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Meet Our Designers!
Boodie Kiss Pet Couture is so happy to introduce you to our three fantastic designers! Each brings their own creativity and flair, allowing for a varied selection of styles to suit any taste! Each of our Designers resides in the beautiful province of British Columbia on the west coast of Canada where they all draw so much of their inspiration! Together, they have almost a century of experience in textile arts! Amazing (and we're really not that old)!
KATHARINE V. WIGZELL
Katharine V. Wigzell was born in Switzerland, of British parents but raised in western Canada. She has always been extremely inventive and creative. Majoring in fine arts during school, she has also completed diplomas in Fashion Design, from Kwantlen University College and Merchandising Arts, from Langara College.Her love of fashion, lead to a career in the film industry of Vancouver. Katharine has been active in the designing and creating of costumes for the film industry for over 8 years, working on such projects as Battlestar Galactica, Dead Like Me, Godiva’s, Chestnut, and DaVinci’s Inquest, in various aspects.
As an artist, textiles are Katharine’s preferred medium. Her works are a unique collaboration of color, texture and design. Inspired by the natural beauty of the West Coast of British Colombia and the colors and energy of the Caribbean, Katharine’s winter getaway of choice. She continues to surprise and inspire with each new piece.
Katharine is known for creating one-of-a-kind pieces in quilting, knitting, fashion, jewelry, handbags, and house-wares.
“… In working with textiles I feel I am able to create both an art piece that can be displayed and admired, but that also serves a practical function.”
When Allisa began her foray into the world of couture quilts for pets, she immediately suggested her good friend and work associate Katharine should design and create some quilts as well. Allisa knew that Katharine would bring her own style to the company and that her quilts would be completely different from what was currently being created and would compliment the current selection nicely.
Welcome to the company Katharine!
JANET JOHNSON
Janet has been sewing since the age of eight. Though she was always interested in quilting, she began to persue it seriously in 1982 when she was living in Kelowna, British Columbia. The process of constantly learning new tricks, secrets and styles while experimenting with shapes and colors has kept Janet at it. She is so excited to bring all of her knowledge and skill to Boodie Kiss. We are excited to have her join us on our path to providing stylish and sophisticated, yet fun and fantastical quilts for you and your pet!
ALLISA M. SWANSON
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Allisa moved to BC when she was just six. Ever since she was little, traveling around the world has been a big part of her life and always provided some of the best learning experiences.Allisa began sewing when she was 12 and designing when she was 14. By the time she was in grade ten she knew she wanted to be a Designer. With a scholarship in hand, she went to The American College of Applied Arts in Los Angeles, California where she studied Fashion Design and Marketing with an Emphasis in Costume Design for four years, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1996.
Allisa found her way back to Canada in 1996. In 1999 she designed her first film, and began designing a five year run for the local teen series, “Edgemont” and watched it launch the careers of Kristen Kruek (Smallville) and Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica).
Allisa has been referred to as the young, hip, Canadiana designer of Vancouver. Some of her feature film credits include “Spymate,” “Lone Hero,” “Chestnut: Hero of Central Park,” “Blonde & Blonder,” and the Award winning “The Snow Walker” for which she won a Leo Award for Excellence in Costume Design.
The newest addition to Allisa’s family in 2006, a Toy American Eskimo, lead to her to design and create a quilt for her living room, and her couch –sparking the idea for Boodie Kiss Pet Couture Ltd. In each piece you can see Allisa’s love of the natural world especially the pacific west coast. She is highly in tune and affected by the seasons, she loves a good fire on a chilly evening to get the creativity flowing. Allisa also loves to look back at history and look forward to imagine the future, both of which inspire her creative thought processes.
