Vancouver Fashion eZine - Online Magazine

After 2 years of working full-time during the day and attending the VCC fashion design program at night, Sarah King is ready to show the world her vision. From a small town in Nova Scotia, her first artistic expression was putting words on paper. With a Master's degree in Creative Writing and two published poems to her credit it is no surprise to find this influence in her collection. "I actually see clothing design as similar to writing poetry…you're still building a structure and that structure has to stand, has to relate to something…it has a real tactile place in the world." Inspiration came from exploring Vancouver with a Polaroid camera photographing things that gave form to her ideas. "In passing people they seem very isolated…[but] there's still a hidden communication happening…I like to think of who those people are that I will likely never meet who made that change in my world…My collection addresses the contrast between the structure of the city and these hidden messages." Colors are black, silver gray, and a rich gold. The collection is sewn in woven wools, soft wool and silk jerseys, silk satin, silk organza, and soft hand knits in variegated gold. What stands out as unusual in a student collection is the hand knit-items (King is an accomplished knitter who also spins yarn). The 50/50 blend of wool and silk she uses has a soft texture and the dye process produces an eye-appealing stippled effect. All her garments have a strong sense of structure and line with elegant tailoring and detail. Designs range from soft knit tops and tailored capris to very abstract garments constructed using experimental drafting techniques. One unusual piece was made by cutting a series of circles in the dress and sewing them together "…so when the body passes through it the fabric hangs at different [angles]." All garments reflect the inspiration, which is structure with hidden messages or small surprises. Looking toward the future, King is preparing for a move with her architect/musician husband to a larger space. There she can begin work on her line, tentatively named [envelope]. The name implies structure and explores the concept that clothing is an envelope for the body. She would like to market her line locally and based on her portfolio, I suspect there will be no problem finding a strong, loyal following. The VCC fashion show will be held at 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 22 at the Performance Works Theatre on Granville Island. Please contact the school for more information.