Nashmin Saturday, March 24th, at the David Lam Hall in downtown Vancouver marked a sensational evening of design talent from across the world.
Returning designer Kirsten Ley stunned the crowd with a dark and powerful collection. ‘Nero’ featured a considered colour palette of blacks, neutrals, and deep greens. Sculptured leather was juxtaposed with sheer feminine features, with fitted midi skirts and straight leg pants. An artistic expression for FW18.
Blue denim chaps and contrast edge collars brought a western vibe to Evan Clayton’s FW 18 collection NAUSICAÄ, a visual exploration of the classic Studio Ghibli film. Flounced silk voile and crystal clear rhinestone embellishments brought out a feminine feel with a muted palette of black, pewter, navy, and soft nude.
KO by Katherin Olivos kicked off the show with a contemporary dance trio. This Chilean designer, inspired by the diverse landscapes from land to sea, has designed gowns that create movement featuring hand-crafted words and embroidery on heavy and light fabrics. Plus-sized models paraded their fantastical voluminous structured dresses down the runway, with elegant glitter prints catching the light. A line of showpieces, with matching headwear and makeup, the finale showcased Canadian and Chilean flag inspired looks.
Inspired by the transition into the new year, YoonKyung Jang for Korean brand SETSETSET has designed festive prints featuring graphic stripes and white florals in bright colours of red, blue, pale pink, lime green, and yellow. Peplum waists and frilled hems give an ultra-feminine feel to fitted skirts and jackets which are paired with red tights and pointed heels.
Japanese designer Nozomi Kuwahara presented a playful collection in a bold colour palette of yellows, pinks, purples, and reds. Hints of humour shine through the line with a yellow high turtleneck totally covering the face, a mock crocodile leather dress complete with eyeball embellishments, and colourful ‘shoe monsters’ adorning the models feet. Experiments in fluffy faux fur and a red sparkly ‘tongue’ wrap around dress gave a youthful feel for FW18.
Eros Tolentino, an Italian designer, featured ruffled dresses with overlapping fabrics. Inspired by the true story of 52, the loneliest whale in the world, Tolentino uses raw fabrics and oversized silhouettes to give a soft feel to an artistic, conceptual line. Basic staple pieces such as button downs, trousers, and tailleur are the fundamentals for textile manipulations.
Vancouver local, Alex S. Yu returns to VFW for FW18. His unisex collection ‘The Crimson Demur’ featured loose structured silhouettes with subtle patterns. In classic Alex S. Yu style there was a casual feminine feel with bright reds complimented by both deep and pastel pinks in mini and floor-length looks. For menswear, we saw statement bomber jackets, shorts, and pocketed T-shirts.
