Anneke Forbes

Dip Dye DIY

Anneke — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:25:04 +0000

Barely recognizable under a sleek bun, bright makeup, and head to toe dazzle, my sister Alana winks at me from the end of a moving three spoke wheel. From my post on the sidelines, camera in hand, it was difficult to capture the speed, uniformity and grandeur of her synchronized figure skating team, Black Gold. The Adult 1 team’s exhibition performance was met with wide-eyed enthusiasm from a lineup of signature hungry little ones spouting wows! and hows?. Once in the dressing room, I am able to pull a couple of girls aside to capture the detail behind the glamour of the group’s on-ice presence, which inspired a messy, but fruitful adventure in DIY dip-dye.

To create my dip dye t-shirt, I followed the instructions on A Beautiful Mess, but learned a few things along the way:

If you don’t like the look of contrast stitching, try to get a shirt with thread of the same content as the fabric
To achieve an even texture, make sure your bowl or pot is large enough to dip the shirt without major wrinkling and be sure to rinse until the water runs clear.
For best ombre effect, be mathematical about your proportions.
Plan your transition placement with pins before dipping and keep in mind the dye will creep up the fabric a bit higher than water level.

I’d love to see your results, so please feel free to share!

If you have an interest in joining one of the Black Gold skating teams, don’t be shy; they’re always looking for bright young things to shine and share in their fun!

Do you have a good idea for unusual outfit inspiration? I’d love to create a look based off of it! Sometimes the most original looks can spring from the most unlikely places!
xo Anneke

Tee: Aritzia
Jeans: Rag & Bone
Flowers (in hair): Alstroemeria via Philip Chong Flower Bar
Necklace: ALDO
Clutch: Michael Kors
Shoes: Zara
Nail Colour: Sally Hansen Insta-Dry in Lightening
Photos: Jess Bobyn, Kenneth Heinbecker, Anneke Forbes

My Creative Process: Company Logo

Anneke — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:52:35 +0000

I’ve taken a bit of time to develop the bones of my website, which has included the development of a proper logo. But to make the final decision, I need your help! Have a peek behind my creative process and speak freely on your favorites and potential tweaks. Let ‘er fly, folks!

I am excited to create a logo that whispers of my name and mirrors my style and taste. But what is my style? What is my taste? To help define, I partook of two exercises.

First, I wrote down all the words I felt described my brand. I then chose the top two and defined them fully: feminine; meaning thin, light, and fine (not frilly or ornate) and modern; meaning simple, geometric, clean, and fresh. The modern aspect keeps the feminine from twirling and whirling and the feminine lines keep the modern shapes from looking overly bold, heavy, and… well… masculine!

With an idea of my look in mind, I investigated the logo of every single fashion designer successful enough to be listed on style.com. Besides, that’s what I’m aiming for, no? Using my inspiration and my favorite shape, the square, I ruminated on shapes that could work for my brand and came up with these two options. The negative space contains my initials, but the shapes themselves are pleading to be made into an allover print for the next summer dress I design!

Settling into our sunny courtyard with snacks and stencils, I explored line and design variations to my preliminary shapes.

The top players were rendered in Illustrator so I could more easily view their potential.

I am currently deciding between the following two logo designs and would appreciate any feedback you can provide! The winner will be developed and perfected, appearing on the website shortly!

Thanks for your help!
xo Anneke

Choir Girl vs. Anti-Christ: 2 Takes On The Cross Trend

Anneke — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:19:42 +0000

Religion is fairly heavy fodder for the world of fashion, so rocking the cross trend is about as easy as remembering the Act of Contrition. Below I help saints and sinners decode the details of this tricky trend. Amen!

Choir Girl

Look for sweet, delicate pieces in gold and silver
Mix with pastels or on-trend all-white in conservative but modern cuts
Romanticize your makeup with pinks, fluffy lashes, and flushed cheeks
Soft waves top off your relaxed, peaceful stance. You’re going to heaven, so nothing to worry about, right?

Anti-Christ

Look for bold and irreverently-set black jewelry. Weight and multiplicity are key for successfully communicating impiety
Mix with sweats, distressed denim, and leather in black and grey
A navy blue smoky eye and stark brow set the tone for fierce and unforgiven facial features.
Moody eyes pierce from under an over-grown pin-straight fringe, crushed by the weight of a hood and un-repented sins.

