Three Monkeys, Ayden Gallery & Lifetime Collective invite you to East vs. West, an in-store art exhibit showcasing new work from some of Canada’s best contemporary artists. The show will feature an amazing selection of talented individuals from Montreal and Vancouver, brought together by Peter Ricq, who has spent time living in both cities and has collaborated with us at Three Monkeys on several events in the past. Representing for us here on the East Coast we have Kevin Ledo, Evan Melnyk, Donald Caron, Fronc Ng and Yohan Trudel… representing the West Coast we have Ben Tour, Peter Taylor, Andrew Young, Kristian Adam and Caroline Weaver. The vernissage will be taking place at Three Monkeys on Friday June 1st, from 6pm to 10pm. The show will run until July 1st.

Helping us to put this whole thing together is the Ayden Gallery and Lifetime Collective. Ayden Gallery is one of Vancouver’s top contemporary art galleries and has featured the works of most of the artists involved in this show. Lifetime needs no introduction at Three Monkeys, it has been one of our favourite and staple Canadian clothing brands at the shop for years. They’ve also been known for their collaborations with many fine artists in their collections, including some featured at this exhibit. They’ll both be hooking you all up with some gifts and goodies at the vernissage too so you might wanna get there early!

We’ll have some interactive art installations happening at this thing to keep you entertained and involved in the show, plenty of beer courtesy of our friends at Molson, and other treats and  surprizes too. Smiles all around and some fantastic art, we hope to see you there! Check out some of the artist’s bios below and examples of their past work, this show will feature new pieces never put on exhibit before, so get excited.

RSVP ON FACEBOOK HERE

MONTREAL ARTISTS

Kevin Ledo

Recently exhibited at the ModeMuseum in Hasselt, Belgium and represented by the Ayden Gallery in Vancouver. He is an active member of the EN MASSE collective. Ledo has been featured in Juxtapoz Magazine, Cool Hunting and numerous other publications and medias including CBC Radio1 and the Montreal Mirror. Ledo’s paintings are internationally collected.

www.kevinledo.com

Evan Melnyk

BIG. BIGGER. BETTER. Three words which are descriptive of Montreal based freelance art director / graphic designer / artist / carbonated drink drinker Evan Melnyk. His favourite movies are your favourite movies, he enjoys music playing and awake dreaming. Most importantly, he moonlights as a body double for Prince (when he is not busy painting or fancifying products, garments, magazines and websites).

www.curseofthemultiples.com

Fronc Ng

Presently working at Ubisoft as a modeller and has had the good fortune to work with some of the amazing individuals at Steambot Studios. Enjoys creating characters… probably because he likes to play God. His wonderful hair suggests narcissism, but in fact his finely sculpted helmet is a happy accident that occurs every morning. Fronc fancy’s himself a sculptor, but entertains his dream of being a painter every once in a while.

VANCOUVER ARTISTS

Ben Tour

Canadian born artist Ben Tour (b. 1977) channels a dark, often haunting sense of humanism in his work. His observations deftly inform his paintings, enabling him to capture the essence of a character, then distort that view any way he desires. Frenetic lines, swaths of color, and intimate angles all convey a sense that Tour may not only be drawing inspiration from the lives of strangers he observes, but manifesting his own personal experiences as well. The emotional content in each portrait is palpable as this perceived notion of creation and catharsis is paired well with the immediate voyeuristic allure of his characters.

Tour has exhibited in galleries from Los Angeles to Miami, Hamburg to New York. His work has been featured in publications including BLK/MRKT One and Two, Juxtapoz, and Playboy. He has worked with clients such as BMW, Absolut, Nike and Burton Snowboards. Tour lives in The Sunshine Coast, British Columbia.

www.thetourshow.com

Peter Taylor

Peter Taylor is an artist living and working in Vancouver, Canada. His work revolves around a recurring theme of finding balance, and finding joy in the search for balance. He has been focusing primarily on his pencil drawings, but also works with other mediums such as collage, painting, mixed media, and sculpture.

www.handmadefeat.blogspot.ca

Andrew Gareth Young

His work currently focuses on lost and found adolescence. We are lost in our self-indulgent primal behavior, forgoing the morals and values our parents have instilled in us. In these images we reflect on our own experiences of these dark visceral moments and places. Our juvenility is found when we disregard our age and act on impulses, often finding ourselves demonstrating irreverent, self-gratifying exploits.

