Introducing our latest collection 'Momentum', which welcomes three new silhouettes in our signature color palette. Combining shapes and hues that meticulously weave the nostalgic with the now, to create pieces that feel like they have always existed.
A hint of gold, bathing in the sun's sweet touch, scattering light across the room. A collection of jewels; treasures passed from hand to hand over a lifetime, millennia, as far back as words can speak. We keep them for our daughters, sons, their children. A gift of the familiar or strange; a token of self, preserved. An Heirloom to keep, and then to relinquish. Introducing our latest collection ‘Heirlooms’, carefully crafted to last lifetimes.
Tell us... what can you simply not live without? Your base needs in this scenario are of course, already fulfilled. Now; the desires. What is essential for your pleasure? A single blueberry in your sparkling water? Champagne and oysters, on the first Sunday of every month? Or perhaps the perfect pair of sunglasses, for every mood and occasion. Satisfy your cravings with our new collection, ‘Les Essentials’. Embody what you are owed, be it the blueberry or the champagne; allow yourself all of life’s pleasures.
The woman. The French countryside. The golden light of late summer. Dry grass and dusty fruit trees and the fuming exhale of afternoon heat. A classic countryside chateau, crisp laundry swaying from an open window. The woman. Chlorine and cigarette smoke. Droplets of pool water clinging to bare skin. She wears nothing but sunglasses, cat-eyed and champagne-hued.
Desire like the last drag of a shared cigarette, like eye contact held a moment too long, like the steaming hiss of hot concrete. A yellow towel falling to the ground. A lemon squeezed into water. The handsome, olive-skinned pool boy squinting up at her as if she is the sun. All men are the same, the woman thinks. Desire makes you dizzy as heatstroke. Heat that makes you feel like you're dreaming. The way she moves: like molten honey, like liquid gold, like a whispered secret. He asks her to run away with him, not realizing she is always two steps ahead. There are certain hazy summer afternoons where anything is possible. She can almost feel the wind whistling through her hair, the open road unfolding in front of her like a shimmering mirage. Nowhere to go but everywhere. There are certain women who can get away with anything. The woman. She belongs only to herself.
La Femme is a short film that embodies the Velvet Canyon aesthetic through the sumptuous sensuality and raw visual impact of French new wave cinema - where Bardot meets Godard. Shot in the south of France and starring the luminous Maelys Garouis and Charles Crehange as star-crossed, heat-scorched lovers, this is a sun-soaked short we've been dreaming of bringing to life since long before we began Velvet Canyon. Directed by photographer and VC co-founder Ali Mitton, La Femme is a lush and evocative love letter to the 1960's and the irresistible mystery of femininity. Seducing your senses with vibrant color and intoxicating texture, it harnesses the carefree energy and effortless glamour of the brand itself. The whole world is ripe as a peach for the woman who belongs only to herself.
Our latest collection introduces two new, timeless silhouettes— the oversized and oh-so-chic ‘Silver Screen’, an homage to a bygone era of film; and the aptly-named ‘Le Classique’, a pared-back essential, equal parts masculine and feminine. Our classics return in all new colors, like ‘Motel Musa’ in our new, house-designed Pistachio, and ‘Golden Era’ in Meringue - silky smooth and good enough to eat.
'Sun rays filter through the leaves of the oleander, casting dancing shadows on the setting below; a woman, resplendent in her gown, frowns at her wine glass. It appears, at a glance, that it is empty. She wanders down the stairs, the silk of her gown trailing over her body like a soft kiss. Glass once again, deliciously full, she begins the work for the day — she is owed love, and she is here to deliver.
They call her a hedonist as though it’s an insult, but how could it be anything but the highest praise? She consumes joy, she lusts for the finer things in life, she craves decadence and she will indulge.
Presenting, ‘How To Be Your Own Lover’, a short film and mini series by Velvet Canyon. The first step, of course was to find our Sanctuary; a Jacques Couëlle creation found in the South of France was to be our oasis and setting of the film. 'How to Be Your Own Lover' is an ode to self love. A letter written, with adoration, to life itself. A reminder that You. Are. Everything.
With love, Velvet Canyon
Director — Ali Mitton
Creative Direction — Bec Nolan
Producer — Cass Moase
Director of Photography — Dannel Escallon
1st Assist — Samuel Nolan
Stylist — Emily Balius
Beauty — Norien Voskuilen
Production Assistant — Olivia Myers
Talent — Camille Mbaye, Milva Spina & Sandra Morlett
Written By — Ali Mitton & Bryon Whalen
Translation & Voiceover — Alma Chomel
Our latest campaign was shot in the Hollywood Hills by co-founder Ali Mitton.
