TOMKOW + CHUNG F/W 2011 Collection

Finally! The images have come back and I can, at long last, show everyone the collection that we worked so hard on for Western Canada Fashion Week! Where do I even begin? My creative partner, Brittanee Tomkow, and I entered the Emerging Stylist competition for fashion week last year, which involved styling an outfit completely sourced from Goodwill Industries with a budget of $75. We ended up winning the competition with a colour-blocked outfit that reflected much of what was being shown on the international runways that season. Our ensemble ended up totaling just under $35 from head to toe and really displayed the fact that fashion need not always be expensive or inaccessible. As our prize, we were given the amazing opportunity to showcase an entire collection of looks, styled by us and sourced from Goodwill, for the Fall/Winter 2011 season!

Western Canada Fashion Week S/S 2011 Emerging Stylist Competition Winning Look!

Although, technically, we had the entire summer to work on this project, we were only able to start two weeks before the show due to my being in Toronto on an internship and Brittanee being busy as the new stylist for Southgate Mall. Needless to say, it was a fast and furious two weeks full of stress (ex. exploding car windows, last-minute cancellations, etc.) and excitement - two aspects that seem to go hand-in-hand in this industry. The requirements of our collection only asked that our looks be entirely sourced from Goodwill, but Brittanee and I wanted to do everything that we could with this opportunity and decided to take it as far as we could. We reached out to the creative community and were able to truly get some incredible talent on board, including our stunning models, hair and makeup (Est Elle Academy), photographer (Yang Gao), and seamstress (Cindy Harrison). With their help, we were able to communicate our vision by customizing each garment and shooting a lookbook for maximum effect!

Brittanee and I really wanted to create a collection that spoke to each of our unique personalities and styles - Brittanee with her timeless class and elegance, and myself, sophistication with an attitude problem. We came up with a vision, with our muse changing and evolving from a sweet and innocent young girl, unspoiled by life's hardships, to a woman completely aware of the world around her and the challenges that it presents, having lived through many of her own. Aesthetically and in reality, this theme is quite an accurate representation of both our lives. As the show progresses, you can see this aspect being displayed through the music being played, and as each model made their way down the runway. Despite the pure chaos that ensued the days leading up to the show, everything seemed to fall into place when it came to show time. Overall, I was overjoyed with how everything turned out!

So, on behalf of TOMKOW + CHUNG, it is to my great pleasure that I bring you the F/W 2011 collection!!! I hope you enjoy :)

(Listen to our show soundtrack while you browse through the photos)

LOOKBOOK

KARLEE

CASSANDRA

MARIE

CHANTEL

ROCHELLE

ANNA

 NATALIE

SAVANA

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RUNWAY

KARLEE

Checkered Blouse with Patent Sleeves*

Houndstooth Skirt

Black Leather Belt

Patterned Stockings

Patent Booties
Total: $19.96

 CASSANDRA

Black Silk Blouse, with Bold Collar

Tweed Skirt

White and Gold Belt

Black Clutch

Gold Chain Necklace with Pearl Accents

Gold Bangle

Pearl Ring

Cat-Eye Sunglasses

Windowpane Heels

Total: $48.00

MARIE

Double-Breasted Black Tuxedo Blazer

Cropped Black Trousers

Houndstooth Sheer Blouse

Gold Statement Necklace
Gold Statement Earrings, with Pearl Accents

Gold Bangle

Snakeskin Satchel

Black Pumps
Total: $38.00

CHANTEL

Navy Cocktail Dress with Embellished Shoulders*

Oxford Pumps

Total: $14.98

 ROCHELLE

Creme Blouse with Chain Embellishments*

Python-Print Pants with Studded Accents*

Bronze Pumps

Total: $20.00

Design Note: How much do you love these python-print pants? With our addition of the studs on the back pockets and waistline, I think we were able to come up with a great look that balanced just enough edge with simplicity.

ANNA

Creme and Lace Short-Sleeve Blouse

Leather Skirt

Gold, Multi-Teardrop Necklace

Gold Earrings

Gold Bangle

Statement Belt

Black Pumps
Total: $35.94

JASMINE

Red Houndstooth Boyfriend Blazer

Graphic Print Sheer Blouse

Y-Studded Leather Skirt

Patent Black Pumps

Total: $33.96

Design Note: Unfortunately, Jasmine (or Larissa (below)) was not available to attend the photo shoot we conducted for the lookbook. It's too bad, because Brittanee and I really loved this outfit! The unconventional Y-studded pattern that we added, along with the print blouse, contributed to the attitude that we were trying to portray throughout the show. The oversized, red boyfriend blazer (it really is a tragedy that you can't see the houndstooth pattern) also added a great pop of colour to Jasmine's look!

LARISSA
Bold Print Blouse, with Added Leather Pocket Detailing*
Navy Blue Mod Skirt
Nude Pumps
Total: $18.97

NATALIE

Studded Red Cocktail Dress*

Burgundy Clutch

Silver Pyramid Earrings

Black Ankle-Strap Heels
Total: $20.96

SAVANA

Zebra-Print Trench Coat, with Leather Sleeves and Paneling*

Graphic Blouse

Studded Leather Skirt*

Twisted Silver Bracelet

Corkscrew Silver Bracelet

Lace-Up Leather Boots

Total: $46.00


Design Note: We found this great zebra-print trench on one of our shopping excursions and couldn't resist incorporating this unique piece into our collection. However, we wanted to add a little more to the look, so we commissioned one of our phenomenal seamstresses (Cindy Harrison) to add leather sleeves and paneling to the trench. She literally chopped up a leather skirt and created the leather detailing herself, from scratch! So talented!

KARLEE
Faux-Fur Jacket
Midnight Blue Cocktail Dress, with Lace and Chiffon Overlay*
Pearl Necklace
Fingerless Lace Gloves
Patent Booties
Total: $25.96

Design Note: We needed a dramatic piece to end the show, but one that also reflected the aesthetic that we were trying to showcase throughout the collection. What was a very bland and safe (*cringe) dress was turned into an evening gown by adding lace on top, and a chiffon train on the bottom. Add a fur jacket, and voila!

*Indicates custom work that was done to the garment 

~~~


PUBLICITY
Obtained from the Western Canada Fashion Week Flickr account

Obtained from Mark's lovely blog, Marquis of Fashion!

Obtained from the stunning Sandy Joe Karpetz' blog, The Pretty Secrets

Obtained from the Edmonton Journal

CREDITS


MODELS
Karlee T.
Cassandra B.
Marie S.
Chantel A.
Rochelle A.
Anna L.
Jasmine M.
Larissa K.
Natalie W.
Savana H.


HAIR & MAKE-UP
Est Elle Academy


PHOTOGRAPHY
Yang Gao


TAILORING & ALTERATIONS
Cindy Harrison
Marilyn Tomkow
Brittanee Tomkow
Karlee Tomkow
Lance Chung


MUSIC
Adele - Someone Like You
Natalia Kills - Nothing Lasts Forever
Kelis - Brave