Who am I?
Born in Toronto, Ontario, the day the subway opened in 1954
in the happy land called Canada.
Named Adriana Mechelina Veenstra by my Dutch immigrant
parents; nicknamed Bonnie.
The name Glass came along when I married John (people ask me
how you spell that?!)
Lived near Georgetown, Ontario for 35 years now.
What are my
credentials?
You mean who taught me how to sew?
MOM! And some really good highschool Home Ec. instructors.
Self-taught for the rest through 35 years of trial and error
- ALOT of trial and error. The school of hard knocks is a
great master.
What started me? The Dance of Design has always
been in my head. As a child the library fuelled my
imagination through all the books I read. "Pride and
Prejudice" was my favourite. As a young mother my champagne
taste, beer budget (sometimes water) pushed me to make
unique clothing for myself and my two children. Frustration
being the mother of invention here.
Eventually my love of colour, line and texture led
me to design a really unusual coat, which I loved wearing.
Inquiries from strangers as to where I had purchased this
coat led me to establish a business under the name "Mélange"
in 1991. I designed one of a kind coats, skirts, jackets and
special occasion-wear. Garments now carry a "Bonnie Glass
original" label.
What keeps my creativity going?
I serve an awesome God and
it is a privilege and the delight of my soul to express his
gifts through this work. Philippians 4:8
Who do I design for? Women who
are:
CONFIDENT
They've developed their own sense of style and are
comfortable - even elated - in expressing their joie de
vivre. Often times that grows from their life experiences.
ORIGINALS:
The garments, just like their owners are one of a kind. They
are the ones that stand out from the blah of black you see
milling around on the Go Train platform in the dead of
winter.
BOHEMIAN AT HEART
These are women, and their life partners, who enjoy the arts
in all its many forms.
The Vision for my work?
Being of Dutch descent, (which means practical) my feet are
firmly planted on the ground; but my head feels happiest up
in the clouds. In my designs this translates into
durability, versatility, intricately woven with the
aesthetics of the artful and theatrical. The net result
being a timeless treasure that embodies my client's
personality. It means I bring theatre to the street of the
everyday hustle and bustle of life - it's where the
extraordinary engages the ordinary. And I know that when my
clients smile in response to the compliments they get, it
spreads a little ray of sunshine; and I think that's pretty
neat.