Spontaneous in some parts and carefully designed in others, his explorative compositions are the backbone to the figurative rendering. The result is sporadic abstraction paired with hyper-realism. His technical focus is to illuminate subjects with areas of saturated clarity, while obscuring them with textures reflecting classic contemporary aesthetics and textures found in mechanized print production. The work blends the authentic with the abstract in order to form a relationship between the figure and the intangible – between order and chaos.

www.dyoung.co

Kristian Adam

32, Vancouver. His work has been displayed in the Canadian Embassies of Japan, Korea and China. He has been published with Crow Toes Quarterly six times and exhibits regularly throughout Vancouver – including live demonstrations at BC Book and Magazine Week, Word on the Street Vancouver, Vancouver Gallery – and more recently the 2010 Winter Olympics, State of the Art World Ski and Snowboard Festival and EPIC Expo 2010.

His 2009 solo exhibit titled “The Nym Nums” featured over 60 new paintings and drawings and a book of 10 illustrated short stories written by Michael Sasi. Adam’s 2010 exhibit titled “Animalopolis” included an even larger collection of characters and short stories, featuring over 70 new works with 13 short stories written by Michael Sasi. The collaboration has been published and is available in limited edition through Crow Toes Quarterly

www.nymnum.com

Caroline Weaver

Weaver’s process involves scrutinizing photographs, clarifying every detail, and blowing out colour completely on a minute scale in order to produce an unromantic and scientific portrayal of nature. She attempts to freeze the subject in a stillness that a camera can’t always capture and makes an effort to include every gory detail, no matter how unattractive, in order to create an honest and sensitive portrait. Each part is also a whole, making the study vital and in possession of a spirit that transcends the image.

This approach allows the viewer to examine the piece from a Buddhist-like point of view. Being shown the softness of fur, firmness of muscles, liquid eyes, or hard smoothness of tooth enamel next to wet gums, transports one to a sympathetic vantage point of the subject.

www.jacanagallery.com/caroline-weaver

Peter Ricq

Born and raised in Montreal, now residing in Vancouver since 2007. His fine art work has been exhibited in Montreal, Vancouver, San Diego and Portland. Peter works full time on his own animated series produced by Nelvana and YTV as a creative producer, designer and writer. He’s been working as an art director in Vancouver for the past five years as well as a music producer / musician for the past three, selling music for hit shows like Entourage and CSI. Peter’s graduate film, GLITCH, was awarded with nine animation awards.

When time permits, Peter paints and illustrates environments, people and ideas that he’d like to see take shape one day.

www.parnellcollective.com

One of the best Canadian fashion brands out there hands down, Vancouver based LIFETIME COLLECTIVE is back with another killer collection for men and women. These guys do everything from chinos and denim – knitwear and outerwear – awesome artist collabo T’s – bags, ties, belts and other accessories – to even footwear! So a very wide collection indeed… below are just a few of our favourite pieces from this season, we have much more for you at the shop!

Here’s a little info on the brand in case you’re new to it…

“Founded in 2002 by Reid Stewart and Trevor Fleming, beneath a buzzing light bulb in a dingy basement suite, The Lifetime Collective began as a collaborative group of artists and friends. With clothing as the main focus, Lifetime is inspired by the communities we live in, the places we travel to, and the curious characters that surround us. It is a family-spirited operation receptive to ideas that are shifting and paths that are twisting.

More than a “brand of lifestyle,” Lifetime is defined by the changes that occur and the creative ways we adapt.

In fact, the theme of Lifetime should be, “a work in progress,” as it is ever-changing and far from finished, a dream never fully realized.”

One Piece: LIFETIME | Sunglasses: SUPER

T Shirt, Chinos & Shoes: LIFETIME | Hat: BRIXTON

Dress: LIFETIME

Top & Hammer Pants: LIFETIME | Hat: BRIXTON

Shirt, Chinos & Belt: LIFETIME

Dress: LIFETIME | Hat: BRIXTON

One of the best Canadian fashion brands out there hands down, Vancouver based LIFETIME COLLECTIVE is back with another killer collection for men and women. These guys do everything from chinos and denim – knitwear and outerwear – awesome artist collabo T’s – bags, ties, belts and other accessories – to even footwear! So a very wide collection indeed… below are just a few of our favourite pieces from this season, we have much more for you at the shop!

