Marilyn: Right Dress, Right Time

The Glenbow Museum's recently concluded the Marilyn Monroe exhibit, titled Marilyn Monroe: Life As A Legend, which successfully perpetuated the icon's enigmatic status.
Walking into the exhibit the tone was instantly set by one of Monroe's conscious laden quotes: "I am an artificial product."
There are many arguments surrounding Monroe; some dispute her intellectual capacity and talent, while others claim she was dexterous and sensitive of the apparatus that created her.

Despite the lack of harmony, regarding Monroe's talent and iconic place in history, one thing is common in all discussions: a consistent description of Hollywood's reining blonde remains to be established.

The overall exhibit grappled with Monroe's identity. With each painting, photo, sculpture, and multi-medium amalgamation a new facet of Monroe unraveled; some depictions were dark and unsettling while others were familiar and comforting.

The standout pieces were Volker Hildebrant's large contact sheets featuring frame-by-frame stills of Monroe. The photos not only captured Monroe's animated nature, but uniquely conveyed the star's quiet resistance. Monroe appeared to defy her boundaries in Hildebrant's work, and at times appeared to thrash against the photo that relentlessly contained her.

Alongside the photographs that propelled Monroe into an iconic figure in popular culture, the Glenbow featured costumes that played an equal part in her carefully constructed image. The duplicate of William Travilla's white frock, worn by Monroe in The Seven Year Itch, was mesmerizing despite being a replica.

What was interesting about Some Like It Haute: The Costumes of Marilyn Monroe exhibit was that none of the gowns were overtly sexual. It is ironic when Monroe's naked body is compared to her adorned body, her clothed figure is significantly more sexual. Monroe's sexuality appears natural, unhindered, and powerful.

The costumes used in Monroe's films not only emphasized her consistent ability to convey sexuality, without revealing much but the figure of her body, but also helped her achieve fame. Travilla's white dress is synonymous with Monroe and The Seven Year Itch; neither can be removed from the other without the risk of losing meaning. Travilla's costumes accentuated Monroe's sexuality.

Director Billy Wilder once stated that "Marilyn Monroe was not interested in costumes. She was not a clotheshorse. You could put anything on her that you wanted. If it showed something, then she accepted it . . . as long as it showed a little something," because sex was neither unnatural or unmentionable but impossible to hide.

Obsession

Angela Missoni

Instantly, I have fallen in love with Angela Missoni's Fall 2009 line. Big scarves, hoods, and tons of layering. Perfect.
See more at Coutorture

Links á la Mode|| NY <3 London

• A Few Goody GumDrops - A Few Goody Gumdrops and Chickdowntown.com are giving away a pair of Current Elliott Boyfriend Jeans! So…Girlfriend,Enter to Win!!
• alixrose - Interview with Monika Dasai, CEO of Sole Envie, on how her company will change the way women shop for shoes.
• Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy - Join in the debate… does Chris Brown deserve forgiveness?
• Breakfast at Saks - Christian Siriano for Payless Debuts at NY Fashion Week
• Capitola Girl Jewelry Blog - the elegance of pearls
• Debutante Clothing - Debutante Clothing finds a red carpet worthy vintage Balmain cocktail dress
• Dogmom’s Dish - Erickson Beamon for Target: Bodacious Brilliance to Stimulate Your Senses
• Fabfrocks - About a million reasons why I still love Betsey Johnson…OK, not a million, but definitely more than three!
• fashion in my eyes - Boy meets modelling
• Fashion Pulse Daily - A Fashion Week recap, including Marc by Marc Jacobs, Rodarte, Tibi, and Narciso Rodriguez!
• fete a fete - Cute workout attire from IVEE
• Independent Fashion Bloggers - Photos from Dress Up Soiree LONDON!
• Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Fashion - My favorites from the first half of Fashion Week: Rachel Roy, Peter Som, TSE, Christian Cota, and more.
• MISS GLITZY - My personal shoe museum, the story of I. Miller, a dynasty of American shoemakers.
• misslikey - never forget your gloves
• Or False Glitter - Hannah Marshall and Ipso Facto: A day of London Fashion Week
• Shopping and Info - Shopping and Info loves ruffle bags which are all the rage for Spring and in the nude even better!
• Studio Purpura Fashion Blog - Oscar 2009 Hits and Misses for the lovely starlette’s that dawned the red carpet!!
• Style Gourmand - Style Gourmand talks to Ray Chang, Art Director at Oscar de la Renta, about art, fashion and his endless search for the perfect grey suit.
• Style Symmetry - Would you wear red eye makeup?
• Style With Anna - Get Angelina Jolie’s 2009 Oscar Inspired Dress and Emerald Jewelry
• THE COVETED - A visit to the house of Wendy Brandes
• Your source for all things wicked and awesome - Kate Moss makes black magic look extra yummy in this editorial. It’s all about acessorizing in just the right way!

