In Vancouver for the 30th edition of the city's fashion week, Caitlin Agnew highlights the designers to watch
As Los Angeles solidifies its position as a fashion show hub, wooing the likes of Saint Laurent and Burberry to its sunny shores, another West Coast city, Vancouver, also hopes to attract international attention with its runway offerings.
The 30th season of Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW) is on now through Sept. 24. Billed as the fastest growing fashion week in the world, VFW showcases both local and international designers, setting it apart from other events that focus primarily on domestic talent. The presence of international designers, media and buyers is meant to expand the platform and lead to exposure on a global scale.
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This season, VFW will include almost 80 runway presentations by designers hailing from more than 25 locales, including student work from nearby LaSalle College and the Vancouver Community College. There's also a two-day Vancouver Kids Fashion Week offshoot.
Monday night's opening gala began with a presentation of the Industry Originator Awards, seven honours given to Vancouver-area retailers, stylists, journalists and photographers, including Lululemon founder Chip Wilson. Later, a group of 16 designers presented one key look from their collections, offering a preview of what they'll be showcasing in their shows throughout the week.
For her spring collection, Xue Liang Design's Xue (Shirley) Liang is focusing on head- and neck-pieces in a grouping she calls Merso. "Merso means 'to dive' in Latin and I was inspired by the feeling of submerging yourself in artwork and becoming lost in the details," says Xue. She translates that idea to organic textures created using "found and repurposed objects such as individual grains of rice and acrylic nails."
Mary Ebra's unisex line will emphasize simplicity and transparency using an all white palette and soft cottons, while Evan Clayton is going the colourful route and emphasizing tailoring. He promises his presentation will be "an an adrenaline-charged show that will have you feeling breathless."
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THIS WEEK'S STYLE HAPPENINGS
- Italian fashion brand Eleventy has opened its first freestanding North American store. Located in Toronto’s Yorkville Village, the 2,200 square-foot space carries both men’s and women’s collections and operates in partnership with contemporary retailer TNT. For more information, visit www.eleventy.it.
- The anticipated collaboration between Uniqlo and British label JW Anderson will be released Sept. 22. The 33-piece collection for men and women incorporates the designer’s unique take on traditional English style with Uniqlo’s signature textiles. For more information, visit www.uniqlo.com.
- Quebec retailer Simons is launching a free app this week. The program boasts image recognition software called StarLook, which allows users to take a photo of any garment that will then generate a list of similar pieces available at Simons. It also keeps track of past purchases, is shopable and has a GPS-enabled map to guide users through stores. For more information, visit www.simons.ca.
- Worn by the likes of Oprah, Michelle Obama and Taylor Swift, Talbots is turning 70 this year. To celebrate, the American clothier has created a capsule collection of pieces inspired by fashion icons through each decade of its history, including an Audrey Hepburn LBD and a Faye Dunaway power blazer. For more information, visit www.talbots.com.