For a label named after the temperature at which water freezes, New York’s Zero Degrees Celsius sure likes to keep things hot. With their debut collection kicking off this season, the label can certainly be considered a newcomer and an upstart. But we shouldn’t be so quick to write off one of the freshest names in the massive New York fashion scene.

Minimalism with organic accents in this crochet style from Zero Degrees Celsius

With the launch of their first collection for Spring 2013, Zero Degrees Celsius has already established a sort of austere sensuality in its designs. Clean and modern simplicity of silhouette and color meet elements that seem more organic in nature – crochet, loose knits, airy draping, and the like.

The cover image for Zero Degrees Celsius' debut Spring 2013 Lookbook

The result is a sort of minimalist femininity reminiscent of the desert landscapes and flowers of painter Georgia O’Keeffe.

That parallel may seem a little stretched at first. But there’s surely more than a passing resemblance between O’Keeffe’s work and Zero Degrees Celsius’ use of stark bone white and almost floral shapes in draping and lace work. Then there’s the obvious reference of the steer’s skull, a motif often used in O’Keefee’s haunting paintings and which introduces the label’s first ever lookbook.

'Cow's Skull with Calico Roses' by Georgia O'Keeffe

Like the great painter’s many works, the inaugural collection form this up-and-coming womenswear label seems to root itself in contradictions, with a look that’s stark and strong, yet somehow delicate and fragile.

Stark femininity in this draped style from Zero Degrees Celsius

For any fashion label, a debut collection should firmly establish not necessarily the look but definitely the mood of the brand as a whole.

Jimson Weed 2' by Georgia O'Keeffe

And while Zero Degrees Celsius may surprise us with bright color, print or something else entirely different next time, we can probably expect the same tension of opposites, the same play between femininity and modernity, that we’ve seen here.

- Emily

Shop the sale: https://thevolts.com/sale/361/zero-degrees-celsius/

Fire escape gardens, short shorts, rooftop cocktails and walks with the dog – for New York-based N/TICE, that’s summer in the city. And the label’s latest spring/summer lookbook captures a season that us city dwellers know and love well.

While it was once fashionable to summer away from the crowds in resort towns and remote spots, the cool kids today are far too brave to escape the intense heat and intense action of our urban centers just because the temperature rises a little.

There’s something wild and raw about summer in the city that N/TICE just seems to get. Living  surrounded by strangers and stimuli during the most extreme weather can breed a certain nonchalance that New Yorkers – and their fashion – are known for.

In heat waves, we go bra-less, let our hair air dry and seek out the coolest spot on our apartment floor for a quick lie-down. When the sun sets, we take our second shower of the day and throw on something casual, comfortable and (ideally) fabulous for a foray into streets and avenues still warm from a full day of baking in the sun.

And that casual approach to keeping cool (both literally and figuratively) is all over the latest N/TICE collection. Beautiful in an easy and effortless kind of way, N/TICE adds its almost unconscious elegance to casual summer staples like shorts and tank dresses, with silky textures, clean, tailored silhouettes, and fresh color combinations.

New York’s love of vintage is there too, with retro athletic cuts in tops and shorts more suited to the runways than the basketball court.

To be sure, N/TICE’s summer designs don’t really fit squarely with the resort style so many other designers’ summer collections seem to aim for. They’re much more urban, with just a hint of rebelliousness. But if you’re the kind of girl who’d rather spend July biking through Central Park than idly lounging on some beach, that’s an edge you’ll appreciate.

- Emily

All images from N/TICE’s Spring/Summer 2013 Lookbook.

Shop the sale: https://thevolts.com/sale/353/n-tice/

Lovin’ Spoonful ‘Summer in the City’ VIDEO

iframe>

It takes a lot to shock someone in the fashion industry. We’ve seen just about everything, and live in a world where flouting convention is the norm. So when we come across a brand that makes us blush, that’s saying something.

It’s on that note that The Volts introduces Gregg Homme. The Canadian men’s underwear and basics label certainly breaks with the cliché that all Canucks are mild-mannered and decorous. Instead, the brand seems to pride itself on its audacity, with showy displays that in no subtle way define the modern man in terms of total sex object.

For so long, fashion has reserved that role for women. But to be fair, that gender bias is pretty outdated, both for modern women, who feel unapologetic about their desires, as well as for modern men, who unapologetically want to be desired.

