Riverside WineFEST April 13 – 19
On Friday April 17th from 4 – 6pm, you are invited to a FREE Wine Tasting and Spring Fashion Exploration when designer and shop owner Christina Bergstrom teams ups with one of the Finest Wineries from Niagara’s Wine Regions to bring you a Wine Tastings and Fashion Event – one of the many activities in Riverside’s week long celebration of the Grape -Riverside WineFEST – April 13 – 19, 2015.
For details and to register visit here:
Bergström Originals is a line of clothing that has been designed with the real lives of their customers in mind. Made in Toronto, Canada, the line embraces colour, print, retro-modern design and quality tailoring. The result is unique and inspiring garments that make you feel like an ORIGINAL ! Whether you’re out on a shopping spree with your girlfriends or taking your little ones out for a stroll in the stroller, Christina and her team will be pleased to welcome you to the brand new space, spacious and accessible, and introduce you to the latest in spring fashion at Bergstrom Originals. Come on in! Take a look at the Sahara Maxi Dress. Made for fun in the sun, this dress looks fabulous paired with soft leather sandals by Bueno and a floppy, wide-brimmed hat. It won’t be too long before we welcome sandals and sundresses here in the city, too!
This event is also an opportunity to “try and buy” wines from some of Ontario’s finest Wine Growers – many not available at the LCBO. Sommeliers and Winery Hosts will be on hand to take wine orders and arrange for delivery.
For details and to register visit here:
About Bergstroms Originals:
Bergstrom Originals are made in Toronto Canada. But what does that really mean? – Let’s break down the entire process – to give you a glimpse at what happens behind Christina’s Queen St E Shop. And – make a list of questions to ask Christina and her team during the Wine & Fashion Event on April 17th
Breaking Down the Process:
Des
ign:
In the studio, inspiration evolves into drawings, test cuts and sample-making. For Christina, this process works in tandem with the next step, fabric sourcing. There is a constant buzz of new designs in the studio, as we keep our production running almost non-stop all year long. This keeps our creative energy going, and it keeps the cutting and sewing trades happy.
Fabric Sourcing:
Each season a rich patchwork of fabric swatches come together in what will define the direction of the new collection. Sourcing involves everything from civilized meetings with European fabric mill reps in the studio, to digging through mounds of fabric bolts in Montreal’s warehouse district. Our fabrics are not milled in Canada. This industry is pretty much extinct in our country. The fabrics which end up in Bergstrom Originals garments originate in either Europe or Asia.
Patterns:
When a design has taken shape, and a decision has been made to go into production, the technical work begins. The drafted sample pattern is hand-graded into our size range (which may depend on the specific style or fabric availability). Many hours of labour are involved in this stage of the process. Precision and speed are key. Each season, we improve upon certain cuts and styles to fit our customers better – we do see the fit on customers first hand in our retail store!
Technical Specifications:
Communication is key for this step. Since we work with cutters and sewers outside of our studio, we need to make sure that all specific details are clear. A flawless sample is the best form of communication, and we do strive for this. Working out fabric usage and size break-down is an important mathematical and puzzle-like step. Aiming for low waste, and knowing what quantities of zippers, buttons and trim need to be ordered, are important to keeping things running efficiently.
Production:
With over 10 years of production under our belts, we’ve sorted through many production methods, to find a strategy that works for the quality level and quantities of our brand. We currently work with two Toronto sewing contractors. Cuts range anywhere from approximately 20 – 50 pieces per design. All of our local contractors quote, and are paid, prices that allow for equitable pay for all workers involved. The sewing studios are happy places, where workers enjoy a strong sense of community and a pleasant workplace. The most trying aspect of the limited production resources in Toronto, is the pressure that the fashion industry dictates for fast fashion, and pressured delivery dates, that create a stressful “crunch-time” with the sewers. Our strategy is simple: stay out of it, produce all year round – keeping our contractors happy with consistent and reliable pay.
Receiving, Stock Take and QC:
It’s always exciting to see the newly created stock arrive back at the studio. Inventory control, quality checking, and labelling are important to the final presentation of the garments, and making sure that you are happy with your purchases! A powerful cloud based inventory management system, keeps our online and in-store availability in check throughout the season.Wine and Fashion at Bergstrom Originals is part of Riverside Wine FEST . From April 13 – 19th you are invited to experience an Ontario Wine Tour in your backyard when award winning wineries and growers from Prince Edward County and Niagara Wine Region are come to Toronto for Riverside Riverside Wine FEST. For more details and to pre-register for FREE Wine Tastings and Seminars and to reserve space for Wine Dinners, Prix Fixe Dinners, Wine Crawl, Cheese & Cheers and Wine & Chocolate Seminar visit here:
