RECENT EVENTS COVERED

Brunch At Birks With Jennifer Heil
by Lisa Wong
Photography by Lindsey Donovan

In honour of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games and Birks's collaborative relationship with two-time Olympic medallist and mogul skiing champion Jennifer Heil, Birks held an elegant brunch reception for the press at their downtown flagship store on Thursday February 18th. Guests in attendance were a mix of media and fashion industry insiders, including local fashionistas Erin Ireland, Heidi Hofstad, Cora Mau, and Christie Lohr; Flare magazine's editor-in-chief Lisa Tant; Fashion magazine's Western editor Rebecca Tay and Fashion magazine's acting editor-in-chief Bernadette Morra. Everyone enjoyed coffee, pomegranate mimosa and bite-size hors d'oeuvres as they admired the Birks Vancouver 2010 commemorative jewelry collection and Jennifer Heil's collection. Fiona Forbes hosted the event and Birks CEO Thomas Andruskevich spoke, but the highlight of the event was when Heil herself took the podium and spoke of her experiences at the 2010 Games and her jewelry collection for Birks. She and Andruskevich also unveiled two new designs for the Jennifer Heil collection: a set of five stacking bangles and a set of five stacking rings. Congratulations to Heil on her silver medal win and best wishes for her future success!

Holt Renfrew and DSQUARED
by Lisa Wong
Photography by George Pimentel for Holt Renfrew

On February 15th, Holt Renfrew hosted a public personal appearance event with DSQUARED² Creative Directors, Dean and Dan Caten, at its Vancouver flagship store. Dan and Dean were on hand to sign autographs and purchases for clients. Special guests included Rosie Edeh, ET Canada reporter and Jeanne Beker, Fashion Television host who appeared on stage for an impromptu Q&A with Dean and Dan. As guests mingled and shopped while enjoying tunes spun by DJ Ricco, DSQUARED² waiters served winter-themed hot chocolate. The Olympic limited edition DSQUARED² hoodie (available in the store) was inspired by Canadian pride. "Keep it warm. Keep it real. Keep it Canada," says Dean and Dan Caten, Creative Directors of DSQUARED². "And don't ever let them see you sweat… in a sweatshirt!"

VMFF
by Marilyn R Wilson

Poised as a global marketplace for music, fashion and beauty aficionados, February 18 - 21, 2010 saw the inaugeral Vancouver Music and Fashion Festival take place at eh Barcelona Lounge on Granville. Put on by Vancouver Fashion Week producer Jamal Abdourahman and in conjunction with the 2010 Winter Olympics, it was an eclectic mix of music, fashion and beauty fused into one event. With 24 established designers from as far away as Italy, 16 New Generation designers, 23 bands/artiste and 6 DJ's, this event 4 day event was jam-packed. For those unable to attend live streaming was available through Ustream. Look for the upcoming Vancouver Fashion Week in April. Information is available at www.vanfashionweek.com.

Invito Couture Grand Opening
by Marilyn R Wilson
Photography by Eugenio Flores

Invito Couture's grand opening by invitation only event showcased the luxurious collection of dresses available in their boutique. This new addition on Vancouver's fashion scene is devoted to offering women beautiful European evening wear and accessories. The evening began in the store with wine and appetizers and a chance to meet the owner. On the racks were garments with lots of glitz and a slight eastern feeling. The fashion show included long and short gowns in a myriad of bright colours including regal purples, royal reds, garnet black, emerald greens, and other gemstone shades embellished with embroidery, rhinestones and beadwork, all done by hand. Colourful patterns were mixed including an outstanding leopard paired with a floral.

More information can be found on the website at www.invitocouture or you can read their blog at www.invitocouture.com/blog/about.

Eco Fashion Forward
by Katie Mogan

February will most likely be remembered as the month for sports enthusiasts, but for many Vancouverites it was also a month of fashion highlights. On February 19th, scores of eco chic Vancouverites eschewed Olympic events and instead "ooo'd" and "aaa'd" over a selection of eco-friendly labels beneath the twinkling lights of the Vancouver Public Library's promenade. The event: Eco Fashion Forward; The lowdown: an evening of eco-friendly fashion and music to promote Vancouver Eco Fashion Week, premiering April 20th.

