Altered Portraits: Art I Really Do Heart

I have a real love for curious art that takes something nostalgic and adds an unexpected twist.  I also am drawn to creepy, dark and mysterious art, often with body parts floating or missing or toyed with in some way.  I know this sounds strange to some, but I can't help being drawn in.  Maybe one day I'll give a blog tour of the art that hangs in my home, so you'll get a better idea of what on earth I'm talking about. 


I came across Brooklyn-based mixed media artist Mari Lowery's work on Etsy, and instantly fell in love. She makes the coolest original one-of-a-kind collages and prints inspired by her love of antique photos, animals, oddities, nature and halloween.  I spent a long time going through her Etsy store, tempted to buy one or more of her pieces. I'm going to share several of my favourites here:

Visit Mari's store here.

"Haunted Air: Spooky, Vintage American Halloween Photos"

So utterly creepy, I would kill to see these costumes live.  I've chosen my favourite images to share with you below... 

As described on the TIME Entertainment website,"Haunted Air, a new book by Ossian Brown showcases anonymous Halloween photographs taken between 1875 and 1955. It is published by Jonathan Cape, an imprint of Random House UK." 

All images pulled from here.

Gone Antiquing

A day with my girls is a day well spent.  This past weekend we took advantage of the sunshine and drove past the burbs to hunt for curiosities at our favourite giant antique market.  I ended up buying some awesome wooden boxes to be used as part of the Biko display for the OOAK shows, as well as some old Eastern Rowing Assiciation inscribed coins and a few pearl-handled mini pocket knives, which will be made into necklace pendants.  Check out some images of our girls' day out:

Press: Toronto Standard // Studio Feature

It was my pleasure to have writer Sarah Nicole Prickett and photographer Raylene Knutson visit the Biko studio last week for the Toronto Standard.  Read their published piece below for insights into the world of Biko!

Press: Moose Magazine

Based in Spain, Moose Mag is a fashion magazine that never disappoints with its exploration of gorgeous photography packaged within a sleek design.  Biko was worn throughout this particular shoot, and I'm in love with the lighting and 'nudeness' of the pictures.

The Biko 'Behind-the-Scenes' Video Is Online!

We take you behind-the-scenes of the latest Biko campaign shoot, called Golden Haze. 
The day was long, but each person on the team is so very talented and such a pleasure to work with... it felt like we made magic happen that day...

To see the final product of the shoot, visit the Biko Lookbook here.

Biko – Golden Haze / Video by Dan Graf

TIFF Madness: Biko & the CBC Strombo Gift Lounge

Fashion Magazine puts it best: