THE VANCOUVER PROJECT - RECAP & EVENT PHOTOS
On Sunday, August 30th, 2026, The Vancouver Project came to life. After 4 months of vigorously researching and planning every detail with Juliana Bucovaz (Rendezvous Social), 120 fashion enthusiasts showed up to witness the city’s first grassroots fashion design competition and runway showcase. This marked my first runway show production and second major self-produced event, following the Fairfax is Dead Market:24 show on Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles, December 2024.
Our three competing designers/design collectives received live feedback on their collections from our industry-leading judges, JCI hair/makeup students received real world experience as volunteers, and every attendee walked away with inspiration (and hopefully a few new professional contacts).
Vancouver’s fashion industry has a real problem: The talent leaves because the ecosystem isn't big enough, and the ecosystem doesn't get any bigger because the talent leaves.
The Vancouver Project was created to change exactly that; to encourage an entire generation of young creatives and fashion designers to grow & sustain their careers here, instead of flocking to other major cities.
Why? Because B.C. has North America’s fourth-largest apparel sector, largely due to our geographical advantage. We are sitting on the Pacific Rim, with direct access to Asian supply chains and markets, while also bordering one of the world's largest consumer markets, the US. Meanwhile, fashion and film are natural partners, and BC also has the 3rd largest film & TV sector behind LA and New York. Finally, “The Big Three” Vancouver-based apparel companies have already built international reputations for high technical standards, clear brand positioning, and scalable business models. We don’t need to prove to the world that Vancouver can produce successful fashion brands. With these combined ingredients, we have a powerful recipe for a local, symbiotic fashion-ecosystem.
Ask yourself - what could Vancouver become if we stopped comparing ourselves to other cities, and actually took our fashion industry seriously?
Stop harping on the past. This is your invitation to start creating new opportunities. And that is the real Vancouver Project.
-SID
PS, thank you again to:
JCI Institute and their wonderful faculty, especially Alex Falconer, Brand Director, and Gina Bourne, Director of Community & Industry Engagement.
JCI’s hair & makeup student volunteers.
Our in-kind partners: Pyrrha, Tality, Tacofino, Evo Car Share, JayBird, Mine & Yours Luxury Resale, Blume Superfoods and Cherry Pick Vintage.
BegFloral, our wonderful florist for the evening.
Palette to Palate, our fantastic catering team.
Alexandra Dean, Rachel Sudbury, and Alydar Hansen, our iconic panel of judges.
Taylor Drew Anaka, Media Outreach and General Operations Assistant
And lastly, to all our other wonderful volunteers who contributed their time to help us build an inaugural event that would not have been possible without this overwhelming support.
Please enjoy our BTS and event photos from Marvin Pon-an, @marvin.ponan. Click on the gallery image directly below to be taken to Pixieset to view all high-resolution images.
+ my favorite 100 images below.
