Open Letter to Joanna…. Happy Birthday you fabulous human being!!

You and I are have just entered our third year of friendship (officially today) and I was naturally feeling just a bit on the sentimental side. I know it's a bit unlike me.... NOT! Why is it when I get to thinking about how long our friendship has been going on I get so mushy feeling and all warm and fuzzy feeling? I guess a lot of it is because some of my best memories in my life are with you. I read a quote the other day and it said, "Best Friends are Sisters that God forgot to give you." I thought about you right away... I thought about how much more intense our lives would have been if you and I had been real sisters (twins??? LOL)... born in the same family. Can you even imagine how that would be?! LMAO!


A birthday is a special time that comes only once a year. It gives you an opportunity to look back on your accomplishments to date. It gives you an opportunity to reflect on your present projects. It gives you the opportunity to look ahead and plan on a future that will fulfill all your hopes and dreams. With that said… it’s crazy how much we’ve accomplished this year, how much we are working on together right now and what we will achieve in the future. We’ve been each other’s rock and motivation for everything in our budding business and I’m proud to call you my fabulous best friend and partner.


For your birthday, as side from my awesome gift, I wish you much success in the future, along with health, love, peace and prosperity. I wish you the best in everything you do, with or without me (LOL). You are, truly, one fabulous human being and it is an honor to know you and to be apart of your life. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you… and us.


I hope that as we enter this 3rd year as friends, it marks the beginning of many more years together... and I pray that sometime soon (after all this hecticness) we are able to set aside some time for just us to get together and celebrate this awesomeness!


I love this saying and feel it fits us so well… ‘A good friend will always bail you out of jail, but a best friend will be sitting next to you saying, 'damn, that was fun!’ That's the kind of friends you and I always have been and will continue to be until nothing is left of us but this blog.

I love you my fabulous friend! Always and forever!
Happy Birthday… 24 on the 24th ; )!!

With All my love,
Yussie
xoxo

Here is a little dose of your fabulous fashion style…

Supastarz!

DIY: Fab Summer Dresses for Cheap!

This summer I was invited to two weddings, and all I could think of was ugh... more money to be spent. I had some dresses but nothing I thought would be really appropriate outfits for the weddings. So I decided to go out on a mission to find some cute, affordable dresses.


I went into Sirens and headed straight to the sale rack... and lo and behold, it was jam packed with all kinds of fun, summery dresses. I picked out a couple of them, and made my way to the dressing room with my mom and sister. The first few were a straight up 'hell no' and then I tried on this black strapless dress with a peek-a-boo underskirt of pink satin and a scalloped hem. The size was perfect and the fit was stunning... the only problem was the large black eyelet pattern on the chest with pink satin beaming its way through... gross. I looked at the price tag and saw $15 and for that prince, I decided to go for it, and use my Montreal Fashion Mind to redesign it myself into the perfect dress.


The next dress I found was this gorgeous 50s inspired ultra colorful, floral patterned strapless dress. I fell in love right away. It fit, almost just right, I just felt it was a little flimsy in the boob area and needed some more support. So again... I looked at the price tag and saw $15 and decided for that price I could take it home and adjust it to my liking. It was two great purchases that cost me 30$ flat (I have a discount card as well that covers tax :D)


I went home and sat and stared at the dresses for a while, trying to come up with an ingenious plan to make them fabulous. I started with the black one, as that wedding was only 2 days away. I knew I had to start by covering the big pink flower in order for this dress to be a success. I cut out a piece of black satin fabric I had, in a circle a little larger then the eyelet part of the dress. I took a pencil and stuffed the black fabric through one of the little holes and smoothed it out to cover the entire pink underlay. I then sewed all around the edges of the circle and voila! In 15 minutes, I had transformed my 15$ dress into a fabulous one of a kind party dress!



After that dress was a hit, it was on to number 2. For this one, I decided to hit up my local seamstress, who has helped me in the past. I told her it was a little large on the sides my chest and flimsy with lack of proper support. She measured the dress to fit like a glove and then we both talked about a solution for the support I needed. Strapless dresses can always be iffy, especially if you're planning on dancing all night and have a larger chest. So, we decided to add some wire piping on the seams of the bustier part of the dress to have it hold my girls up (LOL). Four days and 8$ later, I went back to check out the scene and was pleasantly surprised to see that the dress was perfect! In the end I paid 23$ for this dress and have no complaints!

