Amevie – trendy sun care company

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Amevie sure sounds like a pretty name, but it packs a lot more meaning than just sounding nice! Amevie comes about from the latin word “amehvi”, meaning “Love Life”. Simply loving life? Sign us up! Amevie serves as a triple whammy in internet resources, as a super fun informative blog offering health tips regarding the sun and UV rays, without getting too medical on us, offering lots of fun inspiration and juicy tips about fashion, and safe fun in the sun. Not only is Amevie a pretty rich source of helpful info, but will very soon also serve as a platform for the company’s own brand of health-conscious sunglasses and sunscreens, which successfully balance health, beauty, and fashion, without sacrificing any of those three essentials.

Amevie is a super handy site to keep saved in your browser bookmarks; their articles are jam-packed with answers to those head-scratching questions about our health and how the sun’s rays work, while being extra accessible, intuitive and comprehensive. Reading the full details about these subjects from the more biology-heavy medical sources is a total bore, feels like school, and sometimes leaves us more confused than before. Browsing through some of their article titles, I noticed the added bonus of tips for travel too. These posts are full of little tricks and hacks to make traveling and keeping your skin, eyes etc. safe during your time abroad. So useful, right?!

Amevie doesn’t pull punches when it comes to busting industry myths about sunscreens and sunglasses, products that are supposed to protect us, but often don’t, despite having pretty demanding price tags. After all, who doesn’t want the knowledge toolkit to know which sunscreen, on a shelf stocked with tons of different brands that are all trying hard to sell, works best and isn’t feeding our skin cells unfriendly chemicals. If you don’t believe us, or are just feeling curious, see for yourself, and if you like what you see, share with your friends and family!

This article was written by Maurice Hriech, a Creative Industries graduate (almost) at Ryerson University with a love for city-living, summer, and organic skin care that keeps his health at the forefront. Hobbies include indoor gardening, film photography, and of course, shopping.

LaFemme TheBerge Crowdfunding for the Fashion Art Toronto Show

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Tanya TheBerge is one of those fashion designers with an inspiring story, a fantastic background and a great product. A well known bikini designer for fitness competitions, we are thrilled to see her début collection at fashion Art Toronto (F.A.T.) this spring. But we will let you read her story from her own words, and don’t forget you can support her Indiegogo campaign with as little as $25.

Luevo: What is your favorite part about being a designer?

Tanya: My favourite thing about being a designer is that it encompasses so many different art forms in one. From illustrations, sculpture, tailoring, embroidery, textile design, conceptual collections and countless other forms of multi-media. The limits really are endless.

Luevo: What obstacles did you have to overcome to get to where you are today?

Tanya: Everyday comes with its challenges when you are a mother of two, entrepreneur and emerging designer but I believe it’s more important to focus on the positive. Although, some challenges I’ve had are seeking credibility without the possession of a degree from a prestigious fashion school, having to take care of and support a family of four while creating my collection with limited/no funding available to emerging designers in Ontario/Canada. I’m trying to overcome the challenges associated with an industry that is designed for the privileged to succeed.

Luevo: What advice do you have for young designers?

Tanya: My advice for young designers is to see the silver lining in every situation because it is from the bad experiences that we often times learn the most. Complete tasks fully, stay focused and be self analytical so that you are able to produce work that is authentic to who you are. Expect to have to work hard and then work even harder.

Luevo: Why crowdfunding?

Tanya: I decided to do crowdfunding because there is no financial assistance for fashion designers in Ontario. The costs of producing a collection, brand, label and campaign can be astronomical. I also liked Indiegogo’s feature of giving back to contributors. As a proud person, asking people for money is not something I’ve ever felt comfortable with but being able to give a piece of the collection and gathering my supporters together has been a great experience.

Luevo: What are you top tips for a designer going the crowdfunding path?

