Vancouver Fashion Week Oct 15-19, 2025

Black and white, gold, silver and red were trending colours in the collections, the attendees' clothing and accessories. I seldom wear black and white, but when I do, I add red accessories and a bit of sparkle. My jacket is by Joseph Ribkoff, the dress is Ralph Lauren and shoes are by Kate Spade. Sparkle here is by Carolyn Bruce Designs. Long time staples are a mix of new, thrifted and gifted. It is really important to get to the photo wall and to the red carpet to set the stage for your time at Vancouver Fashion Week and to tag local and international Designers, especially if you are wearing one of their creations. Please see Vancouver Fashion Week Designers for a complete list of all who showed marvelous runway shows. The Media team did a great job of giving background, media tags and photos for each one. See photos and designer captions below! 

The world...our Vancouver Fashion Community. Thanks to this big creative community. Please see my reels of the week on my instagram here! All photos are mine except where noted.

In keeping with the black, white, gold, silver and red theme, here are photos that not only illustrate colour but also reflect cultural background and design philosophy. I find that fashion shows, these days, are accompanied by dynamic videos that show how and where clothing is made and truly provide a launch for the collection and its theme. 

Andrew Jackson of J Andrew Speaks and me. Photo by @miss_rainne_mua

Marilyn Wilson of Olio by Marilyn

Gurl 23 is Anishinabe and Cree, two-spirited Designer Larissa Healey. Larissa opened the first evening, Oct 15, wearing red, black and white regalia and dancing the Sundance, with a drum circle, both as a welcome and as an introduction to her survival of the 60's scoop and her prolific 35 year multi-media art and performance career. Her collection, BROKN AROW, told through music and performance, is also the story of upcycled regalia, refashioning it to new forms while retaining some original materials and sewing and patterning techniques. 

Ambus Accessories by Arlette Ngung, incorporating a background in textiles and design from Eastern and Central Africa and training in Paris, NY and Toronto, all gold! Luxury, sustainability and shine in this collection. 

Nitenmon Kimono Clothing Tokyo by Sonoka Takeda, all the way from Tokyo. Although this is more of an orange colour, there is red in the pants and also gold. Sonoka dyes and weaves textiles, in addition to upcycling kimono fabric. With lots of experience designing for Theatre, Opera and Dance, Sonoka designs clothing that moves and takes the eye on a colourful visual journey.

Ayelelum by Aunalee and Sophia Good of the Good House of Design, a multi-generational Coast Salish Family from Nanaimo and showing all over the world. So much colour, design and generations walking the collection down the runway. They design, sew, write music and do their own media production. Love this cape with all of the colours. 

Viuog by Mina Alln from Iran, a local Designer. This dress is gold, black, white and has architectural designs. It is elegant and cultural, in keeping with the title of the collection:" Memories of my City". Now that I know she is a local Designer, I will know where to find formal and elegant dresses. 

Bahar Kianpour

#9 BAHAR KIANPOUR @baharkianpour A local Vancouver Designer, she is an award winning Blanche Macdonald Grad, who followed her Fashion Dreams. Her collection shows story, imagination and fantasy and is very wearable art. I loved this outfit, for its layers and textures and dark black colour with silver chain. The red roses are a dramatic, romantic finish! 

Vancouver Fashion Week red photo op wall at David Lam Hall Courtyard, a place to get a memory full of a week of Designs from the heart and all colours of the rainbow. 

