Fashion

Craft and Creativity Wow Vancouver at Colour Couture: The 2011 Fashion Design Graduate Show

The staff and students of Blanche Macdonald’s Fashion School had high expectations coming into Colour Couture, the 2011 Fashion Design Graduate Show. From the very beginning, everyone involved knew it would be the biggest Fashion Show the School had ever presented, as an incredible 52 graduates would be unveiling their debut collections at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Downtown Vancouver. 

It turned out that Colour Couture wasn’t merely the biggest Blanche Macdonald Fashion Show. It was also the best. 

“I was standing backstage when we started, surrounded by hair and makeup artists,” explained Program Director and Show CoordinatorPeggy Morrison. “I said, I can feel it, it’s going to be a great show.” 

“I think it was the most fluid of all the shows we’ve done,” agreed her fellow Program Director Donna Baldock. “People were calm backstage. We had some amazing professionals doing the makeup and hair, and the students here helping with dressing were great.”

If the backstage area was structured and serene, for the TV crews and hundreds of fashionistas in attendance (including supermodel and Blanche Macdonald Fashion Merchandising graduate David Chiang) the excitement and emotion was raw and unmistakeable. From beachwear to bridal gowns, from elegant functionality to avant-garde outerwear, from exquisite eveningwear to custom-made shoes constructed from recycled furniture legs, Blanche Macdonald’s Fashion Design class of 2011 proved that they had the craftsmanship to match their creativity.

“The workmanship and craft on every piece I handled was incredible,” continued Donna. “It’s easy to forget that some of those students didn’t have a lot of sewing skills when they arrived.”

“First of all, the portfolios were great,” agreed Fashion Instructor Lisa Gellert. “They were very diverse in terms of style and I was very pleased with the results. With the actual clothing, it all looked well made, and it was a diverse collection with interesting and innovative designs. There wasn’t just one aesthetic.”

Fashion Merchandising Grad Danielle Swanson: Theory Meets Art at The lululemon Lab

"The lululemon Lab is a hub for innovation and design," explains Danielle Swanson. She would know. She’s been the Merchandising Key Leader for the last two years. "Everything here is focused on moving forward.  Everything is created on site.  It's all happening before your own eyes.  It's very transparent.  Which is in alignment with how I live."

It’s only natural that Danielle now works at Vancouver’s most innovative store. The concept store of lululemon athletica, at The Lab customers can see what they’re buying at every stage of production. Home to a team of designers taking inspiration from everyone that walks through their doors, The Lab creates, manufactures and sells its own line of lululemon clothing. It’s Vancouver’s open-to-the-public fashion house. And Blanche Macdonald Fashion Merchandising grad Danielle is happy and proud to contribute to its success.

"I Key Lead, so I manage the store as well as merchandise," she continues. "I make sure the store is set up perfectly, lead the team and help them be awesome and sassy by goal coaching and bringing my uniqueness to The Lab. We do a series of installations by local artists in the window and I handle that too. I help run the store while taking the greatest care to hold up the aesthetic of the company at all times, while pushing the boundaries. We’re The Lab, so we need to be different. We have our own identity."

COLOUR COUTURE: 2011 ANNUAL GRADUATION FASHION DESIGN SHOW

Blanche Macdonald Centre invites you to join us as we unveil the next generation of Fashion talent at our annual Fashion Design Graduate Show, Colour Couture!

WEDNESDAY, November 23 2011
The Westin Bayshore
1601 Bayshore Drive, Vancouver BC
Fashion Show begins at 7:00pm
Ticket price: $26 (plus HST)

Tickets are available online and at our Uptown and Downtown Campuses 

Every year, Blanche Macdonald provides the springboard for a new generation of talented designers to begin their journey into the wide world of fashion. Our Fashion School was the launch pad for many successful careers in the fashion industry including Shannon Wilson, owner and designer of lululemon athletica, Tenille Magnusson, head designer of Aritzia's and Canada’s favourite line, Wilfred, and Lisa Malcic whose Beba Bean line boasts A-list celebrity clients and is sold in top retailers including Barneys New York and Nordstroms.

