CALGARY SHOPS: AUGUST NOTES
Karen Ashbee meets a pedigreed Calgary-based designer.
by Karen Ashbee
Photography: Bagliore by Colin Way
First published in FASHION Magazine
August 2010
One to watch
To say that Lauren Bagliore (laurenbagliore.com) is well trained is an understatement. While attending New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, the Italian-American designer worked for Zac Posen, Libertine, Tod’s and even Alberta’s own Paul Hardy—not to mention her apprenticeship at Vivienne Westwood in London. I met with Bagliore during a recent trunk show for her debut collection, named “Un Bagliore Di Speranza,” which means “a Ray of Hope.”
How would you describe your collection? “I’m all about femininity with a bit of an edge, a mixing of hard and soft. I also love to use advanced draping and cutting techniques; they are my signatures. My vision is to take the avant-garde and make it beautiful.”
If I could buy only one piece from the collection, what would you recommend? “Definitely the Celia Cocoon coat ($695). It’s so practical: lightweight yet warm, and made from high-tech nylon from Japan, with a shawl collar that doubles as a hood. You could wear it as an opera coat or with jeans. And it’s so easy to pack—the body of the coat rolls up into the hood.”
You divide your time between Calgary and New York. How would you describe Calgarian style? “It’s definitely a more casual vibe, and the people tend to be a lot more conservative. It’s not that Calgarians aren’t open to new ideas; they’re just a little more cautious in embracing them. I hope I can give them some alternative options that they like.”
