Blog
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Designer Spotlight: Amarina Norris of Hibou Accessories/ Ursa Major
They say diamonds are a girl's best friend, but what about pyrite...quartz...chinese crystal? Or how about reclaimed vintage materials? If I had my choice, I'd pick precious gemstones and unique vintage detailing over carats! This is one of the reasons I love Hibou Accessories so much; they add a luxe touch to any outfit without breaking the bank and are always conversation-pieces. I met Hibou designer Amarina Norris years ago and we've had an amazing friendship heavily rooted in our mutual love for vintage clothing, kitty cats, unique style, nostalgia, dance parties and lady-stuff. So when I was ready to open up Girl on the Wing I couldn't wait to ask her for some of her beautiful jewelry to sell!
Each piece is carefully handcrafted by Amarina herself at her Toronto east-end studio and feature vintage materials mixed with high-quality gems and metals. I would describe her pieces as simple, yet interesting. Classic, yet trendy. Feminine, yet strong.
Like most designers, Amarina has an impressive background and resume that have prepared her for total fashion industry takeover! Trained in Fashion Design, Amarina specialized in plus-size fashion and while working for years in retail she decided she wanted to dedicate her energy to improving the attitudes towards plus-size shopping. As an inspiring advocate for real-not-ideal beauty standards and positive body image, Amarina first made waves with her fashion blog that showcased her own style and confidence. After gaining an impressive following, she decided to take many of her passions and put them together into one business. In July 2013, Amarina opened Ursa Major, an online vintage plus-size clothing shop. Her pieces are all amazing, affordable, unique and sizes 14 and up. She also uses the site to sell her handmade jewelry.
We're so happy to have her work in the shop, not only because it's beautiful and well-made, but because Amarina is a successful and inspiring female entrepreneur. Check out some of her pieces we have in shop and be sure to come by and see them in person! We are loving her recent move into hand-embroidered necklaces and her ever-evolving gem collections.
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black magic woman
With the fall season upon us and the spooky times just beginning, I've been craving some hocus pocus in my life. I've always loved witchy style and black magic fashion and love this time of year for trying out some darker looks.
At the shop we're feeling very inspired and longing for layers of black in different textures, big brimmed hats and cozy tights with little ankle booties.
On a pop culture note, the new season of American Horror Story has started and this time it's all about witches. Best moment so far was when the "Supreme" witch Jessica Lange tells them all to put on something black and they all emerge with floppy black hats, shades and the moodiest outfits.
Check out some visual inspirations here and keep an eye out for our Witchy window display, which will be unveiled for our Fall Launch party this Friday.
P.S. Need a halloween costume? Be a high-fashion witch! No need for a fake nose or green makeup...just deck yourself out in black, get some dark lipstick and cast moody glances at everyone all night long.
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Fall Lookbook: Behind the Scenes
Yesterday we had a great lookbook shoot in the country! I'm so excited to share the photos with you at our Fall Launch next Friday but for now, here are some behind the scenes shots and a little bit about the wonderful team that made it all possible!
Vai Yu Law was our amazing photographer. She shot out summer lookbook and I am always so happy to work with her. Her calm and cool demeanour on set makes her such a dream to work with and she has such a knack for directing the model while making her feel comfortable. With every shoot I do I always have such a vision in my head of how I want it to look and Vai Yu takes that and makes it ten times better than I ever could have imagined. Hope to be able to collaborate with this wonderful lady for years to come!
Christina Spina was the amazing hair and makeup artist. I could go on and on about how much I love this lady but the real important thing is how talented she is at what she does. With experience in so many areas of the industry, Christina always brings such a professional yet fun vibe to each shoot. We've worked on many shoots together and although I always seem to ask her for the same simple looks she always gives me something different and classic. For this shoot she did a beautiful fresh face with rosy cheeks and apple red lips and the sweetest country girl braid. I see big things for this girl on the horizon and feel so honoured that she is always there for me!
Natascha C was our beautiful model from Spot 6. It was my first time working with her but I hope not the last. She looked so adorable as the country girl and I couldn't have asked for a better fit...it was like the outfits, hair and setting were all designed for her. This girl was such a pleasure to work with and while there were times I felt like she was my doll and was putting her in strange places and positions, she never complained once. She's got such a bright future ahead of her and is beautiful inside and out (cheesy, but true!).
Trisha Topalopoulos was my wonderful wardrobe/styling assistant. Many of you have seen her in the shop working and it's hard to forget her outgoing and bubbly personality. Over the past few months we've gotten to do lots of cool stuff for the shop together and I'm so blessed to have her. She is such an expert at keeping things organized and is the ying to my yang when it comes to this sort of thing. We've developed such an amazing way of working together and she just understands my styling direction and we can put together amazing things together. So glad to have her as my permanent right-hand woman.