Fashion Merchandising Graduate and Freelance Stylist Sarah Danniels: Professionalism and Pirate Paks

Three years ago, Sarah Danniels was facing a dilemma about her future. She had earned her degree, travelled around the world and was coming back to Canada less than thrilled at the prospect of returning to the music industry job she’d left behind.

“People told me that I should be a stylist,” she recalls. “I thought, ‘Do people actually do that? Can you really make enough money to live doing that?’”

Sarah has answered her own questions. Today, the Fashion Merchandising graduate is a full-time freelance stylist, with a long list of clients including BC Health, Fairmont Hotels, L’Oreal, Esquire.com, Perfect Wedding Magazine and TV Week, and a fast-growing reputation that’s led to an editorial of her own in Zink Magazine.

Follow CurliQue Beauty on Facebook!

In just a few weeks, the corner of Robson and Homer will be transformed into Vancouver's newest go-to store for the best Makeup, Skin, Hair and Nail products. Introducing Blanche Macdonald's very own Beauty Boutique, CurliQue! 

We invite you to follow CurliQue Beauty on Facebook for Facebook-exclusive offers, invites, contests and opportunities you won’t want to miss. Plus, learn about the hot celebrity lineup of brands we'll carry and be the first to know about special guest appearances and free seminars!

Fashion Design's Katie Quinn Hits the City as Downtown Betty

If you visit the Downtown Betty web site one of the first things you’ll read is the casual glamour label’s mission statement. 

“It is the goal of Downtown Betty to make products that last a lifetime in the heart of the owner, not as overflow to the landfill”.

For owner and designer Katie Quinn, there’s more to fashion than what’s appearing in that month’s magazines. She wants her clothes to be ethically made, timelessly stylish and most of all, comfortable.

“Downtown Betty isn’t trendy or seasonal,” she explains. “They’re comfortable and mobility-focussed pieces. I don’t think people get tired of the pieces. They’re cosy. It’s the type of clothing you put on and it transforms with you for three or four days until you absolutely have to wash it.”

It took a while for Katie to realise that there was a fashion designer inside her waiting to get out. Other people had spotted it long before Katie even considered taking the Fashion Design Program at Blanche Macdonald.

“My mother always had a sewing machine and my aunt told me that she figured I was going to become a fashion designer. She told me that she never met another 13-year old who would run into the house for a couple of hours, sew something up and run out again with a new skirt.”

Fashion Design Graduate Ash Turner: Engineering Mechanic Organic

“Every day you are given the unique opportunity to become more than you have been. If you can wake up every morning, say that to yourself and believe it, it’ll give you the push to make your life your own, rather than wait for someone else to do it for you. Life is too short to half-ass it.”

This is the philosophy that drives Ash Turner, the creator of Vancouver-based performance artist and festival-wear label Mechanic Organic. And it’s a philosophy that’s produced both success and incredible clothes since Ash graduated from the Fashion Design program at Blanche Macdonald.

“I probably work 16-18 hours most days,” she smiles. “But I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. When I came out of Fashion School I went straight into doing custom work for individual clients. I'm pretty good at networking, so I put it out there and people started biting.”

Ash is doing much more than custom work now. She’s designing and producing collections for Mechanic Organic, retailing the lines at festivals across the Pacific Northwest and putting on club nights and fashion shows with her role at event organisers, Perception Events. It’s not the life of the traditional fashion designer. But Ash has never done anything the traditional way.

