About Vancouver Fashion Week
Now entering its 16th year and 27th season, Vancouver Fashion Week is one of the fastest growing fashion weeks in the world – creating a stage for talented local and international designers to reach global markets, fashion media and industry buyers. Since 2001, Vancouver Fashion Week has served as the gateway to designers who can’t show in the big events such as London, Paris, Milan and New York, and has helped launch many talents onto the world fashion stage.
Malaysian designer Ainee Suhaldi beautifully integrated a floral motif Songket, which is an Indonesian textile with hand-woven silk and intricately patterned gold or silver threads into her collection. What opened with a dramatic floor length cape, continued to wow attendees through multiple pieces in the signature fabric. The material made the statement on Ainee’s FW16 runway. The beautifully patterned silk was crafted into unexpected silhouettes like a bomber jacket, blazer dress and structured ballooning maxi skirt.
Lesley Hampton’s First Nation heritage provided a refreshing take on wearable art and handmade apparel. The show launched with an intimate video of a modern ballerina wearing a design by the designer. Mirrored metallic textiles made segway to the futuristic mermaid inspiration.
A definitive crowd-pleaser, Brazilian based Gabriela Braga presented her collection inspired by the phrase, “like a moth to a flame.” The collection revolves around a vibrant colour chart made with intertwining viscose threads into shapes and cuts that vary from asymmetrical dresses to long symmetrical trench coats. Mixtures of Jacquard and rib knits is bold colours, prints and patterns flitted down the runway almost like pop-art. Accessorized with white fishnet stockings and flat bill caps, this collection screamed urban street style with a bold palette and statement knits.
Elephantasia, a collaboration between 13 different international designers, blended mission and fashion in their 2016 presentation. Designers carefully crafted one look each influenced by the massive stature and intelligence of the African elephant. Tribal music filled the room as live beats were played by traditional drummers. Sporting white face paint, models walked the runway in a range of grey, black and bone designs. Standout garments included an olive perforated suede flap cocktail dress, a silk kimono dress with tribal elephant graphic and a slate cutout gown with gold-reversed shredded materials laced throughout the bodice.
Vancouver based designer Alex S.Yu’s collection reflects the contrasting emotions of the inspirations in the form of contemporary luxury women’s street wear.The collection plays with numerous menswear references and visually restricting tailoring elements such as a high and tight turtleneck or skin tight sleeves. Stark visual contrasts such as exaggerated looseness versus tightness in one piece are used abundantly in the collection to illustrate the very question of, Are we really as free as we think we are?
” This all white collection barred sans bridal.” I didnt quite get that, anyone mind explaining what it means?