Marvel College Showcase EFW - Opening Night!

First off, I'd like to congratulate all the designers who put so much time and effort into creating these collections. Their hard work and immeasurable creativity was incredibly evident - for the most part. Silhouettes really ranged throughout the show, but there were a few repeated trends like:

• Purple. It seemed to be the colour of the night as about 5 designers included it in their collection's colour palettes. It looked beautiful on the runway and stood out.
• Low/Cut-out Backs. (They're bringing sexy BACK). Perhaps the designers ran out of fabric, or gave up, but I loved it nonetheless. This is not a new trend, but it still looks great. There were about 7 dresses and tops which emphasized the beauty of a woman's backside.
• Paisley. The pattern that never dies, came back again. I saw it in at least 2 collections, and it actually looked good. Personally, I'm not a huge fan, but the pieces looked cute and even feminine.
• Silks and Satins. Every fashion magazine has noted that shine is "in", and I think these designers got the message. These fabrics had a huge presence on the runway, and made some big impressions on the crowd.

Some other trends that were repeated over the night were big bows, and the colour gold.

I'd like to point out a few designers which I really enjoyed, and would definitely enjoy seeing again. Frank Yen Kan Lan for instance had an amazing collection. The colours he used like deep reds, and oranges were perfect for the Fall/Winter season and his whole concept was tied together by an equestrian theme as the girls rocked the runway carrying whips. The collection was extremely wearable, and beautifully detailed.

Another impressive collection was Gabriela Cruz's collection GABI. She used a black, white, and royal blue colour palette and added an edge to her designs through zippers, fray, and PVC - a vinyl-type fabric. One dress in particular is impossible to forget; it was a beautiful white tiered dress cinched at the waist by a thick black belt and a shiny zipper at the back of the dress completed the look.

And who could forget Sid Neigum's collection. It was the final collection of the night and it also happened to be the edgiest. It was evident that Neigum had a vision and concept for this collection and carried it out very well. Although the collection isn't totally a ready-to-wear one, it was aimed to have a gothic appeal. There was an abundance of astrologic signs, and asymmetric patterns that almost resembled optical illusions. He stuck with the basics colours of black and white but the clothing was anything but basic. For example, a one-piece checkered jumpsuit which was not designed for the timid; it was the epitome of peacocking, and it was brilliant.

For pictures from Edmonton Fashion Week's opening night check www.edmontonjournal.com/EFW They will be posting photos and galleries all week!

What did you think of Opening Night? Any favourite pieces?

Let me know!