News » Made in Vancouver

• Moving on up!

  Published Jun 12 2020 in Canadian Designer, Cherry Velvet, Cherry Velvet Dresses, Customer Appreciation, Fit, inspiration, Made In Canada, Made in Vancouver, sizing, Staff, staff updates, Vancouver-designed, what's new

  We have some big news....!
  

  
  
  After many years in Vancouver, we are moving our operations to New Westminster. We close our doors in East Vancouver, at the end of June. We will definitely miss the bright and creative atmosphere of this neighbourhood; it was always so inspiring to be surrounded by local artists. 
  
  We've made so many memories in this studio. One of the first notable ones is our #stunningatanysize shoot which we made right before we moved into our fresh new space.
  
  
  
  Since then, we've done so many photoshoots and events, What a pleasure it's been to be here. <3
  
  
  Cherry Velvet's "Pucker Up Party" Valentine's Day Event, 2016
  
  
  Our Men's Shirt Launch, 2017
  
   “What about Studio Shops and Personal Shop Appointments?”
  
  For the time being, it will not be possible to shop in person. However, we will be holding Pop-up Shops and doing events when it becomes safer to do so.  The best way to find out what's happening with us is to sign up for our Newsletter  (Not to mention 15% off, if it's your first online order.) 
  
  Getting Your Best Fit Online

  During this time of transition, we encourage you to shop online. We are always happy to help with fit and answer your questions.

  "The very best way I can accurately help you with fit is to email your measurements. It is just as important to me as it is to you to ensure your dresses fit!" ~ Diane

  Please also be sure to check out each style's specific fit guide (found on each product page).
  
  Don't have a tape measure? Click here for our printable, handy dandy solution!
  
  So that's our big announcement! :) We're so excited about the future ahead, and we always appreciate your continued support. 

  As always...more new dresses coming soon!

  
  XOXO 
  
  Diane Kennedy & The Cherry Velvet Team

• Colour Me Cherry!

  Published Mar 27 2020 in Body Positive, Cherry Velvet, colouring pages, Customer Appreciation, inspiration, Made in Vancouver, paper dolls, pin up dresses, retro dresses, stay at home, vintage dresses

  Long time Cherry Velvet fans may remember our darling Pin-Up Paper Dolls (which are also fun little crafts for you and/or your wee ones) so we've decided to follow them up with...colouring pages! We wanted to offer you a stylish distraction and bring some fun to your day!  
   
  Simply click on the images below to download and imbue some hues on these sweet ensembles!
  
  

  

  

  
  
  We hope we sparked your creativity with this little activity. Please feel free to share. We can't wait to see your ideas and creativity!

  #cherryvelvet #colourmecherry

  Much love to you our awesome customers. Stay safe and far apart!

  XOX Cherry Velvet
  
  
  

   

• Holiday Greetings!

  Published Dec 24 2019 in behind the scenes, Canadian Designer, Canadian Made, Cherry Velvet, Cherry Velvet Dresses, Customer Appreciation, Employee Appreciation, Made In Canada, Made in Vancouver, Thank you, Vancouver-designed, Vintage Inspired, what's new

  It's been another wonderful year, we thank you, all of our beautiful fans and customers for your support. It absolutely fills our hearts with joy to see our customers smiling; our dresses making you feel confident and ready for anything.

  We know none of the success we've shared with you wouldn't be possible without *you*, and to be completely honest, it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable without you, either. So, once more, we want to express our great appreciation to you for being on this journey of fabulousness with us. 
  

  Wishing you the happiest of holidays, the merriest of Christmases and nothing but the very best for the New Year and beyond.

  XOXO With Love from all of us  Diane, Julia, Logan, and Tracy.

  

• Cherry Velvet and Fluevog - The Perfect Pair

  Published Nov 08 2019 in Canadian Designer, Cherry Velvet Dresses, Cherry Velvet/Fluevog Match, Customer Appreciation, Fluevog, John Fluevog, Made In Canada, Made in Vancouver

  "One of the best compliments I've ever received was from my customer telling me she has a ton of Fluevogs, but even more of my dresses" ~ Diane Kennedy, designer

  And what a collection our client, Jacqueline has!

  

  It has been a long-held truth for many Cherry Velvet dress collectors that nothing really goes better with our unique dresses than a pair of Fluevog shoes. We like to think there is nothing so loyal as a Cherry Velvet/Fluevog client. They go together like gin & tonic, peanut butter & jelly or a cup & saucer - You get the idea. ;) 

  Over the years, many of our clients have brought their Fluevog shoes with them when they come dress shopping in our Studio. There have been many happy discussions about which shoes go with which dress.

  

  We're blown away by this fabulous photo sent to us by our customer Jacqueline.
  
  She's laid out all her dresses in a rainbow -
  There was some question about how many there actually were but the final tally is 50 dresses!

  

  Jacqueline has her own unique approach to her dress/shoe collaborations. She prefers to pick one perfect combination of matching shoes and dress that she wears more exclusively together. Of course, some dresses have more than one perfect shoe match; But the choices are always fluid, never static.

  
  
  Can we just say wow! What a work of art this photo is!

