Vancouver Fashion Week Experiences – Part I

I wanted to write an unbiased, constructive account of my experiences at Vancouver Fashion Week over the last 2 seasons. By no way is this intended to undermine any and all of the hard work that the volunteers, models and designers put in every season. It’s because of these talented and devoted people that this event has come as far as it has.

Vancouver Fashion Week S/S 2012 (VFW2012) has just ended and after having attended the previous 2 seasons I boycotted the event this time around. The main reason was that I just got married and was on my honeymoon, but in spite of that, I would not have attended, and barring some major changes I do not plan to attend in the future.

VFW 2011 S/S was my first experience as a blogger at a fashion show. I went through the process of introducing myself and explaining that I would love to be invited to the week’s events.   I went on to say, that coverage on my blog would be a good thing for them as well as a benefit for me.  A sort of “I’ll scratch your back and you scratch mine” proposition. The powers that be at VFW agreed, and I received 2 press passes, one for me and one for my photog (at the time my ever loving and devoted boyfriend and now husband).

So, there I was, bright eyed and bushy tailed, making my way to my first Vancouver Fashion Week. The first night was the gala where all the designers gave a sneak peek of a look that they’d be showing in the coming week. Other than the fact, that for no apparent reason, I wasn’t allowed to bring my photog, everything seemed to be on the up and up. The next night however, was a different story. My boyfriend and I arrived early to check in, to find out that we weren’t on the list. After running down our contact, we got our passes and entered the event.   Up next was finding our spots to set up. My photog  in the “pit” at the end of the runway and me in the designated media area.

After asking a few staffers, we found our places and settled in for the first show.  He snapped away taking pics of every look that came down the runway, in spite of being moved to make room for every other more important photographer. Meanwhile, I madly jotted down notes about each collection.  At the end of each show came the ever necessary, Redistribution of Importance.  Since all the shows were held in one room, different “important” people would be seated in the front row for each show, which would consequently result in the media people being moved around in every shuffle.  Somehow, on a few occasions, I was seated in the front row…I think just to make sure there wasn’t an empty seat in the pictures.

Each and every night I would head home, have some dinner around 11pm (as I went to VFW straight from work), and begin editing photos and writing my articles from the day’s events.  We would usually be up until 2 or 3 am to make sure the article and photos were posted for the next morning.  Then we’d be off to bed to get up at 7am to go to work and then off to VFW all over again.

I received tons of positive feedback from the models, make-up artists, stylists, and even some of the designers, commenting that my coverage was some of the only coverage and pics that they could find.    I gave free photos to whoever asked and received lots of lovely comments on my posts and twitter feeds.  Even after all this work, I never received an ounce of feedback from anyone at VFW.  No comments, no thank you’s, nothing!  And all those “important” people in the front row, didn’t so much as mention VFW on their sites.

So, naturally with a job well done and some excellent coverage, I was ready and waiting for my invite to the Fall/Winter 2011 shows.  Of course I’ d be invite

d back, right?

This is Part 1 of my VFW experience.  To save you from the complete boredom of reading (people still do that, right?)  I’ve written this article in three parts.

Read Part 2!