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More than just a fashion show

VAIO Fashion takes to the catwalk
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The leggy amazons dominating the stage at this Friday's VAIO Fashion Exposed show won't be mugging Zoolander's Blue Steel.

Nor will the clothes they wear be made of unforgiving material like chain mail or palm leaves.

Designed to bring wearable, progressive duds to the people, Fashion Exposed is a mash up of established local designers complimented by music from Vancouver hipster band Bend Sinister and onstage antics from models that know what Whistler is all about.

"It's definitely more than just a fashion show," said Lilli Clark, multimedia events producer for Watermark Communications.

"We really emphasize the show in our fashion show so it is choreographed in terms of when each brand comes out and when each model walks out but other than that the models are free to do what they want on the stage - to have fun with each other, to interact with the crowd, interact with the band and to really show the clothes off."

The clothes on display come from the likes of Obey, Bench, EMU, Sitka, Voleurz, Westbeach, LSpace by Monica Wise, Gentle Faun and Fredrick's of Hollywood.

Since the designers have free rein to promote whatever they want, a wide range of clothing for all seasons and all situations will be seen.

That means bikinis and snow pants, possibly at the same time. This is Whistler - it's not unheard of to need both within a five-minute time frame.

"All of it is definitely functional but it's not all outerwear. When we first started this there was a lot of outerwear involved and Whistler is so much more than that," continued Clark.

"We're surfers too, and windsurfers and swimmers and hikers and skateboarders and all that kind of stuff so we've really been trying to focus on the gamut of it. And we like to dress up too, so they're going to see everything from bikinis to street wear to outerwear - the whole deal."

Turning the show from fashion expose to p-a-r-t-y is Bend Sinister, a loud, progressive-indie band lauded by CBC Radio 3 and represented by Distort Entertainment (Alexisonfire and Johnny Truant).

Clark thinks their presence will bring an extra boost to the exhibition of the clothes and ensure the event stays unpretentious.

"For me it's really important that the people that are on the stage and the models on the stage look like they belong in the clothes, that they feel comfortable in the clothes," said Clark.

"The people on the runway are cast from Whistler and they are professional models. They live in these clothes so they are the ones who will represent it best so people can expect a great band and some great clothing and so much more than a fashion show."

For more information on the VAIO Fashion Exposed, go to www.wssf.com/event/vaio-fashion-exposed . For tickets go to Whistler Activity Centre located outside the Whistler Conference Centre (across from Tapley's) or call (604) 938-2769.