Global designers descend on Vancouver Fashion Week

Chynna Mamawal never loses an opportunity to promote Philippine fashion on the global stage.

Described as a “Designer to The Stars” in her homeland, Mamawal’s commitment to her craft and her country has made her one of the most respected fashion designers in the Philippines.

“She continues to push the boundaries of Philippine fashion with her work,” said Jamal Abdourahman, the founder/producer of Vancouver Fashion Week (VFW), which opened its Fall/Winter 2023 season this week.

Mamawal collections will be showcased April 12-16th at David Lam Hall, 50E Pender St, Vancouver along with 41 designers over five days.

“Chynna’s collections are inspired by her country’s resplendent culture, and are recognized for their vibrant colors, luxurious and intricate beadwork; and flowy, lacelike silhouettes,” said Jamal.

“She is ready to break the glass ceiling for Filipino designers as she debuts her work in the international fashion scene.”

Joining her on the runway will be Jober’t Cristobal, an emerging young Filipino fashion designer who has a flair of fusing African cultures through his work.

“He combines local Filipino fabrics with Ankara prints, fabrics from Africa, to come up with unique combinations of color, structure and texture,” said Jamal.

Cristobal gets his inspiration and explores African culture through the experiences of his elder sister, Jas Cristobal, who is working in Nigeria as an Overseas Filipino Worker.

For his collection at the Vancouver Fashion Week, his first international fashion show, Cristobal has themed his designs to reflect the diverse marine life in the Philippines and African coastlines.

“He names this collection “Lobusta”, a term in Yoruba, one of the languages spoken in Nigeria, which means “lobster”, said Jamal, who traces his origins to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa.

“We have designers this year from all over the world whose work reflects the cultures of their homelands.”

In its 23rd year, the Vancouver Fashion Week, is the largest and longest-running event of its kind in Canada and the second-largest fashion show in North America, right after New York Fashion Week. It has two major events in Vancouver every year.

Jamal and his team have also initiated the Global Fashion Collective (GFC) to provide a bigger stage for young and promising local designers. These special events run alongside shows at the New York Fashion Week, Tokyo Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week. VFW also has a special Kids Fashion event.

“Our mission at VFW is to showcase emerging and established designers from around the world and give them a platform for their craft with ongoing opportunities for commerce and growth,” said Jamal.

Among the collections for the latest edition of VFW are the designs that come through the group Enterprising Women Making Art (EWMA), a development initiative supporting women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Blending art, community and social entrepreneurship, EWMA works with emerging women artists and artisans in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, said Jamal.

Other designers for this week’s show come from Canada, Ukraine, Japan, India, Korea, Mexico, USA and the United Kingdom.

The opening day event will feature a nod to the resilience of the Ukrainian people whose lives have been devastated by Russia’s invasion of their country.