excited to meet up with her in person and discuss her best and worst moments (a fire in her last studio being one of them) and how they have allowed Fleet to evolve into the wonderful business it is today.

Tell us about yourself and how Fleet Objects came to be? I think that everyone owns objects that they connect with on a deeper level. They can have a special history, change day to day living, or just be incredibly beautiful. I aspire to make objects that could become something special to people; that they will want to cherish. I don’t know if I’ve reached that level yet, but Fleet Objects is definitely a product of making the things that I’ve wanted in my life.

How has Vancouver inspired you as an artist? I’m deeply inspired by the ocean. Almost everything I make has something to do with it.

Do you remember the moment when you realized that you wanted ceramics to become a job or a business? I started making ceramics when I was a little kid but left it behind to pursue painting. I did a ceramic piece for my industrial design grad project and fell in love with the medium again. It’s such an interesting mix of art and science. I get a rush every time I open the kiln to see what my lump of clay has become. I think I always knew that I wanted to start my own business but it wasn’t until a fire destroyed my studio a few years ago that I had to make a decision about how serious I was about making that leap or letting my ceramics become a hobby.

Working with ceramics seems like such a technically challenging skill. How do you deal with off days or creative blocks? It’s definitely very technical. Most ceramicists I meet describe it as a love hate relationship. There are incredible highs when you pull an amazing piece out of the kiln but there are also a million things that can go wrong that you could never predict. It takes a lot of focus to try and replicate the same result over and over again. That being said I think that repetition and frustration helps me stay creative. I think most creative people need something to fight against.

If someone in Vancouver wanted to learn how to work with ceramics, how would they go about doing that? There are lots of ceramic courses at local art centers to help you get started. You can also learn on your own from books and online tutorials too. You just really need to have a space that you can dedicate to getting messy and find access to a kiln.

A lot of your work has multiple purposes. Is that something that was important to you in the designing process, or was it something that happened naturally? It’s definitely something I’m interested in. I live in a small space and rarely let anything stay in my house that I’m not in love with or is essential. So if I can make objects that can be used for multiple purposes or that are more efficient I think all the better.

Who is another artist that you look to for inspiration? I love the work of Eva Zeisel. I am very inspired by the fluid, organic forms she creates. I’m also really inspired by the Bouroullec brothers who seem to create effortless objects that you can’t imagine not having existed. I’m also really inspired by the way Jamie Haydon shows off materials in a dreamlike way.

What has been your proudest career moment so far? Pretty much any time I hear back about my work I think is incredible. It’s hard for me to imagine that all of those little pieces of ceramics that have left my studio are living their own lives now. I still can hardly believe it when people tell me that they know my work.

What are some exciting things happening in 2012 for Fleet? I just launched some new lighting and jewelry that I’m really excited about. They’re all inspired by fishing floats. If you’ve ever been in a fishing store I dare you not to want to fall in love with the awesome bright painted balsa wood or the giant crab fishing floats and nets.

If you were not running Fleet, what would you be doing? Still obsessing about making something. I can’t shake it. Maybe textiles?

Thanks Zoe! Find out more about Fleet Objects at www.fleetobjects.com.

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Jenny Bachynski was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. In her teenage years she packed up her bags and headed to Vancouver to pursue further education in fashion design. In 2009 she started her own small business Jenny Andrews Recycled Leather Goods, as well as her blog Jenny Loves. After starting her blog, Jenny discovered that one of her greatest joys was stumbling upon beautiful and interesting things, and sharing them with anyone who would listen.

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Cool Thing We Want #334: Hand Made Silver Branch And Twig Rings By Colby June (Etsy)

Set of sterling silver branch and twig rings with a bronze and 14k gold rock ring | Colby June Jewelry

EVERY COOL THING WE WANT

Cool Thing We Want #333: A Red Heritage Backpack From Vancouver’s Own “Herschel”

Red Herschel Heritage Backpack | $54.99

EVERY COOL THING WE WANT

VANCOUVERITES: Five Minutes With Randi Obenauer, Designer & Creator Of “Ora Bags”

by Jenny Bachynski | Randi Obenauer is the designer and creator behind Vancouver’s own Ora Bags. With an impressive amount of post secondary sewing and arts education, it is no wonder why her handmade creations have been sparking attention everywhere. Using a mixture of new and vintage leather, Ora bags demonstrate a perfect balance between practicality and style (who wouldn’t want a sleek leather bike bag to ride around with on a nice Vancouver evening?). Randi was kind enough to sit down and share some insight into the world of Ora, and what it has been like running her own business.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how Ora started out? As an artist I’ve always been interested in fashion and fabric as a medium, and once I got a taste for working with leather while working on custom car interiors, I was hooked. The irony of my line of bags is that the first ones were born from a desire to actually have a bag I liked – I’m not much of a ‘purse’ kind of girl, so I always had a basic rucksack or messenger bag. I made my first leather bags while I was still in fashion design school, and was overwhelmed by the result, and it’s just snowballed from there.