Here’s a little info on the brand in case you’re new to it…

“Founded in 2002 by Reid Stewart and Trevor Fleming, beneath a buzzing light bulb in a dingy basement suite, The Lifetime Collective began as a collaborative group of artists and friends. With clothing as the main focus, Lifetime is inspired by the communities we live in, the places we travel to, and the curious characters that surround us. It is a family-spirited operation receptive to ideas that are shifting and paths that are twisting.

More than a “brand of lifestyle,” Lifetime is defined by the changes that occur and the creative ways we adapt.

In fact, the theme of Lifetime should be, “a work in progress,” as it is ever-changing and far from finished, a dream never fully realized.”

Sweater, Shirt & Pants: LIFETIME | Glasses: SUPER | Hat: BRIXTON | Shoes: VANS

Hoody, Shorts & T Shirt: LIFETIME | Sunglasses: SUPER | Shoes: VANS

Cardigan, Polo & Pants: LIFETIME | Shoes: VANS

Jacket, Polo & Pants: LIFETIME | Sunglasses: SUPER | Shoes: VANS

Shorts & Top: LIFETIME | Hand Made Moccasins: KEN DIAMOND X LIFETIME

Check out some of our favourite swimsuit pieces below from various collections including (Montreal designed) BRISA BRASIL, CHEAP MONDAY and of course, INSIGHT. Gentlemen… don’t think we forgot you… we have a ton of bathing suits for you as well in stock now, photos coming soon!

Bikini: BRISA BRASIL | Sunglasses: SUPER | Shoes: POINTER

Bikini: BRISA BRASIL | Top: BETINA LOU | Sunglasses: CHEAP MONDAY | Shoes: POINTER

One-Piece Zip & Sunglasses: CHEAP MONDAY

One-Piece Zip & Sunglasses: CHEAP MONDAY | Hat: BRIXTON

Bikini: CHEAP MONDAY

Bikini & Top: CHEAP MONDAY | Sunglasses: SUPER

One-Piece, Top & Bikini: INSIGHT | Sunglasses: SUPER | Hat: BRIXTON

We love Insight, its been a staple at the shop since we hosted the brand launch for it in Montreal almost 5 years ago now! Born out of the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Insight collections are definitely at their sexiest in the warmer months… Spring ’12 does not disappoint. We’ve got great little summer dresses, one pieces, swimsuits, shorts and tops in that are perfect for the sunny days ahead. There’s more on the way as well as a full selection for men too! Check out some of our current, favourite pieces for women below…

Top & Shorts: INSIGHT

Dress: INSIGHT | Sunglasses: SUPER

Dress: INSIGHT | Glasses: SUPER

Shorts & Tank: INSIGHT | Glasses: SUPER | Hat: BRIXTON

Swimsuit & Shirt: INSIGHT | Sunglasses: SUPER | Hat: BRIXTON

Bodysuit, Tank & T-Shirt: INSIGHT | Sunglasses: SUPER | Hats: BRIXTON

Just in time for a much awaited and always beautiful summer in Montreal, SUPER sunglasses are back at Three Monkeys with a perfect Spring/Summer collection! The new and colorful VISIVA print series sets the perfect tone for the sunny days ahead… other highlights include some newly introduced silhouettes like the AMÉRICA, PANAMÁ & RACER and some great new lenses like the PILOT series.

These tend to disappear pretty quickly, we hand pick our styles one by one to keep our selection wide but unique, so come visit the shop soon to get the pair you want!

Here’s a little bit about SUPER in case you’re new to the brand…

“SUPER, by RETROSUPERFUTURE®, ignited the phenomenon of acetate sunglasses. They are made in multiple color graduations, which has generated a big trend starting in 2007. Super is the 1rst brand to produce a complete range of colorful fashion sunglasses combining these characteristics together with a very high quality manufacturing process. SUPER sunglasses are made to the highest possible standards, hand made in Italy by the best manufacturers and with the best materials. For this reason, SUPER also decided to adopt ZEISS lenses, which guarantee an extremely high level of protection to the eyes in all conditions. Since their introduction, artists, celebrities, sports athletes and trendsetters have been wearing SUPER sunglasses.”

VISIVA SERIES | SPRING ’12 PRINTS

Made specifically for those who want to own a fine hand-crafted piece of eyewear with a unique twist. SUPER printed models are subtle on the outside – timeless colors and classic havana acetates, with an all-over print on the inside – and can just as easily be worn by the 60 year-old elegant cigar-smoking man as the 20 year-old girl rollerblading on the Santa Monica Pier.

