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Afternoon Tea for Two at the Empress Hotel
Published Apr 26 2023 in #canadianfashiondesigner, #cherryvelvet, #pinupdress, #pinupstyle, #plussizedresses, #Victoria
Such a special treat! My girlfriend Barbara and I took the ferry over to Victoria BC for the weekend. Together we decided to dress up in our Cherry Velvet dresses and splurge on Afternoon Tea at the Empress!
People come from all over to enjoy the famous Afternoon Tea in the beautiful grand Lobby Lounge of this 110 year old hotel. The finest, ethically sourced tea and exquisite treats are served on special hand painted china originally picked out by Queen Elizabeth and King George VI in 1939.
Barbara wore her favourite Diane dress in the Petalicious print and I wore the new Sookie Dress in 'One in a Melon'. Both of us are wearing Fluevogs and managed to squeeze in several visits to the Victoria store as well.
Our 'Lady Londenderry' choice of tea was served in a big pot for each of us along with a timer to perfectly time the tea. First course was a delicious scone with clotted cream and jam. Next we had finger sandwiches; cucumber with dill, egg salad, curried chicken, ham w/cheese, and smoked salmon. Saving the sweet treats for last; a Lemon macaron, Cherry Mousse in a chocolate cup, lemon pound cake, and chocolate fruit gelee. Our whole assortment was gluten free and it was fresh and delicious!
After tea we took some time to enjoy the floral fireworks! They sure know how to plant tulips in Victoria!
Hopefully one day you'll get a chance to enjoy afternoon tea as we did in this incredible historic hotel!
XOX Diane
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What's Up in Cherryville?
Published Aug 12 2021 in #10yearanniversary, #cherryvelvet, #cottonprints, #curvydresses, #plussizedresses, #plussizeretro
It's a powerful time for change and we're sure feeling it! One thing we know for sure in life; things always change...we're looking to exciting times ahead!
New Staff
We have staff updates to share! We’re thrilled to welcome two new members to the team! April (first photo) is already on board as our new graphics designer and Shanah (aka the model Kerosene Deluxe) as our new social media manager is starting in September. Sending out a warm welcome to them both!
You may remember that Julia, our graphics designer, moved to Germany. Understandably, she wants to make friends where she’s living, and to do that she needs to be working outside of her home. We'll be very sad to see her go, but of course we wish her well. Hopefully Julia gets the chance to move back to Canada one day! 
New Anniversary Dress Alert!
There is a one more new Anniversary Dress coming! This is a limited edition Angelina with her own paper doll and SWAG. That's makes 4 all together if you're collecting! Here’s a peek at the Tropical Temptations fabric. It is so bright and beautiful!! Watch for the release date soon!
Shopping UpdateWe know how much you loved our studio shops and are getting lots of requests to pick up orders. Unfortunately, both are still a no-go at this time. We miss seeing you and are available to chat by email about the new styles, fitting questions or to help match up your accessories for the perfect outfit. Sign up for our newsletter here and be first to know all things Cherry Velvet.
That's it for now!
XOX Cherry Velvet!
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The Final Library of Dresses: Chapter "T - Z"
Published Aug 05 2021 in #cherryvelvet, #madeincanada, #madmen, #pinupgirl, #plussizedresses
Ta-Dah! You've made it to the final exciting installment of our dress archives. So... last but certainly not least and with out further ado; here are the final fabulous frocks from T - Z...
TATYANA
Named for a Cherry Velvet staff member, the Tatyana was introduced in the fall of 2015 for a one-time production. She was very sassy indeed with her plunging V neckline, criss cross straps and daring cold shoulders. She came in popular prints that featured artistic animal motifs like these hidden tiger prints by Tula Pink.
TRUDY
Sweet Trudy was an adorable day dress that made a striking style statement. Trudy had a little attitude thanks to short puffy sleeves, a collar, a V neckline and a row of bold buttons on the bodice. She was suitable for work, lunch with the girls or dinner out on the town. What do you think, perhaps we should bring Trudy back?
VANESSA
Vanessa was a charmer that answered the call for dresses that were perfect to wear to work. She was very popular and flattering for many body shapes. Vanessa featured a V neck, short sleeves and buttons up the front of the bodice. She came in many amazing prints, probably the most memorable was our Ms. Frizzle Dress in a print that was out of this world.....
VERONICA
Aptly named for legendary screen siren, Veronica Lake. She was the perfect curvy dress for the sexy secretary style that we could see celebrated in Mad Men. The first time Veronica came out was very early on in the Fall of 2012. She flaunted a contrast collar, sweetheart neckline, 3/4 cuffed sleeves and a full skirt. Veronica is especially memorable since she was our very first dress to be made in our signature cherry print.
Yes, we made 2 Veronica dresses! The second time we named a dress Veronica, it was for our long time model Veronica Belle. Now this was a party dress that every girl dreamed of! The full circle skirt was perfect to wear with a crinoline. This classic confection was made in pretty shades of satin, with a fitted bodice, waistband and finished with a perky bow. She was the Belle of the ball and perfect for dancing the night away!
VIOLA
The bold colour-block style of Viola was featured in the spring of 2015. Diane pulled her inspiration from the geometric styles and eye-catching colours of the 1960's. This dress was made in a smooth rayon-poly blend. The tricky negative space gave the illusion of a tiny waist. How great was that? Viola was a streamlined design that came in two colourways; Coral/Black and Royal/Black.
