My Little Festival Style Lookbook

This is my favorite time of the year where there is a festival  around the corner of every weekend! Festival season is only really 2-3 months long, and it always seems so fleeting! I got more into the habit of documenting outfits this year though, so figured I'd share a little lookbook of my festival influenced fashions.

Now I myself don't get to nearly enough festivals, but festival wear is a major influence on my every day style, especially in the summer. Comfortable cotton dresses, rompers, crop tops, maxis, dusters, and of course, accessories like body harnesses and flower crowns. These are staples in my wardrobe all year round, and during the Summer is when I can really let it flourish!

Here are a few of my own festival inspired looks from over this summer.

 

Above photos taken by Trish Knox

 

Photo by Emily Dickinson 

Festival wear is also my favorite type of fashion to create, as it has a very magical aesthetic. Pretty much everything I send down the runway or list on my etsy page is ready to make you stand out at a festival. Festivals are where you can really let your inner fairy or mermaid shine and people appreciate it rather than giving you a side ways glance! I made this Water Nymph head dress for someone going to Future Forest, an electronic music festival a few km past Mactaquac that happened this past weekend.

 Speaking of Future Forest, this was the festival I actually got to attend this year! It was a magical blast! I vended at this event last year, but this time I went just to have a good time. It brings all of the best costumes and clothing out of the wood work! Or into the wood work, rather! :D

Here is the flower crown and festival outfit I came up with for myself for this past weekend.

 

If you like the head dresses you see above, I have been busy listing more pieces on my Etsy page recently, please check it out through the link below!

Kayleigh Saad

President Fredericton Fashion Council 

https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/LunarOfferings

https://www.facebook.com/lunarofferings/

Dee Wilkie Website Launch Party

 

Wow, what a crazy year it has been... Last August I started my very first blog (after lots of arm twisting from my friends) Dee Wilkie - The Art Project. I interviewed and collaborated with brands such as East Coast Lifestyle and Wear Your Label.
 I also worked with local artists such as Adrienne Goodine, Michelle Duncan, and Kayleigh Saad. 

This Spring I decided that I wanted to completely re-do my website and push myself even more than I ever had before. This August I will be officially launching my new website deewilkie.com and I can not wait! The launch will be held at Maybee Brewery on Aug. 11th at 7:30pm and will have magic incorporating my hand dyed silk, Milda's Pizza, and a pop-up shop. There will also be door prizes, and of course Maybee's craft beer. 

So...why have a website launch? Well, a few reasons. How many of you have ever said "there is nothing to do in Fredericton!" I know I have...about a thousand times. I want to host an event that people can look forward to, get dressed up for if they want, and have fun at. This is a FREE event and it's something to do. Also, why not have a launch party? New businesses do all the time. I figure if they can, so can I! Hope to see you there! And if you would like an exclusive viewing of my website before it goes live, visit deewilkie.com to sign up for my email list! 

Cheers!
Dee Wilkie
 

Post Production Procrastination

When people think of a fashion designer, they think of someone drawing and sewing clothing. This makes sense, because to me, it is the most enjoyable part of the process when I am working on designs. The conjuring of the everything! Unfortunately, when you are trying to sell your work, this is only half the process.

What people don't think about is the work that goes into actually pricing, photographing, listing and selling the items after it is made. This is the part of the job the I dislike the most and tend to put off forever, and it is easy because I consider my design work a part time hobby job, so I have never really pushed it to the next level.

It is a lot of work maintaining an online shop. You need to have high quality, well thought out photos of your work. You need to list every last detail of what you have made, and have it weighed and measured for shipping. Advertising and proper branding is a lot of work too. For someone that just simply dislikes doing all of this, it is easy to procrastinate selling my work at all.  The fashion designer that doesn't have the funds to pay a team of help ends up playing a lot of other roles that can be difficult for someone that just wants to create the product.

I also find pricing my items difficult. I don't want to undercut myself (which I tend to do) but when you are competing with fast fashion prices, it is hard not to second guess what you quote people for cost in fear they may change their mind on the purchase.

 With all of this being said, I am finally gearing up to really get my Etsy shop filled with all of the beautiful pieces I have created over the past 2 years but just never got a chance to list because of all of my whiny excuses not to.  I have even had pictures ready to go for a while but just no motivation to get it all written up, measured priced, etc...It is time to push myself to change that! Below are a few of many creations I have ready to go up on my page!

 

  

Follow my fb page and stay tuned for listings on my Etsy in the very near future!

Kayleigh Saad
https://www.facebook.com/lunarofferings/
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/LunarOfferings