With Love, From CF To atbt

If you’re looking for all the best things in Calgary there is no better way than to pick up a copy of All The Best Things (atbt) Magazine. Better yet, go to one of their launch parties. Not only will you snag yourself the latest copy of the mag, you’ll also party the night away with the atbt team, live music and tasty beverages.

Calgary Fashion sat down with atbt creators Brendan Kane and Jessica (TheWitt) Wittman to talk shop about the magazine that’s putting Calgary’s best out there.

After internships abroad, the two SAIT grads, Kane the writer and Wittman the photographer, decided it was better to start up their own publication than go work for the traditional newspaper.

“We want to focus on people doing good things in terms of culturally, musically, humanitarian wise and fashion,” explains Wittman of the magazine’s vision. Flipping through the magazine you can see just that. The focus on what’s happening in Calgary goes beyond the articles and photographs. The advertisers are carefully selected as well.

“The idea is to give companies, as well as things that we cover, a better than fair representation that is not seen in other forms of media,” says Kane. All of the ads are full color, full page. The companies themselves are also independent local businesses.

“There are businesses that without us would not get the chance to ever advertise and if they did somehow muster it up, it would be little card sized that would get lost in obscurity with other publications,” says Kane.

Kane explains atbt’s vision further and it’s place among the underground scene in Calgary.

“The idea is to build up people like us within our own culture group. People who are doing their own grass roots movement because, let’s face it, there has been in the last six months a resurgence in grassroots initiatives.”

“Like Calgary Fashion, Market Collective,” Wittman adds.

“Market Collective, The Modern Leisure and Artlife,” Kane continues. “They are all these baby companies that have their heart in the right place that are doing things that mean something. They’re not big concert events, their hand crafted. At least with our magazine, if you’re walking by a newsstand, you’re going to see that there is heart into this, this is a handcrafted piece of artwork. It’s not just getting it out there, pumping out the news coverage – we never believed in that in journalism. We thought that if we were going to ever write about anything or photograph anything or travel to go see something, which we do a lot of the time, it’s more about recommending something, inspiring somebody. Everything that we put in the magazine, we believe should be either something people should do or check out or know about.”

Everything in the magazine is also everything they care about. “We’ve basically made this an extension of our social lives,” says Kane. “We’re going to be out, we’re going to be talking to people all the time. It’s our favorite part of our entire lives – meeting new people, finding out their stories …It’s just great to get the stories and put it together. So we just turned what we were already doing in our social lives into our project… it’s things we would normally do in our lives but with some sort of purpose.”

One of those things that they would normally do is throw parties. Every time an issue is released, atbt hosts a party at a local venue, most recently at the Palomino Smokehouse.

“When we release it and an event in the same suit will eventually bring people together,” says Wittman. “It’s kind of cool to read an article about these girls and have a couple of them there and if you’re just a reader of the magazine you can come, look it up and say ‘oh I saw them there’ – a face, a literal, to the name.”

