By Louisa Cohen

“I feel nauseous.”
“Its from the pig’s head.”
–One friend to another at VFW Opening Gala

Just when I think I am about to get an ethereal break from Swine flu paranoia… what am I faced with?! A massive swine head! Cooked and lopped off on a platter for all to see and enjoy… no, it wasn’t a fashion/art installation or anything… it was actually on the serving menu for the Opening Gala for Vancouver Fashion Week at the Terminal City Club. But even putting aside my H1N1 neurosis, and the fact that I was slightly startled by the poor beast… I was sort of put off by this event.

Having never attended VFW before – I was imagining Toronto’s LG Fashion Week, just scaled down, smaller, and maybe a few lesser known designers with a more West Coast appeal. Possibly more Gore-tex.

Nope. After ten barely-post-teen girls scrambled over paper print-outs to find my pass – I knew things were getting off on a weird start.

The crowd was a strange mix (kind of like the food that was served) of stiff-ringleted 20 year olds and oddly placed grandmas. There was a small smattering of buyers and business owners I recognized – but like the massive cheese plate with no crackers, or the dessert table of pies with no forks – something was missing.

One design from each designer was being showcased, but the clothes were unremarkable, and barely visible. I was smushed in the crowd, reminiscent of my days at over-stuffed Bar Mitzvah parties….sans the open bar.

However, I did see a few great hair-creations, and I have to give a shout-out to an adorable old lady mowing down on a smoked meat sandwich among all of the hungry models…

Needless to stay I didn’t hang for long. However: I still want to give VFW a chance… and I guess ‘galas’ aren’t always what they are chalked up to be. The fashion shows take place in Railtown, an older more interesting part of the city… we’ll see how it all rolls out.