by Robyn Yager | Tuesday night’s Young Oak + Park show at Eco Fashion Week opened with a stunning model whose hair was set in a high pseudo-French twist with long bangs pinned to the side. Her lips were painted bright red – head to toe old Hollywood mixed with femme fatale – and her sleeveless light grey double-breasted jacket was something Lauren Bacall would wear while strolling alongside Bogey after a day of shooting the next film noir. The outfit was paired with a black mid-thigh skirt and a pair of black opaque knee high stockings by Park. Oh, and black pumps. Wow! This outfit was the perfect way to start off another show at Vancouver’s 7th annual Eco-Fashion Week.

Next was a gorgeous over-sized wool houndstooth jacket with leather detailing on the lapel. Its three-quarter length sleeves allowed gave it elegance while the enormous pockets looked perfect for warming cold hands. Worn with a pair of white tights, the look was young (consistent throughout the collection), evoking something of a childish quality that was offset by the maturity (even masculinity) of the heavy jacket. Hitting just around mid-thigh, the jacket would be ideal on a cold winter’s night (no bulky layers).

I also loved the luxurious black velvet outfits that ranged from jumpsuits to cocktail dresses. Their billowing sleeves – some lace, others sequin – made me long for those dark days of December when holiday/cocktail parties dot the calendar. The pieces were demure but with just the right amount of sexy, the styling allowing for slivers skin by way of crop tops or a deep scoop neck in the back. Each was fitted to flatter.

As the last of the velvet outfits made their way down the runway, a battery of shine and glitter took their place, starting with a metallic gold sleeveless a-line minidress with an empire waist. A shimmering gold shift dress followed with an Art Deco-inspired pattern and tassel falling beneath the bust. It was a dress that the Daisy Buchanans of the world would desire, revealing Tammy’s inclination towards the classics – all simplicity with touches of glamour. Sequins travelled down the next three dresses where one black shift with sheer overlay on the skirt was embellished with a burst of gold and black sparkle at the neck that extended down in vertical lines like the tail ends of falling fireworks.

I’m not sure if the outfits were inspired by the Jazz Age (a style shockingly not yet tired by this year’s film adaptation of The Great Gatsby) or if it was just a case of Tammy’s immense assortment of collected vintage coming from that era, but one thing was very clear: her ability to reinvent old clothes by incorporating traditionally glamorous materials was enough to make one want to cover up, slather on the best red lipstick, adorn cold shoulders with fur (or faux) and fantasize about being in the company of Fitzgerald and Hemingway.

The show ended with a white sequinned dress that could only be described as exquisite. The top of the dress was vertically beaded, the effect gradually dissipating down the length of the skirt in lines that dropped off the long skirt in clusters. Paired with flats (a charming complement to the dress’ ankle length), it conjured visions of Marlene Dietrich or Lilian Gish. That dress – moving wispily down the runway – was the perfect last look.

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