Zuka Blog

Where oh where has our lovely sunshine gone!!!  As everyone on the East Coast bakes…we seem to be in perpetual early Spring Mode!  Come on sun!  As we patiently wait for it to appear I will continue on with Part Deux of my rollicking Zuka Prairie Swing 2011…

We left lovely Lloydminster behind  and set out on the rather quick two hour drive to Saskatoon where we would be staying over night…all along the way were incredible skies, the land of Tall Skies I believe!

Saskatchewan Tall Skies…

We made our way onto the open road once more in the morning headed for Manitoba and the city of Winnipeg. Ahead were stretches of highway that seemed endless if it weren’t for some interesting skies.  This was where I planned my year for Zuka.  Sometimes you can do some of your greatest thinking on an open road.  It was peaceful.

Fantastical clouds

Kai the Storm Chaser

Breathtaking…

We continued on our way, inching toward a new beginning for myself, family and of course Zuka.  I will go into more detail but I must end here after the pictures of those amazing tall skies of Saskatchewan.  We are happy to report that the people of the prairies are as lovely as spoken about.  Generous in spirit, kind and friendly.

Proud to be a prairie girl…

The past few weeks have been so amazing full of travel and wonderful people!  I got back from my Zuka road trip across the prairies only to have a couple of days in between before we jumped back into the car and headed south for my husband’s parents 60th Wedding Anniversary in the tiny coastal town of Vallejo, California.  I want to back track though and chat about the first road trip…to write a bit about my trip across the vast divide which is home to so many amazing people.

And so it begins…

My trusty driver and extrordinary husband Darren!

Managed to pack up the mini this morning.  Every part of it is filled!  Weather is perfect for a road trip and with an early start, not many on the road.  We’re forging over the Cocahalla Hwy and as we twist and turn the fog lifts and falls. Beautiful streaks of snow throughout the mountains.  Fitting for the launch of the new Zuka Fall Holiday Collection.  Love the color of the Chilliwack river, an iced green mint color. We’ve made it to Merritt and now are heading to Kamloops. Fueled up at Starbuck’s and hope to enjoy the ever-changing scenery as we make our way to Jasper and the rockies!

Beautiful Jasper National Park

We have now crossed into the Jasper National Park.  We are in Moose and Deer country and hope to see one or two?!  The mountains are expansive and stoic.  There is such a peacefulness to the country here but a strength within it’s grace.  The mountains are listed on tiny brown signs at the side of the road pointed upward in honor, Waddington, Mouat, and Ghita are a few of the many that dot along the hwy. With the names, come many stories as well!  And how amazing to catch this rainbow as we headed down out of the Park…

What’s at the end of your rainbow?

We headed into St.Albert a lovely thriving suburb in Edmonton to stay with friends and their adorable two boys.  We were traveling with our little Havanese Kai who also doubles as Zuka Muse and mascot in the studio.  The boys were thrilled to have a part time pup to run around with and it sure gave Kai a workout after the long hours in the car!  While in Edmonton I went around to some of my stores,  to show the new Zuka Fall Holiday Collection.

I have some amazing stores run by some pretty special and amazing women.  First on the agenda was to visit the girls at Bella Maas www.bellamaas.com in St.Albert. This little boutique looks like it stepped right off of Melrose street in Los Angeles, amazing lines of jeans and eclectic, funky t-shirts and separates from some of the top US collections.  (never-mind their shoe collection!!)  After this appointment I was off to visit with Thread Hill in Edmonton www.threadhill.com, gorgeous store close to downtown located right beside a new wine bar…how perfect!  She loves to support Canadian designers but also has some US collectiions as well…including Gwen Stefani’s Lamb which is AMAZING!    Love visiting this store as the Duchess Bakery is just across the street so if you’re in need of a pick-me-up, this is the place to indulge! At the end of a long day we headed back to St.Albert where my girlfriend had assembled some of her friends and along with the infamous Bullfrog cocktails and nibbles…they were able to take a sneak peek of the new Zuka Collection and pick up some cash & carry items from past seasons to satisfy their jewel obsessions.

My next day was going to be just as hectic!  It was also my birthday so feeling like it was a special day I decided that I needed to shop a little as well!  First up was to visit C’est Sera…I have worked with them for many, many years and I love to visit.  Their store is very cool, with a groovy Bohemian feel and they also have mens clothing as well.  (and once more a kick ass shoe collection!)  Next was Tattered Rose…I have sold to them for so long and originally started selling to them when they were in Winnipeg.  If you want a unique, one-of-a-kind boutique and lovely special pieces…this is the place.  I have a soft spot for romance and Paris, this is what she does so beautifully.  It’s an experience to walk into her store where you feel like you have just been “beamed” back to Paris.  Every place you turn there is something there, a treasure, and it has all been placed lovingly by the owner.  She is about move into a new location in a month or so and I’m so excited to see what she will create there. She is also a designer and if you’re looking for something special for an event or wedding her work is stunning.  Hand-dyed lace and corsets…they are works of art.

