A writer for the New York Times once said “A list of bow tie devotees reads like a Who’s Who of rugged individualists.”

Pure Magnolia's vintage lace dress and black bow tie

Here at Pure Magnolia, we are all for individuality so maybe it’s fitting that we have recently fallen into the bow ties business.  We started with a couple ties for local bow tie enthusiast group ‘Bow Tie Thursday’, and after that the enterprise blossomed.  We make custom ties for all necks and occasions using leftover fragments of beautiful cottons and Italian silks that no one else can use.  $10 from the sale of each tie is donated to charity, so if you are feeling a bout of individualism coming on, give us a call.

Pure Magnolia bow ties

Check out this post by Arliss, and induvidualist if there ever was one. http://arlissrenwick.com/?p=2605

Also Wikipedia’s ‘list of bow tie wearers’ is both interesting and gets my award for ‘thing I least suspected to be a page on Wikipedia ’ this year.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bow_tie_wearers#cite_note-St._John-0

Pure Magnolia will be having a sample sale in May.  We have been finding it a little cramped here in our studio, there are dresses everywhere, every table, every chair.  If you don’t believe us we have pictures.  So the time has come to let some of our samples go to new homes in order to make room for a new collection. 

We will be having the sale May 24-26 in North Vancouver.  May 24th we will be at the Lynn Valley Square Farmer’s Market  from 2pm to 7pm so you can come by, get some fresh veggies and check out our dresses.  We will be continuing the sale May 25th, 9 am to 5 pm and May 26th 10am to 5 pm at our studio across the street.  Can’t make it? Call and make an appointment, we want all of our dresses to find their perfect bride.

Dresses will be priced at $200-$1000 (regularly $600-$2000) and come in a size range from about a 2 to an 8.

Questions? Give us a call or leave a comment.

Pure Magnolia will be at the Grassroots Wedding Fair this Saturday showing off some of our dresses from our ‘Vintgae Glamour’ line.  Grassroots is Vancouver’s only green wedding fair, and promises to be full of great products and ideas that won’t be seen anywhere else this season.  Located the The Hive at 210-128 West Hastings Grassroots is going to have food, drink, live entertainment, DIY tips, flowers, hairstyling, great giveaways, and much more.  Sounds like more fun than a basket of kittens to us!

To gear up for Eco wedding shopping here are our ten favorite ways to greenify your wedding:

1 ) Have your friends and family throw wildflower seeds instead of rice.

2 ) Select Fair Trade companies for you wedding registry, not only will you feel good about your new gravy boat, but you also introduce these companies to your guests.

3 ) Think Local.  Vancouver is home to some of the most scenic vistas and some of the most creative sustainable businesses in the world, take advantage.

4 ) Have the ceremony and reception in the same place to cut down on fossil fuels.

5 ) Organic Cake.  Need we say more? Yummm.

6 ) If you are renting transportation, go for a Hybrid, or a horse drawn carriage. (Or Rollerblades, Grandma is sure to love them)

7 ) Send wedding invitations on seeded cards.

8 ) Serve treats from your favorite local bakery.

9 ) Choose sustainable favours for your guests, like a sweet little plant decorated with your names.

10 ) And of course, our favorite, dress green! Choose a wedding dress made from sustainable materials.

Hope to see you at the Grassroots Fair this Saturday!

This is a simple, beautiful dress that is very easy to wear.  If you want to look like a dream and still eat your wedding cake and dance exuberantly at your reception than this is the dress you have been waiting for.
This gorgeous dress is perfect for destination weddings as it is lighter than air, and can be easily packed and ironed. It will be comfortable from your vows through dancing till dancing till dawn, and because it does have a high waistline it can also be a fantastic maternity wedding dress.
The dress has a simple fitted bodice with a flattering sweetheart neckline.  The bodice is overlaid with delicate lace and has an Empire waistline. The skirt is a simple A-line made with an airy, lightweight, Cotton Silk batiste with fullness in the back for that stunning exit or over-the-shoulder shot.
It can be made with or without a chapel train, and is the perfect dress to personalize with your favourite belt, ribbon, or broach. Price: $1300.

