Vancouver is hosting its first South Asian Fashion Week this March

Feb 14 2018, 6:51 am

Vancouver is getting ready to host its inaugural South Asian Fashion Week (SAFW), and it’s going to be huge.

Rich fabrics, ornate beading, intricate embroidery, and bespoke cuts will dominate the runway at the first South Asian Fashion Week from March 2 – 4, 2018 at the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver.

South Asian Fashion Week will celebrate the talent, art and craftsmanship of South Asian fashion designers on the runway. The fashion extravaganza will include 20 Runway Shows with never-seen- before looks, over 10 Showrooms featuring top local brands and an After Party to dance the night away.

Produced by Cindy Khella, Farah Hasan, Hartej Dhanda, and Pindie Dhaliwal, SAFW is a creative platform that inspires and defines upcoming South Asian fashion trends in contemporary womenswear, menswear, and accessories.

“Cultural appropriation is a hot-button issue, especially in fashion. At SAFW, we want to give everyone the permission to freely explore wearing traditional South Asian apparel. Guests can support our incredible community of local South Asian designers and retailers by investing in made-to-order pieces that can add a touch of opulence to anyone’s wardrobe,” says co-founder Cindy Khella.

More than 20 local designers will be showcasing their creations during the highly-anticipated three-day event, including: Zuri Designs, Wellgroomed, Sunny’s Bridal, Obsession Jewels, Mine of Design, Mehnaz Fine Jewels, Lux Collections, Indochino, House of Raina, House of Fida, Bombay Couture, Baynes + Baker and Armaan.

On Friday, March 2, The Glam Gala Dinner will kick off the three-day fashion extravaganza with a cocktail reception followed by an exquisite dinner, private fashion viewing, and live auction benefiting the Maple Batalia Memorial Scholarship for the Arts.

“Maple Batalia was a beloved model and a gifted visual artist, and we wanted to pay tribute to her memory and homage to her passion for fashion and art,” says co-producer Pindie Dhaliwal. “So we arranged for our designers, Zuri Designs and Wellgroomed to collaborate with local artists, Sandeep Johal and Iti Kalsi, to create one-of-kind outfits. These outfits will be auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the Maple Batalia Memorioal Scholarship for the Arts. It is our way to empower women artists and to honour a beautiful soul.”

Tickets to Vancouver’s first ever South Asian Fashion Week are on sale now via SAFW, starting at $35 for individual runway shows. Gala Dinner tickets are $150 each and there are a number of packages that you can choose between.

“We want to challenge and expand people’s imagination to go beyond Bollywood when it comes to South Asian fashion. South Asia is highly diverse, and includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, not just India,” explains co-founder Farah Hasan. “The first edition of SAFW will have a particular focus on Indian and Pakistani fashions. In future editions, we hope to highlight other parts of the region.”

You’ll also have the wonderful opportunity to meet the designers and browse the SAFW showroom which will be featuring curated local, independent clothing, jewellery, and beauty brand products that can be purchased on site.

For more information, visit the official South Asian Fashion Week website.

South Asian Fashion Week 2018

When: March 2 to 4, 2018
Where: Hard Rock Casino Vancouver – 2080 United Boulevard, Coquitlam
Price: Starting at $35 – Tickets available at www.safw.ca

Facebook | Instagram 

Daily Hive Branded ContentDaily Hive Branded Content

+ Listed
+ Fashion & Beauty
+ Sponsored
ADVERTISEMENT