Ottawa Fashion: Chic Bike Fashion Show

Gorgeous as ever, Julie, sporting Sweet Pea from Kania Couture.

Sunnies from Coach and Peep-toe heels from Taryn Rose.

If there's one thing that fascinates me about France aside from the famous landmarks of the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre and the Champs Elysee, the stunning architecture and the incredibly delicious cuisine, is that women (and men for that matter) can look incredibly chic while riding their bicycles around town! We're talking full-blown dresses, pencil skirts, three-piece suits on bikes and not the just-got-out of yoga sweat pants that I often see in this city's streets!

That's about to change. Finally.

Hosted by the award-winning journalist and a good friend, the famous Julie Beun, the Rideau Canal Festival launched its very first Chic Bike Fashion Show this year and chic it was!

Led and organized by Michel Gauthier- Festival Director, Bernadette Salame - Special Events Coordinator and their team, the Bicycle Chic Fashion was held on July 31st at the Confederation Park fountain. There was a great mix of style and fashion from the active lifestyle, urban chic and all the way to haute couture!

Richard Robinson (representing haute couture), Westboro's Green Tree Eco Fashion and Kunstadt Sports (active wear) will show an mix of fashions to see and be seen in, demonstrating that urban cycling can be fashionable and trendy.

Frump is no longer the fashion of the day for bikers as this unique fashion show put the sexy back in urban cycling!  

Some of the fashion forward pieces were by Sarah Barr of Green Tree Eco Fashion from the heart of Westboro! Turning 3 years old in September, Sarah has worked for some impressive names such as Chanel, Escada and Holt Renfrew. Made of Bamboo, organic cotton, silk, soy, hemp, cashmere, her pieces are deemed to be adaptable fashion - looking absolutely fab running errands on bike!

Hardware (these beautiful bikes!) provided by Kunsdadt Sports.

SPORTS AND ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

Special thanks to Carrie McCallum, a triathalon athlete and ski instructor, who donated all the bikes for the show. A leader in equipment sales and service and also a leader in organizing tennis tournaments, Kunstadt Sports have three locations in Ottawa.

Doesn't he remind you of Moby?

The always chic: Julie Beun and Canada's legendary designer: Richard Robinson.

ABOUT THE HOST

Julie is a well-respected journalist in the city and a foreign correspondent for GoodHealth magazine in Australia. She is a regular contributor to Canadian Living, Marie Claire and Homemakers magazines. She also writes on a weekly basis for CanWest newspapers, including the Ottawa Citizen, and is the marketing consultant for a British business intelligence company.

HAUTE COUTURE AND URBAN CYCLING

Chic, Colourful and Controversial!

Richard Robinson founded his academy in 1972. He studied in montreal and la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and has worked for the world's biggest fashion houses: Christian Dior and Yves St Laurent. Known in Canada and the world for his unique take on fashion, he has also worked on pieces for Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, Catherine Deneuve, Aline Chretien, Governor General’s wives and Canada's Former Governor General, Michaelle Jean!

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Launched in the Summer of 2010, Moose Photography  was created by the young and rising star photographer - Lee Mousseau! He has the passion for photography and has quite the portfolio for someone who just started last year!

Lee is now a proud member of Twenty York Street as 20YS's Associate Photographer! He covers amazing fashion and lifestyle events all over the city and is also the Event Photographer for one of my fave fashion bloggers: Miss Sly, a Fashion and Arts Blogzine!

What's High Fashion without the luxury of Sailor Chauffeurs?

Always bringing the unexpected: Richard Robinson's Muse.

The city has now seen chic bicycle fashion...

There is no turning back!

Photos courtesy of Twenty York Street's Associate Photographer:

Lee Mousseau of Moose Photography.