On Wednesday, April 9th, La Salle College Fashion graduates showcased their collections at Vancouver Fashion Week. These two entities partner to promote fashion education and offer a professional environment for the students to showcase their work. Five students showed their collections, and the audience ate it up. I had seen some of the students' work up close in the classroom and in previous in-house shows at La Salle. The process of designing a fashion collection is an arduous one. There are many things to consider when preparing for a runway show, and these students have worked hard to bring their ideas to life. While we, as an audience, are not privy to all the prework, research, and construction, we get to revel in the final results. Following is a review of the student's work.
SENTIMENTAL RECORDS
KEIYA NAGAI
La Salle College
Keiya Nagai is a Japanese Canadian designer passionate about design and sustainability. His Sentimental Records collection examines family heritage and its meaning in today's world. Keiya believes that his family history influences his identity as both a person and a designer. Discovering distant relatives grew this expression of family, culture, and society, which this collection addresses. The designer questions the disconnect between traditions, culture, and core values. How does a designer express these universal themes in clothes?
The designer's Japanese heritage influenced and inspired the collection that came down the runway, through its silhouettes, colours, textures, and patterns. The juxtaposition of Japanese and Western elements is where the collection comes alive. The clothing blends cultural heritage with contemporary styles. An obi is placed at the bust, panels of brightly coloured traditional kimono fabric protrude upwards like leaves, and it is paired with walking shorts. A kimono-style top made from denim is paired with matching denim jeans. Details include a tulle peplum, a traditional men's tie, and a crisp white shirt. The designer explored his theme with artistry and craftsmanship.
TACTILE JOURNEYS
DANA GUTIERREZ
LA SALLE COLLEGE
Dana Gutierrez is a designer creating original and creative menswear. Coming from Salamanca, Mexico, Dana’s journey into fashion began in quarantine, at home, with a needle, thread, and a spark of curiosity. That spark? It turned into a full-blown passion and, eventually, a purpose.
Dana is all about the how of fashion—not just the final look but the construction, the process, the soul of the garment. Her pieces carry intention, crafted with obsessive attention to detail and a deep respect for the materials. Natural fabrics are her canvas, and upcycling is her rebellion against throwaway culture. She doesn’t just design clothes—she tells stories, giving old textiles new life and meaning.
At first glance, the silhouettes may seem simple—a pair of khakis, a denim shirt, a blazer—but their individual execution and surface finishings make them exciting. Gutierrez embellishes simple shapes with embroidery and topstitching inspired by her musical inspiration, making them dynamic with the eye bouncing on the surfaces as though listening to the beat. The fabrics are luxurious, and the often orange embroidery stands out against the blues, rusty browns, and denim. Outstanding pieces include a pale blue denim shirt decorated with needlework in a floral design. The collection is summed up by the closing look of a navy blue suit embellished with a flurry of surface stitching that makes you unable to look away. From my first view of this collection many months ago, I knew the designer was onto something special, and the proof of that is in the final result.
SCHISM
DALY BOUSKILL
LA SALLE COLLGE
Let me introduce you to Daly Bouskill—designer, stylist, and creative provocateur. Daly isn't just riding the wave of fashion's tech revolution; they're surfing it in platform boots, powered by CLO 3d and pure imagination. With muses like Lady Gaga and Dorian Electra whispering in one ear and the echoes of '70s glam, Y2K weirdness, and profound internet lore murmuring in the other, Daly's work is a riotous remix of eras and energies. Think: camp with a conscience, humour laced with the uncanny, and silhouettes that double as cultural commentary.
Schism, the collection by Daly Bouskill, is both imaginative and highly technical. The designer utilizes their tailoring skills to create looks that resonate on multiple levels, refining silhouettes and transforming them into their distinctive shapes. The first look features a deconstructed white dress shirt with an exposed shoulder and a knotted front strap across the chest, suggesting a misplaced sleeve. Pinstriped fabrics, formed into one-legged trousers and a tailored skirt suit, cause a schism between conventional and neo-traditional styles. This collection stands out as a statement on strongly opposed ideas of convention and the contemporary movement towards gender fluidity and nonconformity in fashion.
ECHO
MATTHEW BENITEZ
LA SALLE COLLEGE
Matthew Benitez's work transcends the usual fashion formulas, delving into deeper conversations about identity and self-exploration. His collections are rooted in concept but never feel forced—they strike a deliberate balance between emotional rawness and sharp design. Vulnerability and strength coexist in his pieces, as do authenticity and a clear avant-garde streak. This is fashion as transformation: imperfect, unpredictable, and unapologetically personal. Each look feels like a moment of becoming rather than a polished endpoint.
I was awed by this collection. From speaking to one of Matthew's teachers, I gathered he had a unique way of working that included draping rather than pattern drafting. Draping is often a more liberating way to work, as it frees the designer to sculpt and create one-of-a-kind designs. Long, lean silhouettes, some with raw edges, are made from a khaki mottled fabric that appears to have been modified with dyes and sprays as though the edges have been corroded. A crumpled ruched sheer dress is paired with a shiny black corset. The juxtaposition of sheer and raw fabrics with sleek patent collars and bodices creates a contradiction of finishes and textures. This capsule collection is waiting to be expanded on, and its daring style leaves me wanting to see what this designer brings us next.
THE OUROBOROS
ANAHITA HEYDARI
LA SALLE COLLEGE
Anahita Heydari doesn’t chase perfection—she questions it. Her approach to design is rooted in evolution, not idealism. For her, clothing isn’t just something you wear; it’s a second self, charged with intention. The body leads, the garment follows. Heydari’s silhouettes celebrate the feminine form without trying to fix or flatter it—instead, they frame it. Think less cover-up, more clarity. The Ouroboros isn’t just a collection—it’s a philosophy stitched into fabric, a whispered secret about the art of becoming. Inspired by the hauntingly poetic idea of “construction through destruction,” it reveals the glorious contradiction of breaking down to build up.
The Ouroboros collection is a vision of rebirth. Anahita Heydari utilizes a series of intricately crafted bodices and corsets that reveal the female form. The pieces are sensually charged, and some reveal the underpinnings of the construction with boning showing through sheer fabrics. The colour scheme consists of black, an acidic sage green, and silvery grey. A selection of fabrics, including satins and leathers, features finishes that range from shiny to matte. The idea of construction through destruction is emphasized by the carefully placed pieces that appear to have an incomplete element that reveals and exposes. The looks were visually stunning, and each element was carefully chosen to achieve the effect of celebrating femininity.
ALL PHOTOS ARE COURTESY OF VANCOUVER FASHION WEEK BY ARUN NEVADER
(EXCEPT FOR PHOTOS THAT APPEAR AS PART OF THE ARTICLE WITH DESIGNS BY ANIHITA HEYDARI,VFW PHOTOS WERE UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION, AND I USED PHOTOS I HAVE TAKEN)
IN CONCLUSION
I am always thrilled to see the work of student designers. The collections presented this year were some of the best I can recall. I aim to promote and explore fashion that shows the highest standards and expresses creativity and craftsmanship. Over the following weeks, this website will be dedicated to showing the fashion presented at Vancouver Fashion Week F/W 2025. Please leave comments, share with your friends and colleagues and support your local fashion community. If you would like to discuss having your story covered, please don't hesitate to contact me through this website, email at jandrewspeaks@gmail.com, or via direct message on my Instagram account.
PHOTO FROM DAY 2 VFW F/W 2025
CIAO FOR NOW, J. ANDREW JACKSON