ARTS | Many fashion designers consider their work an art form.

But this coming Saturday, you can see that concept taken one step further with the Artspeak Fashionista! show.

The event takes place at Pigeon Park Savings, 92 East Hastings (yes, it’s a bank) and whether your interest is in art or fashion, this show is likely to surprise.

The concept is simple: Regardless of their traditional medium, Artspeak has commissioned local artists to create one-of-a-kind pieces for runway display and silent auction. The proceeds of the show will benefit Artspeak itself – a non-profit, artist-run centre and gallery – which has been operating in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for the past 18 years.

If you think you know what you’re in for, think again.

The results of this venture are surprisingly original and incredibly diverse. From practical pieces that can easily be worn in real life – such as a western shirt fashioned out of dishtowels – to more conceptual items, such as a ‘60s inspired dress made entirely of paper, or a newsprint and bubble-wrap bathrobe, the show’s items run the gamut from the almost-traditional to the nearly bizarre.

Artspeak’s director and curator Melanie O’Brian hopes that “the show will feature a little something for everyone.” Opening bids in the silent auction “range everywhere from 15 to a thousand dollars,” and numerous local stores have donated traditional clothing items to the cause.

Kerri Reid’s Skateboard Cozy

What can you expect when art meets fashion?

Fashionista! patrons can expect to see Pierre Cardin vintage eyeglasses transformed into wearable sculpture by Tum Lee, a Skateboard Cosy (think tea cosy) by Kerri Reid, and the hilarious PYP (Pretend You’re Pregnant) tunic by Elizabeth Zvonar (it’s unisex). More conventional fashionistas will find work by local designers such as Allison Smith for Allison Wonderland and Eugene Choo.

As for the event’s unusual location – Pigeon Park Savings (the bank that replaced the now defunct Four Corners) – O’Brien says that the building’s architecture, décor, and size are actually well-suited to an art or fashion show. “It’s a huge white modernist building with 30-foot-high ceilings and these tall, lovely windows,” she explains. “It’s got this very clean, 1960s look, so it lends itself very well to this sort of thing. It has a sort of institutional elegance.”

A traditional catwalk will be set up, but Artspeak intends to utilize bank décor as much as possible, setting up both the bar and the DJ behind the teller stations.

Will you like it?

Art couture itself probably isn’t for everyone. Nonetheless, Artspeak says they hope the show will appeal to both the art and fashion communities. And to the public at large. “You’ll see artists stepping outside their regular practice to get really creative, and you’ll see them paired with designers who are really creative in their own right,” says O’Brian. “Bringing those two things together is really exciting.” In addition, O’Brian is proud to be producing such a vibrant community event. “We’re very much about being happy operating in the Downtown Eastside and collaborating with other institutions here,” she explains.

All in all, the Fashionista! venture is just a really innovative way of approaching a fashion show. When arts meets fashion, the results can surprise. “Not only is it an event that has an auction component that goes to benefit Artspeak,” says O’Brian, “it’s going to be a spectacle.” You’ll have to check it out to be sure, but the prospects are good, and at the very least, you’ll see something truly original if you do.

Doors at Sept. 25, 9 p.m., Fashion Show at 9 p.m., Tickets $10. For more information and advance ticket purchase please contact Artspeak at 604-688-0051. More events pieces are here.

“Art meets fashion – and the results may surprise you” was originally published in the Vancouver Sun, September 21, 2004. See below.

Published September 21, 2004 in The Vancouver Sun, 1/2.

Published September 21, 2004 in The Vancouver Sun, 1/2.