Earlier this month, Oakridge Park launched The Front Row in Vancouver, combining luxury fashion and live music. The event showcased designer collections and included a performance by Grammy-winning artist John Legend.
Oakridge Park held the inaugural edition on 15 October 2026 at its North Atrium. Titled Fashion Through the Ages, the event welcomed invited guests, luxury shoppers and fashion industry professionals.
A Century of Fashion
Fashion editor and stylist Joe Zee hosted the runway presentation, highlighting significant fashion movements from the past century. The show featured Jazz Age beaded designs, postwar couture, 1980s pronounced shoulders, and the eclectic styles of the 2000s.
Fashion director and stylist Zeina Esmail oversaw creative direction and styling, curating silhouettes that represented each era. The show concluded with new-season merchandise from luxury retailers such as Brunello Cucinelli, Dolce & Gabbana, Harry Rosen, Max Mara, and Valentino. The retrospective also acknowledged the history of the former Oakridge Centre, which previously hosted fashion shows at this location.
Irene Quan, vice-president of marketing at Oakridge Park, explained how the event connects this heritage to the current retail experience. 'The history is context; the point is that you can walk out of the show and into the store,' Quan told Retail Insider.
Following the runway finale, Legend delivered an intimate piano and vocal performance in the North Atrium. He attended the VIP reception, where guests met him and took photos, and later joined attendees for an after-party toast at Time Out Market Vancouver.
Luxury Retail Meets Entertainment
More than 40 boutiques hosted clients during the event, which welcomed 612 guests. Attendees included shoppers, homeowners, media representatives, and content creators.
Oakridge Park also introduced 'Shop Your Way' to the Front Row, a promotion that offered invitations and seating tiers based on qualifying purchases at participating retailers. The campaign ran from 12 September to 9 October and tried to show access to shopping activity in the weeks leading up to the event.
Customers spending C$10,000 (£5,400 or $7,100) on qualifying purchases received one Tier C seat. Those spending C$20,000 (£10,800 or $14,200) qualified for one Tier B seat, while C$30,000 (£16,200 or $21,400) qualified for one Tier A seat. Purchases of C$50,000 (£27,000 or $35,600) qualified for two Tier A seats and two admissions to a group meet-and-greet experience.
Quan stated that the program helped boutiques reconnect with existing customers and attract new shoppers. 'It also gave our retailers a prospecting tool: a seat at the show was something a boutique could offer a new or lapsed client, a reason to reach out, bring them in, style them before the show and build the relationship after the night,' she said.
Plans for an Annual Event
The inaugural show required about three months of planning and a production crew of approximately 250 people. Organisers managed the runway, live performance, reception, and after-party across several areas of the development.
QuadReal plans to host The Front Row annually, introducing a new theme each year. Oakridge Park's retail offering is also expanding, with Kith and Giorgio Armani opening on 23 October 2026, following Celine's earlier arrival at the development.
Quan noted that the positive response to the inaugural presentation supports plans for future editions. 'The Front Row will return each year with its own theme, chosen to speak to the cultural moment we are in, so no two editions will look alike,' he said.
The events organisers aim to make The Front Row a recurring feature on Vancouver's fashion calendar.