Gregg Homme gets that, as is so brazenly apparent from the themes of their campaign shoots and videos. The titles of their ‘One Night Stand,’ ‘Provoke,’ and ‘Red Light’ campaign videos are pretty self-explanatory. And tag-lines like “don’t let your fantasy run away,” and “dare to wear” spell it out, just in case the message wasn’t clear enough in the first place.

Though the label does offer quite a bit of variety, with loungewear, robes and wraps that fall into the less splashy category of high-end basics, most of their designs are best suited to men who don’t have a shy bone in their body. Bright color, intense patterns and body-flaunting cuts and textures take guts to pull off. Oh, and a perfectly sculpted physique helps too.

Though really, Gregg Homme seems to be mostly about confidence and letting go. Sure, the label’s all about sex too. But courage, daring and the ability to just have fun are integral aspects of that as well. And you won’t find a brand that plays to that any better than Gregg Homme. Or, to put it in their own words: “Play the game. Enjoy the ride.”

- Emily

Shop the Sale: https://thevolts.com/sale/347/gregg-homme-underwear/

Yunus Chkirate, 'Portrait of an Egoistic Love,' Mixed Media on Canvass, 36” x 36”

Though we at The Volts strive to be an authority on high fashion, we would hardly presume to call ourselves an authority on art. And yet, the two subjects are not entirely unrelated, either for us or for our audience.

While a love of fashion is often the pursuit of beauty through self-expression, a love of art can be the pursuit of beauty through opening up to the expressions of others. And that’s an experience we not only hope to find for ourselves, but also one we look to bring to the community we’ve built here at The Volts.

This week marks a first for us. Stepping outside our usual comfort zone of high-end fashion design, we’re launching our first ever sale of original works by Canadian artists.

In fact, it’s a first for any Canadian flash sales site, but it’s an experience we’re excited about, with a whole new range of beauty and creativity to discover. So how did it all come about?

Artist and buyer for The Volts, Yunus Chkirate

Something you may not know about us is that The Volts recently welcomed a new buyer, Yunus Chkirate, to our team. Stylish, trend-savvy and dashingly handsome, Yunus also happens to be one of Montreal’s most promising new painters, having sold out his first solo show in 2011 and racking up a a following in the U.S. And Canada in the two years since.

And it was Yunus who first struck upon the idea of bringing a gallery-style sale of original art to The Volts:

“I always viewed fashion as an art form. If you study the process a designer goes through when creating a collection, it’s very parallel to the process an artist goes through when creating a series. Both deal with inspiration, creation and aesthetic. Since The Volts often deals with niche brands from independent designers to offer a style that’s unique to our members, it was the perfect mix to also offer Artworks that would be just as special. Since both industries are a constant passion in my life, I introduced the idea and it was well received.”

Brad Firmino, 'No. 36,' Mixed Media, 8.5” x 5”

In choosing the artists to be featured, Yunus looked for Canadian artists whose unique works would  make up an array of styles, each with its own appeal. And there was no group that fit the bill better than  Brad Firmino, Jonathan Lemieux and Yvon Goulet, artists we’re profoundly proud to partner with. For his part, Yunus has also offered up several pieces, like ‘Portrait of an Egoistic Love,’ for the sale.

As a whole, these artists and their works make up a splendid and diverse world – from Lemieux’s retro-modern photography to the multilayered mixed media of Firmino and the intensely personal portraits of Chkirate and Goulet.

Artist Jonathan Lemieux

But aside from the beauty and variety of such a show, The Volts’ first foray into this creative world can be seen as an important step in how art is circulated and appreciated.

Lemieux, whose enlarged polaroid of an urban cityscape is featured in the sale, says “I do think it will make art more accessible, and if it does, I’ll be glad. Art is for everyone, and it shouldn’t be something scary or über expensive. Art can be democratic.”

Jonathan Lemieux, Enlarged Polaroid on Semi-Gloss Photo Paper, 8” x 10”

That sentiment is echoed by Goulet, whose mixed media portrait, ‘Le Twink Magenta,’ we’re honored to show: “I’m very pleased to show my art to every Canadian to discover.”

