LASALLE COLLEGE GRADS

LaSalle College grads showed their collections on Thursday, October 10th, 2019. Certainly, one of the most exciting things for me at Vancouver Fashion Week is seeing the next crop of young designers. Part of the education process for a young fashion designer includes putting together a successful fashion show. While, creating a collection is important presenting the collection is also important. In fact, a fashion show is part stage production, and part marketing which should have a beginning , a middle and an end . Furthermore, a good show builds and often creates drama as the show continues. It exists as a vehicle for the designer to present their fashion and art.

The use of visuals and music are used to create the mood. Certainly, one of the most important elements of the show is the styling. This includes the hair and make-up and also how the clothes are accessorized , including handbags shoes and jewelry. These graduates presented their work with all these professional standards considered. By all means it was a job well done.

LASALLE COLLEGE GRADS- THE SHOWS

UNDERGROUND UNDERDOGS - CHARLIE KIM

Certainly, drawing the first spot in the show is both exciting and stressful. With a background visual of a red galactic sky Underground Underdogs took to the runway .The collection has a punk theme and addressed the designers issues, of not belonging or not fitting in. In fact, being different is never easy. Kim came from Korea and spent his early years feeling like an outcast.

Kim's inspiration is evident in the fact that the punk movement also spoke to outsiders and the disenfranchised. The collection has a punk feel  coming from the use of of color, silhouette and pattern. The colors are black, grey and red and the pattern is a bold tartan reminiscent of the United Kingdom (the birthplace of the punk movement). The most successful pieces include a distressed grey tube top and a spray painted tartan kilt with a safety pin trim.  Other successes are a series of black looks with metallic eyelet details and zippers. In fact, industrial and cool come to mind for this collection , however I welcome Kim to push the boundaries even further.

LASALLE COLLEGE GRADS- THE SHOWS

AQUA BY EDUARDO LOZANO-RAMOS

Eduardo comes from Mexico City and began his studies at LaSalle College nine months ago. He has always had  a passion for fashion and believes that clothes are a way to express emotions and communicate feelings. Eduardo says "I try to experiment and combine different, techniques, textiles and textures to put in my designs."

Aqua is a collection that is  strongly rooted in nature. Flowers, water and nature seem to embody the creations that Eduardo sent down the runway. As an illustration, the dresses imply they are made from the petals of a flower or deep pools of water. In fact, the colors are organic in nature the golds, pinks and blues are in shiny raw silk taffeta. Furthermore, hand painted details adorn the evening dresses and jumpsuit adding additional details. The silhouettes are classic shapes with the designers own twist. Elegance and sophistication are represented here.  I look forward to the watering of this garden and seeing what else blooms.

LASALLE COLLEGE GRADS- THE SHOWS

RAPTURE BY RAZANI

Third, we have Razini present her show entitled Rapture. Again I bring up diversity at Vancouver Fashion Week , Razani was born in Berlin Germany and lived in Tehran Iran. Certainly, diversity is also a value at LaSalle College as all of the presenters are immigrants from a wide ranch countries . Razini has been interested in fashion from a young age. Moreover, her curiosity about color, textiles and fashion led her to become a designer.

In this case, Razini presents a collection that is entirely black and white, with only small hints of red , yellow and grey. Black and white always draws the viewers attention and it is true here. The fabric choices are simple in scope as they seem to be entirely satin. Moreover, the garments are all dresses, some with draped banners or applied squares and rectangles. This minimalist collection has clean lines and an evening wear vibe. Interesting details include small areas of stencil like pattern. I like this collection for its clean lines and simple style.

LASALLE COLLEGE- THE SHOWS

MISLEAD CONFUSION BY SIMGE SENOL

Originally from Istanbul Istanbul Turkey, Simge has been living in Vancouver for six years . Recently Simge  graduated from the LaSalle College Vancouver's Fashion Design diploma program.

Inspired by an interest in all the fine arts Senol presented her collection Mislead Confusion. Was Mislead Confusion a statement on art or a statement on life's journey it's self. Certainly, the opening visual of a sheath dress with an image of  Edvard Munch's The Scream leads me to interrupt the collection as a dissertation on the anxious times we live in.

But perhaps I spoke too soon, as the next looks on the runway come across as high fashion looks without an overt message.  Gold lame' harem pants and other dresses with images less known as The Scream fill out the collection. A variety of garments and colors make this collection varied and interesting . Metallic and satin fabrics , along with sleek lines could easily take us to a chic fashion party.  Certainly, I would like to see more from Senol and perhaps that's the best compliment.

LASALLE COLLEGE - THE SHOWS

CRASHED BY NICOLE MO

Nicole Mo traveled to Canada from Suzchou China when she was 16 years old. Travel has always been a source of inspiration for Nicole. She began her studies in LaSalle College Vancouver's Fashion Design program in 2018 and has achieved the Deans and Presidents Honor Roll lists.

White and gray are the palette for this collection that is built on strong silhouettes and clean modern looks. Head to toe monochromatic looks are hot for Spring 2020. Whether Nicole is on trend or setting trends doesn't matter, this runway was a personal favorite. Powerful women will love the all white trench coat look and the fierce straps that have printed slogans like "fuck off ". Silvery white shines from the runway as a beacon, lighting the future for this young designer.

LASALLE COLLEGE- THE SHOWS

GRAVITY BY ELLIE JESMANI

Ellie moved to Vancouver 12 years ago with her family from Iran. She has always had a strong passion for fashion design, however it wasn't until her sons graduated that she was abbe to begin her studies at LaSalle College Vancouver.

Certainly, diversity again is front and center with the designs of Ellie Jesmani . Since diversity is a broad concept here we are looking at ethnic and gender diversity . Once fashion design was the purvey of men, now we see the majority designers are women and they come from widely diverse backgrounds. In this case Ellie's background is Iranian and her inspiration is Persian Architecture. Iranian architecture makes use of symbolic geometry largely based on symmetrical use of pure geometric forms like the circle and the square.

The  color palette for this collection are rich red, blue and gold mixed with an array of neutrals. Persian architecture also includes the intricate use of tiles and stones and this is reflected in several garments. Certainly clean and symmetric lines make up the silhouettes . The challenge often for designers from the non dominant culture is to appeal to the community at large and Ellie certainly does this. The first gold dress and evening coat  is equally chic whether in western or eastern culture. This collection has strong clean lines and vibrant color.

ABOUT LASALLE COLLEGE- FASHION PROGRAMS

LaSalle College Vancouver’s Fashion programs are globally renowned for setting the standard of innovative and supportive fashion design and marketing education. LaSalle College Vancouver conceived its fashion programs with the same attention to detail used in the construction of a garment. The courses were designed to put graduates at the forefront of the industry with real-world skills they’ll use every day.

From the classroom to the runway, students get the chance to showcase their vision at special events, competitions, fashion shows and photo shoots while they develop their portfolio. As designer Ralph Lauren said, “Fashion is about something that comes from within you.” At LaSalle College Vancouver, we help you bring what is inside you to the world stage.  Taken from the La Salle College Website.

IN CONCLUSION 

I have seen several presentations from the Fashion Design Program at LaSalle College Vancouver and have always been impressed. I studied theatre design and art history at University and part of the impetus was that I could receive a degree. Well the time has come when they will offer a degree program in Fashion at LaSalle College in Vancouver. I encourage anyone who is thinking of Fashion design as a career visit LaSalle college and look into their program.

The La Salle college presentation at Vancouver Fashion Week is always a highlight . I love to encourage student fashion designers as they seek their place in the fashion world .

CIAO FOR NOW J. ANDREW