Tanya: My three top tips for designers looking to do a crowdfunding campaign. 1) Hire a consultant!! I worked with Ana from Luevo, and without her guidance, support and knowledge we would not have been able to launch a campaign that we can be proud of. She kept us on track and was an abundant source of information and knowledge. 2) The majority of the work is done before the launch so focus on making real connections with people who can make a difference 3) get used to everyone tell you “You should do this… You should do that…” and do the best you can.

Luevo: Let’s talk about your brand. Who is LaFemme Theberge?

Tanya: LaFemme Theberge is an artist who exists with a rebellious heart. La Femme Theberge is about taking the adventurous route, the route less travelled in order to discover new ways of being and thinking. La Femme Theberge is a rule breaker and innovator.

Luevo: Finally, where do you see the brand in the future?

Tanya: I see the brand growing to be recognized for producing unique and artistic red carpet pieces and being curated for art exhibitions worldwide.

Make sure you follow Tanya’s journey on Twitter and Instagram. You can connect with Tanya via her website, and you can always show your support by sharing her crowdfunding campaign with your friends.

Spreading the love with EVOLI’s Jahi Fitzgerald

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When you ask emerging fashion designers about the start of their careers, their stories are very similar.  They range from getting an early start during youth to being discovered after pursuing a fashion design education.  During this interview, I want to share a different story.   I want to introduce to Jahi’ Fitzgerald of the label of Evoli by Jahi’.   His story includes its share of accomplishments, setbacks and inspiration from his family.  By the end of this piece I hope emerging designers and readers get inspired to continue to pursue their dreams despite being faced with potential obstacles.evoli

Me: Let’s begin by letting readers know a little more about your fashion brand.

Jahi Fitzgerald: EVOLI, the brand, is about elegance, class, style and longevity. It’s about how a woman expresses herself. My desire is to present women with timeless pieces that can be worn for years to come. EVOLI, the name is about vision, dreams, hopes and desires. It’s about love, family and my desire to create a legacy for my family. EVOLI is ILOVE spelled backwards and it encompasses the initials of my 4 sisters and my mom. The placement of each initial has a significant meaning as well:

E – Evelyn

V – Vivian

O – Olivia

L – Lillie (mom)

I – Ida

EVOLI by Jahi'5

EVOLI is not just a one-dimensional brand! The meaning and style of EVOLI is multifaceted and I intend to share it with the world.

Me: What inspired you to become a fashion designer?

Jahi Fitzgerald: I’ve always loved fashion. I can remember as a little boy back in my neighborhood, watching my sisters get dressed and how they would pass each other different garments to try on with other garments. They would try new things and come up with something that none of their friends would be wearing. I could honestly create collections from the things I saw on my own block. Everybody had a sense of style back in that neighborhood.

Designing is like breathing to me…literally and figuratively.

Me: Does EVOLI have a signature look, specific style or etc.?

Jahi Fitzgerald: I’ve thought about that myself. I would say, I’m big on details, buttons, sleeves and linings. My favorite eras are the 1930’s and 1940’s. I used to jokingly say that I was alive during those times.

Me: You used crowd funding to finance your upcoming Spring collection. What made you decide to pursue this method?
Jahi Fitzgerald: I wrestled with the crowd-funding idea for 3 years. I couldn’t decide which group to go with or what I would ask for. It felt weird to ask for money. Although, I had no investors and no major money to invest myself, something had to be done. I didn’t want to sit out another season without being involved. I had 3 friends who talked me into going this route and they pushed me to ask for the amounts that I did. As I said before, designing is like “breathing” for me. I finally decided to do it, and I thought of how I could give back. On the Go Fund Me campaign, I offer gifts back to all those who donate, but what I’ve also done is created some t-shirts that will be for sale soon, which will benefit two separate charitable organizations.

Me: Evoli has showcased at several fashion weeks. You also designed a 60th birthday gown for singer Chaka Khan. What would you say is your favorite moment & why?

