The 8th edition of Eco Fashion Week just took place in Vancouver and our West Coast correspondent Helen Siwak has the scoop. She is bringing you the best reviews and photos from the fashion shows as well as a few candid moments. This is the second installment of her coverage. Check out the first one: ECO FASHION WEEK: The 68lb Challenge with Young Oak, founder and designer Tammy Joe in case you missed it. xoxo
ECO FASHION WEEK: ‘The Thrift Chic’ Challenge Sponsored by Value Village
By Helen Siwak of KitsilanoKittysCloset.com, West Coast Correspondent
2014 brings the fifth edition of the Thrift Chic Challenge which consists of three stylists and $500 in gift certificates from Value Village with which to create 10 runway ready outfits. Using only clothing, footwear, accessories and anything else that could be found within the stores walls to convey who they are and the aesthetic they represent.
This is the first year participants submitted portfolios to have them voted upon by a team from Value Village, Joy Pecknold West Coast Editor of Fashion Magazine, and the many fans of Eco Fashion Week using Facebook. A unique concept that proved very successful and hugely popular with fashion loving locals.
I sat down with each participant the afternoon of the runway show to find out more about who they are and the process that they went through to achieve their vision in an eco-friendly and environmentally conscious way.
1. Jerome Insorio
Jerome is a Fashion Arts student known online as LabelDeficiency – the nickname he uses on social media to convey his views, impressions and inspirations. He is young, quiet and a self-professed visual person. He tells me that in the past he had a habit of attending fashion events, capturing his subject in a single photograph and then leaving soon afterward. Successfully making it into the Thrift Chic Challenge has bolstered his confidence and now he is making a point of being more open to networking and being available for interviews.
The stark image of a tiny blonde girl in an oversized sweater garnered this up-and-comer a place in this year’s Thrift Chic Challenge. The image evoked feelings of loss and sadness in the viewer. The slight girl on a chair with her knees pulled up, appears cold and alone dressed only in this cable-knit sweater most likely passed down from someone long gone. Jerome feels this photograph, shot with a cell phone, captures his aesthetic and is amazed by the ease to which this seemingly complex image came to be. An assignment, a classmate and an oversized thrifted sweater pulled from a book bag became this gorgeous shot.
Jerome’s $500 Value Village Gift Certificate stretched a long way. His Journey runway show tells the story of a woman moving not only through life but through the world from country to country. She needs her day-to-day wardrobe to be cohesive yet pleasing to the eye and to be worn with ease. Journey contained casual coordinates that mixed vintage Max Mara with H&M and included a selection of shorts, skirts, pants, tanks and tees. The jewelry is chunky, organic and each piece chosen specifically for its texture and hand-created appearance. I loved the smooth colour palette of the outfits and the little touches of glamour like the sequined tank and the star necklace.
When asked what the future holds for him, Jerome says that as eager as he is to get out into the fashion world as a women’s stylist specializing in combining classic with modern pieces, there is a few more years of school that are needed to hone his skills.
Find Jerome at http://labeldeficiency.blogspot.ca/
2. Hey Jude
Hey Jude, was created in 2010 by two gals with a passion for fashion in their hearts. Lauren Clark, Fashion Merchandising graduate of Blanche Macdonald and Lyndsey Chow with a UBC degree in Marketing. A match made in thrift store heaven. Together they curate a collection of unique pieces which are sold in their studio, through pop-up stores and online.
I first met Lauren at a hip Vancouver market event Beggers Banquet, where she had a Hey Jude kiosk of vintage clothing and an amazing selection of footwear. That day a pair of brown snakeskin pumps came home with me to add to my collection. As a lover of thrifting and vintage, it was inspiring and eye-opening to meet Lauren and find that curating pre-loved garments into a collection for re-sale under your own label was not only completely acceptable in the eco-friendly fashion movement but here was this young woman making a business out of it!
This years Thrift Chic Challenge pushed the duo to collaborate and design like only a very public challenge with a deadline can be. The pair hit numerous Value Village’s around the lower mainland to find a wide selection of the soft pastels necessary to complete their vision for the competition. Wonderfully chic and casual, these finished looks would be stylish in any city for spring/summer. Fabrics are soft knits, shiny satins, and crisp cottons.
Lauren and Lindsey were pleased to have the opportunity to work with men during this competition, for the duo had never used male models on the runway before. I am hoping that they will consider adding menswear to their collection as their selections were very wearable, comfortable looking and unisex. Each of the men’s outfits was versatile and could also be worn by women with a simple tuck, belt and/or a change of footwear.
Always concerned with their environmental footprint and being eco-friendly, ‘Hey Jude’ reflects this philosophy in their workplace and in their garments bringing out-of-date pieces to life with some additional alterations.
Currently, plans are in the works for a physical location but in Vancouver, where retail rents are sky high and space is limited, but I have no doubts that these two will find a little off the beaten path space and upcycle the heck out of it into an amazing destination shop!
Find Hey Jude at www.heyjudeshop.com
3. Ghazal Elhaei
Ghazal Elhaei is a Vancouver-based stylist, entrepreneur and is currently the Editor-in-Chief of ONE1ONE Magazine. She styles and consults with top fashion brands such as Evan Clayton and Style by Sarai. I sat down with her the afternoon of the show and I could tell even though her adrenaline was pumping that she was amazingly calm as she explained her decision to do a menswear line for her part of the challenge.
Ghazal pulled and styled menswear for her runway show entitled Man Up. A lifelong fan of classic movie’s and strong leading men, such as Cary Grant and Gregory Peck, she longs for the days when men were sharply dressed, and according to the movies, were seemingly able to combine power with vulnerability to be irresistible and charming.
The collection included interesting colour choices and textures with a playful interpretation of the proper length of suit pants – long, rolled or sneaking inches up the ankle. The models had colourful patterned scarves draped over their right shoulders adding worldly finesse.
Two female models graced this menswear runway with the stand out piece being a boxy fit vertical striped black and gold Dior Sport. Pulled from Value Village on Victoria Drive, Ghazal was still talking enthusiastically about this piece the day of the show and I was astonished to see it as I had tried on this very same jacket days before! We shared a thrifting connection and you could see in her eyes how thrilled she was to be presenting this piece within her collection at the ‘Thrift Chic Challenge’.
Currently, Ghazal is in the process of planning the summer launch of STYLE CHORD; a personal edit of her work amongst the fashion and music industries.
Find Ghazal here www.ghazalelhaei.com
Stay Conscious & Chic!
Photo Credits: Peter Jensen for ECO Fashion Week.