Tag archives: indie fashion

SHOPPING | Transportation Doggie Style

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FLASHBACK | Project Runway, Season 3 — The Dog Challenge. Heidi Klum tells the show’s designers they will be designing for one of fashion’s hottest accessories. The designers (and viewers like me) try to predict “said accessory,” but it’s not until we see the inimitable Tim Gunn walking awkwardly over a knoll in Central Park with thirteen little dogs in tow that we suddenly get it.

Call it Paris Hilton’s contribution to the world: doggie chic.

I don’t own a dog, but I love animals, dogs especially. I get that owners love and spoil their dogs and style mavens in particular would like to their puppies to show a little style. So you might as well be a smart puppy and choose something more fashion conscious like the doggie sac by the mother/daughter design team Rebe, made predominantly from vintage fabrics and wire mesh.

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Okay, these pups aren’t real but you get the concept. We love the fact that Rebe gives cast-off fabrics a second shot at love.

Doggie Sacs are available directly through the Rebe website for $198.

Taking Green to the Edge: Nicole Bridger

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You’d expect a designer who once interned for Vivienne Westwood to veer towards the edgier side of fashion. Vancouver-based designer Nicole Bridger certainly does. But she’s striving to push fashion even further.

Described by TheITLists as “edgy eco,” Nicole Bridger’s line has made a splash at B.C.’s Fashion Week. Her design philosophy is simple and karmic:

“Our philosophy is to do what’s right. We create designer clothing and the socially conscious thing is just how we think everyone should be living his or her lives. We use sustainable fabrics and strive to have a positive relationship with everyone who works to create our clothing. You can trust that we are doing whatever we can to make our garments and company as eco as we can, and are always looking for ways to do it better next season.”

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Launching your own fashion label is challenging enough. Making it fabulously green AND fresh enough for Paris, New York (or Vancouver) is even tougher. Fortunately for Bridger, she’s done it before: co-creating the urban, organic brand oqoqo with lululemon’s founder Chip Wilson.

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The Nicole Bridger line is currently available in a handful of boutiques in Canada, New York and Portland. Visit her website for a list of stores.

Walls and Wares to Die For: Lily Yung


My fetish for felt furnishings continues with a look at the sinewy, die cut furnishings and jewelry designed by Toronto-based mixed media artist Lily Yung. Made from industrial wool felt, the pieces are dyed and hand assembled by Lily into gorgeous webs for wall panels, pillows, rugs and runners.

Not one to waste good material, Lily takes the remaining die cuts (the cut outs) and uses textile techniques to create masterful pieces of jewelry:


Lily’s personal favorite? The blue Boa FB1:

“I think the blue boa is very successful. It is simple but dramatic on
the body and fulfills my goal to incorporate the closure mechanism in
the piece and it is also adjustable to fit different neck sized and
can be easily reconfigured to be a collar or a bracelet.”

The Fab Factor: Lily’s pieces are simply stunning and beautifully crafted. Wool felt as a material that is landfill-friendly and naturally fire-retardant (goodbye to chemically-based fire-proof treatments). We love that Lily sources her wool and cutting services locally (conserves fuel/transportation), and transforms otherwise wasteful leftovers into beautiful pieces.

You can meet Lily and see her work in person at:

Virtual/Tangible v2.0 Show

@ Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco
January 24, 2007

Interior Design Show 2007
@ Direct Energy Centre, Toronto
February 22-25.

If you’re planning on attending either event, we’d love to have you share your field report with Fab Green readers!

You can see more of Lily’s work here. If you’re interested in buying or sourcing her pieces feel free to contact Lily directly.

Another entry on Lily’s beautiful wire jewelry to come later this week. Special thanks to Lily Yung for answering our many questions and sharing your work with Fab Green!