KnowShow: A Show Worth Knowing About

Last week Emily, Sarah, and I stopped by the KNOWSHOW to check out what was in store for the Fall/Winter 2013 action sports, fashion, and lifestyle brands.

What's great about KNOWSHOW is that it brings together roughly 300 local and international brands under one roof. With some of the brand's having only part of their collection available in certain stores and sometimes even dealing with exclusivity, it provides us with a great opportunity to get a more fulsome look at what these brands have to offer.

I love surfing (but I'm not good at it. Sidebar: Does anyone remember the short lived MTV show Surf Girls from 2003???). So imagine my surprise when I find out that there's a "more mature" Roxy/Quiksilver line, Quiksilver Women. Sarah has more on them.

TOMS was so good. Though, as usual, I had a preference for the men's collection. I love this casual take on the wingtip. A bit dressier than regular TOMS, but more casual than a leather shoe. Fun colours and patterns, but nothing overwhelming. The women's collection has cute new boot styles.

The Reef Resrv mens collection was amazing. I love how men's footwear is a thing now. The menswear scene is a weird combination of fashion, sports, and hiphop (seriously - why do you think Amar'e Stoudemire is pals with Anna Wintour? Do you think it's just for fun? There's always an agenda), so I can definitely see how menswear has evolved into what it is now.

Proof had amazing sunglasses - for both men and women! They also had a couple cute sweatshirts. 

Check out these super awesome slip-on brogues from Seychelles. Toe-caps! Patent! Prints! I don't usually care for Seychelles, but these I want so bad.

And these smoking slippers from Seychelles! I really want to Union Jack ones. Can't you just see Taylor Swift prancing around in these (probably holding on to a 18-year-old's hand)? They would go so well with her J.Crew fox sweater.

While this coat wouldn't keep me even a little bit warm in Ottawa, I'm so into it. It's BB Dakota and would make for a great fall or spring transition piece. Or, I suppose if you live in Vancouver, you could wear it all winter without problem. The (faux?) leather detailing is great.

Herschel Supply Co has a few new styles for Fall/Winter 2013. There are a lot more colours and, as you can see, a whole whack of new patterns. So support local!

Generic Surplus: Fall/Winter 2012 Collection

As we all know, Generic Surplus is one of my favourite mens shoe lines. The LA based brand continually pushes the limits of shoe evolution to marry the street and dress styles. Their shoes are able to reflect the essence of LA's music, art, and fashion scenes.

For Fall/Winter 2012, my two favourite shoes are the Longwing and the Ledger Mid.

The Longwing mixed preppy, casual, and street, making it a great every day shoe.

The Ledger Mid can be dressed up or down - I know guys love versatility. The purple colour is amazing.

Generic Surplus can be found at various boutiques across Canada, including:

Heel Boy (Toronto)
Capsule  (Toronto)
The Bay  (Toronto)
House of Fashion / Voyashop (Montreal)
J2  (Vancouver)
Group Seven (Calgary)
Glam Slam (Edmonton)
Rebel Rebel (Victoria)


Images via Dela Cruz PR.

Generic Surplus X The Ace Hotel X Steven Harrington: Summer 2012 Shoe Collaboration

If you've been to Coachella then you know about The Ace Hotel. And even if you haven't been to Coachella (which means you should probably read my guide to festival fashion), you've heard of The Ace Hotel (or maybe not, but let's just pretend you have). The notorious hotel has reunited with one of my favourite menswear lines, Generic Surplus, and artist Steven Harrington, for a summer shoe collaboration - the Borstal.

Inspired by SoCal culture and the Palm Springs landscape, the collaboration features cotton weave patterned rattan with Harrington's artwork on the insole and shoebox.

These are perfect for summer - rock them to the beach, the pool, on your bike, to a party, or a bonfire. They won't let you down.

The Borstal can be found in select retailers across Canada:

Glam Slam Clothiers Ltd. (Edmonton)

Zebra Club Clothing & Accessories (Vancouver)

The Block (Vancouver)
Umeboshi (Vancouver)
Coda Clothing (Regina)