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VANCOUVER FASHION eZINE online fashion magazine dedicated to Vancouver fashion community |
Volume 13 Vancouver, October 2008 |
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To Start The Season! September is always the height of the fashion season. The calendar is chock full of runway shows, in-studio launches, charity events and more. The write-ups below are from the early part of the month and are only a snapshot of the kaleidescope that was available. Read and enjoy! Oakridge Fashion Review By Michael Pope For a snapshot view of the hottest retail trends of the season, the annual fall Oakridge fashion show is arguably the best in the city. Last night an energetic, articulate Suzy Wall emceed the SRO event which raised over $9000.00 for the Canuck Place Children's Hospice.
A powerhouse opening is a Pincott signature for Oakridge and this year she had all her models storm the runway in single file to the music of Black Mountain. A muted, but sophisticated palette and sumptuous textures on some 22 models let the audience know this was not a show for the polar fleece crowd. Huge, beautiful bags and some of the most architectural boots of the season completed many of the looks. From sexy secretary at Banana Republic to wonderfully draped wide leg trousers a lá Katherine Hepburn. From Bébe there were long, print gowns made fresh with cropped leather jackets. The proportion was fantastic. Subtle, but stunning was the juxtaposition of cashmere frocks and patent leather boots in the Olsen Europe set. From Marciano we saw sexy little looks reminiscent of Versace's mistress-in-the-making clothes. Not all about women, Pincott gave us streamlined suiting for guys with European cuts from Hugo boss and up to the second styling at Boy's Co. This "gotta-have-it" show closed with an YSL slink and drop-dead evening glamour from After Five. For all in attendance, we'll see you back next year! Mellinda-Mae Harlington by Kas In a time of globalization and $19 dollar jeans, new designers are faced with a whole new set of challenges when it comes to launching a clothing label in Canada. Today less then 30% of all clothing being sold in Canada are Canadian made. Local designer Mellinda-Mae Harlingten is one of the talented designers beating those odds. A Vancouver native who graduated with an honours degree in women's wear design from the London College of Fashion in London, England, her September 11th Fall Launch Party was just one indication of this young entrepreneurs passion for success. The night was filled with excitement as models from Richards showcased the release of her new Fall 2008 collection in Harlingten's ultra modern studio at 126 W. 6th Ave. Drawing inspiration from Edie Sedgwick's the Circus Ring Master and Equestian styling, this season leaves you wondering how you will narrow your list of "must haves". Will it be the wool/angora military coats, the red georgette layer dresses, the black skinny tuxedo or maybe a selection of the business separates in buttery soft grey wool suiting that you will want to wear to work and out on the town. Beaded chandeliers sparkled as footage of the collection's premiere at L'Oreal Fashion Week was projected on sheer room dividers. Art from Ronan Boyle gave the white washed walls focal points, and local DJ Tyler Hazelwood from the School of Mix filled the room with eclectic beats while patrons sipped on Vitaminwater and sampled hors d'oeuvres served up by Aurora Bistro. Sign up for the company newsletter to ensure your are on the VIP list for next event. The MMH studio is open M to F from 10-5 for personal shopping or give them a call to book an appointment. Mellinda-Mae Harlingten's luxury line is available online at www.mellinda-mae.com, or visit her website for complete list of retailers. Lav and Kush - Fall and Spring 08 By Casey Strynadka The Lav and Kush Launch Fashion Show and Sale on September 18th 2008 was a must see event! The runway show at the Heritage Hall was a sensational display of designer Angela Saxena's, fall and spring 2008 collections. Telling the Hindu tale of Lav and Kush, these designs unfolded before our eyes showing off the free flowing, naturist feel of the clothes. For Spring 2008 Saxena showed us a variety of loose fitting clothing in soft fabrics such as bamboo, organic cotton, and soy blends. The pieces are designed for the urban women, showing off style and sustainability. She created feminine clothing that are less harmful to the earth and still manage to be as fashion forward. The use of eco-friendly fabrics fits Lav and Kush quite nicely, who raises awareness about the earth and our environment. Proving that their show was more then just about fashion, their compassion flowed through by inviting Imagine One Day. Imagine One Day is a non-profit organization that provides education to children in Ethiopia. Building schools, sustainable communities, as well as buying desks and supplies Imagine One Day is giving Ethiopia children a second chance. By donating a percentage of their revenue to this and other charities, Lav and Kush shows their true passion about the World and its future. Found in 27 different boutiques across Western Canada and the North Western United States you can check out Lav and Kush locally at Barefoot Contessa. For more information visit their website at www.lavandkush.com. Wanting to support Imagine One Day? Find them at www.imagine1day.org and make a donation. Freedom! By Miranda Sam Freedom Concert Fashion took place at the Croatian Culturul Centre on August 22nd, 2008. The event was organized by first-time producers, and good friends, Tony Tieu and Shalini Kumar. In the similar domain as Fashion Rocks, this duo fused together fashion, music, and dance for a memorable evening. The event opened up with a video of Shalini, answering the question, "What is Freedom?" Throughout the evening, Shalini sang original songs written by herself, including the upbeat tempo, "My Do," on her hair representing a big part of her identity. Assisting her performances were dances choreographed by Julian Leblanc, the winner of Best Dancer in Eastern Canada, 2005. Although entertaining as song and dance were, it all comes down to the fashion, for Vancouver Fashion Ezine. Standout designers included Ian Chen who wsfeatured on Vancouver Fashion Ezine earlier this year (http://www.vancouverfashionezine.com/magazineissue09/fashionschool.html), and AudiTees. Chen's menswear collection is like the men's version of Alexander Wang's contemporary line. It has a certain je ne sais quoi for hipsters who just want to have fun. When he comes out with his own line, we can see it perfectly suited to retail at Roden Gray in Gastown, Vancouver. AudiTees, on the other hand, offered quirky silk-screened and hand-painted t-shirt designs. High school friends Amanda and Victoria meant for the designs to be "fun, shocking, and slightly twisted." And that's for sure. One of their t-shirts shows two fish at the chest looking upwards at one another… hand-printed using real fish! The show was fun for the audience, though a break to the bar would have been nice. We look forward to seeing what fashion fusion Tony Tieu and Shalini Kumar can come up with next. To Bring the House Down September finished on an amazing upswing with the prestigious BCFW line-up, an extravagant fall launch by Jason Matlo and the 5th annual FMA. It was a fashionista's dream to have so many quality events tucked into such a short time. For those unable to attend, the highlights from each show are below.
