SIDEWALK RUNWAY: VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK

On Sunday, March 20th at 9:00pm I thought to myself, “Thank goodness, Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW) is finally over!” A second later I thought, “I’ve just been inspired by some amazing designers, is it really over?”

I was 20 minutes behind schedule and arrived at the Chinese Cultural Center at 3:40pm. My Media Pass allowed me to jump the long queue and enter the venue. Unfortunately the front row of the ‘first come, first serve’ Media Pit was filled with a mix of photographers and unmanned video cameras mounted on tripods. I found a spot on the third step of the wooden riser just slightly off center. I managed to assemble my gear, snap a few test shots and eat a quick lunch before the show started at 4:30pm. Unlike some photographers who came prepared with chairs, stools and monopods, I planned to spend the entire evening standing and shooting ‘hand held’.

While my space is limited to four images, the following events were worth mentioning. Bonnie Chung’s Je vis Couture line of tops and dresses were mixed & matched to created 42 different bridal gowns. Evan Clayton known for sending models down the runway in sheer blouses, gothic style harnesses and tiny strips of fabric once again shocked the audience. This time he brilliantly displayed his entire collection before revealing his identity. The wonderfully crafted, softer, more feminine pieces caught everyone by surprise. John 3:21 included children’s clothes in his collection. Everyone’s heart’s melted as several 3 – 4 year olds timidly walked down the runway. Lastly, Simone, the Emcee randomly picked five male and five female fashionistas (of all ages) from the audience. She cranked up the music and sent them down the runway to everyone’s delight.

Fashion week in any city can be overwhelming. Hence the mixed emotions described earlier. I attended the Opening Gala then skipped Tuesday – Saturday. During the 4.5 hour closing event, 15 designers sent collections down the runway. Conservatively limiting my shots, I still managed to take 2,400 images. It also took 4.5 hours to download 5 ½ 16gb memory cards to my laptop.

My four favorites are shown below. After 4 years of modeling locally, Kelsey was scouted online by an Australian modeling agency and she’ll soon be headed to model in Shanghai for 3 months and Jakarta for 3 months. Congratulations!

See more at Mermaid Wedding Dresses - jadeprom.co.uk