Last Tuesday I co-hosted a night of fashion and beauty with my friends at Fresh Collective and a whole lotta stylish guests! It was so lovely to connect with my readers and blogger friends over drinks, nibbles, manicures, makeup and of course…SHOPPING! I’ve been a Fresh Collective Ambassador for about six months and it was amazing to finally host an event with them!
Fresh Collective has three locations in Toronto, all supporting local designers – many of whom reside in Toronto and frequently visit the store to interact with shoppers and provide style advice. We hosted last week’s event at the Queen Street West location and invited DaLish Cosmetics and Bio Seaweed Gel to join us. Guest enjoyed complimentary gel manicures, makeup consultations and discount shopping on apparel and accessories. There were giveaways too! One lucky guest won a Premium Wardrobe Makeover session with a Fresh Collective style expert ($200 value) and another lucky guest won their choice of Bionic dress by Toronto-based designer Mark Foreman.
I had a great time chatting and taking photos with guests all evening – it was lovely to meet some of my readers and introduce them to other fabulous bloggers too! It’s always exciting to meet the people behind the blogs and Twitter handles, so it made me smile to bring some of my favourite people together!
Most importantly, everyone loved the fresh local fashion at Fresh Collective; playing dress up in the change rooms with the fabulous staff and taking unique pieces home at great prices. I went home with a pretty floral blouse by Monikova and a Very Berry manicure from Bio Seaweed Gel (which is still going strong). It brings me so much joy to shine light on the incredible fashion talent in Canada and Fresh Collective founder Laura-Jean Bernhardson is a true champion for all things local with her equally passionate and wonderful staff!
Thanks to EVERYONE for coming to support this amazing boutique, local fashion and little ol’ me! Special thanks to my friends at Fresh Collective for being fun and gracious hosts…here’s to many more!
I’m hosting an evening of fashion and beauty with my friends at Fresh Collective on Tuesday January 29th from 7-9pm at their Queen Street West location.
Join me to shop for fresh local fashion (with fabulous discounts) as well as makeup consultations from DaLish Cosmetics and complimentary Bio Seaweed Gel manicures! We’ll also have some yummy snacks and refreshments for you to enjoy – so bring your friends and come shopping with me!
You must RSVP online for this event. Event details below – hope to see you there!
PS – Follow @FreshCollective and @DaintyGirl_TO on Twitter for updates and if you tweet about the event, use the hashtag #daintyFC
When I decided to start this blog as my New Year’s Resolution, I never would’ve dreamed that just six months later, I’d be styling and starring in my own fashion photo shoot. It’s been a whirlwind blogging adventure since the first post on January 28, 2012 and I still can’t believe some of the people I’ve met and the fabulous fashion events that I’ve been fortunate to attend.
With so many talented fashion bloggers out there, I focus on what I know and love – the Toronto fashion and beauty scene, inspirational local entrepreneurs and most importantly, attainable, wearable fashion that allows me to embrace the dainty side of current trends!
When my lovely wedding photographer, Leanna Gosse of Lee Weston Photography, suggested collaborating on a fashion photo shoot, I jumped at the opportunity to work with her again! I’ve always wanted to let the stylist in me shine beyond my own Dainty Outfit posts, so this was the perfect time to feature some of my favourite local designers and the fall fashion and beauty trends that appeal to me.
I have alter egos when it comes to fashion. While I’m drawn to all things dainty, I have an equal obsession with soft, romantic bohemian styles as well as structured and shapely glam styles – my closet is a reflection of this as are my fall 2012 shopping desires. The Dainty Girl Alter Egos seemed like the perfect theme for the photo shoot; so I set out to style Bohemian Romance and Urban Glam!
I decided to focus on two of my favourite up-and-coming Canadian designers and their Fall 2012 Collections:
These two lovely designers made their collections available to me for the shoot and the vision blossomed from there. Fast forward through a few weeks of planning, countless hours running around the city pulling pieces for the shoot in my spare time (I have a full time job) and the shoot went off without a hitch – minus the fire ants and mosquito bites
Considering it was my first time playing the model and the stylist, and Leanna’s first fashion photo shoot – I’m so incredibly proud of the results! After 8 hours of shooting, sore feet and growling tummies, Leanna still managed to send me a stunning sampling of photos the following day. I’m blown away with these photos and can’t believe that’s me! It was super fun playing dress up and showing off such beautiful fashion. Hope you enjoy this sneak peek…
I can’t believe it’s over…still high on the rush of it all and can’t wait to share more of this experience and the photos with you! I’ll be sure to go into the fall fashion and beauty trends that we captured as well as the wonderful designers and vendors that came together to make this happen. I can honestly say that I’ve made some fabulous new friends in the process and can’t wait to work with them again! The biggest thrill of all? Supporting and showcasing the INCREDIBLE fashion and beauty of Toronto and collaborating with so many inspiring local entrepreneurs. I am constantly impressed by the creativity and innovation in this city. Congratulations to everyone involved and thank you for making this happen with me! xoxo
The Dainty Girl VIP Party Shopping Party at Homegrown Boutique was fabulous night! Thanks to everyone who came out to support Dainty Girl and Fresh Canadian Fashion! It was lovely to be surrounded by so many stylish and fun people, sharing the passion for local apparel, jewellery and beauty products. Pink champagne, homemade cake pops and free manis made it an extra special affair
I started the day on Thursday August 9th in my kitchen making French vanilla cake pops decorated by hand with pink and purple icing…so dainty and delicious! I loved sharing my baking with friends and guests, and blushed a little when my pops were dubbed “kitchen miracles” worthy of starting a side business!
I really enjoyed playing dress-up in this stunning silk dress by one of my favourite Canadian designers, Sarah Stevenson. The bold colours are offset by the soft, lightweight fabric and the romantic and feminine hi-low hemline. I felt like a true Dainty Girl in this fun, flirty dress and it was easy to accessorize too! I chose sparkling Swarovski earrings, a multi-strand silver and crystal statement necklace and a bold blue cuff by Ann Taylor along with my favourite Biko Jewellery bracelet and my MK menswear watch. My peeptoe t-strap pumps from Nine West were the perfect match and the NYC Mini Tote by up-and-coming Canadian handbag designer Sneha Varma was the perfect arm candy! Online shop coming soon.
Guests arrived and enjoyed our yummy VIP spread, 20% off everything in-store, makeup by DaLish Cosmetics, complimentary UNITY manicures from Bio Seaweed Gel and one lucky guest even won a Fredrick Prince Jewellery gift basket valued at $150!
I had such a wonderful time chatting with our stylish guests, promoting local fashion and getting pampered on a Thursday night! Thanks again to everyone who came out and special thanks to Homegrown Boutique for giving me this opportunity! I hope we can do this again sometime very soon! Enjoy the photos! xoxo
Grab your girlfriends, come by and say hello after work or before your girl’s night out. It’s the perfect way to start your Thursday night, or wind down after work!
Please RSVP to info@homegrownboutique.cato get on the list for this exclusive soiree! Feel free to bring your friends or share this invitation, just indicate # of guests on your RSVP
