Vancouver Fashion Week- Day Four (Part Two)

I decided to split Saturday’s shows at Vancouver Fashion Week into two parts as I found it was tooCourtesy of Eugenio Flores much to cover in one blog. The last two designers to showcase their collections on day four of Vancouver Fashion Week were Teresa Rosati and Farida Lalji. Teresa Rosati is a Polish designer who specializes in cocktail, evening and wedding dresses for young trendy women. For fall Teresa showcased mainly strapless designs as well as a few one shoulder, long sleeved and sleeveless designs. Some designs were inspired by figure skating costumes. For example one design had a body suit mesh nude top with one shoulder covered in a black detailing and one just mesh. The rest of the bodice was covered in the same black detailing with a pale pink skirt attached at the waist. Another design was a short strapless blue dress covered in sequins with nude mesh sleeves and a bit of black detailing on top of the mesh.  The collection was full of bright colours from blue to orange to yellow, pink, gold, white and beige. One particular dress was absolutely stunning! The model wore a blue body suit with sheer pleated organza overtop the body suit and ending at the ankles in length. She wore bright blue feathers around her neck to match the dress. This outfit was gorgeous! Teresa had both fitted and fuller silhouettes in her collection which will suit many female body types and all the models wore their hair in a high bun(just like a figure skater) All in all I loved the textured fabrics and interesting silhouettes in this collection.

Courtesy of Eugenio FloresLast up on the runway for the night at Vancouver Fashion Week was Farida Lalji from Vancouver with an exquisite Indian inspired collection filled with deep rich fabrics, gorgeous embellishments and simple silhouettes. This was one of my favourite collections of the night! Farida showed Indian inspired suits and saris with a western twist. I felt many of her designs had a safari theme as she chose cheetah and zebra animal printed fabrics for this collection. For some designs the Indian suit was made out of a plain bright blue or orange fabric with a cheetah printed scarf attached. Other Indian suits were constructed from an abstract printed fabric with a hint of animal print in one part of the design too, for example one model wore a suit with animal print on the hem of the garment. Her fabric choices were gorgeous and colours rich yet her design also were very traditional. My favourite suit in her collection was a royal blue Indian suit with gold trim around the neck, and red, orange and gold trim at the hemline. I loved the rich colour of this design. In addition Farida had a couple traditional Indian sari styles constructed in the animal print fabric to give the outfit a western taste. One sari in particular had a gold top, and animal printed skirt and scarf with gold trim. It was sophisticated, elegant and unique. Loved this collection!!

Portobello West- Vancouver's Fashion+Art Market

Two Saturdays ago I attended Portobello West, a local Vancouver art and fashion market which runsCourtesy of Portobello West four times a year in March, May, September and November. This market features local Vancouver business owners selling their clothing designs, handmade jewelry, art, and food. The market is held over two days, Saturday and Sunday from 11-5pm.  The Portobello West Market itself was created in 2006 and in 2011 became a not-for-profit society with a volunteer board of directors. Only artisans that sell Canadian made or Fair Trade products are able to sell their products at the market. I thought this market was a great idea to allow local designers the chance to create and sell their homemade designs and art to the public. As well this market gives artisans a chance to meet the public, meet other artisans and designers within the community and allows them to promote their products. At the market I had the chance to chat with several artisans. While chatting, I found out that several business owners had just recently started their business within the past three months whereas others had been selling at the market for a longer period of time. All the vendors were very friendly and were eager to explain how they created their art pieces and a bit about themselves. I found this market very inspiring, especially for myself as a fashion design graduate. When I graduated I had a hard time figuring out how I could get into the fashion industry. This market inspired me to thinking how I could design, construct and sell my own garments at a local market such as this and even start my own business. All in all the market was unique and a great event for local Vancouverites to check out. The next Portobello West market will be held on May 26 & 27 from 11-5pm at the Creekside Community Centre, in the Olympic Village.

Vancouver Fashion Week- Day Three

Courtesy of Vancouver Fashion Week, "Pure Elegance" by Parna GhoseI sadly wasn’t able to make it to watch the shows at Vancouver Fashion Week for day three however I decided to still report on it after looking at all the gorgeous designs online from the shows. First up of the night for day three was Indian-American designer Parna Ghose showcasing her collection called “Pure Elegance” inspired by India blended with the culture of the west. Her collection was gorgeous Courtesy of Eugenio Floresfilled with brightly coloured Indian saris and suits as well as a few long and short evening and cocktail dress designs. I was stunned by how beautiful the fabrics and designs were and seeing these designs made me want to go out and buy them! Parna incorporated fall trends into her collection too, for example one model wore a sari made out of black and white checkered fabric, accented with bright purple and red trim around the edges. I noticed a lot checkered fabrics in a variety of colours from different designers over the course of Vancouver Fashion Week. It will definitely be big for the fall. In addition there were several Indian suits with layers of organza and chiffons and elaborate gold trim and embellishment on every design. I loved the long white dress which I guessed to be a wedding dress inspired from our North American culture embellished with Indian trims and detailing. A great way to combine two different cultures! I loved how the delicate lace of the dress made it very feminine. All in all Parna’s designs were feminine and elegant and the colour palette worked not only on each design but also cohesively as a collection.

