The Smooth Co. Spring/Summer 2010

From left, Malwina Gudowska (VitaminDaily Calgary), Jason Krell (Jason Krell PR), and Hathiem El Kaadiki (Fashion Designer, Kaadiki)

I was invited to the exclusive launch of The Smooth Company's Spring/Summer 2010 launch at Holt Renfrew. The event took place last week and was attended by quite a few people including Justin Bobby, star of MTV The Hills.

The clothes had a more casual approach with fabrics such as cottons and linens. Colours were in subdued pallettes of light blues and beiges: a big trend in fashion for the summer. It gave me the impression of hanging by the beach, watching the sunset and then having a bon fire!! Funny how a collection of clothes can have that affect on you, right?

Too bad it is raining and miserable out now.

I chatted with Justin Bobby for a bit and found out that he had just gotten home from Coachella, an outdoor music festival in Palm Springs. We talked a bit about the weather, being in Canada and Golf of all things. I think he is perfectly suited to represent this line as his look is just that: Casual, un fussy, and laid back.

Art Deco Deliciousness!

I was just in a lighting store here in Calgary called Carrington Lighting and was greeted by this lovely grouping of delicious lights. I was immediately drawn to these for their art deco lines and of course the gold plating.

You are seeing a lot of this art deco revival in home decor and I couldn't be happier. I think these would look stunning with a black, bronze, and red colour palette or even mixed in with some deep purples. I think we need to start embracing the gold finish.

Blanco Canada Event

I was invited by Allanforest and Blanco Canada, a sink/faucet manufacturer to attend the launch party of a new line a few weeks back in Toronto. The theme to this event was Alice and Wonderland and it was so well done. The party was located in the distillery district and was decorated to the nines. There was a fabulous show, great food, and fantastic wine. The event was filled with fabulous Toronto designers and it was great to reconnect with great friends: Cheryl Torrenueva, Andrew Pike, and Tara Williams.

The new sinks that were revealed are great! Clean, simple, and modern, perfect for any space. What I like about these is that are flushmounts but still look fabulous and don't require expensive and challenging counter cutting techniques to install. They are called the MicroEdge sinks and are available in a wide range of sizes and looks.

The stand out for me was the circular sink that is a great fit for small spaces and condos. The new Crystalline is a space saving technique in which a piece of glass is placed over the sink when not in use. It can be used as a cutting board or just for extra counter space.

Blanco Canada is really making their mark in the world of sink manufacturing. Coming out with new styles really helps us designers make conscious choices about using the right sink for each client. I have been using Blanco for a while and will continue to do so.

Check out their catalogue and website here: Blanco Canada

Pink Tartan @ Holt Renfrew

I was invited to a special event at Holt Renfrew last night. A private showing of the Pink Tartan

Collection by Kimberley Newport Mimran (creator and designer for Pink Tartan). The event was filled with the who's who in the Calgary fashion scene including Leah Van Loon (Stylist), Kim Flannigan (Stylist), Lincoln Phillips (Stylish/fashion writer), and Malwina Gudowska (Vitamin Daily Calgary).

The collection was all about Summer Chic. Fabulous summer tweeds mixed with cotton jersey. The prints were also exceptional. Reminded me of being at a chic beach resort in the French Riviera. The patterns were also quite chic with rope accents and chain links, a vintage take but modernized with the use of bold colours. Coral was the it colour for the collection and looks stunning. Mimran also mentioned her attention to detail which I think is so important: horn buttons, fabulous piping, and monogramed blazers.

A definite hit with the Calgary crowd as right after the presentation there was a mad dash to the racks to pick out their fave find.

Check out www.pinktartan.com for more information

Powder Room Punch

I have always been a huge fan of adding punch to a powder room and for a while there, I was all into wallpaper. Wallpaper is fantastic and I still use it quite often in all my interiors. However, for my own powder room, I decided to do something a little different.

