VCAD to Host ONwards Fashion

VCAD ONwards Fashion Show puts the spotlight on alumni designers

Breaking into Vancouver’s tight knit fashion design community takes a strong creative vision, talent, technical skills and support. When Visual College of Art and Design (VCAD) graduate Evan Ducharme took home first place in last year’s Fashion’s Night Out Vancouver design competition, it signalled the possibility that he could make fashion design his career. On November 19, 2013, Ducharme, along with 10 fellow VCAD graduates will be featured in the VCAD ONwards Fashion Show held at the Croatian Cultural Centre.

Ducharme, like many of his peers, was an avid volunteer at various fashion events throughout the city in order to gain experience while in school. Fast forward one year and he was recently asked to show at Vancouver’s Eco Fashion Week as one of their main designers. He’s now an inspiration for many students, showing them how passion and hard work can lead to a creative career right here in Vancouver.

“Last year I got to show at Fashion's Night Out [as the competition winner] with a lot of big name designers from Vancouver and that kind of really launched me to where I am right now,” said Ducharme about his whirlwind year. “And I got to meet a lot of clients that I work with now.”

The VCAD ONwards Fashion Show is a way for the school to continue to support alumni who are pursuing fashion design as their career. “Our graduates are very driven. Many have started their own design lines and have had successes selling their collections to boutiques in the Lower Mainland and beyond,” says Larry Heinzlmeir, VP Marketing for VCAD. “We want to continue to help them gain publicity and network with the right people, as well as help to build a stronger fashion community in our city.”

Each designer will show three looks from their current collections in the fashion show. Tickets are available to the public on Eventbrite for $15. A portion of the ticket sales will be donated towards the Canadian Red Cross to aid in the Typhoon Haiyan efforts. Industry representatives should contact Carolyn Browne for tickets at carolyn.browne@vcad.ca.

The ONwards Fashion Show will take place at the Croatian Cultural Centre at 7:00pm on November 19, 2013. Doors at 6:30pm.

For more information about VCAD and the Fashion Design program, fill out the form to your right.