Vancouver Fashion Designer Scores Gold With Invite to New York Fashion Week

Fashion design's holy grail is to be invited to show at one of the "big four" fashion weeks. From September 10 to 17, New York Fashion Week will have hundreds of fashion events and this year, the only Canadian designer showing is Malene Grotrian.

Grotrian's path to an invitation to New York started after her very first runway show at Vancouver Fashion Week, March 2009. She received the only standing ovation in the 10 year history of the event. Word spread quickly and soon a producer from New York called to invite her to show her Spring collection.

Grotrian was surprised by the call. As she shared,"I knew this was a huge opportunity, but I wasn't quite sure if I could do it. It's a large investment in travel, in promotion and time, in creating the line. Once I got started designing though, my confidence came."

Grotrian relied on her network of business associates to get the word out, especially fellow entrepreneurs she met in Business Networks International. They have proven instrumental in helping with marketing, graphic design, publicity and video promotion.

Her line features unique, highly tailored pieces designed to look good on every woman. Her signature item is the bustier, which you can expect to see from her on the runway. All of her pieces are made in her studio in Vancouver, Canada.

Grotrian went to design school in Denmark, where she grew up. She also trained in fashion design in Italy. After immigrating to Canada, she worked with a tailor, doing all fittings and pattern making. These were skills not provided in design school and yet they are essential to her collection.

Grotrian uses fabrics to make a woman look feminine. She takes her time getting to know her material, draping it on her body, taking all aspects into consideration before she makes her designs. The designs embrace the body and give an hourglass figure to any woman.