I outfitted both dresses with my 6 inch Michael Kors patent heels, pashmina (2 for 15$ @ Ardene) and my black and gold clutch I thrifted at Salvation Army. Both dresses were a hit and I felt fabulous in my chic but cheap outfits! Never underestimate the sale rack, your creative mind and motivation to be fab on a dime!

Cheers!

Designer Spotlight... Veronica Reis

For our very first local designer spotlight we'd like to introduce to you... Veronica Reis. She is an up and coming Montreal designer who has recently launched her very own label of made-to-measure fashions.

Her very first collection (fall/winter 2008-2009) consists of fabulously designed gowns and dresses with unique detailing and a glamorous feel.

Looking for a fab new outfit for your next big event? Whether it is a cocktail party, a black tie event or even your own wedding....you will fall in love with Veronica's designs.
Here's a peak at some of her beautiful creations...

Veronica was also kind enough to participate in an interview with us at Montreal Fashion Minds. Check out what she had to say regarding her style, her influences, fashion in Montreal and more!

M.F.M: How did you get interested in fashion?
VR: I was always exposed to sewing and design and I used to play around with my mother’s sewing machine a lot.

M.F.M: Have you always wanted to be a designer? How did you get into fashion design?
VR: I always liked sewing and I started very young on my mother’s 60-year-old Singer. I got really good really fast, but I never took it seriously because I come from a family where women sewed because that was the only way they could help support their family. It wasn’t a choice. They didn’t have the opportunities I had, like being able to study, get an education and a “good job”. I graduated from high school and studied Police Technology and after one year I realized that I wanted to sew and design instead. I thought about it a lot and told myself I could do it and that I could be good at it. I knew I could be successful.

M.F.M: What is your educational background? Where did you go to school?
VR: I went to John Abbott College, LaSalle College and McGill University.

M.F.M: What is your design philosophy?
VR: Fit is the key to a well-made dress.

M.F.M: Where do you get inspiration from?
VR: Magazines, movies and real people.

M.F.M: You began your business out of your house. What is that like? How do you like having your design studio in your home in Terrebonne?
VR: It’s comfortable and I get to work at my own pace and spend more time with my husband at the same time.

M.F.M: What are your hobbies?
VR: I love to travel and do pretty much anything crafty.

M.F.M: Who is your favorite designer and why?
VR: I love Vivienne Westwood because she is so crazy and different.

M.F.M: What is your favourite piece of clothing and/or shoes that you own?
VR: I have to say my favourite items are dresses that I have made myself for special events because I had the chance to make exactly what I wanted. As for shoes, I have a thing for shoes. I can’t even choose. Any fierce looking shoe is a favourite of mine.

M.F.M: If you could only wear one color for the rest of your life, what would it be?
VR: Black.

M.F.M: What are your favourite places to dine and shop in Montreal?
VR: I love Winners for accessories and shoes. My favourite restaurants are Baton Rouge and Club Espagnole Du Quebec on St-Laurent.

M.F.M: How has living in Montreal influenced your personal style?
VR: Montreal is so culturally diverse so I’ve really learned to appreciate tons of different styles. From relaxed and casual to fancy and sophisticated.

M.F.M: Is this your first official collection?
VR: Yes.

M.F.M: What was your inspiration for this collection?
VR: My collection is pretty eclectic. I wanted to show something feminine, fantasy, bold.

M.F.M: Have you done any shows yet? If so, when was your last show and where was it? If not, do you have any coming up or plans for one in the future?
VR: I had a show at Time Supper Club on St-Jacques in downtown Montreal in November. It was part of Fashion Revolution held by E.V.E Entertainment.

M.F.M: Which Canadian stores, if any, carry your line? If none, where can we buy?
VR: My current collection is available exclusively online at http://vrreis.etsy.com.

M.F.M: Who would you like to design something for?
VR: Charlize Theron or Nicole Kidman because they are classic beauties.

M.F.M: What advice do you have for a young woman who wants to be a fashion designer?
VR: Go after whatever makes you happy. Don’t let anyone say you can’t, it’s not good enough, or it’s a difficult profession to get into. If there’s a will, there’s a way.

M.F.M: What are your goals or aspirations? What’s next for you?
VR: I’d like to get the word out as best I can and build up a reputation as a designer. I plan to show my next Spring/Summer 2009 collection in early spring and inspire anyone looking for the perfect wedding dress or prom dress.


So there you have it! Veronica Reis is one of the hottest new fashion designers out of Montreal. She is young, she is talented, she is Canadian and she is going places!

Check out her full collection at: veronicareis.com

Image Soure: veronicareis.com