Their purpose also includes supporting the underground scene that they are also a part of. Wittman explains: “People don’t generally break out of their clicks, you know what I mean? People know who’s in their scene and who’s doing what in their scene, but they don’t necessarily walk outside of that a whole lot and be uncomfortable. So to have an event to bring different groups together and letting them mingle in a casual comfortable environment helps break down those boundaries…

The big thing, in my mind, it’s to get people to support each other. If we all just try to do our own project or own thing, we still need to do that but we need to appreciate what other people are doing. Attend their events and have them support yours. So that big cross feed, that whole, that self-sustaining thing.”

Calgary may not be the most supportive city for the arts, but it’s perfect for a magazine like atbt.

“Calgary is the best place to start off a project because there isn’t very much competition,” comments Kane. “Maybe we wouldn’t try to do this in a bigger city that had three or four versions of us that are already prestigious. This is a new city, I think that there is nothing more exciting than being on the cusp of young people starting up entrepreneurial projects and artistic projects and having everybody else around kind of treat us as a new fresh thing.

“There is no better place than Calgary to start off your dream.”



Join the atbt facebook group for upcoming events, drop off locations and contact information.
Photos of Kane & Wittman taken from Facebook - but the one of Kane is by Tyler Stalman.

Wooooohooo It's Getting Hot!!!

Oh my oh my the Project Runway house is on fire! Last night was probably the cattiest episode in the season so far and tensions were high. The fifth episode of the season saw the designers working with ladies in need of rejuvenation.
Each designer was teamed with a new model/divorcee and were challenged to create a new reconstructed outfit from each divorcees wedding dress.

If you didn't see the show you must watch it as words cannot described the drama that went down. Kim seems to be the fire starter amongst the designers, pouring all her frustrations on Jeff who's design was actually more solid than the out spoken Vancouver native. Did you know Kim is divorced? Married for 3 years...Hmmm I wonder what happened with that!

Yes, yes Jeff may have only done a stitch here and a stitch there but Kim's rebuttal once in front of the judges was in poor taste.

Sunny won immunity once again and the predicted winner is feeling the pressure of being such a solid designer. Adejoke's design was very solid and it was clear her model loved her new dress. Jessica is still on point but could have made her dress a little longer while Jason Meyers hit the heart with sentiment creating a jacket for his lady with her son's name stitched on the inside. It looked like Meyers would win immunity but Sunny took the gold this week.

Anywhoo! When it all came down to the judges, it was quiet dedicated Baylor Orlando to leave the show this week. His dress was a reconstruction of a Sari that unfortunately just didn't measure up to the judges standards as opposed to the Kim Cathers rag balloon dress that really had nothing flattering about it.

So you know we just had to get the scoop from Baylor and here is our interview with the more than inspiring multi-talented designer.


CF: Hi Baylor, Sorry to see you go so soon, were you sad to leave the show and how have things been?
BO: It’s been amazing it’s been a great journey, I’m really happy I took part in the show. It was good I wanted to make it on the other side it was a great feeling to leave with a job well done, there were no regrets. With everything I did I was convinced I was doing the best job. I always put the best energy in every challenge not only for the last one but from the very beginning. When I decided to start the challenge I assumed I was taking on a job, it’s like in real life every day is a challenge, of course I am little bit sad but it’s not that bad when you know you did the best you could.

CF: Tell us a little bit about yourself, what is your fashion history?
BO: I studied fashion design in Caracas after I graduated I opened my own bridal studio, Baylor&Toledo. I worked on wedding dresses and evening gowns; I also did a lot of gowns for beauty pageants. In Venezuela if you become a part of the pageant scene, you are known as a talented designer. I closed the company when I decided to move to Canada in 2006. I started working for a designer from Montreal who closed his company and I started working as the head designer for Ugo Sac and I do all the designs that make up the lines of the collections, I develop all of them and follow the process from the first idea, to the samples, to the final product. It’s something different because it was a brand new field for me, because there were a lot of new things for me to do. I’m not afraid of taking risks and I love reinventing myself. This is something that gave me the opportunity to develop myself in a different field and I love it. I’m really happy now.