Is Ora a one-woman show? Do you do all of the designing and creating yourself? I love to collaborate with other artists for my photo editorials, as Vancouver has so many talented photographers, stylists, and clothing and jewelry artists. When it comes to the making process, it is entirely a one woman show. I’m so happy to have a studio in the Dynamo Arts building, it’s really inspiring to work in an environment shared with so many talented individuals.

What is your favorite aspect of working with leather? I love the feeling of cutting and sewing leather, the smell and the hand of the different types. Leather is equally forgiving and unforgiving, so I enjoy the challenge of perfecting things as you often can’t backtrack and resew. With the introduction of some of my most recent styles in entirely new rather than recycled leather, I am really enjoying the ability to design pieces that are really minimal.

If you could collaborate with any Vancouver designer, artist, or business owner, who would it be? I’m currently in the process of discussing a potential collaboration with local brand Sitka. I feel very in alignment with a lot of their initiatives towards sustainability and their West Coast vibe. I’m also currently the Womenswear Designer for local brand Voleurz, perhaps later down the road there could be potential for an Ora-Voleurz collaboration if we expand into accessories.

Read more and check out the 2012 Look Book after the jump… Read more

VANCOUVERITES: 5 Minutes With Gene Doe Creatives Christina Ladwig & Hanna Tveite

by Jenny Bachynski | Christina Ladwig and Hanna Tveite are the creative directors and photographers behind Gene Doe, a creative agency specializing in fashion media. Based out of Vancouver, the talented duo have collaborated on many editorial shoots, ad campaigns, and films. It’s easy to be drawn to their photography for its cinematic quality (it gets me in the same way that a good film does); the style is minimalist and striking, something that I feel is often absent in fashion media. I was keen to hear their perspective and learn how they balance their talents to create a cohesive business. Say hello…

How did Gene Doe come to be? Simply, we both wanted to make work that we wanted to see. Although we didn’t know it when we first met, we shared a sensibility that was quite different than the prevailing one in the city at the time. Once we realized we both felt that way, it just felt like a natural progression.

The name Gene Doe…how did that come about? We really wanted to create a personality. We wanted an identity, but one that was somewhat ambiguous. We didn’t want to limit ourselves by choosing a name that defined us in a specific way. We also knew that our identity would be closely linked to the names we worked with, so a reference to the nameless “Doe” seemed fitting. Everything about it felt right.

Do you feel that you both have similar photographic styles, and how does that play out when you are working together? We have a very similar vision, but naturally assume different roles. Our individual strengths are well balanced. What one of us doesn’t see, the other does.

While you are shooting, are you purposefully aware of what you are trying to capture, or is it more of an organic experience? Everything we do, we do with a tremendous amount of purpose. Our focus going into any shoot is on expressing a particular tone. But in achieving that, collaboration is an extremely important element of our process. The different creative influences of the model, the make-up artist and stylist are something that we fully embrace. We don’t always know how we’re going to get there, but we always know where we’re going.

What has been your favorite experience you have had since you started Gene Doe? Probably the short film we did with Jordan Chu, for her jewelry line, The Woodland. We had incredible creative chemistry. It was, by far, our most ambitious project. It was also the most collaborative project we’ve done.

Gene Doe is primarily a business that is dedicated to fashion media. How would you describe your style if you could only use one word? Understated.

How has living in Vancouver influenced you as artists and photographers? The aesthetic that appeals to us is one that isn’t at all prevalent in Vancouver. The absence of that provided space for us to find our identity.

What is one thing you wish you would have known before starting your own business? Nothing, really. Learning is the best part.

What is your favorite small business in Vancouver (besides your own)? There are a lot of great small businesses in this city, but if we’d have to pick one, it would definitely be Old Faithful. They have a really strong identity, they’re super friendly and they support local business. We also love their aesthetic.

If you could do a portrait session with anyone, who would it be? Bob Dylan.

To learn more about Gene Doe visit www.genedoeproject.com and www.genedoe.tumblr.com.

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Jenny Bachynski was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. In her teenage years she packed up her bags and headed to Vancouver to pursue further education in fashion design. In 2009 she started her own small business Jenny Andrews Recycled Leather Goods, as well as her blog Jenny Loves. After starting her blog, Jenny discovered that one of her greatest joys was stumbling upon beautiful and interesting things, and sharing them with anyone who would listen.

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