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Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome. Every month, The Inseam’s Eco Edition focuses on the innovators that shape the green movement in local fashion. |
Photo by Peter Jensen, Courtesy of Eco Fashion Week
The next Eco Fashion Week is coming up in Vancouver and featured this season is a local designer Evan Ducharme. While Evan did show a small collection at last season’s event in April, he is now taking on a bigger responsibility, the 68 Pound Challenge.
First featured at Eco Fashion Week in October of 2012, the 68 Pound Challenge is an upcycling design challenge, using unwanted textiles from Value Village, the amount representing the average amount of clothing per North America that ends up in the landfill each year. Evan is taking over this challenge from Kim Cathers who has completed it twice before, with the objective being to create a full collection using 68 pounds of clothing, reworking the garments, added nothing and taking nothing away.
Jessica McIlroy: How long have you been interested in design and fashion? Has it always been a part of your life?
Evan Ducharme: I've been interested in clothes for as long as I can remember. When I was young I used to sketch clothes with my Grandma, and eventually started to teach myself how to sew when I was about 11.
JM: Would you say you are self-taught as a designer?
ED: The basis of my knowledge of sewing came from my Aunt Annette who owned a tailoring and custom eveningwear business. I interned with her while I was in high school and learned how to sew by making evening gowns. When I was accepted to the Visual College of Art and Design in Vancouver I was lucky enough to be taught by a number of fantastic teachers, such as Alex Suhner Isenberg, Jessica Mason, and Julie Berg. We also had members of the fashion industry come in and critique our work, which included Jason Matlo, as well as Joy Pecknold of Fashion Magazine.
JM: When did your interest in eco fashion, or incorporating sustainable aspects into your work begin?
ED: I was raised in a small town called St. Ambroise in Southern Manitoba, so I was always exposed to nature and a more rural way of life. Growing up in such a naturally diverse and beautiful place gave me an appreciation for the environment that is hard to innately come by if you are from a more industrialized place. I also did fashion show's while in high school that for the most part consisted of repurposed garments and textiles that were donated to me. Then when I moved to Vancouver in 2010 I interned with Eco Fashion Week, where I was further exposed to the importance of environmentally responsible practices in fashion.
Evan Ducharme, photo courtesy of Evan Ducharme
JM: What would say are your inspirations?
ED: They can really come from anywhere. I watch a lot of films, follow blogs and am a very devout Tumblr user. I can get inspired by a fabric, a colour, a certain silhouette, or the movement of a garment. Most of all I am inspired by the people in my life and what they wear, how they wear it, and what kind of clothes they need to live their lives.
JM: Tell me about your current plans, collections or work.
ED: Currently I am working on the 68 Pound Challenge for Eco Fashion Week. The concept of the challenge is to create a high end luxury fashion collection out of 68 pounds of second hand clothing and textiles. 68 pounds is the amount of textile waste per person in North America annually.
JM: How are you feeling about the upcoming Eco Fashion Week? Any inspiration for your collection?
Photo by Peter Jensen, courtesy of Eco Fashion Week
ED: I'm feeling a mixed bag of emotions; excited, nervous, anxious, terrified, exhilarated. The inspiration for this collection, which features both womenswear and my first foray into menswear, is a myriad of things. I have been feeling a need to design clothes free of excessive detail and embellishment. It was never my aesthetic to create something in excess, but I feel especially for the spring/summer season my customer prefers a simple way of dressing.
The collection is in a palette of blacks, whites, and greys, with the focus on movement and silhouette. I've also been researching imagery of 1960's French films, more specifically "La Piscine" staring Romy Schneider and Alain Delon. Since this is my first season showing menswear, I'm really trying to connect my vision of the Evan Ducharme woman with my vision of the Evan Ducharme man.
JM: What is your goal, where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
ED: Eventually the goal is to have a sustainable fashion business, and to have an array of dedicated clientele. In 5 years I hope to be well on my way to achieving this goal, if not already there!
JM: What is one of your favourite things about Vancouver that makes it so awesome?
ED: The large group of talented, dedicated, and hard working people that make being a young designer in Vancouver worth pursuing, to continue to pursue, and making the pursuit an enjoyable one.
Evan Ducharme's 68 Pound Challenge can be seen at Eco Fashion Week 7th Edition on October 7th. Tickets for Eco Fashion Week are currently on sale and industry registration is open.