Choir Girl
Jacket: BCBG
T-shirt: Aritzia
Pants: H&M
Heels: Steve Madden
Bracelets: Aldo
Earrings: Suzy Shier

Anti-Christ
Jacket: Danier
Hoodie: H&M
Cut-offs: American Eagle
Earrings: Aldo
Necklaces: Spring

Photos: Jess Bobyn
Styling: Anneke Forbes
Makeup: Sarah Jamieson (MAC Products)
Location: Hillhurst United Church

Wardrobe Makeover Part 3: Evaluation & Shopping

Anneke — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:13:34 +0000

It’s spring-cleaning time and your wardrobe should be no exception! To help out, I’ve assembled a list of pointers used when my sisters and I get together for our semi-annual wardrobe makeover sessions. I guarantee you this is the step you’ll have the most fun with. It involves shopping for goodness sake! If you missed step one and two, be sure to get up to speed first and stay tuned for the final installment! Should you feel overly burdened to embark on this journey yourself, I’m just a comment away!

Evaluation
Assess what remains of your closet with a visual idea of a well-rounded wardrobe. My definition includes the basic building blocks (like white t-shirts or a black blazer) and variety in each category. Are all of your jeans dark skinnies? Why not try a 70′s inspired wide leg, or a fun print? As you replace all of the winners from step 2 back into your well-organized closet, make a list of habits to avoid and holes to fill. As you go through each category, a shopping list will develop that will keep you on task and bring home the things you really need!

Shopping
I love to shop alone, Alana likes me to shop with her, Andrea just likes to shop period! Whatever your style, be realistic with yourself about what you need to be effective. If shopping isn’t your thing, enlist a friend to pull items, list in hand, for you to try on. Another great way to minimize the time you spend in the mall vortex is pre-shopping online.
Set a budget of how much you can afford to spend and start with the items you need the most. If you live in Canada, investing in a great coat is a much smarter choice than filling out your bathing suit collection. To stay on budget and avoid taking home so-so’s, I put everything I like on hold, then come back to the ones I love only once I’ve shopped every store I intend to. The bonus of not having to lug your bags around the mall beats any salesperson irritation you may inspire.

Happy shopping!
xo Anneke
Photos: Dominic Kingston
Location: Alana & Dom’s

How To Un-Boring All Black

Anneke — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:13:23 +0000

Really, is there ever a new black? Let’s face it, black will always be the new black. No matter how you bend it, removing the one-colour column from fashion’s fiercest would be like ripping jeans from the clutches of a dying cowboy. But where’s the fun you say? In the challenge, that’s where! Anyone can look of the moment in emerald green, but it takes some true creativity to bring black away from snooze territory and into bam dazzle! To help illustrate some of the variety to be had I enlisted the beauty and busting black closet (due both to her post at MAC Cosmetics and a secret dark side) of one of my closest gals, Sarah Jamieson. For five styles, we played with three areas, which will hopefully provide inspiration for your next monochrome moment:

Cut (ex. top heavy proportion, peplum, over-sized, cut-outs)
Texture (ex. knit, sequins, leather, transparency)
Additions (ex. jewelry, makeup & nail colour, shoes & bags, creative hair)

Which look is your favorite? How else do you fire up basic black? Please don’t be shy to share in the comments section; I love hearing from you!
xo Anneke

Boss

Boho

Bad Ass

Sweetie

SuperGirl

Boss
Jacket: Aritzia
Chiffon High-Low: Unknown
Undershirt: Sirens
Slim Dress Pant: WINNERS
Black Pump: Nine West
Purse: Club Monaco
Watch: Bulova

Boho
Tank Dress: Sirens
Hat: H&M
Necklace: H&M
Bangles: Vintage
Clogs: Locale

Sweetie
Chiffon Blouse: Winners
Bra: Calvin Klein
Skinnies: Fidelity via Espy
Bow: Ardene
Belt: H&M
Shoe: Le Chateau

Badass
Cross Tank: Sirens
Vest: Forever 21
Leather Leggings: Sirens
Ring: Urban Behavior
Bag: Kenneth Cole
Watch: MAC

Supergirl
Turtleneck: H&M
Pencil Skirt: Tristan
Belt: Lord & Taylor
Tights: Anne Klein
Booties: Aldo

Model & All Makeup: Sarah Jamieson (MAC Products)
Photos: Jess Bobyn
Styling & Production: Anneke Forbes
Location: Love Nest

