Bellissima and Bloggers

Ashley of Lions Lace Lattes is wearing a lace blazer from Bellissima over on her blog today! You can check out the rest of her post here.

Bellissima Lace Blazer

We also spotted our February Blogger of the month Cee of Coco And Vera wearing Bellissima on more than one occasion over on her blog. Check out Cee's posts here and here. 

Joseph Ribkoff dress via Bellissima

dress via Bellissima

Bellissima Spotlight: Casar

Casar Jacobson is the new face behind the Bellissima Spring/Summer campaign. She is passionate about community and philanthropy, and currently holds the title for Miss Calgary. Check out our interview with Casar below to find out more about her modelling career, the charities she supports, and her favourite items from Bellissima! 

How long have you been modeling?

I first got into modeling approximately 3.5 years ago. My desire to model started with my involvement in pageantry - I have my friend Lisa to thank for the first opportunity. Furthermore, Patti Falconer, and many friends along the way have opened doors enabling me to pursue a modelling career

What is your favourite part about modeling?

 I enjoy many aspects of modeling; however, my favorite parts are the opportunity to be involved in philanthropic endeavors, and the excitement of the entertainment industry.

Besides modeling, what types of activities do you enjoy? What are your interests/hobbies outside of modelling?

My friends recently introduced me to kite boarding, which I can foresee being an all-time favorite.  I enjoy cliff jumping – new experiences that challenge my comfort zone - dancing, singing, pageantry, travelling, and most of all philanthropy

You do a lot of charity work in your community. Tell us a little about that. What charities do you support?

KIA, Epilepsy, Charity, Tourism Calgary, Brenda Stratford Association, Mustard Seed, Brown Bagging for Children, Run for a Cure, Law Enforcement Run, Special Olympics, SOS Children's Villages, United Way, Mustard Seed Society, WSPCA Animal Rescue, Vancouver Performing Arts, EPCOR Centre for Performing Arts, UNICEF, Alzheimer Society of Canada, Habitat for Humanity Canada, Save the Children Canada, Science Alberta Foundation, West Coast Legal Education & Action Fund.

Each event has helped me understand other cultures, lifestyles, and has made a major impact on my life in regards to how I treat others and wish to be treated.

I’ve likely missed a few, but my involvement with these great organizations is thanks too many individuals that have helped introduce me along the way.  

This month (March) I’ll be going to Nicaragua to lend a helping hand – not many people know that 1 in 2 Nicaraguans live in Poverty.  It’s tough so see children, especially, in dire need of the basic essentials. I’ll be writing a journal on my endeavor…soon to come

You are Miss Calgary, what types of responsibilities come with that title?

You're to be an ambassador for the city. This means a high level of professionalism, encouragement to others, and committing yourself to philanthropic endeavours.

 How would you describe your own personal style?

My style varies drastically depending on the function or event. I love to wear formal cocktail dresses and evening gowns accented by jewelry. If I’m just hanging out I would like to say cool casual, lighter materials – it’s easy to enjoy leisure time and still be fashionable.

Do you have a favorite Bellissima item

The thing about Bellissima is it's not just one particular style. It is suitable for many age groups and genres. I've dressed funky, classy and business all from the same store, so it's difficult to pick just one. I always add flare to the outfit with their complimentary jewelry collection.

What one item do you think everyone should have in their closet
Little black dress

Blundell Centre Grand Opening

We welcome our newest Bellissima store in B.C., now open at Blundell Centre in Richmond, at the corner of No. 2 Rd and Blundell. It's been awhile since we have had a store in this area and it is good to be back!! We have already experienced a warm and enthusiastic welcome from clients.

Be sure to head down to our new Richmond location, meet our fantastic staff and tempt yourself with exciting spring fashions!

**Mention this blog and receive a GIFT WITH PURCHASE (Richmond location only) until the end of March 2012**

Bellissima Designer: Vivian Wong

Our Love affair with black and white continues with fashions from our in house designer....Vivian Wong

Vivian attended the prestigious design school Esmod in Paris, France. Upon graduating from Esmod, she went on to do design work for a small fashion house in Paris.

At one point in her career Vivian worked in Hong Kong where she led a design team that produced garments for a German department store.

You can see the European influence in these black and white designs. Always timeless, Always Chic, Always BELLISSIMA

Outfit Details

1. Jacket and Black Skirt

jacket style #502D8324 | $145

top style #502D6382 | $75

skirt style #124N3185 | $118

2. Tunic

style #475D6369 | $105

3. Jacket and Top

jacket style #476D8325 | $135

top style #476D6406 | $75

4. Polka Dot Dress

style #469N11138 | $158

Trend Spotting: Pleats

Spring is just around the corner and I'm already starting to covet some new spring items for my closet! One trend that has been cropping up in stores for this spring and summer is pleats. Mini pleats, pleated skirts, pleated shorts, dresses and blouses. 

