Malene Grotrian Ice Water Fashion Event
I first heard about the Malene Grotrian Ice Water Fashion Event through the lovely Frances Hui of FHS Events. I bookmarked the site and waited a week to see what my schedule would be like for the end of April. That same week I saw a few more tweets on the event, revisted the website, and decided I had to go!
This was the first designer fashion show I’ve been to in a very long time. After reading up on Malene Grotrian and discovering she was the only Vancouverite to have showcased at New York Fashion Week in the summer of 2009, I knew this designer had to be something special. She also prides herself on making each piece right here in Vancouver. No outsource manufacturing being done here.
The event was at the stunning Cinema 319 theatre, where the red leather theatre chairs were rearranged to surround a runway. Tickets were only $30 ($25 early bird) and more for the “First Class Fashionista” option where you could get priority seating and probably more perks in the gift bags. Did I mention we got gift bags? A free designer belt by MG and other discount offers. FIJI water was one of the event sponsors, so I grabbed one of those bottles too. Cheers for high end water!
Scoping out the wardrobe of the guests (as this sense is built into the DNA of most women), I noticed right off the bat many were wearing corsets, paired with skirts. Yes, corsets are coming back this Fall in a big way. I also wondered to myself why some were wearing shorts with heels. And then I looked down at my own outfit… it appears summertime has come early.
Just some of the local people I spotted included Andy Chu and Erin Ireland of FMA, Lyndi Barrett of LJ PR (who I met just last week at a PR group meeting), and Suzanne Fetting of Absolute Confidence.
The event started off with two performances. An opera singer (I can’t for the life of me find her name on the website) sang in a MG dress while a model sported a chocolate couture dress made by Rachel Sawatsky of CocoaNymph chocolates & confections. Tasty!
Then, violinist Rosemary Siemens did a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (also wearing a MG dress) and played alongside the models as they came out. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting both Rachel and Rosemary; they are both talented women in their own ways.
There were a few sound problems right after, but Jenna Fortin of the MG team kindly came out to let us know the best was yet to come. Way to handle the crowd under the pressure.
Malene’s designs feature professional and evening wear. I am not a fashion expert by any means, but the first thing I noticed was the quality, pattern, and craftsmanship of the fabric. Keeping in mind that this is Fall/Winter 2010, the showcase focused on solid blacks and greys with hints of mustard, fuschia, and metallic shimmer. You’ll see the same patterns repeated in different pieces, which allow women to easily mix and match. I didn’t realize until after the show and looking inside my gift bag that the footwear was provided by Maria Brasil, which is featuring the Jorge Bischoff Shoe and Handbag Collection for Fall-Winter 2010-2011. Jewelry was handmade by Kajsa Edvinsson of Kyza Designs, and hair was done by Hype Hair Studio. LOVED the up-do’s. What was so amazing about this event was the amount of local talent that collaborated.
Many of the pieces could also double as office and evening wear. There were a lot of corsets, worn over blouses or on their own with layered skirts to show off the evening look. Some of my favourite pieces were the blouses with ruffled collars, short dresses, and the gorgeous wraps.
You’ll see that my iPhone didn’t take the best photos, but they give you a good idea of the range of colour used in the collection. The “piece de resistance” of the collection was a black, tight-fitting mermaid-style dress with a corset back. Definitely not something I could pull off, but that’s what stunning models are for.
There was an after party at Ginger 62 following the show, which unfortunately I could not attend. As an event, Ice Water Fashion was a success. As a collection, I felt there wasn’t enough to see, especially in the evening wear department. But, it proves the amount of potential Malene Grotrian has as an internationally renowned designer. Both Vancouver and the world will be seeing much of her in the future. Bravo to her and her team for a great night and to the sponsors who made it all happen.
Malene Grotrian Design
910-207 West Hastings Street
Vancouver BC V6B 1H7
604-568-0666
info@malenegrotrian.com
www.malenegrotrian.com