REVIVAL Presents: Hundred Lives of Levi's by Deanna Flinn

Sustainability, recycling, upcyling, repurposing, thrifting, reading labels, slow fashion, all lessons well learned through many seasons of ECO Fashion Weeks, in Vancouver and a continuous practise I see in the collections of local and international Designers. I registered for Deanna Flinn's HUNDRED LIVES OF LEVIS Fashion Show, and found out more about her here. Revival, at 2408 Main is a beautifully decorated vintage and home goods store that also does fundraising and fashion events, supporting great causes like Dress for Success and promoting local Artists and Makers. Christina Florencio, owner of Revival, and Deanna, met with Marilyn Wilson and me, before the event, for a tour and a quick look at the collection and well organized show prep and preshow fashion photography. Please look at both websites for for information and the best photography and stories, ever. Deanna's collection is in the store now, and as each piece is one of a kind and handmade, so it will sell out quickly. Revival is a wonderful resource for your closet as well as ongoing Fashion events. There is a second store at the Bentall Centre, downtown. Deanna Flinn wore a classic leather jacket, with her line drawings as patches on the pockets.The leather was in good shape except for some damage, so she used denim from one of the 100 pairs of jeans, she found on Marketplace for $1 a pair, to add art and individuality and to extend the life of a perfectly wearable piece. She repaired some of the jeans, by adding denim from the $1 levis; she made hoodies, sweaters, jackets, coats, dresses and more. The photos show the details. This collection was created over a 3 year period, with sustainability and functionality in mind. Oh, but there is comfort and Art and story, too! These clothes are about statement, strength, easy movement, and care by the maker for the wearer and for the environment and zero waste. Deannna's teaser reel shows the designs close up! Attendees dressed for HUNDRED LIVES OF LEVIS! I wore a silk, botannical print by Melissa at Adhesif Clothing, a long time, Eco Designer, in the Main Street area, and now in Germany. I also bought a green bag, at REVIVAL, to go with all the green I wear. Loved that Deanna and Christina wore denim from the collection. Keeping our focus on slow fashion, saving textiles from the landfill, creating wearable art, making it new again, vintage and denim forever! And, in this old Mount Pleasant neighborhood, on Main, there was a vintage car, a Pontiac Bonneville, glorious gold, blast of the past and here today for the best photo opps! Please see my reels of the store and the show here and here.

First Time at the Toronto International Film Fest (@tiff.net) and the movie: "Good News" by South Korean Director/Writer Byun Sung-gu

The Toronto International Film Festival has long been on my bucket list, but this was the first time I was in Toronto at the right time, Sept 4-14th. There is great advertising in papers, businesses, theatres, galleries, libraries and on social media. It's big! There are 5 film venues, a Festival Street (for Star viewing) hundreds of helpful, friendly volunteers, lots of promotions and photo opps, special menus, special events, and a lively buzz throughout the city. At this time, I felt like I was in New York, where anything might happen. You know...see a star, be a star...even for one night. We started at the Shangri-La Hotel, for photo opps and a celebratory drink. Beautiful setting and always terrific service. I had planned to wear black shoes, but my stylist, Anthea, insisted on red, a bit of rebellion against the tradition of the classic black dress look. She tells me I can wear black as long as there is an added element, a fancy brooch, colourful scarf, or in this case, gold embellishments and the red shoes. I loved the chance to sit in the Director's chairs! I also liked that the gold photo wall, matched my gold purse and her Michael Kors boots with gold stars! Photos are by Shangri-La Staff. Now that is service! We had tickets to see GOOD NEWS, by South Korean Writer/Director Byun Sung-hyun, screenplay by Byun Sung-hyun and Lee Jin-seong. Cast includes: Sul Kyung-gu, Hong Kyung, Ryu Seung-beom, Yamada Takayuki, Shiina Kippei and Kim Seung-O. This was based on a true story about a plane hijacking that took place during the 70's that became an international event involving South Korea, Japan and the USA, all using desperate and sometimes madcap strategies to prevent tragedy. Surprise, Suspense and Humor kept us hoping for a happy ending in this one. You can see a clip of it on the Toronto International Film Festival website or watch it on Netflix, Oct 17, 2025. I have a far away photo of the Q&A at the Princess of Whales Theatre. Hats off to the Interviewer and Translators and to the Director and Actors! Would have loved to see a live screen translation, though, because it was a full house and we were not in the front row. Next time, I will attend the Press and Industry prescreening interview for a closer look and listen. Anthea took a quick video of me on Festival Street, on King, where I was on the Star walk, accidentally and briefly. You walk along, with the crowd and then, the gate closes and the limo drives along slowly and then, the Stars step out for photos and chats. Imagine. So much to learn for TIFF26. We finished up at the Ritz Carleton Toronto for a farewell drink and pizza and snacks. Hospitality, music and lots of bubbles. Magic!