Starring Halimotu Shokunbi, Jess Morrow and Kelly Gale.
Director — Ali Mitton
Cinematographer - Dominic Haydn Rawle
AC — Tyler Purcell
Music — Jordan Chini
Production — Cassie Ebner @ Palo Santo Studios & Bryan Whalen
Talent — Halimotu Shokunbi, Kelly Gale & Jess Morrow
Hair — Eddie Cook
Makeup — Casey Gore
Styling — Alyssa Sutter
Photo Assistant — David Paul
Set Assistant — Arianna Rivera
PA — Mar Rodriguez
Location — Stahl House
It’s one of those days where the heat feels oppressive. You peel off your clothes and dip your toes into the crystalline sea. Strange landforms rise up around you, some with familiar silhouettes, but most foreign, unknown. It doesn’t matter, they’re merely a backdrop to the dazzling ocean. You dive in. The water’s cool, the daydream has just begun.
Designed in Paris during confinement, ‘Persona’ was created from a longing for life and all of its possibilities, each design encapsulating a life that could be.
Designed with the desire to emulate the minimalist movement of the nineties, our latest collection, ’Formes’ emotes the pleasure of the paired back. Simple yet bold lines curated perfectly with classic shapes and combined with a sophisticated color palette come together to elevate every look. Introducing our latest styles, 'L’homme' and 'La Petite', along with a new colour selection; ‘Cacao’ a luxe, buttery brown, and Milk Tea, a unique take on the classic tort.
They say life is all about balance; night to day, yin to yang — an electric melange of opposites, a clash of the ephemeral and everlasting. We may be hedonists at heart, but there’s something to living life from every angle. Cue our latest collection. She’s handsome, he’s pretty. Put on the shades, wear the damn suit. Life is to be consumed.
Muses: Rubina, Sparkish & Gilli
Photographer: Ali Mitton
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The woman. The French countryside. The golden light of late summer. Dry grass and dusty fruit trees and the fuming exhale of afternoon heat. A classic countryside chateau, crisp laundry swaying from an open window. The woman. Chlorine and cigarette smoke. Droplets of pool water clinging to bare skin. She wears nothing but sunglasses, cat-eyed and champagne-hued.
Desire like the last drag of a shared cigarette, like eye contact held a moment too long, like the steaming hiss of hot concrete. A yellow towel falling to the ground. A lemon squeezed into water. The handsome, olive-skinned pool boy squinting up at her as if she is the sun. All men are the same, the woman thinks. Desire makes you dizzy as heatstroke. Heat that makes you feel like you're dreaming. The way she moves: like molten honey, like liquid gold, like a whispered secret. He asks her to run away with him, not realizing she is always two steps ahead. There are certain hazy summer afternoons where anything is possible. She can almost feel the wind whistling through her hair, the open road unfolding in front of her like a shimmering mirage. Nowhere to go but everywhere. There are certain women who can get away with anything. The woman. She belongs only to herself.
La Femme is a short film that embodies the Velvet Canyon aesthetic through the sumptuous sensuality and raw visual impact of French new wave cinema - where Bardot meets Godard. Shot in the south of France and starring the luminous Maelys Garouis and Charles Crehange as star-crossed, heat-scorched lovers, this is a sun-soaked short we've been dreaming of bringing to life since long before we began Velvet Canyon. Directed by photographer and VC co-founder Ali Mitton, La Femme is a lush and evocative love letter to the 1960's and the irresistible mystery of femininity. Seducing your senses with vibrant color and intoxicating texture, it harnesses the carefree energy and effortless glamour of the brand itself. The whole world is ripe as a peach for the woman who belongs only to herself.
Film coming May 2019.
See our behind the scenes post here.
I was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic and moved to the Bronx, in 2001, and have been living there since, though my art studio is in Brooklyn.
Currently, I’m working on some more large scale oil paintings and some smaller works. I all of a sudden have a bunch of shows coming up, which is always a major goal as a young artist, but the pressure is on! So I paint daily, while also have the opportunity to model and collaborate with brands on the side.
I come from a creative family, my mom always painted growing up, my aunt, Rosa Tavarez, is a well known artist in the Dominican Republic, a lot of my family can play instruments or draw. When moving to this country, however, survival becomes priority, so creativity wasn’t the focus. I tried to want to do other things, especially when I first started college, but making art was the only thing that felt worthwhile. It took years for things to click though (sometimes it still doesn’t). When I finally found materials that allowed me to express coherently after experimenting with a lot of other mediums, that’s when purpose and intention became clearer. My passion was always there but it was timid, but through years of trial and error, I can now shine outwardly and confidently.
