LET THERE BE FASHION!!!

Written by Treasure Seeker Colleen
Location: Vancouver

This is a graduation show not to be missed, ever! Presented by the Fashion Arts department of Vancouver Community College, the dazzling portfolios and designs of twenty program graduates were showcased at Rocky Mountaineer Station, on September 30, 2009. The huge, loft like space was a great venue with lots of space for the runway and seating area, tables for the designers' beautiful portfolios and display boards, fantastic food and refreshment areas, music and much, much more. Judy Ho, Fashion Arts Program Coordinator and the producer, was a friendly and efficient organizer- right from communications, welcome, program, and seating, to setting up interviews. The excitement, energy and stunning visual array made this a truly amazing and successful "...inaugural show for the first class of the new fashion arts diploma program."

I was fortunate to meet and interview Mandy Lau and Brianna Vogelaar, two scholarship/award winners. They were both so passionate and excited about their accomplishments and their future. Both wore their own creative and unique fashions and motivated me to rethink my closet. For Mandy, fashion is in her family and she worked in her aunts' shop at the Richmond Public Market. She is inspired by illustrators, David Downtown and Lisa Gellert, who is from VCC. All forms of art - theatrical, martial, musical - shape her work. She has been drawing since she could hold a pencil. Originally, she wanted to be a cartoonist. From Coquitlam, she went to Ryerson, in Graphic Communication and spent one year in Advertising. She is both practical and artistic, she says. She is an expert at pattern making and wants to make her own clothing line. She finds inspiration everywhere from Jean Paul Gautier and Kurt Vonnegut to Jean-Luc Picard.

Brianna Vogelaar wore a bright yellow dress that reflected her sunny personality. She loves New Mexican designs, leather, bright colours, cowboys and shapes from structured to flowing. She really wanted to learn the craft behind constructing the fashions. She designs handbags and is starting her own company. She plans one of a kind dresses and promised that she would design something for short people, like me. (Finally) But, she says that handbags are for everyone so that is at least a beginning. I asked her who she would design for today and she said, "Nicole Richie", a styling icon who is young at heart, like Brianna.

Because you will see all of these grads in the very near future, I am listing them in order of appearance on the red carpet: Claudia Fandino, Mandy Lau, Tara Wilson, Laura Van den Brun, Jen Cameron, Brianna Vogelaar, Mariette Antonio, Lisa Campbell, Katherine Koniecki, Crystal Yeomans, Amanda Ventura, Teresa Ko, Elvira Caperonce, Aleksandra Potkonjak, Anja Mesic, Lin Lin, Vincent Lee, Katrina Yu Han Yang, Marcia Robertson and Jacqueline Gardner.

There is also a fund raiser for VCC Fashion students - the first ever print edition of Vancouver E-Zine magazine for $12 an issue. " Net proceeds of $6 from each copy will go towards a project fund for graduating students to help launch their careers." In it you will read about previous grads and VCC faculty. You will also see illustrations and trends. Support Vancouver Fashion by signing up at VCC Fashion Arts Programs, 203-250 W. Pender Street, Vancouver, V6B 1S9.

So thanks for an outstanding event and I plan to attend next year's for sure! PS Any plans to publish the portfolios???

The fashion show was entrancing; the models were terrific, the clothing, shoes and accessories, wearable and fabulous and I was impressed at the final glide down the runway that saw each designer and model, celebrating their partnership. A wonderful memento of this evening is the folder containing a News Release, DVD by Tiffany May photography (for more information contact Elizabeth Thomson - ethomson@vcc.ca) and a gorgeous 'year-book' of the graduates, their signature look and more about their goals and specialties. Visit the VCC Fashion Design School page for more information here.

(All images courtesy of Treasure Seeker Colleen!)