You’ve been told that you are going to Vancouver Fashion Week aka you are going to be watching beautiful concepts and creations while being surrounded by divine goddesses. But after the excitement you realize that there’s one detrimental issue: what are you going to wear?
Glimpses of Kendall Jenner’s outfit while scrolling through Tumblr and Instagram is the only fashion education I have, so I told my nervous self that this was going to be a unique and one-of-a-kind experience even though it was out of my comfort zone. Being a college student, whose go-to outfit is always a worn-out Pink Floyd tee paired with some ripped jeans and my classic Vancouver Blundstones, I threw on my nicest thrifted skirt with a big chunky sweater and was on my way.
The entire week was filled with beautiful shows held at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver on East Pender Street. Every time I walked into the venue there was this buzz of spirit. You were standing among such creative beings whose tool of expression is through fashion. I remember being mesmerized by the people, each of them displaying their own personality through clothes, each proud of who they are – it was such a confident, safe space. To my left I saw a long-legged olive-skinned woman wearing beautifully fragile metallic silver heels, her legs crossed, ready for the show. To my right was a corky yet elegant older woman with ruby-coloured glasses chatting and laughing with her two friends who were dressed in complimenting shades of deep blues. I was surrounded by flowing colours and shades and it was chaotic but comforting as well. There was a rushed feeling that came with the shows, as if the pieces being displayed down the runway by the designers had waited far too long backstage for their grand reveal, and each and every designer was discovering their own uniqueness.
To me, this show was all about embracing yourself. It wasn’t about what the latest trends were, or keeping up with the fashion world. It was purely about self expression. At the end of each show, the hard working designers would pop out from backstage to be applauded by the audience for their dedication and bravery in putting their art out in the world. The smiles they had on their faces were unforgettable. This sense of complete pride in what they do, so proud of themselves for putting to life what was previously an intangible concept. If you ever get the chance to go to a fashion show, do it. You will be smiling and feeling confident by the end of it!
Here are some designers that I got to check out!
1. Rickyy Wong
2. ALOGON
I hope you got a feel for what Vancouver Fashion Week was like through my eyes! Hope to see you there next year, HCUBC cuties.