Yup, those of you who do not live in the Great White North may not know, but we do indeed have our own fashion week. A New Brunswick Design House was featured this year, CBrido Collection, which will no doubt be a great boost to the young woman who is slowly working her way up the ladder in the fashion industry:
For me the highlight was the Joe Fresh show, which I watched online with interest and you can too, here.
I like Joe Fresh and there were a lot of nice pieces in the show and it more that stands up when compared with similar companies like J Crew:
It certainly reflected a very Canadian sensibility towards winter and I loved how the makeup was done to make the models look like their skinny little noses were cold!
As with all things trendy, I now take a wee dram as opposed to a full cup, but I might purchase one or two of these pieces to add to wardrobe in the fall if they show up at the local store here.
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Here in Canada there has been a lot of debate about Joe Fresh - where the clothing is made, the price point, quality, etc.
However, I for one am going to defend it - I don't buy a lot of Joe Fresh things, but the few items I do have are carefully chosen and stand up in the wash, etc. I actually have a Joe Fresh cashmere sweater that I love and which has not pilled whatsoever. Go figure.
Of course I am not defending exploitive manufacturing and hope that the horrible fire may in fact have pushed companies like Joe Fresh or J Crew to re-double their efforts around quality control.
There has always been a place for retailers like Forever 21 and Joe Fresh within the industry and if it allows those with less money to participate in the fashion world in which we are all so saturated, far be it from me to critique them.
The throwaway nature of fashion (or retail in general) today can only be fixed by a public determined to purchase less - I am doing my part on that - but is part of a larger global trend of stuff, stuff, stuff, Marx' opiate of the masses (can you tell I am a sociologist?) which is very hard to withstand.
However, the only way that will happen is if people purchase things thoughtfully and only purchase what they really LOVE because I believe (without proof mind you) that when you love what you have you are less likely to skip immediately to the next thing. And love can occur at any price point and bought from any company and can even be found at a good garage sale!
I have $20 tshirts I have loved more than $500 blazers. And let's face it - most people cannot afford a $500 blazer. They're just trying to feed their families.
Not that Joe Mimran needs me to defend him - he's doing fine, thank you very much!
Congrats Joe on a wonderful collection. However, I am NOT going to say I can't wait to wear it!
Nope - I am waiting, nay jonesing, for spring and summer here!
Happy Saturday all and stay safe out there!
Even here in the south,the spring is very hesitant to come out in full force.It changes from warm to cool every two days:)
ReplyDeleteThe Joe Fresh stuff is nice,it just looks a little dark and i am not crazy about the orange.
Have a great weekend and hopefully your winter will be gone soon😧
HI Ina, you are right - it is a little dark, though they are some lighter pieces! I wonder if that's cause it's been such a bloody cold, dark winter up here in Canada and that's what inspired Joe!
DeleteI read up on the fire and did a blog post on it awhile back. The company is making reparations and they are financially assisting the families that were affected by that terrible fire. My husband, who is an architect blames it on the lack of building codes in these countries, combine that with shoddy building practises and greed of the developer and you have a ticking time bomb.
ReplyDeleteI do own a few pieces of Joe Fresh and think their attention to detail and style is great. We must make choices based on more than just what we can afford. Fast fashion has been around for ages and when I cruise through the bulging racks of the thrift stores it is more than obvious that there are many women out there who buy far too many clothes.
I agree with your comments of owning fewer items wearing them more frequently and loving what one buys.
Hope you have a fun weekend....
Leslie
Oh I am off to find your post, Leslie! I used to resemble your remark on owning to much! I have cut back to so much and it is quite freeing. Though I think when folks are out of the 9 to 5 workforce like you and I it is easier to cut back isn't it? Plus, frankly the older I get the less I want too many choices!
DeleteWhite t shirts are my most loved classic piece, I will never fall out of love with them.
ReplyDeleteMe neither! Do you have a favourite brand? I am always on the look out!
DeleteNo, just whatever's around.
