S/S 2012 sneak peek care of KnowShow!

Nepotism is the act of granting favours to those who you have a personal connection with over those you don't.  Some may also call it networking, har har.  Sometimes it's bad, but other times you just gleefully put your soapbox away and thank your lucky stars for it.  A couple weeks ago, I was in the latter situation when my awesome friend SW snagged me an invite to the KnowShow convention!

If you're not familiar with KnowShow, it's a fashion industry trade show where brands showcase their upcoming collections for the buyers, who then decide what they want to stock in their stores.  This is where trends are given life, or a sudden death, and for me, it was a fascinating peek into the daily grind of the real fashion industry.  Forget the eccentric, glossiness of the runway - at the convention it was all business casual and clipboards as the buyers analyzed what would be hot for Spring/Summer 2012.

KnowShow had an amazing 300+ booths and I spent a good few hours just perusing all the stands, which included everything from skateboards, to walls of sneakers, to surfer chic, and intricate jewelry.  If I had to sum it all up, KnowShow's look was "grown-up skater," but here's a recap of the highlights that I saw:

The Boobies Rule charity fundraises money for breast cancer.  Originating from California, the charity has grown its way upward to BC with its fun, cheeky boobie-related merchandise.

Borel is a line of unisex belts made of high impact polycarbonate resin.  These customizable belts can be cut to fit your size and the buckles are interchangeable too for a variety of looks.

InCase is a sleek purveyor of utility bags and headphones that are that rare combination of stylish and functional.  Their latest laptop bags feature Andy Warhol prints.

I am so so excited to see these shoes in Vancouver stores soon! Native shoes is a lightweight, fashionable alternative to ugly hiking and rainboots.  Nobody is going to remember those fugly Crocs once these come out and they're quite affordable too!

Seychelles a must-stop for me.  Major trends for S/S 2012 include d'Orsay heels, bright colors and a continued love for anything platform.

As soon as I saw the Toms booth, I had to go visit!  Unlike many of the "major" brands at the convention, Toms was cool with me taking photos.  Good thing too because I don't know how I could not take photos of my favourite ninja shoes.

Many of the brands at KnowShow were ones I had never heard of.  Vestal was another, but I instantly fell in love with their edgy rock-inspired watches and sunglasses.  Ranging from classic vintage, to futuristic punk, there was something for every watch enthusiast.

My favourite spot though had to be the Gentle Fawn collection, which was all about dusty desert tones, Santa Fe prints, sheer panels and unique cut-outs.  I also got a chance to interview the brand on their new collection, so keep checking back for that to be posted soon!

My second favourite of the show was Vancouver brand Lifetime.  Their woman's collection had me drooling with its soft sweaters, mustard yellows, and extremely cute dresses.  The guy's stuff was pretty nice as well, with just the right touch of prep meets surfer.


Thanks again to SW and everyone at De la Cruz PR for the invite! You can also check out more of my photos on Flickr!