The annual Ottawa Fashion Week is back for its fifth year this weekend (Sept. 13-15) showcasing the top Canadian designers and their runway pieces for Spring and Summer 2014. Having first come onto the scene as a platform for Fall/Winter 2009 collections, Ottawa Fashion Week has established itself as a regular venue for designers to present their collections and bring fashion to the arts community. As the event grows stronger with each season, more designers Canada and beyond have signed up to make the trip to Ottawa – with a... | Continue reading article

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR. It’s time, once again, to picnic. This isn’t just any picnic, though – this is a classy, black tie affair, voted one of Ottawa’s sexiest parties in our racy survey from earlier this year. For the past two years, Harvest Noir has seen hundreds of brave Ottawans gather together in their finest threads. Why ‘brave’, you ask? The picnics have both fallen on unseasonably cold days, with a spot of rain or two. This year, the organizers are hoping to change all that by holding it... | Continue reading article

All photos by Adria May Bluesfest 2013 was an amazing venue for fashion inspiration in the city. It was scorching hot outside, with lots of scorching hot people. Better late than never, check out our belated Bluesfest Street Style File!   Occupation: Therapist and co-founder of Couch Assassin Outfit:  Shirt: Smoove (New Zealand) Skirt: Jacob Shoes: Clark’s (dancing and hooping all day require comfy shoes) Style inspiration: My style is dictated by cut and colour. Dresses are the easiest piece of clothing because they are most forgiving of fluctuating body shape... | Continue reading article

There’s something dream-like about a picnic where everyone is dressed in white, sitting under a summer sun. And it’s precisely this appeal that drew the organizers of Picnic En Blanc to bring this worldwide phenomenon to Ottawa – the idea of mixing food, fun and summer fashions was too good to pass up. So, on July 25, Ottawa will have its first Picnic En Blanc – location to be shared just hours before the event takes place. And it won’t just be about food and fashion – we’ve just heard... | Continue reading article

If you’ve seen our Style File posts, you’ll know Ottawa’s got swagger. Two of the lovely ladies we’ve got to thank for it are Katie Frappier and Regine Paquette: fashionistas, besties, and successful local business women. This delightfully dressed duo is responsible for the carefully curated and much loved Victoire Boutique. The girls clearly have great style, but what really sets Victoire apart is their philosophy. The pieces you find are timeless and well-made, because Frappier & Paquette are  “smitten with Canadian design.” Victoire features designers from all across the... | Continue reading article

Consider this a bit of payback for our t-shirt contest from last year. Nick Charney and Chris Pointer have come together to create Bureaucratees - a set of satirical t-shirts aimed at the city’s public servants. They’ve combined some of the sayings, puns and funny realities of government employment and some creative design treatments to create a fun set of t-shirts. “Sometimes you’ve got to be able to make fun of yourself and own your stereotypes, we figured what better way to do that than wear it proudly on your... | Continue reading article

On June 1st, Ottawa Velo Vogue held a fashion show at the Kichesippi Beer Co. Between the cute dresses, cute bikes and fashionable people, the event was filled with style inspiration. If you didn’t have an opportunity to attend the event, photos can be found here.   Name: JORDAN DE RUITER Occupation: Designer at Jordan De Ruiter Outfit: Dress from her line, Jordan De Ruiter Style Inspiration: “I just make what I would really wear. Stuff you can dress up in, but that you buy and doesn’t just sit in your closet forever.”... | Continue reading article

Calling all fashion-forward cyclists! Our favourite bike blog Ottawa Velo Vogue (OVV) is raising money for Cycle Salvation tomorrow night at Kichesippi Beer Co and they want you to be there! Zara Ansar and Michelle President (of OVV) have been busy putting together Velo Vogue: A bicycle fashion show, which highlights the latest trends in clothing, accessories, and bikes (vintage and new) from local and international designers. The event is sure to be a fun time – what with China Doll playing host, great beer and tasty food, door prizes, a silent auction – and it’s... | Continue reading article

Post by Steven Artelle The dust has barely settled along Somerset, and the rhythms of Chinatown Remixed are still ringing in our ears—you would think this would be the ideal moment for one of the event’s curators to take a well-deserved breather. But Jennifer Stone, who helped transform the Daily Grind Café into an anthropomorphic wonderland only days ago, already is moving on to her next feat of curatorial innovation, as she conjures up the spring edition of the Idle Hands Craft Sale. Billed as “something for everyone naughty or... | Continue reading article

Enjoy hunting for curious and one-of-a-kind wonders? Apt613 has bravely wandered the city streets in search of the cute, the funky, and the truly bizarre in order to help kick-start your spring shopping adventures. These “best” boutiques were chosen for their pleasant vibe and unique offerings that won’t burn too large of a hole in your pocket. Please tell us about your favourite shops in the comments section. 1. Wunderkammer (238 Dalhousie St.)Wunderkammer is like a museum of the strange and beautiful. The main attraction might be the jewelry, but it also offers... | Continue reading article