By Shelley Budd

What do we hate? Pretentious label mark-ups, mass-produced t-shirt dresses, copy-cat fashions. Malls! Annoying salespeople! What do we love? Nature inspired, whimsical dresses, cute tutu skirts, lace leggings, feathers, hairclips, greys, browns, greens, blush pinks, metallic peacock pendants, PLUS champagne and a DJ to boot.

We abhor wearing the same thing everyone else has – Fresh Out makes sure that fashion blooper never happens. Janine, owner of the events and e-style boutique, offers up the gold of her LA wholesale scouring. The first year of business has meant devoting 12-14 hour days to scouting out unique trendy pieces from the fashion production powerland and bringing them to Vancouver for members to swoon over in a unique Fashion experience. Her exclusive events showcase the collection she’s worked to put together, of great original pieces in limited amounts, so that those in the know can add more killer clothes to their creative closets. We love supporting an organically grown company that appreciates original personal style!

The catch – once it’s gone, it’s gone. So I plan to get there early this Thursday when the Woodland Collection will be set up for sale in the gallery of the Artech building off of Main St, along with $4 bubbly & cocktails. There’s no cover charge, and if you’re already a Fresh Out member, the floor’s open for your expert selection. But this is no judgey clique, so non-members get in there for a look; it’s only $25 so if you just buy one item, which would be an amazing feat of self-control, then you’ve made the membership worth it. The bonus, once you’re in, you get access to other great fashion events, as well as the Online Shop, that’s currently stocked with “Leader of the Band” – the most killer heels I’ve ever seen – and this summer you’ll be inside to see Fresh Out’s first in-house line, a collaboration with a design firm, the details of which are still under-wraps.

Fresh Out is not out to promote the Brand Name as an item of superiority, like certain unnamed Robson St. shops; this is about the love of creating your own style and Janine, “like a cat in the jungle,” has done most of the heavy-lifting for you. With nothing over $100, the prices are competitive, but with a quality to match your picky standards. If you want to feel like the luckiest, most fantastic-gallerina, then get there early this Thursday to mix’n’mingle with the foresty-sunshine spirit of the Woodland Collection.

Thursday, May 13th 4 – 9pm

the Gallery @ Artech

336 E 1 Ave, Vancouver V5T 4R6

www.freshout.ca