ITSMADE IS MADE FOR FUN ON A BUDGET

THE CONSTANT SHOPPER by Daphne Gordon

When Karen Friis put out an open call for local fashion designers who could contribute to her new boutique, itsmade, there was no shortage of response.

The shop opens today, featuring items by about 40 designers of clothing, accessories and jewellery. The Constant Shopper had a sneak peek earlier this week, when Friis was deep in setup mode. Designers were dropping in carrying bags of product for the store, while Friis found room to display it all.

There were items that Constant Shopper has written about before, including shrunken sweater vests ($80) by Precocious, funky bags ($60to $95) by Flyball, and cute tanks ($20 to 25) by Heartfelt.

While there are many local designers reworking vintage clothing for girls, there aren't so many for downtown guys, so I particularly love the mens section at itsmade, where shirts, ties and hats by AKA Clothing stand out. Colourful fabric embellishments, cutout circles and embroidered text put a colourful, witty twist on traditional styles.

And then there were items from creative new labels I'd never seen before, including pretty shell earrings ($12) and wood bead bracelets ($20) by Inamorata, cool screenprinted T-shirts by Boule de Huit ($20) and pretty tops and skirts by NUDE.

Amazingly, almost everything is priced under $100.

Friis, 34, a designer who studied at the Academy of Design, sought out undiscovered talent for her shop in an effort to keep prices down.

"A third of these people have never been in a store before," she explains. They're fresh out of school or just starting out in the design business, and "once they become known labels you can bet their prices will increase," she says.

Friis also plans to sell her own line of streetwear called ilikeyourboyfriend at the store, and will be constantly adding new designers to the mix.

FEEL GOOD FACTOR: Store mascot Mavis, a playful pug, will offer entertainment and stress reduction services in the store. "She's my support system," says Friis. "Whenever I lose it I just have to pet her. It's very soothing."

Karen's note: We now take VISA, MC and Interac!!!

FRUGAL FASHIONISTA BY Nathalie-Roze Fischer

Fresh retail hits Queen Street West

New indie shop opening in Parkdale
The hippest stores are inching further and further west on Queen Street — closer to the Drake and Gladstone hotels. In keeping with this migration is the opening Friday of itsmade, a new Parkdale shop showcasing handcrafted, limited-edition wares by local designers.
FF is keen to check out the mix chosen by shop-owner/designer Karen Friis, who promises a quirky medley of clothing and accessories for both men and women.

Expect cool belts from Pucci Designs, fab silkscreened tees by Yasmine Louis, AKA Clothing’s appliqued men’s shirts and embroidered ties, 2-Mile’s resin pendants as well as oodles of other spunky wearables by emerging talents.