MATERIAL LOSS
Fashion designer Stephanie Gamble’s latest creations were in the back of her vehicle when she met her sister for coffee in Saskatoon this week. But the doors were unlocked and a thief made off with all her designs. So far, she’s had no luck recovering the
In hindsight, fashion designer Stephanie Gamble wonders if it was a bit too prophetic to name her collections after overcoming adversity.
The 35-year-old owner of C. Lysias Designs recently fell victim to a theft of opportunity. Earlier this week, someone stole her one-of-akind designs from the back seat of her unlocked Jeep.
“It’s kind of ironic that I named all of my collections Resilience, Rise of the Phoenix, Still I Rise. My latest was The Beautifully Broken,” Gamble said in an interview.
After meeting her sister for coffee on Monday, she got back in her vehicle and noticed items were strewn across the driver’s seat. In those initial seconds, she didn’t think much of it, she said.
“I kind of have a messy Jeep to begin with.”
She did think it odd, though, especially because her glove compartment was also open. As she was giving a friend a ride, she glanced at her back seat and it hit her: “‘My clothes are not here,’ ” Gamble said, reliving her thought process at the moment it dawned on her.
Because Gamble had recently done a fashion show, all of her designs were in the Jeep. An Indigenous woman herself, she collaborates with Indigenous artisans who provide accessories for photo shoots. Their items were taken as well.
Many of the pieces had special meaning, including earrings that were part of a New York City fashion show and a set of 24-inch authentic Inuk sealskin earrings. Gamble said she broke down in tears when she got home.
Fashion design is more than a business for her — it helps her heal childhood trauma, she added.
“If I’m having a bad day, I come to my house, I set up my machines, I get my fabric, and I make something for myself. I pray, I cry.
“I release the negative energy and put the good energy into my designs. It’s an energy exchange.”
Gamble was set to showcase her designs during Western Canada Fashion Week later this month. Fortunately, she said, she can create under pressure.
“I remember my latest one, Beautifully Broken, I did it almost in two days.”
Gamble has been checking regularly with Saskatoon police and marketplace platforms on social media for the stolen items, but so far hasn’t had any luck.
“This was a learning and stepping stone for me,” she said. “I have to accept it for what it is.”