Fashion, often shown frozen in time on mannequins or captured in photographs, is an art form that only truly comes to life in the fleeting present moment. Nothing proves this more vividly than at the UBC Fashion Club’s third annual show at the Cecil Green Park House. With a focus on personal stories, identity exploration and unabashed creativity, the evening showcased six collections from designers both in and beyond the UBC community.
The night went far beyond a simple catwalk. Performances, live music and an after-party at the local Kitsilano bar Bimini’s transformed the evening from a show into a full experience, sure to leave guests feeling inspired by the many creative works. With doors opening at 7 p.m. sharp, jazz music from the UBC Jazz Club greeted guests as they entered the beautiful antique interior of the venue.
Organizers provided refreshments and an array of light appetizers as guests circulated throughout the space and mingled. The attendees, all dressed with the precision and taste one might expect at a fashion show, brought a unique sense of individuality to their looks. The excitement in the space was contagious as guests secured their seats for the show before quickly returning to dance to the music.
The venue, which typically hosts weddings, brought a sense of warmth to the event — old hardwood floors and soft, diffused light. It also featured a wonderful outdoor space filled with vibrant greenery that overlooked the dazzling ridgeline of the North Shore. As the sun dipped below the mountains, a voice rang out through the house sound system, calling on attendees to begin finding their seats — the show was about to begin.
Starting promptly at 8:20 p.m., the first collection by designer JIAMI took to the runway. Collaborators Jiayi and Emily created JIAMI to prove that fashion doesn’t need to come from new materials. Their collection featured intricate hand-painted designs, a recurring floral motif and pleated fabric evoking a sense of renewal and rebirth. With their organic imagery, JIAMI’s designs feel timely and remind me of the creative rejuvenation that the turn of the season brings.
Following JIAMI’s work was the mini collection emkay designed by Fashion Club member Marissa. The collection, composed of two complementary pieces, explored femininity through fabric, silhouette and design. The deep reds, soft light pinks and delicate fabrics, such as lace and chiffon, gave each piece a distinct aura of femininity. In contrast to the flowing skirts and billowing sleeves were the structured corset-esque bodices featured in each garment, which gave the pieces an idiosyncratic flair. By bridging historic references with contemporary materials, the designs established a unique cohesion between past and present feminine fashion.
The subsequent collection, Kokmo2ou, sharply contrasted with the previous series. It focused on masculine designs and showcasing inventive deconstructed garments that played with colour, texture and layering. Brothers Kaleb and Elijah Krummes created the collection and drew inspiration from their paternal great-grandmother Marie Kokmotou, who worked as a seamstress in Greece. The program describes Kokmo2ou as a “wearable creative outlet,” and the brand pushes the limits of garment construction through its unique approach.
Kokmo2ou features upcycled and second-hand materials. Elijah pointed to the constant problem-solving required when working with these textiles.
“I grab whatever random scraps I have, with a semblance of an idea … and try and think of an interesting way to overlay the panels or sew something in.”
This exploratory approach to design carries over into the styling of the pieces. Many of the show’s designers made choices on the day of the show, or in some cases even moments before models stepped onto the runway. Choices like the placement of a hat hanging off a belt or the styling of a sweater being half on and half off a model give the designs a lived-in quality that adds character and individuality to each look — showcasing not only technical skill, but that the design brings the audience into a complete creative vision.
Kokmo2ou was also the first collection to feature masculine designs, an intentional choice on the part of the Fashion Club team, says executive member Remy Doucette.
“Showing that fashion is not a gendered act is really important for our club.”
Later in the evening, designer Owen Seth continued this message with his debut collection, Insignia. Drawing inspiration from musical genres like industrial rock, witch house and black metal, as well as visuals from the Final Fantasy games, Insignia was a bold and focused collection that came together into a cohesive creative vision. Using mainly a monochromatic colour palette, the designs relied on silhouette, material and embellishment. Spiky studded jackets, high collars and rigid materials like canvas, denim and leather created a distinct dystopian feel, blending military garment construction with video game grit.
The final two collections, Sunkissed and Ashley Ewanchuk, featured lighter and more vibrant designs in contrast to Insignia, though both took unique approaches to their design vision. Sunkissed, which the program describes as “a multi-dimensional creative brand … [that transforms] each piece into wearable art,” focused on artistic expression, authenticity and connection. The use of ruffles and other textured elements gave the pieces dimension and created an especially appealing runway presentation as movement helped bring each piece to life.
Seattle-based designer Ashley Ewanchuk created the final collection, presenting a dreamier and softer visual language that taps into an ethereal feminine energy. Deeply inspired by what it means to be a woman, Ewanchuk used flowing, shimmering fabrics that refracted light and captured the audience’s attention. Like the earlier emkay collection, Ewanchuk featured ribbons, corset bodices and soft pastel pinks, but she expanded on these elements by incorporating them into the designs in intricate and creative ways. By creating matching headpieces that extended silhouettes and adding pearl details to nearly every design, Ewanchuk developed a visual language that transcended each individual garment.
With the runway portion of the evening concluded, guests had only one thing left to do — dance. Fashion Club president Rachel directed attendees to the yellow cabs waiting outside the venue that would transport everyone to Bimini’s, a local bar and event space hosting the after-party. The Fashion Club team considered the after-party incredibly important, as community and collaboration sit at the heart of the club’s mission.
“I truly believe people make the most creative decisions on the dance floor. And I think offering a space for people to really explore that side of fashion is such an important aspect of these events for the community,” said executive member Remy.
Guests wound down the evening with dancing, celebration and movement, centring the heart of the event: community and creativity. Instead of simply looking at fashion through photographs or watching runway videos on Instagram, UBC Fashion Club made fashion accessible, social and fun — creating a welcoming and creative environment for all attendees.
