All runway images courtesy of Peter Jensen Photography
The last day of Vancouver Fashion Week has come and gone. I think everyone who sat through all five days is probably reeling from overload. This season had a tremendously diverse selection of designers - ready-to-wear to conceptual, local to international, western to ethnic. I enjoyed looking at who other media chose to cover and listening to the feedback from those around me in the audience.
When I began to write about designers and their collections, I thought there was a single TRUTH. That it was a bad thing if I didn't feel the same way as other knowledgeable industry people. In reality, there are a wide range of tastes to be found when it come to fashion with just a
few designers loved by all. Diversity rules and that's good news. I encourage each of you to love what you love with no apologies. In the end, your style should be an expression of who you are and if it makes you feel wonderful - you'll rock it!
The last day of Vancouver Fashion Week has come and gone. I think everyone who sat through all five days is probably reeling from overload. This season had a tremendously diverse selection of designers - ready-to-wear to conceptual, local to international, western to ethnic. I enjoyed looking at who other media chose to cover and listening to the feedback from those around me in the audience.When I began to write about designers and their collections, I thought there was a single TRUTH. That it was a bad thing if I didn't feel the same way as other knowledgeable industry people. In reality, there are a wide range of tastes to be found when it come to fashion with just a
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| Photographer Peter Jensen & Frances MacDonald |
Sunday was another day I was not able to be there in person, so I emailed and phoned several others for feedback when deciding who to cover. In the end, today's article showcases the unusual diversity of styles featured. Just take a quick glance at the images below one after the other before you start reading and you'll see what I mean. As this is only a small representation, I encourage you to go to the VFW's list of designers with website links and check out the other brands that were featured each day. Also have a look at the postings of writers covering this event on the VFW Facebook page.
ALDIES
Photographer Peter Jensen mentioned this show by Japanese designer Aldies as he enjoyed the presentation as a whole. The styles are so outside what I would normally wear, it's hard to comment on the looks. BUT what this show offered was Asian street style garments paired with ever changing graphic backdrops. The blend of imagery and looks created a show unique to VFW that has to be acknowledged. I would love to give you more information on this designer, but can't find any. I did try an Google English translation of the designer's site, but it came through pretty mixed up. Here is a section with corrections by me that I hope is somewhat close to accurate. "My method is to layer complex fabrics and colours of many kinds into a patchwork. It is unparalleled in the world. I make things come and go freely without hesitation." If someone has any detailed information on Aldies, let me know and I'll update this post. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the show images that are a breath of fresh air in terms of originality.
Shivaji Dutta
Kolkata(Calcutta)-based designer Shivaji Dutta is a gradutate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi. His label - BLANK SPOT - is based on the idea that, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Working with used and unused material, Dutta strives to take negatives and turn them into advantages. "Sustainability has always been a fascinating and challenging term to work with in terms of creating high end garments. Re-use is always looked upon as a second hand issue, but eliminating it and creating a greater impact on the consumer's mind..is what the concept is all about." His offerings for Fall/Winter 2013 included several I would love to wear. Looks were sleek, had interesting detailing. I loved the palette - in particular, the black and gray with turquoise accents. While I didn't see this collection on the runway, in looking at the images I found myself coveting the turquoise, gray and black top and leggings 2nd from right below.
ALDIES
Photographer Peter Jensen mentioned this show by Japanese designer Aldies as he enjoyed the presentation as a whole. The styles are so outside what I would normally wear, it's hard to comment on the looks. BUT what this show offered was Asian street style garments paired with ever changing graphic backdrops. The blend of imagery and looks created a show unique to VFW that has to be acknowledged. I would love to give you more information on this designer, but can't find any. I did try an Google English translation of the designer's site, but it came through pretty mixed up. Here is a section with corrections by me that I hope is somewhat close to accurate. "My method is to layer complex fabrics and colours of many kinds into a patchwork. It is unparalleled in the world. I make things come and go freely without hesitation." If someone has any detailed information on Aldies, let me know and I'll update this post. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the show images that are a breath of fresh air in terms of originality.
