Vancouver Fashion eZine - Online Magazine

Who is the Kulpa woman? Designer Joanna Kulpa has a clear image in mind. She is a professional who loves to dine out, visit art galleries and attend theatre openings. Her name is found on VIP guest lists. At home she is a mother. While the target market of this line is age 25 - 45 many of these classic garments would be a welcome addition in any wardrobe.

Kulpa was born in Poland. "I'm from a small town - a tiny farm...I remember when it was hard to get sugar or flour." At the age of 7 the family immigrated to Toronto for a better quality of life. My Little Pony, Barbie and dress-up became favorite childhood past times. School was a chore she did not enjoy and by high school she skipped a lot. There was one exception and that was the art department. Too shy for Theatre, she found a home in Applied Arts - anything she could do with her hands. On graduation she decided to study Fashion Design. "I liked illustration but what I really loved was drafting... 'I get it, it's a puzzle.' It was my best subject." The biggest challenge was her English course where she had to do oral presentations. "I freaked out…but I decided I couldn't keep skipping just because I was afraid of something." Now that shy persona has taken a back seat and she has no problem with the public demands of her profession.

Eight years ago Kulpa moved to Vancouver. After working several jobs she decided to launch her own line for Holiday 2004. The floor was her cutting table and she sewed her own samples. Garments were produced by contract sewers. The 6 piece collection was well-received and ended up in 9 stores but she lost money as it was under priced. Although discouraged, she squared her shoulders and headed right into the next collection. "I thought if I stop now I was just giving up so I decided to take a Start Smart course at Small Business and then moved into this studio space which I shared with 4 other girls." Her line is now more luxury oriented with a list of celebrity clients that includes Nelly Furtado, Amanda Crew, Emmanuelle Vaugier and Gabrielle Miller.

"Sexy and feminine yet a bit of rock and roll, Kulpa is edgy and glamorous." The fabrics are 95% natural and/or sustainable fabrics. For Fall 2008 the palette is white, charcoal and black with a beautiful wine thrown in for accent. Fabrics include silk satin, knits, sheers and a silk crepe de chine. There are tops, dresses and tuxedo-striped leggings. The most unusual piece is the Palladium top with an elastic loop in front that can be worn in six different styles. Spring 2009 sees a lighter palette. While there are the standard charcoal and black, more pieces are in white and ivory with a beautiful pale yellow included. The spring collection is inspired by the beach so there are unique sarong-like ties placed throughout the collection. Interest is given to the garments by varying the hem lengths of outer and inner fabrics and in both collections she uses a mix of shiny and matte fabrics to create interesting visual details.

In addition to her own wedding, Joanna Kulpa faces a busy future with her expansion into custom garments and the creation of an on-line store. You can find her collection locally at The Velvet Room Boutique. For more information please visit her website at www.kulpa.ca.