JC Studio Spring/Summer '09 at BCFW By Miranda Sam JC Studio's Spring/Summer '09 was inspired by designer Rozemerie Cuevas' 16 and 18 year-old daughters. And what are those two fashionistas in training currently obsessed with? Hippie culture. "Chic Hippie Chick" was the direction Cuevas went with this season, and hip hippie we did see on the catwalk. In its runway tradition, JC Studio featured over 60 looks from the Spring/Summer collection. The first portion of the show saw models in exquisitely tailored business attire. JC Studio sent off-the-shoulder peasant tops, bell sleeves, darker floral prints, thigh-high cuts down the runway. The 70's was also seen through updated classics, like halter tops but updated the look with high-waisted bellbottoms. Cuevas received applause from the audience when she sent down the first of her hippie chic collection, after the business wear portion came to a close. The beautiful prints garnering ovations were sourced first-hand from Italy. We can always expect the finest from JC Studio. To RSVP for a shopping party at their modern architectural studio, contact cate@jcstudio.ca
Jason Matlo Spring/Summer '09 By Miranda Sam The presentation of Jason Matlo's SS09 collection at Pop Opera was a high energy extravaganza and one of the hardest tickets to come by. The collection was shown in 3 sets with show stopping performances by drag queen Trixie Treat as a counterpoint. The first set included Asian-inspired silky prints, the second wooed the audience with metallic business wear, and the closing set featured Matlo's signature evening wear. The collection had some great pieces. A gold dress featuring brush strokes like those in Asian calligraphy was simply stunning. The graphic designs tie in smoothly with the Asian-inspired prints from the first of three sets Matlo presented. Other favourites include the Asian print tube dress with thigh-high slit; the delicate shrug made from shredded silk charmeuse, and the black dress with a neckline outlined in chain detailing that extends to the ground. His dresses, as seen on celebrities like Hilary Duff and Vancouver actress Grabrielle Miller have all the star power to stand out on the red carpet.
Generation Next at BCFW By Alicia-Rae Light With sultry Arabic sounds echoing throughout the elegant venue, complete with white columns, silk drapery and lighting to match the theme of each designer - tonight's focus, Love. The Generation Next competition creates an opportunity for up and coming local designers to strut their stuff across the week's coveted runways, scrutinized by local media, buyers and other industry VIPs. "This show features talent at many different stages of a designer's career," said host for the evening, Deborah Walker. "It's going to be a tough decision." Audience members arrived, decked out in local designer pieces in hopes of winning a prize. Not as big of a prize as the three finalists vied for. Each designer shared their 10-piece collections in hopes of receiving a package including a coveted spot in next years BC Fashion Week. This year's finalists included Two of Hearts by Jenny Yen and Tabitha Savoie, Margarita Angelatos for Red Jade as well as Michelle Lee and Garry Favell for Joseph and Elizabeth. Two of Hearts - a bright and playful line - featured silk screening techniques and bold button detail, all the while staying eco-friendly. Many of the pieces were geared toward the younger generation with sweat fleece and jersey fabrics, apart from the shirt-dresses which diversified their collection. Then there was the Joseph and Elizabeth collection, featuring a black, white and cream color pallet, classy women's wear including a fantastic black high-waisted skirt with buttons trailing down the back, paired with a matching blazer with buttons trailing the sleeves. The winner of the competition - Red Jade - displayed a variety garments with amazing collars on jackets, dresses and shirts. Many of her pieces had big sleeves, big pockets. "I'm stumped," said Angelatos upon being selected as this year's winner. "This is such an honor."
