Love Brand & Co. Hits New Summer Wave

Love Brand & Co. Hits New Summer Wave

(photos: Love Brand & Co.)

Love Brand & Co. - the swimwear brand the cares about the lives of the elephants (one of my favourite animals) had sent me some great news that are happening this summer. First of all, if you don't know much about this brand, feel free to read about it from my previous blog post HERE. In short, this label provides comfortable swim trunks for boys and men of all ages, and for every pair of swim trunk sold, part of the proceeds goes to the Elephant Family organization - and help them preserve habitats for elephants, and also promote awareness of elephant hunting in Asia. 

For SS13 collection, Love Brand & Co. invited British actor Ben Robson to be the official face of their campaign. Robson is the new generation talent, who will star in the upcoming vampire movie "The Dark Prince" directed by Pearry R Teo. The photoshoot took place in the sunny beach in Abu Dhabi. The collection maintained the integrity of "modern classic". You can watch the behind the scenes video of the photoshoot below:

In other Love Brand & Co. news - even though their swim trunks can be found in 22 different countries, the first ever Love Brand & Co. boutique is finally opening in Chelsea's "Beach" by Fulham Road at Park Walk, London. The new 1000 sq ft. flagship boutique follows closely the spirit of the Love Brand & Co. creative director Oliver Tomalin, who wanted to "contribute personally to all the elements of the brand's first space".

The boutique is beautifully renovated with varnished wooden floors and furnitures, showcasing the brand's responsible ethos and "modern classic" style. The whole concept in my opinion offers a relaxed luxurious vacation experience, at the same time an eco-friendly atmosphere. Of course, visitors will be able to find their new SS13 collection, which I mentioned above. If you are in London, and close by - be sure to give the flagship store a visit: "The Beach" 5, Park Walk, SW10 0AJ London.

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AVEDA - "Born To Style"

AVEDA - "Born To Style" With Ray Civello
(photos by: Binzento)

AVEDA's "Born To Style" scholarship competition provides new talents an opportunity to acquire the skill set to become a professional hairstylist. The YYC final competition occurred on April 30th at the AVEDA Institute located at Stephen's Ave. I am sure some of you remembered me posting about the competition via my social media. Now that I finally got some time away from my busy schedule, I can write a small review. 

Prior to the show, I had an opportunity to interview Ray Civello, the CEO & President of AVEDA Institute Canada, and he's also one of the judges of the compeitition. The interview was very different than the ones I've had before. I had no pen, no paper, and no recorder - it ended up more of a "get-to-know-you" conversation with Mr. Civello. I found the interaction was very engaging, and I really enjoyed hearing his experience, and how he became one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the hairstyling industry in Canada. Mr. Civello told me that it was a coincidence he stepped foot into hair salon business. Perhaps his detail oriented personality, and eyes for the beauty are qualities that made him the perfect candidate to create the work of art for hair, and beyond that, a fashion photographer. Over our conversation, he shared his stories about his travel to Paris, to New York, and people he met. The thing that inspired me the most about Mr. Civello was that he's more than just an artist, he was also an entrepreneur. He told me that there will be times when business just doesn't work out, whether it's due to the economy or any circumstance, you've always got to be flexible for change - Going back to the root of your talent would help. For him, he was very hands-on with his business - even when he was the salon founder, he would cut hair and style his clients. Seeking the opportunity at the right time was equally important as an entrepreneur for Mr. Civello. AVEDA Intitute in Canada was brought about by him in the mid-90's as he visioned Canada the need to be introduced with this concept. Proving AVEDA's success, there are now 15 retail stores and 14 highly successful salons across North America. When asked about his impression of the "Born To Style" contestants, Mr. Civello said he was very pleased with their skills and natural talents which exceeded his expectation. During our talk, we shared many ideas and thoughts about the fashion and styling industries in Canada. Though we had only had a brief 20 minutes, I did learn a few things from him that was truly inspiring. Wished I could chat more with him again in the near future.

Among all the "Born To Style" applicants, top 5 aspiring hairstylists were selected for the final showdown that evening, and each was asked to create one casual stylish look, and one avant garde fashion look. In addition to Mr. Civello, two other judges were involved with the scoring process. They were AVEDA Creative Director Marta Murray, and our very own YYC Vitamin Daily writer Kait Kucy. There were some great hair art talent shown by our YYC finalists despite none of them before received any professional training. The winner of the 2013's "Born To Style" competition was Victoria Pantopoulos-Wang. She received a full scholarship to attend the AVEDA Institute's courses and training. Congratulations Victoria!!

**Special thanks to Kristine Wilkinson for her arrangements during that evening.

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The Fairmont Wonderland/ Romance Was Born SS13/14

The Fairmont Wonderland
(photos by: Binzento)

Thanks to the lovely Jacqueline Tyler, and her team at the Fairmont Palliser YYC, I was invited to a wonderland dream like party last week at the downtown's Fairmont Palliser Hotel. Capturing the story of Alice in Wonderland, the Fairmont Palliser surprised guests with one of a kind decor inspired by the plot of this fairytale. There were live music, top-notch gourmet and desserts by the executive chefs of the hotel, and even entertainment that kept everyone engaged. Sadly I left the party early, and was told that my name was called for the grand-prize draw!! :)~~ Guess it's not meant to be mine, but most importantly, I had a wonder-full night <3

Romance Was Born SS13/14 Sydney Fashion Week
(photos by: Sonny Vandevelde)

When I reviewed Romance Was Born SS13/14 collection from the recently past Sydney Fashion Week, I thought this should be a good match with my Fairmont Wonderland post. Minus the space alien atennas, and focus on the eccentric space-age, UFO fantancy theme pieces. Massive retinas stimulating prints - perhaps this would be a popular collection for fashionable game junkies (like myself)… Does it remind you of Space Channel 5, Katamari, or…Teletubbies? On a serious note, there is something truly romantic about Romance Was Born: I can understand the philosophical value behind every detail in this collection that would give the audience a light-heartedness experience while not diluting too much away from its fundamental ready-to-wear purpose. As a fashion/gamer geek, these kinds of things always attract my attention :p

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