Heart Hats

Designer Lara Vincent says, "Some girls are born
with glitter in their veins."

Wearing charms and hearts, the up and coming fashion designer sparkles in the light of a Mexican lounge.

Lara Vincent, a former Winnipeg designer in her third year of Fashion design at Ryerson Institute in Toronto, takes an evening out of her busy schedule to talk about her new creations, inspirations and being Lara. Her manner and attire are completely adorable, somewhat like a little girl playing dress up, but she doesn’t really look like a little girl, she’s flirty and chic.

I wouldn’t describe her to be childlike at all, she just contains some girlish attributes that make her young, fun, and lovable. She giggles her contagious giggle when she speaks of the things she loves to design. Dresses, always dresses. Babydolls are her specialty. This trend from the early 70s, then again in the 90s, isn’t rocked by many, but suites Lara lovely.

Really into hearts and trinkets and searching through treasure chests of junk, Lara re-creates the old, finding inspiration in many things and people.

"I love hearts. I am obsessed with them!", noticing a chain of various charms around her neck I glance again at the sparkling heart ring she twists on her finger. It reminds me of something out of a trinket machine but somehow Lara has the gift of making something ordinary extraordinary.


Lara Vincent recently designed a jewelry line which is inspired by these things she loves.

"It sucks cause everything I make I make for myself. I don’t want to sell it!"

Looking through her pieces I noticed that everything was so Lara. What’s Lara? Anything pink, a dress, boots, charms and trinkets. Anything ultra feminine and adorable with frayed edges. Like a frilly dress with a leather jacket and boots.

Lara Vincent had a recent successful fashion show during "Toronto Alternative Fashion Week" showing her style and expressing herself is key to successful design.

As school can produce a sea of look alikes, Lara says she gets bad marks in school because she does what she wants. Lara finds Ryerson challenging because it is a technical Institute, and her creative freedom is often shut down by instructors. She doesn’t want to make something that she doesn’t like, or that looks like everybody else's to get a good grad. "I don’t want to sell at the Bay, I want to be different."

Lara Vincent is inspired by Vivienne Westwood although she doesn’t love her stuff; but loves that she breaks the mold.

"She has started movements with her designs."

She makes an impression. She has used her design to protest, and express her feelings and beliefs. I think she has the right idea of what fashion should be all about.

And last words to describe Lara Vincent, words to live by, "Don’t listen to the norm. Do your own thing. Do what makes you happy."

Lara does this and shines like more then a pretty penny on a busy street, making the top 10 designers of her year. Lara is well known and loved in Winnipeg and on her way up on the who’s who of Toronto. Look out fashion, Lara Vincent is taking over!

Lara Vincent most recently finished an internship with Betsey Johnson in New York and is designing handfuls of headdresses.