Vancouver Fashion Week: Day 4

Tramp in Disguise, UK

Day 4 was an interesting day that began with sheer, light materials, moving on to slightly more avant-garde wear to a strange cultural show which was followed by extreme contrast with a provocative, carnival showdown! What a day! 

Taisuke Kohji from Japan was the first designer of the day to own the runway with his line KoH T. His pants were a mix of lengths and fittings adding a unique twist to the traditional tailored pant. Kohji presented the versatility of the wardrobe stable, the t-shirt, in a range of soft hues and prints.

Sini Moilanen from the UK was next to showcase her line, Tramp in Disguise. Her models wore their hair braided and tied up at the back in a messy bun. Her graphic print dresses in white, blues and black gave way to a Grecian inspired pattern. The cut out detail in the hem of the dresses and skirts resembled the panels in the skirts of ancient Greek armor. Draped chiffon and flowing materials gave the models the elegant but powerful look of a Greek goddess.

Xsenia & Olya, also from the UK, gave the audience a feminine show, using sheer, delicate fabrics that embrace the body in effortless complexity. The bold digital print that resembled ink swirled in water or smoke dispersing in the air complimented the soft, movement of the clothing as the models walked the runway. A beautiful collection that clearly illustrated the talent of these emerging designers. For me the UK stole the day again...(but I'm not biased!).

Pola Thomson’s avant-garde collection featuring deep, rich red tones showcased the designer’s Chilean heritage with striking glamour. Neat, tightly pulled back buns, bronzed, contoured faces and red lips set her collection off beautifully. All white and black looks also featured in oversized dresses and wide-legged pants. The men’s collection consisted of stiff gowns and robes. Thomson complimented her pieces with statement necklaces created with a mixture of rope and acrylic materials. Thomson’s talent was extraordinarily displayed as the models lined the length of the runway wearing the collection as Thomson appeared to thank the audience.

Following Thomson’s beautiful display, the program took a strange turn for the Korean Cultural Fashion Show. After a longer than necessary series of speeches from consulate figure heads, what I deemed to be a traditional Korean wedding happened before us on the runway!! Followed by a display of traditional Korean dress which saw timing overrun meaning the following shows were rushed through which was a shame.

The shows continued with JungEun Lee from South Korea by complete contrast to what had just happened. His collection, LavaWoman, created a carnival scene on the runway with outfits that looked as though a pot of glitter had been spilt over them, dazzling headpieces and provocative displays of sexuality. The makeup resembled a Freddie Mercury tribute with the 70s/80s glasses and mustaches. This was a show that Lady Gaga would have felt at home watching.

Also from South Korea, Stanley Juno Kang’s line SIR.STAN STUDIO began with imaginative, avant-garde creations. ‘Do Not Cross’ police tape printed skirts and busy comic strip leggings and blazers were some of the earlier pieces of the show. French tulle dresses matched with bright gingham blazers, head to toe floral 2-pieces and a pretty red tea dress with a laced neckline were key looks. His runway take on the sweat pant is also worthy of note.

The penultimate day of Vancouver Fashion Week came to an end with Ha:Sang;Beg’s suggestive show. Skirts, trousers and dresses were belted not just at the waist but the knees and ankles too. Gold and silver vampire fangs that resembled belts were worn around the neck or jaw line. Wet hair and skin added to frantic nature of the line. Ha:Sang;Beg clearly uses fashion and design as his method of expression and gave the audience something to think about as left Saturday night.

With just one day left Vancouver Fashion Week aims to impress with designers from the USA, Mexico and Canada. The show continues at 4pm on Sunday 23^rd followed by the Closing Gala at FiveSixty.

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!