Vancouver Fashion Week: Day 2

Day 2 and the atmosphere at Vancouver Fashion Week was electric. I wore my trusty leather jacket with skinny jeans, leopard print top as seen here, staple skinnies and black heels.

The first half of the evening was dedicated to the students from the design school, LaSalle College International Vancouver. The first aspiring designer to take the spotlight was Tara Starr with her collection Mislaid Pieces. With loose fitting, flowing maxi dresses, tied at the waist with rope and speckled with patches of colour, Tara’s collection resembled shipwrecked chic.

Ivan Yui followed proceedings with a sporty line that would have us looking undeniably on-trend whilst working up a sweat. His hoodies and jackets in dark grey and white featured bright pops of colour adding that designer’s edge to sportswear.

Ai Ohyama had the audience cooing, with her line Tartelette, a collection of couture dresses for girls aged 5-11. As her young models took to the spotlight dressed in sugared almond coloured tutu dresses with matching hair pieces, the audience encouraged their little feet down the runway with applause. Ai used feminine, elegant features and structures whilst maintaining an innocent, child-friendly, ready-to-wear collection. Her collection had many of the adults wishing some of the dresses came in our size, particularly a mint maxi.

Metro Dresses by Metro News and LaSalle was an imaginative show of couture made with Metro newspapers. The detailing in the dresses was fascinating, from a pleated skirt to a bubble skirt embellished with boxes. Yes we’ve seen dresses made from recycled materials before, however Metro News and LaSalle took up-cycling to a whole new level with their distinctive design.

Byron Abad was the final LaSalle student to showcase his talent. His show, Synikal, is a collection of pieces he describes as Disco Garden Party. Sheer lilac, lemon and pink maxis, fitted skirts and angled camisoles evoked the thought of Shakespeare's fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ruffles added a soft feminine touch to his looks, whilst questionably high slits in the maxi skirts and wide legged pants gave to a more adult and elegant style.

The designers scheduled for the second half of the night had a tough act to follow as the students gave us an inspiring and creative show. DE OCAMPO was announced as the next designer to own the runway as the audience erupted with cheers, applause and even a supporting banner! His collection lived up to the anticipation with a line that looked completely at home on the runway. A monochrome look consisting of leather skirts, oversized jackets, dramatic, high necklines and collars captivated the excited audience. DE OCAMPO produced a collection worthy of the received reception.

Vancouver based designers Elik+Afsi took to the stage with their collection that appeals to the modern girl with a penchant for the past. Their playful pieces, with intricate cut out details showed of their models silhouettes beautifully. Inspired by the mod culture of the 60s, their brightly coloured playsuits, shorts and dresses evoked the liberating feeling of the time. In using delicate fabrics and detailing Elik+Afsi added a modern twist to a popular decade.

By contrast the next designer Ginger Martini created a party on the runway, sending her models out armed with cupcakes and gift bags for the front row. What followed was a glitter frenzy of party dresses and French tutu skirts. Models wore their hair tied in bows and their makeup resembled that of a Ragdoll (as her collection is titled). Not to be distracted by the cute aspects of the show, her line was loaded with provocative and playful suggestions.

Arshia Khan was given the difficult task of captivating the attention of the audience after the Ginger Martini show. However, the collection entitled Cruise Control brought us back to the serious side of fashion with stern models allowing the couture to do all the talking. Animal print, neon and lace were employed to produce a collection fit for a day on a yacht in the South of France. The standout piece from the collection was a neon orange loose fitted tube dress.

As the night drew in and the show began to round to a close, Kristi Lee from Vancouver had the difficult task of keeping the, now tiring, audience interested. With recent number 1 hits as her choice of music accompaniment, the audience were fighting to resist singing along. Her collection Qube featured exposed zips, pretty bandeaus, lace and peplum. Kristi Lee’s quirky styles are designed to appeal to the edgy 15-30 year old female, who looks for unique, comfortable clothing whilst looking on-trend.

The much anticipated Kas Wear by Kasozi Charles from Uganda was the final show of the day. Kasozi introduced his line and gave sincere thanks to the FIVE Agency for making it possible for him to be at Vancouver Fashion Week. African music played out the first model who wore a blazer that could be turned into a tote, which from the applause was well received by the audience. His collection relied heavily on indigenous and ethnic fabrics in bright, tribal prints with a uniquely modern twist. His printed pants are some of the best I have seen! Men’s jackets were reversible and the women’s’ exposed an edgy print with the slight unzipping of the jacket. His clothing was loaded with zips and ties that when undone transformed the item before us, creating a versatile, practical but high-fashion collection. Simply mesmerising.

As the hype begins to snowball, Vancouver Fashion Week will be back at 5pm on Friday 21^st September with a packed schedule of talent and inspiring creations. Follow VFW on twitter for live tweets from the show! Today's coverage will be on the blog in morning.

A huge thank you to the Vancouver Fashion Week Official Photographers, Peter Jensen, Dale Rolling, Ed Ng and Eugene, for the incredible photos as seen above!