sarahrunnallsfashion

Published  on jandrewspeaks

SARAH RUNNALLS

When I set out to cover Vancouver Fashion Week, I was committed to giving coverage to young women designers. Of course I have written posts on some great male designers also. However, I am in part bringing attention to a new women's movement. We are in a time when women are now creating a lot of the garments they will wear. I have been excited by the women designers that showed at Vancouver Fashion Week. One of these designers is Sarah Runnalls .

Sarah Runnalls grew up in Victoria B.C., where she first started creating clothing in secondary school. Therefore, a logical choice  to continue her fashion education was at the Blanche Macdonald Center in Vancouver. The creativity I have seen from the Blanche Macdonald  alumni, is incredible, these designers include Evan Clayton, Peter Zuk and of course Sarah Runnalls. In Sarah's collection, named "Emotions" the creativity is foremost and the collection has a playful nature that has an emotional impact.

SARAH RUNNALLS PRESENTS

"EMOTIONS"

What Sarah Runnalls put down the runway was certainly a creative presentation. While showing a collection of beautifully constructed garments there is an experimental and playful element.

First I would like to draw attention to a wonderfully playful palette of primary colors, coupled with a neutral beige, and white. However what really stood out was the use of a playful outlining technique, on some of the garments it was like silly string and been sprayed. While this technique is also used to outline appliques of human features like hands, hearts and eyes.

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photo by cameron rampersad

Turquoise and red is a color combination that gives energy, the first two garments down the runway just popped. A white jacket with black string detail and turquoise slacks, and a turquoise top with a ruffled detail on the arms with red shorts and polka-dot tights. Here Runnalls shows her ability to tailor a garment. There are also pieces that you might find madly useful, you never realized you needed until you had them. These pieces include a precise white shirt, a red skirt and top, a beige midi-skirt, a black trouser among others, all chic wardrobe staples.

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In fact, some of the most creative pieces are tulle dresses with colored appliques. These pieces are light and transparent, like the controlled presence of an inner fairy. What is present is a form of a control over chaos. Emotions are represented by hands and crying eyes , by color and by texture.

photo Diamond Point

What appears to be organza and mesh make up these  dresses with bits of yarn sometimes hanging and on others creating images of hands and eyes. It is these dresses that win me over. There's an irresistible tenderness to Sarah Runnalls work that's enough to leave the most cynical of fashion insiders wanting more.

In fact, some of the most creative pieces are tulle dresses with colored appliques. These pieces are light and transparent, like the controlled presence of an inner fairy. What is present is a form of a control over chaos. Emotions are represented by hands and crying eyes , by color and by texture. What appears to be organza and mesh make up these  dresses with bits of yarn sometimes hanging and on others creating images of hands and eyes. It is these dresses that win me over. There's an irresistible tenderness to Sarah Runnalls work that's enough to leave the most cynical of fashion insiders wanting more.

 

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photo by Dale Rollings

Certainly, I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite of these whimsical dresses. Although we see a fun and carefree approach with color and design, we also see the imagery of the emotional content. In fact, the dress with crying tears coming from eyes placed on breasts, with hands reaching towards the eyes has a sadness, juxtaposed to the brilliant bright colors.

Moreover this collection includes a number of pieces in black and white polka dots, a signature pattern for Sarah Runnalls. As designer Marc Jacobs so eloquently put it “I don’t think there is ever a wrong time for a polka dot …”! The joy of Sarah's dolka dots set this collection alive with classic style.

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photo by Terri Ng

Certainly, this collection is a creative tour de force. I titled the collection as creative chic, and both these elements work in unison. A delicious yellow tulle top, epitomizes the creative energy of the collection. Moreover an experimental black tulle dress with appliques screams chic. The only thing that may be missing is a huge show stopper to close collection. Notably the talent shown is evidenced by Runnalls being awarded a prize from Vancouver fashion icon Sue Randhawa of The Opitical Boutique.

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                                                  photo Dale Rolling

Written by Kristy Grear