Expand your haute horizons by paying nomage to new, young designers

Carol
crenna

FASHION STATEMENTS

TO BRING in the new year,
start fashion fresh, break
away from the mundane and
expand your haute horizons
by paying homage to new
designers.

- Shop innovative retailers.

There’s a new breed of boutique
cropping up all over the city which
caters to “les fashion victims,” those
individuals seeking clothing right
off the cutting edge.

These designer shops are not
slaves to the signatures, preferring
to sell lesser-known and up-and-
coming labels which show just as
much style, but without the preten-
tion and the price tag associated

. with wearing a particular name.
- Since the designers are usually
/ quite new to the industry and
unknown to the public, they are
seeking exposure and testing their
market, and therefore sell their
goods at very reasonable prices.

The no-names know what
they’re doing, offering clothing and
accessories that mix key elements
of style for seasons to'come.

This low cost, high-impact
designer clothing has found its
niche in Vancouver fashion.
However, it is not for everyone.

Those who have certain loyalties

_ to a brand and feel secure in the
notion that they have chosen an
item weli because it isa proven
commodity, will not appreciate

_ these designs.

_ -Young designers search out
unusual fabrics and notions, giving
each garment special attention, cre-
ating individualistic and often limit-.
ed-edition items. Therefore, consid-
er these designs a worthwhile
investment.

Your clothing purchase may
increase in value as the label
becomes better recognized.

Here are four of the best bou-
tiques in Vancouver selling upbeat,
directional clothes without recog-
nizabic labels.

The creations are made locally
and internationally, but the store
buyers have brought them together
with a common interest, to sell
onality fashion affordably.

These shops have taken as much
time on the interior design of their
store as they have choosing the
designs they sell.

All have an upscale, comfortable
decor, catering to the particularly
discerning fashion victims who
venture in.

® VASANJI, 295-2083 Alma St.,
(Alma and Fourth Ave.)
Vancouver:

Vasanji promotes itself as a store
selling British clothing and
footwear for men and women, but
not names like Vivienne Westwood
and Katherine Hamnett.

The sophisticated shop's decor
includes caged-in wraught iron,

glass. and long, draped sheers, with
iron fiatures and a central staircase.

The second floor houses
menswear — Vasanji at its best.

Designers include Apartment.
Seed, Ace, Guide. Guluchi, Stamp
and other wearable one-word lates
whieh mean little to a
Vancouverite, so the style means
everything.

Where else would you find
leather-textured rubber pants, jack-
cts that look like shirts and shirts
that look like jackets, Navajo whip-
stitched business shirts and finely
knit dress sweaters with fun zippers
down the front?

The women’s wear features
labels Hyper flyper, Body Best,
Switch Clothing, Gallagher and
Zack. Nicely knitied dresses
sweater jackets and skins by Diva
and suits with unique detailing by
Jelly are good bets.

66. Where else would
you find leather-
textured rubber pants,
jackets that look like
shirts and shirts that
look like jackets?...?9

@ VIRTUAL REALITY, 1109
Homer St., Vancouver:

This boutique has changed a lit-
tle since it first opened.

it used to sell better known
British labels for men and women,
but it now focuses on affordable,
unknown designers from Britain
and Canada and iesser-priced lines
from forward, famous European
designers.

The store interior is an impres-

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sive Italian minimalist look with
massive stone tables, a bird bath,
and gannent rods lining the walls.

Quality contro} is high on tts
design prerequisites.

Women should check the suiting
by James Yunker. sexy knitted
dresses by Kirsti McLean, femi-
ninely draped separates by Ghost,
sweet suits by Anne Yiu, casuals by
Nick Coleman and the funky shoes
by Read or Dead.

Men will find the knitted blazers
and vests by Nicole Farhi, the styl-
ish shirts by Marcos Ergas and the
fine sport jackets, shirts and pants
by Moschino Jeans and Moschino
Cheap and Chic lines worthy of a
try-on.

@ RENAISSANCE, 348 Water
St., Vancouver:

Tucked away in Gastown, this
shop has persistently tried to pro-
mote and assist local talent, as well
as bringing in innovative lines from
Eastern Canada and Europe.

High-quality. fashion-forward
women’s wear is offered by Limbo,
La Movida and Poor Boy, all from
Vancouver, and Powerline,
B.Scene, Junk, and X.S., from
Eastern Canada.

The modern minimalist interior
with white Renaissance columns
and black furnishings showcases
simple, elegantly shaped clothing
with subtle, unique details.

All of the clothing here is very
wearable, and though the market is
aged 25 to 35, women of all ages
shop here,

Cost is an important variable at
Renaissance, which is known for
puiting garmenis at areasonable
price so that they sell quickly and
new merchandise can be brought in.

Currently in stock are sexy,
draped dresses in “passionette” fab-
tic, wide-legged jumpsuits with
slip-cut bodices, soft bodysuits with
lace accents, long, draped dressy
shirts, jean-styled leggings, palazzo
pants in a shirred texture fabric,

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long, zipped skirts and suit juckets
with great button and tie details.
Other spots not to miss include:

The Block, 350 Wes Cordova St:

State of Mind, 1100 Davie St.: The

House Gallery Boutique, 2865 W.
Fourth Avenue; Aritzia. at various
locations: Rick Yuenn, 315 W.
Cordova St; and Tintagel, 1069A
Denman St. in Vancouver.

REWS photo Noll Lucente

MONICA MARX wears a a rib-knit, button-front vest and long, slit -
skirt by Zygo while Vasanji boutique owner Raz Vasanji looks on. .

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