The finale night brought a strong selection of design talent to end the week with vibrant colours and clever craftsmanship. To start the evening, Sue Randhawa from The Optical Boutique presented a $1000 scholarship to designer Sarah Runnalls from Sarah Runnalls Collection.
The Haus of Zuk brand by Vancouver based designer Peter Zuk ushered in the final day of events with a scandalous presentation of the debut collection ‘Overdose!!!’. The naughty NSFW line was inspired by Zuk’s love of cosplay and video game culture, and featured nonbinary garments worn by locally revered drag talent. The collection was electric and provocative, with revealing outfits of faux fur in eye-catching colours and references to teddy bears. The spirit of the models was as engaging as the vibrant designs, with displays of dancing and lip-syncing, drawing roars from the early evening crowd. Explosively taboo, Zuk’s collection was notable for its eclectic cuts and use of fabrics, evident of a designer who expresses himself to the fullest in his works.
Photos by Filippo Fior / Imaxtree.com ©
Local designer Jason Siu of Studio Jason Siu presented the collection ‘Venezia Santa Lucia’, a sartorial line inspired by traditional Venetian tailoring. Several pieces showcased the thematic hue of a deep emerald green that shimmered alongside deliberately wrinkled black wool fabrics to create captivating looks. Selections of outerwear closed out the collection, with double-breasted overcoats and excellently-curated details including an understated neckerchief. The tailoring was distinctively relaxed yet well cut, with experimental features used throughout, showing fundamental respect to time-proven Italian techniques and a willingness to explore the sartorial frontier. Well-inspired and technically sound, Jason Siu established himself as one of the more notable male-focused designers at VFW.
French designer Ambre Savagnac of Blossom Sunday presented a fresh, spring evoking collection, ‘Mauvaise Herbe.’ A creative, passionate artist, Ambre’s designs brought a colourful freshness to feminine designs. The collection featured pastel tones accented with flower details and contemporary, layered sleeves. Preppy collars and buttons framed cotton ensembles, and loose wide leg pants made for a versatile wardrobe. The soft colour palette of peach, pale blue, white and cream along with floral details on the models’ faces, rounded out the springtime composition with delicacy and detail.
Carmen Llaguno a luxury womenswear designer from Mexico brought a serene collection to the runway, incorporating femininity and spirituality. ‘The Numinous’ collection with layers of glossy silks in soft creamy colours was sensual and elegant. An artist that celebrates ethical construction and procurement, Carmen designs with grace and care. High-waisted style pants were paired with cropped asymmetric tops and fresh, cleanly cut dresses were complemented with slinky jackets. Ensembles were complete with stylish pointed leather boots and naturally-contoured makeup.
Vancouver-based menswear designer Kam Singh Bains made an incredible impression with his Singh Styles collection, a varied line of classy and exquisitely tailored garments for both the male and female form. The collection was introduced with a sexy and powerful women’s suit in red with chalk stripes and a low cut double-breasted vest. The entire line was dynamic and self-assured, with eccentric accessorising and consistently modern tailored fits. An eloquent zebra-printed jacket for men with a scarlet bow tie took centre stage. In a great night for menswear, Singh Styles stands out as a confident and creative display of functionality.
Australian designer Charlotte Terry presented a playful introduction to her line Arlo with the capsule collection ‘Chrysalis’. Drawing inspiration from ideas of metamorphosis, transition and growth, this collection of womenswear is empowering, featuring a diverse run of experimental garments. With texture and colour-play as central focus points, highlights included an oversized jacket with loose stitching detail and a structured apron dress worn over a silk top with tucked sleeves. A dress in midnight blue with ribbons of fabric hanging playfully stood out as another ingenious design in this lively and vibrant collection. Charlotte made a strong impression with Arlo, and is an excellent example of the high-quality global talent on display at Vancouver Fashion Week.
Jessica Chang Chih Yun of Jessica Chang Studio in New York highlighted clever craftmanship for FW19. With a strong background in fine art, Jessica has manipulated fabrics in creative ways for this collection to form structure and silhouette. Jessica’s ensembles move through a colour scheme of white, pale pink, deep purple, and blues. Inspired by ‘Sequences’ and discovering how to document change, even the way the fabrics have been dyed has been carefully considered, the dye developing through exposure to the sun with wrinkles and folds leaving an imprint on the material. Visually intriguing ruffles, pleating, and wrap over elements made for a robust textile narrative.
The finale of the night was presented by local designer Alex S. Yu. Always pushing the forefront of the avant-garde, Alex has synchronised vastly different sources of inspirations to create fresh, unusual ensembles in a cohesive way. ‘The Tenth Synchronicity’ evokes notions of nostalgia with youthful silhouettes of the sixties, such as miniskirts and shift dresses. Colour contrasting outfits were detailed with metal eyelets and ruffles, complete with tinted eyeglasses. A stand out look for menswear featured printed knee-length shorts styled with a fluffy pink sweater worn over a red polo neck. The layering of divergent patterns and textiles together through common themes of preppiness and street style has created a new-age feeling for FW19.