Next on the runway was Angel Eye a gorgeous, young feminine collection. Angel Eye showcased bothCourtesy of Eugenio Flores, Angel Eye tailored designs as well as short flowing chiffon dresses. Colour blocking is still a huge trend this season and Angel Eye continued this trend with a short, tailored, white, sleeveless dress with contrast black fabric down the front, neck and on the pockets. As well Angel Eye also showcased a tailored blazer that ended at the hip and had a black lapel that continued down the front to the hem. So classic and simple yet trendy at the same time! In addition many above the knee day dresses were shown that were made of lightweight chiffons coming in many patterns, from florals to birds to abstract prints. In addition two dress designs had a zipper down the front which is a great way to modernize a classic dress style. I have also seen a lot of designers place a zipper at the centre front of their dress designs so it’s definitely a trend to keep an eye out for.

Courtesy of Eugenio Flores, "Well Groomed" by Dave SinghThe collection "Well Groomed" by Dave Singh was the second collection of the night with an Indian influence. This collection was a little less traditional that Parna Ghose`s collection at the beginning of the evening. There were a few Indian inspired suits and saris however there were a lot of short cocktail dresses show that had Indian fabrics and embellishments but had a more North American style to them. This collection had designs for both cultures which was great! The fabrics were stunning, lots of gold, bright blues, pinks, purples, yellows and beiges almost every colour of the rainbow. All the models wore their hair in a high bun with embellishment in their hair. Each design was so gorgeous, I loved this collection!

After Dave Singh`s collection came "Bano eeMee" a collection by AleemCourtesy of Eugenio Flores Arif. This collection had much darker colours than the previous collections of the evening. We saw a lot of black, browns, a little beige, cobalt blue and yellow. Aleem showcased many coats for Fall/Winter 2012 as well as skinny black pants paired with the coats and his structured blazer designs. He showcased one beige and one black cropped blazer that was very well tailored and simple in design with no big pockets or elaborate trims. I liked the simplicity of the look. For coats Aleem showcased two poncho style without sleeves but still a piece of fabric to cover overtop as if there were sleeves. He had two style coats that were so cute, they were cropped at the waist with one button at the top and elbow length sleeves coming in grey and black. Aleem also had leather in his collection for fall as many other designers have already shown. He also continued the trend of having a double breasted wool coat with contrasting leather sleeves. As well he showed two waist length brown and black leather jackets. We also saw a hint of velvet in some designs, one blazer in particular had a velvet lining, and there was also a jumpsuit and shorter dress constructed out of a light blue velvet fabric. His collection was very wearable for the working woman who needs coats for the office and tailored fancier blazer for work functions or going out on the town in the evening. A very well put together collection!

Courtesy of Eugenio FloresNext on the runway was the collection "Harricana Mariouche" by Mariouche Gagné who founded her company in 1994 and recycles old furs from coats and turns them into new creations. It has been estimated that she has saved close to half a million animal lives since she started her company. Mariouche showcased a variety of garments that incorporated recycled fur from coats, to hats, to purses, to earmuffs and scarves. Her collection was both unique and eco-friendly. She showcased both casual outfits to dressy evening wear each piece having fur incorporated into the design. My favourite design in her collection was a long fur black sleeveless vest with a leather belt tied around the waist and a matching leather cap. This outfit could be worn with leggings or skinny jeans. All in all Mariouche had a very unique collection and I loved it!

Last up on the runway for the night was Jenny Grevette who showcased a casual collection with nothing too dressy. The three colours she used for her designs were black, grey and white and each model had a circle of bright orange makeup around their eye with their hair pulled back and teased at the front. Jenny showed emphasis on the shoulders in a few designs having white or black patches sewn over the tops of the shoulders on a black cropped jacket. She had models wearing both skinny and wide grey pants. There were a few simple all black and all white dresses, some were above the knee and others were just below in length.

Another exciting night at Vancouver Fashion Week Day 3 stay tuned for our coverage of Vancouver Fashion Week Day 4!