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Shivaji Dutta
Kolkata(Calcutta)-based designer Shivaji Dutta is a gradutate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology in New Delhi. His label - BLANK SPOT - is based on the idea that, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Working with used and unused material, Dutta strives to take negatives and turn them into advantages. "Sustainability has always been a fascinating and challenging term to work with in terms of creating high end garments. Re-use is always looked upon as a second hand issue, but eliminating it and creating a greater impact on the consumer's mind..is what the concept is all about." His offerings for Fall/Winter 2013 included several I would love to wear. Looks were sleek, had interesting detailing. I loved the palette - in particular, the black and gray with turquoise accents. While I didn't see this collection on the runway, in looking at the images I found myself coveting the turquoise, gray and black top and leggings 2nd from right below.
Eva Chen
Vancouver/LosAngeles designer Eva Chen has been a staple on the closing day of Vancouver Fashion Week for the last several seasons. She has also showcased her collection in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Toronto. As her glamorous Hollywood-style gowns often receive the most attention, for this season I decided to feature images of other looks. I have always loved bright accent colours set against white, gray and black palettes. If you have pale skin in particular, it allows you to sport the energy of a bright colour without it being overwhelming. Two are examples are featured below. Then there were the see through styles created in a black palette - always sexy - featured here in both lace and sheer fabrics. The palette for this collection included white, beige, grey, deep pink, red and black. Looking at the images of the more luxurious offereings, a strapless short dress with peplum in a textured black/brown print (not shown below) stood out from the crowd.
Well-Groomed
There was no doubt after listening to comments on Day 5's shows that Shiamak's dance performance was one of the highlights. It was a great choice by Well-Groomed to include this segment as the dancer's high-energy performance had everyone sitting up in their seats and excited. Well costumed and captivating, the dancers caught the audience's attention and raised their anticipation for the upcoming runway show. When the model's hit the runway - all eyes were front and centre.
Well-Groomed - located in Surrey - has been offering bold, Indian garments for men and women of all ages since 2009. Specializing in silk embroidered Kurtas, Achkans / Sherwanis, Sarees, Lehenga, Salwar suits & Indo-westerns, Well-Groomed focuses on designs and fabrics that create elegant, classic pieces blending the influence of traditional Indian wear with contemporary elements. In David Singh's own words, "Our avant-garde collection represents the finest in ethnic haute couture for all tastes and occasions."
And so ends another season! For those that missed the shows, there are videos from the live stream still available to watch. I am sure each designer would be happy to provide you the exact link for their show.
Vancouver/LosAngeles designer Eva Chen has been a staple on the closing day of Vancouver Fashion Week for the last several seasons. She has also showcased her collection in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Toronto. As her glamorous Hollywood-style gowns often receive the most attention, for this season I decided to feature images of other looks. I have always loved bright accent colours set against white, gray and black palettes. If you have pale skin in particular, it allows you to sport the energy of a bright colour without it being overwhelming. Two are examples are featured below. Then there were the see through styles created in a black palette - always sexy - featured here in both lace and sheer fabrics. The palette for this collection included white, beige, grey, deep pink, red and black. Looking at the images of the more luxurious offereings, a strapless short dress with peplum in a textured black/brown print (not shown below) stood out from the crowd.
Well-Groomed
There was no doubt after listening to comments on Day 5's shows that Shiamak's dance performance was one of the highlights. It was a great choice by Well-Groomed to include this segment as the dancer's high-energy performance had everyone sitting up in their seats and excited. Well costumed and captivating, the dancers caught the audience's attention and raised their anticipation for the upcoming runway show. When the model's hit the runway - all eyes were front and centre.
Well-Groomed - located in Surrey - has been offering bold, Indian garments for men and women of all ages since 2009. Specializing in silk embroidered Kurtas, Achkans / Sherwanis, Sarees, Lehenga, Salwar suits & Indo-westerns, Well-Groomed focuses on designs and fabrics that create elegant, classic pieces blending the influence of traditional Indian wear with contemporary elements. In David Singh's own words, "Our avant-garde collection represents the finest in ethnic haute couture for all tastes and occasions."
And so ends another season! For those that missed the shows, there are videos from the live stream still available to watch. I am sure each designer would be happy to provide you the exact link for their show.
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