Mellinda Mae Harlingten Spills Red at BC Fashion Week

The Mellinda Mae Harlingten Fall 2008 collection was unraveled last night at BC Fashion Week's spruced up China Town venue. With recognizable indie dance tracks playing in the background , Vancouver's fashion trend setters looked on with awe as model, after model paraded down the black runway to show off this fall's latest fashions.

Mixing textures, highlights of red and large buttons seemed to the the focus of Mellinda Mae's new collection. Although safe, this up and coming designer seems to have a handle of what's to come when dealing with hot vs. not.

The theme's to last night's jam packed BC Fashion Week show seemed to be clean and simple sophistication. Drawing inspiration from classic Hollywood styles and the infamous Edie Sedgwick, Mellinda Mae displayed a collection that was subtle enough to wear everyday but bold enough to get people looking.

High-waisted pencil skirts and pants impressed the quiet crowd, that indulged in free samples of energy drinks before the show. Classic winter fabrics like wool and cotton blends composed the bottoms while the top was finely balanced with dark colored blouses. These outfits were accented with long, silver jewelry that kept dangling adornments to a minimum. Whether it was done with a bowler's hat or with a hooded scarf, many of the pretty little head's of the models also seemed to be covered up.

One trend that stood out (or should I say didn't) was the lack of big buckles, or any buckles for that fact. It seems that jackets with over the top clasps are out, and large symmetrically placed buttons are in. That rule goes for pants and skirts as well. Another trend being replaced is the thick, waist cinching belts that seems to be everywhere right now. Replacing them? High-waisted pants, of course!

One fashion trend that I am happy to report is still kicking around in the 'what's hot' column is our long-time favorite, leggings. Whether worn to the feet, or cropped underneath the leg, tights are still expected to stay trendy this fall. Having said that, toning them down to dark colors like black and brown is advisable (unless you are Betsy Johnson).

If there one thing, and one thing only, to learn from Mellinda Mae's show, it's that you should not be afraid to add a pop of color to your winter wardrobe. Although it's tempting to surround yourself with blacks, browns and grays during those cold winter months, too much of anything is always a bad idea. As the lady in red herself proved, color should not be feared. A bright top, or a bold piece of jewelery can do wonders to an otherwise boring ensemble.

Mellinda Mae Harlingten's Fall 2008 collection should hit stores this fall. A special thanks to Duran Cheung for the company and the photos.