Amanda Cordero was our talented prop/setting/visual/ woman of all trades assistant. She's played a huge role in the shop and been the brains behind our past few window displays. Amanda is so great to have on set because I can tell her my idea (as crazy or random as it may sound) and she just goes to work and makes it happen. Everytime I'd come outside to see what she'd put together I was amazed at how she took this image from my brain and made it real. The best part about her is her resourcefulness in getting things accomplished- sometimes it seems like she has one of those magic Mary Poppins bags somewhere because she just seems to pull magic from nothing. So glad to have her on my team.
Stefan Meier was our wonderful handyman/ heavy lifter/ gracious host and make-it-happen-man. He was so great to offer us his house and property to shoot at and was such a joy to have around. As much as I love working with a group of women, having him around was a breath of fresh air. Whether he was repositioning his tractor or setting up the perfect apple-picking shot, this guy was on it. So glad to have been able to collaborate together and show off his amazing place!
Finally, Gypsy and Cat were our furry friends on set and managed to make it into some shots. They were both adorable and surprisingly natural at modeling. Plus they made the day a whole lot cuter.
Can't wait to share all the shots with you soon!
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Sand Storm
Happy to say I am back from a week long vacation to the Southwest! It was a great trip in the state of Arizona and I spent most of my time finding things for the shop. I love all the vintage and antiques there because they're really different from what I normally find here. Over the next week, I'll be unpacking everything and putting lots of new items on the floor. Stay tuned to our Instagram @girlonthewinghamilton for photos of the Desert Collection! And here's a sneak peek...a few shots I did with my lovely and obliging friend Rebecca in Tubac, the town we were staying in, featuring some of my finds!
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Desert Field Trip
It's been a busy few months since opening the shop and I'm very excited to be treating myself to a little vacation next week! The past three years I've gone to Arizona every fall and I'm so excited to go again.
The majority of my favourite vintage pieces have come from these trips and you may have even seen or purchased some of these items in the shop! My best finds to date; a Tucson-area yearbook from the 60's, a cheerleaders megaphone (which I had to bring as my carry-on...I got some interesting looks), and one women's collection of bathing suits from the 50's.
I love the desert and all the mysticism that goes with it. I'm planning on doing as much vintage hunting as physically possible, a fashion shoot for the shop and brainstorming for the store's fall season. Stay tuned for updates on Instagram! We'll be open regular hours and Trish will be manning the shop while I'm gone, so stop in and say hi to her!Check out some shots I did a few years ago in Tubac, AZ and you may even spot some familiar items!
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Back to Cool
I've been anxiously awaiting this and now it's here...FALL! Ok, summer is great and lovely and majestic. But fall...FALL! The best season for fashion, September is the most opportune time to revamp your wardrobe! Here at Girl on the Wing, we've been working at finding some fall essentials for our lovely customers. Over the next few weeks the store will undergo a full changeover and we'll have lots of new items for ya! Check out our top fall picks below and get excited!
All Items Available at Girl on the Wing: (clockwise from top left):
Depeapa necklace ($34), Fall Toque ($12), Out of Print Jane Eyre pouch ($14), Hansel from Basel tights (coming in October), Deco Square Studs ($18), Stay Home Club Tshirt ($26), Rifle Notebook ($18/set of 2), Loly in the Sky flats ($42), Vintage Denim Shorts ($25), Vintage Plaid ($24), Baggu backpack ($45)
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Oktoberfest
As part of the International Village, we'll be celebrating with the Oktoberfest tomorrow! Sure, it's only the end of August, but what better time to celebrate the end of summer with beer, music and shopping! We'll be having a special sidewalk sale tomorrow from 12-5 and will have some new fall items hitting the racks.
I've always loved collecting vintage from different cultures, and anything German or European folksy is one of my absolute favourites. It's not uncommon for me to buy a pair of leiderhosen that would only fit a baby or an old dirndl just because. I love the care and time put into these special pieces and the whole decorative and traditional style amazes me.
For more information on the festival, go here: Oktoberfest in International Village
Check out some images from my first ever lookbook, inspired by Oktoberfest and featuring pieces from my vintage collection:
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Loly in the Sky
We are so excited to announce a new line of shoes we are now carrying: Loly in the Sky. Designed and manufactured in Mexico City by talented shoe designer and all-around cutie, Lorena Vasquez, these flats add a little fun and wonder to your everyday wardrobe!
Inspired by all things lovely, feminine and quirky, the line of shoes are made from natural materials handpicked in Mexico and lovingly screen-printed with various cute designs. What I love most about the shoes is how they are light as a feather making them a perfect travel shoe- either for day-to-day or faraway journeys.
We picked four styles that we thought were perfect for fall and have a range of sizes available! I'm already planning all the cute fall outfits I'm going to wear with each of these pairs!
Abril, Erika, Carla and Fernanda. $42/pair
Available exclusively at Girl on the Wing
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Fallspiration: Clean n Cozy
Each morning seems a bit cooler and while my friends are cursing the heavens I have a slight smirk on my face, just dreaming of all the outfits I c...
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