Vancouver: Link to the past

Well, I’d have to say that the most exciting new thing to hit Vancouver on the fashion front recently, is of course Terri Potratz Larry knitwear. It’s no wonder Jennifer Campbell scooped up the story for the Style Snack blog here on fashionmagazine.com. Terri was my fierce but friendly competitor in the Reporter Search competition and I must give it up to her for such an impressive accomplishment with Larry.

That aside, this blog entry is dedicated to Sunja Link (sunjalink.com), a local designer who has, for some unknown reason, been off my radar since launching her line in 2002. Now, six years and 12 collections later, I discovered her while surfing the internet. I spotting a friend of mine modelling her collection and the both of them caught my eye. A friendly surprise, you might (quite literally) say.

Sunja Link grew up on Quadra, one of B.C.’s beautiful Discovery Islands, just across from Campbell River. Anyone who has travelled along the West Coast has experienced the breathtaking scenery of the area, which Sunja was unquestionably inspired by, informing the simplicity of her design and her commitment to natural fabrics.

Having lived in the Vancouver area my whole life, I’ve always been fascinated by how time seems to stand still when you’re in and around the islands. This perhaps underscores the timelessness of Link’s latest collection, which has an old-world feel—a theme I’ve noticed on the backs of many a Vancouver “street-styler.” It’s a depression-era aesthetic, I too have long admired.

While the city of Vancouver may have a shameful tendency to wipe away the old, it seems that our inhabitants are grasping whatever glimpse of the past they get their hands on. Finally Vancouverites are taking some notes on lessons from eras-gone-by, even if only sartorially.

EARLIER: Larry, Grace and Terri

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