Although Vancouver Fashion Week began in 2001, it might have slipped under your radar, not being part of the four fashion capitals that usually have all our attention. However, with inclusion and diversity at the forefront, with designers coming together from all over the world, it’s definitely worth your time. This year, the shows took place between April 23-28, featuring a wide range of styles, including presentations from young and emerging designers.

Ank by Amrit Kaur is a contemporary South Asian brand that often plays with aesthetics of boho chic and blends contemporary Western styles with Indian culture. Kaur’s designs are popular with young brides and bridesmaids, however her ready-to-wear and eveningwear designs are meant to be worn by all. This season, many looks are inspired by the traditional Indian lehenga and featured beautifully flowing silks, satins and organza. The menswear is on the simpler side but has the same sheen through a variety of shirt styles.

Titled Inner Child Ambrosia, Hazi Haus presented a mainly gray, monochromatic collection that created dimension through the use of different textiles and textures. Schoolgirl styles and knits often featured cutouts or some other form of deconstruction, and there was a childlike playfulness to the clothing that made it feel like the models were playing dress up with bunny ears and all. Yet, the colorless palette made everything feel like a black and white memory, while also adding a bit of edge to the youthful outfits.

Reconceptualizing femininity through the use of unconventional mediums, while subverting traditional materials, Ava Gruft’s Fall 2024 collection is compelling for a young designer. Gruft worked in lingerie factory prior to starting her own brand, and that influence can be seen through digitized lace prints, often done with spray paint, as well as corsets laced asymmetrically, and bodice-like styles that looked like they had extended garters: a white, short sleeve, draped dress with said style was especially strong. Buckles and straps on traditional workwear styles were perverse, and the limited color palette allowed you to focus on the details of the clothing.

Titled Nature Pop, Erica Kumahora of Macu Macu was inspired by the creatures and flowers that surround her home by Lake Biwa in Japan. She wanted to show how creative and powerful nature can be, often leading to healing and inspiration. Kumahora expressed the way nature flows through the use of smocked tulle, creating her own garden of colorful creatures and flowers. While some styles aren’t too out of the ordinary, those that played more with texture are compelling. Lined chiffon pieces have beautiful movement and a silver, metallic set with a bubbled skirt that tapered at the knees was a standout. The collection finished with a ruched and draped white gown, nodding to bridal looks that often finish couture collections.

Stephanie Mould presents a classic collecting with a target to the younger generation, while using deadstock fabrics to reduce waste. This season at Smouldy, Mould took us to the 1960s with an array of mod styles, often made of leather and featuring a checkerboard print. The opening look featured a beautifully constructed pleated skirt and is a style she should explore more. Jackets and pants often had a bubbled effect, which would have looked smoother with a touch less fabric to reduce wrinkles in the checkered squares. A quilted, burgundy menswear look was stunning. Fur trim was added to some of the pieces, making them perfect for the fall season, and the bold color palette kept things exciting.

Maria Augusta Wozniak makes eco-conscious clothing with purpose. Her garments are genderless and often play with silhouette. This season at Augusta Fashion saw large sleeves and large pants often creating a barrel shape or with cuffs so large they looked like pockets. Clothing was transformative and adjustable, capable of being worn and styled in a variety of ways. While many of the pieces played with simple fabrics and colors, there was no lack of punchy colors and prints, which is something the brand is known for.

At Kurriizmatic, they believe that style is universal, and clothing should be as well. Using this philosophy, they take second-hand clothing and material scraps, and turn them into genderless pieces through the process of hand weaving. The collections also feature knitting, crocheting and draping, and take you through a mesmerizing process of deconstruction and reconstruction. It can be hard to make things feel fresh when everything’s already been done before, but Kurriizmatic manages to keep things exciting with the creation of clothing that reminds you how to have fun while standing out from the crowd.

/AMIR | SAM’s ‘Mutinous Ceremony’ was all about embracing the darkness within. The show was short and sweet, featuring draping, and pieces that looked like they were trimmed with monkey fur very Miuccia Prada. Models often held the hems of their dresses as if inserting themselves into the draping process, and it would have been interesting to see a manipulation of the fabric so that it held those shapes itself. As for the fur pieces, they were strong, and something the brand should continue to explore.

Juhi Melwnai of DO TAK KEH is often inspired by their Indian heritage using street art, local establishments and culinary delights as references for their graphic prints. The result is a collection of beautiful, patchwork style, collaged pieces with intricate embroidery. While the prints are eye catching, the garment construction is just as good, especially when it comes to the smocked pleating.

Titled Blood Sunset, HYUNJO HA’s collection for this season focuses on the intensity of the sight of blood through color and silhouette. Mainly using wool and leather, with hand-drawn printed fabrics, the collection played with negative space, almost tricking the eye into seeing nothing where you expected it to be. Shirts and suits were often fitted beautifully, creating a bit of a nipped waist, and styling alternated between being precise and disheveled, as if some models had gone through something distressing, while others were left untouched.

Danisz, the designer behind Salaises Zamarripa, was inspired by the surrealist art of Mexico, and started the show off strong with a sheer and sexy menswear look that featured some shimmer and asymmetrical draping. A lot of garments played with fur and tulle to create some added volume, while cropped jackets felt like they were influenced by matadors. It definitely felt a little like diet Schiaparelli, which is not too much of a stretch, since Schiaparelli loved surrealism herself and often collaborated with Salvador Dalí.

CHIDORI’s products are designed with the concept of transformation in mind, and that’s exactly what the clothing did. As models made their way to the end of the runway, they transformed their garments into something completely new. Whether it was something as subtle as pulling a jump chord to add texture or unraveling a dress down the models’ body into a skirt, the effect was mesmerizing. The collection spoke to the designer’s skills as a pattern maker, with clothing that did not feel gimmicky, but instead felt very versatile.

Zhang Peng, the art director behind JUMPER ZHANG, mixes Eastern styles with contemporary haute couture. With this collection, he was focusing on the idea of a circle and humanities worship of the sun. Through the use of a circle flower pattern, one of China's oldest abstract decorative patterns, he created a collection full of beautiful evening wear styles. The clothing was all black and white, which allowed the focus to fall more so on the different details and textures.

UNSERTEN presented an all-black menswear collection, featuring silver and gold hardware throughout. It was as if a funeral procession was taking place, and the animal skull-like masks added to the macabre of it all. For the most part, everything was tailored quite well, and although the collection was quite dark, there were still plays with more feminine dress through the incorporation of things like skirts and ruffles.

It’s important to champion smaller brands and designers, as they are the future of fashion. Having the backing of a large luxury house makes access to resources and skilled talent easier, but if there’s anything Vancouver Fashion Week has taught us, it’s that talent exists on every level, even when you have to work with what you have. In sharing some of our favorites from this season, we hope you’ve added a new favorite to your follow list as well!

Article by Caroline Nycek, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Nicolas Harris, Graphic Design Intern, PhotoBook Magazine

Vancouver Fashion Week: 2024