another week of rain and of work and of love. one day of perfection. she began the morning working from bed with a cup of tea in hand, working to complete each task for the week, to process each image. minutes before afternoon, she sealed the envelope of a collection of photographs for a client and let the satisfaction of accomplishment and productivity wash over her head with the hot water of the shower. she dressed in a gold tassled scarf with cap toe flats. she swept black liner onto her lids and curled her hair. she met a lovely friend for pitas filled with falafel at nuba. they shared life, they shared their fears and dreams over fresh lebanese food and chilled cucumber water. they then trained downtown to browse urban outfitters. she found the perfect summer dress, the one that she's been dreaming of for hot days with jeweled sandals and an iced coffee. flirty, flimsy, navy, white. that evening, she slipped into black skinny pants, a nude tank with sequins and her thick herringbone wool cape. she met an inspiring soul, dressed in sky-high heels and a nearly backless obakki dress, in one of the front rows of an ancient downtown cathedral, the backdrop for the much anticipated obakki fall/winter fashion show. obakki is a local fashion house, with a stunning gastown boutique and an international reputation, that designs beautiful collections mostly in neutrals, both pale and dark, made in opulent fabrics of fine japanese lace, delicate italian silks, with angora and mohair accents. the stained glass windows threw dramatic shapes of jewel-toned light onto the high stone ceilings and across the runway that was set up between the rows of traditional wooden pews. hundreds and hundreds of bone white pillar candles in staggered sizes flickered at the front of the runway, the space lit only with candlelight. the evening began with a ghostly and beautiful improvisation on the grand piano and the full screening of the fall/winter film. a soft and slow documentary of ethereal dresses in a majestic mansion, featuring dusty chandeliers and the same layers of burning candles. the fashions were walked down the runway by gorgeous young models made up in red lipstick, porcelain skin and fishtail hair styles. the detailing and draping were impeccable, the textiles longed to be touched. flashes went off around them as international media captured the beauty of the evening. industry insiders from fashion television, from elle, from who-what-wear, sat around them to capture the moment. collective neutrals of antique whites with complexities of dark ash were accented by a kaleidoscopic array of garnet red, umber brown, burnt petal, and ochre. custom prints and washed vintage silk elevated the ornate nature of the collection. silhouettes included sheer and billowed blouses, body conscious cocktail dresses, tiered gowns, and tapered trousers. the two girls whispered to one another about which looks they could see the other wearing, dreaming of trying on many pieces from the collection. obakki hoped to raise the standard for fashion and for runway shows in vancouver, and they certainly did. the proceeds of the evening went to support the work of the obakki foundation, which closed the evening with a film set in cameroon. her eyes brimmed with tears, not because the film of the foundation's work showed sadness, but because it featured so much joy. simply uplifting beauty. do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
view her photographic coverage of the event here.
view her photographic coverage of the event here.
