With Toronto and Vancouver Fashion Weeks wrapped up, the attention of style-watchers shifts to the upstart fashion Mecca of Whistler, BC, where the winner of the third annual Designer Search and EXPOSE competition is...

Vancouver trio, We3, is a collaborative line designed by Glencora Twigg, Christine Hotten and Jessica Vaira of Vancouver’s twigg&hottie boutique.

The contest, which launched in 2007 to provide an opportunity for emerging BC design talent, went nation-wide in its quest this year, and received a record number of entries from across the country.

Says Multimedia Events Producer, Lilli Clark, “Designers are very specific about where they want to showcase their work. The number of entries we received this year really speaks to the reputation of Schick Fashion EXPOSED, the growing caliber of the event among the fashion-savvy, and the type of audience this event attracts.”

The 2009 winner, We3, will join the face-off between form and function at the Schick Fashion EXPOSED fashion show, held at the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Friday April 24 2009, alongside street, action and lifestyle-wear lines including Orage, Helly Hansen, Westbeach, Aaron Chang International, Sorel, Rossignol, Burton, Mavi Jeans, Bench, Goretex, and Sitka.  

We 3 were chosen as the winner of Designer Search and EXPOSE out of four finalists selected by a panel comprising Carolyn Simmons, Clothing Designer for Volcom, Anne Morris, Academic Director of Fashion Design & Merchandising at the Art Institute of Vancouver and Christopher Bates, Head Designer for Ultra Menswear.

The finalists included Vancouver-based Christie Clayton, a BC Fashion Week Generation Next finalist and contestant on Project Runway Canada 2009, with her line Carny Love, an eight member, all-girl fashion bike gang committed to live and design sustainably, have fun and cause trouble where ever they go,The Deadly Nightshades:Midnight Bike Crew, and last season’s Generation Next Winner, Margarita Angelatos, with Red Jade.

Photos courtesy of TWSSF.