CF: You were very confident in your audition tape, what do you think sets you apart from all the other contestants then and now?
BO: One of the things that I realized is that designers can be very different from each other. For me the show confirmed that being a designer is not about making patterns or sewing you have to have a background to support your work, you need a lot of knowledge, the more background you have the more confident and of course I am totally confident. I know Baylor Orlando is a designer. I was very calm, I never thought of taking part in making drama or gossiping, it was very serious for me and I hope that people got that from me.

CF: So in the last episode it boiled down to you and Kim Cathers and you were more panicked than usual during the challenge, do you feel like the judges made an unfair decision based on Kim’s teary-eyed act?
BO: I think the fact that Kim staying is going to spice up things with the remaining contestants. It’s part of the game and from the very first moment I decided to be part of it I knew the rules, that’s why I don’t feel bad about leaving because I played the game as it was and the judges made the decision and I respect that. It’s good for me, good for them, life goes on and I just want to take it as a good thing out of the whole experience.

CF: Who do you think will win the competition?
BO: I don’t know who will win, but I do know deserves to win and that is Sunny. Sunny has the talent and the discipline to do it and he is just an amazing designer, he really deserves to win he has everything it takes to win.

CF: What has life been like for you since the show?
BO: Life has been amazing; this is a great chapter of my career as a designer. The show doesn’t define who I am as a designer but it definitely is something very important, sharing this time with 13 other designers gave me the opportunity to learn good things from each one of them and you grow up as a person. The experience has given me the opportunity to live and be part of a TV show, which I never did before. Even though I didn’t make it to the end coming back to real life you always have a new point of view because every experience that I have in life is like food, it makes you grow and you learn from it! I think now I am back from the show, some things may have changed in me as a person but I’m more than motivated to keep challenging myself everyday, real life everyday is a challenge the only difference is that I don’t have Iman here to tell me what to do.

CF: What are your thoughts on Danio, who recently passed away?
BO: We spent the first day together, when we arrived in Ottawa and in the mansion. Danio was one of the people I considered from the beginning the one to beat. He had such a background and so many experiences as well as worked with designers and major fashion houses. I know he really wanted to make the show but it was really something that he shared the time with us. Wherever he is I’m pretty sure he is enjoying the show and sharing the whole experience with us because he really wanted to be there, even when he was sick he really wanted to be there.

CF: What are some words of advice to designers hoping to make it in the Canadian fashion scene?
BO: I would say that fashion is an industry, it’s a business. Fashion can be glamorous, fashion can be pretty, it can be lots of parties and cocktails but fashion has to be taken seriously and you have to know to become a fashion designer you have to have a background to support what you do. You need to know who you are in order to express to other people what you want to show as a designer, you have to be open to critics because they make you grow. You have to keep yourself open to changes and keep your mind open because the fashion designer has to be updated and you have to be open to what’s going on in the world, as well as history. You have to be very active; you have to know a little bit of everything because that is what makes you a good designer and what gives you the support to make a collection. You don’t just make a collection from watching magazines; you have to look for inspiration in everything. That is something students need to know because sometimes they think it’s all about the fame but it’s much more than the superfluous parts of fashion.

It is a beautiful career but you have to know how to handle that!

CF: So what have you been up to?
BO: I am working and I have a lot of plans in mind I would like to go back to my own company. I really enjoy what I’m doing now, routine is something that kills me, I always need to be doing things, I never stop I think life is too short not to live it of challenges. Of course you guys will hear me.

Links
Project Runway Episode 5
Baylor Orlando Website

New Love - Tim Hamilton

After launching a menswear line in 2006, New York based designer Tim Hamilton has been floating slightly under the radar... Well, not anymore. Keep your eyes locked on this fine gentlemen's line!

Spring/Summer 09

Spring/Summer 09

Spring/Summer 09

SPOTTED: More drop crotch frenzy!!!

Autumn/Winter 08

Photos courtesy of Tim Hamilton and Mode Models.

Links:

http://www.timhamilton.com/

Eleven Minutes

With Project Runway Canada well on it's way, the release of American, Project Runway winner, Jay McCarroll's documentary Eleven Minutes comes at an interesting time as we anticipate the winner of PRC2.

