Showcasing clothing from local designers, challenging up and coming designers, and providing tips on sustainability, Eco Fashion Week has become a well-known event in Vancouver, from bloggers to socialites attending the three-day events. It kicked off on April 27th with seminars, and then ended on April 29th. Our fashion writer Farah Tozy was invited for a special media event in part one, the Thrift Chic Challenge in part two, and the 68lb challenge in part three. Read on Sad fashion lovers.
PART I:
A week before Eco Fashion Week, five journalists and I were invited to Black 2 Blond salon for a La Biosthetique pampering party. This eco-friendly hair salon not only uses natural products, it also promotes sustainability by ensuring that even the packaging for hair care, skin care, and makeup products are made from recycled materials. The European company was founded by Marcel Contier in 1950s Paris, where he blended natural ingredients with high quality products to create La Biosthetique. Siegfried Weiser, president of La Biosthetique, has kept the focus on the environment by using only natural, high quality, raw materials. With the strictest and best quality practices, La Biosthetique brings their European style to Vancouver. They have been the backbone in EcoFashion Week for many seasons, providing full makeup and hair for all the models. Feeling like an ordinary Cindy Crawford, I sipped on my coffee while receiving an aromatic scalp massage, hair treatment, hair styling and make up touch ups. It was hands down one of the best salon experiences I’ve had.
After we got dolled up, we travelled with the Eco Fashion team to the newest Value Village in Coquitlam. Thanks to Value Village, we were given gift cards to thrift together an outfit for Eco Fashion Week. Not only was I learning the tricks of the trade from none other then the eco-stylist herself Myriam Laroche, the founder of Eco Fashion Week, I was getting hooked up with an outfit for the event!
PART II:
Let’s recall the thrift chic challenge: from seasons past: three stylists receive a $500 gift card to spend at Value Village, and are required to create a collection of clothing. The looks can be for any season or occasion. Various local designers have put together amazing looks but I have to say that this seasons participants were extremely impressive.
First up was MAN UP by one1one magazine’s Ghazal Elhaei. With an emphasis on work attire, Ghazal stunned the audience with her pieces. Included in most of her looks were sleek button-ups, vintage blazers, fitted pants, fun socks, shoes and best of all, scarves or glasses as an accessory. Her pieces supported each other very well, and the collection as a whole was stunning. For all the office men out there, I recommend you take note of these looks; they’re stylish and affordable!
Next up was Label Deficiency’s Jerome Onsario. This collection featured various clothing for spring and summer. His pieces ranged from dresses to pants to shorts, with casual tops and button-ups, in addition to an assortment of chunky jewelry. He decided to keep a neutral color scheme throughout the line with pops of coral. When asked how he was able to find so many coral items, he told me he was shopping at Value Village everyday for the last month to find the perfect coral colours. This is definitely not the last time you’ll hear about this newcomer.
Last, but never the least, were the stylings of Lauren Clark and Lyndsey Chow from Hey Jude. The two had a specific colour palette of pastels, whites and off-whites. Blending together socks, sandals, jumpsuits, furs, satins, silks, and patterns, all the ensembles fit so perfectly together. The talented ladies featured women’s and men’s wear with a spunky twist by having the La Biosthetique team create mysterious, dark eyes and the indescribable “I woke up like this” hair. Everything was so chic and unique that I, already being a HUGE Hey Jude fan, fell back in love.
PART III:
68lbs is on average how much clothing a person tosses in the wasteland. Instead of throwing it away, a designer rummages through Value Village stores across the lower mainland to find fabric they can manipulate into a collection of clothing effectively eliminating an addition 68lbs from being thrown away. This years 68lb challenge candidate was Tammy Joe from Young Oak. With a simplistic, light colour palette, Tammy Joe blew away the audience. First of all, her show started off with an interpretive dance featuring 68lbs of clothing stretching across the runway. Dancers formed different shapes with their combined bodies, clinging onto each other as a trumpet player played a melodic tune. Following the dance, the show began. Moving towards different shades and patterns, Tammy Joe focused her line on spring/summer clothing. What really impressed me was her diverse collection featuring skirts, dresses, shorts, pants and even a trench coat. My favourite piece was a sleeveless jacket that had a quilt-like material on the side. Not only was it extremely unique, it looked so comfortable! All the pieces were wearable and will be seen in my future closet.
Be sure to check out Eco Fashion Week to learn about their upcoming events. The amazing team at Eco Fashion always puts their heart and soul into everything, making sure every event is better then the last. If you’re interested in being a part of the action, apply! They’ll love to hear about your Eco Fashion endeavors. Itching to see more photos? Head to Eco Fashion Week’s Facebook page!