Ursula B

   

photo credit: Carrie Macpherson

This 5,500 square foot boutique situated next to Harry Rosen on the top floors of Les Cours Mont- Royal has been one of Montreal’s top destinations for high end luxury wear since the 1990’s. The boutique boasts brands synonymous with high-style (think Giambattista Valli, Proenza Schouler, Roland Mouret…) and adds fresh, young talents like Thakoon and Erdem to the mix, making it a prime destination for Montreal’s fashionable elite and a wonderful place for people like me who are simply in awe of beautifully crafted, well-made clothes and are slowly starting to justify the “investment pieces” that line their racks. (I’ll have it for the rest of my life and wear it once per week, sooooo, price per wear is only about, what? 50 cents? Plus, I’ll give it to my daughter… and she will give it to her daughter who will wear it as vintage and then in that case we are talking price per wear in pennies! Pennies people! Peesh!) 

photo credit: Carrie MacphersonThe shopping experience at Ursula B is a personalized one, which translates simply to the fact that you will have an associate nearby most of the time. This can be a new experience for some (particularly those used to perusing the racks at department stores alone), but I find it is best to take advantage of it, as they are incredibly knowledgeable about the clothes and the designers behind them. Plus, if you are about to do some serious shopping, the one-on-one can be quite fun.

photo credit: Carrie Macpherson 

Ursula B   |   Les Cours Mont Royal, Suite 328   |   1455 Peel St   |   Montreal, QC, H3A 1T5  

(514) 282-0294

www.ursulab.com

All photos: Carrie Macpherson

Made in Montreal: Erdem

    

Every September I follow fashion week religiously, checking my style.com app like clockwork for the new collections, and even perusing WWD.com, which I rarely do otherwise, for runway reviews. That said, this year I remember exactly where I was when I first saw Erdem's Spring 2010 RTW show: the sun was rising and I was slowly waking up, still in bed (sans contact lenses), flipping through my phone at arms length. And then.....all of a sudden.....I saw...amazing, botanical colours!...and fabulous prints!...and gorgeously tailored dresses! and just like that, I sat up, squinted my eyes, brought the blurry pictures into focus, and fell in love. 

After more research, I discovered that the "it" newcomer behind this soon to be "it" label is British fashion darling Erdem Moralioglu. Erdem was born and raised in Montreal by his Turkish father and British mother. He left for London in 2000 to study at the Royal College of Art, where he received his masters in 2003. Thereafter, he interned at Vivienne Westwood before hopping back across the pond to NYC, where he worked with Diane Von Furstenburg.         

In 2005, Erdem returned to London to start his own line. In a matter of seasons he managed to capture the attention of fashion's most influential faces, and has scooped up fashion fringe and two British Fashion Council awards since. With the words “color, optimism and oddities" used to define his aesthetic, this young designer is reinterpreting classic shapes and forms with fresh, youthful prints.

Unfortunately, Erdem is only currently available to the Montreal set online - from Barneys, Saks, mytheresa and Net-a-Porter. However, there is reason to, like the designer himself, be optimistic: After stopping by Ursula B today, I discovered that they are set to bring in his Spring collection within the coming months. And, once the Hudson's Bay Company has a Montreal replicate of the Room, their new Luxury department that debuted in Toronto last month, they should carry his line as well. Note to self: start saving now with the hope that you'll (maybe) have enough green to invest in a new dress!...uhhh Hydro bills? What hydro bills?

Erdem

www.erdem.co.uk 

photo credits: style.com