Last year at The Calgary International Film Festival, the fashion exponent to the festival allowed for viewers to watch the hectic fast paced life of the determined designer. I did a review a while ago, while working for The Reflector. It was often times funny as we watched McCarroll go through designing for New York Fashion Week and preparing for his big debut.

There has been a lot of Project Runway Canada talk on the blogs lately and some interesting points have been raised.

What do you think of Project Runway Canada so far?

Links:
Eleven Minutes Website
Danielle gives us a "Late Review" of Eleven Minutes
I also really liked her post on the "recession!
Evan Bidell and Kim Cather's connection? The small community of Canadian fashion reveals itself.
The problem with Project Runway Canada The problem with most reality shows is being picked up on by Demi Couture.

I'm A Barbie Girl...

Well not really, as a kid I did have a wack load of Barbie dolls, however I just wasn't one for dolls. My sister was more of the Barbie Girl than I was. Anyways, catching up on all the videos from New York Fashion Week, last week and the Barbie show was definately something I would have been excited to watch. Just because the dresses are cute and I really like the shoes the models have on, they are: "like seriously Barbie!!" lol!



Okay don't laugh but I really was a fan of Aqua yeaarrrsss ago.

"Commmon Barbie let's go party!!!"

Lately

Lately I have been thinking more on what to do when done with school in April.
Even though I will be interning for magazines till December, I feel the need to travel.
I have been craving Nigeria more than ever these past couple of weeks and with the mass amount of This Day/Arise sponsored events at New York Fashion Week and now London Fashion Week, the urge to explore the Nigerian fashion scene is at an ultimate high now. With more freedom to do what I want without being tied down to school I think I should take up traveling for a bit!



I'm thinking a fashion back packing adventure is in order!

The pictures below are from, designer and fashion blogger, Akpos Okudu, who I went to high-school with, she lives in Port Harcourt city which is where I spent most of my high-school days. It really does excite me when I hear about the fashion industry in Nigeria. 6 years ago there was no fashion glossy and no fashion bloggers or even young designers sharing their work with a massive audience and now it is literally exploding. I cannot wait to visit.

Aren't her photos adorable?





Interested in the Nigerian Fashion Scene?

Check these links out:

You can find Akpos on her very own blog: Ijaw Girl

And for great in depth Nigerian Fashion news: Bella Naija who started as a blog and has moved on to bigger brighter things in the Nigerian fashion industry.

So inspiring.

Hey check out this video on Ayo, an Afro-German singer songwriter found at Style.com
Thanks Emmanuel for the link!

Photos courtesy of Akpos Okudu.

Market collective street style

So many fashionable people
so little time!

Music, Art, Fashion

Last Saturday was Market Collective #4, and what a great turnout!! Calgary's ever-changing weather finally decided to cooperate for at least one day this weekend and a beautiful day means beautiful people! The Carpenter's Union in Kensington was packed all day with fashion enthusiasts, art and music lovers, and anyone who appreciates a good buy. Each artist definitely brought something very unique to this sale, and I am looking forward to the next one.
Sadly though, I wasn't able to get my hands on some scamper pants...nooooooooo.

For more info on Market Collective and future events visit and join the Facebook Group.

Calling All Models!

Hello Fashion lovelies,

Hope you are all having a good day despite the SNOW! yeugh.
So quick stop for a call for models!

The annual Park Sale hosted by University of Calgary and students of other post secondary colleges such as Alberta College of Art and Design and Mount Royal College would like to extend an invite to 4 wonderful models who would be modeling for some of Calgary's talented designers in their Fundraiser Show on March 14, 2009.

They are in need of 4 female models and would require that you be available for:

a. Fittings: March 13, 2009.
b. The Park Show Fundraiser : March 14, 2009.

For more information visit the Park Sale Website!

Please contact parksale@gmail.com for model sign-up!

