Jamal Abdourahman
A Global Mission
Jamal has conceived and orchestrated every season of Vancouver Fashion Week and has now expanded into Kid’s Fashion Week held during the Friday and Saturday daytime giving some of Vancouver’s young up and coming models a chance to walk the runway and support Vancouver.
His passion for fashion and providing a showcase for talent in all aspects of the fashion experience, including sustainability and inclusive of abilities from designers, models, make up artists, hair stylists, photographers, stagehands, teachers, students, bloggers, media, department stores, boutiques and pop ups, and buyers.
Brief History of VFW
Since its conception in 2001, Vancouver Fashion Week has been dedicated to cultivating the success of both established designers and award-winning emerging designers with its global perspective and highly multicultural approach. Championing diversity in designers, styles, age, experience, special needs and recognizing up and coming bright future stars as well as honouring industry veterans in every aspect of the fashion industry, is at its core,
Vancouver Fashion Week has grown to be the second-largest fashion week in North America – and continues to grow today as the fastest growing fashion week in the world.
Founded by entrepreneur Jamal Abdourahman, Vancouver Fashion Week was initially branded ‘International Fashion Week’ for its first season. Fiercely passionate about the fashion industry and his home city, Jamal made it his ongoing mission to travel to fashion capitals to connect with industry leaders and to keep Vancouver on the top of the fashion radar. Since its first season, Vancouver Fashion Week has been built from the ground up by the fashion industry and has become a celebrated occasion in the Canadian fashion community.
As part of its commitment to up and coming talent, Vancouver Fashion Week presented its first annual Nancy Mak Award in 2014. The Nancy Mak Award is given to a talented and promising emerging BC-based designer with the intention of providing tools needed to bring their brand to the next step.
In 2016, Vancouver Fashion Week expanded into children’s fashion with the incorporation of Vancouver Kids Fashion Week, which has become a media hub for Canadian children’s boutiques and international children’s fashion designers alike. Since then, Vancouver Fashion Week has launched two magazines both in print and digital: Vancouver Kids Fashion Week Magazine (bi-annual), and Micro Macro Magazine.
In 2017, Vancouver Fashion Week launched Global Fashion Collective (GFC) to further propel the global exposure of its most promising designers. Producing shows at New York Fashion Week, Tokyo Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week through Global Fashion Collective, The team at Vancouver Fashion Week continues to provide its designers not only with a platform for their craft but also with ongoing opportunities for commerce and growth.
The City of Vancouver proclaims Vancouver Fashion Week every year.
Many Local designers have gotten their first public runway experience under the hashtag of #vanfashionweek and many more to come, starting at #vfwfw22. So come as you are, dress to impress and welcome back to Vancouver Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2022.
Randi Winter
It is with the greatest of pleasure that I am able to share this Vancouver Fashion Week Fall Winter 2022 “MAG” with you. What makes it so special, is the fact that we are actually going to be gathering together in person with global designers. I am thrilled to be seeing the people who make Vancouver Fashion Week so special, year after year, including the designers, models, makeup artists, photographers, international and local bloggers, instructors, buyers and the fashion-forward people who thrive on being able to get out and show the world just what they’ve got. It is not easy to produce the 2nd largest fashion week in North America. something of this magnitude on a semi-annual basis that has the potential to have a huge impact on the showcased designers.
None of this of course would be possible without the vision of Jamal Abdourahman. His dedication to support new designers here in Vancouver including Kid’s Fashion Week and his Global Fashion Collective in some of fashion’s most revered events offers us an opportunity to expand our fashion horizon.
This MAG would not be possible without the dedication and contribution of Marilyn R. Wilson, who cajoles pre-VFW interviews from people all over the world to entice an and excite us, but she also ensures that every designer family and foreign journalists is taken under her wing, introduced to the right people and made to feel welcome and special. I look forward to more of Andrew Jackson’s contributions in his J Andrew Speaks column called Dress the Part.. I know that many of my other blogging colleagues and social media posting friends will have so much to contribute as always. I admire and appreciate the professional photographers and the work that they do as well.
Most of all I appreciate the people who come out to take part in the Vancouver Fashion Week experience. I always look forward to seeing old and new friends, be inspired by new trends, and once again feel the thrill of a live event. One good thing that has come out of the pandemic, is the ability to be able to share in this experience even if you can’t be there physically. I hope that if you have not yet bought tickets and can make it please click on the links in the photos the show times as well as the link for tickets. Don’t forget about Vancouver Kid’s Fashion Week over the weekend supporting Vancouver Children’s Hospital. Regardless of where you watch the shows, you’ll be able to see what this season’s designers have to offer on www.vanfashionweek.com website, in social media and magazines around the world.