 

Magic Carpet Fashions with Ivan Sayers in Support of the Vancouver Unitarian Refugee Fund (van.ca/refugee-give) Saturday May 24, 2025

Magic Carpet Fashions is about the fashion inspired by African and Middle Eastern cultures here, in the USA and in Europe, as evidenced in the clothing and accessories Ivan Sayers brought from his collection of historical clothing 1700 to the present. He showed 15 or more outfits in a two hour presentation, and discussed where he acquired his finds, the fabrics construction/production, geography, cultural and political events, trends and how the outfits would have been accessorized and who would have worn them and for which occasion. Additionally, Designer Somaya Ahmadi showed a selection of her designs, which you can find on her Instagram, The Vancouver Unitarian Refugee team, hosted the show in the VanU Sanctuary and Catherine Stewart opened the event by telling us about the refugees they sponsor and support. Last year they sponsored more than 80 refugees from all over the world. This very well attended event raised funds from the fashion show tickets, and sales of donated clothing, jewellery art cards and refreshments. You can learn more here. Here are my photos and notes from the presentation. Everyone always asks for more. For more Ivan Sayers events: https://www.ivansayersevents.com

Looking at African Motifs on the dress, beneath the jacket. Ivan knows the details!

Black and gold with African camel motif, dress, jack and scarf (Africa) and Caftan - a very popular African inspired trend, world wide.

1960's dress worn to dance at a Diplomatic Event, with King Hussain of Jordan. White fox fur from Nairobi.

Leopard prints, hat and coat are real leopard, image of power. Brown cocktail dress, lion fur bag. (Exotic animals)

1948 Wedding dress, damask, classic white, lustrous, elegant, inspired by Dior, emphasis on skirt, lots of fabric after the war, platform shoes.

Turban hat matches colour with dress pattern. 1940's. Skirt and top - war time so pieces are interchangeable. Monkey fur jacket from Gold Coast. She carries a large plastic purse, practical for carrying essentials in case she has to go to an air raid shelter.

Turban and scarf again, with black and gorgeous African embellishments. 

Emphasis on beads, some of which became the gorgeous buttons on this outfit. 

1930's gold closures on red cape Ivan got from local group: Jericho Players, over a black and red dinner dress embellished with gazelles, bias cut dress gives a long and lean figure

Brown is the colour of desert sand/Africa/Egypt, Turban/scarf (Lawrence of Arabia) furs and beads, travel to far off lands

1920's machine embroidered, now, gold = riches, exotic furs, long and slim, stockings match dress, note gold work closure on bag

Long slim body, long necklace,  stockings match dress, Mummy brown colour to match King Tut's Tomb.

Bring on the ostrich feathers (Egypt) and diamonds and gold and glass! 1920's!

A 'basic' black dress, perfect for accessorizing with as many necklaces and scarves as you want. 1924 was the opening of King Tut's tomb and the beads and symbols reflect inspiration from Egypt and ancient cultures. Beads made in Czechoslovakia. Cloche hat frames face! Stockings show colour but not skin. Red gloves distinctive as most were white or brown.

Outfit is 1968-69 but inspired by harem pants (1917) Harem was a popular 'exotic' fantasy, Persian inspired. Her baton is a powder puff. Hand-made outfit, embroidery from a pattern.

Sarah wearing a Bernuse cloak, with hood, inspired by Berbers in North Africa. Her turban covers a bob haircut, 1920's, breaking away from Edwardian era. Figure is natural, no corsets, now. Long beads for tall and slim effect.  

Catherine Stewart (@catherinemstewart2425)  Vancouver Unitarians bringing Refugees here, through the Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Program