Petey fans and interested fashion parties!

I got into Toronto yesterday and have spent my time scoping out the best spots to advertise and deciding which marketing methods I should use for the promotion of our upcoming fashion show next Sunday, September 26 at The Velvet Underground!!
I`ve had the privilege of crashing with a friend in the Bloor and Spadina area right in The Annex so naturally that`s where I hit first. I had sandwiches at Sky Blue Sky which was totally amazing and stopped in at Honest Ed`s to buy clear tape (I brought ducked tape. BIG mistake.)
After I finish this post I`m going over to Chinatown and then to make my way through the U of T campus.

I started putting up posters in strategic locations earlier today but I`m finding that despite the fact that there are THOUSANDS of posters all over everything, that Torontonians stare at you like you`re committing an act of vandalism when you wrap clear tape around a street pole. Thus out I go under the cover of darkness in jeans and a sweat shirt as opposed to my perfectly put together skirt/blouse combo for day-wear.

Is it bad that I brought one suitcase entirely for accessories? Hmm.

Between meetings over the next two or three days I'm going to make time to hang out in Kensington Market, talking to local Clothing Collectives about (possibly?) selling our tickets for us and having some fliers in their stores. I might stop some people in the street in the Queen West area to spread the Petey word and maybe make some new friends!!

See you all at the show on Sunday or back in W-Town next week!
-VPH

Petey the Troll Apparel's Toronto Debut!

Hello Toronto!!
Petey the Troll Apparel needs your support!!
We at Petey the Troll are embarking on a project like none we've tried before. Next week (September 19th-27th) we're leaving Windsor for Toronto-land to celebrate our new Fall 2010 clothing lines for men and women AND to promote our new line of accessories - including hand made umbrellas!!! But our foremost goal in our favorite city in the world is to introduce Toronto to Petey the Troll Apparel.

How are we planning on doing this??
With a fashion show!!

The weekend of the Clothing Show in Toronto is September 24th-26th, in which Petey the Troll will be exhibiting and selling our clothing and accessories! In honour of this fabulous event and in an effort to set ourselves apart from the rest, we're having a show on the night of Sunday, September 26th!

So we need you to come out to the show! Tickets will be either $7 in advance or $10 at the door and we'll be selling our wares after the show!!

Help us expand to Toronto and beyond by coming to witness this monumental event! Petey the Troll Apparel's Independent Toronto Debut!!

Impromptu End of Summer Fashion Show!!

Petey the Troll Apparel is inviting everyone out to the new White Star Club in downtown Windsor this Thursday the 9th of Septemeber for an exclusive End of Summer Fashion Show!!! Petey the Troll Apparel will be teaming up with NeverHopeless by Rachel Gray for this special event!
It should be super fun because this club is brand new (where the old Dean Martinis was!) and there's not going to be any cover that night. After the show we'll be selling those dresses so come get one for super cheap! We'll not be charging more than $29.99 for any of our dresses that night so this is a great way to snag some Petey merchandise for cheap and also helping fund the creation of our next collection this FALL!

We're still taking orders for Halloween costumes too with prices as low as $24.99!! Email us at vanessapetey@gmail.com.

Thanks and talk to you soon!

Petey News For Fall 2010

Petey the Troll Apparel has been hard at work this summer with the design and creation of our Fall 2010 lines which debut in Toronto this September and Windsor this October. This time we've included both a Menswear collection as well as our usual Womens Ready to Wear line! We're also releasing a bunch of new accessories from bags to belts to umbrellas! And for the first time in 3 seasons, we're bringing back hand screen printed tshirts!!

The first of these endeavors Petey fans will see is our Menswear photoshoot featuring some of the most recognizable faces on the Windsor scene today. The photo release date is set for Friday September 10th available on Facebook, Flickr, and our website PeteytheTrollApparel.com. Quickly following, Petey the Troll will be heading up to Toronto for both The Clothing Show, and an independent fashion show to be announced. Finally we'll be heading back to Windsor the following week to show at the well anticipated Harvesting the FAM Festival Fashion Show - October 8th @ the Loop.

