Crabapple Clothing || AFW 10/11

When Crabapple Clothing Company took to the runway last night at Alberta Fashion Week, one thing was very clear;

Whoever had thought out the looks sashaying and strutting their way down the runway knew how to dress a woman, and not just any woman, but a smart, style-conscious woman of any age. The brains behind the operation are owners Inge Letourneau and Whitney Titheridge.

Their skill in spanning the generational fashion gap was on display last night, with models from every age range wearing styles tailored to the unique demands of an ever evolving body and lifestyle. Titheridge having worked at Crabapple Clothing since high school recently became co-owner with Letourneau, showing just how a part time job can become a life-long love.

According to Inge, even her 16 year old daughter loves to wear the clothes from her mother’s store. Both owners have spent many years learning the fine tuned art of customer service, and perhaps it is dedication to that art, and an unspoken love for unique fashion that has made Crabapple Clothing Company a winning, and enduring part of Garrison Gate’s fashion landscape since 1990.

A remarkable sense of cohesion is created in their lines, though local and international designers make up the wonderfully diverse Crabapple repertoire. Also notable was the attention to detail, whether it was in styling an outfit down to the last detail, or clever pairings of texture, shape and colour that really brought an outfit together.

Memorable items included some fantastic outerwear, one jacket which had me madly scribbling “want, must get” in my formerly ‘professional’ notes.

Fashionistas looking for a rare-find can take joy in the quirky, but oh-so-unique eye catching pieces, like a cozy knee length charcoal skirt splashed with stripes of bold prints and patterns, or a nude pink maxi dress emblazoned in poppies, boasted as one of only two in Canada.

So what could be better than the convenience of a customer focused company, with the comfort and charm of a small boutique?

Considering the twenty years they’ve brought unique, contemporary fashion to our fair city, we’d say…well, not a lot.