Myriam Laroche, the evening's host and the mastermind behind VEFW, stated that her goal is to "secure our city's status as a leader in the green fashion movement". To help set the stage, Laroche started the night off with performances by Vince Vaccaro, Adam Thomas and the Mike Allen Quartet and DJ Phoenix Olivia. As guests arrived, several had their picture snapped on the green carpet before toting organic wine through the Coliseum-inspired corridor of the library. After a quick intro from the evening's MCs, Andrew Sutherland and Lisa Von Sturmer, Our Social Fabric's Kim Cathers took to the stage to introduce her new line of refurbished eco clothing. Next was Jill Barber, clad in Dotted Loop, and Nicole Bridger who entertained guests with a selection of her own songs. The highlight of the night was the fashion show featuring clothing and accessories by Adhesif Clothing, Ashley Watson, Dotted Loop, Kim Cathers Elements, Nixxi, and WE3. High above the crowd, spot lit models appeared in the arched balconies of the promenade, each "vogueing" to the music in pieces from the Spring/Summer collections. Short but sweet, the show was a teaser to whet guests' appetites for the "real thing" in April.

Eco fashion-lovers, put down your green tea lattes, mark April 20th-23rd on your iPhones, and check out www.vefw.com for the latest information on next month's event du jour.

Raphael and Lisa-Marie Mazzucco
by Marilyn R. Wilson

Studio 538 was the site for a red carpet event in honour of Raphael and Lisa-Marie Mazzucco. Raphael is hailed as one of the top photographers in the world today. You've seen his photographic and fine art work in many ads such as Ralph Lauren, Victoria's Secret, Guess, Marie Claire, Lancome, L'Oreal, Playboy and French + Italian Vogue, just to name a few. Lisa-Marie is a make-up artist who stepped behind the camera to become the go-to photographer for classical musicians. Recently they collaborated on a Olympic-themed Lancome campaign. The evening celebrated the launch of this collaboration called Gold Fascination, Lancome's tribute to Canada's female elite athletes.

Produced by LuvNGrace Entertainment along with Lancome, the evening was a roaring success. In attendance was a who's who that included socialites, fashionistas, photographers, FMA Weekly TV and more. Studio 538 sports 2 floors and both were packed solid with celebrities while DJ's rocked the night away. For many in attendance it was a chance to meet the talented duo and get a picture taken with them. For those present from the media, it a opportunity to get that illusive interview on tape. To check out future events by LuvNGrace Entertainment go to www.luvngraceaffair.com.

Two of Hearts One Year Anniversary Party
by Lisa Wong

A small crowd of shoppers and well-wishers gathered at the Two of Hearts Boutique (3728 Main Street) on the evening of Saturday February 13th to celebrate the local boutique's first birthday. Guests sipped on drinks as they browsed the store's selection of locally designed clothes and accessories and enjoyed a one-night only discount on all new spring merchandise. The highlight of the party was the mini fashion show highlighting the new spring/summer collections from Togs, CiCi, and Two of Hearts. Unlike past fashion shows, this one had a twist: All the models were real girls and Two of Hearts fans with little to no modelling experience who had volunteered to model in exchange for a chance to win some great prizes. The contest was well-received and fun was had by all. Congratulations to Two of Hearts Boutique owners and designers Jenny Yen and Tabitha Savoie, and here's to another great year!

Chickwalks Main Event
by Katie Mogan

Champagne, Shopping and Smartphones - a perfect trio, and the highlight of the first ChicWalks Vancouver event on February 4th. Vancouver-Paris jetsetter and ChicWalks founder Karen Henrich hosted several dozen of Vancouver's savviest shoppers at District Main to celebrate the new ChicWalks application for Smartphones. The sleek user-friendly app combines detailed maps, shopping routes, store information and exclusive coupons to make the perfect pocket guide for urban shoppers.

Amidst the bubbly and ankle booties, shoppers and Upper Main Street shop owners alike mingled and showed off their new shopping tool. While the champagne and nibblies flowed all night, attendees were encouraged to snag a complimentary shopping tote and "hit the streets" (so to speak) to visit the participating stores and load up on their pre-Olympic deals. At Bodacious, owner Lorna Ketler greeted ladies (and a few gents) with sweet Valentine's treats and an even sweeter sale on the store's luscious merchandise. Hazel & Co.'s Susan Heyes topped up shopper's champagne glasses at her hip maternity store, while Main St newcomer, Lüt Boutique, enticed women and men alike with its exclusive array of day-to-night wear straight from Europe.

The consummate hostess, Henrich is already planning the next ChicWalks event in another of Vancouver's shopping locales. To add the free app to your Smartphone and find out about future events, check out the ChicWalks website: www.chicwalks.com, where the sassy "Ms. Chic" will greet and guide you.