Inglewood Photo Diary

Anneke — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:52:48 +0000

Our initial intention was to introduce ourselves to Without Papers Pizza, but we were a little ahead of schedule. No fear felt however, as Inglewood entertained us well past our window of vacancy. A biting breeze shooed us into Swans for a pint, DaDe for a discussion of Miami’s graffiti-strewn Wynwood Art District, and The Uncommons for a shaving brush. Having baited our exploratory hooks, we ventured onto Crown Surplus in hopes of re-discovering a rabbit fur Russian hat I’d left behind 2 years ago for lack of funds. It has been haunting me since… no luck unfortunately. Onto the record store! Not a square inch was spared with music from floor to ceiling. When the labyrinth of vinyl and polycarbonate overwhelmed us, we moved onto Junktiques and soaked inspiration from the Herald’s salvaged beams; a drafting table perhaps? With hunger setting in, we settled into a window seat at our target destination and dipped into a 5-year old’s dream: a Hawaiian pizza with a cherry cola float! Mmmm…
xo Anneke

Ken
Jacket: Johnny Love via Brooklyn Clothing
Sweater: Seven Diamonds via Espy
Shirt: Matinique via Espy
Anneke
Coat: H&M
Blouse: French Connection
Jeans: Fidelity via Espy
Booties: Aldo
Nail Polish: Essie in Chinchilly (with blue sparkle topcoat)
Photos: Kenneth Heinbecker & Anneke Forbes
Location: Inglewood, Calgary

Through Thick & Thin

Anneke — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 22:55:53 +0000

Shivering down train tracks toward the abandoned Inglewood refinery, we stumbled upon our love story’s abode. The perfectly dirty and decrepit trailer was grungier than the Guess ads from which Meagan drew creative inspiration, but it provided the perfect location for Libertee to capture my big hair and their big dreams for Bumble & Bumble’s “The Artist” competition. Wish on eyelashes and cross fingers for them please!
xo Anneke

Jean Jacket: Mavi via Espy
Shirt: Aritzia
Bra: Unknown
Skinnies: Fidelity via Espy
Shoes: Unknown
Hair & Makeup: Meagan Fitzpatrick @ Pure Form Salon
Models: Keston Ross & Me
Photos: Libertee Stilborn

The Look Of: Dsquared2 SS2013

Anneke — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:27:25 +0000

The Inspiration: DSquared² Spring Summer 2013
90s supermodel glamour, doused in jewelry, leather, and cheeky sexuality.

The Do: Stick Straight and Sleek
To accomplish this pristine, pin-straight look, run a fine-toothed comb in front of your straightening iron. Be sure to dry your hair against-grain with voluminizing product beforehand and finish with a shine spray.

The Face: Smoke & Contour
A seriously smoky eye, matte nude lip, and contoured cheekbones.

Our Take: Sexy Basics Drowning in Jewelry
The looks are styled from basics most already own, so just add a bit of confidence and a lot of jewelry! We’d rock the looks for ladies night or anytime we feel like looking completely bad-ass.

Do you have a favorite show from the Fall Winter collections you’d like to see us break down for our next installment of “The Look Of”? Please don’t be shy to share your ideas!
xo Anneke

Look #1
Blouse: Aritzia
Bralette: Aritzia
Shorts: Forever 21(trimmed with lace underwear from La Senza)
Belt & Chains: Aritzia, Aldo, MAC, vintage
Shoes: Zara
Necklaces: Laura, vintage
Bracelets: vintage, West Coast Native Art
Rings: Little Burgundy & Ashley’s Engagement Ring

Look #2
Jacket: Danier
Blouse: Winners
Shorts: H&M (cut off)
Belt: Tommy Hilfiger
Booties: Aldo
Earrings: H&M
Necklaces: MAC, Aldo, vintage

Make Up (All MAC)
Foundation: Studio Fix Fluid (Brush #190)
Concealer: Studio Finish Concealer (#193)
Contour: Refined Golden Bronzer (#129)
Blush: Tenderling (#129)
Brows: Mystery Shadow(#266)
Brow Highlight: Blanc Type Shadow (#217)
Eyelid: Carbon Shadow (#239)
Crease: Espresso Shadow (#217)
Liner: Smolder Eye Khol
Mascara: Zoomfast Black
Lip Primer: Prep & Prime Lip (#311)
Pencil: Stripdown Lip Pencil
Lipstick: Honeylove Lipstick (#311)
Nail: Double Trouble

Model: Ashley Quan
Make Up & Face Chart Creation: Sarah Jamieson
Styling: Anneke Forbes
Photos: Style.com & Jess Bobyn