This Spring the prints are a collection of fantastically kitsch vintage 70’s and 80’s beach-themed postcards, scientific illustrations of fish and illustrations with a retro vibe and fun photographs of tropical plants and fruits. The prints are mounted on a range of our signature silhouettes – the BASIC, CICCIO, FLAT TOP – as well as some of the newest editions to the SUPER family: the AMÉRICA, PALOMA, and the RACER. Each pair comes with its matching printed box. We have these styles in stock now…

Flat Top | Bananas

América | Inn

Classics | Florida

NEW SILHOUETTES & LENSES

Flat Top | Pilot

SUPER made it their mission this season to produce the perfect shades for driving in the high-glare Spring/Summer months. The result? The PILOT series: four of their sportiest, most sought-after silhouettes equipped with a unique Carl Zeiss lens specifically designed for driving.

Studies have proven that the special brown and orange tinged lenses provide the optimum comfort to the eye under the strain of sunlight. Colors are not modified, allowing the eye to relax rather than to adjust to unnatural colors. The shades are treated with an anti-reflection effect on the inside to avoid those annoying and distracting reflections in your eyes and allow you to see clearer. Ideal for driving short or long distances, whether it be in your sports car, family wagon, chopper, speed boat or scooter. We have it available in sleek, impeccable black with gunmetal hardware in the FLAT TOP silhouette.

Racer | Black

Among the various incarnations of new models and revamped old favorites, SUPER introduces their brand new sporty silhouette: The RACER. It is, as its name suggests, the sportiest, flashiest model of the season. The RACER shades have a gritty masculine appeal, and all the charm of  a 70’s pilot. We have it available in glossy black-on-black with delicate gold plaques on the arms.

América | Palmas

The AMÉRICA is a timeless re-modelling of a cult design, with equal parts ‘90s and ‘50s. This model invokes a particular Americana: jukeboxes, Cadillacs and Johnny Cash, seen through the lens of a 90’s Wrigley’s commercial.

A solid silhouette with sturdy arms and a clean rectangular shape, we have the AMÉRICA available in DARK HAVANA acetate for a dramatic impact… a modern, light-hearted updating of a cult classic. With the PALMAS print, this favorite becomes a covetable and collectible item for the SUPER aficionados.

Panamá | Blonde Havana Matte & Gold Metal / Vintage Green Lenses

Perfect for every physiognomic shape, the PANAMÁ silhouette set the basis and standards for all of the sunglasses developed this season. A result of much research, the metal and acetate are the perfect synthesis of the SUPER aesthetic… unique, recognizable, eternal. In metropolitan or bohemian styles, for the wholesome or for the rebels, these are eye-catching classics that never try too hard. The HAVANA colored frame is masterfully combined with vintage green lenses. Enjoy.

MORE SPRING ’12 FAVORITES

América | Black

The AMÉRICA is a timeless re-modelling of a cult design, with equal parts ‘90s and ‘50s. This model invokes a particular Americana: jukeboxes, Cadillacs and Johnny Cash, seen through the lens of a 90’s Wrigley’s commercial.

W | Havana Black Top | Black & Briar | Summer Safari | Black

One line, unique style of late 70′s italian design, retro-futuristic to perfection, yet also basic simplicity.

Andrea | Striped Havana

SUPER took their established classic FLAT TOP shape and eliminated the bottom acetate, revealing a refreshing futuristic lens and look. For the trend leaders as well as mainstream consumer.

Flat Top | Cheetah

The SUPER FLAT TOP is clean, simple and essential, a modern design twist on top of the classics.

People | Horn

Creating a classic unisex piece of eyewear which can be worn to satisfy every need and occasion is a sunglass company’s biggest challenge… In response, SUPER brings you the PEOPLE.

NEW CLEAR LENS STYLES

Classic | Black Clear

Ciccio | Black Clear

People | Francis Havana Clear

Penfield is now in at Three Monkeys and it’s probably the largest collection we’re carrying this Spring ’12! There is really very little that we didn’t order in fact… we’ve got shirts, shorts, chinos, jackets, backpacks, ties and more! Take a look at some of what we have below and you’ll understand why we just couldn’t hold back, from top to bottom Penfield Spring ’12 is looking very, very fresh.