Yvon Goulet, 'Le Twink Magenta,' Mixed Media on Recycled Plastic Panel, 24” x 24”

Meanwhile, Goulet can’t help but feel, as we do, that there is a strong link between art and fashion: “Definitely, there is a connection between the two, fashion and visual art. Actually fashion is visual art, fashion is art on fabric that one can wear. Both visual artists and fashion designers start the trends that get to be followed by the admirers. Then they tell their friends who tell their friends, and voilà, we have a new trend!”

Artist Yvon Goulet

No surprise then, that your average lover of high-fashion will find something to get passionate about in  new and exciting works of art. As Yunus so aptly puts it:

“Our team strongly believes that The Volts’ members have a certain edge and style; they know what good taste is. We want them to have the opportunity to surround themselves with inspiring pieces in and out of their wardrobe by owning unique and beautiful works of art as well.”

Meanwhile,  working with the flash sales business model, where all the art will be at one-time-only pricing, means our partner artists can receive important exposure without depreciating the quality of work.

- Emily

The Volts would like to extend the greatest gratitude to our featured artists Yunus Chkirate, Brad Firmino, Jonathan Lemieux and Yvon Goulet, whose passion and talent have helped us to discover a new side of The Volts’ lifestyle.

We would likewise like to invite all of our members to discover the works of each of these impressive Canadian artists here.

http://thevolts.com/sale/341/art-gallery/

“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

The above line, written by Greek historian Herodotus in 503 B.C. has for some time been the unofficial motto of the U.S. Postal Service. But it may well have been adopted as a slogan for fashionistas everywhere too. That’s because even in the nastiest of weather, the fashionable always find a way to cope. And in the rainy season, one of those ways is Däv.

Däv Equestrian Rain Boots

Based out of Southern California, the label has been weather-proofing luxury since 2008, with its line of fashion-conscious rain boots that rival traditional women’s footwear for style and oomph. But they’ve also got a level of practicality that most other shoes can’t give you, with quality design and construction that can stand up to the biggest downpours.

Däv Equestrian Rain Boots with Tassel

And if Däv’s primary focus is to keep you dry and cozy, the label is equally driven to keep you looking good, come rain or come shine.

Sometimes that comes in the form of rain boots cleverly disguised as something else, like traditional equestrian or edgy motorcycle-style boots. Other times, it’s just about fusing the basic Wellington style with an unexpected punch, like a bold pattern, ultra-glossy finish, or a cool detail, like a ribbon corset back.

Däv Ashley Ombre Red and Black Rain Boots

Däv’s designs have a wide range, from the basic wellies of their Classic collection, to the plaids, quilting and riding silhouettes of their English collection, and sleek, cosmopolitain look of their Fashion collection. They’ve even got collections inspired by biker gear and Western wear.

It seems a little odd that a label so good at combatting harsh weather should have come out of mostly sunny Southern California. But their SoCal location has certainly helped Däv in at least one respect – their celebrity following.

Ashley Greene in Däv

A growing number of A-listers in nearby Hollywood have been converted to practical footwear thanks to Däv. Among them, Alessandra Ambrosio, Ashley Greene, Nicki Minaj and Selena Gomez, just to name a few.

Däv Quilted Victoria Rain Boots in Brown

And though it seems Däv’s designs pay extra close attention to trends, we think they’re rather setting a trend of their own by making practical footwear cool again. And fashionistas around the world can rejoice at no longer having to choose between looking good and being comfortable. Because we’re a determined set, and no amount of rain, snow or slush is going to stop us.

- Emily

For a while there, it looked as though New York accessories label Be&D would forever live in the shadow of one iconic design.

Early in the label’s history, the brand struck it big with their now well-known (and oft-copied) Garbo bag, a studded leather handbag that Bergdorf buyers initially thought would never fly. Needless to say, there was something in the uptown-meets-downtown balance of luxurious craftsmanship and design and edgy hardware that caught on, big time.

Of course, most designers would be thrilled to see one of their first designs doing so well. And Be&D  founders Steve Dumain and Be Inthavong were, in a way. But before long, and with the help of celebrity adopters, the Garbo bag became more well-known than the label that had created it and the look began to be copied by others.

“There were so many copies of the bag and the look because of the celebrity attention we got that it started to cheapen the look and make it less special – we were tired of it,” said Dumain and Inthavong in interview with The Fashion Spot. “We wanted a change.”

