Vancouver Fashion eZine - Online Magazine

On August 16, the second annual Be Bare fashion fundraiser at the Commodore Ballroom opened not with a bang, nor a whimper, but with silent surprises. Beautiful acrobats danced weightlessly in the air while the silent auction garnered attention from the crowd. Be Bare is a fundraiser by Noot Seear, an internationally renowned model based in Vancouver. She's no stranger to the runways of New York, Milan, and Paris, having lanched her career at the age of 14. The event is a fundraiser for Rose Charities, a Vancouver based not-for-profit dedicated to raising money and awareness for children in the developing world. The charity is also a product of the Seear family, which was started by her mother and her uncle. The silence didn't last long though, as Dave Dimapilis and PJ Prinsloo of Sketch Laugh and Lounge fueled he crowd with their energy and humour, while Vancouver's renowned DJ Flipout fromt The Beat 94.5 mixed incredible tracks. The models worked the runway, showcasing designs from local designers Joanna Kulpa, Dace, and Allison Wonderland to high profile international designers Marchesa and Vera Wang. When the models reappeared onstage, that's when the real action began. The live auction part of the show allowed the audience to bid clothing right off the models' backs. The Vancouver crowd was no less charitable than fashionable, bidding thousands for trendy outfits. Once the bidding was complete, the models stripped down to the bare necessities, featuring lingerie from Third Floor Design. Be Bare definitely lived up to its name as "Vancouver's Naughtiest Fashion Show." After the main event, Noot Seear was down to earth enough to wrap things up with the silent auction, hang around the bar, and take a picture with this writer. On August 19, Vancouver also saw first-time event producers 925 Productions host their first fashion show, Fall Into Transition, at Caprice Night Club. The company was started by Ada Ho and two friends, all who have an interest in event planning of all sorts, from fashion to corporate, as in the name nine to five. Ada runs the business development and production side while her friends manage the creative. I met with Ada before the show and she kindly introduced me to the designers and retailers who were to be displaying their clothing on the catwalk later that night. Ric Yuenn, a long established dressmaker in Gastown, talked about how he rarely keeps track of his dresses. Rather than design with a collection in mind, he comes up with his creations in a more free-spirited manner, designing whatever comes to mind. Ric deliberately adds an extra N to the end of his surname to draw attention away from its Chinese roots. As long as the consumer likes the product, should background information like ethnicity or race matter at all? His dresses can be found at www.ricyuenn.com. Hannah, one of the founders of Teenypig.com was a friendly character. In her petite frame and bubbly personality, you wouldn't be able to tell her age, even if take away the dark night club scene. Before her online fashion venture, she and partner Gemma worked in a hair salon together. And like many who work in the creative industry, they started because of a shared dislike for their day jobs. They retail casual clothing with an edge, and source from all over the world. The site's an excellent source for any style hunter, especially if you want to find international brands that don't ship to Canada. The fashion show itself turned out to be hectic like any first time fashion production. At times, the models missed cues, bumped into each other on stage, and walked down the runway with some half-done clothing. This was a good first run for the girls at 925, but we'll definitely be expecting more to come.