Local Passion For Fashion Clear During Fashion Week

There are those who say the Edmonton area is not a fashion-friendly place. To much of the outside world, we are nothing but a bunch of dumb hicks who wouldn’t know a Birkin bag if it whacked us in the face. Edmonton and the surrounding municipalities don’t know quality designers, have quality designers or appreciate quality designers, some say. To these naysayers, I say check out the bi-annual Western Canadian Fashion Week.

The Western Canada Fashion Week (formerly known as and often still referred to as Edmonton Fashion Week) just finished its 10th successful season, running April 1 to April 8. Attendance was at an all-time high, proving that love of fashion is growing in the area. The shows took place at the ultra-hip TransAlta Arts Barn in Old Strathcona. In attendance were the fashionable, the artistic and the curious, among them fashionistas, aspiring designers, makeup artists and boutique owners. Was everyone in attendance decked out in designer duds with expensive accessories and carefully crafted hair and makeup? No. Style isn’t about how much money you can blow on labels. Style is about many things. Every attendee was stylish in their own way –some subtly, some explicitly. But the people who attended fashion week all had one thing in common: a love of creativity. And Edmontonians (and those from surrounding areas) have creativity in spades.

Aspiring designer Kelly Madden wowed the crowd with her two collections. Madden, who hails from Blue Sky, just outside Fairview, Alberta, debuted her Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter collections at fashion week Wednesday, April 7. Unlike many designers, Madden’s runway looks are very wearable instead of being strange costumes most people wouldn’t be caught dead in. Madden’s Spring/Summer collection was simplistic but classy, focusing on white, black and magenta-coloured clothes. The models all wore loose, romantic curls, emphasizing the classic sweetness of their outfits. Madden’s Fall/Winter collection centered on everyone’s favourite flattering colour – black. To emphasize the toughness of the colour of the outfits, the models all wore high, tight ponytails. Overall, her collection was amazing. Edmonton should be proud that Madden chooses to sell her clothes at the downtown farmer’s market this July.

Designer Kelsey McIntyre, who dreams up her creations in Fort Saskatchewan, presented her Serendipity line at Wednesday’s show during Fashion Week. The show had a very different vibe from the other designers. The models all carried white tree branches as they strutted the runway, creating an almost ethereal atmosphere. McIntyre is clearly a fan of ruffles, which dominated the majority of her designs. Most of the dresses featured very detailed cross-strapped backs. McIntyre stuck to earthy tones for this line – brown, white, grey, gold and light blue. The models wore their hair up in messy curls, adding to the surreal feeling surrounding the line of clothes. Overall, the line was creative, fresh and mysterious, making it just as likely to succeed as McIntyre’s bridal line.

Attending a show during the Western Canada Fashion Week was the highlight of my month. Not only was it something new and exciting, but it also proved a point I’ve tried to make time and time again. The Capital Region is not the place where fashion went to die. Yes, we are not as forward-thinking as places like New York or Madrid, or even Toronto when it comes to fashion. On some trends we might be a little behind the times and we probably have more box stores than boutiques. But we are not devoid of creativity, art or passion for fashion. More and more young designers are emerging from the Edmonton area, particularly from creative post-secondary programs such as the fashion program at Marvel College. And while Edmonton still has a long way to go to becoming the fashion capital of Canada, things are slowly improving. Sandy Sing Fernandes, executive producer and creative director of Western Canada Fashion Week, started the show as a way to promote and support local and Canadian designers while also showcasing some of the best international designers. Fernandes has been credited with starting a fashion revolution in the Edmonton area, giving hope to aspiring designers, artists, models and boutique owners. While fashion week was highly successful, the fashion revolution is an ongoing battle in Edmonton. But it is one we are capable of winning. Edmonton and area residents are more than capable of creating artistic designs and looking good while doing it. Let’s show the world we are not a fashion black hole by continuing to support fantastic events like the Western Canada Fashion Week.