Vancouver Fashion Week-Day One

Vancouver Fashion Week began last night with designer collections for Fall/Winter 2012 from Papillon,Papillon Fall/Winter 2012 Little Houses, Nikki Babie,and BD Homme. As well, local fashion designer Shelley Klassen of Blushing Designs was the last designer up of the night showcasing her Spring/Summer 2012 collection. I arrived at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Vancouver early enough found a seat in the second row. I tried to find some good angles to get the best photos of the models while waiting for the show to begin.

First up of the night was Papillon’s collection consisting mainly of day and evening dresses that were no longer than knee in length as well as casual knitted tops paired with jeans or leggings. Papillon's collection favoured fall colours from bright orange to mustard yellow, beige and cobalt blue. All fabrics were lightweight, and some models wore thin knitted sweaters layered with a neutral coloured top underneath. For evening Papillon had short black dresses, one in particular had sequins on the front and plain black mesh on the back, great for a night out on the town! All garments were wearable, distinctive and trendy! My favourite look from the collection was the short hip length cobalt blue coat with two rows of buttons down the front and a high collar. I loved the deep colour and simple cut and fit of the coat. Definitely something I would consider buying for fall.

Little Houses Fall/Winter 2012Next up for the night was “Little Houses” by Shanah Flodstrom who is based locally here in Vancouver B.C. and is known for her structural and asymmetrical large collars. This collection was by far one of my favourites of the night. She showcased short sleeveless dresses, fitted cropped linen pants and jeans as well as her signature large collared fall coats. Her collection consisted of white, beige, black, olive and bright red mixed in. My favourite fabric in her collection was almost an old world ship printed fabric that was featured on several designs. The fabric gave her designs a unique look and made them stand out from other collections I saw on the runway. I also loved her fitted jeans that were cropped to just about the ankle with elastic at the hemline. She also showcased a unique horizontal line printed coat with contrast leather long sleeves. I thought it was cool how she combined two totally different fabrics in one design.

After Shanah’s collection was Nikki Babie’s fall collection filled with luxurious textured fabrics. Most of Nikki”s collection consisted of black, beige, rose and turquoise knit handkerchief style dresses that fell to above the knee or just below it. Her whole collection had a western theme with almost every dress having long fringes at the hemline. Some models wore cowboy hats, gloves and boots to complete the look. She also showed a couple of short mini black dresses that were quite fitted contrasting with her many long flowing dresses with the fringe hem. However one thing I found interesting about Nikki’s short mini dresses was they had an asymmetrical slanted hemline which gave a unique look to a simple black mini dress. Most of Nikki’s dress collection could be worn for casual during the day or with some accessories for the evening.

Next on the runway was BD Homme a menswear collection from Seattle. This was a small collection but had a couple tailored dress pants, dress shirts, suit jackets and coats for Fall/Winter 2012. Most of the colours were dark  or neutral except a pop of purple colour was seen on a quilted sleeveless vest, worn by one model. The dress pants shown had a straight leg and most models worn them tucked into boots which could be an interesting trend, very different from wearing a regular black dress shoe. I loved the dark brown leather jacket; it had a nice fitted cut and an asymmetrical zipper down the front.

The last designer to showcase her collection of the night was local Vancouver designer Shelley KlassenShelly Klassen Spring/Summer 2012 of Blushing Designs. Instead of showcasing her fall collection Shelley showed her most recent Spring/Summer 2012 dress collection which was absolutely stunning! I loved each dress in the collection! Her collection consisted of dresses with fun paisley prints, florals, polka dots, abstract patterns, printed snakeskin, lace and solid black, white and rose colours. She had a variety of dresses from ankle length to short ending at the mid-thigh. She even showcased a gorgeous long wedding dress that was strapless with a delicate lace overtop and had a contrast burgundy belt around the waist with a rose on it. A lot of the dresses had a 50’s style to them and all the models had their hair pulled up at the front  and teased to look 50’s. Some dresses were quite tailored whereas others were more flowing making her dresses appeal to almost any body shape! My favourite dresses were the fitted ones that were strapless or halter style and had trim around the top edge and ribbon around the waist that pulled a colour from the fabric. Shelley’s designs were simple yet gorgeous and sophisticated!

Well that’s all for day one of Vancouver Fashion Week, stay tuned for our coverage of the nights to follow! You can also follow us on twitter @unnomdeguerre to see live tweets from the shows!

Lexi Soukoreff - The Interview

I had a chance to sit down with Lexi Soukoreff, a local fashion designer who hand-dyes her collection ofCourtesy of daubanddesign.com swimwear, scarves, leggings and panties. Her company, Daub + Design, is based out of Vancouver, BC.  Here is what she had to say:

SP: What inspired you to become a fashion designer?

