Written by Menswear Style in Events on the 7th October 2015

Photography by Ed Ng

The shows were heavy with local talent, as 6 of the featured designers are working and selling here in Vancouver. Connally McDougall’s show was arguably one of the stand-outs. The show commenced with a men’s streetwear collection, coupled with an avant-garde display from the models draped in flowers and foliage against an equally impacting backdrop of Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’. Modern pieces accented with vintage touches made for the perfect collection of wearable statement pieces and interesting yet playful streetwear.

Maaji sets the scene with the familiar notes of ‘Sweet Home Alabama' to establish the distinct American country feel to this swimwear collection. The tempo shifts up and the models burst onto the runway energetically as full of colour and fun as the swimwear they are dressed in. The festival, road trip vibe works perfectly with the timeless prints and styles of the collection which conjure thoughts of youthful summer road trips, festivals and camping. The collection has something for all shapes and touches such as tassels and intricate back details on the pieces add an extra flair to an already beautifully crafted collection.

One of the penultimate shows was an exclusively Men’s Couture collection by Tommy Chong. This fascinating collection immediately conjured images of old world Japan and expertly combined modern day formal attire with Samurai inspired cuts, shapes and layering. An amazingly unique collection, unlike anything else exhibited on the VFW runway, Chong’s creations were a bold and intense collection of strong and theatrical menswear.

We feature Connally McDougall, Maaji and Tommy Chong in our Vancouver Fashion Week SS16 roundup.