Despite the COVID-19 lockdowns, Vancouver has been a resilient retail market. Retail vacancies are declining, market rents have increased, and unemployment is lower in British Columbia than it was before the pandemic. This is good news for Vancouver’s fashion industry.
Vancouver Fashion Week took place recently from April 7-10, and was a hub for international designers. On Day 1, Vancouver Fashion Week featured designers representing Canada, Mexico and the USA as well as Japan, and France. Tetyana Golotoa was the most notable designer, with her collection featuring colorful pieces and floral embroidery. This collection was a love letter for Ukraine and the people of Ukraine, who are currently fighting the invadors.
Martha Kyak, an Inuit fashion designer, displayed her InukChic clothes. They combine traditional Inuit design with contemporary style. These traditional Inuit designs are paired with everyday ready-to-wear.
Vancouver Fashion Week wraps fall/winter 2022 season
Vancouver Fashion Week is not only a place to find young international designers but also showcases student talent. Six of LaSalle College’s student designers were featured, including Elie Jesmani and Jackson Lee, Eduardo Lozana Ramos, Renda Pii, Yichi Zhang, and Haby Camera. Collections by the young designers were centered on themes of asymmetry and industrialism as well as earth tones.
Vancouver Fashion Week not only showcases a wide range of international designers but also keeps artisans and craftsmen in the city. Aline, a French Cameroonian designer, is the creative leader of her family’s business Couleur’s d’Afrique. The collection is developed by sewing teams in Madagascar, Cameroon, and Kenya. Aline also helps to provide humanitarian aid for those in need. Aline also assists struggling communities with humanitarian work.
The fashion industry continues to be a hot topic when it comes to sustainability. Guido Vera, a Chilean native, is trying to change the perception of clothing for Chilean men by promoting sustainability and highlighting Patagonia’s textile rescue and traditions.
Although Marquee household names don’t headline Vancouver Fashion Week like they do Fashion Weeks in New York, the event is an excellent platform for showcasing young and emerging talent. Given the many international designers that come to Vancouver Fashion Week, it is undoubtedly the closest thing to an international Fashion Week. Although the “big four” Fashion Weeks (New York, London Milan, and Paris) often feature international talent, Vancouver Fashion Week is not as deep. These young designers don’t have the pressure of competing with larger names for media coverage and attention.
Vancouver Fashion Week is also the second-largest Fashion Week in North America, after New York Fashion Week. Although the event is still small and modest, it provides an opportunity for emerging international talent.