DeleteAlthough I have heard of Joe Fresh I have never seen any of their clothes. So over the winter clothes, I am starting to put them up...I will leave out parka because we are expecting snow Tuesday. Joy.
ReplyDeleteOh God, me too! It is freezing here today!
DeleteWendy, I've gotten a few Joe Fresh items through their JC Penney collaboration in the US. Except for t-shirts, their items don't fit me well, but I also think the quality is much lower for similar items from Lands End, which also has better prices. I wonder if Canadians get different inventory. Just my two cents.
ReplyDeleteAnon - I think the quality is not as good as Lands End for sure and you do have to pick through, though I find the same with a lot of j crew these days as well. I think the inventory differs depending on the size of the store. And I do pick over a lot as well as I do not think some of it is very good! So do not disagree with your 2 cents!
DeleteHi Wendy, funny you should post this, by coincidence, I was backstage at the Pink Tartan and Joe Fresh shows earlier this week. I didn't get to see the show from the front of the house, but I did get to see hair & makeup preparations, as well as the media scrums with the designer and some of the models afterwards (I only stuck around for the Pink Tartan one).
ReplyDeleteI think of Joe Fresh as kind of like Ikea - I have to sift through a ton of stuff to find the few things are that very good. I actually check out Joe Fresh more for the children's wear than the adults', as the children's wear is good value and usually better quality than the adult stuff! But overall, I don't go there that often - part of my desire to buy less and just focus on what I have. I totally agree that there needs to be a change in the global trend towards buying ever more stuff. It's just not sustainable.
Agree on the children's wear for sure Louise! And I do find I have to pick through, although I have to pick through almost everything these days it seems! I will say that I was impressed with Brooks Brothers when I went in. A lot of it is too conservative for me, but some of it was my style and seemed excellent quality!
DeleteI am so pessimistic now about finding quality. I don't even mind paying for it, but it seems as though it is much harder to find. Some of my favorite things, similar to Tabitha, are my Eddie Bauer long sleeve v-neck tee shirts. Everything else that EB has to offer is made from tissue paper in ugly colors,but somehow they get these right. I would just like to find a brand that is R E L I A B L E. They used to be out there...
ReplyDeleteBebe! I hear you! And then when you think you have something, they go and change it! I must check out those EB tees next time I am near one! It is becoming easier and easier to buy less, I can tell you that!
DeleteI love my Joe Fresh items. Great styles and colors. I'll be sad when they expire. I wonder about different quality in different countries. The Target opened in Nanaimo last summer, so naturally I checked it out. It was horrible compared to our Targets in the US! Horrible quality and zero selection of clothing. Can't beat a great white T shirt, but never feel it is worth investing much money in them because mine never last longer than one season. Deodorant yellows it or I spill on and stain it. Happy Saturday!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I know that there are often various iterations of stores based on size, income of population base, etc and you can imagine what we score here Brunswick - not much! I hear you on the whites... sigh...
DeleteWell I am still moaning over our fickle temperatures, birds singing and sun sparkling today, snow forecast for Tuesday, and you are looking at clothing for next winter? No wonder you Canucks are passing your surplus weather down to us. Why don't you look at bikinis and beach cover ups, maybe that'll send us some sunshine down here. That's what Brian Boitano would do.
ReplyDeleteGrumble grumble grumble.
Fred - hear you - we had 3 inches of snow last night... whattup????
DeleteI promise to only look at sunny garden photos this week..
That's better, knew I could count on you.
Deletexxx
;-)
DeleteJoe Fresh has some super nice pieces of clothing... JCrew on the other hand, is nice, but WAY over-priced IMHO.
ReplyDeleteI agree Diane - since it often of the very same quality. I wonder now that Joe Fresh is picking up steam if we'll see the prices climb?
DeleteI totally agree! I have $5 tops that I wear more than 'spensy stuff and my $30 boots are much worn. I rarely wear blazers anyways, opt for a cardy all the time. I do love that orange and green outfit, must get some of those chic type tracky pants, I hate wearing yoga pants around, they make my legs itch
ReplyDelete