Vancouver,BC,
March 28, 2001
Vancouver International Fashion Week (VIFW) has just confirmed
Jeanne Beker, host of the internationally renowned Fashion
Television, as the Master of Ceremonies for the Opening Fashion
Gala Banquet scheduled for April 18, 2001. As the central
figure of Fashion Television (currently broadcasted in over
100 countries worldwide), Ms. Beker is one of the most well
respected and recognized personalities in the fashion industry.
The inaugural
edition of the VIFW exhibition is set to take place in the
90,000 square foot Exhibition Hall of the Vancouver Convention
& Exhibition Centre from April 18-21, 2001. Joining the ranks
of New York, Sydney, Hong Kong and London amongst other international
hosts, this event is the first of its kind in Canada.
"We are
very pleased to have such a powerhouse host for our opening
gala," says Jonathan Ross, Director of Communications for
VIFW. "Being the inaugural edition of the exhibition, it was
crucial for the show to attract a well established fashion
personality for our opening gala. With Jeanne Beker conducting
the festivities, we have more than satisfied this requirement."
As the
largest port on the west coast of the Americas, Vancouver
provides the ideal backdrop for the dawn of a new international
fashion centre. What separates this fashion event from all
others is the fusion that Vancouver's geographic location
allows the show to demonstrate - the tradition of European
design with the emerging markets of Asia Pacific. VIFW is
truly an international event, with 3 continents to be represented
by designers, exhibitors, manufacturers and various trade
delegations scheduled to attend.
There
are many other directives surrounding VIFW that are intended
to leave a lasting impression on Canadian fashion. In addition
to providing subsidies for up and coming Canadian designers
to display their creations to the world, the organizers of
VIFW have also established the formation of the Canadian Fashion
Foundation, a non-profit organization established to provide
access to funding of education, facilities and resources for
young Canadians involved in fashion.
"The purpose
behind every initiative associated with Vancouver International
Fashion Week is to leave a lasting legacy for young Canadian
talent," says Ross. "Canadians are interspersed throughout
the fashion industry across the world, and through the creation
of this foundation, they can now find the assistance to work
and flourish within their own country."