S/S runway photos of Prada, Celine, Burberry Prorsum, and Erdem via Style.com

Find this spring trend in Bellissima stores now. Here are just a couple examples of pleated items you can find at Bellissima; these versatile pleated black pants as well as this colourful pleated tunic. 

Guest Post, Coco & Vera: Ruby Red Trench

 

Hi! I'm Cee from Coco and Vera. I'm a Vancouver-based style blogger with a passion for all things Parisian. I'm so excited to be guest blogging for Bellissima this month. I paid a visit to their South Granville boutique in Vancouver to see their spring collections and the first thing that caught my eye was a ruby red trench coat from Solo Moda.

Time for a confession: When I was little, I watched Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? every day after school. Carmen Sandiego was a glamourous, enigmatic heroine, so elusive that she was almost never seen except from behind, as she was escaping capture. She inspired my fascination with travel, and she inspired my style; I've had a fondness for red trench coats and fedoras ever since. I think I could almost convincingly pull off a career as an international criminal mastermind in this coat. Not that I would want to - at least, not forever :)

In all seriousness, when it comes to glamour, you can't top this trench.

Coat - Solo Moda via Bellissima

Blouse - Joseph Ribkoff via Bellissima

Skirt - Bellissima via Bellissima

Boots - Aldo

Earrings - Vintage (from mom's collection!)

Introducing Narges Nirumvala!

Bellissima is proud to be sponsoring Narges Nirumvala!

"“Bellissima is very proud to be sponsoring Narges Nirumvala.  Narges has a vivacious personality and projects the kind of ideals and professionalism that we look for in a partner.”  

- John Kwei, President of Serena Fashions Ltd.

Narges Nirumvala is a highly sought after executive speech coach, corporate trainer and an accomplished business writer. She is also an expert public speaker, with a talent for developing and conducting persuasive presentations. Narges values community involvement, is passionate about being an agent for change, and volunteers her time extensively, serving on numerous not-for-profit boards. To find out more about Narges, be sure to stop by her website, www.executivespeak.com

You can also check out Narges wonderful blog post on working with Bellissima HERE

Narges Wearing a Bellissima tunic and leggings in the Okanagan Valley

Wearing a Bellissima jacket before a keynote at the Renaissance Hotel, Vancouver

Photos courtesy of Narges

Behind the Scenes: S/S campaign

Behind the scenes photos by Ashley of Lions Lace Lattes

Blogger of the Month: Coco & Vera

Introducing our February blogger of the Month, Cee of Coco and Vera! Cee's blog is both beautiful and inspiring. Her style is classic, feminine, romantic, and elegant. Watch out for a guest post and giveaway from Cee coming up later this month! If you'd like to find out more about Cee, click HERE. 

A Jacket for Every Body

It's always amazing when you come across something that seems to fit all shapes and sizes.

We recently had all 56 members of a well known choir purchase this easy to wear piece...which now will create a cohesive look for them.

These made in Canada jersey jacket's have clean basic lines and come in Black and Royal Blue.

With simply adding the right accessories you can take it from a timeless classic to being fun and contemporary.

For those of you that travel you will find this a perfect addition to your wardrobe due to it's wash ability and wrinkle resiliency....not to mention the great value at $79.00.

Della Docking

Supervisor

Vancouver

In an Instant

Here is a little sneak peek look into the Bellissima S/S campaign shoot. This is only a small compilation of the teams Instagram photos. More behind the scenes shots coming soon!

Model Ania B. | The team looking over some great photos with Vivianna | Ania B modelling a spring look | 

Ania and makeup artist Alicja Wilkosz | Ania B. | Anne B. Accessories and Bellissima Jewellery | Shea standing in as a test Model | 

Ania getting ready for the next outfit | Shea standing in again

Instagram photos by Ashley, Ania and Shea

Find Ashley on Instagram @ lionslacelattes

Find Ania on Instagram @ Aniab

Find Shea on Instagram @ sdscreative

Fashion Industry Mixer

If you will be in Calgary on February 9th, you won't want to miss out on the Fashion Industry Mixer hosted by PARK, Sophia Models International, and the Gerry Thomas Gallery. The event is held to promote networking among Alberta's fashion industry professionals, and is a great opportunity to get to know the community. 

Visit the Facebook event page for more details. See you there!

Miss Calgary

The new face of our upcoming S/S 2012 Bellissima campaign, Casar Jacobson, loved one of the dresses from the S/S shoot so much that she just had to have it. Here Casar is wearing one of our great new Bellissima dresses as she stepped into her role as Miss Calgary at the Tourism Calgary Open House last night! This gorgeous dress is perfect for those occasions when you're rubbing shoulders with the mayor of Calgary and the president of Air Canada.

Archetype

Check out the amazing photos taken by the talented Calgary photography team Wilkosz and Way for Fashion Gone Rogue. View the full article HERE

Photos via Fashion Gone Rogue

Photography: Wilkosz & Way
Styling: Leah Van Loon
Makeup & Hair: Alicja Wilkosz
Model: Sam Ypma @ Mode Models/Trump NY

Dressed In Red

It's a new year and the holiday season is over, but don't pack away your red holiday attire just yet! Valentine's Day is less than a month away, and what better way to get into the Valentine's spirit then by dressing in red! 

