Vancouver Fashion Week Day 1 saw evening wear hit the runway. Of all the areas of fashion evening, and bridal is unique unto its self. Often the customer is looking for a bespoke garment handcrafted for their personal needs. Whether attending a red carpet event, charity gala, or wedding (among countless other occasions), the objective is to look one’s best. The vision, skills, and materials all play an equal part in creating a beautiful creation worthy of life’s most special moments.
The first night of Vancouver Fashion Week S/S 2022 brought us 3 unique visions of evening wear. All three celebrated culture, tradition, and beauty in their own way. Moreover, they showed the countless possibilities of what evening and bridal wear can be. The designers I review here offer 3 unique visions of evening wear.
3 UNIQUE VISIONS OF EVENING WEAR
MIVINNA
Well-chosen to be the opening show for Vancouver Fashion Week day 1, was the breathtaking collection by MIVINNA. From the first dress to the last, this collection highlighted what exceptional evening wear is. The highly skilled construction, beautiful fabrics, and impactful designs, shone on the runway to the great delight of the audience.
MIVINNA is a Vancouver couture-style design house that creates one-of-a-kind beautiful garments for formal occasions. The following statement taken from the brand’s website summarizes the designer’s vision.
Even though the name of the brand is based on creation and love, MIVINNA is created by the love of the designer to her grand-daughter, MINA (designers name) and VIANNA. Creation is not just about new ideas, it’s also about wise choices to make elegant and unique products. We can say most of the dresses are sustainable design, because even a very small amount of fabrics or items which are leftovers will be used in another design with different and new concepts. At the end, you can see the Love in detail.
MINA ESMAEILI
MIVINNA
THE COLLECTION
MIVINNA brought to the stage a collection inspired by the sky. The opening dresses were in tones of purple. The first dress to hit the runway let the audience know they were in for a visual treat. The silhouette reminiscent of a gown from “Gone With the Wind” the enormous hoop skirt gently hovered above the ground. The taffeta ball gown was embellished with a silver applique giving a sense of movement. Following this spectacular gown were a series of knee-length cocktail dresses in deep purple hues, the tulip silhouette dress was a standout. The following dresses took us through the tones of the sky, from sunrise to sunset, from black to gold, and ending in white. A floor-length black dress constructed from crocheted squares was one of the most original and standout dresses of the entire weekend.
The series of gold dresses are a tribute to glamourous dressing. The collection was created from luxurious, sumptuous textiles from Iran and Turkey. The dresses of this collection are sewn to a standard of perfection, with standout style and flawless fit. Designer Mina Esmaeili has created a collection worthy of using the name haute couture, bringing the Paris catwalk to a runway in Vancouver.
VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK DAY1
3 UNIQUE VISIONS OF EVENING WEAR
CRYSTAL DRESS
The second collection presenting evening wear was CRYSTAL DRESS. Crystal Kang designs the label from Korea. Kang brings 30 years of design experience to the runway. Her talent is evident when you see the evening wear she creates for both women and men. Kang comes to Vancouver Fashion Week with the desire to make her brand international. ” With her unique sensibility, she wishes to constantly challenge herself as a dress designer”; a quote taken from her VFW bio. I previewed Crystal Dress in an earlier post.
CRYSTAL DRESS- THE COLLECTION
Does fashion always have to be cutting edge to be considered good? Of course, the answer is no. What Crystal Kang put down the runway was a good, elegant collection of evening wear. The dresses came in several silhouettes and a large variety of fabrics. Sequins and glitz were the themes. The glamourous creations, modeled by mature women, brought rounds of applause for this flashy label. While sequin and metallics were common, several dresses featured floral appliques that added variety to the gowns. This collection is red -carpet- ready.
Not to be outshone, the evening dresses were accompanied by a collection of men’s evening wear. The menswear featured a series of dinner jackets and tuxedos in plaid and solids that were stylish and contemporary.
PHOTO’S COURTESY OF VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK
VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK DAY1 ;
3 UNIQUE VISIONS OF EVENING WEAR
PRIYANKA SIGNATURE COUTURE
The final evening wear collection is PRIYANKA SIGNATURE COUTURE from Seattle. “Priyanka is an Exclusive Designer label for women. Featuring exquisite sarees, tunics, and lehengas. Priyanka Signature Couture specializes in meeting the couture needs of its customers.”
PRIYANKA SIGNATURE COUTURE- THE COLLECTION
For their first appearance at Vancouver Fashion Week, Priyanka Signature Couture presented their collection entitled BE-Nari 22. While I am not an expert on South Asian clothing, what Priyanka brought to the runway was elegant and sophisticated. The bright, vivid patterned fabrics were opulent and lustrous under the runway lights. The stunning clothing came in an array of brilliant colors, including teal, hot pink, and vibrant chartreuse. The first garment down the runway was a spectacular gold and pink two-piece ensemble. A similar two-piece garment in chartreuse was a show stopper. The looks were all accompanied by brilliant gold jewelry and beaded handbags. The overall effect was a cultural journey of beauty and splendidness.
PHOTO’S COURTESY OF VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK
IN CONCLUSION
The three designers in this post show the diversity of Vancouver Fashion Week. While all three designers brought us evening wear collections each had their own unique vision. Each designer gave us collections that showed their creativity, culture, experience, skills and talents in their own interpretation of evening wear. Diversity is the backbone of Vancouver Fashion Week and this is the strength of having a global perspective. Watch this space for more exciting reviews from VFW.
VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK DAY1
CIAO FOR NOW J.ANDREW
WHAT’S HOT
Here’s my latest What’s Hot. Living on the west coast of Canada is beautiful. However, you have to be ready for the rain. Vancouver was once a rainforest. While the forest may be gone, the rain remains. Whether you come from Vancouver or London in the northern hemisphere this is the time for windy, pouring, or drizzling weather. It all means that now is the time to invest in a new raincoat. Here are my choices of HOTTEST designer raincoats for F/W 21.