April 23, 2017 Meet the Maker - Oh Dina!
Meet Nicole, the maker behind our latest collaboration, Truvelle x Oh Dina!. Looking for an accessories line to compliment our 2017 collection, we stumbled upon Oh Dina! and Nicole McInnis. After our first phone chat it was clear that we needed to collaborate with Nicole. Her high energy and general enthusiasm was instantly contagious and we couldn’t pass down the opportunity to work together. Step inside her flower-filled home studio and get to know the lady behind our favourite floral headpieces.
"I always had a strong interest in design and creating.”
"I am originally from Hubbards, Nova Scotia which is a small fishing village about 30 minutes south of Halifax... My mother was a costume designer for children’s theatre so I grew up in a home that really nurtured my artistic interests. I studied historical costume design at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and then continued my studies with the Fashion Design program at Ryerson in Toronto. While I was in my third year at Ryerson I began creating vintage inspired headpieces and Oh Dina! was born in 2007."
“Where my studio is located I can hear the foghorns on foggy days and it is such a comforting sound.”
"The pieces for the Truvelle collection are handcrafted by myself in my Downtown Dartmouth studio. My partner and I recently moved into an old house and I have turned the dining room into a floral oasis. The woodwork in this space has such character and it only adds to the magical atmosphere. I literally have flowers and vines hanging from everything around me and even turned the antique light fixture into a massive floral chandelier."
"Maintaining longevity in this industry is truly challenging but it keeps me pushing to design creatively stimulating pieces.”
"Whenever I am working on a large project I turn my boards in front of my desk into my inspiration board. I am a tactile designer so the materials I use dictate how the design comes together. For the Truvelle collection, I had been directly inspired by the rich silks and delicate lace that were used in the 2017 dresses. When I was sourcing the materials I knew that we wanted to keep the collection ethereal, delicate, and have a slightly timeless aesthetic. Each of the flowers used in the headpieces are individually tea stained in a variety of depths of hues to give in an antiqued champagne feel. We also tea stained the Japanese grosgrain ribbon to coordinate with the flowers and the golden baby’s breath halo."
"Love what you do and do it well.”
“There is no better feeling than having people purchase your designs and knowing that they are going to be wearing them on the biggest, most photographed day of their life. I am genuinely honoured that brides choose to wear these little details that I made with my hands so I put a lot of love into each piece that leaves my studio.”
“I believe in creating beautifully handcrafted pieces with a strong emphasis on detail. Each Oh Dina! piece that leaves my studio has so many delicate textures within the design such as the ferns adorned with baby’s breath in this collection. I believe in being good to people and that positivity and love will be returned to you.“
“My roots are here and there is such a supportive energy for artisans in Nova Scotia.”
"The best part of having my home studio in Downtown Dartmouth is that we are 2 blocks from the ferry which takes you to Halifax. There is something so romantic about jumping on the ferry at night to go have a date in Halifax and sitting on the top listening to the waves and seeing the cityscape.
"Little Oak Bar in Downtown Halifax is a great spot to have dinner with girlfriends and catch up over a curated wine list. The Canteen, which is just a few blocks from my studio, has the best brunch. For shops, Earth Goddess in the Hydrostone is filled with gorgeous stones and artisan jewellery. Koko Mod is my local flower shop filled with stunning plants and a unique selection of flowers and greenery. Whenever I need to be inspired, I will pop in to visit."
View the Truvelle x Oh Dina! collection
Photography by Jesse Ingalls
To see more of Oh Dina!'s unique handcrafted pieces, visit her Etsy page.
