One of a Kind Show Shopping Spree!!

While I'm exhibiting at the One of a Kind Show in Toronto, I always take a little time out to peruse the aisles to find the perfect One of a Kind gift...for myself! 

This show I came across Adrian Klis, an artisan from Alberta who creates incredible bags and satchels from the most handsome natural leather I've ever seen.  Each piece of bison hide is "enriched with natural treatments drawn by plant extracts, fats and clean aniline dyes". 

What can I say?  These bags really spoke to my inner cowboy (girl?).

And they're gorgeous...and I couldn't resist them...and I made one of them mine!

So, that's one person on my list taken care of.  Looks like I've still got some shopping to do, though.  With my new 'arm-candy' I think I'll struggle through.

Yippy-Ki-Yay!

Mandala Design - Inventory Day

Ok, so maybe inventory isn't that exciting, but take a look at what I get to ride to the stores to take that inventory...

 That's right, my trusty little red motorcycle.  So, maybe inventory isn't so bad after all? 

Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming that this is my job!

Don't get me wrong it's not all wine and roses.  In fact, I don't even like wine, or roses for that matter (I'm more of a beer and daisies kind of girl), but on days like today it feels like all the stress and uncertainty of owning my own business is well worth it.  I mean, come on, who gets to ride around the city on a motorcycle on a beautiful day for work?!

I rode to all three Fresh Collective stores and decided to take a shot of my motorcycle in front of each one.

Just because.



In Kensington Market in front of Fresh Collective-Kensington where I had a nice chat with Tamara.



In front of Fresh Collective-Queen W.  Said hello to Kelly of Elementals jewellery and to the ever-stylishly-colourful Jessie, of Sugar Rush.



At Fresh Collective's newest location on Roncesvalles.  Met Roncie's new store manager, Joe.

With inventory done, it's time to re-stock and deliver some new things to the shops next week.  Unfortunately, the saddlebags aren't quite big enough to hold all the clothes I'll be delivering, so next time I'll have to take the car. 

But, next inventory day, I'll be back on the bike!!

Is this Heaven?

This may look like a scene out of 'The Shining (fashion industry version)', but it's actually where I spent a chunk of my day, yesterday.Ahhh, heaven on earth. A giant warehouse full of buttons!! I was probably only there for about an hour, but I had to drag myself out. I wanted to stay a lot longer...a lot.I wandered and wandered. Up and down the aisles. They just set me loose and let me roam free!

I think I know where I'll be spending my next vacation!

Mandala Goes to Ottawa

As some of you may know, in addition to loving all things clothes-y, Mandala is also an avid motorcyclist. The weather here is starting to get a little chilly, so I thought I would plan one last bike trip to finish out the riding season.

But, where to go?

Lots of places came to mind (someone should really build a bridge to the Bahamas), but in the end I decided that it would be a fun adventure to ride solo to Ottawa to visit a couple of the newest places that carry Mandala.

I met Bridget and Christina at the spring One of a Kind show. They are the owners of two of the cutest stores in Ottawa - Flock and Workshop Studio and Boutique. I had never visited the shops before and it's been quite a while since I've been to Ottawa, so after watching the forcast for a few good-weather days, I packed up and set off. I decided to stay in a gorgeous bed and breakfast (Perth Manor Boutique Hotel) in a pretty little town called Perth, about an hour outside of Ottawa. I rode into Ottawa for one day and spent my time visiting the stores and wandering around some of the great shopping neighbourhoods in the city.

My first stop was Flock in Wellington Village and a chat with Bridget. Flock is amazingly bright and open with incredible wallpaper adorning the walls. I took a stroll along Wellington St. and I can honestly say that Flock is, by far, the most fun shop in the 'hood.

Next, I was off to Workshop Studio and Boutique in the Byward Market. I have visited this area before and loved it, I'm really glad to have found such a perfect spot for Mandala. Christina showed me around the store and advised me on some of the other shops in the Market I might like. Workshop is just as cute as Flock, lots of Canadian clothing and accessory designers in a fun and ecclectic space.

At the end of the day I hopped on the bike and headed back to Perth for the night. On the way home the next day, I stopped to enjoy some of the fall foliage and visit with an old (sorry about that F.) friend. Who says you can't mix business with pleasure?

Not me.

Mandala's Got a Brand New Studio!!

Whew! Moving is hard, but when it's all said and done, there's nothing like having a great new space to hang your hat (or, in this case, your scissors!).

Mandala has officially moved out of our home studio and into an amazing little 'storefront' studio, just around the corner. It was a bit of a struggle to get here. There was a lot of work to do in the basement to create a clean, dry space for storage and there were many gallons of paint slapped on the stucco(!) walls, but I'm so happy with the results.

Moving day went surprisingly smoothly. Having a teenage son definitely has it's perks, namely teenage son's friends who are ready and willing to carry even the heavy things. Thanks to Max, Aidan, Julian, Robin and Tim for all their hard work.

Here's a little tour of my bright, inspiring new space. I'm so looking forward to heading off to the office each day.

Welcome to Fresh Collective - Roncesvalles!

There's a new shop on the Roncey strip!

This past weekend a new Fresh Collective location opened up at 401 Roncesvalles and the street is all a buzz (and not just with construction!). It's a great space, big windows, lots of light and scads of great pieces from your fave TO designers, including your's truly, Mandala Design! You'll find some of the same fine designers from the other FC locations, like, Spruce Clothing, Nude, Michelle Carey, Moira Coughlan and of course Fresh Baked Goods along with some fresh new talent.