Instead of wallpaper, we covered the wall in photos, frames, and postcards. Each one represents a different time in my partners and my life. I thought this was a great way of displaying some of the postcards and items we have purchased in our travels along with photos that would normally be sitting in a box somewhere gathering dust. We don't have much wall space in the house to display photos so this was a perfect in getting some photos on the wall.

This works because all the frames are different. The textures all work together in creating a unique element and it is definitely is a conversation starter!

Photo by: Bookstrucker Photography

STYLE ICON: Florence Broadhurst

I have decided to profile a STYLE ICON every month. I thought this would be a great way of showcasing some people that have inspired me in my designs. There are so many fabulous people out there that often go unheard of so here is the first of many Style Icons in my life....

Florence Broadhurst is one of my favourite designers. She was a woman of many talents: a chanteuse in Shanghai in the 1920's, involved in fashion in the 30's, an artistic painter in the 50's and most of all, the designer of extraordinary wallpapers in the 60's. The wallpaper was what she most noted for. Her studio made a lot of advancements in the wallpaper world by introducing the creation of metallic wallpaper and creating a washable vinyl-coating finish on her wallpapers to make them more durable.

Her wallpapers were really something else as they were all hand printed and took inspiration from nature and geometric prints. The bold use of colours and shapes were attention grabbing and the first time I saw her designs, I fell in love. I find that her designs are perfect for any decor and add the right hit of drama to make a space interesting and fun!

Interesting fact: This is quite gruesome however upon returning from a trip to England in 1977, Broadhurst was thought to be killed by a serial killer in her studio. Her murder is still unsolved to this day.

Not the best way to say goodbye to the world however her mark on design has been unbelievable. Designers are now using her designs in fashion, through the re-introduction of her wallpaper in Interior Design, and by rugs that are being distributed by Cadrys Handwoven Rugs.

Photos Courtesy of www.architecturaldigest.com

LG Fashion Week

Being at LG Fashion Week was amazing! We caught the tail end of it and were invited to the Joe Fresh, Pink Tartan, and Lucian Matis shows. The energy at the shows was amazing and I have to say that it was great to see my name on one of the chairs at each of the shows!!!

This year Fashion Week was held at a new venue called the Allstream Centre. The space was fantastic and really worked well to the house the amazing fashionistas that were out and about to watch the shows.

The image above is the only one I have left as my camera deleted all the photos I had. This one was taken at the Lucian Matis show. Lucian was featured in Project Runway Canada and has always had an Eastern European flair to his work but this year, he really knocked it out of the park. The textures and patterns that he played with were extraordinary and very opulent. Love it all.

Can't wait to go back next year!

NEAT- Space, Edited

While walking down Queen St. in Toronto last week I came across neat. A store that was merchandised so well it made me get goose bumps and rightly so, coming from its name. I had to go in! It was filled with things for organization, fun homewares, and eclectic furniture pieces from Kartell.

The 2 owners strive to bring new and innovative items for the home to their consumers. Items which serve both function and form. So many storage items can be so cumbersome and plain old ugly. I love it that there is a store that is dedicated to not only being Neat but have Neat items to make your space just that!

My favorite items were the plastic dishes that looked like paper dixie dishes with the scalloped edge. Eco friendly and a conversation piece. Love!

Check them out at www.neatspace.ca

Light it UP!

"Why get your lighting from half way around the world when you can get it from around the corner."

-CHRISTIAAN+PLANK

I was invited to the launch of a new lighting system called Sentry by CHRISTIAAN+PLANCK a few weeks back. Now this newly launched company was started by two brothers known as the Massie Brothers. I profiled them in an article a few years back for Elemente Magazine as the up and comers to watch in Western Design and here they are, launching a new line of lighting.

I LOVE these pendants. They are minimal but provide the right sculptural element to any space. At the launch they had them in a grouping all at different heights and it made such an impact. For now they are available in Gloss white and Matte black but I am just envisioning them in a hotel lobby done in Gold or Chrome, delish!!!

2 guys from Calgary making a huge mark on the international design scene. It couldn't get any better than this! Congrats!

Available at LightForm Inc.

www.christiaanandplanck.com