Holt Renfrew Celebrates Canadian Design during

Canadian Designer Personal Appearances At Holt Renfrew Bloor Street

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Toronto, Ontario, (October 22, 2007).Holt Renfrew, Canada's leading specialty retailer, celebrates L'Oréal Fashion Week with personal appearances by Canada's top designers Jeremy Laing, Arthur Mendonça, Mikhael Kale, Greta Constantine and jewellery designers Dean Davidson and Karen McClintock. Customers will have the chance to meet the designers and preview their Spring 2008 collections at Holt Renfrew's Bloor Street Store on Saturday, October 27, 2007 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

JEREMY LAING
Canadian-born Jeremy Laing first picked up needle and thread at age 13, having watched his mother sew, and has been making clothes ever since. His self-taught method, which combines organic and geometric approaches to pattern making and construction, was honed while studying in Toronto, on exchange at Westminster University in London, and through an apprenticeship with Alexander McQueen. Following his apprenticeship, Jeremy worked freelance developing showpieces for five of McQueen's collections, demonstrating his strength in innovative pattern making, garment construction, and the use of textile to create form. In Jeremy's view, garments are a sum of parts, all functioning in relation to one another and, ultimately, to the body. His collections often stem from his elaborations on simple principles of construction and form, drawing simultaneously from couture and tailoring traditions.

ARTHUR MENDONÇA
Since launching his own line in autumn 2003 under the Arthur Mendonça label, the designer has gone on to win accolades including the Fashion Export Award for New Designer of the Year in 2004. Mendonça's collections are known for their vibrant feminine energy, luxurious fabrics, striking silhouettes and expert tailoring combined to deliver bold, polished and sexy clothes. They have been praised by fashion luminaries Phillip Bloch, Jeanne Beker and Margherita Missoni and are coveted by celebrities such as Maria Bello and Nelly Furtado.

MIKHAEL KALE
At only 27 years of age, Mikhael Kale has vast experience in the fashion industry, beginning with his studies at London's Central Saint Martins. Kale's experience has included working with Alessandro De Benedetti and Sergio Cucci for Exte in Milan and launching Kale.lief+Hebber in 2007, where he was head designer. This season, Mikhael Kale is head designer and pattern drafter of his new namesake label available at Holt Renfrew Bloor Street's World Design Lab this fall.

GRETA CONSTANTINE
Greta Constantine is the creation of both Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong.  Kirk, a stylist by trade based in Milan, Italy, has worked for years with international designers such as Dsquared2 and Neil Barrett and is a guest teacher at the renowned Istituto Marangoni in Milan.  Stephen began his career as a costume designer in Toronto for Susan Dicks & Co. and has made clothing for several films such as The Last Day of Disco, American Psycho, Glitter, Chicago and Hairspray.  Stephen's draping and design expertise, paired with Kirk's knowledge of fashion resulted in a business partnership and the establishment of Greta Constantine in 2005 launching at Holt Renfrew for Fall 2007.

DEAN DAVIDSON
Dean Davidson grew up with a fascination for style and design but it was not until his early 20's that his career in fashion began.  During a trip to Africa Dean was greatly inspired by the human beautification and adornment of the local culture.  Hand crafted beads and jewels found within the market places of Cape Town were what propelled Dean on his journey into the world of design.  After six seasons of designing alongside internationally known fashion designer Paul Hardy, Dean's aesthetic has grown softer with a greater attentiveness towards femininity and subtle everyday beauty.  Davidson's line continues to grow and it's following even stronger quickly becoming a favorite of Mena Suvari, Iman and Teri Hatcher. 

KAREN MCCLINTOCK
Karen McClintock's jewellery designs continue to be inspired by colour, world travel and nature.  Drawing from nature's elements and rich colors and combining sterling silver with a broad range of semi-precious stones and ancient coins, McClintock's designs have both a timeless appeal and an element of versatility.

With 9 stores in locations in major centers across Canada, Holt Renfrew delights with beautiful fashions presented in style. For 170 years, Holt Renfrew has been renowned for offering its customers the highest standard of excellence in customer service, merchandise quality and selection in its 9 stores across Canada. Holt Renfrew locations across the country include: Toronto (3), Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.