Mandala will be showcasing some different styles, not available at the other shops. You'll see cute printed skirts, stylish and work ready linen-look shifts and pencil skirts, a fabulous printed cotton 'wrap' dress and more! Between all the FC locations there's so much to choose from, you'll want to visit them all to get a good look!

Diary of a Photo Shoot

I'd always wondered what goes on at a photo shoot and now I get to have photo shoots of my own!

I love my job.

This past weekend was the shoot for the mandala Spring 2011 collection.

It all started with a call to photographer / make-up artist / stylist extraordinaire, Sian. She walked me through the model selection and we got a great one in Ada. Ada looked amazing in everything, all colours, all silhouettes. She was the perfect choice!

I've been busy fixing up my new studio space, so the location was a no brainer. The space is nice and open as I haven't moved in any equipment yet. It was the perfect clean, simple backdrop for the spring pics. We set up a little snack table including some mini cupcakes from the Cupcakery, that just happens to be right around the corner...uh oh.

My family stepped in once again to help get everything ready and sister-in-law, Cathy, helped out as shoot assistant.

It was great to see the clothing come to life on a real person ~ other than myself ~ for a change!

Spring Things

It's freezing here in Toronto, but the shops are filling up with great things for spring.

It's prime time to put together your spring shopping wish list!
There are lots of new and exciting happenings at Mandala this year and the Spring 2011 collection is one of them.

Mandala Design at Fresh Collective - Queen St. West

This season is all about colour (it usually is!) and we've got a ton of styles in hot, bright hues to drag you out of the cold and into the warmth. New pieces will be arriving throughout February and March, culminating in a grand unveiling of the full line at the One of Kind Spring Show, March 30th to April 3rd.

Moira Coughlan handbags are the perfect accessory to any outfit

Here's a peek at the first spring wave, in stores now. Visit Fresh Collective (Queen St. W and Kensington) and Dorly Designs (Queen St. E.) for a closer look!

Shop ~ Celebrate ~ Save!

It's time for the Fresh Collective semi-annual Sale Party!!

Come on down to either FC location (692 Queen St. W. or 274 Augusta Ave - Kensington) on Thursday, December 16th and enjoy the bargains and broo-ha-ha!
The Sale days are not to be missed, both for the sale prices and for the chance to meet the talented designers responsible for the great stuff you see in the stores.
The sale starts at 11am and runs until around 10pm. The party starts at 6pm! Goodies will be served and you will find most of the designers hanging about, ready to help you with your shopping!

All Mandala in-stock clothing will be 25% off, and I'll be bringing in lots of past season and sample styles to sell at great prices!
I'll be at the Queen Street store between 6pm and 8pm ~ hope to see you there!

It's a Family Affair

Yup, getting ready for the One of a Kind show is stressful...but, thanks to all the help I get every show from my family, preparation goes a little faster, a little smoother and lottle funner!

Before each show, I host a get together with my family - a finishing party, if you will - and we spend the day eating, talking and finishing anything I haven't been able to get to. This time it was all about buttons! Yesterday we had a blast laughing, sewing, and occasionally attaching buttons to the wrong spot - armpit buttons? I love our finishing parties, it's a great way to finish off those last bits and pieces and for me to decompress a little before two weeks of non-stop show-dom.
"Thank you" to sister Melanie (along with nieces Serena and Harley), sister-in-law Cathy and my Momma for all their help...and by the way you guys, the Spring One of a Kind show is at the end of March...just sayin'.

One of a Kind

The One of a Kind Show is almost here and I'm frantically busy getting everything ready for move-in next Tuesday. It's a ton of work and the days at the show seem sooooo long...but it's always worth it to see the smile on customers' faces as they wander through the show with their perfect purchases. It will be great to see old customers and meet some new ones.
Here's a little peek at some of the things you'll be seeing at the Mandala booth!

The One of a Kind show is held at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place in Toronto. It runs from Thursday, November 25th until Sunday, December 5th. Make sure to come by and visit me at booth L-25, right on

the main aisle.

See you there!

In the window...

I've just put up my 'Feature Window' at the Fresh Collective! Each season, members of the collective get the opportunity to design and set up their own window display that is then shown in the store window for two weeks. I love creating my window. Not only do I get to present my new line to passers-by, but I also have the chance to showcase my vision of how the line works together and how to create outfits with different pieces within the collection. It's fun coming up with a theme and searching out props to make it all come together.

It was a bit of a challenge getting everything to the store as I was trying to fit way too much on my motorcycle! I got a few odd looks as I rode with the judy peeking out the back of my tail bag!

The front of the Fresh Collective was recently renovated so, we have co-ordinated my Feature Window with the main Store Window to create a cohesive look to the beautiful new store front.I'm really happy with how it turned out!

Get into FALL!

Well, it's hard to let go, but it's time to face facts. Summer's almost over and although it was a great one, fall is upon us...

I'm extra pleased with how the fall line has come together this season. I don't think there's one thing I'm not completely in love with! Here's a little taste of what's in the stores now.

Cozy Cardigans in lots of beautiful lightweight sweater knit prints. They pair perfectly with pretty tees in a huge selection of colours! You'll also find some comfy novelty tops that add a little something to your favourite pair of jeans.

Drop by one of the great stores in Toronto and see!

New for Fall

Take a look at some of the new Fall goodies I've just delivered to the Fresh Collective!

Available now are some beautiful boucle jumpers with a laced waist detail and fun boucle skirts with a fallishly floral applique. Also look for a great, classic solid wool jumper.

Just a tase of what's to come, it's going to be a fabulous fall!