Nicole Bridger Graces the Runway with her Spring/Summer 2012 Collection

Nicole Bridger previews her Spring/Summer 2012 collection at Vancouver's Eco Fashion Week.

I was lucky to have the opportunity to attend local and sustainable designer Nicole Bridger’s Spring/Summer 2012 (SS 2012) runway show at this year's Eco Fashion Week (October 5th - 7th, 2011) in Vancouver. The show was described as a one-of-a-kind event that promised to incorporate music, dance and Bridger's always stylish and eco-friendly designs - and it did not disappoint.

The show was held in a lofty style Gastown building, and as soon as I entered the venue I couldn't help but notice the swarms of extremely polished and fashionable people. What also caught my eye were the many booths selling eco-friendly, fair trade, sustainable cosmetics and fashion, created by many amazing designers.

Everything around me was respectful and loving towards the environment, from the clothing to the hand soap in the washrooms - and it was great to see! But as fantastic as it was to get a taste of all that Eco Fashion Week had to offer, it was the preview of Bridger's SS 2012 line that I was looking forward to the most; and luckily I didn't have to wait long.

Nicole Bridger talks to the crowd about what inspired her SS 2012 collection.

Soon, we were all ushered into another building where the runway was set up, and shown to our seats. The atmosphere in the room immediately filled with excitement and anticipation for the show to begin. At the front of the room were two large screens, where Bridger’s face suddenly appeared and she addressed the crowd. She spoke of her inspiration for this Spring/Summer 2012 collection, which interestingly was an image.

One day during her meditation, Bridger asked to see a guiding image and what appeared to her was the scene of a rising sun. She thought about this, and understood it to mean that when you have a wish in life, the best thing to do is surrender everything, and just as you know the sun will rise each day, you need to trust that things will fall into place. And this is how Bridger came to title her SS 2012 collection, Allowing Grace.

The crowd was treated to an amazing show and something that I had never seen before: a wonderfully creative collaboration of dance and fashion on the catwalk. The models came out dressed in Bridger’s lovely and unique designs, and at points during the show, several models would stand on one side of the catwalk, moving and swaying their elegant bodies to the music, while another model on the other side would walk gracefully down the runway and strike a pose for the cameras.

Bridger's use of draping and ruching in the collection was very evident, making each look flow together nicely and look classy and polished. And with pastel colours one of the common threads throughout the different designs, there is no question that the feel of spring and summer was successfully captured in this collection.

At the end of the show, Bridger came out and thanked all the guests, and the applause was nothing short of emphatic. It was abundantly clear that the crowed loved her message, collection and dynamic show.

Learn more about Nicole Bridger at nicolebridger.com

Bridger's runway show incorporated music and dance.

Pastel colours are at the forefront in Bridger's spring/summer collection.

The use of draping and ruching are apparent in Bridger's Allowing Grace collection.