FASHION Magazine

See all the best looks from Western Canada Fashion Week Fall 2013 »

View by collection: Angélique Chmielewski |Bano eeMee |Kaadiki Femme | Luxx by Derek Jagodzinsky | Malorie Urbanovitch | Nicole Campre | Stanley Carroll

Western Canada Fashion Week (WCFW) wrapped its 16^th season for Fall 2013 last week at Edmonton’s TransAlta Arts Barns and we can’t help but feel it’s the dawning of a new era. Since 2011, when the Mercedes Benz Start Up (MBSU) program began sweeping the country for the next promising design star, the fashion scene out west has taken a turn for the torrid, competitive even, inspiring looks worthy of national spotlight and quality clothing to write home about.

Top picks this season include Malorie Urbanovitch, a MBSU finalist at World MasterCard Fashion Week last October, who hosted the very first off-site show in the history of WCFW, at the StartUp Edmonton Headquarters in the Mercer Building in Edmonton’s trendy Warehouse District.

Urbanovitch treated the who’s who of the local fashion industry to a transcendental experience: before a dimly lit room, an ethereal fashion film shot at dawn in frostbitten Edmonton lay the groundwork for her Fall 2013 presentation (and made us so very proud to be living here). Full knitwear ensembles in creamy whites, charcoal greys, rusts and teals came floating down the runway alongside drop waists, soft pleats, classic silk slip dresses and lightly quilted jackets. The newest additions to her ready-to-wear label—a collection of accessories—include knee-high socks and a rumoured collection of handbags (are you paying attention yet?).

Back at the TransAlta Arts Barns, Nicole Campre, also a former MBSU finalist, blossomed from fashion underdog to full-on contender as she presented her Fall 2013 collection with a finely tuned grace well beyond her years. The 23-year old chose regal gold, rich maroon, and an array of neutral monochromatic fabrics in long dresses, coats, and skirts. The almost Asian-inspired collection felt fresh and modern with seamlessly integrated faux leather paneling, subtle slits, sheer blouses and pointed collars, while a few chunky knits wrapped around the waist were fit for the cool working girl.

The final days of summer are fast approaching, and as much as we’re looking forward to breaking out the Oxblood skinnies and fur gloves, that feeling won’t last come January (winter blues anyone?). Take advantage of the final few outdoor happenings going on from food festivals in Vancouver to Toronto’s Queen West Art Crawl. Looking to relax this weekend? The xx’s latest album dropped earlier this week.

See the looks from Western Canada Fashion Week»

Running seasonally for eight straight nights since its inception in 2005, Western Canada Fashion Week (WCFW) offers a platform for both emerging and veteran designers alike to showcase their work in a province that is relatively new to the fashion scene. Alongside expert-affirmation from the Mercedes-Benz Start Up judges last week, we can certainly say that there is some sparkle out west.

From Edmonton darling Nicole Campre, this season’s WCFW Emerging Designer contest winner, to long-time mens and womenswear designer Stanley Carroll, WCFW is nurturing some exciting talent each season at the TransAlta Arts Barns—and here are a few to check out:

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Western Canada Fashion Week kicked off its seventh year and 14^th season last Friday night at Phabrik art + design, a warehouse-style studio space in south central Edmonton run by WCFW’s executive and creative director, Sandra Sing Fernandes. The venue was the original hosting grounds for Edmonton Fashion Week way back when in 2005.

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Western Canada Fashion Week may be in its seventh season, but we don’t got no seven-year itch. Things in Edmonton are looking bright with two- and three-tone colour blocking, and flavours sweet, sexy, and sultry recalling the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Here’s a hotlist of six standout WCFW designers—the ones to watch, the clothing we seek.