A beautiful day in Toronto- what could be better than sitting in an office sifting through videotapes?  Going to a photo shoot, that's what!  Especially a photo shoot in the sun filled event space on the top floor of the LeVak Block Restaurant and Bar on Ossington for LABEL, an up and coming eco-friendly Toronto based clothing line.

When I first heard the line was eco-friendly my mind jumped immediately to hemp pants; instead, what I saw was a collection of stylish basics that would fit effortlessly into any girl's wardrobe. I could easily see myself and my friends wearing these pieces - tanks, dresses, cardigans - to work with a pair of flats or to clubs with a pair of heels.  It's just an added bonus that the clothes are made of sustainable fabrics and are produced locally in Toronto.

When I arrived designers Shawna Robinson and Natalie Sydoruck, who have been working on LABEL since March 2007, were busy setting up for their  "greatest hits" look book, a collection of their best-selling basic pieces.

 

The theme of the shoot was mug shot chic. Model Sarah Miles struck poses while holding up a blank black board like a 'perp' in a police line-up, but instead of an inmate number, the board would have the style number and name of each particular piece. Shawna and Natalie worked together styling each look with the help of some creative input from photographer Stefania Yarhi. 
                                                                              

With Beyoncé blasting from the speakers, the shoot had an undeniable girl power vibe. Shawna, Natalie, Stefania, the makeup artist and the model were all friends helping each other out and working hard to make this shoot a success. Stefania who contributes to NOW magazine and has her own blog, textstyles.ca, was shouting Zoolander-like directions at sarah the model while the rest of us watched, laughing when Sarah was directed to scream F**CK YOU as loud she could to get that "screw you, I just got booked by the cops" look. 

Conversation on set ranged from relationship talk (both Shawna and Natalie are dating guys in the music industry) to a debate over whether Katy Perry is really a California girl. Rather than work, the shoot felt more like hanging out with girl friends, playing dress up with their cute clothes - making it the perfect place to spend an afternoon.

  

Today I became a fan of LABEL, and not just because it got me out of the office for an afternoon. Thank you for having me Shawna and Natalie. You certainly deserve all of the buzz and more.