This March, we dressed for the “elevated streetwear” dress code and attended the 2023 Fashion Show, Project V, organized by The V2V Project.
“V2V began as a way to express support for youth-led, black-owned businesses,” says Co-Director Kaine Osiagwu. Osiagwu supports the organization together with Co-Director Vivian Achor. Both Osiagwu and Achor run personal businesses and collaborated with other young entrepreneurs prior to The V2V Project’s first event.
“We noticed an obvious commonality, which was that most of these individuals lacked key components and aspects that would help their business grow. Exposure, financial support and guidance are often not given to those within our demographic, so we wanted to create a platform to change this common narrative,” shares Osiagwu.
Before the fashion show came the V2V Jam, a basketball tournament and a business vendor market where the organizers wanted to highlight what black-owned, youth-led businesses in the city had to offer. The event featured over 25 black-owned businesses, alongside 10 basketball teams competing for a grand prize of $2000.
“We also wanted to show our appreciation to the Ottawa basketball community because this city has a rich basketball culture that, as we grew up, taught us how to strive for greatness. The combination of these two ideas would be a huge success, demonstrating to the city that there are numerous up-and-coming youth-led businesses doing things we had never seen before,” says Osiagwu. “The success of the V2V Jam event also inspired some of these individuals to pursue their business goals and expand their projects. It also highlighted a different side of Ottawa culture, demonstrating that we are a growing city full of new ideas and possibilities.” Then came the Project V Fashion Show.
This flagship event, held at the cool industrial venue The Urban Centre in Nepean, welcomed hundreds of guests to a delightful evening with a runway showcasing innovative designs by young designers, multiple performances of various genres spread throughout the production, and provided a platform for vendors and merchants to showcase their work for sale.
The energy in the space was unreal and the air of support and celebration for every artist was palpable in its bloom. Performing artists included AP Da Don, then one of our personal favourites, Rouben Charles, who showed a cinematic music video in the background of his live performance; Shim in the Cut, NTHN Solo, REBELVFTERPVRTY, TkMN, Shxmmy Szn, Sammy Keys, and Maeesha, while DJ Jinx kept the crowd going in between.
The Co-Directors are to thank for this amazing production and level of organization.
“Project V really means a lot to me in ways that I cannot express. As I was lucky enough to have been in close contact with several designers, I was given a glimpse of the creative process and hard work that each individual put in leading up to the fashion show. Many of the clothing brands that were featured in the fashion show are small youth-led black-owned businesses that have not received enough exposure, or a significant platform in Ottawa for their talents to be truly recognized. Because of that, it was genuinely an unforgettable experience to have so many people attend the fashion show to support each clothing brand,” shares Achor.
Photos by Landon Entwistle.
The performances were an awesome way to switch gears and refresh our eyes and minds between each fashion show collection premiering on the runway. Some of our favourite designs were by Ginuwine Brand, who showed signature t-shirts and sweatsuits with the brand’s cool logo. We’ll take one of everything.
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We also loved Unidentified Streetwear by Mr. Unidentified, with Y2K styles with the decade’s signature sparkles.
Photos by Landon Entwistle.
Designers also included Rinude, Tobe Outre, Kouri, Montreal-based OKJ clothing with fun bright designs featuring a stitched teddy bear with a heart, Sai-Fi who vowed us with a sexy and sci-fi post-apocalyptic collection which still felt very now, yet, dare I say, Next in Fashion; streetwear brand SLGVTY, and Nice Guy Inc designs.
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“My role in Project V was to ensure that everything went as planned in terms of logistics. I needed to find a suitable location. During the show, I was also behind the scenes making sure everyone was on time, had any accommodations they needed, and that everything ran smoothly. V2V means everything to me; seeing everyone’s smiles as they see a different side of the city and seeing all the businesses gain new clients and customers is why we do this. Having the privilege to work with a lot of these talented designers and artists showed me the amount of hard work that goes into making everything picture-perfect and seeing them get their appreciation brought me a new sense of fulfillment,” shares Osiagwu.
Looking towards the future, The V2V project has awesome events planned for 2023, including the Second Annual V2V Jam.
“Our team is also hoping to host an event that showcases the musical talent that Ottawa has; our goal is to provide a platform for all members of the black community, and creatives in our city,” says Co-Director Vivian Achor.
“We have a long way to go as an organization but we are happy to continue the good work and help these businesses grow wherever we can,” says Co-Director Kaine Osiagwu.
Learn more about The V2V Project here and remember to support local!
