Cold Lake designer duo draws fashion attention

A designer duo from a central Alberta community have married their clothing and jewelry passions and they're getting the fashion world's attention.

"Nadine first approached me about a year ago and asked if I would collaborate with her on a project, so we decided we would both do fashion week to try it out. I went back to her in the fall and said, let's do this," Cassandra Newton told Daybreak Alberta.

Newton is a clothing designer in Cold Lake. Sherecently partnered with jewelry designer NadineDeslauriers-Friesen and the results are getting a lot of attention. Deslauriers-Friesen'sworks of art are attached directly to Newton's clothing designs.

Last 2 years 'most amazing'

"I have been creating jewelry for the past few years, but the last two have been the most amazing years so far," Deslauriers-Friesen said.

"I like to create any kind of jewelry. Chokers for the stars in Los Angeles and nice necklaces for a woman like me."

Both have achieved success independently.

Deslauriers-Friesen was invited to share her jewelry at the DPA Group's pre-Emmy Award gifting suite in Los Angeles in 2014 and pre-Golden Globe gifting suite in 2015.

"It was quite amazing," she said.

'We want your jewelry'

"When the lady contacted me at home and said to me, 'Nadine, we want your jewelry at the gifting suite,' and I was like, 'But I don't create with diamonds, gold and precious stones,'" Deslauriers-Friesen said with a laugh.

"What am I going to do there?Are you serious?"

Newton's designs have gotten lots of attention at recent Western Canada Fashion Week events.

"I did the emerging designer competition in March of 2015 and I won third of nine designers. They were all designers that were formally trained, went to college and I am completely self-taught, so it was a dream come true just to get third out of all of that," Newton said.

"I went back in September of 2015 and I ended up winning first."

And now, the pair is off to Western Canada Fashion Week, which starts Thursday in Edmonton, for the first time as a team.

"We are hoping it is going to spark that interest so that they say, 'Wow, look at that collection,'" Deslauriers-Friesen said.

"We are in Cold Lake so it's quite interesting to know that, two people in the same town have big ideas to bring to the city."

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With files from Daybreak Albertaand Cindy Couture Photography