Next Art Exhibition: The Group Show
The line-up is finalized… and it’s excitingly long! Starting on July 23rd, our wall space will be filled up by prints and drawings of various sizes and styles by these following artists:
leyre arroyo abaroajessica bartram
dave graham
gillian goerz
anna kovler
dana de kuyper
craig macnaughton
laura mensinga
jacob rolfe
victor stan
wilfred wong
Yes, there’s definitely lots to see!! The opening party is on Friday, July 23rd at 8 pm onwards. The live music will start at 10 pm.
We’ll see you there, of course? Especially since attendees will receive a 15% discount for clothing, accessories and home items purchases made during the opening reception! Yes yes, we are very nice people!
P.S. You do know that all info related to Freedom’s art events is also available here right?
Spend time w 2 awesome DIYers
be crafty and proud
ART SUBMISSION – window
Recently, the retail space next door to us that had been uninhabited for months was rented out. We were quite surprised to meet our new neighbours, especially because during those unoccupied months we often daydreamed about having an organic florist, a yarn store or a fair trade independent coffee shop to call neighbour. We didn’t really know what to think, we still don’t, but we, in true FCCcrew spirit, listened when various members of the community came into Freedom to voice their disbelief, sympathy, and objection.
We realized that most of the outrage actually stems from the colour and word choice of their window display and its lack of subtlety. So, we came up with a genius idea! We are putting a positive pro-active spin on the situation and see that this could provide a fantastic opportunity for artists to create a site-specific work to be used as this store’s new window display! We approached the owners of the store with this pitch and our reasoning, and they have agreed to view some proposals.
DID YOU HEAR THAT, ARTISTS???? You may very possibly be able to have your work as a permanent site specific installation that doubles as an adult video store’s window display, viewable at all times by the Bloor West traffic. This also means that when some art-enthusiast asks you, “Where could have I seen your works before?” You can say, “Well, have you ever frequented that adult video store on Bloor and Ossington?”
Submit some sketches and a written proposal (just a quickie, no more than a page) to arts.freedomcc@gmail.com. It has to be flat and it must cover the entire window space. Nothing graphic, please – the idea is to minimize negative reaction while at the same time providing an aesthetically pleasing substitute for the in-your-face gear the store currently sports.
Measurements are two joined panels of 68″ x 115″ and 53″ x 115″.
Good luck, and have fun!! We’re super excited to see what you come up with!
!!!!!!!!! Contest !!!!!!!!!!
lots of chances to win so make sure to enter them all
For more info, please see http://lovelossonstage.ca
Freedom is excited to present this great Canadian CONTEST for all their lovely friends and neighbours!
Some basic Rules:
You will need a twitter account www.twitter.com or be on Facebook.
To enter via TWITTER:
1) You must be a follower of Freedom Clothing Collective @Freedom_CC
2) You will need to Retweet/RT the following message:
RT and Follow @LoveLossCanada to win tickets to http://lovelossonstage.ca in Toronto! Time to dress up! #LLaWiWCFC
3) Make sure you are a follower of @LoveLossCanada it’s the final step for your chance to win!
To enter via FACEBOOK:
1) You must “Like”/Be a member of Love, Loss, and What I Wore Toronto Fanpage
2) You must “Like”/Be a member of Freedom Clothing is the Best Fanpage
3) Post this status message on your personal account (that when done properly, will link to L,LaWiWT page and show up on its wall):
I love Freedom Clothing Collective and I want to get dressed up to go see @Love, Loss, and What I Wore Toronto Fanpage
1 Winner (from Twitter and Facebook entries. You may enter both ways to increase your chances) will be chosen in 5 days!
Bonne Chance!!
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Winner will be chosen at random from all qualifying entries.
Tickets will be held at Will Call for the winners. Prize includes 2 tickets to the show, dates TBD (most likely from July 16-21 2010). Prize does not include transportation to the Panasonic Theatre in Toronto. The winner must answer a skill testing question correctly. Winners must be over the age of consent as per province or have parental/guardian consent.
The totally improvised pasta bean salad w pickle brine sauce that turned out amazing!
2) Elbow macaroni
There it is! Remember to save your pickle brine!
Neighbourhood POTLUCK !!
This is your personal invitation > come, you, ya… come!
