Vancouver Fashion Week-Day One

Yesterday officially marked the beginning of the Vancouver Fashion Week Shows! I attended three shows: Cheri Milaney, Papillon and Hirad. I will be posting throughout the day as more pictures of the collections become available, so be sure to check back!

The runway shows are taking place in a warehouse at 305 Dunlevy Avenue. The runway consists of an old tree that used to stand downtown. They sliced it in half, added plastic, and voila! A very unique runway that represents the natural beauty and scenery of Vancouver. The seats are made of old wood (covered in plastic!) and one feels as if they are sitting at a campfire.

While I was a little bit concerned I was not going to make it on time, due to traffic, (Canucks Game and rain!) I made it! Where fashion shows are concerned, one can always expect things to be behind schedule. I always admire the patience of the models, who do a lot of waiting around, whether it be for photo shoots, fashion shows, make up or fittings. When I arrived, I met the fabulous Lisa from Stylefinds and Solo Lisa Y Nada Mas! We quickly grabbed front row seats and immediately began discussing fashion, blogging and Vancouver Fashion Week. We also met Honorary Vancouver Fashion Week Chair and former city Councillor Daniel Lee and the charming Grace Zhong, editorial director of Ceci China Magazine. Beijing Fashion Week is taking place as we speak and Grace chose to attend Vancouver Fashion Week instead. We are delighted to have her and can't wait to read her report in Ceci Magazine!


Cheri Milaney
The focus of this designer remains on individuality and being a strong woman. There were many separates including : cropped jackets, trenches, skirts and pants. The color palette was focused on beiges, whites and bronzes. The hair was voluminous and the make up minimal. Many of the pieces looked silky and comfortable, yet appropriate for a semi formal office environment. The gem embellishments and accessories gave the outfits a punch and glimmered under the bright lights of the runway and the photographer's flashes! One of the final pieces, that stood out in particular, was a beautiful purple and grey bubble trench coat with gold buttons.

(Image via Yvonne Chew)

Papillon
This collection featured many varieties of printed maxi dresses. Patterns included: zebra, leopard, floral and a variation on tie die. One look that stood out in particular was a beautiful floral dress paired with a large red belt. It looked perfect for a summer lunch or day of shopping. There were also several cocktail dresses featuring layered ruffles.

(Images via Yvonne Chew)

Hirad
The materials of choice for this collection were leather and suede. Many of the pieces were designed for men and were casual wear focused. We saw many great leather jackets with cool cut outs and and decorative stitching. There was one black jacket in particular which we saw twice: the first time with sleeves and the second time sleeveless! (They had been unzipped). One of the few female models wore a fabulous black two piece skirt suit with low cut suede booties. The pieces were well executed and very marketable. The hair for all three shows was done by the blo hair dry bar.

(Images via Yvonne Chew)

What I wore:
Turtle Neck Dress-Banana Republic
Black Double Breasted Cardigan-American Apparel
Lacey tights-Riot Clothing Out Sale
Booties-Aldo
Hat-H & M

Green jewel earrings, broach and ring-Gifts

I met the fabulous Lisa from Solo Lisa Y Nada Mas
and Stylefinds

Excited Fashionistas awaiting the show!

Hirad's Finale