My last day in Edmonton was going to be a morning appointment at The Bridal House www.thebridalhouse.com.  I have two Bridal stores that I sell to in Canada and love them both!  I showed my Bridal Collection but they also like to take a peek at anything new in the fashion collection as well.  They have some of the most amazing lines…Pronovias, Alfred Angelo, Maggie Sottero, Paloma Blanca and many more.  If you are looking for unique pieces or found something in one of the many Bridal Mags, they will most likely have it.  It’s a huge beautiful store which also houses the Tuxedo House, one stop shop for the Bride & Groom!

Unique Trunk show reminder!

We headed out of Edmonton to make our way to Lloydminister, SK.  It’s only 2 hours from there and I was doing a trunk show with the girls at Socko www.socko.ca Love them!!  We had fun looking over the collections for Fall and they picked out their faves but then the trunk show began and the clients started to pick out their faves!

On the left, Joanne Barry, former owner of Cornerstone Clothiers and to the right, a lovely Zuka client!

It was an amazing and busy evening!  The best part was meeting all the Zuka clients that have been “collecting” my pieces for several years.  This was my very first visit to Lloydminster and it was wonderful to meet them in person, and wearing Zuka from past seasons!  Kinda surreal actually!  A highlight was to meet up with Joanne Berry who used to own Cornerstone Clothiers, I sold to her for many seasons.  It was so lovely to see her and get caught up with her busy life!  After this event which ended around 6:30, we jumped back into the Mini and headed to Saskatoon where we were going to stay over to prepare for the prairie part of our trek which would take us to Winnipeg!  I will leave the story here for now but there is plenty more to share!

Socko Owners Chelsea & Holly

The Zuka case!

After the trunk show, which ended around 6:30, we jumped back into the Mini and headed to Saskatoon where we were going to stay over to prepare for the prairie part of our trek which would take us to Winnipeg!  I will leave the story here for now but there is plenty more to share!

Hot cars, gorgeous couture clothes & jewels, Peroni beer and catered by Culinary Capers.  This was what we all were lucky to experience last night at Auto One’s new showroom launch on Cambie Street.  Billed as a ‘James Bond’ theme, complete with gorgeous model/actress Beatrice Ilg arriving in an exotic car…Malene Grotrian once again amazed the audience with her wonderful designs.  I was thrilled to be a part of the event and we complimented her outfits with my jewels.  Some of my pieces were done especially for Malene for her Spring Summer 2011 show and they looked exquisite with her gowns last night.  It’s always a joy to work with Malene, she is an amazing and seemingly tireless woman!  Here are some of the pictures that were taken by “Uber” photogragher Dan Poh.

Malene Grotrian Design / Zuka Artful Accessories / ProEmm Artistry / Hype Hair Studio

Countdown to my Mini Canadian Dream

This week is proving to be a busy yet exciting one!  Once again it is time to head out to show the new Fall Holiday 2011 Collection to my stores in the Mid-west. Every season I make a pilgrimage out to my stores that carry Zuka. In a whirlwind week of appointments and trunk shows I am able to show my clients my new collection.

This year it will be different as I’ve decided to take a road trip. Yup, an actual mapped out, scenic trip “Mini” tour of our fair country from the mountains, to the valley’s and the open fields of wheat.   I decided to do this for the Fall season, as it gives me a unique opportunity to meet some of my stores that I never get to. My favorite thing in the whole world to do, is to meet my boutique owners in person. I want to know what they hear from their clients about what they want to see and what they love.  I’m in such a unique position to be able to do this, as we also are truly a “boutique” company.  I promised myself and my company that we will always be uniquely Canadian.  Designed and manufacutured here in lovely Vancouver, B.C.  Canada

So we, my trusty chauffeur/hubby Darren and Zuka mascot, our Havavese Kai will set out in our Mini for an adventure this season.  I will be blogging as we go and hope to update with some pictures of my lovely stores and the amazing women that run them!

Zuka Pooch Kai

Photo by Andrea Warner   Go-Lucky Photography / goluckyphoto.com

It’s that time again, well into my design mode for Fall Holiday 2011… I wanted to share some inspirations from the runway collections.  Here are a couple of pictures that I adored in terms of directions for Fall!  I loved the soft creams and taupes in the first two.  Reminds me of an elegant Ice Queen, channeling your inner Narnia!

The next two pictures I loved for the richness of the plums and Berry tones.  There will be lots of that paired with camel and chocolate brown this Fall.

I will be finished my design process in a few days and will upload my collage pages of inspirations for you!  Stay tuned for what is in store for Zuka this Fall…it should once again be an interesting season full of introspective discovery!

It has been ages since I’ve written!  So much has been going on with a wonderful busy Fall season and the completion now of my Spring Summer 2011 Collection.  I will shortly be posting some collage pages with details of the collection and where I found inspiration.  Stay tuned!

It’s that time again to peek into my collage book to show you what I’ve been working on.  The lines are all complete for the Fall Holiday Collection and I’m just fresh back from my “Prairie Swing”, where I show the line to my boutiques in Edmonton and Winnipeg.  Once again I’ve come to the conclusion that Fall is really my favorite time of year…this season it’s moody and dark and full of texture.  As I said before I channeled Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland for my inspiration!