This weekend, while the world’s leaders are busy screwing up our traffic and baseball games, Freedom Clothing Collective will be celebrating its sixth anniversary in our brand new garden space. Instead of getting gassed or firehosed, why not come over and meet the neighbours? For six years, Bloorcourt has been the home to FCCcrew’s little store that could, and in appreciation, we want to put pepper on your food and not in your eyes.*
We’re having a potluck!
For the last month, the FCCcrew has been busy turning our drab, unused backyard into an urban oasis. With it, we’re planning to contribute to the continuing revitalization of Bloorcourt. Stay on the lookout for shows, artist residencies, and more of these little community get togethers. The back yard is great, and you are always welcome to come and have a break in our little community garden. Marvel at the fact that you can’t hear the traffic on Bloor Street, only 30 feet away. Completely unscientific estimates place the backyard at at least a couple degrees cooler than anywhere else on the strip.
backyard teaser photo
This Sunday, June 27th starting at 4pm, please accept our invitation to come meet our neighbours and check
out what we’ve done with the place.
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by Adam Owen
- FCC Marketing Team
Back Yard Cleanup
Making a little green space in a great, big city
You won’t believe what it looks like now!
It’s almost time for the grand opening!! We’re now putting the finishing touches on our backyard renovation project – but don’t think that that means it’s too late to get your donations in! We’re still in need of folding chairs, bricks or stones (to border the garden and decorate the space below a donated bench) and will happily give a new home to any plants that are threatening to take over your own garden. It’s a WIN-WIN-WIN situation: you will be rid of things you don’t need, contribute to the making of a beautiful, community haven and receive our undying gratitude (publicly broadcasted via Twitter, this blog right here, Facebook, etc).
Remember to mark your calendars for this Sunday at 4pm for the POTLUCK MEET AND GREET where we show off what YOU have enabled us to do while you make the appropriate noises of amazement. More info coming soon!
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by Lauren Bukata
- FCC Marketing Team
Fresh Wednesdays
Now-August 25, Nathan Phillips Square
Canadian summers are great — we get to shed our winter coats, enjoy the outdoors and get together with friends and family during our long weekends!
But there’s one thing about summer that we perhaps appreciate the most at Freedom — fresh, local produce! What’s better than freshly baked bread? Local cheese? Strawberries? Buying produce at farmers’ markets helps the local economy, ensures freshness and decreases your carbon footprint.
This summer, we encourage you to find a farmers’ market near you and take advantage of local fruits and vegetables. One farmers’ market that has already gotten our attention is at Nathan Phillips Square on Wednesdays from 10am-2pm. On “Fresh Wednesdays” vendors set up in the Nathan Phillips Square with a plethora of fresh items to sell! The “Fresh Wednesdays” farmers’ market is already in full-swing, but an added bonus is that starting July 14 a series of concerts will add to the experience of the market. “Fresh Concerts” are performed at the noon hour and will run until August 25, 2010.
We hope you can make it to “Fresh Wednesdays” and enjoy a feast for your eyes, ears and taste buds this summer!
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By Danie Spence
- FCC Marketing Team
Exhbition Opening this Thursday!
Freedom CC is proud to present works by Wilfred Wong and Gillian Goerz!
Gillian’s paintings explore the collaboration between the acts of sharing and imagining the archetypal memories that mark one’s family history. These are juxtaposed with Wil’s watercolour drawings which, focusing on the everyday, create a connection with the fleeting – thus creating memories out of those that never make it to the photo albums.
Join us at the opening reception:
Thursday, June 17th at 8 pm till midnight.
Live music performance by The Owle Bird at 9.30 pm.
Free Admission, as always.
see you there! -marsya
Windfall Weekend for the Eco-Conscious
on why going to an environmentally friendly festival is relevant to the interests of all
the 2010 eco festival is opening with a myriad of exhibits, vendors, and events
As much as we all would like for every day to be a big celebration of eco friendly fashion, food, music, and other goodies – that dream is still in the works. But fortunately this weekend of June 12/13 Freedom Clothing Collective will be going to the Windfall Ecology Festival in Newmarket, so we’re not too upset because these two days promise to be filled with all the great environmentally friendly events that one could hope for.
