A dizzy gang of ravens floats across Blackbird Studios’ stark white walls. Spirits from eras past are summoned on racks and mannequins, displaying clinch waist gowns, loud-print-fabrics and rustling taffeta. Amy Winehouse’s sultry voice swings through the room.
It’s only fitting that its owners’ friendship was formed through rock’n’roll. “We met in the early 2000s through our bands” says Lynn Bebee. “I was a singer and Kerry used to dress me at her shop in Hess Village.” On the heels of winning Female Artist of the Year at the Hamilton Music Awards, Lynn decided to break away from the stage and focus solely on Blackbird.
For Kerry Wade, it wasn’t exactly a direct flight to fashion either. Always an artist at heart, she studied photography at OCAD. “Students always loved what I was wearing so I thought, hey, maybe there’s something to this fashion thing,” Kerry recalls.
She decided to explore merchandising and marketing at Ryerson University and later returned to OCAD for design. After opening multiple shops over the years, Kerry’s still dressing musicians today; most recently, she designed for Terra Lightfoot’s tour.
