Today's Lesson

I've written about Obakki before, particularly regarding how I love the designs but can't personally bear the thought of buying a piece because of what band is connected to the label. Petty, perhaps, but that's my problem, not yours. However, as I continued to follow Obakki's Facebook even after I found out about this unfortunate connection, a post prompted me to revisit the Obakki website, which has made me reconsider my stance. When I first discovered the label, I believe that 100% of the profits from only one seasonless collection went to a humanitarian campaign. Now, 100% of the profits from all of the collections go to the various humanitarian projects Obakki is heading. In fact, Obakki is a non-profit organization where, as the website says, "fashion is [their] main fundraising vehicle...Whether you buy Obakki product or make a donation to the Foundation, you know your money is going where it's needed right now." That coupled with this amazing paneled silk and viscose/modal button-up (made in Canada, of course), the design of which is inspired by the conflict in the Sudan, and the profits from the sale of which go to building wells in South Sudan. It's pricey, but that's not really the point. As long as I don't have to buy a certain band's albums to contribute to the effort, I think I can rethink my previous position.

This monkey's gone to heaven

Even though I had to stand for the entire set (plus two encores) of the sold-out Pixies show last night, it was a truly wonderful experience. I saw them at an outdoor venue in Vancouver about six years ago on the second round of their reunion tour, but the band then (or at least Charles and Kim) gave off the impression that they were there mainly to make money and not to enjoy playing together again. But this time, they had quite a nice stage set up with these round fabric covered lit spheres above them (quite similar to the ones Sigur Rós had when I saw them in Montreal) that changed colour to match the videos that were made specifically for each song to play behind the band (the tour is a bit of a concept, where they play Doolittle in it's entirety and in the order it is on the album, plus B-sides). Plus, Kim Deal was all smiles and the song was rather good. The most entertaining song production-wise was the last song of the first encore, "Into the White", which begun with this gigantic white puff of smoke from the stage that completely obscured the band from sight and slowly drifted into the crowd (masking the many individual puffs of non-medicinal smoke arising from the crowd) until, simultaneously, the song ended and we could finally see the abandoned stage. Brilliant.

Anyway, with my bum leg, I was left to guard our seats in the bleachers before and after the opening band, and so I had quite a fun time people watching. A Pixies show crowd is very eclectic, to say the least, with the age range going from about 8 to 60. There were hipsters (young and old), hippies (young and old), metal heads (young and old), people who think they're punk (young and old), girls in high heels guarding their boyfriends (young and old), and everyone in between (including those people that just seem like they've made it their lot in life to go to every concert possible). I'm not a huge fan of street style blogs, but I think just taking photos of Pixies fans at every show would make for a very interesting blog (though cameras weren't allowed into the venue, hence why no photos here). Also, I think that many female Pixies fans would find something to like in Obakki's F/W 11 collection*, presented last Thursday at Vancouver's gorgeous St. Andrew's Wesley Church. Which makes me wonder what a Pixies show in a church would be like...

(Photos via Obakki's Facebook, by Peter Jensen)


*Yes, I realize this is a bit of a contradiction to my previous post about Obakki, and so I will state that I'm not suggesting Pixies fans should wear these pieces to a Pixies concert per se. Those knits would soak in the smoke from fellow fans in the mosh pit anyway, making an Obakki-clad fan smell rather guilty...

Obakki, S/S 11

I feel like I owe a bit of an explanation as to why I haven't previously shown the label I will now write about much attention here at kOs (though I may choose to delete this section of the post in the future). Really, this label should've been regular kOs fare already, as there are always at least a few pieces in each collection that I like, is both designed and ethically made in Vancouver, has a humanitarian organization and side collection that devotes its proceeds to such, has a well designed webshop, and has fantastic end of the season sales. So, at first, the lack of posts was simply due to laziness. However, after reading a feature article on this label in a Canadian fashion magazine about a month or so ago, I discovered that the label is closely connected to the one band I most despise in this world. The band who, if a song of theirs is playing, I will actually leave an eating/drinking establishment, injure myself at work while trying to get to the radio and shut it off as soon as possible, want to stab my ears, and/or question the hearing of people who do not have the same reaction as me. Indeed, one of the main reasons I will miss a favorite co-worker who has now moved on is his shared opinion of this band. The discovery of label's connection to the band thus immediately made me emit something between a groan and a sigh.

Now, I realize that I could simply ignore the connection of this label to this band, but, as you know, I like to have a personal connection to my clothing, including knowing where it comes from and who has made it. Also, I fully acknowledge that I am a total music snob, and can't help but judge people based on their taste (or lack thereof) in music. However, I have decided today to separate my love of clothing from my love of music in this post (and acknowledge the fact that this post will likely not be linked to on the label's Facebook), as I like even more pieces than usual in the newest collection from this label. 

And so, without further ado, the label is Obakki, and the beautiful pieces seen here are from the S/S 11 collection. Great colours, draping, and details, silks and modals everywhere, and easy dresses to wear for what appears to be the summer that my legs will make an appearance. And really, it's rare that such a great larger label exists nowadays, and so they should receive as much support as possible. On principle though (and my sincerest apologies to the designer), I would hesitate to wear any of these pieces to a concert. 

Obakki

So, while I did end up getting that bARBARA Í gONGINI cardigan after I posted about it, I seem to still be looking for the perfect little button up. The bÍg one is really very lovely, but I can't seem to figure out how to style the square corners if I wear it with the sleeves attached (my favorite way to wear it is actually without the sleeves and upside down for a cropped cowled vest). I likely will not be purchasing anything (except some more Twin Syndrome high-waisted undies and perhaps a good pair of warm walking boots) before my 2nd NY trip, but I sure would appreciate this perfect (and olive coloured!) draped modal and wool grandpa sweater by Obakki. Obakki is a Vancouver-based higher end label (which I could've sworn I had posted about before) from designer Treana Peake, which is all about craftsmanship (each piece is made in Vancouver) and humanitarian aid (100% of one of the lines go to childrens' orphanages in Cameroon). Though I'd much rather visit their flagship store in Vancouver, their online shop has a lovely sale right now, making these luxury pieces a wee bit closer to my budget (though the gorgeous ombre coloured all wool version is still way too far away). If I actually had a spending budget right now, that is.