My work is rooted in my constant desire to be honest with myself even if I’m cringing while I paint. I get inspiration from never seeing myself represented in history and media. A canvas is a surface that is inherently presentational so it gives me the opportunity to speak and be seen. I choose to paint because I can engage with my past and the present, and paint a reality that’s been suppressed: the existence of black and brown bodies, and how they engage with sex, sexuality, religion, guilt, the world? I am still building that language, but it’s becoming clearer with every new work.
Honesty and transparency inspires me the most. Experiencing emotions and translating them visually/ creating visual experiences that translate into emotions. Also, people seeing themselves seen in my work, was something that I didn’t start out thinking about, but now I meet people often that appreciate feeling represented, so that has been really pushing me lately. Has been giving me more purpose.
This is a tough one. If I could be remembered for one thing, it would probably be versatility/ experimentation, and clarity within that. Though my paintings are pretty cohesive, I’ve done a lot of different things, and will continue to grow and explore. I don’t like to feel limited or boxed in, I want to live many full lives.
The most amazing place I’ve ever been so far has probably been France. I’ve had so many good experiences in different cities, there I learned that I can slow down and life doesn’t fall apart. To enjoy the simplicity of the everyday.
Five years from now, I’ll be 28/29. It’s hard to tell because things I thought were so far, are now happening, so given that, I can’t even begin to fully understand what could happen in the next couple years, and that is really exciting. I hope by then, I’m more settled in and can create with less obstacles around. With the crazy (good) month I’m having, I honestly don’t know, we’ll see, either way, I know I’ll be alright.
Muse: Mónica Hernández
Photographer: Ali Mitton
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Can I say everything? I’m basically from here so LA is comfort. It’s fruit trees and blue skies. It’s windows down singing at the top of your lungs. It’s the best tacos of your life. You can go North/South/East/West an hour in any direction and be at the beach, mountains, or the desert. It’s everything.
I have a love affair with both. Makeup is one of my art forms, being able to make a living off of my art is the dream. I grew up doing musical theatre and preforming for people has always fuelled me, I see modelling with the same lens. It can be extremely fulfilling at times.
Currently brainstorming but after a long break I’m going to make music and start singing again. I’m happiest when I’m singing.
Right now I’m feeling nostalgic for the past, been listening to a lot of jazz like Ella, bee-bop and 60’s soul. Watching old films, longing for the glamour of it all. I’m disenchanted with where we are today in beauty so I'm looking to the past to find inspiration. There’s so much there to discover. I’ve also always looked up to strong, beautiful, ballsy women with incredible personal style like my mom, who people would mistake for Diana Ross, and try to emulate that same energy in whatever I create.
For being Beyoncé’s best friend and confidant (manifesting) and being a good human that people can’t live without once I’m gone. 😇 Love me forever.
France, I’m in love with Paris. Consider me a Francophile.
This is so hard for me to answer because I love food so much.
1. Jon and Vinnys in LA- If you know me you know it’s my favorite restaurant in LA (besides Cheesecake Factory) Open kitchen, good music, natural wine, fresh pasta and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Everything made in house. I die for this place. Sponsor me.
2. La Cantinettea Di Rignana -in Rignana about 45 min south of Florence. Fresh Italian food with an open rustic kitchen that looks like its been there for centuries paired with amazing wine with views of the winery where the wine came from. Nothing better than that.
3. Le Relais de Venise l’entrecôte- Paris (they have locations all over the world) if you love steak frites as much as I do this will be your favorite place. They only serve one thing- steak and fries with a steak sauce that is addictive.
Muse: Matisse
Photographer: Ali Mitton
Stylist: Chainé Leyendecker
Hair: Eddie Cook
]]>Fun fact: the name Velvet Canyon was not originally intended to be our brand name. It was the name of a short film we had dreamed of creating, around the same time we were talking about starting a brand.
Launching a brand turned out to be all consuming and the idea of a short film was put on the back-burner. But we always knew it was a creative project we wanted to pursue, and suddenly we had a brand that gave us the means to pull it off.
So in September, the whole VC team travelled to Europe, both to shoot our campaign in Spain and to work on the project we'd been dreaming of since before VC existed.
Here's a first look behind the scenes of our short film, 'La Femme', shot in the South of France.
All images shot by Ali Mitton and Samuel Nolan.
Talent: Maelys Garouis & Charles Crehange
H&MU: Isabelle Kryla
Creative Direction: Ali Mitton, Bec Nolan & Cass Moase
Film to be released April 2019
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Our latest collection, 'Golden Era' is a reimagining of a time when change was embraced and revolution was in the air; female, artistic, sexual.
Long held values are challenged and progress feels inevitable. In our revision of history, equality is reached.
A girl can dream..
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