Vancouver Fashion eZine - Online Magazine

When we sat down with Jenny Yen last year, she was occupied with being the owner of JY Star Apparel and co-owner of Slick Chick. These days Yen is focused on her own line Ci Ci and her shared line,Two of Heart's with Tabitha Savoie. Getting ready for spring 2009 Yen is not missing a step. Ci Ci and Two of Hearts keeps her busy and she seems to enjoy it there very much. Looking at her fall 2008 collection for Ci Ci, Yen has chosen to go with designs that have a forties feel to them. Classic pieces with deep, rich colors of brown, wine red, emerald green and shots of cobalt blue make these pieces stand out. Very modern clothes with a flash of vintage flare which make the wearer look incredibly chic. Spring 2009 is another story. Going with styles that are more eclectic and dressy Yen brings forth a different look. She uses dark indigo and light grey denim to make her pallet stand out. Colours include teal, sea foam, black and white with pops of pink. Sure to be a hit, the collection hits stores February 2009. Two of Hearts, a combination of Yen and Savoie, is unique and interesting. Their collection is completely eco-friendly and uses only sustainable materials like soy, bamboo and organic cotton. Fall 2008 was based on what the girls called their "Seventies inspired Sears Catalogue". The use of muted earth tones in rust, orange, tan and evergreen compliment their designs. Spring 2009 for Two of Hearts, which comes out this February, showcases a wardrobe that is bursting with a sense of true style and flare. Using bright colors and bold patterns, the street style look of their collection spills through the seams. Two of Hearts is meant for the younger and more casual crowd of fashionistas. Yen and Savoie were pleased to announce that during BC Fashion Week back in September, they were one of the finalists for the Next Generation fashion show. Kept busy running from client to client, Yen and Savoie just drove to Alberta and back, hitting up the Portobello West Calgary show. They also met with existing clients in Edmonton and Jasper, as well as a few new ones along the way. Yen and Savoie choose to not go to most of the regular shows that other designers head off to such as Magic or Pool and Project. Instead they would rather drive to their clients and meet them on a one-on-one basis to give more of a personal feel. Both collections of Ci Ci and Two of Hearts are made locally here in Vancouver. Being proud of that fact Yen goes on to explain that it makes the pieces for both lines more special, like their customers are getting limited addition garments. Proving that these two just don't stop, Yen and Savoie are planning a trip to Hong Kong and then to Thailand in November 2008. They are using the trip to source out new fabric, rejuvenate themselves, and perhaps get new design inspiration. When asked if she was heading to Hong Kong to work on her next 2009 collection Yen laughed and said that she just wanted to take a vacation, which is exactly what both women will be doing in Thailand. Locally look for their designs in Pleasant Girl, Shop Cocoon, Life of Riley, Dream and Spank. For more information visit their website at www.jystarapparel.com. To read a previous article in VFE click here.