Running for its 9th year, the Windfall Festival is the largest Environmental and Energy Conservation Exposition around, and with its full weekend schedule its understandable why. If you’re thinking of going, consider signing up for ‘Community Power’, ‘Bike Clinic’ or ‘Rainsaver’ workshops that focus on the many ways that we could all become a little more green. An entire section of the festival dedicated to kids will keep them entertained and with a line-up of great independent musicians, prepare for the festival stage to be the eco-soundtrack to one of the most entertaining festivals around. Click here for the full list of performing musicians.
a recycled design showcased at one of the previous Windfall festivals
One of the greatest things about the Windfall Ecology Festival, is that it provides a platform for a list of innovative independent local Canadian businesses to showcase their work – which can vary from public services, to clothes and accessories, to new and better technology. The full list of exhibits and vendors can be found here on the festival page (and no, your eyes do not deceive you – Freedom Clothing Collective is on the list too). The Windfall is worth checking out because it shows us a glimpse into a greener, more sustainable business environment that so many artisans and entrepreneurs are working hard to create.
For more information visit the official Windfall festival site.
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by Maria Morosovksa
- FCC Marketing Team
Attention gifted artisans!
the long awaited HOME SECTION needs some stock
Freedom Clothing Collective would like to open their doors to home decor. The non-profit cooperative is looking for all sorts of useful items you would use to embellish your home, such as ceramics, candles, shower curtains, rugs, tea towels, bowls, quilts, etc. Keep in mind, these items not only need to be aesthetically pleasing but we urge that they be eco friendly in nature and either made or reworked locally.
If you’re interested in presenting FCC with your home creations please contact
Jelena at jelena@poppyseedliving.com
Vladimir Kato’s Newest Creations
“Wilderness” Show & Tell Gallery, June 4-27, 2010
Hold onto your hats, ladies and gents, this isn’t grandma’s pop art! Vladimir Kato has done it again! The Toronto-based artist is set to unveil his second show (in only two years) at Toronto’s Show & Tell Gallery from June 4 – 27th.
It is aparent that Kato’s work has been heavily influenced by urban graffiti art. However, it contains fantastical elements that have made some refer to his work as pop art surrealism. Some of these elements stem from his early exposure to artists like Alan Ford, Zagor and Dylan Dog.
When looking at the bloodied faces and dark imagery present in Kato’s work it is apparent that his work requires, er, an acquired taste. When forwarding photos of his pieces to friends, some have said his work is grotesque. But I say it’s grotesquely AWESOME! Kato himself has admitted that he “heart(s) street trash, junkies and stuff of that nature.” His affinity for, and fascination with, street culture has truly influenced his art and the end result is bizarre yet appealing.
Even if you don’t purchase one of his works (which are affordably priced), it is worth the trip to Show & Tell Gallery because he truly is a talented artist. And, as only Show & Tell Gallery seems able to do, displaying street art on crisp, professional-looking gallery walls gives Kato’s type of art the legitimacy it deserves.
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By Danie Spence
- FCC Marketing Team
FCCcrew Yard Sale!
Because our Feng Shui consultant told us
Our Facebook event page >> Click here
May 29th & 30th from 1-7pm
For once you’ll be glad it’s construction season!
Freedom needs some major renovations, and that takes both moola and legroom. With our basement bursting, what better way to solve all our problems than to hold a good old-fashioned yard sale!
Cute summer dresses, tees, home décor, you name it, we’ve got it, so take it off our hands. Everything is at least 50% off! We will have tables dedicated to selling items for $5 or less and VINTAGE 5-10-15 dollar bins.
Fundraiser for FCCcrew’s Visual Arts Chapter
The best part is that it’s all going towards helping build an even better Freedom, with new wall space and a storage facility for our oh-so-lovely artists.
Consider it your good deed for the day!
HAIR BY MIRANDA
Eliminating the tough choices
Follow her on Twitter >> click here
Imagine a world in which someone else has done all the research as ruthlessly as you would – what does this chemical do, is it necessary, does it have any side affects, is there a better alternative – and you have just the beginning of why so many people, including myself, rave about the workings of Hair by Miranda. A full salon created in her own home, Miranda offers an alternative to those concerned about what exactly they’re using on their body by offering educated choices. I love knowing that everything, from her products – you can read more about them on her website, hairbymiranda.ca – to her Bullfrog powered, homemade laundry soap home, has all been thought about with green in mind.