Fall is here!! Time for fashion!!!
Stay tuned to Petey the Troll Apparel for lots of amazing clothes and accessories for your fashionable lifestyle.

Until the next one,

VPH

The Day of the Show

It's Saturday, April 24th and Meaghan and I are in Toronto shopping and preparing for tonight, the Petey Couture Toronto debut at Alternative Fashion week. I haven't been able to comprehend the real meaning of this yet... I'm afraid if i do it might be the death of my nerves.
Working in Toronto is not a new experience for me, I lived in this city last summer doing stylist work for some local photographers, but this is a first for Petey. It has sparked a string of creative projects we're planning for the interaction of Petey and Toronto in the future. For one, we're considering including a fashion installation on the streets for Nuit Blanche. Not to mention our on going dream of conducting a national tour for the promotion of arts and fashion as a means of self improvement and national improvement.
So wish us luck tonight! We've brought along our ever fabulous photographer, Justin Bondy of WetFresco Photography and Kate Hargreaves, fashion journalist for the local Windsor paper, WAMM.
We'll see you back in Windsor on the 29th!

One Week To Fitting`

Last night we finished the Petey Couture collection, down to the last button. If I do say so myself, I think it's our best collection yet. Complete with vintage military buttons and pins, bold colours and lots of hand stitched detailing, Petey Couture is ready to go down the runway in Toronto this month.
We're going to Toronto next weekend to bring the clothes and fit them to the models. The fitting is taking place in the venue itself so we'll get to see the atmosphere in which we'll be showing. The reality of it all is finally setting in. After the fitting we imagine a sewing festival in my good friend Paige's (who is graciously taking us in for the weekend) basement to accomodate alterations and adjustments. Then back on the train as soon as we're done to head home for Windsor for the opening of the musical theatre production "The Rock and Roll Show" that we've been working on all month at St. Clair College.
Though in this case, theatre has complcated our situation, we normally love it. When it comes down to it, we do it to pay the bills and fund Petey the Troll, our real art. But really we love the theatre and working in costume design has been the most rewarding experience I've ever had. We'll keep you posted about other theatrical productions in which the costume designers are designers of Petey the troll Apparel.
The show is in less than two weeks. I'll update again after the fitting - with pictures! :)

Getting the Phone Call from FAT

So for t a solid two months now, Meaghan and I have been waiting on the edge of our seats to find out if we were selected for this year's Alternative Fashion Week.
For three years Petey the Troll Apparel has been hoping and dreaming of being in this show, a show that many of our colleagues and friends like Ludo and Pig, Dilly Daisy, and UsThemWe, had been a part of in previous years.

The first time we applied, we did a photo shoot about 5 days before the deadline, threw together a press release and sent it in, only to find out we were mere hours too late. Very frustrating, but we thought we'd try again next year.

The second time we applied, we had our photographs all set, 9 outfits made with one to go and an application we thought for sure would get us in. Everything was in on time and we anxiously awaited the call discussing details like models, set design, fittings and all of the glamorous things we imagined would accompany such an event. Alas, an email appeared explaining that because we had only included nine photographs of potential items, and the list of entries was already too long, that we would be bumped off the list, and be forced to wait one more year.

This year we did it up. There was no way we weren't getting in this time - it was going to happen. We started putting together a new concept for a collection that would work together to report a message - wearable art - as opposed to our usual party dresses and snazzy jackets. A new label perhaps! Not for profit! An arts organization!

The ideas continued to come and what developed was Petey Couture, an wearable art line of clothes that would project a theme, or idea with every item of clothing. This was something that we were (and are) quite proud of and we excitedly sent in our sparkling application to Alternative Fashion Week for what we thought would be one last chance at success.

The morning of March 2, I missed a call on my phone and seeing that it was a (647) number, Meaghan looked it up quickly to see who it was - it was FAT. I immediately dialed my voicemail to hear the message that they had left, my hand shaking while I dialed the password.
We started jumping up and down, within moments I had texted all of my friends to tell them the good news.

So here we are! Just over six weeks until the show and we're very excited. My nerves are officially shot, but we hope that in April 2010, we'll be able to impress Toronto and you, our followers with the wearable art that got us here.

See you then!!

-VanessaPetey