Holts Contemporary Blog | Holt Renfrew

Where did the couple past months go? Has 2009 flown by with a blink of an eye, or is it just me? It seems as though the second we put sunscreen away the Christmas decorations are pulled out, and so comes holiday season at Holt Renfrew. Seeing the artistry of the Holts window displays and enjoying the warm atmosphere that has been created inside really lifts my spirits this time of year.

I was on a little mission to build an elegant Christmas basket for one of my best friends (Hi Ellie!) that flew in from London to spend the holidays here. Holt Renfrew’s Christmas gift selection is always diverse and has something for everyone so I knew I’d find the ideal items there. Since her and I come from very traditional backgrounds, I wanted to almost create a feeling of nostalgia with this gift so I geared towards the Holt Renfrew Gourmet items. Jams, jellies, chutneys, mixed nuts, chocolates… all brought me back to my grandma’s magical cellar of home made foods. A lot of the special and delectable items are only imported for the holiday season so if you or someone you know is a culinary aficionado, it’s definitely worth checking out!

Besides these opulent gourmet items, you can also find a plethora of playful stocking fillers and unique gifts at any price level.

The old year is ending…what a perfect time to say goodbye since my run as the contemporary correspondent for Holt Renfrew has also ended… This blog has become a big part of my weekly routine and late night editing sessions, accompanied by my trusty cup of tea of course. I can’t deny that being at the store so often was a pleasure and I became a master of battling downtown traffic every time to get there. This is not the end however; I have built an amazing relationship with everyone here and will continue to work with them on various projects. A big thank you to Carla, Lenirose and Kim for making everything so easy and accessible for me at our Vancouver location, and Cheryl for the countless emails back and forth -you guys are amazing. Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year to everyone. Thanks for reading and being a part of this brilliant social media initiative!

In a time where shoppers are looking for recession-friendly pricing on basics such as denim, a new wave of price savvy jean brands are causing quite the market buzz. One of those brands is LA-based Black Orchid, founded by denim guru Julien Jarmoune. If his name sounds familiar it’s because he was responsible for putting J & Company on the map. With a philosophy founded on bringing about easy to wear elegance, Julien has created a jean that appeals to a wide-spectrum of women, affectionately nicknamed “the classic white tee of the denim industry”. The brand has already garnered an A-list following since its launch in 2008, with Julien counting Pink, Gwen Stefani, Megan Fox, Halle Berry and Jessica Alba amongst his biggest fans.

Luckily I had a chance to not only meet Julien during my last trip to Los Angeles, but also recently styled his Black Orchid Spring campaign. He flew out here and we decided to shoot at a beautiful contemporary home in West Vancouver (the skies blessed us with sun that weekend!), the storyline being based on a glam girl that lives and breathes in her Black Orchids. I worked with a team of great people including local Vancouver photographer Pooya Nabei, model Tara Wilkinson, makeup/hair artist Marlayna Pincott and my wonderful assistant Rachel Wardell. The big boss was extremely happy with the results and work on the next campaign will begin again soon!

The website will be fully completed and launched next week; in the meantime you can visit Julien and his jeans here: www.blackorchiddenim.com/new (I posted some of the images from our shoot in this entry).

Holt Renfrew now carries the line in all its doors. Girls, comfort + affordability + timeless design = One happy denim lover!

Follow Karolina @ twitter.com/karolinajez

Season after season, Robert Rodriguez continues to produce pieces that are effortless and look beautiful on and off the hanger. This has made him a star, being featured in major editorials, and garnered a large celebrity fan base. He may owe some thanks to his wonderful mother who clearly sensed her son’s calling. She bought him a Christian Dior book and it was pure style sailing from there.

His current collection has put a major emphasis on fit, quality fabrics and silhouettes. The pieces have an air of femininity but also a slight edge that give them a balanced and modern feel. Aside from his selection of gorgeous dresses, Rodriguez also included a lot of fun pieces, like one shoulder studded blouses and some bad ass pencil skirts that will turn heads.
Rodriguez has also created a line of basic tops called Robbi & Nikki. Since I was in dire need of a pretty and versatile top that wouldn’t burn a hole in my wallet, the selection was perfect for me. I also love that it is exclusive to Holt Renfrew, so you can feel a little bit more special wearing it.

You can find the Rodriguez and Robbi & Nikki collection in the upstairs contemporary department of our Vancouver Holt Renfrew. Get your shop on!