Vancouver Fashion Week SS2016: Opening Gala

Just as soon as it starts to feel like fall is in the air, you know Vancouver Fashion Week is just around the corner! Back in it's usual venue at the Chinese Cultural Centre, it definitely did feel back at home. The Opening Gala is always the best opportunity to get a quick peek at one of each designer's pieces- if you're picking which shows to see during the week, your best bet is to catch this show.

My personal favourites I'm looking forward to this week? Atelier Grandi, Connally McDougall, Alex S. Yu, Green Embassy, Seafolly, and Jackson Rowe. But I'm always up for some surprise favourites too! below. I love seeing a designer's collection for the first time, not knowing what to expect.

Stay tuned and I'll have my favourites from Day 2 of Vancouver Fashion Week coming your way soon!

Outfit: Blouse - Loft 82 (thrifted) | Necklace - Paloma Sanchez | Ring - Nobis & Grey | Pants - May & Jules (via Blogger Closet Sale) | Heels - Vince Camuto (thrifted via Value Village)

Makeup: Eyeliner - Cargo TexasLiner (via London Drugs) | Lipstick - NYX Soft Matte Cream in Copenhagen (via London Drugs)

The adorable entertainers for the evening! 

The Style By Fire teaming rocking adorable full skirts (left to right: Aurora Chan & Miranda Sam in Alex S. Yu, Vicky Duong)

Designer: Canella Hostal Couture

Designer: Alex S. Yu

Designer: TKC Design Inc.

Designer: Green Embassy

Designer: Connally McDougall

Designer: Ana Luisa Barros

Designer: Maaji Swimwear

Thanks to Ed Ng Photography for the runway photos!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Vancouver Fashion Week FW2015: Day 2

The first day of shows for the Fall/Winter 2015 season of Vancouver Fashion Week featured some of my favourite designers, so needless to say, I was pretty excited! All having walked the Vancouver runway before, Grandi's Atelier, Alex S. Yu, and Theresa Chen showcased truly fantastic collections.

I was in a wonderland of plaid when Grandi's collection hit the runway: a myriad of Scottish-inspired designs that were fitted to perfection (as Grandi's pieces always are). If you haven't read my Style Blindspot Series on Style By Fire yet, you'll understand why I am so enamoured by plaid once you do. Plaid, leather, and faux fur all complement each other so well, and for me personally, really embody fall/winter fashion.

I actually had the opportunity to meet Theresa Chen during the week, and I had such a fan girl moment! I've been watching Theresa's runway shows for years now, loving every single one of them, so it was such a delight to find out she's actually followed Vancouver Vogue since I first reviewed one of her collections! Wow. And of course, this collection did not disappoint. Her signature Parisian flair was ever so clear in each and every design. You'll see in the runway photo below one of her gorgeous capes in (of course) my favourite colour combination of red and black. Get in my closet now, please, pretty cape! <3

And finally, Alex S. Yu's collection was definitely one I was looking forward to on Day 1: at the end of every day of runway shows, it's always great to end of with something really fun! Alex Yu's collection was just that. Fun, flirty colours, prints, textures, and accessories (right down to the shoes!) make this collection a must-see. And while it might seem like the pieces are overwhelming at first, by picking out a shirt here or a skirt there, you could definitely weave these designs into your outfits and add some real flair to your style!

You can watch the video below to get a recap of my week at VFW:

Grandi's Atelier

Theresa Chen

Alex S. Yu

Thanks to Kuna Photography for the runway photos!

As for my outfit? I thought it'd be fun to go full-out retro. I've been wanting to add more pastels to my spring wardrobe, so I picked up a few pieces from Forever 21 that I think will be great to mix and match during the season.

Vest - Forever 21 | Shirt - Forever 21 (similar) | Pants - Forever 21 | Headband - Forever 21 | Bracelets - Aldo (thrifted from Value Village) & Nobis & Grey | Purse - JustFab | Shoes - Justfab

With Kassinka in the VIP lounge

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta

Nina Tan Design at Vancouver Fashion Week

Sometimes, you need to step outside your fashion comfort zone to really have some fun with your style! Stephanie Hung of Nina Tan gave me the opportunity to wear some of her newest pieces to Vancouver Fashion Week this past season, and it really got my imagination running wild!

This Nina Tan collection offers an assortment of pieces in this unique blue print: jacket, skirt, pants, and dress. Rather than picking just one piece to wear, I thought I go print-overload and style 2 items! The key is to balance all that print out with solid colours, in this case, a very vibrant highlighter yellow top. And the result? A head-turning statement ensemble. The best part of all, is those pants are insanely comfortable, so I can go from wearing them to Vancouver Fashion Week to rocking them on the couch at home!

You can check out my interviews from Day 3 at Vancouver Fashion Week below, where I chat with designers Taranjit K Cheema, Melissa Bolduc, and Shravan Kumar on Wow TV's Vancouver Weekly.

Jacket & pants- Nina Tan Design, Tops-Winners, Shoes-Army&Navy

Interviewing Taranjit K. Cheema at Vancouver Fashion Week (see interview on Wow TV below)

Interviewing Shravan Kumar at Vancouver Fashion Week (see interview on Wow TV below)

Joined by the talented ladies Samantha Sito of Obsessive Trend Invitation (left) and Aurora Chan of Style by Fire (right)

Front row catching the shows with Miranda Sam and Aurora Chan of Style by Fire (both wearing Alex S. Yu designs)

You can watch my coverage of Vanouver Fashion Week, including my interview with Taranjit K Cheema, Melissa Bolduc, and Sharvan Kumar on Wow TV's Vancouver Weekly!

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta