Chilliwack's Bree Laryea is launching her design company's debut collection at Vancouver Fashion Week, featuring pieces that are both "practical and deeply personal."   

BREEFORD: THE FIRST will be featured on the runway on Tuesday (Oct. 22), and will fuse visual art, and a live performance by Mauvey. The collection will feature 12 looks on eight female and four male models, and paired with footwear by Vancouver's John Fluevog.  

This isn't Laryea's first time showing her work. Following her graduation with honours from Blanche Macdonald this February, Laryea's first look was worn on the Juno’s red carpet by the winner of Canada’s Drag Race Season 4, Venus (alongside Nelly Furtado at the prestigious awards). 

She explains that she's married her two loves of fashion design and photography with this debut collection. 

In a press release, she describes it as including bold, graphically engineered photography prints and eye-catching silver metallic flashes "maximizing the minimality of what grey is typically perceived as.

"Middle grey holds a unique significance in photography, representing a point of reference for embodying perfect exposure," she says. "At middle grey, visual vibrancy is enhanced, showing us the gamut of life's true centre. Middle grey symbolizes peace, neutrality, and a canvas upon which the colours of the scene can be accurately illustrated to the naked eye." 
She said the collection also pays homage to Chilliwack, "celebrating the love of living amongst the infamously grey, yet resilient days, and slivers of silver linings." 
Basing her time between Vancouver and London, UK, Laryea has had a diverse artistic background. Her work has been featured in the likes of Vogue, GQ, Notion, Wonderland, Complex, and Range to name a few.

Her brand, BREEFORD, "aims to rethink the essence of wearable, functional art through multiple mediums."