Nicole Bridger at BCFW By Jennifer Cummer Nicole Bridger's Spring Summer 2009 preview at BCFW was received by a full house of her peers, friends and family. Everyone was eager to see the newest offering from this local favorite. Her eco-conscious collection consisted of high-waisted skirts, lightweight cardigans, cuffed tailored shorts and much more to mix, match and layer as the wearer chooses. The colour palette involved earthy tones of sage, brown and cream with muted blues, blacks and a rare burst of coral. The designer played with proportion pairing a tailored short with a billowing draped cardigan; all of this resulting in a collection that will easily compliment your existing wardrobe. As always, Bridger offered great design details and excellent finishing to each piece. Our personal favorite was a dress ideal for when the wedding invitation season returns; a feminine take on a man's shirt - a dress with bell sleeves and a drawstring empire waistline, with all the hemlines slightly falling backwards resulting in a playful take on this classic. Overall a successful evening for the young designer! Lara Presber at BCFW by Laura Norbury Sleek sophisticated lines were complimented by soft details at the Lara Presber show at BC Fashion Week on Friday. The easily wearable collection was all about mixing masculine and feminine and was inspired by "aerial views of the Kenyan landscape and coffee plantations of the early 1900's." This eclectic combination featured stark white tailored garments punctuated by olive green and taupe accents. Tops and dresses popped with a bold V detail at the front and back which made for a clean yet eye catching look that you could wear alone or pair with her gorgeous kimono jacket for a professional look. More feminine options included dresses and skirts with a flowing fabric drape or ribbon accent, the combination of structure and fluid moving additions feminize the tailoring of the garment. Other innovative flourishes included boldly oversized pockets and a fresh take on traditional men's tailored shirts. Fabrics included delicate silks that popped in teals and electric blue with an almost peacock like print mixed with organic woven cottons and organic linen knits in solid colours to balance the collection. These are perfect options for summer as the individual pieces allow you to mix and match them with your existing wardrobe; designed to be easy to wear, the collection lends itself nicely to the young professional who wants to maintain their urban contemporary style but not have to lose their personality in typical corporate wear. The pieces in this collection look polished yet comfortable as their airy nature will lend well in the summer heat. Lara was the winner of the Generation Next fashion competition last spring, and also a finalist in the Toronto Fashion Incubator's New Labels Competition. Since these successes she has found a place for herself on the busy local fashion scene. For more information visit www.larapresper.com ANNA KOSTUROVA at BCFW By Miranda Sam Crochet swimwear designer Anna Kosturova could not have been a better choice to close the Spring/ Summer 2009 season for BC Fashion Week on Friday, September 26th. This past February marks the first time her work has graced the cover of the SI Swimwear issue. It's no wonder the energy in the room was high. Kosturova's design aesthetic has developed over the years; her SS09 collection wowed the fashion crowd from beginning to end. The collection included her signature pieces: intricately designed crochet maillots and barely there bikinis. One of our favourite looks was a string bikini in a denim blue accented by red and white, which also had a tiny crochet belt on the already tiny biking bottom. The Resort Collection featured beautiful flowing cover-ups in a mixed variety of colours. The cover-ups were strong enough to be dresses, in the aesthetic of Diane von Furstenburg's signature wrap dress. Then the thigh-high slit revealed them to be a piece to simply shade the wearer from the sun (and show off some great style too!) While the show had no grand finale, it had many peaks along the way, garnering applause from the audience like no other show at BCFW this season. She sure knows how to keep it interesting: models came out from bondage heels to gladiator style flip flops, then they appeared barefoot and back into those sky-high heels. Add into the mixture the most adorable girls for the Anna Kosturova Girls line, and you've got a standout show. Anna Kosturova won the also won the Fashion Achievement award at FMA Vancouver 2008 on September 27th. Can't wait to have your own Kosturova creation? Her maillots start at $175 and may be purchased online at www.annakosturova.com. FMA Vancouver 2008 By Miranda Sam On September 27th, 2008, Andy Chu of Arc2 Entertainment presented FMA Vancouver 2008, "Sky 360," in the theme of a flight crew complete with attendants uniforms design by Jolie Couture. Carlie Wong of Project Runway Canada, season one, sent beautiful black couture dresses down the runway. Another designer showcased a set of haute couture paper dresses in the costume-theatre style of Alexander McQueen. Different inspirations were apparent for each unique piece, including a look with a pagoda style headpiece. The defining moment of the show happened during Project Runway Canada winner Evan Biddel's presentation. It was during this time near the end of the show that all three facets of the program were united on stage: music, fashion from Biddel, and aerodynamic acrobats from Under Ground Circus dressed in tight leather. What a feast for the eyes! Crochet swimwear designer Anna Kosturova received the Fashion Achievement Award. Other outstanding designers at FMA includ JC Studio, Jason Matlo, Mellinda-Mae Harlingten, Penniless, Ian Chen, Lav&Kush, Odd Molly, and many more. FMA was a beautifully produced show, and we at Vancouver Fashion eZine give props to Sky Captain Andy Chu for producing yet another amazing show. |
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