ZOE
Zoe was a sweet and sassy sundress with a rockabilly attitude. She had a V neck with ruching in the front and was made in several darling florals as well as cool metallic mod dot prints. She had an A-line skirt and pockets. We'll never forget the fun retro road trip we took with this style in a gorgeous vintage gold Thunderbird! Here's a look back to that amazing memory and the beautiful pictures that share a glimpse into those rockin' good times.
And so we have reached the conclusion of our first decade of dress designs. Yes, that's 10 years of fashion shoots, photographers, stylists, models, hair & make-up and mishaps along the way.
This fun-filled journey would not have been possible without the contributions of many who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make these dresses a reality. The seemingly endless work of designing, fitting, fabric selection, and production are only a small part of the labour of love that is Cherry Velvet. Our heartfelt appreciation goes out our supportive team of staff, models, and friends who have helped the brand thrive.
We hope you'll take the time to write us and tell us which styles you love and if there are any that you would like us to make again for you. Feel free to send us an e-mail or comment on our social posts. Or watch for a survey coming soon.
Cheers to another 10 years! As we sign off we're busy ordering beautiful new prints and planning new must-have dresses for you to love....
XOX Cherry Velvet
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A Library of Dress designs: Chapter "R"
Published Jun 15 2021 in #cherryvelvet, #cottondresses, #plussize, #plussizedresses, #retrodress
Ready to reminisce over these ravishing, romantic, regal dresses? Passing right over the letter "Q" (because we didn't make one yet) and we've arrived at the letter "R" this week with some of the most desirable dresses to date!
RACHEL
Released in the fall of 2014, The Rachel was a charmer with her pretty portrait collar, short puffed sleeves and A line cut. She graced our epic photo shoot at the Canadian Museum of flight. What a lovely day we had at that photo shoot among the vintage planes with these gorgeous models! Rachel made her second appearance for Fall 2018 in fun seasonal prints.
RITA
This darling dress was a tribute to the legendary Rita Hayworth of course. With sweet accents like a tiny bow tie at the front of her square neckline, 3/4 sleeves and a lady-like skirt; the Rita was as classy as the fabulous star she was named after. Rita debuted in the Fall of 2013 and reappeared one more time in 2015 with rave reviews.
ROBIN
The most darling of sundresses; demure she was definitely not. The Robin had some serious sass and a daring sweetheart neckline, banded straps, featuring a charming gathered knot between the 'girls' and shorter hem length perfect for summertime soirees. Robin appeared at our Hycroft Manor photo shoot in the spring of 2015 and once again in the summer of 2016.
ROXY
The Roxy was a stunning style from the Spring of 2013 that showcased a lovely portrait collar. The Roxy was originally made in stretch cotton sateen to give a fabulous fit and had 3/4 sleeves with turn back cuffs, a fitted bodice with a mock row of buttons and a full skirt. She reappeared in Fall 2018 in classic solid colours too.
RUBY
Named after the vivacious Miss Ruby Roxx, the Ruby dress was appropriately full of sass with plenty of attitude just like our model. With her fitted princess seam detail and a daring mermaid hem, she was a showstopper for sure. Cut in only 2 prints both with illusion black side panels for plenty of va-va-voom. Ruby was a one-time limited edition in the fall of 2013
Now that you have strolled on past the "R" dresses on our walk down memory lane you can envision how each of our dresses comes to life with their own personality. The inspiring women behind these designs are a big part of the creative process. Our journey continues with the scintillating, sensational "S" dresses soon....
XOX Cherry Velvet
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A Library of dress designs: Chapter "M" ~part 1
Published May 20 2021 in #10yearanniversary, #cherryvelvet, #history, #madeincanada, #plussizedresses, #plussizepinup
Get ready for Marvellous "M" dresses! There are so many beautiful "M"s to share that we are giving it to you in two parts...
MARCIA
There's a story of a lovely lady....yes this dress was named after that Marcia. Inspired by the iconic 1960's designer Andre Courreges, the Marcia dress featured a unique cut out neckline that was covered yet cheeky at the same time. This dress was made in a smooth rayon-poly blend. Offered up in solid colours of Black, Blue and Coral for a one time appearance in the Spring of 2015.
MARIE
Taking over the top spot as our most popular style to date and a complete crowd pleaser....drum roll please...the Marie dress! Everyone loves the Marie. This dress looks all business but the unexpected convenience of the front zip makes it easy to go from secretary to sexy in a zip! The Marie was designed to accommodate one way fabrics; this means you also get an amazing assortment of fun and whimsical prints to express yourself. Check out these available Marie Dresses!
Sneak Peek! New Marie dresses arrive soon in these new prints:
MAXINE
With lapels and cross-over front design, she had 3/4 sleeves and only came in sizes XL to 4XL. Maxine is a modified version of the earlier Christina style, the Maxine was offered in cotton canvas and lovely prints.
MONICA
The bold colour-block style of Monica was made in tandem with Marcia in the spring of 2015. Diane pulled her inspiration from 1960's bold geometric styles and eye-catching colours. This dress was made in a smooth rayon-poly blend. She was a streamlined design that came in two colourways; Navy/green Black/hot pink.
The 2nd part of the "M" dresses will be coming your way next week. We hope you're enjoying this flashback through the years as much as we are!
XOX Cherry Velvet
