By Mata Press Service

Vancouver Fashion Week’s annual fall show opens this week with a stable of emerging designers and models taking to the catwalk to showcase their creations.

This year’s event from Oct 20 to Oct 23 at the David Lam Hall in Vancouver will feature designers from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Switzerland, France, USA and Canada.

“After one season of digital showcases, Vancouver Fashion Week will be offering the ultimate fashion experience across four days of in-person runway shows,” said Jamal Abdourahman, founder and director of Vancouver Fashion Week.

“VFW will be streaming all designers’ showcases on their official website and social media channels each day of the event,” he said.

“We are proud to bring together both emerging and established designers to Vancouver’s world-renowned fashion stage.”

Established in 2001, Vancouver Fashion Week is an organization that was created to support Canadian and International fashion designers, as well as the fashion industry itself. It is now the second-largest fashion week in North America.

VFW owns and produces Vancouver Fashion Week, Vancouver Kids Fashion Week as well as Global Fashion Collective. Now in its 21st successful year, VFW continues to create ongoing partnerships and arrange the official calendar through commerce and relationships, said Abdourahman.

The Global Fashion Collective (GFC) showed for the fourth time at New York Fashion Week last month and has quickly become one of the top showcases of new talent from around the world, producing runway shows in various fashion capitals.

Global Fashion Collective launched at Tokyo Fashion Week in October 2017, followed by a presentation at New York Fashion Week in February 2018 and Paris in 2019. This month GFC will add Milan to its impressive roster, followed by a showcase at London Fashion Week in February 2023.

At the event this week, the 8th annual Nancy Mak Award will be presented to Dryden Sereda, a recent graduate of the Visual College Of Art & Design. Sereda showcased his line at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month, stemming from the $20,000 award.

Mak, who excelled at fabric sales and design, travelled extensively and attracted friends and connections across the globe. She was a generous friend and supporter of VFW from the time her daughter Camille modelled on the runway in 2008 until her untimely passing in 2012.

 “Nancy was an angel; a connector of people. She helped us get lighting, staging and International media attention. She believed in the young designers and saw huge potential in Vancouver Fashion Week,” said Abdourahman.

This month marks ten years since cancer took Nancy.

“The Nancy Mak sponsorship kickstarted my career. I am forever grateful to my teachers and to Jamal for seeing my potential and enabling me to realize my true calling,” said Sereda.