Here is a little Valentine's Day inspiration from some of my favourite personal style bloggers.

Rachel-Marie of Jag Lever | Jen of Jen Love Kev | Tieka of Selective Potential

Get the looks with Bellissima! Whether you are dressing up for a romantic dinner or laughing over romantic comedies with good friends, Bellissima has a great selection of red garments to suit anyone's Valentine's Day style. 

Bellissima Spotlight: Serena

Original Bellissima Store, formally called Serena 

Interview With Store Owner And Buyer: Serena

Bellissima is a family run company. Tell me a bit more about that. How and why did you decide to build the company and what was the experience of starting a  family run company like?

 I had a vision to own a chain of ladies wear stores in my early teens. I felt such joy and confidence when I was well presented. I wanted to share this feeling with more women. Growing up in my family, I felt women are considered insignificant. Too many times I was told girls are useless. When I told my family about my dream they just laughed at me. I graduated from University of British Columbia in 1971. I worked in the Ladies wear department at Robert Simpson's in Toronto. The interviewer asked me at the time why a university graduate would want to be a salesgirl. I told her "I'm going to own a chain of ladies wear stores one day. I have to start some place to gain experience". She also laughed at me all the time. I guess this was not the first time she had heard this. I finally had the opportunity to venture into my own business in 1973. I had a failed attempt as an importer. Collecting money was a major problem. My husband and I decided to venture into retail. Our first store was opened in May of 1975. I have been living my dream ever since. 

What has been Bellissima’s greatest success?

Bellissima's greatest success is the team of great women and men working in the company. We have such passion for fashion and to make our customers look great. We are proud of our products. We also have many local customers. 

I know you do the buying for your own stores. Tell me a bit about this experience. How do you decide what to buy? How do you find brands that fit the Bellissima aesthetic?

Over the years I have worked with numerous suppliers, I tried to find lines with good workmanship and fit, and also suppliers that will stand behind their products. Every line depends on their designer, merchandiser, pattern maker and quality control. Any slip in any of these departments will effect the selling of the line. This is why I change my lines constantly, but my focus is the same. I have to find beautifully made clothes with great fit that make a fashion statement. I am always looking for elements of what is interesting at the moment in fashion. The clothes must be accessible to my customers. 

What labels do you carry?

Joseph Ribkoff, Frank Lyman, Conrad C Dolcezza. I am constantly trying out new lines and dropping lines that no longer work for our customers.

Bellissima has it’s own, in house label - Who designs for the label and how do you come up with the inspirations for the designs?

We develop our private label by travelling to major cities like Paris, Milan, Rome, London and New York. We spot colour trends and new looks. We like to have merchandise that is exclusive to Bellissima only. Now, we also have our in house designer Vivian Wong, who does her own research to come up with new looks. She was trained in Paris and has been a designer for a lot of boutiques in Vancouver. Her designs are doing very well in our stores, and they are all made in Vancouver.

What trends can we expect to see at Bellissima for S/S?

Bellissima means Beautiful in Italian. We want to emphasize the femininity of the female body. We are proud of our assets and our look no matter what our size and age. Colours bring in different energy and vibration to our body. There are lots of vibrant colours and prints this spring. 

Why is keeping things local important to Bellissima? How do you keep it local?

My focus is to bring beautiful clothes to our customers. By keeping productions local we can turn around new designs in 1/3 of the time. We are providing local employment and helping the overall economy. We have been doing this for over 20 years.

What are you doing to keep your company current?

I am open to view new lines all the time. We take trips to Europe, New York and Los Angeles a few times a year.

What is your favourite piece in stores right now?

There are too many favourite items in the stores. I am bringing in new looks and new ideas all the time. Different silhouettes suit different body types. Our staff are experts in this area. I love the skinny pant or legging with tunic tops. We are dressing more relaxed these days. Comfort is a major factor. Knit jackets and cardigans are more comfortable than woven jackets. We have knitted co-ordinate looks that are professional looking. 

What do you love about working in the fashion industry? 

I love working in the fashion industry. I am a visual person and I have a very good visual memory. I am good with forms and shapes; this is the area that I am good at. Fashion is always stimulating and changing, there is never a dull moment. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to assist with women's wardrobes over the years. I hope Bellissima played a small part in their success and happiness.

What inspires your own style?

My own style is from my selections for Bellissima. It is the culmination of my work and passion.

Wrap It Up

This soft luxurious wrap is a blend of linen, acrylic, and wool. Perfectly comfortable and yet still elegant, with the versatility to be dressed up or down. Colours available are black, khaki green, camel, brown, and a cranberry red. With a price point of $65.00 you will probably want to pick up more than just one!

**Available at Bellissima Stores for $65, style #SCKS02456**