Vionnet, the revival

The Vionnet exhibition opens in Paris at Les Arts Decoratifs, exhibiting from June 2009 until January 31, 2010. I would love to go and be up close to one of her creations; Madeleine Vionnet is a fashion genius. What I admire about her work is that it removes itself from the conventions of fashion, and becomes much more about the engineering and actual intricate design of a dress. The end result is beautifully engineered and aesthetically freeing. Although her name is less recognizable today than rival Coco Chanel, I think that has to do more with Vionnet’s focus and dedication to her craft rather than of herself as a commodity. Her talent was indisputable.

I was so excited when I heard that they were reviving the house of Vionnet back in 2007, although being the fashion industry, it was surprisingly, hardly publicized.

This article from Vogue promised something optimistic, but the opportune moment fizzled quickly after barely a year. Too bad, I thought the collection by Sophia Kokosalaki was amazing, a great homage to Vionnet and relevant to today’s high-end market.

Then a quick search in Google and I found Vionnet Resort 2010, a taste of what is to come. And, it’s a great collection – the same, but very different. They are taking the brand in a different direction – a little less pure, a little more edgy. I’m thinking glam-rock goddess. I am interested to see what comes of this, and if they will be able to sustain this new Vionnet during these tough times for fashion.

2010 and fashion

I am in a lucky position to be able to witness the effects of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games on the fashion industry and Vancouver’s tourism and economy.

Plum came out with a t-shirt design contest for Qolo, a new line that celebrates Vancouver just in time for the tourism boom to generate a whole new set of customers.

Aritzia has created a line, Park Life, in a licensing deal, as have numerous other companies.

And I’m sure that as the time comes nearer, even more fashion companies will try to take advantage of this onslaught of people coming into town as well as residents who feel the urge to celebrate living in Vancouver.

This makes me think of tourism-themed apparel as a selling point. Back in fall semester when I had Textile Design, I was first introduced to this idea by my instructor, who said it was a very lucrative business because the people who buy are usually big corporations giving away gifts that are unique to the city. Think: Hawaiian screen-printed shirts, I Love New York tshirts.

Will Vancouver be fashionable enough for people to want to wear items that scream “Vancouver!”? And with that comes the question, what is Vancouver? I think it is time to rethink and reinvent the wheel, because a lot of the traditional Vancouver images and icons are out of date and tacky, and Vancouver to me is a very young and fresh city full of a mood I like to think of as relaxed vibrancy.

I think a city becomes fashionable to wear when it is considered world-class, and world-class is gauged in my eyes when the biggest luxury companies and top fashion retailers have flagships within these cities. Vancouver is definitely heading this direction with a whole new wave of stores popping up around the city now and in the near future (Sephora!).

I think this a great time for someone to run with this idea in creating tourism-themed apparel in a fresh and youthful way that is trendy and fashion-forward. $$!