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Luisa Rino
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Wed 14 Apr 2010 11:49 AM
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#1 The New Fur – long-haired shearling was the choix du jour. It made an appearance as an accent overskirt, on sleeves, and on epaulettes. It added a little bit of tough luxe. This girl knows what she wants and has the trophies to prove it.
#2 Sheer and See-Through – This lingerie fave jumps over to daywear for Fall 2010 with dresses and blouses in completely sheer fabrics. Some designers chose a more discrete use by including sheer panels on otherwise conservative dressing.
#3 Drama Queen – Many larger-than-life ladies charmed the catwalk this week. 1940s power dressing made an appearance more than once as well as electric Kool Aid colours that screamed out for attention.
#4 Brocade – Heavy and richly patterned fabrics were used throughout collections – some chose a sparing approach and merely accented their designs with brocades while others offered spectacular mounds of the cloth as dresses.
#5 Hippy Shake – Hips ruled the catwalks with more than one designer choosing to place volume, pleats, or colour as accents on the bootie region. Hmmm, looks like size does matter.
#6 Eco-Chic – Sustainable fabrics of bamboo, cruelty-free merino, organic cottons were a mainstay for a few designers. But rather than offer up the usual sporty fare these textiles are typically used for, designers created elegant and feminine dresses perfect for the boardroom.
#7 Rosettes – Rose buds large and small were the embellishment of choice. In hair, on shoulder tops, cascades winding their way down otherwise body-con dresses, these pretty little florals bring a little light into the dark.
#8 Appliqué – Lace and laser-cut fabrics adorned classic camel colours giving an otherwise traditional look a regal update.
#9 Micro Hemlines – Wiggle the hips and show off the jambes. Hemlines made their way upwards bringing all the more attention to item #5.
#10 Single Shoulders – the single sleeve or Grecian-style single bare shoulder showed up on dresses long and short as well as on boleros resembling arm harnesses or shoulder armor.
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Luisa Rino
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Mon 12 Apr 2010 10:52 AM
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Final day of Vancouver Fashion Week ended with some student presentations. Here are the highlights from Sarah Runnells, Wilber Tellez, and Adrian Wu.
The evening was all about drama. To begin, Sarah Runnells used long-haired shearling elements as tiny overskirts, sleeves, or epaulettes. Mostly showing in black or white, the collection was dramatic and concise. Pencil leg pant suits in black and deep navy with fringe band conductor shoulders and tuxedo tail skirts were more practical whereas the hot pants and leather caplet were for a more daring lady. Completely sheer mini dresses made a quick appearance along with another version cascading a tumultuous assortment of black, grey, and white organza rosettes.
Right on her heels showed Mexican-born Wilber Tellez. Tellez’s collection was all about the sleeve. He presented a variation on the lamb of mutton sleeve from classic, to crumpled with pink brocade paneling, to one that had pointed tiers running up
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Luisa Rino
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Sun 11 Apr 2010 10:50 AM
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PORSCIA
Porscia trotted out a collection that strutted with confidence through several decades, a little bit of Rita Hayworth, a dash of Twiggy, and a splash of Cheryl Tiegs. But whatever the silhouette, the fit was snug, sexy, and in heavily textured fabrics. Accents were an important theme for Porscia Yeganeh. We saw fur, rosettes, pleats, panels, brocade, cuff details, jeweled buttons, ruffles, texture on texture. The Porscia woman makes an entrance, a statement, an exit, and leaves an impression. Pencil skirts with paneled fishtails at the knee, oversized shawl collars, corseted sheer blouses made for some interesting interpretations of power dressing.
RETARDED VELVET
Retarded Velvet designers Theresa James and Roger Prince claim Rick James and Grace Jones as their inspirations. Plenty of silk satin and bold shoulders made an appearance as a result. But perhaps in keeping with their name, the looks that
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Luisa Rino
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Sat 10 Apr 2010 14:51 PM
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LAV & KUSH
Vancouver designers made an appearance tonight with Lav & Kush taking the lead as the night’s first show. Known about town for the eco-friendly, sustainable angle, Lav & Kush put together a collection of organic cottons, cruelty-free merino wools, and Canadian made silks and bamboo blends. Given the popularity of luxury sweats, this collection is poised to take advantage. Catching our eye was the caplet-collar belted jacket paired with black leggings, the ultra sheer tops in taupe and black, and the silk water colour floral printed blouses and skirts. Hits of dusty lilac and muted blue warmed up a conservative collection of greys and blacks but overall Lav & Kush put on a show for the ladies, ladies who like their pencil skirts and palazzo pants in cozy fabrics.
RED JADE
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Luisa Rino
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Thu 8 Apr 2010 21:50 PM
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FEVER
You wouldn’t guess that the sunny and tropical maxis and minis parading down the runway at Fever hailed from London. Well, it was the spring/summer 2010 collection after all. Fever’s assortment of dresses ranged from Hawaiian style prints in aqua blues, mellow yellow splashed with coral-lined palm trees to an ode to the glamour girls of the Mad Men era (maybe even with a little bit of Charlotte York) to the sexy Lolita. Corset-style bodices with box pleat skirts, trapeze cut flowing numbers, empire-waisted, true-waisted, florals, jewel-toned solids, sheath boat necks, poof sleeves, appliqué, the variety was deep. The mood was decidedly all girl, all the time. Shrugs and boleros in poppy red and royal blue were scattered throughout, just adding to the ambience of days gone by when women would dress up and put on their lipstick waiting for their hubbys to return from work.
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Thu 4 Feb 2010 15:49 PM
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Check back on Wednesday, April 7th for all the latest from Vancouver Fashion
Week.
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