LS: I started sewing at an early age and took fashion design in high school where we learned pattern drafting and basic CAD skills. I studied Fashion Merchandising to learn the business side of the industry and then went to Capilano University for textile design to create my own unique fabrics.  I attained by BFA from Emily Carr University after that in order to expand my theoretical knowledge of design and then opened my own business.

SP: How did you decide that you wanted to design swimwear?

LS: Growing up in the Okanagan, there’s quite a beach culture ingrained with hot summers, boating and beaches. This translates into my work. I can have a lot of fun pushing the limits of colours and patterns on swimsuits.

SP: What is the process behind dyeing one piece of fabric?

LS: I start with my base fabric and consider my final product. Dye selection is determined by fabric content, as well as my desired colour stories and pattern outcome. A lot of this has been developed through experience, education and becomes instinctual.

SP: Do you design your garments before you dye the fabrics?

LS: I dye the fabrics knowing what their general final outcome will be. For example, woven fabrics are dyed with the intention of becoming scarves or clothing. Stretch fabrics are used for swimwear, leggings and panties.  My pattern placement needs to be considered carefully to ensure balance and continuity between each piece of the swimsuit.

Courtesy of daubanddesign.comSP: You’ve done Eco Fashion Week and EPIC: The Vancouver Sun’s Sustainable Living Expo. Can you explain how Daub + Design fits into the ethical and sustainable category?

LS: As a textile design studio, we try to incorporate as many sustainable practices as possible. When contracting work out, we pay fair prices. As mentioned, we hand-dye all our fabrics. In this process, we use only the proper amount of dye for the amount of fabric. We exhaust the dye bath, meaning very little dye is put back into our water systems. Less water is used in the rinsing stages and no heavy chemicals or toxins are used in our processes.  As a studio, we’re conscious of re-using and recycling wherever possible. Long term, we’re investigating using fabrics that are certified ©BlueSign rated, meaning they are environmentally conscious through every step of their production. This is currently being incorporated into our new yoga leggings.

SP: Can you describe what it was like participating in Vancouver’s Eco Fashion Week last October?

LS: EFW was a great experience. It helped me get my business together in the long run: setting deadlines for production, finding suppliers, creating a look book and catalogue, conducting interviews for publicity and styling the collection. I am looking forward to participating again for Spring/Summer 2013.

SP: I noticed you offer a custom option for women looking for mix and match sizing. Can you explain this?

LS: We offer customized fittings of existing styles from our collection. We will adjust our patterns to fit our client’s body with the amount of coverage they prefer. It’s really working with individual proportions to make sure that my customers feel confident. I try to turn what can be seen as a negative experience (swimsuit shopping) into a positive by offering great service and fit.

SP: Why did you decide to design and create your garments locally as opposed to sending the work overseas?

LS: I am an artist and need/love hands-on production; I dye everything is small batches and every garment is made in limited quantities. I really believe in supporting Vancouver’s economy: I live here, work here. It’s very important to me to support local individuals and businesses. It’s also much more hands on that way with better quality control. I want to interact with my clients face to face as much as possible.

Courtesy of daubanddesign.com

SP: What was the hardest part about starting your own company?

LS: Finding a work life balance has been the most difficult part of starting up. It’s easy to be consumed by every aspect of the business, every minute of the day. However, it’s amazing what you can accomplish in such a short time with a strong network of fellow designers, supportive shop owners and good friends.

SP: Do you ever follow current bathing suit style trends for the season?

LS: Most of my swimsuit styles are quite classic with the fabrics reflecting current trends. Tie-dye and color-blocking are a couple of trends that our Spring/Summer 2012 collection incorporates.

SP: How did you decide to call your label Daub + Design?

LS: I wanted the name of my company to have significance. “Daub” means to apply colouring material to a surface crudely. This loosely describes my process for designing the fabrics I use in all my collections.

SP: Where can your customers purchase your designs locally?

My line can be found at Forsya (2206 Main St at 6^th), Twigg & Hottie (3671 Main St at 21^st), Dream (311 West Cordova)  and Little Dream (Granville Island). Appointments for custom swimsuits can be made through my studio via email: info@daubanddesign.com. We can also be found at various independent shows such as Portobello West, the Home & Design Show and Make It Vancouver & Edmonton.

You can check out Lexi's designs at the Portobello West Market this weekend (March 24th and 25th) as well as many other local designers' designs. It is being held at the Creekside Community Recreation Centre at the Olympic Village in Vancouver and runs from 11am-5pm both days.

On another note, Vancouver Fashion Week starts this week on Wednesday March 21th and runs until Sunday March 25th. Stay tuned over the next few days as we review the shows at Vancouver Fashion Week. We will update you on the latest fashion trends and styles coming for fall. You won't want to miss it!