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Writer's pictureNatasha Ramjohn

VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK SOLIDIFIES ITSELF AS AN INTERNATIONAL STAGE FOR FASHION

Updated: Oct 4, 2020

My article covering Vancouver Fashion Week, Spring 2019, published in Forward Magazine, The Vision issue. @ForwardFashionToronto. See below for video and copy.


 












 

Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW) was a whirlwind! Along with my fashionista gal pals, Janice Ronan Director of PR at Fashion Foundry and Francie Fournier, founder of Fashion Winnipeg, we set out to get a taste of VFW. And what a taste we got! Over the week we immersed ourselves in everything “fashion week”. We graced the runway in our #ootd, networked with designers and the VFW team, navigated meetings and still, we managed to wine, dine, shop, and exercise.

What impressed me most with VFW was its mix of award-winning designers from over 16 global fashion capitals including Australia, France, Japan, Ukraine, Taiwan, Poland, to name a few. VFW, known for diversity, multiculturalism, and established and up-and-coming designers, kicked off its 33rd season, paying homage to the Squamish First Nation and indigenous designers. It showcased an array of local designers, some from across the country, as well as global designers, over seven days. What an honour to meet the man himself, Jamal Abdourahman, producer and founder of VFW. As Jamal puts it, “At Vancouver Fashion Week, diversity really is our greatest strength. We bring together the most incredible design talent from across Canada and around the world, presenting the most forward-thinking creative concepts to the industry. Fashion is a truly global phenomenon and it's so inspiring to see such a strong mix of designers all under one roof here in Vancouver.”


To give you a taste of the week, here is a brief highlight of a few designers.

I had the pleasure of meeting Japanese designer, Emi Jingu, such a humble, friendly woman. Emi, balloon artist, introduced a new type of art to the fashion scene – balloon fashion – dresses created with balloons. For Emi, it’s a “unique way to bring fashion to everyone”. She captivated the audience with cocktail and mini-dresses in silver and gold tones, sleek hairstyles and glossy makeup in ashy tones, giving a chic futuristic feel. Jingu’s dresses featured peplum-styles, slim bodices, and flared skirts, highlighting her extraordinary talents.


Russian designer, Viktoriya Stukalova, of Sorockolita, captivated the audience with her new, powerful, sexy collection, Black Wing. The collection offered a mixture of Gothic and Victorian theme, pairing corsets and ruffled neck bodice with skinny leather pants to give it a modern appeal. The collection offered an assortment of Italian wool, cashmere, leather, silk, and cotton materials adorning jackets, evening and casual dresses, classic suits and trousers, primarily in black and white.


The RadaStyle “Orbit of Time” collection by Belarusian designer, Tatsiana Sychova, is the most striking manifestation of modern style: relevance and quality, beauty and practicality, everyday life and exclusivity. From stunning floating dresses in silk and satin with ruffled sleeves and detailed waistlines, the collection was elegant yet sensual.


I also fell in love with Agatha Taras collection. Polish fashion designer and founder of Eklectic & Co., Agatha Taras, presented us with a collection of classic and modern European styles yet with a touch of contemporary fashion eclecticism. Predominantly black and white, with high necklines and ruffled cuffs, her style is modest yet sleek and elegant. It’s chic enough to be worn for a grand evening out yet some befitting the red carpet.

British Columbia based designer, Ryan Li, known for “Canadian made” and sharp-fitting tailoring, showcased his award-winning collection, Redeem Your Soul. He was awarded, by Jamal Abdourahman, the prestigious Nancy Mak award (a scholarship that recognizes up-and-coming British Columbia based designers) which will allow him to showcase his collection at Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo with Global Fashion Collective. The influence of menswear in the women's pieces was evident through structured shoulders and slim but composed silhouettes, with deconstructed sleeves. His collection featured metallic fabrics, and daring, houndstooth prints with deep hues.


Local designer, Chinese-Canadian, Melissa Yin of Mel Elegance presented ‘Celestial’, a resort-wear collection. She brings a multicultural aesthetic and minimalist comfort to luxury resort-wear. Inspired by a summer spent in Alaska Delaney National Park, Melissa’s designs were defined by flowing silhouettes and warm floral patterns in silk and linen. Rounding out the tone of the show were floor-length dresses in soft pinks and bright reds. Thoroughly accessorized, outfits were completed with bright blue and pink straw beach bags.


Vancouver based brand, Evan Clayton, did not disappointed as he exhibited his new collection, Lik Ehell, with energy, on a smoke-filled runway. With influence from medieval armour and combat gear, his collection featured short dresses with shoulder pads, crotchless trousers, and corsets accessorized with heavy metal belts and even a silver sword. Crimson and black dominated the collection.


Emelia’s Swimwear, a Canadian brand by Emelie Hausler, friend and colleague, brought a feel of tropical beaches with her collection of luxury swimwear ranging from earthy tones to vibrant and bight colors. Energetic and playful models worked the runway wearing flirtatious bikinis, interacting with each other and taking the spontaneous selfie. The reversible swimwear was interlaced with modest mesh inserts, playful zippers and feminine belts and braids, keeping each piece a balance between functional and stylish. The show finished with a dazzling finale as the models strutted down the runway in head-turning bright fuschia pieces.


Sunny's Bridal entertained the audience with a perfectly choreographed show, presenting "The Divine Feminine" collection as a private event. In support of feminism, models danced and sauntered down the runway holding placards displaying feminine messages as strong female anthems played in the background. The collection showcased extravagantly lavish, sparkling, jewelled-embellished South Asian style dresses in colors ranging from pastels, florals, metallics, bold hues, and whites accented with silver sparkles. Styles included two-piece sets and one-piece A-line dresses with tassels, laces, fringes and flowing trains. In support of feminism, the collection embodied


Wow! It was certainly a fashion-filled week. Whether Vancouver or Toronto, what these fashion weeks have in common is that they create a stage for talented local and international designers to reach global markets, fashion media, and industry buyers. They all serve as a gateway to designers who can’t show in the big events such as London, Paris, Milan, and New York, and has helped launch many talents.


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