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16
The Walleye
LifeStyle
The bag...
A fun find, this bag and so
many others are made locally,
by Sari Jamsa-Babcock. Her
bags are made mainly with
Scandinavian fabric she picks
up from all over Canada and
the US, made using no formal
design or pattern. She does
purse organizers, handbags,
yoga bags and reusable shop-
ping bags, to name a few, and
each of her pieces is individual.
Sari will make a handbag out
of just about anything you ask
her to, one beautiful example
being of one of her current
projects: creating a handbag
for sisters made out of their
mother's wedding dress. Sari
also hosts Purse Parties, where
she will display some finished
work and also give clients the
opportunity to choose their
own fabric and style for their
own custom bag. To con-
tact Sari, you can find her on
Facebook under Sari - Purses
and Handbags or on her web-
site at saripursecreations.com.
The legwarmers...
PAPER.PEOPLE.
CLOTHING is a company
started by a Thunder Bay
girl, Jennifer Fukushima,
who wanted to experience
more than the `cookie-cutter'
styles that the mall so gener-
ously provides. She began,
at the age of 17, to explore
the world of design, and has
since created quite an alterna-
tive for those of us who seek
something just a little differ-
ent. Experimenting with eco-
friendly fabrics and creating
fabulous new pieces out of
vintage clothing and fabric,
Fukushima seriously has a
good thing going here.
In photo: `Remade Vintage'
legwarmers. Check out her
collections at www.paperpeo-
pleclothing.com.
The skirt...
Northern Belle is a line of
eco-friendly clothing de-
signed by Tina Ahokas, a local
woman whose clothing ranges
from sexy, cutting edge eve-
ning wear to entirely wearable
`comfy clothes'. Her cloth-
ing is all locally designed and
sewn, and is fashioned with a
quiet reverence for our natural
world.
The necklace
and ring...
Helen Leaf Black's work
is truly that of an artist.
Representing a `contempo-
rary reinterpretation of global
indigenous cultural art', each
design is intricately woven by
hand and completely one-of-a-
kind. Dragonseed handmade
jewellery only uses the finest
metals - copper, silver and
gold, and combines these with
crystals, semiprecious gem-
stones, precious gems and raw
exotic materials to create spon-
taneous and individual works
of body art. Helen's creations
are showcased on her website
at www.dragonseedcave.com.
Local Fashion
by Tanya Gouthro - Photography by Shannon Lepere
Feeling at Home...and Dressing the Part
I love to shop. I am made breathless by little punches of colour in an outfit, by accessories that
tell a story about the person wearing them, and I am immediately envious of someone who tells
me that what they're wearing is one-of-a-kind. We have all of the necessary mall shops here in
town, and while I appreciate those stores for what they offer, I love when people ask me about
something I'm wearing and there is a related story I can provide. Who knew that a quick wander of
one of our downtown cores could reveal that all of these things are readily available right here, in
boutiques that are locally owned and operated, and that it is entirely possible to dress oneself head
to (almost) toe in clothing and jewelry and accessories made by local people?