Metro Vancouver is full of talent in the style sector. These designers and entrepreneurs are at the forefront of the fashion and beauty world here in B.C. and we had the privilege of sitting down with them this year.
Here are some of our most popular lifestyle features of 2022.
Sappho New Paradigm
This Vancouver business was one of the first clean beauty brands in Canada. Founder JoAnn Fowler was a makeup artist who worked in film and television for 30 years and she approaches everything with the fervour and reverence of a creative, including business. “I'm sort of the most hapless person to be in business because I have a very socialist kind of outlook and I'm a feminist and I created this so that women wouldn't be lied to,” she says of the company she built from the ground up, twice.
Taikan
Garret “GMAN” Louie probably has one of the most interesting and varied resumes in Vancouver. And to fully understand the road to his streetwear clothing brand Taikan, one must first look at the timeline of his career. The serial entrepreneur has been in the world of fashion, music, skateboarding, and the business of general coolness for over 30 years and says that all of the different ventures align and came to him organically.
Wandwoods
After 11 years in the fashion industry dressing up in other people's designs and moulding herself to the style of each brand she worked for, self-confessed fast fashion addict Natalia Pavanelli says she was constantly stressed and suffering from depression when she discovered cottagecore. That the aesthetic and lifestyle helped to wake her up and set her on a new path that she is following with her whole heart. It lead her to create Wandwoods a small fashion brand that looks like it emerged from the pages of a Jane Austen novel.
Rosaseven
Miriam Leckenby and Delphine Veilleux, co-founders of sustainable zero-waste period underwear brand Rosaseven, both had backgrounds in fashion. Leckenby says that period underwear is a great zero-waste alternative to disposable feminine hygiene products (it takes over 500 years for a disposable pad to decompose) and while other zero-waste options are out there, they’re not necessarily made sustainably or there are other obstacles for women. Diva and Moon cups are still internal devices and can cause toxic shock syndrome; period underwear eliminates this risk entirely. Some women also prefer not to use internal methods, particularly after childbirth.
As well as underwear, Rosaseven has a matching bralette, bodysuit, bathing suit, and overnight pyjama set.
Bânu Magnifique
For one Vancouver fashion designer, the choice to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly meant completely re-launching her business and focusing on a single item that she could deliver well. Salma Kashani started Bânu Magnifique, during the pandemic when art became an outlet for her to cope with the depressing circumstances. She says she found that when she was wearing a bright and colourful outfit she felt better and wanted to spread that joy and positivity to others. Over nine months ago she made the choice to recreate her brand using the same name but focusing solely on scarves made as sustainably and eco-friendly as possible which meant retiring some of her amazing designs.
Suva
Metro-Vancouver Suva beauty products have appeared on HBO hit Euphoria, CW shows like the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Riverdale, and Supergirl, and on celebrities such as singer Doja Cat and actresses Keke Palmer and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan but it wasn't an overnight success. Founder Shaina Azad worked hard to create a professional-grade pigmented colour makeup brand that not only appeals to the creativity in people but is paraben-free, eye-safe, vegan and cruelty-free. Azad has even taught a class about cosmetic chemistry at the University of Texas.
Evan Clayton
Vancouver-based haute couture designer Evan Clayton creates wearable art in a city of athleisure. He designs custom works for drag queens (many of whom have competed on Canada's Drag Race) and pop stars (Carly Rae Jepsen wore one of his dresses in her latest music video) that would be perfectly at home on the runways of Toronto, New York, L.A., or Milan. "I'm very proud to be based in Vancouver," he says. "I know that a lot of people in the global industry of fashion don't take Canadian designers very seriously, but I have no intention of moving or leaving Canada anytime soon or Vancouver specifically because I do love living here. So to be able to show my work in a space that screams Vancouver is something that brings me a lot of joy."
Misheo
The Misheo scarves reflect one of designer Michelle Pang's passions, animals. "I’ve loved animals as far back as I remember. When I started making them the focus of my art, it was like a whole new world opened up to me," she says of her designs which consist of exotic animals on lush plant and floral backgrounds. As Pang integrated wildlife into her art she began studying their anatomy and characteristics and using her work as a voice for animals at risk. She donates five per cent of her net profits to wildlife charities and her recent designs feature different endangered species. The specific charities vary year to year but Pang says last year she donated to Wildlife Preservation Canada and World Wildlife Fund.
Our Block
Young Vancouver entrepreneur Nicolas Budisa founded Our Block Clothing on the principles of community, collectiveness and respect. The 21-year-old is now the youngest-ever designer to be stocked at Foot Locker. "I was 19 when I launched Our Block Clothing in the summer of 2020," he explains. "I was playing soccer in Portugal when the COVID-19 lockdown forced me and the rest of the world to return home." It took him three months of tireless effort every day but he launched Our Block with no prior experience in business, marketing, accounting, social media management, or graphic design, all of which Budisa says he has now been doing on a daily basis for the last two years. "I've also never been to a college course, had a mentor, or worked in a retail clothing shop," the entrepreneur adds.
Tilma
In August 2021 best friends Amanda Demeter and Sarah Darcy launched the fashion brand Tilma as a culmination of their cross-continental friendship and deep love of Mexico's design and craftsmanship. Darcy always had a love for Mexican art and the products she would see the artisans creating. Travelling the country and seeking out traditional markets was the inspiration for the friends' own slow fashion brand. They were "astonished by the dedication, hard work and techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. The products were extremely well made, and absolutely gorgeous but with only two issues," they tell V.I.A over email.
The line started with "The Modern Tilma," a handwoven duster with boho fringe inspired by a tilmàtli cloak. The capsule has since expanded to include vegan cactus leather slides, Palma hats, and leather clutches.
Bloodline
Bloodline started as a wholesale brand, selling metalsmithed jewellery to high-end department stores like Harrods, Saks, Nordstrom, and Barney's where they built up a steady celebrity fanbase with the likes of Halle Berry, Ryan Reynolds, Vin Diesel, Eddie Murphy, and Sharon Stone sporting their pieces. Four years ago they launched their own e-commerce site and now they're taking things one step further with a brick-and-mortar store now open in Kitsilano. We sat down with the founder of Bloodline Malcolm Norman back in June to talk about the brand's history and what people can expect from the new space.
Pyrrha
Pyrrha as it is known today has an archive of hundreds of talismans inspired by wax seals and designed by husband-wife team Danielle and Wade Papin. Their solid distressed silver is instantly recognizable from across the room. When first designing the seals, Danielle and Wade sought out antique imagery but after a while, they wanted to invent their own. “We're never going to make a baseball talisman,” says Danielle, explaining that the designs have to feel real to what you could find throughout history. But, she adds that there are so many possibilities within "that Heraldric zone."
We toured their facility in Mount Plesant.
In the Coeur
A group of Vancouver high school friends have carved out their own space in the world of fashion just for young people. Fourteen-year-olds Aru Thiagarajah and Leah Park started In the Coeur with their older sisters 16-year-olds Lindsay Park and Ara Thiagarajah "to express the core of youth in the eyes of four young adults."
"In The Coeur being teenager-led enables our generation to gain more recognition in the world of business and fashion," says Aru.