  Also known as @_cuddlefish_ on Instagram, she has an undeniable eye for colour and detail. Check out her lovely IG photos; mostly of her travels and nature. We feel so flattered that she's shared her amazing eye for fashion and corresponding photos with us! :)

  
  
  Thank you, Jacqueline! <3

  XOX Cherry Velvet

• 10 Facts about Cherry Velvet

  Published Aug 08 2019 in Best fit, Canadian Designer, Canadian Made, Cherry Velvet Dresses, cotton dresses, Did you know?, Facts, Garment care, Limited Edition Fabrics, Made In Canada, Made in Vancouver, Pockets, Vancouver-designed, Washable Cotton

  We love our customers and it makes us so happy when you love our dresses (and us) back! We're very proud of the way we do business and wanted to share with you a few facts that you may not know:

  
  Diane Kennedy is the designer and owner of the brand. If you ever come by the studio, you'll most likely meet her and she'd love to meet you too.

  
  By 'old-fashioned', we mean personal. It's very important to us that you get the help you need. In-person, by email or by phone. We are always here to help you!

  
  We understand fit is a big concern when purchasing online. If you ever need help with sizing, please send your dress choices and measurements via e-mail so we can help you find your best fit.

  
  If you call during regular business hours, a real person answers the phone. We are here Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Pacific Standard Time.

  
  Our amazing prints are hand-selected and 95% of the time are limited edition. We make almost all of our styles in small runs of 10-40 dresses. We have new styles and prints every season.

  
  We have a very talented photographer on staff who photographs all of our local models and creates all of our official photos and videos. 

  
  We use high-quality cotton fabrics that are very easy to care for and are made to last. Our dresses are machine washable and hang to dry. We suggest smoothing out the wrinkles and the pockets when you hang your dress. Most of our customers do not iron their cotton dresses, but you can if you wish.

  
  While some companies outsource, we design and make all our own patterns in our studio in Vancouver BC.

  
  It can be difficult to ensure fair pay and proper treatment standards when manufacturing clothing offshore. That's why we only use local Vancouver-area factories for our manufacturing. Diane regularly visits the various factories to oversee the production of our dresses.

  
  Definitely one the best facts...All of our dresses have POCKETS!!

  XOX Cherry Velvet

  Meet our #girlboss Diane at the Studio Shop this week in Vancouver:

  Friday, August 9th from 2pm - 7pm

  Saturday, Aug 10th from 11am - 5pm

  1635 Powell Street in Vancouver, BC.

  Free parking on the street (*please mind the parking signs for times) or in the parking lot beside the Flag Shop.

• Refitting A Classic: The Doris

  Published Jul 03 2019 in Canadian Designer, Cherry Velvet Dresses, Fit, Made in Vancouver, Slow Fashion

  With our pattern maker away on maternity leave - our designer, Diane, found herself back in the sewing room - For the first time in years!

  

  Diane has always been very hands-on when it comes to all facets of our dresses' production. As a seasoned fashion designer, she closely manages the pattern making and fittings, as well as monitoring production at our local factories.
  
  

  Diane's background in sewing started at very early age. Fun fact - She made all her own clothes during her high school years and often sewed for other people.  In grade 9, her sewing teacher actually paid her to sew for her! With style constantly on her mind and proven "clientele" at such a young age, she knew she found her calling and has been designing ever since.

  And so, years later, with our Doris dress going into production once more, Diane wanted to make an adjustment to the pattern to improve fit. After all, even a classic can use an edit once and awhile. 

  

  The shoulder straps, while designed to go over a bra, were fitting too wide on somebody with a narrower shoulder. Diane administered a fit correction to the pattern and took the opportunity to sew herself a new dress in our Spinderella print, so she could test out the correction.

  After this most recent session at the sewing machine, Diane was so delighted to remember how much she loved to sew - even after so many years! It's true; you never forget your first love ❤️

  "It's such a wonderfully satisfying feeling to be able to design, make the pattern and complete a dress from start to finish". - Diane Kennedy 
  
  Diane's style of designing dresses has always been this kind of old-fashioned, "use all the best ingredients" approach. From the 100% cotton prints she carefully chooses to the YYK zippers that are a well-known industry standard, Diane's passion can be seen in her commitment to her designs.
  
  Cherry Velvet's mission statement has always been to create a line of classic garments with exceptional fit and we hope this behind-the-scenes peek at our designer's process has helped illustrate her devotion for design!

  XOX Cherry Velvet

• Make It! Show Vancouver

  Published Apr 26 2019 in Cherry Velvet, Cherry Velvet Dresses, cotton, Dresses, handmade revolution, Made In Canada, Made in Vancouver, Make It, Makies, Market, PNE Forum

  Over 200 Rock Star Makies brought their beautiful handmade goodies to the PNE Forum and we were there! It was our first time having a booth and it was so much fun!

  
  

  Thank you so much to all those that came out to see us and brought such good vibes. We LOVE the reaction of new customers when they discover our fun printed dresses with pockets for the very first time. We managed to fit a small fitting room in our booth and the patrons took full advantage! One of the best parts was having new Cherry Velvet devotees step out of the dressing room in one of our dresses and having passersby commenting on how amazing they looked. Unsolicited compliments are always welcome!

  

  Most of all we just love meeting our customers old and new. It means the world to us to be able to show you our new wonderful prints and get invaluable feedback. Our customers are the best!

  

  What a great group of people that put on the show and participated. We're grateful to be part of such a badass group of Makies who are so positive, upbeat, and FUN. This show is well organized and so well run. 

  
  There were SO many incredible Makies, who also had amazing booths! Everything from art, jewelry, food, pottery, distilleries, nature photography, chocolate, clothing and so much more. It's such a special experience to meet like-minded entrepreneurs who share our passion and enthusiasm for doing the work they love and made locally.

  
  We love being part of The Handmade Revolution and are so proud to make all our dresses right here in Vancouver as well as supporting other businesses that do the same. Hope to see you for the Christmas Market in December!

  

  XOX Cherry Velvet