Vancouver Fashion Week: Day 3

For the 3rd day of Vancouver Fashion Week I wore my very bright printed pants from H&M, with a white T, heels and of course the new love in my life, my leather jacket! Day 3 was a brilliant day and the British designers really showed why we are renowned as a fashion capital in the world!! Yay go GB!

The scene was set by Trish Connolly with her collection Charmed. Chilling, haunted music-box sounds accompanied the models walking in voluminous ball gowns. Each was escorted off the runway by a masked man conjuring a dark fairy tale. Her gowns for both adults and children almost looked back to prom night 15 years ago with heavily layered ruffle skirts and bright colours. 

Goldie London lifted the darkness left over the runway with a summery collection of ready-to-wear clothing paired with unique headpieces from Hive Mind Millinery. Michelle Goldie’s collection takes inspiration from vintage London couture. With sheer blouses and shorts that looked as though they were inspired by the 1920s flapper, Goldie updated the look using studded collars, cut out details and metallic blazers. Dominique’s headpieces featured bones and antlers to give a modern twist whilst pairing beautifully with Goldie’s vintage inspired collection.

A second collaboration followed, between British AngelEye and Vancouver based, Random Life Project. AngelEye presented a stunning collection of ready-to-wear pieces that looked just as at home on the runway. Her use of delicate fabrics contrasted with sturdy leather and girlie blazers toughened up with structured, statement shoulders gave the audience some serious inspiration. The jewelry from Random Life Project set off the collection perfectly with delicate beads and stones layered to create heavy necklaces and cuff bracelets.

Thanh Nguyen brought back the dark drama we had seen at the beginning of the day. With music-box sounds, regal trumpets and a Cathedral choir playing loudly over her train of employed models, the runway became a moody, enchanted but regal setting for her beautiful gowns and men’s tailoring. Metallic coloured shifts were exposed beneath full length lace while her crocheted dresses in white, black and red exposed the model beneath. Men wore impeccably tailored suits, brought up-to-date with a knee length short rather than pant and the sleeves of the blazers matched fabric of the inner lining.

Heiress Swimwear

Qispi Kay Beachwear

Two swimwear shows in a day had us feeling a little depressed for autumn which decided to greet Vancouver on Friday. Heiress Swimwear by Nicole Courchaine featured a stunning, pinup 2-piece adorned with black sequins. Ruched briefs added detail the briefs. Thicker bands provided support to the halter tops whilst remaining perfectly stylish. Qispi Kay Beachwear by Sandra Jazmin Higueras presented us with Amazon chic. 2-tone bandeaux and a hot pink 2-piece were her staple style whilst the halter 2-pieces incorporated interesting materials, such as braided rope, leather and suede-look fabric.

Mandy Morgan’s line Mia Melon gave us cinched waists achieved by wide leather waist belts. Cut out back dresses, denim shorts and spring jackets came together for a laid back style that would see you through spring and summer.

Aptform by Michail Gkinis was the highlight of the evening. With his dedication to mixing fabrics he created a style of its own. Loose fitting harem pants, cowl necks and long delicate jackets gave casual a new meaning and a twist on smart. A dark colour palette and contrasting layered lengths were key trends in Gkinis’ collection.

Day 3 was wrapped up by British designer Ping, who has a history working with Alexander McQueen and with fans such as Madonna and Uma Thurman. Her collection PINGHE therefore, included stunning tailoring, a sign of a McQueen background. Her boyish tailoring paired with skinny pants created the perfect female power wardrobe. No wonder Madonna is a fan. Ping is another designer who is using contrasting materials to give delicate fabrics a new, harder edge.

And so Vancouver Fashion Week enters the weekend with its penultimate day. More on the blog tomorrow!

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!