Of course, this would all be great but moot if she wasn’t amazing at her job. Believe me, she is. I found her when I first moved to TO and am now so spoiled by finally being able to say, “Just do whatever” that I refuse to go anywhere else. My mother even took a long weekend off, jumped on a plane, and flew out for an appointment! I think the best way to describe her approach is “people-friendly”; whether you’re a punk rockstar, a grandmother, a preteen, Miranda is always open and knowledgeable. If you’ve ever walked into a salon and felt guilty asking for a style that didn’t seem to match their “ideal”, you know exactly what I mean. She seems to enjoy giving one customer a hot pink pixie just as much as natural long layers to the next.
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By Lauren Bukata
- FCC Marketing Team
The Colour of Beauty
Why isn’t the multi-cultural society that we live in reflected in our magazines, on billboards and on the runways of fashion shows?
For more info on Film > Click HERE
Toronto filmmaker, Elizabeth St. Philip delves into the heavily competitive world of fashion to uncover issues of race. St. Philip’s, The Colour of Beauty premiered online this past Tuesday to audiences. In the film St. Philip follows Toronto model Renee Thompson, together they find that runways and magazines have demanded a “robotic Eastern European look.” Definitely an important film to watch as it demands that we as an audience be critical of the images that invade us in the public and private realm.
video taken from THE NFB website >> Click Here
follow them on twitter @theNFB
Navi Lamba
- FCC Marketing Team
Lav and Kush
Saving the earth a little bit at a time with feminine, fashionable designs
Follow Lav and Kush on Twitter >> Click here
The self proclaimed “Flirt” of sustainable fashion, Lav and Kush is a Vancouver based clothing label that prides itself on being both fashionable and eco-friendly. Designed by Saskatchewan born Angela Saxena, the line uses sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton, bamboo jersey, and modal to create its pretty, easy to wear pieces perfect for the every-day life of the earth-conscious fashion woman.
This past month, Saxena’s cool designs and admirable do-what-you-can attitude towards living green were recognized by Fashion Takes Action (FTA) as one of fourteen nominees for their first annual Design Forward award. Be sure to check out the profiles of Lav and Kush, its fellow nominees, and winner Nicole Bridger on FTA’s website.
Lav and Kush’s Spring 2010 collection is now available online and in stores across Canada. Take a peak at personal favourites I’m currently lusting over including the Baby in Silk Dress (pictured above) and the Summer Jumper. Not only will they carry you through from Spring to Fall, but they offer guilt free shopping with a percentage of revenue going towards non-profits PETA, World Vision, Imagine1day, and the David Suzuki Foundation.
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Megan McRae
- FCC Marketing Team
Some Love for the Everyman
Street Fashion gets its due from New Media
Who doesn’t like street fashion blogs? While the established fashion industry creates for itself an insular community from big name designers to upstart boutiques, websites like the hugely popular The Sartorialist or FaceHunter show that some of the best style can frequently be found on the sidewalk and not the catwalk.
It is refreshing, then, to see both BlogTO and Torontoist find a place for street fashion. As two of Toronto’s widest read blogs, it’s nice that the new generation of media is catching up to the fashion renaissance in the city.
Credit: BlogTO
BlogTO’s Street Style column has been running now for about a year and about once a week stalks a particular neighbourhood and the fashionable people walking through it. Torontoist’s Style Notebook, on the other hand, focuses the majority of its attention on the established fashion community. It still manages, however, to find a little love for the style conscious layman.
Credit: The Style Notebook
It serves as a reminder that a city which calls itself a fashion hot spot needs people on the street as much as it does the designers (hopefully) dressing them, and judging by the eclectic and sometimes baffling (in a good way) choices one sees on these sites, and in person on the street, it’s safe to say that Toronto deserves its reputation as a style centre.
Do you ever dress up a little bit when you walk out the door, just in case some young buck with a camera happens to be walking through your neighbourhood? Narcissism aside, it’s great that this city has one extra reason to always be looking your best.
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Adam Owen
- FCC Marketing Team
The Clothing Show
on what happens when dream shopping collides with
new independent Canadian design
The David Suzuki messenger bags from ‘Integrity Designs’. www.integrityd.com
For everyone who enjoys quirky, original and absolutely gorgeous clothes, accessories and art, it would seem like the best advice at this point would be to cancel all your plans for the weekend. The reason is pretty self-explanatory as the annual Clothing Show hits Toronto from Friday May 13 until Sunday May 15, displaying more than 300 booths of quality apparel and accessories from independent Canadian designers.
