DAMZELS have been helping us
celebrate our inner Pin Up
girl for 20 Years!
The Damzels themselves!
That is 20 years of of designing and procuring women's clothing for
alt/vintage/pin up/rockabilly/repro scene. Not only has their presence
helped to solidify a place for us in Toronto, but they have given back to their
alt/cult community time and time again.
Before opening retail stores in Leslieville and Roncesvalles, The
Damzels sold their dress brand wholesale to boutiques. Damzels in this Dress;
designed by Kelly Freeman and Rory Lindo, were a vintage/rock n roll inspired
dress label. Their dresses were sold across Canada, the US, and
internationally. Damzels collections have been shown during Toronto Fashion
Week, featured on Fashion Television, Canada's Next Top Model and Much
Music.
Damzels - past and present!
The brick and mortar gave them a chance to build their house brand but
also bring great clothing, shoe and kitsch brands to Toronto. Why pay for
shipping when you can get brands like Pin Up Girl Clothing, and Trashy Diva
right around the corner...while you are at it - pick up some fab shoes,
accessories and cheeky gift items all in one shopping trip!!
Girlie and Kitschy greatness!
The accessibility to these unique brands, allows us to live and breathe this unique style daily! Damzels also gives the "curious" a chance to dress up and
add a little sass to their lives.
Some of their amazing (and loyal) clientele!
You would think that running 2 stores and an international online
business would keep them to busy to breathe...well Kelly and Rory never cease
to amaze with their in-store events that help keep that cult community strong.
Their Back Lot Bonanzas, Beat Caves and Seasonal Extravaganzas give their
clients, friends and fans a chance to celebrate what they've built on an
intimate level.
Everyone should attend a Damzels event at least once in their life!
The Damzels let us get to know them...and if you have been lucky to meet
these great, energetic, generous and often wacky ladies...then you will see why everything they have built is so
infectious. They are are as lovely and unique as the brand and community
they have built.
Kelly and Rory!
We sat down with Kelly and Rory to asked them a couple
questions about turning 20:
1. How did you meet and how did Damzels get started?
We met in the fashion program at George Brown College
Kensington Campus in 1991. We had sewing machines next to each other and shared
the same taste in rock n’ roll, vintage clothing and beer! In 1993, we started
buying rolls of fabric together and making clothing that we would sell at
outdoor festivals, craft fairs…even a Medieval Festival (yes, when we went
vintage we went really vintage like 1500’s ) We started building a
following of gals that would come out specifically to buy our dresses.
Next thing we knew we were getting orders from local clothing stores so we
decided to open our first design studio on Spadina and the birth of Damzels in
this Dress in 1994.
2. What did the "scene" look like when
Damzels got started?
That was 1994! Grunge, rave, glam, it was all part of
the scene at that time.
However, around ‘96 we started Lindy Hop lessons and
it became a way of life for us for several years. Our line had always been
inspired by the past, and we fell in love with the fashions of the 30’,40’s and
50’s while part of the dance community. We were very fortunate because at that
time the originator of swing dance, Frankie Manning, and his dance partner the
“Queen of Swing” Norma Miller were regularly apart of Lindy Hop workshops that
we attended. It was an incredible and special experience to get the opportunity
to learn from the folks that basically invented the dance.
Pretty crazy because at the same time, the bright
shabby chic of rave culture was in full force, so it was a fun challenge to try
and incorporate our love of vintage into the mid 90’s mayhem of wide leg
pants and soother necklaces.
3. How does vintage inspire what you choose for your
stores?
Our passion is being able to bring modernity to
vintage styling. We love mixing periods to make something fresh and fun.
Ultimately, we’re looking for styles that are going to be flattering on women
of all shapes and sizes, and the vintage aesthetic fits the bill. Our brand
specializes in dresses because we love the simplicity of being able to put on a
single garment, and look great from head to toe effortlessly.
4. What has changed for Damzels over the last 20
years?
We opened our retail shops Doll Factory by
Damzels in 2006 and now only produce the Damzels label for our stores instead
of selling wholesale to other retailers. This gives us the opportunity to do
small, unique runs, really get to know our customer base, and offer something
that is exclusive to our locations.
5. What is up next for Damzels?
More dresses, more parties, more rock n’ roll!
This picture of Kelly kinda sums it up!
Join in the 20th Anniversary celebration in-store on Thursday, October 23rd at Damzels East or Damzels West and enjoy 20% off your purchase from 11am to 9pm. Treats to be served after 6pm.
You can also submit a picture of you wearing Damzels (the older the better) to their Facebook page #Damzels20th
...AND if you were lucky enough to RSVP in time for their GALA event...then we will see you there!
#Damzels #Damzels20th #DollFactorybyDamzels
#HappyAnniversary
A Damzels timeline of awesome!