PASSION and PURPOSE motivate me to seek opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives. Experiential, transformational, experiential travel was my main focus, until the pandemic destroyed our ability to travel for the better part of 2 years. I have always been involved in writing and health and wellness for myself and others.
Recently, I brought BeautyBCause to Canada. Zoom helped Nails and Lashes replace Handbags and Shoes. Finding a way to have professional quality, long wearing, reusable, handmade 100% gel nails and band-less, segmented, hand- tied lashes 25% lighter than your own, that can be applied in minutes is a revelation. Their charity program inspires me. This month use the code CHW20 at checkout and you will be scoring a deal on everything, and helping others. If you belong to an organization, charity, fundraiser or have a beauty focus, let’s talk. Lots of opportunity and free training await.
Marilyn R. Wilson
The Grand Dame of VFW
Marilyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer, published author, speaker and editor with a passion for interviewing. Her current career began at the age of 50 when she threw caution to the wind and answered a Craigslist ad from a New York fashion magazine, even though she had no experience. When they surprisingly accepted two of her story ideas, the doors opened on a whole new career - proof positive it is never to late to embrace a new passion.
Whether through a random encounter on the New York subway or via a “one-on-one” with an internationally recognized artist, her goal is the same – to share the unique journeys of inspiring individuals. In 2007, this led her to co-launch a successful, innovative magazine focused on professionals working in the local fashion industry, paired with photography and illustrations by local artists. Her articles have been featured in publications such as Raine Magazine (NYC) and Schon Magazine (London).
Wilson took her passion to a new audience with the release of her first book titled Life Outside The Box featuring mini-bios of ten of her favourite interviews. This was followed by The Wisdom of Listening where she shares her decade long journey of interviewing through the many life-changing pieces of gold (wisdom) she received in those interviews. The most important? We are all exactly who we are meant to be. It's time for each of us to embrace and walk our own unique path – without apology!
Marilyn is also fondly known as the godmother, grand dame, Mother Theresa and anchor Vancouver fashion week blogger, doing personal interviews with every designer who will take the time to respond to her interview requests, always front row and centre, graciously taking writers, photographers, designers, models and their families under her well-heeled wings to ensure everyone is properly welcomed, introduced, photographed and connected. Backstage, and with all the volunteers needed to put on a show of this magnitude, she is equally revered and welcomed backstage by the makeup artists, dressers, and her thoughtful crew snacks to express her appreciation for the hours of dedication it takes to put on such a complex event.
More info at www.marilynrwilson.com
VFW loves to bring back some of the crowd pleasers, and so we are reprising some interviews but adding their new showtime for this 2022 season and a ticket link embedded at the top. Enjoy!
1. Faun Studio (Canada) - www.oliobymarilyn.com/2020/10/vancouver-fashion-week-ss-21-interview_19.html
2. Isxnot (Japan) - www.oliobymarilyn.com/2021/04/vancouver-fashion-week-fw-21-interview_095687668.html
3. Ay Lelum BC (Vancouver Island, Canada) - www.oliobymarilyn.com/2021/04/vancouver-fashion-week-fw-21-interview_5.html
4. Alex S. Yu -(London | Vancouver | Taipei) www.oliobymarilyn.com/2019/04/vancouver-fashion-week-fw19-interview.html
5. Ank by Amrit Kaur (India) - www.oliobymarilyn.com/2021/10/vancouver-fashion-week-ss22-interview_20.html
J Andrew Speaks…
And Fashionistas Listen
J. Andrew Jackson is a lover of fashion, a fashion blogger and journalist. He has over 40 years of experience in the fields of costume and fashion design, having learned to see at an early age from his mom, a seamstress. . He now writes the blog the Dress The Part/ J. Andrew Speaks , and freelances.
From a very young age he loved to design create and explore the world of fashion and costume, graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts, in Costume Design and Art History. After working as a theatrical costume designer , teacher and artist, his latest outlet of creativity is his blog, Dress the Part, spanning contemporary, vintage, luxury, street wear and ultra glam, as long as the craftsmanship and style fits the function.
Dress The Part started with an idea to spread his love of fashion and sharing his expertise and knowledge, especially in person at Vancouver Fashion Week.