But the creativity that can make one success can surely make others. And Dumain and Inthavong were quickly back at work on new handbag designs, ones that exemplified their love of both traditional luxury and an urban, of-the-moment aesthetic.

These expressions took the form of clutches and bags in wild, exotic leathers and skins, and designs that centred around strange and unexpected combinations:

“We love the combinations of different materials to express different feelings. Beautiful hardware is a perfect compliment to super soft leathers. Like many artists and designers, we like a juxtaposition,” the pair said in interview.

After showing their range in a slew of unique and covetable handbags, as well as in a line of statement footwear, Dumain and Inthavong are beginning to catch up with the fame of some of their earliest designs. And just because the design team is wary of hedging all their bets on the success of the Garbo bag doesn’t mean they’ve changed the design ethic that led to that success in the first place:

“Like anything, if you really make something special and put your heart into it, people will notice it.”

We think so too, and we’ll be watching closely as this up-and-coming, almost famous accessories label comes into its own and breaks into what we can only assume will be fashion super-stardom.

- Emily

Spring 2013 Campaign

Anyone who’s walked through Brooklyn on a fine Spring day knows there’s no other place like it. Warm and welcoming, but cosmopolitain and sophisticated, it’s got the charm of a tightly-knit, small town community amid the vibrant activity of one of the world’s busiest and most fascinating metropolises.

Steven Alan Spring 2013

In short, it’s the best of America. And it’s that Brooklyn state of mind that Steven Alan has managed to capture during the 14 years since the launch of his eponymous label.

Steven Alan Spring 2013

No one in the world seems to embody the effortless style of Brooklynites like Steven Alan does. Easy but by no means ordinary, his collections for both men and women mix the unexpected with the casual playfulness so representative of this one-of-a-kind neighborhood.

Steven Alan Spring 2013

Colorful, well tailored shirt dresses and unpretentious printed men’s button-downs are the kind of thing you could wear for a morning bike ride to market or an evening drink at one of Brooklyn’s many cozy watering holes.

Steven Alan Spring 2013

There’s a finesse of taste and balance needed when it comes to creating a look that’s both chic and relaxed – keeping it clean without trying too hard or overdesigning is a deceptively big challenge.

Steven Alan Spring 2013

But with one foot firmly planted in classic American design, and the other stretched out toward new and fresh areas of fashion, Steven Alan’s is a stance that spans from everyday wearability to the visually unexpected.

Steven Alan Spring 2013

And discovering his collections is a lot like visiting Brooklyn, even if it’s for the first time. For all the hustle and bustle, and all that’s new and exciting about this singular place, there’s something so easy and warm about it that it always feels like coming home.

- Emily

Only in the world of fashion could grit and grunge be seen as breath of fresh air or a clean new vision. But in an industry overwhelmed with images of unrealistic physical perfection and depictions of impossibly cool lifestyles, Comune’s fascination with flaws and filth stands out as pure.

Appropriately, the label deals in wearable street-inflected designs rather than any kind of haute finery. But that’s really the only logical route for a brand so interested in the raw and imperfect side of things.

For all outward appearances, it seems like Comune couldn’t care less about what fashion’s supposed to be. Their campaigns are usually no-frills affairs, set in unglamorous locales and featuring disheveled models who look more or less like ordinary dudes.

But that’s a reflection of the brand’s whole identity as an approachable label for people not overly concerned with snobbishness or fakery. Graphic tees, rough plaids and unembellished outerwear are a realistic vision of menswear that speaks to real men.

Then there’s the NSFW element.

For fashion labels, brand videos usually try really hard to convey edge, without ever actually getting their hands dirty. Not so for Comune, which shot its Spring 2013 campaign video like a home movie, chronicling a sort of relaxed but hedonistic party atmosphere.

Here, you see something no other brand has the balls to put out there – overweight and aged people, blatant drug use, coarse language and unsophisticated editing. Even the uglier side of such binges isn’t too far out there in this raw and unapologetic piece of “marketing” (and we use that term very loosely.)

And yet, for all its lack of polish and all its brazen vulgarity, Comune strikes you as a brand with a soul. In celebrating their own imperfections and in depicting a coarser, albeit more natural, lifestyle, this label may in fact be doing something that no other brand out has the courage to do – acknowledge reality.