Desirables: Cat Tees

Anneke — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 02:18:08 +0000

Cats give me blood-shot eyes, an itchy chin, and a full-on lung wheeze. Purrrr… Despite this fact, I am fanatical about each and every fur ball that slinks past. If I’m being good, I’ll only pet them with my feet, but Romeo and Kawi, (Ashley and Garrett’s exotic rescues) are just too flirtatious to be let alone for long. It is perhaps for this reason I’ve been inspired to fill my closet with meowed-out muscle tees and tops. Feline silk-screens feather the hard edge of rocker motifs and the bad-ass factor of holes and studs takes me out of crazy cat lady territory. Qu’en pensez-vous?
xo Anneke

You didn’t think I’d forget my desirables collage, did you!?! Forever 21 does the best job of mixing cats with rock, so here are a few of my favorites for you to get your paws on:

1. Roaring Tiger Top
2. Celestial Tiger Tee
3. Bejeweled Leopard Muscle Tee

Above photos:
T-shirt: Forever 21
Jeans: Zara
Earrings: H&M
Ring: Stoneridge
Lip Colour: MAC Viva Glam Lip Glass in Nicki
Location: Ashley & Garrett’s (starring Romeo!)
Photos: Jess Bobyn

Wardrobe Makeover Part 2: The Closet Clean

Anneke — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 22:06:36 +0000

It’s spring-cleaning time and your wardrobe should be no exception! To help out, I’ve assembled a list of pointers used when my sisters and I get together for our semi-annual wardrobe makeover sessions. Read on for the revealing, yet labourious second step, The Closet Clean. If you missed step one, be sure to get up to speed first and stay tuned for parts three and four! Should you feel overly burdened to embark on this journey yourself, I’m just a comment away!

Before beginning, be sure to gather a few necessities including the following:
An Honest Companion. If you can’t afford a professional, family or close friends will do the trick. They should be honest, but not out to hurt your feelings or style you into someone your not (unless that someone is your personal style vision!).
A “Trying-On” Outfit. Wear a nude bra, full back laser-cut undies (no VPL, but also honest companion friendly), your favorite jeans, and a white t-shirt. Do your hair and make up as you would normally, as they can effect how you view an item.
Closet Organization Tools. If your budget allows, invest in proper hangers and drawer organizers. Make a pin board for your jewelry.

Now that you’re army is assembled, you’re set to attack the jungle of a mess lurking in your closet (description based on personal experience). Here are a few tips to help you make some good decisions:
Try On In Categories. Not outfits, that’s for later. You want to evaluate each piece as an individual. If it’s not good enough to stand alone, get rid of it! Seeing what you’re missing is easier if you tackle an entire category at a time, so finish up with your t-shirts before you move onto sweaters.
The Four-Pile Rule. Pull every last piece of clothing out of your closet and sort into keep, fix, trash, and give away. Only winners make it back into your new clothing sanctuary.
Take Notes. Have your helper write down as you go what needs to be fixed on each item as well as shopping patterns noticed and missing pieces. Get up to snuff on wardrobe basics by flipping through a book like The One Hundred.

Now you can deal with each pile individually in the following ways:
Create Your Clothing Sanctuary. Make your keepables easy to see and inspiring with an organizational technique that suits your dressing style. Be realistic about upkeep.
Evaluate Alterations. Original price paid or “favorite status” can help decide if an item is worth altering, but not sentimentality! Note that good fit in the shoulder and hip is crucial. All else is fixable without interfering with the integrity of the design or costing a small fortune. And don’t leave out your accessories; bring shoes in for repair, polish jewelry, condition leather bags, etc. Find a good tailor and don’t be shy to seek out specialists. I suggest bringing all denim to Love Me Blue for repair and alteration. Yes, I own the company and yes, I’m shameless! You can also find eveningwear and suiting specialists.
Remove the Offenders. If you have a particularly posh closet, bring pricey items to a consignment store and use the funds to fuel the next step of our process! Drop off all wearable items that you were unable to sell at a GoodWill or Salvation Army. No one wants your underwear, socks, or talking gym shoe, but anything that is not so personal and in fair to good condition should be given a new life.

I’m always looking for new tips and tricks for this meaty portion of wardrobe rekindlings, so please don’t be shy and let me know if you have something to add! I’d love to hear your thoughts and stories as you go through the process!
xo Anneke
Photos: Dominic Kingston
Location: Alana & Dom’s