Vancouver Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2018

The fall season is here, and so is fashion week season! As per usual, I had to catch at least a day of shows at Vancouver Fashion Week - after all, I'll never give up a change to dress up and see some incredible runway shows.

I had almost entirely forgot about this highlighter dress that I thrifted from Value Village months ago. And then I thought: what better time to wear it? I joke that this dress is the epitome of eco-friendly fashion, because it's actually from H&M's Conscious Collection (their eco-friendly capsule collection), but I didn't purchase it from the store, I bought it second hand from Value Village: doesn't get much more eco-friendly than that!

Keep reading below to see some of my favourite designers from Day 3 at fashion week.

[Photo by @simbaimages]

Atelier Guarin

If there is one collection that I could imagine myself wearing almost in its entirety, it would be Atelier Guarin's. The flared pants, ruffled sleeves and skirts, knee high boots with mini dresses...all of it! I'm especially in love with the pants and the mini dress you see below.

Autum Jules Designs

I always love being introduced to local, emerging fashion designers in Vancouver. Autum's collection is inspired by her indigenous Tinglit culture, from the traditional beadwork and moccasin boots, to the beautiful sequin dress you see below, which imitates the glistening of running water and Jules' deep connection to the earth. The collection covered a wide range of styles, from more traditional, to leather-clad and glittery glam.

Hunsel

These shoes are such a brilliant idea! Hunsel makes high end sneakers that you can completely customize. The front panel of the shoes can be switched out for whatever pattern you feel like. This is a really eco-friendly concept too: rather than buying 10 pairs of sneakers, all you need is one!

JAAJ

As much as I love seeing pieces on the runway that I would want to wear tomorrow, I also enjoy seeing some inspiring couture collections. And JAAJ certainly fit the bill! I was particularly drawn to the combination of leather and burlap: what an interesting combination, certainly something we don't see every day.

Madame Katjina

I really loved Madam Katjina's collection. Definitely lots of 'badass woman' vibes here. I've always been a bit fan of mixing leather with more feminine details like lace. And what I also really enjoyed seeing was the addition of embroidery! Right on trend. What was also eye-catching was the puffy collars seen on some of the pieces. A unique feature I haven't really seen before.

Mouton Blanc

This was definitely a very moody collection, and I totally loved it! Why? Because of the combination of dark, edginess and traditional business wear. You can see the work wear shapes are there: the loosely tailored pants, the button up top, the lapels...and yet Mouton Blanc puts a serious twist on all that with its goth-like style.

[Runway Photos by Getty Images for VFW Management]

In case your wondering which talented humans were creating all those amazing runway hairstyles, the team at REDKEN was behind the scenes! They were even on-hand to do hair touch-ups in between shows, so I took them up on it and had some fun waves added to my 'do. I wish I could have someone do my hair like this everyday!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

4 Fall/Winter Trends Spotted at Vancouver Fashion Week

Vancouver Fashion Week gave us all kinds of fall/winter inspiration, and while it seems a long ways away right now (hello, Spring...finally!), it's always exciting to see a sneak peek of what to expect for the future season. Keep reading to see what my favourite looks and trends were from VFW this past week.

Sheer Dresses

These have been trending for quite a long time now, and while I'm personally getting a little tired of seeing celebrities in crystal encrusted sheer body-hugging dresses, this one from Wilbur was something unique. I appreciated that the sheerness was offset by having a more flowing skirt (rather than the aforementioned skin tight variety).The pop of colour underneath was a nice touch too, especially in a beautiful emerald green.

Jacquard Fabric

Jacquards in matching sets were front and centre at KEEM's runway show. This is a texture and print I've always loved for fall/winter - I think it has a a very regal feel and always looks fantastic, especially for winter parties. Jacquard is also usually associated with a more structured fit, making them great statement pieces.

Here's a big plus: KEEM is also an eco-friendly brand! The designs are created in natural fibres, certified organic cotton and 100% faux fur ethical luxury.

Leather Love

Leather was definitely a hot item on the runway, and Vancouver local Kirsten Ley created some incredible pieces by molding leather into unique shapes. The accented shoulders on this jacket were definitely eye-catching, and looked especially great in the oxblood red shade.

Coveted Capes

I was pretty excited to see many capes grace the runway at Vancouver Fashion Week this season. They are always a favourite of mine for fall and winter! This one by Moskal is a new favourite. The colour is definitely unexpected for the season, which is refreshing. Overall, the styling of this cape is spot on, from the glasses to the turtleneck, whose muted purple is a perfect pairing. And we can't forget those matching pants: it's a perfect set!