Don’t think we forgot you girls either! Although there is not nearly as much for women as men, we still have a few great things available… we’ll post some pictures up soon, but you should just come down to the shop and check it out in person!

Shirt, Tie & Chinos: PENFIELD | Hat: BRIXTON | Shoes: VANS

Shirt, Jacket & Chinos: PENFIELD | Sunglasses: SUPER | Shoes: VANS

Shirt, Tie & Chinos: PENFIELD | Sunglasses: SUPER | Hat: BRIXTON | Shoes: VANS

Zip Up & Chinos: PENFIELD | Sunglasses: SUPER | Shoes: VANS

Shirt, Tie, Jacket & Chinos: PENFIELD | Shoes: VANS

Shirt & Chinos: PENFIELD | Hat: BRIXTON | Shoes: VANS

Jacket & Chinos: PENFIELD | Shoes: VANS

Polo & Chinos: PENFIELD | Shoes: VANS

V-Neck, Jacket & Chinos: PENFIELD | Sunglasses: SUPER | Shoes: VANS

Shirt, Tie, Jacket & Chinos: PENFIELD | Shoes: VANS

Shirt, Chinos & Cooking Apron: PENFIELD

Great video From Lifetime and Salazar for the new Spring ’12 collection, available at the shop now! Watching this really makes you wanna get on the road and travel… good Summer vibes and the clothes look amazing. Enjoy…

Spring ’12 is in full swing at Three Monkeys! The store is packed packed packed with amazing new stuff from all of your favourite brands! We’ve been working overtime receiving everything, putting it out and making the store look pretty, as well as shooting all of the best collections to post up for you right here.

While we process all of our Spring ’12 in-store photoshoots, we thought we’d give you a little preview of what’s coming. While taking our proper, glossy, high resolution photos, we also like to snap a few fun quickies on the iPhone for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and all that. Usually we don’t post them up on our website but some of these were just too fun to not get some play, plus it gives you a quick look at stuff that is in fact in stock right now. So this will be a little different…

Below are some fun lo-fi photos featuring moments from our latest shoots for Lifetime Collective, Cheap Monday, Penfield and the Three Monkeys Swimsuit Edition featuring Insight, Brisa Brasil, Cheap Monday and Betina Lou… with a bunch of Brixton and Super hats & sunglasses thrown in for good measure! Over the next couple weeks we’ll be posting up the full related shoots, nice and clean and high resolution so you can get a clear look at the clothes… enjoy the preview!

LIFETIME COLLECTIVE
Women’s Spring ’12 Collection

LIFETIME COLLECTIVE
Men’s Spring ’12 Collection

CHEAP MONDAY
Women’s Spring ’12 Collection

PENFIELD
Men’s Spring ’12 Collection

THREE MONKEYS SWIMSUIT EDITION
Featuring Insight, Brisa Brasil, Betina Lou & Cheap Monday

Valerie Dumaine’s new Spring ’12 collection has just arrived at Three Monkeys in time for the weekend, beautiful as always, this Montreal based brand has been a staple at the shop since the day we opened our doors. This is one of our longest running women’s collections and it’s held a place on our racks for over 8 years now! Designed with clean and elegant lines, both casual and sophisticated, you can take one look at Valerie Dumaine’s pieces and see why we’ve supported her for so long. Check out some of the photos from her new lookbook below to see what we have in stock, you can also visit her website at http://valeriedumaine.com to see the full collection, if there’s anything you like that we haven’t featured just let us know and we’ll try to special order it for you.

Here’s a little history on the brand and the designer herself…

“Valerie Dumaine has been active in the Montreal fashion scene for more than 14 years now. She graduated from LaSalle College in 1997 and then spent the next five years doing work as an illustrator, pattern maker and designer for various local companies. During that time period, she also went to London where she completed an internship with designer Gaile McConaghie. Upon completion of her Certificate in German at UQAM in 2002, Valerie Dumaine was once again Europe-bound; this time, her focus was Berlin. She reveled in the German fashion scene and culture, acquiring a firm and definitive direction. This experience became a major turning point in her career. After returning to Montreal, she decided to begin work on her own line. In the Spring of 2004 Valerie Dumaine was finally born!

Valerie Dumaine likes to dig into the past. She creates refined and bold garments that are characterized by clean and elegant lines. Valerie Dumaine’s carefully designed collections offer both options in a style that is assertive and unique. All collections are entirely made in Canada.”