The first section is called Absinthe with it’s cool tones of Teal and dark greens with dark metals.  This season I decided to switch it up a bit…as someone who is obsessed with color, I focused on the metals with a pop of color instead of color first. The outcome has been amazing…relying on texture as opposed to just color it’s been a real out of the box journey for me.

Bordeaux is a rich section of Plums, Wines and a bit of chocolate brown on dark metals.  Again borrowing from the visionary treat of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, this collection was inspired by the rich gardens of Alice’s journey through her dreams…lush forests and exotic flowers.

Byzantine is the last section that is opulent in Gold and Jet Black.  Strong pieces with the emphasis on mixed chain but rich with Swarovski crystals in Champagne and Jet Black.  It’s of an era lost but updated with a slight rock edginess.  The Dark Black Jet and Onyx paired with the Antique Gold and Gunmetal Chains just fit perfectly.   I researched this period and found a lot of wonderful sculptures with Gold and the mixed metals.

 This is definately Red Carpet worthy as Dawn Chubai from Breakfast Television wore the Vintage “Bib” necklace, matching earrings and cuff to this years Leo Awards.

Last night my wonderful Zuka Muse/Friend Una Tran and I attended the amazing show by designer Carlie Wong.  This was the first time she has shown in Vancouver, the Project Runway Canada designer showed her collection to Fashion industry peeps and fans at the eclectic Opus Lounge in Yaletown.   It was to capacity and clutching our lovely glass of pink champagne we jammed into the lounge and watched the models weave their way through the crowd.  The collection was definately Carlie…fierce and strong but oh so beautiful.  The stand outs for me of course were in the details as she accessorized with studs and wonderful shoulder pieces.  My faves were the dresses covered with the tiny teardrop silver sequins and the elegant Black draped dress.  

Carlie definately rocked the night!  We are all so proud of her…I knew she was amazing though back when she was a student and did her practicum with Zuka…my how time flies! xox

Top photo:  Una Tran

Bottom photo:  Derek Leung

With warm weather on the way…seriously, it should be just around the corner!!  I thought I should chat a bit about my three collections for Spring Summer 2010.   This season has been a diverse one for me…I had fun with color in all three of the collections. 

The first line I designed was the beautiful and soft “Orchid”, I wanted it to be pretty…a bit Alice in Wonderland…(the old version not the wonderfully dark Tim Burton version, stay tuned for Fall)  As always I got inspired by the lovely lavenders and violets I found in the semi-precious stones like Lavender Quartz and Purple Agate.  Beautiful washes of these colors fused with gold…lots of gold…gold beads, antique gold charms and antique chain.  

My fave pieces in this line would be the long cluster necklace with the hand-carved Blue Lace Agate orchid, multi strand stone and chain necklace and tiny chandelier earrings…delicate and oh so pretty!

The next collection is Zanzibar.  Inspired by the spice markets and the starfish…Vintage coral and warm brown woods.  The color of the coral is almost a peachy tone, the woods are dark chocolate.  I did this line in antique silver and a wonderful discovery of fabric chain to add texture.  Oh how I love my texture!! 

 The beauty of this collection is how perfect it works with all the neutrals in the stores for summer.  My fave piece is the kitschy chunky charm bracelet with Swarovski Starfish, pewter beachy charms and hand-painted tiny shells.  

I can just imagine beautiful sun, ocean breeze and sipping a gin & tonic with your toes in the sand…exhale.

The last collection was probably the most unique one I have ever done.  Last summer I had the pleasure of spending time in amazing Cape Cod.   Driving the island was so incredible,  Lobster rolls…scallops and such an ease to the lifestyle there.  They were all anticipating the first family visiting for their summer holidays…it was Obama everywhere, exciting and historic.  I was inspired by the little gingerbread houses on Martha’s Vinyard.   We went to the lovely Hyannis and it was there that I wanted to really pay homage to Jackie Kennedy.   Using White Jade, Red vintage Coral and beautiful Cobalt blue Lapis with silver antique metals, I put together a line that was elegant even if it bordered on patriotic!  I think it could be something for everyone, Viva La France or Stars and Stripes forever… 

The bottom line was that I challenged myself and had fun creating something out of my comfort zone!   My fave pieces have been the White Porcelian nugget Jackie O inspired necklace, the charm necklace with it’s kitchy charms…lobster, sailboat and anchor and the long chain fringe red shell earrings with little stone stars…impact!  Just imagine with dark jeans and a crisp white shirt or boyfriend blazer.  

Ahhhhh summer…

After many months of working on the new site…thanks to the magic of our designer Una…we have lift off!  I hope you like it as much as we do.  There are always glitches as we fix things and refine others, so bear with us as we try to get it perfect! 

The addition of a Blog to the Zuka site is a new endeavor.   I wrestled with the idea for many many months.   To be honest…if I write like I talk, everyone will be in for a long ride.  Nevertheless, I’m willing to try!  Hopefully through my musings you’ll be able to find out a little more about me, my jewels and why I do what I do…