[Images provided by Arun Nevader/WireImage]

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

Vancouver Fashion Week SS2016: Day 2

My second day at Vancouver Fashion Week's Spring/Summer 2016 shows made for an exciting evening of diverse designs, and new and old favourites. Atelier Grandi, Canella Hostal Couture, Vivano Sue, TKC Designs, and Maaji Swimwear all shined on the runway- keep reading below to see the best of each collection and a quick recap!

On the runway with the wonderful Tina of Sidebuy in between shows!

Atelier Grandi:

It's been such a please to watch Atelier Grandi over many seasons at Vancouver Fashion Week; each collection has Grandy's signature polished, refined, classy and elegant, and yet there is always a fabulous new theme to each collection that makes it so unique. This season's collection, Serpentine, featured snake and metallic detailing- a flashy departure from her usual style, but the style of the dresses is what gave the designs their signature polish. Every single dress was stunning in its own right!

Viviano Sue:

This is a designer I had not had the chance to see before, and felt incredibly satisfied after seeing the runway show. There were so many examples of perfectly executed layers and draping- and what I thought looked like inkblot-inspired prints were incredibly eye-catching! The collection paints the life-story of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, and the focus on white was meant to convey and symbolize a clean slate from which to build up the collection.

Canella Hostal Couture:

This was one of my surprise favourites of the day! The burst of orange was so refreshing, and I absolutely loved all the fun prints. The skirt on the right was particularly unique. The small folded pieces of fabric all moved individually as the skirt swayed, giving an interesting range of motion as the model walked the runway. Between that skirt and the flowing robe on the left, it was a bright and fun collection that really embodies what spring and summer should be all about!

TKC Designs:

This collection aims to do more than just look pretty. TKC Designs is all about using the collection to empower women. Designer Taranjit K. Cheema wants to shed light on the unreported rape cases in India, where victims feel ashamed and remain silent out of fear of being shunned by their community.

Maaji Swimwear:

Firstly, I have to say, the styling of this runway show was fantastic! The vintage suitcases, comfy blankets, tourist camera and headbands added perfectly to the overall theme of the designs. The 'Rhapsody Road' collection brought us along for their road trip with their youthful fun and flirty designs. Lots of mix and matching prints- and my personal favourite- plenty of the bralette style tops (such a great retro style!). Now if only I could get one of those adorable blanket and holder straps to go with the bikini...road trip, anyone?

Thanks to Ed Ng Photography for the runway photos!

Happy Styling! xo

~ Britta

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 6

Once again, I picked out 3 of my favourite designers from all the runway shows at Vancouver Fashion Week on Day 6, who turned out to be: Lawrence Pirnay, Michelle Lesniak, and Gala Limon. All had superb collections that made me wish I could own each and every one of their designs. Such a great variety of textures, patterns and cuts, Day 6 brought a whole lot of inspiration our way!

Easily one of the most anticipated designers of the week was Michelle Lesniak, winner of Project Runway Season 11. You know me, I'm a sucker for retro style, so obviously I was a big fan of the vintage swimsuits that graced the runway. The nautical rope detailing was a great touch, and made me wonder why I've never seen anything like it before! Oh man, this really gets me excited about nautical style for summer... Plus, you'll see the bikini pictured below features Michelle's 'falling upwards' hot air balloon print- too cute!

Gala Limon's Mexican Fairies collection was packed full of sweet, flowy, ready-to-wear dresses, tops and skirts that made me wish I could blink and find them in my closet! My favourite is the pastel purple/pink dress you'll see below. The laser cut details were a unique touch, and the dress swayed beautifully as the model walked the runway. Such an easy, breezy, chic design!

My favourite show of the night, Laurence Pirnay, had a wide range of styles hit the runway, including a fun fringe, 3-D dress, chic cape, and a mix of flowing prints. As I've been completely enamoured by capes lately, the second I spotted the full length cape dress you'll see below, my eyes opened wide. What a beauty! So elegant and refined, that style is right up my alley. Even better was the ever-so-subtle diamond pattern along the cape and dress hemline: lovely detailing!

Michelle Lesniak

Gala Limon

Laurence Pirnay

Thanks to Kuna Photography for the runway photos!

I had a lot of fun with my Day 6 outfit for Vancouver Fashion Week! I've been patiently waiting to wear this massive piece of statement jewellery that I picked up back in December...and finally the day has come. It's a pretty busy necklace, so I figured the rest of the outfit should be all-black, to make it really stand out. But of course, you know me, I can never go with no colour: hence the red lips!

Twins! Another fashion week attendee with the same style in mind!

Outfit: Jumpsuit - H&M | Necklace - Aldo | Earrings - Nobis & Grey | Heels - Vince Camuto (thrifted via Value Village)

Makeup: Eyes - Sonia Kashuk Kajal Liner, Lips - NYX Butter Lipstick in Juju

Happy Styling! xo

~Britta