Amazing Canadian Fashion Magazine 2016

ACF – Amazing Canadian Fashion Magazine – Defining Canadian Fashion Special Issue 2016

Photography: Brogan McNab | Story by Alissa Ralph | Make-up & Hair Natalia Solar | Model: Ty States (Chantale Nadeau) | Location: The Gibson Centre for Community Arts & Culture, Alliston, Ontario, Canada.

A bride’s wedding day passes in the blink of an eye shadowed eye.  The stressful months of hiring caterers, choosing colors schemes, making table pieces and deciding whether to invite your dram queen of a second-cousin Rebecca has come and gone.  For all the build up and excitement, the big event itself doesn’t even feel like a full 24 hours.

Yes, photos were take and there’s still a glob of frosting on the once-immaculate dress to remember the occasion, but there is a more tangible, beautiful way to keep the memory dear and fresh in mind.

Wth more than 30 years of textile and fashion manufacturing experience behind the brand, ANGEE W. is the authority on wedding clutches.  After launching her Etsy store in 2009, Angee W. herself and her daughter Vincci have been on the go ever since.  Brides, bridesmaids, and mothers of the wedded have flocked to ANGEE W. clutches — and for good reason.

In 1970s Hong Kong, Angee worked as a seamstress in a small embroidery factoru until owning her own factory in the 80s.  She would go to work with names as GAP, Liz Clairborne, and Abercrombie & Fitch, so you know she has the company-cred to bank her up.  Her whole career has been based around strengthening her construction and her ability to create new, innovative designs.

Daughter Vincci who has lived on three continents, brings her Asia, North American, and African experience to influence the company, gving it real global appeal.  Responsible mostly for the marketing and communication aspect of ANGEE W.’s clutches, Vincci also adds in the designing as well. This mother-daughter are a force to be reckoned.

For the two women, the sewing machine was an as-used took as the oven in their home.  As a child, Vincci saw mother Angee cut fabrics and sew dresses, and puppets, and can now clearly see where the value o working with her own hands was instilled.  “My formal training is not in fine arts or design.” she says, “but my upbringing was about creating on a daily basis”.

Now in their fifth year of operations, Angee handles business from Toronto while Vincci works out of Hong Kong.  They both share the promise and pride to deliver their handmade, personalized clutches to every woman on their wedding day.

What gives ANGEE W. clutches an edge on the competition is a very unique facet that their company was the first to produce and create described as “heirloom clutches”, ANGEE W. bags have the feature to be lined with a silk thread embroidered message, or even a photo chosen by the buyer themselves.

“We sometimes work with photographs of a treasured parent or close friend that has passed away, and with photographs from an older generation, we restore the photo and work it into the clutch bag.” says Angee.  “We always feel very honoured to be trusted with such an important and meaningful gift.” It’s no secret that this sort of bag is a bestseller within the company.

The clutches themselves are sourced from a number of different luxurious materials. created on metal kiss lock frame, many of the designs are hand sewn with beadings, Swarovski crystals, and natural freshwater pearls. Though often inspired by the timelessness of lace, ANGEE W. bags are also made with tulle, French veil, and organza — to name a few.

Instead of meticulously sketching out every details beforehand, Angee goes back to her hands-on techniqye and directly designs upon the materials they have in their Toronto workshop.  Luckily for them, they source thousands of trims, beads, and fabric-flowers from a family -owned store right on Queen Street West.

The mission of Angee and Vincci is afight for a more down-to-earth craftsmanship that runs on good old handwork and one-on-one communication with the client.  In Angee’s words, “our philosophy runs against the mass manufacturing and commercialism where everything is bought new, but trashed later.  We put precious time and energy into sourcing the materials and into the creation of the bag.  We are in a sense creating a personal story for the wearer”.

Though the company was initially started as an outlet for Angee’s creativity after her retirement, but now has a following that wants more. “Were working to incorporate further technology into our clutches, which is an innovative, exciting, design”.

As for the owners of an ANGEE W. clutch, rest assured it will carry on its life after the wedding.  Clutches come with the option to add a strap to easily transition into a purse. Extra adornments are also removable to make the  bag a more everyday accessory.

With features so far in ELLE Wedding Magazine, Style My Pretty, and Etsy Weddings, the brand has expanded beyond what either woman imagined, and has no where to grow but up.  “It has organically grown,” says Angee, “and we’re so grateful for our customers’ genuine support seeing us thrive as a family, handmade business”.

Visit their website to learn more at www.angeew.com