Vancouver Fashion eZine - Online Magazine | Fashion Events

Vancouver Fashion Week started and ended too quickly. Each night had a different theme from couture to streetwear, but three nights from Nov 1 - 4 weren't enough to please Vancouver fashiongoers!

This year VFW took place at The Chapel. The intimate reception environment allowed industry professionals, the media, and fashionistas to mix and mingle. I got the chance to catch up with VFW producer Jamal Abdurahaman, the first time in three years.

The first night featured LaSalle Collge's design grads. Xuedong Ding brought embellishment to the stage. Models walked down in ornate one shoulder golden evening wear. Another wore a lavish black feather and sequined dress. The combination of the two materials proved surprisingly refreshing. Khany Tijong designed an amazing Victorian doll styled dress in black gingham with a lace up top, and had pearls decorating the neckline.

The last night was a streetwear party on he catwalk! VFW regular Tony Wong (Wrongwroks) featured models wearing blinged out studded tees walking like zombies. David Leach displayed a different kind of fun: affluent apathy. Models in tight jeans and capes cape came out in men's slippers, occasionally sipping from colourful martini glasses.

This season represented a scaling down and refocusing of direction for VFW. There has been a great change since the year it took place in the International Village. I have no doubt that the show will keep evolving to be better than ever.

The John Casablancas grad show was a grey-t event this year. The theme was based on the colour trend of this fall: shades of grey. Amazing JCI students took part in every aspect of the event: from the hair to makeup, PR and runway coordination. Every design lineup showed their interpretation of grey, including Blushing Designs, You & Whose Army, One of a Few, Dace, and The Bay. JCI fashion design grad Veronica Guan showcased her Veegy line.

The show opened up dramatically. Two models in black sashayed down the catwalk, heard the "bang, bang" gunshots from the music, and dropped to the ground as red scarves were drawn from underneath their blazers. The grey theme was nicely contrasted with strong emotions like jealousy and passion.

Avery Jane denim featured 1" fly jeans. A pair of nicely tailored wide leg jeans were featured. In the Blushing Designs lineup, there were strong overtones of ethnic inspiration. Dresses had see-through lace and Persian patterns. JCI grad Veegy sent sexy ready-to-wear down the runway. Models were clad in grey satin pants, silky baby doll dresses, and sexy red satin blazers. A favourite was a jersey wrap dress that had an eye catching satin bow in front. In a similar fashion, Rajo Laurel showcased creative couture in the form of a beautiful floor length gown with a gigantic bow, wrapping the model up like a present.

The show ended with a model slowly shifting her steely gaze to the floor. Perhaps she was disheartened that the show had to come to an end, I certainly was. If you're inspired to take classes related to fashion, be sure to visit www.jcinstitute.com

Blanche Macdonald's Fashion Design Grad Show was held on November 26th, at the luxurious Westin Bayshore Hotel in downtown Vancouver. With an ultra long raised runway that spanned almost the full length of the ballroom, every seat had a great view. The large graduating class of 43 showed very diverse portfolios which included unusual knit wear by Laura Baiani, a balloon-filled bouffant skirt by Molly Spittal, an intricate gold lattice silk jacket by Tiffany Brown and an olive green cashmere dress over an underskirt of wool balls by Lauren Osmond. The Over-All Achievement award was presented to Tucky Aalto who is featured in this issue. Other award winners were Lauren Osmond (2 awards) - Portfolio Presentation and Design, Morgan Ard and Kathy Dawson (tied) - Pattern Making and Carrie Trytko - Garment Construction. For information on the programs offered at Blanche Macdonald, please contact the school at 604-685-0337 or by e-mail at info@blanchemacdonald.com