Vancouver Fashion Week SS22 Presents Eco-friendly, Gender-Inclusive, Indigenous, And Futuristic Culture Inspired Collections
After 2 years of pandemic restrictions, Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW) Spring Summer 2022 returns to offline along with its online presentations.
Special appearances were made at the physical venue by many including famous Tiktok fashion influencer Tika the Iggy.
This season, VFW continues to showcase collections by local and international brands, and many of the designs were inspired by popular discussions brewed during this special time: self discovery & gender identity, Indigenous culture celebration, sustainable innovations and exploration of futurism. Here are the top designers that deserve your attention.
Offline Runways
Sunday Morning
The stage was filled with smoke effects and anticipation for Spanish brand Sunday Morning’s “Techno Hybrid” line, a futuristic take on what would happen if human and alien styles collided. Models sported blackened eyes, pointed ears, and long, clawed nails to evoke this otherworldly theme. The garments featured bright pops of neon orange, green, red, and purple, detailed with a combination of fur and whimsical patterns of sea creatures. Standout pieces included a red coat with fur sleeves, wide leg pants with fur trim, an oversized purple coat, and a cozy multi-colour gown with a sweeping train.
Elegant Curiosities
Elegant Curiosities brings a gender-non-conforming seductive and elegant collection, using only black fabrics with gold accents. This Netherlands-based label was created by Laila Verseput in 2013. Models were heavily adorned in luxurious detailing, created with 24 Karat hand-gilded and silver-plated details, gemstones, freshwater pearls, sterling silver and 14 Karat gold. One look featured a female in a large hat and black bodycon dress, strutting beside a male model who wore a flowy skirt with matching length gloves, and a delicate gold nipple leash paired with a muzzle-style mask.
Aranka Jacoba Scheeper
Aranka Jacoba Scheeper showcased an expanded version of her B.A. collection that pays homage to the Danish military in charge of regulating the pandemic. The Denmark-based designer founded her eponymous brand in January 2020 after graduating from the Scandinavian Academy of Fashion Design. The loose fit emulates the comfortable clothing many wore while in lockdown. Sustainably sourced fabrics are hand-painted to create bold and daring garments that celebrate gender fluidity.
TOOT
Japanese label TOOT showcased men’s underwear that was full of personality, expanding unconventional options for men who seek a different lifestyle. The brand presented a diverse array of brightly coloured briefs, including a pair of daring red jockstraps. Most models walked the runway wearing only underwear, but TOOT also showed some casual loungewear looks. This included colourful tees and a hoodie and sweat shorts set emblazoned with the brand name.
Ay Lelum
Ay Lelum is a second-generation Coast Salish design house that was introduced with a powerful spoken word piece. The runway presentation was accompanied by Indigenous music, with regal gowns depicting animals on the fabric and earthy shades of red, orange and blue to tie together a sense of connection with nature. Flowing capes, gold decals, and dreamcatcher earrings added unique touches of elegance, telling an empowering story of culture and history. The timeless silhouettes complemented models of all body types, including models from Indigenous modelling agency Supernaturals and even the celebrity greyhound Tika the Iggy.
Online Presentations
AUBE
Using recyclable vegan leather to minimize waste, the Korean accessory brand – Aube’s “Pebble” collection was inspired by refined and round stones that were once rigid on the edges. The bags were carefully crafted by local artisans, featuring ruffled textures on the surfaces of the bag. The muted nude colours are perfect for everyday wear. The brand also donates 3% of the fundraising proceeds to the Korea Environmental Movement Association and we will keep helping the environment with sustainable fashion products.
Sophie Wang
Sophie Wang is a Taipei-based independent designer and recent graduate of Rhode Island School of Design’s BFA program in textiles. This season’s collection, ‘Noonday’, explores the obsession with creating personal fiction, the dependence on it, and our ability to interweave both realms of fantasy and reality in our lives – watching these two spaces breathe into one another, fall out of sync and ultimately struggle to establish dominance and rhythm. ‘Noonday’ features garment silhouettes born of quick scribbles and cartoonish exaggerations largely inspired by Masaaki Yuasa’s 2008 science fiction anime series Kaiba. Contrasting yarns such as nylon and linen are knitted together along with embroidery techniques to create the drape and illusion of a drawing coming to life, or a garment directly lifted from Wang’s sketchbook. Wang also includes butterfly wings as a recurring motif throughout the collection as can be seen in the symmetrical silhouettes, embellishments and knitted wings; she uses a muted colour palette to emphasize a kind of withering spirit of a fantasy tainted with loneliness and delusion.
MADALEINE NELSON
Canada-born, UK-trained textile designer Madaleine draws design inspirations from her belief in being “unapologetically yourself”. Madaleine wants the modern woman to wear her clothes and feel like she can achieve anything. Vibrant colored satin materials were the spotlight of the collection — it creates a supple glowing effect that emphasizes a woman’s figure and glowing skin, and the abstract prints give a pop of freshness just like when flowers are fully bloomed in the summer.
Emily Ann
Emily Ann’s collection entitled ‘Memories’ is inspired by the memories one carries with them throughout their life and how clothing can be a part of that experience. With this inspiration and sustainability in mind, the Saskatoon designer added a range of textures created by upcycling old denim to tell this story. The collection includes a mix of innovative streetwear pieces with classic tailoring.
KEIKO KADOTO
The clothes in Sowelu’s Keiko Kadoto collection “The Mixed World We Are In” are colourful and use a mix of unconventional patterns. Asymmetrical lines, pattern blocking, and braided fabrics were some notable techniques used throughout the outfits. The main materials used for the collection are cotton and polyester. The elastic nature of the textiles provides a loose fit for wearers, which fortifies its relaxed, agender style.
Nillring
‘The Time Which Lost Seasons’ collection presents a line of contemporary cross-body bags and totes designs that hopes to provide happiness by looking beautiful every day. Suede cross-body bags are seen with silver details on the logo and chain. The Korean brand is made with high quality materials, so customers can wear them every day and create memories that last season after season.
Cocó Paloma
Paloma Solís is the heart of Cocó Paloma. indigenous Mexican clothing and crafts, keeping an eye on quality and innovation. This collection tells the story of Paloma Solís, in which the most iconic models are reimagined, revealing timeless pieces that keeps the style, silhouette, colour and embroidery, reflecting sophistication and craftsmanship. It resumes the experience that the designer herself, the Cocó Paloma team and the customers have lived through all this astonishing journey. This collection is full of the artisanal work that the Mexican fashion house has been developing alongside Mexican artisans, bringing back antique techniques such as pedal loom knitting and stunning handmade embroidery. Let us share with you our story of passion and colour.
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With love,
FWO
