The Gravity Pope Tailored Goods clothing store opened early September right next to the shoe mecca in the heart of Kitsilano. With a successful Tailored Goods location up and running in
Tune into the Slice TV network on October 8th for the inaugural season of Project Runway
Carlie Wong graduated from the Fashion Design program at Kwantlen and currently works as an assistant designer for Mac & Jac. She recently showed her luxurious 1940’s inspired fall collection at the Noir Fashion show at Caprice to the delight of the audience.
Darin Hartmann, the most experienced of the group, also studied at Kwantlen and helms the line ICICI, designed for sophisticated curvy women, in addition to creating custom garments.
Last but certainly not least is Evan Biddell, who was raised in
The Jacqueline Conoir Spring 08 collection not only delivered the sexy women’s power suit, it delivered sexy women’s power everything. Wide to skinny leg trousers, high waisted to low-rise skirts and pants, and subdued creams to punches of bold colours dominated the runway. Not to mention the illustrious gowns, and light jackets long and cropped…I began to wonder if there was anything designer RozeMerie Cuevas couldn’t create. This plentiful line is accessible to a wide spectrum of women young and old, with one portion of the line more suitable for business attire and the other inspired by the color and energy of a jubilant nightlife. These are striking garments for a driven woman, and the incredible range JC offers is a fitting nod to the versatility of the urban female. We are not business or pleasure – we are business and pleasure, and the choice JC offers is a reflection of this modernity.
www.jcstudio.ca
A new addition to the BC Fashion Week schedule this year was Generation Next, a platform for up and coming designers to emerge into the limelight. This year three new designers showcased their lines with hopes to secure the coveted prize package: a spot in the next BC Fashion Week, financial and marketing advice to launch their line, PR services, a profile on Urban Rush and much more. The 2007 contenders included the “polished style” of Elroy Apparel, the “glossy aesthetic” of Nicole Bridger and “sparkly looks” from Mia Melon. All had a strong showing – their respective creativity and skill was evident and very impressive for new talent. In the end Nicole Bridger took the prize, named Generation Next Designer for Spring 2008 for her original designs, likelihood to succeed on a national and global scale, and savvy business sense. The other highlight of the evening was the challenge to audience members to “Dress Local” for a chance at a wicked prize pack. If you arrived on the red carpet wearing anything by a local designer, you were entered into a raffle for a VIP suite at the Century Plaza Hotel, jewelry from Sugar Lime, Spa Binge skincare products, a $100 GC for JC Studio, a $50 GC for Portobello West, a subscription to Fashion Magazine and a Bring Your Own Bag.
Easily one of the most popular hits of BC Fashion Week was the final showing on Saturday September 29th for Evan & Dean, named after the nephews of design duo Raymond Boutet and Lyle Reimer. Structured garments for Spring ’08 emphasized the most voluptuous lady parts: shoulders and hips were beefed up to the max, with intricate folds and volume defining nearly every piece. Metallic golds, sexy sheer fabrics and beady headpieces worked their way into the collection as well, while the rest of the color palette stuck mainly with subdued earth tones. Again we saw the high-waisted skirt and special attention to accentuating the hips – clearly a lasting trend into the next Spring season. Certainly one of their less commercial productions, the newest Evan & Dean line was both reminiscent of classic style and futuristic costuming.
www.evananddean.com
The queue for the Christina Darling show snaked far past the doors of the Performance Works venue, which was unable to contain the abundant, buzzing crowd anxiously waiting for entry. Standees lined the back walls of the showroom and anticipation was high – this was clearly one of the “it” shows at BC Fashion Week. Once the models descended upon the runway the audience was anything but shy, vocalizing their excitement for their favourite pieces with applause and shouts of appreciation. The show opened with video samples of travel and getaway scenes from films both current and classic, then abruptly dropped into imagery of urban centres – one of the most interesting introductions of all the designers showing. The theme seemed to be: ditch the dullness of suburbia and embark on enticing world adventures wearing Christina Darling’s “World Traveler” collection, marked by vigorous colors, billowing dresses and a hint of metallic edge. Now in her fifth season, Christina Culver’s flirty style was undoubtedly a favourite in her third showing at BC Fashion Week.
www.christinaculver.com
