vancouver fashion and portrait photography

Last week was the Generation Next runway show at BC Fashion Week . Generation Next is BCFW on emerging designers and this year featured Elroy Apparel , Nicole Bridger , and Mia Melon. Check out our photos from the show over at Flickr .

Here's a great wrap-up of the event by Erin and Robin of Stylefinds :

"It’s BC Fashion Week, and while our designers may not be as well-known as the ones showing in Milan this week, we definitely have some local talent worth bragging about. I wish they felt the same way about local bloggers and invited us to some of their shows, but I’ll spare you that rant for now...

Anyway, on Thursday night Robin and I attended the only show open to the public: Generation Next, featuring Spring '08 collections by three up-and-coming local designers. It was also a competition, with the winner scoring a spot in next year’s BC Fashion Week, consignment at Twigg & Hottie, and a whole bunch of other stuff I can’t remember. SPOILER ALERT: Nicole Bridger (in the middle of the photo) won!

Overall we were pretty impressed with the show, both in terms of production values and the clothes themselves. Here’s our she-said, she-said take on each of the collections (not that our opinions are all that different, as we realized after reading each other's comments!):

Elroy Apparel

Erin: This collection had the most “ooh I love that” pieces for me. I especially liked the onesie (you know I’m a sucker for those!) in photo #2, which was shown in both black and white, and I’m also coveting the black blazer it was paired with. The LBD in photo #3 was a favourite as well – classic but interesting and well-finished. Some of the other pieces didn’t fit the models as well as I would have liked, but overall I thought this monochromatic collection lived up to its “polished style” tagline.

Robin: I spent most of my time trying to figure out the best sightlines from my seat and wishing the models were ambi-turners. My immediate reaction was “Cute stuff, why are the models walking like horses?” Anyone know what that was about? After scrolling through the photos after the show, my initial suspicions were confirmed… Great pieces in theory, especially the two black and white dresses from the start of the show, but some issues with fit. It was girly but wearable, and was cohesive enough to be a solid collection.

Mia Melon

Erin: This was like a sassy kid sister collection, much younger and more colourful than the other two. I liked quite a few of the individual pieces, especially the white bubble dress (not pictured, sorry) and the suspender shorts in photo #3, but the Project Runway judge in me thought the collection as a whole was a little scattered. Can I still have the white pants with the rolled cuffs in photo #1, though?

Robin: The bubble dress was almost pictured. I liked it and I really, really tried my best, but sometimes my best just isn’t good enough…I did manage to get some lovely shots of the guests across the runway without any models in the way. I could tell through the lens that this collection wasn’t made with me in mind, but for someone more youthful and saucy and willing to wear printed knits.

Nicole Bridger

Robin: By this collection, I was in full-fledged panic mode and was whipping my camera around madly trying to get as many photos of actual models as possible. I’m gonna have to go with the practice makes perfect theory of photography and hope that at future shows I can maintain my chic while nonchalantly taking perfect photos. I vaguely remember liking the shape and detail of most items, but wishing for more pizzazz in the collection. There were a lot of wearable pieces but I felt like I'd really have to spice up my look with contrasting pieces and bold, brightly coloured accessories.

Erin: This collection featured a lot of lightweight layering pieces that could easily fit into my wardrobe, like the pleated skirt and drapey top in photo #1. The detailing and finishing also looked great – it’s hard to see all the gathered and rolled hems in these photos, but they were really well-done. Like Robin, my only complaint was that I started to wish for more variety and colour – most of the items in the second half of the collection were the same as the first but in other neutral colours, and some punchier prints or accent pieces would have been nice.

Some of the audience fashion was just as creative as anything in the runway shows. Props to the guy in the front row (you can see him in some of the photos) wearing shorts and gaiters… or spats? Not only was he a forward fashion thinker, but he inspired a lively discussion on the definition and functionality of spats vs gaiters. Quite a few guests also stepped up to the "Dress Local" challenge, myself included in my cute new Allison Wonderland drapey dress.

Anyway, what did everyone else think of the show? Any other highlights from BC Fashion Week you'd like to share? Leave a comment and let us know!"

UPDATED: Also check out Cassie's Generation Next 2007 fashion show review over at Exposure Online Magazine .