CF Takes A Smoke Break With Brandon R Dwyer

Okay no we didn't really get the chance to have a smoke break with the latest designer to leave the Project Runway house this week, but we did get to chat for a little bit on the phone yesterday.

Yes, Brandon, from Team YSL who didn't have a clue about the tenets of the legendary Yves Saint Laurent. Even without the necessary knowledge of some of fashions legendary names, Brandon R Dwyer is doing what he can to make a name for himself. Last year alone the funky designer was labeled an up and coming designer to watch out for by Jeanne Becker herself and has had several Fashion Television spots and articles written about him. He's working really hard to present his first full collection which will be avant garde ready to wear pieces. He will be showing more structure with his design as well as more pleating for both men and women.

CF: We're sure it must have been nerve racking to be in front of the camera's all the time.
BD: It was definately interesting.

CF: So we're sure the question you must have been asked several times now is did you really not know who Yves Saint Laurent was?
BD: I knew who he was, because obviously clearly i've heard of him many many times before, they made it out to look like I didn't know who he was. It's not that I didn't know who he was I just didn't know his style. I knew he did the colour blocking and different aspects but I really didn't know, I've never really followed him from collection to collection, thats why I was kind of off.

CF: Tell us a little about yourself, when did you first know that being a fashion designer was the path you would take?
BD: Honestly, I didn't decide to pursue fashion until the end of high school in grade 12, I took it for a semester, I really really enjoyed it because up until then I was going to be a plastic surgeon so I decided to switch where I was going to go to school and decided to take fashion design instead and I think it was a good decision.


CF: So you wanted to be a plastic surgeon?
BD: (laughs) I still have the want to do that but I think i'm going to put that on hold for now!

CF: You said you had applied before and the judges didnt pick you for the last Project Runway show, so what do you think you did differently to be on the show this time around?
BD: Well I was still in school when I applied the first year and I think if I had gone on the show I would have had to drop out which I think might have played a part I think but maybe they thought I wasn't ready they wanted to give me more time and experience so when I applied again I had accomplished so much in the industry. The industry was basically attacking me so I made a name for myself. I think they thought this time hey this boy clearly knows what he's doing so lets take him on!

CF: You say the industry had already been attacking you whats going on with that?
BD: Well there's been so much interest in me, Flare magazine labeled me as one of the fashion designers to watch out for in 2008 same with Fashion Television they did a story on me talking about how I am the new up and coming designer in Canada and there has just been a bunch of things. Which, is why I really havent had much of a collection because I've been so all over the place with the industry.

CF: Did you have fun at the Project Runway House?
BD: Oh yeah the house was fun, the designers were a blast, we didn't get to spend so much time socializing at the house but the times we did have together, we made the best of it.

CF: So you and Margarita....tell us about that!
BD: Well it's really interesting how that worked out because I had originally seen her sketch, I came over when I was going to iron one of my garments and I saw that our sketches looked very similar, so I pointed that out and I was like oh no we can't have the same garment walking down the runway you know it's not not good. So I pointed it out and I was like okay i'll change mine and then later on she decides to attack me which didnt make sense because I was the one that pointed it out to begin with. I realised this and changed that and when she made a big huffy and puffy about it I was like yeah I already changed my design. It just made more drama for the ratings! They need that I guess.

CF: What was it like working with Iman?
BD: She's a very nice lady, she's pretty intimidating but she is a really sweet genuine person.

CF: What are you up to now?
BD: Working on my fall winter 09 collection I'm launching it next month!

CF: Do you feel that the show has given you more exposure?
BD: I think it's opened my name up more to the masses, the fashion industry already knew who I was which is great but to really make a name for yourself people need to be talking about you more so than just the people in the fashion industry, so I think that had a huge impact. I havent noticed too much of a difference but it definitely helped!

CF: What is your advice to other young designers dreaming of runways and bright lights?
BD: Basically, first of all make sure that it is exactly what you want to do because if you do not have passion you will not make it. You have to have the drive and work on it 24/7 because many of my fellow graduate friends are doing absolutely nothing because they are just like it's too tough and they give up way too soon. So if that is your dream then go to school for it, learn the basics that you need to know going into the industry and just keep working at it and push push push!