Showcasing their work among many other environmentally friendly labels, will be Integrity Designs, Kali Clothing and Flora and Fauna in the recently added Eco section of the show. In addition to all of that the Clothing Show also features runway shows, Menswear, Vintage and Streetwear sections and an art exhibition – ensuring that everyone who comes will find something that fits their own aesthetic.
The list of the vendors presenting and all other information regarding the show can be found at www.theclothingshow.com.
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Maria Morosovska
- FCC Marketing Team
atelier b.
New to Freedom via 2 fab Montreal chicks.
Looking good never felt so cozy and Eco-friendly.
Follow them on Twitter >> Click here
Atelier b. is the creation of Catherine Métivier and Anne-Marie Laflamme. These complementary-roommates, who share almost everything, decided to join their amazing creativity to build a project in their image…and their living room. The principal concept of atelier b. is to bring the fun of a workshop to the craft of a laboratory. Research and innovation make them want to work more… down with laissez-faire apathy, vive atelier b.!
ethical materials + fireworks + prints + quality = atelier b.
now available @ Freedom!
Our 6th B-day Bash and —— Art Opening for Scott Young
Celebrate our SIXTH birthday with us with an overload of culture!!!
Saturday night from 8pm-1am at Freedom (Bloor and Ossington)
Scott Young, A Solo Exhibition
Scott Young finds the picturesque in the infinitesimal, often neglected elements rather than the grandeur that is so often equated to our perception of beauty. His photographs achieve a binary opposition – the subjects are within reach, accessible and monetarily worthless, and yet there is a central element of ephemerality. The physical properties that are exalted are also fleeting, slowly disappearing from view and from existence. In the context of our everyday lives, we wearily stare upon the surroundings which engulf us by devouring the specs of colours, textures and patterns only to have them automatically and instantaneously registered into a composite whole. Scott Young’s photographs, on the contrary, illustrate that fragment of a moment where beauty timidly exists and thus present us with a distinct experience of looking.
Some links (hint* click on the names : )
Scott Young
Abigail Lapell
Chère Françoise
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We R @ the Green Living Show
Come taste test so many delicious free samples of food!
Spread on some luscious organic butters, lotions, and balms.
Learn how some companies are trying new up-cycling techniques.
and of course….
Be the first to wear Eco-awesome fashions!!
www.greenlivingonline.com
SWAP IT UP w LadyFest
There will be music. There will be baked goods.
There will be piles and piles of clothes and accessories.
For more on Ladyfest >> CLICK HERE
Entry is $5 and a bag of gently used clothing and/or accessories.
No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Clothing and accessories should be gently used.
No stained, ripped or malodorous contributions!
This swap is a free for all to join – bring the clothes and accessories that you’re ready to part with, and then dig through the contributions of others to see what you can find. The sky’s the limit on how much you can take.
If you want to drop off your bag of clothing before the swap takes place, or if you simply want to donate clothes to the swap, you can do so by bringing your clothes to Freedom Clothing Collective during the week of April 17-April 24. For store location and hours, visit www.freedomclothingcollective.com.
This clothing swap is open to anyone and everyone – but venue capacity is limited, so come early!
At the end of the swap, all unclaimed clothing will go to Sistering.
Find out more about Sistering at www.sistering.org.
New episode of Late Night
In this episode we featured the amazing avant garde fashion designer Heidi Ackermann, Comedian Rob Hawke, theatre group One Reed Theatre, and musical guest Hooded Fang!!
Enjoy!!
FAT Alternative Fashion Week
Canadian Fashion, Art and Music come together with shockingly yummy results
click here for full event details > www.alternativefashionweek.com
Toronto Alternative Arts and Fashion Week is a platform for inventive, pioneering and contemporary expression. This annual multi-arts event features 200 national and international fashion designers, visual artists, bands and performers each year. The festival delivers a packed schedule of runway shows, live performances, music, photography exhibits, video screenings and installation exhibits, to celebrate leaders in a wide range of art forms.
Held every April, the event welcomes 5,000 people including stylists, buyers, curators, critics, members of the media, the arts, music and fashion related industry as well as the stylish general public.
beware, you may find yourself in an alternate universe with endless possibilites
keep current with their new blog > fashionarttoronto and follow FAT live tweets > twitter.com/FAToronto
The fifth year anniversary edition of FAT titled “Made with Love” approaches fashion from the intelligence of the heart, surveying a different emotion each night.
Longing, Lust, Rage and Joy
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