Vancouver Fashion

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Helen Lefeaux Students Graduate in Style

August 10th, 2008 | Published in Event Report

All Photos and Words by Maria

There is no doubt that Helen Lefeaux School of Design spits out talented and skilled designers like a trucker with a cold. The likes of Leanne McElroy, Jason Matlo, and Hajnalka Mandula are proof of it and the recent 27th annual graduation fashion show can also be held accountable. Graduates presented line after line of admirably crafted pieces and original designs. Not surprisingly, attendance was high, as family and friends, the curious, and the media gathered to see what the newest talent in Vancouver had in store.

After collecting just the right amount of refreshments I sat myself down with my bounty and a pleasant dose of anticipation. One of the first students to show her line was Sarah Prost. She presented to us a collection inspired by the Queen of Spades: the main attraction a beautifully constructed black and white gown with hanging strips of fabric draping down its length. Prost’s line was immediately followed by Tiffany Kunze’s collection: a sophisticated mix of structure and flow. She successfully put together outfits encompassing leather, silk, and what I judged to be a wool weave. She put these elements together into a jacket, a sleek dress, and a fierce ensemble made up of an open-back ruffle blouse, a pencil skirt, and a cropped leather jacket. The show definitely started out well.

Design elements were a big statement on the runway: every stitch, every tuck, every pleat carefully chosen and executed. Emery Eden’s collection was all simple sophistication—surely something Vancouverites appreciate. Turquoise, pale blue, and grey silk strips sewn skilfully together made up a flowy knee length dress cinched with a belt. A mint green skirt reminiscent of the wide hip silhouette of mid-18th century dresses (this version a whole lot more wearable) was accompanied by a simple off-white blouse with clean stitching detail. And these details are what made up the essence of Eden’s collection, a cool rope belt here, a drape there, a tuck over that way. One of the most marketable lines in the show, I can’t wait to see how Miss Eden’s career will develop in the time to come.

On the slightly edgier side, Julia Burkhardt put together a line that I thought to be slightly vampiresque in the sensuality it exuded, but not at all costumey and very wearable. My favourite was a dress that started with an airy hooded blouse, climaxed with a structured bodice, and ended with a flowing hem whose shape reminded me of seaweed.

The creativity was kept on high volume throughout the show: we saw period dress, army couture, and flying collars. We even got to see a wilted flower dress come to life again when designer Davidson Manaloto got on stage and used a remote control to raise the wilted petals that made up the hem. I can safely say that I have never seen anything like that before.

Never disappointing, this year’s Helen Lefeaux graduate fashion show delivered a round of students exemplifying the quality of a top notch design school. They were a preamble of what is to come for the local fashion designer roster and it was exciting to see the variety of ideas all converging in one place at one time, knowing that at least a fraction of them will grow and develop into what is to become major part of the future of Vancouver’s fashion industry.

Published in Event Report

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