Vancouver Fashion

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VCC Fiat Mode XXI Graduate Fashion Show

August 20th, 2008 | Published in Event Report

Words by Maria
Photos by Alex Ramon

The thing about student fashion shows that I enjoy the most is how exciting they are—you can almost feel the excitement in the air vibrating from everyone present. They are so engaging in the sense that one gets the chance to take a look into the minds of every single one of the students involved and see their aspirations. The Vancouver Community College 21st annual Fiat Mode (“let there be fashion” in Italian) fashion show was no exception. The time, effort, and heart that went into each individual collection is obvious. And then there’s that element of wonder, both from the audience and the students: I wonder which of these vivacious students will show up on the runways of BC Fashion Week one or two years from now? Already VCC has had so many successful graduates and this show was graced with the presence of some of its alumni. Christy Clayton of Carny Love, Merida Anderson of Paperbird, Tabitha Savoie of Togs, and Cecila Rebagliati of Cecile Bénac Knitwear were among those present. Each delightfully different from the other, it was a nice prelude of what may come for these most recent graduates of VCC.

The show started off on a high note: right off the bat Allison Riley amazed us with her inventive creativity. Her combination of colours was interesting to say the least—and in a good way. She combined cool hues of purple, blue, yellow, and pink to create a watercolour effect on silk. Warmer hues of yellow, red, and brown were combined in a flower pattern on a jersey knit. These two fabrics made up the core elements of her line, though her construction technique are what made it so unique. A pair of brown highwaisted pants (so high they created an empire waist look) with slits where the pockets would be, revealed underneath briefs made of the aforementioned jersey knit fabric. They were paired with a blouse in the cool-toned silk that had long flowing pieces at its neck that swayed about as the model walked. The one piece, however, that stood out the most—and I can be sure of that because people literally gasped and clapped at the sight of it—was a sweet little cocktail dress that turned itself into a sort of shawl. As the model walked to the top of the runway, she dropped off her shoulders what seemed to be the shawl in the same colour as the dress, but indeed was the back hem of the skirt, which was pleasingly longer than the front.

Another line that I was very impressed by was that of Jamie White. She combined structure with fluidity in a very unique way. She constructed two jackets with structured bubble cuffs and used this same element on a skirt and pants. Then she paired these pieces with flowing bottoms and tops. Her colour scheme was inspired by the feathers of crows, so deep black they become purple and deep blue, and the way they reflect light in a strange whiteness. Dark but playful, White accessorized her models with key pendants making a delicate reference to the mysteries and wonders of the children’s classic The Secret Garden.

Jessica Simmiss is one to watch out for as well. Her collection gave an air of ‘haute couture’. Perhaps this is because a certain piece reminded me of Christian Dior’s Fall ’06 couture line, with its stunning armoured sleeves. Simmiss, however, used leather instead of actual metal and combined it with softer fabrics to create an almost futuristic look. Her first piece especially, which featured a jacket with leather cuffs at the elbows and a high turtle neck with leaf shaped leather tie attached to it. Her last outfit evoked memories of the famous late 60s heroine Barbarella: a short white jumpsuit with a leather belt and raglan-shaped cap sleeves in black. Simmiss’s über modern and fierce look was completed with an open back top fixed with a leather belt with strips of leather falling vertically along its frilled tiered hem.

As one that can be easy to please, I couldn’t have had more fun at this show. The diversity of the lines was definitely one of the fun aspects. From collections that would be more ready-to-wear to others that were haute couture material, this variety is one of the other things that I enjoy about students shows. That and the free food… Joking aside, with every fashion show of this kind that I introduce myself to, the more excited I get about what lies in store for the Vancouver fashion industry. It can only mean good things if they are all as good as this year’s VCC show.

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