Vancouver Fashion Week and Vibrant Spring Shopping
With spring here, the warm weather and vibrant blossoms in Vancouver are accompanied by a shift in fashion. Vancouver Fashion Week is perfectly timed for fashion fans wanting to admire the latest trends and the innovation of local and global designers. Attendees can visit the city’s many shopping neighbourhoods for a refresh of their wardrobes to suit the upbeat mood of the season.
Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW), North America’s second biggest fashion show, takes place April 8 to 13, 2025, at David Lam Hall in the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver. The event first began in 2001, founded by entrepreneur Jamal Abdourahman, who has a deep passion for the industry. Today, it has built a worldwide reputation for its spotlighting of local and global designers, as well as inclusive approach to fashion, embracing both established and emerging designers as well as diverse models, designers, and fashion.
This year, you can expect over 40 designers from more than 10 countries. VFW’s commitment to multiculturalism means that designers not only come from all round the world, but also represent an exciting array of different cultural perspectives. Some of the international designers that you can look forward to include TRIKUL, a womenswear brand run by sisters Thanyaporn and Thanchanid Cherdchookitkul in Bangkok, Thailand; maison de chatnoir, a playful leather shoes and goods brand created by Noir and Macoto in Japan; and China’s RuirUirul, known for innovative, gender-neutral designs.
VFW also champions local and Canadian designers. Some designers to look out for include Alex S. Yu, an acclaimed designer who trained at Vancouver’s Blanche Macdonald Centre and creates avant garde womenswear; DresSeema, run by Mozhgan Moghanian who creates bold, empowering fashion for women; and Delayne Dixon, who trained at Vancouver’s Art Institute and is making her VFW debut with her upcycled fashion. Meanwhile, Vancouver-based Bahar Kianpour is receiving the Nancy Mak Award, a grant to recognize new design talent. In another example of VFW’s support of aspiring designers, they will be welcoming student designers from VCC and LaSalle College who will showcase their creations on the runway.
Local Indigenous designers, who are such a powerful force within the city’s fashion, will also be represented at VFW. For example, sisters Aunalee and Sophia Good’s AyLelum (Nanaimo, BC) combine traditional Coast Salish art with contemporary design, while Iskwew Maskosis features the work of Amanda Longmore, a designer from Enoch Cree Nation in Alberta who brings together Indigenous art with vintage fashion. In addition, Atira Women’s Resource Society’s EWMA is also participating. EWMA (Enterprising Women Making Art), a program that operates in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, supports women marginalized due to poverty, mental health, and violence, in their creation of a variety of art, including fashion design.
You can admire the diverse creations of these designers during runway shows taking place each of the 6 days of VFW. See here for the full schedule for the runway shows.
In 2016, VFW introduced Vancouver Kids Fashion Week (VKFW), this year happening April 12 to 13, 2025, also at the David Lam Hall in the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver. VKFW, focused on children’s fashion, is a lively event that gives exposure to young artists. It features a range of designers, such as kurumi, moa.IKUMI, and local high school designers, as well its own innovative runway shows, spotlighting the best of kid’s fashion.
Inspired by the energy and creativity of VFW, you can shop in Vancouver neighbourhoods to find unique fashion finds.
The downtown core has many different shopping areas that each have their own distinct personalities. Robson Street, the city’s main bustling thoroughfare, is where you can locate large local and international brands, such as Aritzia, Reigning Champ, Plenty, and Zara. Other nearby shopping includes Alberni Street with high-end stores like Prada, as well as CF Pacific Centre, an extensive shopping centre.
Yaletown, the city’s stylish warehouse district, features boutiques, such as Fine Finds, where you can browse for clothing, jewelry, and other accessories. Gastown, meanwhile, has become a hub for local designers like John Fluevog to spotlight their one-of-a-kind offerings.
Leaving the downtown core, other key neighbourhoods spotlight the best of quintessential Vancouver shopping. Kitsilano’s West 4th Avenue offers a range of great local and Canadian brands, including Gravity Pope, Hills Dry Goods, and Kit and Ace. Also on the West Side, South Granville features both midrange and upscale boutique shopping with stores like The Latest Scoop and Boboli. And finally, head to Mount Pleasant’s Main Street where you’ll find boutiques and vintage shopping at places like Front & Company, Eugene Choo, and Barefoot Contessa.