CF: Have you stopped taking smoke breaks?!
BD: *laughing!* uhhh no! I still have smoke breaks but I try to limit them a little bit!


CF: Do you feel that time was your number one enemy on the show?
BD: Yeah because normally I do alot of hand detailing so actually the last challenge where we had more time to do something more couture was more up my alley but then again I didn't get to do evening wear which is where I put my effort. I was pretty upset about that last challenge actually because they said our garments weren't couture but actually they really are.
But time plays a huge aspect in the whole thing.

Links

Brandon R Dwyer Website
Brandon R Dwyer Facebook

Photos courtesy of Brandon R Dwyer+ Canwest Media

Yeah Dangermouse Was Cool But Dangerkat Is Cooler!

It takes a lot to keep a dream alive. Kaiti "Dangerkat" Pasqualotto knows this. They say this all the time about people but really and truly, Miss Pasqualotto is a woman of many visions, dedication and perseverance.

It’s an interesting period for Pasqualotto as she spends most of her time planning for her next big adventure in New York and Europe as well as working on perfecting her “Scamper” pants.
"Scamper pants" are what people would call the drop crotch pant that has been popping up all over the runways for the Spring/Summer 09 as well as Fall/Winter 09 season. They have been seen everywhere from Milan to London, New York and Paris.

What the world really doesn’t know is that Miss Pasqualotto has been spreading her innovative drop crotch “Scamper pant” which has been labeled a hot item in the world of fashion and has been selling her idea to audiences around the world for 3 years.

The irony of fashion is the timing of it all.
“I started making Scamper pants in 2006, so I was making them and I was really interested in Grace Jones and neon and all that stuff like the lightening bolts," said Pasqualotto.

Dangerkat first presented her Scamper pants to the Calgarian public at the Calgary Fashion Week of 2007. For a product that is so hot on the radar right now, it’s amazing to hear that people couldn’t take the Scamper pant seriously.

“Three years ago when I first made the Scamper pants I went and did my first trade show in Toronto and all I had was 50 pairs of Scamper Pants and maybe 20 pieces of one off jewelry pieces. I sold a few pair of the jewelery pieces, a few of the pants and people even laughed at me ...and I was in Toronto!" she says with her mouth wide open!

"I was thinking they would be forward thinking and I’m thinking I’m not progressive because 2 years later it is all over the place but I was frustrated 2 years ago. I had to spend so much to do the trade show, that was a good experience to know about all that but I spent a crap load of money.”


This all really doesn’t faze the determined dance queen. Sure they may have laughed but she stuck by her dream and realized that the Scamper pant isn’t just for anybody. “I’m not interested in selling things by the masses, I get super excited by selling one offs,”she says. Pasqualotto has a closet full of vintage pieces from all over the world. Her love for uniqueness is clear the minute you step into her room/office.

Each Scamper pant is of a different material, with a different design; there are no two Scamper pants that are the same in the recent collection from Dangerkat.


“I’m having a hard time not keeping them to myself, they are one pair and I can’t make myself another one and you want to make sure the best person has them right?!" she says adamantly!
Attitude is something you must carry when wearing your Scamper pant! You must have confidence says Pasqualotto.

“I want you to rock them down the street! I like to be able to just dance and be stylish while dancing so I don’t have to change, which was the basis to why they are stretchy. They have continued to be that way and I keep refining from the first version, ” she says as she looks over the new collection.


Pasqualotto is not just a designer but is also responsible for the House of Dangerkat, a dance house dedicated to high performance dance specifically in the department of “Voguing” and “Wacking.” It is a collective of arts professionals that synthesize fashion and styling with music and dance which is further enhanced by video and photography. The House is also active in dance education program worldwide and place dancers of the house in both student and instructor positions.


