{"id":87662,"date":"2018-04-14T13:00:18","date_gmt":"2018-04-14T17:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/fashion-and-style\/?p=87662"},"modified":"2018-04-19T09:02:38","modified_gmt":"2018-04-19T13:02:38","slug":"emerging-canadian-designers-vandal-kqk-candace-daniela-talk-to-real-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.realstylenetwork.com\/fashion-and-style\/2018\/04\/emerging-canadian-designers-vandal-kqk-candace-daniela-talk-to-real-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Emerging Canadian Designers Vandal, KQK & Candace Daniela Talk To Real Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lately, the True North has become home to a number of rising fashion design stars. For Canadian fashionistas, wearing local fashion has become easier than ever, with a plethora of options to choose from without having to cross the border. Recently, Real Style sat down with a few of the most talented up-and-coming Canadian designers at Toronto Women\u2019s Fashion Week.<\/p>\n

We spoke to the intriguing Ronald Tam from Vandal Goods, who favours an avant-garde aesthetic with a streetwear twist. Toronto-based Tam, who launched his label in 2014, explores the idea of an alter-ego, and gave his line an appropriate moniker to represent his inner rebel.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, 29-year-old Karen Quirion from Montreal is the founder of KQK, a brand which mixes urban style with a tailored edge. The former Vogue Italia<\/em> intern launched KQK in 2012, and is now dreaming of breaking into the international market.<\/p>\n

Last but not least, Toronto designer Candace Daniela Lau returned to the runway this season after a brief hiatus for personal reasons. Lau spoke to us about channelling her negative emotions into a dark yet inspiring new collection. These three young homegrown designers all have a story to share, and spilled on everything from their alternate identities to bringing their real life experiences into their garments. <\/p>\n

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Photo: Shayne Gray <\/em><\/p>\n

VANDAL <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Real Style: Tell us about your latest collection. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Ronald: <\/strong>The collection is called Merciless and it stems from the idea that people can be merciless with their style, and have a no compromise type of approach to what they wear. I ran with that. Everything was very colourful. Some items were obviously more ready to wear; some were more on the avant-garde side. I tried to bring a balance between the two, keeping everything practical.<\/p>\n

Real Style: Do you have any designer icons?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ronald: <\/strong>I like Alexander Wang. I think the recent collab with Fenty was cool. Sandro is one of my favourites, in terms of a more commercial brand, and some Japanese designers like Y-3 [Yohji Yamamoto] and Comme des Gar\u00e7ons.<\/p>\n

Real Style: What are your best tips for women looking to find their unique personal style?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ronald:<\/strong> Definitely just experiment more. We tend to shop and pick stuff out that we are used to wearing. Once in a while, it\u2019s nice to venture beyond and just try new looks.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Shayne Gray <\/em><\/p>\n

KQK  <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Real Style: You\u2019re using a lot of burgundy, orange and black in your designs. Do you have a favourite colour to design with?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Karen: <\/strong>In terms of colour, my favourite for sure would be grey, black and white. Playing with greys, blacks and whites always comes very easily to me. Sometimes, I really try to add a pop of colour. I\u2019ve been playing with pops of red, light blue. Orange for me felt very strong, like fire.<\/p>\n

Real Style: Do you have any favourite designer icons? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Karen: <\/strong>I grew up looking up to Alexander Wang, Helmut Lang, Haider Ackermann and Raf Simons.<\/p>\n

Real Style: What are your wardrobe must-haves for Spring 2018?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Karen: <\/strong>I would say a classic and cool blazer, a little jacket and a simple top with prints, with a touch of leather and a pop of colour.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Shayne Gray <\/em><\/p>\n

CANDACE DANIELA <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Real Style: Last time we spoke, it was 2016 and you were just getting started. What has changed for your label since then?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Candace: <\/strong>I took the last year off. I was going through a rough time, and it changed my perspective on life. I felt like before this, I was still kind of finding myself. Now, I feel more confident and I know exactly what I want to make. I\u2019m ready to come back. This year, I feel more inspired and I know exactly what I want to create.<\/p>\n

Real Style: Your new aesthetic features a lot of darker shades. Where did you find the inspiration for this colour scheme?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Candace: <\/strong>It came from a dark year and feeling kind of colourless, numb and emotionless. I dove back into that state when I was creating this collection. It\u2019s moody.<\/p>\n

Real Style: For Spring 2018, what are your fashion essentials?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Candace: <\/strong>I\u2019m really feeling jumpsuits right now.<\/p>\n

Real Style: Do you have a current celebrity style icon?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Candace:<\/strong> Rihanna. She is kind of classy yet very stylish, but also very sporty at the same time. She has all this glam, but then she also plays it down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lately, the True North has become home to a number of rising fashion design stars. For Canadian fashionistas, wearing local fashion has become easier than ever, with a plethora of options to choose from. Recently, Real Style sat down with up-and-coming designers Ronald Tam of Vandal, Karen Quirion of KQK and Candace Daniela Lau to learn more about trends, inspiration and idols. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":87671,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[287],"tags":[5068,48,28599,31710,31709,31711,29692,28600],"class_list":["post-87662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews","tag-canadian-designers","tag-canadian-fashion","tag-candace-daniela","tag-karen-quirion","tag-kqk","tag-ronald-tam-vandal","tag-toronto-womens-fashion-week","tag-vandal-goods"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t