Shopping Inland Connects People With Purposeful Brands

With summer coming to an end (thanks to the chill in the air) don’t think the fun’s over. Fall in Toronto brings beautiful scenery and some awesome Canadian shows like Inland.

I had the opportunity to attend the previous show in May. It housed over 65 Canadian designers where more than 95% of the collections on display were handmade or manufactured in Canada. What a way to support local talent! I’m invested in purchasing local pieces because I get a chance to meet the designers, understand the purpose of their brand and really connect with it. This makes me a more informed consumer and makes me appreciate the effort it took to create my somewhat unique piece.

Stand Out Accessory Designers From The Inland Show

This Ilk

This Montreal based jewelry brand was major eye candy and I kept going back to the stall because of the unique way Tamara Bavdek incorporated vintage lace with metals. Considered to be statement jewelry, the pieces were lightweight and definitely wearable for every day. More on this ah-mazing jewelry brand on the blog.

Uppdoo

In terms of handbags, Ricky Shi’s brand screams quality and classic styles as he aims to combine the structural influence of industrial design with his love for fashion. The two prominent designs were the Wonder and the Mingle (such apt names). The Wonder a.k.a a wonder he managed to modernize the classic doctor satchel. I could see myself strutting along in the sunflower Wonder Mini with an all-denim outfit. Uppdoo has a stunning forest green Italian Napa leather Wonder available online that I have my eye on for fall!

The Mingle – synonymous with a classic cross-body style had the most beautiful Italian vegetable-tanned leather I had ever felt! The Mingle (great for mingling, duh) comes with the choice of five fabric inserts so you can have fun mixing and matching prints. You can tell how meticulously each bag is made AND you can visit the Toronto store to see them being crafted!

M.B.L.E.

I had the pleasure of meeting the humble Marijke Bouchier who reveals her impish side through her bracelets and necklaces. Her limited edition designs are colourful and incorporate different metals, stones and TASSELS (yasss!). She creates each piece herself using vintage and contemporary materials. Her designs are lightweight and perfect for stacking. I was SO happy to get my hands on one of her bracelets because now it’s sold out!

Arc Jewellery

Prior to moving to Canada, I was never one for minimalist jewelry. I thought if you were wearing something it had to be statement worthy. These pieces from Arc though having simple architectural lines and using only metals are very swoon-worthy!

Take the Theorem Ring Set for instance – I love that it’s 2 rings in one. You can choose to wear the inner ring, the outer ring or both together. Lina Hu has a lot more double triple rings like this one in her Vacancy and Linearity collections. Will definitely be checking out her booth at the upcoming Inland show.

Corey Moranis

Corey Moranis shared her line of Lucite jewelry which was very playful and loud, in comparison to the sophistication of Arc Jewellery. She feels creative expression and the joy of adolescence shouldn’t be left behind. You can tell from the shapes and designs of her rather large pieces everything is bubbling with energy and colour.

It’s great to see a variety of designer’s showcasing at the event and even more new ones to check out like Dee De Lara‘s repurposed jewelry and LAPERELL’s shell bag. Be sure to check out the Inland show September 29 – 30 in Toronto because everyone has something unique to share.