And while other labels may tremble at the thought of portraying themselves as less than perfect, we don’t doubt that Comune will strike a chord with those who aren’t impressed with glossed-over fashion propaganda.

As Comune puts it: “There will always be people out there who not only embrace the rawness and imperfection of everyday life but use it to creatively push the boundaries of what’s possible, with complete disregard of the consequences.”

- Emily

All images are from Comune’s Autumn/Winter 2012 Men’s Lookbook.

An architecturally-draped jacket from a campaign for Rachel Sin. Photo by Tina Picard

For Toronto-based designer Rachel Sin, the body is a landscape.

With formal training and a background  in architecture, Sin now heads her own eponymous womenswear label, which has met with enthusiastic response at Fashion Weeks in Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa, to name a few. But it seems she hasn’t entirely left her former vocation behind.

To be sure, Rachel Sin’s collections aren’t exactly what you’d picture when someone brings up architectural fashion design.

Tailored yet soft, a teal suit from Rachel Sin's Spring 2013 collection at Montreal Fashion Week. Photo by Jimmy Hamelin

Her work isn’t all about sharp angles or rigid materials. Rather, there’s a softness and femininity to many of her creations – fluid draping and fine textures, like silk, add to this.

An architectural linein a look from Rachel Sin's Spring 2013 collection at Montreal Fashion Week. Photo by Jimmy Hamelin

But the principles of architecture are there:

“Careful attention to detail and precise tailoring come from the natural tendency in architecture to make all things better with good design. If architecture must always be functional, then fashion should be wearable,” Sin explained in an interview with Société Perrier. “Architecture is the basis of design. Fashion is design on a smaller scale, where I have full control.”

Weightless wearability in a dress from Rachel Sin's Spring 2013 collection at Toronto Fashion Week

And Sin wields that control with the total confidence and pride of both a highly-skilled professional and the versatility of an artist. Working with the conceit that the female form is a landscape, each piece is designed for functionality and wearability. And the result is a harmony of form and mood between the clothes and the wearer.

A capelet blouse from Rachel Sin's Spring 2013 collection at Toronto Fashion Week

And even when Sin meanders into experimental regions – her Spring 2013 collection features blouses integrated with capelets, and tailored blazers bisected by zippers – the effect always seems natural, as though the garment would be incomplete without its unexpected elements.

Sin has said that she designs for “strong women who take pride in what they wear and use their wardrobe as an extension of their confidence, originality and personal style,” which shouldn’t surprise us.

Gold zippers seem a totally natural element in this look from Rachel Sin's Spring 2013 collection at Toronto Fashion Week

She’s admitted that she herself is “one of those want-to-do-it-all people,” and that aplomb and sure-handed drive for perfection is something that’s easily translated through her fashion design as well as her audience.

- Emily

You may think you know knitwear, but once you’ve met Label + Thread, you may not be so sure.

The relatively new-to-the-scene womenswear label is among the growing ranks of high-end fashion designers working to redefine knits. And they’re one of the few who have successfully transposed knitwear from the genre of winter-time sweaters to a much more open-ended spectrum of fashion.

Discovering the collections of Label + Thread is a bit like an exercise in un-learning. Thinking of chunky pullovers fit for the cabin? Scratch that, and imagine instead a light and flowy, ultra-thin summer dress. Do you assume that sweaters come in just a couple of varieties, like button-down and cardigan? Well, how about some minimalist Japanese inspiration to shake things up with a Kimono-style top?

For what seems like eons, cotton has been the dominant force in casual-haute design, but we’ve too easily forgotten that there’s room for variety, even when the aesthetic is simple. And with a design sense that’s both strong and clean, Label + Thread seems to be there to remind us all of what we’ve been missing.

Though overall quite wearable and classic, their collections veer toward small and unexpected details and embellishment – 60s-inspired metallic buttons reminiscent of Jackie O, summer tanks that rival mesh for a breathy, athletic style, and stern, structured pieces that are all business.

If there’s one lesson we can take away from Label + Thread’s fresh perspective it’s that there is indeed a knit for all seasons, as well as a knit for all styles. And we shouldn’t be too quick to categorize our fashion unless we want to fall into the same old ruts we’ve been stuck in for years.

- Emily