“I was always a bit quirky,” she explains. “My Dad told me that when I was a baby the only thing he could do to get me to sleep was to bounce me up and down to rock and roll. I grew up in Oliver, BC. There are 7,000 people there and most of them are orchard and vineyard owners, so there was nothing interesting to wear. When I was six I designed my first portfolio and started sewing. I moved to Penticton for high school and had my first commission to make a corset for someone when I was 12. I was in sewing class and we reached a point where the teacher said that we could make anything we wanted. Being the little gothy punk girl, I thought, ‘I’d love to make a corset’. So I made one, my friend thought it was really cool and asked if I would make her one. It all escalated from there.”

Fashion Design Graduate Jill Rothert: Building Success Around The World

By the time you read this, Jill Rothert could very well be starting the next chapter in her fashion story on the other side of the planet.

“I’ve been speaking with a recruiter about jobs in Asia,” she explains. “He’s really interested in what I have to offer. I always wanted to work overseas, even for just a couple of years. I’m up for a position at NeilPryde. It’s a windsurfing company in Hong Kong. They’re looking to branch into clothing so they are looking to build a design team.

“There were a few other jobs we’ve been talking about too. Adidas are opening an office in Shanghai and there’s a job with Puma in Finland. I’m open to it all.”

A journey to Asia would be a big step, but not an unexpected one, for Jill. She sees her design career as a sequence of opportunities waiting to be taken. Whether it’s working at the Olympics, Obakki, lululemon or the mysterious world of men’s underwear with Naked Boxer Brief, the Blanche Macdonald Fashion Design graduate is going to make a difference with her personal fashion philosophy. 

“Fashion isn’t just fashion,” she insists. “I enjoy designing clothing that is functional and wearable and has a purpose. It needs to do more than just look good.”

Supermodel David Chiang Brings The Runway to Blanche Macdonald

At Blanche Macdonald, we're always proud of how our Fashion grads make their mark across the Fashion World.  For Fashion Merchandising grad David Chiang, his mark is being seen by millions every day.  It's been four years since he left BMC and in that time, he has become one of the top male models in the world.

“Brave Hearts”, Vogue Hommes Japan Spring 2011; Stylist: Nicola Formichetti; Photographer: Steven Klein; Source: The Fashionisto

Between castings in Europe and right before he left to walk for Milan Fashion Week, this busy supermodel brought his gorgeous 6’2, fast-food loving, outspoken, good-humoured and loveable self (head to toe in his signature shades of black) to our Downtown Campus to catch up with the fabulous ladies in our Fashion Department and to hang out with one lucky Fashion Merchandising class.

Here he is with some of our amazing Fashion staffers Donna, Peggy and Mel!

David exploded into the Fashion Scene after his debut in Fall 2010.  His stunning looks quickly made him a favourite for the international runway: Rick Owens, Paul Smith, Ermenegildo Zegna, Missoni, Richard Chai, Diesel, rag and bone among many others… and even as an exclusive for Dior Homme. He’s also the first Asian model to ever walk for Emporio Armani. His all time fave show? Alexander McQueen’s final Menswear Fall 2010 where McQueen personally asked David to stay for fittings.

Fashion Merchandising Graduate Peter Ty Consumes Vancouver as The Starving Stylist

There are two sides to Peter Ty. 

By day Peter is a Visual Merchandiser for one of Canada’s most prestigious and recognisable high-end menswear stores. As soon as the workday is done though, Peter becomes one of Vancouver’s funniest and most fabulous style bloggers, dishing out clothing advice, laying the smackdown on fashion disasters and celebrating the simple joys of looking terrific. Peter Ty is The Starving Stylist.

It’s a dual existence with a common base in Vancouver’s growing fashion industry. And whether it’s the creative challenge that comes with a fresh delivery from one of the world’s most famous labels or accentuating his natural sassiness for a particularly potent blog post, they’re roles rooted in Peter’s first love.

“My sister bought me a pair of Calvin Klein jeans when I was six,” recalls the Blanche Macdonald Fashion Merchandising graduate. “She introduced me to fashion, brand names and the idea of quality. I enjoyed it and watched her buying expensive designer things. I got used to it.”