By Mata Press Service

Korean designers are set to dominate the catwalks as the Vancouver Fashion Week opens its 30th season this week.

All is all Vancouver will play host to over 90 designers from 20 countries from the 18th - 26th of September, said Jamal Abdourahman, who founded Vancouver Fashion Week in 2001.

VFW is the fastest growing fashion week in the world and the only industry event that actively

seeks out to showcase international award winning designers from over 25 global fashion capitals, said Abdourahman.

“For 30 seasons, Vancouver Fashion Week has celebrated multiculturalism and up-and-coming on their runways.

We strive to identify undiscovered designers by providing an accessible and internationally reputable platform,” he said.

Among those in this year’s fall edition is Choi Boko, a first generation fashion designer from Korea, who has created a womenswear brand known for its constructive but comfortable silhouettes combined with artistic prints and patchwork patterns.

“This seasons theme is based on the contingency of Simulacrum. I wanted to express the process of constructing ‘another nature’ in the form of a fashion object, rather than a costume that imitates nature” said designer Choi Boko about his SS18 collection.

Debuting at this year’s event is designer Hyunmi Jang with her label MEZIS.

Originally from the eastern province of Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea, Hyunmi has established her brands MENZIS and Free Balance within the industry in shows around the globe including Germany, France and China.

Another first timer from Korea at VFW SS18 is Lee Youjung presenting her brand L by L. The featured brand targets women with global senses; it expresses romance and according to the designer is created to “reflect a woman's sensibility on a modern scale”.

“This seasons event will be the biggest representation from Korea to date with eight designers presenting a range of styles and trends from their home country,” said Abdourahman.

Others showcasing their designs this week are returning designers include, Canadian artist Katherine Tessier, Tieler James from the USA and Anna Francesca from Panama.

Jamal Abdourahman, the founder of Vancouver Fashion Week has done his best to make sure of that. For the past 30 seasons, Abdourahman and his team have worked to put together a seasonal showcase of local and international designers that has grown considerably over the years.

Abdourahman said he was a nightclub promoter when he had the idea of staging a major fashion show in his club.

“Since I love dancing, I did the choreographing of the fashion shows to begin with’ he said.

“Fashion consumers nowadays have more access to local designer items. They also buy more goods from local designers because they want exclusivity, and uniqueness in their purchase.

“The designers for this season are great and very creative. Each season I try not to see their new collections, I like to be as surprised as our guests..I talk to them regularly however and by conversing with them, I am able to see where their heads are at and share in their excitement” he said.