It’s that time of year again.  The air is getting warmer, the hockey fans are getting rabid, and here at Pure Magnolia we are starting our next collection. We’re doing a very different collection this season- everything in black and white.  There is a lot that goes into creating a collection.  The dress that you see hanging on the rack is the product months of planning, re-planning, shipments that don’t arrive on time, glorious days of fabric shopping, samples that don’t work out, and basically blood, sweat, and lace.

Today we had our first fabric buying appointment of the season with a wonderful supplier called Absolute Fabrics.  To us, fabric buying day is like ten major holidays rolled into one. We got to see swatch after swatch of gorgeous lace from all over the world.  We stacked up a pile of the ones we liked so high we couldn’t see over it, and then had to narrow it down to two or three.  Agonizing much?

There is one lace in particular that we are very excited about.  We are going to be the only shop to carry it in the Greater Vancouver area, and it is gorgeous.  The photo I have doesn’t do it justice so you will have to wait and see it when it walks down the runway.  There is also an orchid lace that is the bees knees, ankles and feet.

Next up: We finalize our sketches and try to wheedle the location of some hard-to-find black lace out of one of Vancouver’s design institutions.

Come back and visit as we blog through the ups and downs of making our new collection.

Eco Fashion Week kicks off tonight and at Pure Magnolia, we couldn’t be more excited.  It’s really great when a niche movement like Eco fashion get the spotlight.  This year, Eco Fashion Week will be taking place at Robson Square from April 10-12.  It’s a pretty short week, but we’re sure it will be packed full of beautiful clothing and beautiful ideas.  We will be at a few of the shows, so if you see us say hi.  Otherwise, just go out and support the people who are trying to make the fashion world a little greener.  Fashion is not an easy business, neither is trying to be green so go give them your support and encouragement, and perhaps a cupcake.  I heard somewhere that designers like cupcakes.

Exciting news for all you Eco lovers out there.  Vancouver will be playing host to the Epic Sustainable Living Expo at the Vancouver Convention Centre May 11-13.  Pure Magnolia will be there with some gorgeous dresses in tow.  We will be putting on a fashion show of our newest styles, hanging out at our fabulous little booth, and generally checking out whats what if you want to live green in Vancouver. If this sounds like a nice little Saturday to you, tickets and more information can be found below.  Hope to see you there!

This sweet little dress is perfect for a bridal shower, engagement party, rehearsal dinner, or country wedding. It would also make a great dress for a destination wedding as it is comfortable, breathable, and you won’t need to worry about dragging your hem in the sand.

This dress is made from an airy cotton Swiss Dot fabric with a comfy Organic cotton lining.  This is great Modern take on a Vintage classic. This dress can be ordered in any custom size, and coordinates with our Mad Men Bridesmaid dress.

This dress is available in Ivory (shown) or White. We can also customize this style in different fabrics. We have a large selection of laces, tulle and Organza fabrics that will be beautiful in this style.

Looking for a slightly different style? This dress is also available in Tea Length for $400 and can be made with a full length skirt for a more traditional bridal look.

Check out our Etsy store to buy it online.

This dress has a high glamour look yet is very easy and comfortable to wear.  You might even say it is a magic dress.  Its comfort factor comes from the fact that it is 100% cotton, including the lining and lace.  The Cap Sleeves are extremely flattering as is the nipped in waist which can be adorned with your favourite belt, sash, broach or floral piece.  The skirt gently flares out in a dramatic Chapel train creating a real hourglass silhouette. Price: $1800

Christine and Ryan’s vision of having a cozy winter wedding came together beautifully last November when 100 of their friends and family gathered at Cecil Green Park House for their Vintage Inspired wedding.

Christine fell in love with the Vintage lace mermaid, and snapped up the last dress we had. The Hemp Silk dress was the perfect mix of old and new, with lace over her shoulders, and the soft fabric flowing around her feet. Her Bridesmaids all found vintage or artisan made dresses and dressed them up with Vintage pumps and feather belts made by us to match the boutonnieres.

They had a very personal reception with a flash mob, interviews from Christine’s elementary school students, toasts that were rapped, a flash mob, and we have to mention that in all the fun, the bride and grooms speech accidentally caught fire.