For Kaiti “Dangerkat” Pasqualotto, “it (House of Dangerkat) all started when I was at ACAD. I went to ACAD (Alberta College of Art and Design) after I did my degree; I went to U of C and graduated with Visual Art and a minor in Dance…Contemporary dance and then I wanted to get more into textiles and fiber work because U of C didn’t have that.”

She would move to Australia for an exchange program, which led to more experimenting with textiles. “I did my exchange down there and they gave me free range in their textiles department so I just wanted to make clothing, more wearable art. As a painting piece I would present a whole outfit as my painting and in Australia they were so down with that, they were very open there."

Pasqualotto would stay on at ACAD for a year focusing on wearable art and learning new techniques on how to manipulate fabric with the aid of Wearable Arts extraordinaire Dee Fontans. "I came home and I went to ACAD I saw that I could take anything, even with my degree, so when you don’t have to do anything for marks and you only do it out of interest it’s like the best way to do school!”

The idea of incorporating dance into the presentation of Pasqualotto's wearable art came with the need to always be different.


“I was like how can I be totally different from anyone else here and if I’m a dancer and we have this runway to tackle that’s like freaking a football field at ACAD! So that’s when I really started Voguing and Wacking. I started doing my own research just whatever I could online and learning about the culture and the dance and the art form and teaching whatever I knew to people, dancers in Calgary I thought would be able to pull it off even if it’s more or less just like I thought they would have a good character or they have that presence as a dancer.”

This was the humble beginnings of what has now become one of Calgary's most talked about Dance houses. The group have gone on to Paris to compete in major competitions and danced for big name acts such as Diplo and Collette.

The House features talented dancers from all over the city such as Ashley "Colours" Perez and Reggie Tenchavez who have been at Pasqualotto's side for over a year now and have traveled with the House of Dangerkat leader.

"I think this is the year for Calgary and not only for the House but for Calgary. If other artists can see that we can go and be successful and then come back home that is pretty big. It means we don't really have to move. She's (Pasqualotto) so driven, it's crazy, I ask her how are you so driven? I sometimes don't even have the motivation and to keep the motivation that is an evolution," says Colours as she is fondly referred to by the dance house.


Perez and Tenchavez see Pasqualotto as a visionary for not just the dance world of Calgary but the world as a whole.

"She is a vision and you aren't going to understand it but that is the image of the visionary. It's so new it's out of the box that you will never get it unless it is in it's physical form. You just have to flow with it," says Colours on the impact Pasqualotto has had on the dance community.

This newly planned trip will have Dangerkat performing in different locations here is a schedule of her Euro tour. Unfortunately Pasqualotto cannot take her entire House so these trips serve as networking and advanced booking dates for future shows that can include members of the house at a later date.

HOUSE OF DANGERKAT - FREAKSHOW from Ted Stenson on Vimeo.

EURO TOUR!

Paris Workshop
March 3-6
@ Deepside Centre
Info: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=54838922326&ref=mf

Berlin Workshop
March 21
@ Flying Steps Dance Academy
Info: http://flying-steps.de/pages/dance-academy.php

Stockholm Workshop
March 28-29
@ Danscenter
Info: http://www.danscenter.se/workshops/kaiti-pasqualotto-waack-vogue-house-workshop-28-293.html

Helsinki Workshop
April 17-19
@ Finnish Street Dance Federation
Info: www.nordicmoves.com

Pasqualotto will also be having a going away party this weekend:

DANGERKAT DEPARTURE DANCE PARTY!

Come to say goodbye and dance with me :P
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=55823011820&ref=ts


If you would like to get your very own pair of Scamper pants you will be able to purchase them at the 4th Market Collective show in Kensington this weekend.


For more on Market Collective ----> Facebook Event Page

To understand how extensive Pasqualotto and the House of Dangerkat are you will have to visit their website and Facebook group! The coverage and work put into this house is extensive to say the least.

Links
House of Dangerkat
House of Dangerkat Facebook

Photo credits: Daniel Curtis and Sarah Piantadosi
Photos provided by: Kaiti "Dangerkat" Pasqualatto
Vidoe provided by Ted Stenson