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Jacqueline Conoir's Lush Take On Spring 2009 Kicks Off BC Fashion Week

Sep 23, 2008

Hide your fleece and give your Lululemons a couple days off – it's BC Fashion floral conoir Week in the city, with West Coast designers showing off their latest collections from Sun, Sept 21 – Sat, Sept 26. The week kicked off with an invite-only gala on Sunday, and then the first fashion show, from the 23-year-old Jacqueline Conoir Design Studio, on Monday night.

Conoir founding designer RozeMerie Cuevas debuted her Spring 2009 line to a packed house at the Chinese Cultural Centre on Pender Street. The show started just half an hour late, which is practically early for these types of things.

As with last year's Spring collection, the first models down the catwalk were clad in head-to-toe white, in ready-to-wear pant and skirt suits that hugged curves a presented a sleek, modern silhouette. Conoir has always excelled in women's corporate attire, and this years offerings were no different. For simple elegant work wear, Conoir has long been the go-to for Canadian women.

After the parade of whites came a series beautifully tailored, monochrome suits – chic blacks, greys, khakis, and browns, all with simple, classic wearable cuts.

From the understated colour palette of the work wear, one might have assumed that Cuevas has succumbed to the mood that many noticed at New York Fashion Week earlier this month – namely a reserved and toned-down feel, with simple details taking the place of any flash. But as the collection moved into its daywear section, it was clear that Cuevas' long-respected talent for bright colours and prints would not go wasted.

From the first wildly-coloured, floating silk dress to the draping, billowy tunic-length tops, the mood on the runway seemed to change dramatically – where the cuts of business wear wear structures and streamlined the day and casual wear was sexy, freeform, and drawing heavily on themes of Eastern sensuality and Spring fever.

Likewise, evening wear from Conoir was a series of flowing, richly colours silk, with bold prints of pink cherry blossoms, peonies, poppies, azaleas, sunflowers – it was a garden come to life on the runway, with animalistic accents making for a full embrace of lush, untamed flora.

Of course, the bold and beautiful prints are for bold and beautiful women – not everyone woman will feel comfortable in bright yellow bohemian prints and swirling purple and periwinkle psychedelic patterns, but for the woman who wants to wrap herself in decadent layers of sensual, head-turning Spring silk, Jacqueline Conoir's is a must-have.

For all the shows and events at fashion week, visit http://bcfashionweek.com

We highly recommend checking out the eco-friendly but fashionable works by Nicole Bridger at her show Thursday night, and wild-child Jason Matlo's collection, showing Wednesday night. Both collections are invite-only, but finagling into shows you're not invited to is a part of any good fashion week. For public shows, check out Thursday night's Generation Next, a showcase of upcoming BC designers. You can buy tickets here.