Jahi Fitzgerald: I’ve showcased at NY Fashion Week (EMERGE Fashion Show), Presidential Inaugural Fashion Show in DC and in Connecticut with my first fashion show. I’ve also been featured on ABC Ch8 – CT Style. I have to say, the Chaka Khan opportunity was awesome. I think I was in another body when I did that. I still think about that night. Chaka Khan is an amazing person and was the first celebrated person I’ve had the pleasure of dressing. The favorite moment for me was when a coworker looked across my desk and saw one of my sketches – she wrote a check based on a sketch. She inspired me to do something I would never have imagined – “live my dream”!

Me: What advice would give to a fellow emerging designer from your experience so far?
Jahi Fitzgerald: I’m still learning myself and not sure how much I can influence anyone. I’d say, if designing is what’s in your heart of hearts, by all means keep pushing. Keep dreaming.

Lastly, how can people find out more about Evoli?
Jahi Fitzgerald: You can find EVOLI online  and on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,
Instagram.

Jahi Fitzgerald
Make sure to follow Evoli on the links above. Also, you can find a link to his GoFundMe here.

This article was written by our guest blogger Tamarah Brown. You can follow her on Tumblr and Twitter.                                   

Getting to know fashion designer Elizabeth Castellon

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As I continue to highlight emerging fashion brands and designers I thought about who would be my next choice. I decided on Menswear and Womenswear designer Elizabeth Castellon. She also happens to be a fellow Academy of Art University alumni. After seeing her 2014 Fall Menswear collection during AAU’s runway show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2014  I decided to reach out to her. As a big fan of menswear her collection was one that stood out to me. I was fortunate to catch up with Elizabeth and asked her to share some of her designer journey.

Elizabeth Castellon Image ppearscourtesy of Fashion School Daily

As a designer of both womenswear and menswear which do you find to be more challenging?

Elizabeth Castellon: I find menswear to be more of a challenge, because there’s only so much you can design in menswear compared to womenswear. I think in womenswear you have more freedom to explore. With menswear you are limited, you have to follow the concept of functionality.

Fall 2014 Menswear lineup Image appear courtesy of Fashion School Daily

Fall 2014 Menswear lineup
Image appear courtesy of Fashion School Daily

You presented your fall 2014 menswear collection at the Academy of Art University runway show during last year’s NYFW. How was that experience?

Elizabeth Castellon: It was a memorable experience. After working so hard on my collection for several months, then watching my designs go down the runway; and knowing that this experience was coming to an end was bittersweet.

 

Elizabeth Castellon Fall 2014 collection4

Elizabeth Castellon Fall 2014 collection2

Elizabeth Castellon Fall 2014 collection3

What is one thing you draw inspiration from when designing?

Elizabeth Castellon: I draw inspiration from photographs and images of what men wore during a specific time period. I examine the images and look at what the men were doing, their surroundings and their demeanor. From there I create a character, with a back story, that embodies the man of that time.  I use this character as a tool to help me focus my research for more inspirational images. When designing, this character and his story keeps me inspired and helps me to visualize my designs.

Do you have a signature design or style that identifies your brand?

Elizabeth Castellon: I would say my style is combining classic tailoring elements with sportswear.

What is some of the best advice you received during your career?  What is your advice for emerging designers?

Elizabeth Castellon: Someone once told me “We are our worst critics. Try not to second guess yourself.” When sketching I tend to think “does my design needs something more? Does it need something to make it interesting?” But I have to keep in mind not to over design; that simple, is ok. My advice for emerging designers is to trust your instincts.

Lastly, where can people get in touch with you?

Elizabeth Castellon: Email: castebycastellon@hotmail.com. My work is posted on Instagram at @castebycastellon.

This article was written by our guest blogger Tamarah Brown. You can follow her on Tumblr and Twitter. Elizabeth Castellon Fall 2014 Menswear Runway Images appear courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Image of Elizabeth Castellon is courtesy of Fashion School Daily.