Street Style Huntress: Beauty & Style

As an entrepreneur, I love to see and support women who are really rocking it out and following their dreams. It’s not easy to make the transition to working for yourself, and doing so with so much amazing style and panache is something else entirely. Breanne Rae and Candace Pearson are living their dream and rocking it out - and since they had so many amazing things to say about our lovely city, fashion and personal style, their new business, and how they like to spend their time outside of work, I’ll keep this intro short and make room for these incredible women to tell you their stories.

xo Aldona

Breanne Rae (Pictured Left) 

How would you describe your personal style? 

Flighty and random.

What are some of your influences when it comes to fashion? 

Pinterest. I search for a lot of inspiration on there. If i want to wear one specific piece I often search for outfits based around that key item and build an outfit from what I find and of course, what I have in my closet!

I love outfits that are super feminine but I also often find myself scouring the mens section looking for a great piece to create the perfect androgynous look. See, flighty and random!

What are some of your favourite stores and shopping destinations in Downtown Calgary? 

I’m a deal hunter so I shop where I can find sales. The Bay always has gems hiding amongst their sale racks. Simons too! Basically any department store with large quantities of stock and variety draws me in.

What are some of your favourite Downtown YYC spots?

Depending on the time of day…in the AM definitely somewhere that can serve me up an Americano. Deville does not disappoint and I’m really loving the vibe in the new Phil & Sebastian on Stephen Ave.

Although it has been a long time - too long - since stepping foot into the Glenbow Museum, I’m always happy when I do. And the Palomino! There is something about being greeted by the smell of smoked meat before heading down to the basement for live music. It’s a warm fuzzy kind of feeling!

What are some of your favourite trends right now? 

Velvet, duster coats and choker necklaces. I’m also super into crew neck t-shirts currently. I’ve been raiding my hubbys t-shirt drawer for them lately because I like them a little oversized to tuck or tie.

What fashion advice would you give to others? 

I’m not sure I’m qualified to give fashion advice! Haha. I just dress in what I like, what I’m drawn to. I guess maybe that is my advice. . . wear what you like. Not everyone is going to dig your choices - I know not everyone is into how I look all of the time - but whatever! We live in a world that is so filled with unnecessary opinions and unwarranted judgements. Own your fashion choices and forget the haters.

Tell us more about the projects and work that you’re involved with. 

I think the project I am most stoked about right now is the salon I just opened with fellow yyc hairstylist Candace Pearson! We opened the doors to Parlour just under 8 weeks ago now and we are loving it! It’s located within the Citizen Salon Studios so to be surrounded by other talented YYC stylists, and in a new concept such as it is, has been incredible!

Most of my world is around hair, makeup and fashion. Obviously, I am a hairstylist at Parlour but also do makeup for weddings, special events, etc. I love collaborating with other artists and have been so fortunate to work with some really brilliant photographers & designers.

The local film industry has also recently grabbed a hold of me and I have been so lucky to step into that world during a time when Calgary is being recognized as a great city to film in and around.

What are some of your future aspirations?  

Hmm. Well, long term, my husband and I would like to set up an animal rescue. We rescued two dogs from Mexico that ignited something in us. We like to day dream about this a lot and it seems every time we do a different non canine animal is added. Not necessarily to rescue but just to have around to love on and laugh at-like a goat. Or recently he added a miniature pig. We are animal lovers so I can see this getting out of hand.

Short term goals…I would like a tent trailer. An old one with good bones that I can outfit in retro fabrics, kitschy decor and the collection of shot glasses I’ve accummulated through my travels.

How does your work influence your personal style? 

I’m in an industry full of ecclectic individuals, I have to keep up! I’m fortunate to not be forced into a ‘style box’ by my occupation. I think it’s expected - or at the very least accepted - that people in the arts have a bit of an edge to their personal style.

I couldn’t imagine having to wear a suit everyday to my job…although I would like to add a well tailored power suit to my closet. Something about it commands respect!

Candace Pearson (Pictured above)

How would you describe your personal style?

That’s so hard - I would say in recent years I’ve become a lot more casual and definitely a bit androgynous.  Most days I find myself wearing some variation on jeans and a t-shirt and play around more with accessories and makeup than anything else.

What are some of your influences when it comes to fashion?

I’ve never been huge into following specific designers or brand names and tend to find inspiration more in my day to day life. The majority of the people that I surround myself with are heavily involved in Calgary’s art an music scene and I find creative people have a kind of intuition when it comes to fashion. Social media outlets like Instagram have also been huge for me for finding inspiration in recent years. I follow other hairstylists, makeup artists and just general bloggers from all over the world and am constantly amazed at how thoughtful people can be when it comes to their fashion choices.

What are some of your favorite stores and shopping destinations in Downtown Calgary?

Sephora! I’m obsessed with lipstick. It’s kind of a problem. I kid you not I carry around a makeup bag with me that is entirely dedicated to lipsticks and there’s got to be at least 30+ in there at any given time. I also love the Topshop department at the Bay and get a lot of basics there!

What are some of your favorite downtown YYC spots?

I love catching live music and have a thing for dive bars so the Palomino is a venue I frequent regularly. My friend Dave recently opened up a diner on 1st street called Plowshare and they have such great food and the space is beautiful so I find myself hanging out there for lunch whenever I’ve got some spare time.

What are some of your favorite trends right now?

Platform shoes! How many pairs of platform shoes can one own? Never enough if you ask me. I love that messy done/ undone hair is so in right now- we carry this product line called Davines at Parlour and they have a dry texture spray that I cannot live without. We literally cant keep it in stock, everyone who tries it needs to have it.

What fashion advice would you give to others?

Take risks! Don’t be afraid to try new things and push yourself a little bit! I find so often people tell me they love my hair or makeup or some article of clothing that I’m wearing but that they could never pull it off and I hate hearing that- you just have to try things and maybe there will be some hits and some misses but you never know until you try! Also please feel free to rock whatever you want no matter your body shape or size - can body shaming not be a thing anymore, its 2017!!

Tell us more about the projects and work that you’re involve with?

Breanne and I recently opened our own salon. We’ve been open for just under two months now and its amazing the outpouring of love and support that we’ve received from the community so far. I’ve worked within the hair industry for over 15 years now and it’s so cool to be involved in the business side of things as opposed to just being behind the chair. I feel like its been such a valuable learning experience and am really enjoying being involved in aspects of the business like developing our brand and building our social media presence.

What are some of your future aspirations?

I want to continue to build our business and work hard on honing my craft behind the chair so I’m providing the best possible service for my clients who come to see me.

How does your work influence your personal style?

I’m so lucky to be involved in an industry that really pushes the boundaries when it comes to fashion and personal style - anything goes really! There’s almost an expectation that, as a hairstylist, I’m going to have some really out there hair and makeup choices and I take full advantage of that. I’m also pretty heavily tattooed and feel so lucky I don’t have to worry about hiding any of them or looking conservative to appeal to a certain audience.

Tagged as: #FashionFriday, #IAMDOWNTOWN, downtown fashion, Street Style Huntress

Tweet

---