A full-blown revolution is under way in the local fashion industry, and nowhere was it more evident than at the recent Apparel B.C. annual showcase. Sure, the usual large-scale suspects, from Jax to Lululemon Athletica, were prominent at the advocacy organization's event at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. But they were far outnumbered in the evening's runway display by a flock of upstart designers who, if you haven't heard of them yet, will probably be familiar to you soon.

Back on the Bike trotted out luscious new takes on men's leather pants, updating the old, stiff Keith Richards mainstays by using buttery-soft materials, hip looser fits, and cool details like triangular flies. Pure Something got glam with the kind of corseted, ruffled dresses not associated with Vancouver's sporty style scene. And chä-huth designs by Jeeti brought a burst of Bollywood to streetwear, pulling cropped sari tops over tanks and wrapping richly embroidered panels over jeans.

There was more-much more-but first, the answer to the pressing question, What is going on at Apparel B.C.? Since kicking off in '93, the group has mostly carried the flag for corporate-sized manufacturers and creators. But the past year has seen a whopping 33 members join since January-26 of them emerging, DIY designers.

The sea change came about, in part, because a year ago, Apparel B.C. discounted its fees and introduced a mentorship program for rookie talents. But executive director Jacqueline Kirby says the number of new recruits also reflects the province's growing wave of fresh designers-at the same time that there's a decline in the amount of clothing manufacturing going on here.

"The industry is changing quite dramatically," she told the Straight from her Vancouver offices after the show. "I've been with the association for five years, and when I started I went out to as many of our members' workplaces as I could. I remember when I walked into West Coast Apparel it was like walking into a football field." That scale of manufacturing was typical of the time, but now a lot of those businesses are sending more and more production offshore.

Instead, companies like TAG (The Apparel Group) specialize in the kind of small runs that upstart designers can afford. In addition, vertical retailers like Aritzia, which produce their own lines like Talula Babaton, are doing well. But there are also growing opportunities for emerging talents to appeal to the rising number of shoppers who covet one- or three-of-a-kind finds.

"When you drive around town you see the odd new designers popping up at the Block or Black Fly, but now Main Street is becoming a destination for people tired of the Banana Republics, with stores like Eugene Choo, Barefoot Contessa, and Narcissist," Kirby said.

The newer labels are also tapping niche markets to succeed in a competitive industry. Lotuswear is one of the lines appealing to the ever-more-specialized yoga business, adding fashion twists like little tie skirts over the hip of stretchy pants and mixing unexpected hues like coral and brown. At the show, Tension's T torqued up the usual human-pretzel looks with little flap pockets on the backs of pants and offbeat colour combos like sky blue and emerald green.

Far West Performance came out with a new meld of technical boardwear with streetwear: a mod, black-and-white, fitted suit for women and such offbeat detailing as diagonal pockets halfway down the legs of baggier men's pants. And Underdaaks displayed its retro-funky spin on lingerie, with green-and-white polka-dot camisoles and panties, as well as Garbo-worthy silk-satin slips.

But perhaps the fastest-growing specialty is menswear-a field almost nonexistent here in the past. Alongside Bring on the Bike was the new label Casa de Moda, with its luxe dress shirts. And Mala Kuja showed its guys' looks could be every bit as dramatic as its women's, with baroque-tattoo patterns winding up the spine and over one of the wide lapels of a stunning velvet jacket.

Several of B.C.'s new crop of designers are also drawing from their cultural heritages in fresh, contemporary ways. Chä-huth's slippery red shirt with elaborate gold-embroidered cuffs and collar made the male model wearing it look part Rajasthani prince, part rock star. And Earthline Fashion and Accessories' First Nations-influenced creations revived suede fringe: among the exquisitely crafted showstoppers was a men's jacket, emblazoned with red icons, that seemed geared to guitar gods-or at least their wannabes.

Dreamed Objects, Rev/Evo, Hylas & Nymph, Sweet Chemise-they're just a few of the other evocatively titled lines stirring things up at Apparel B.C. and on the local scene. Commit all these names to memory and you'll be surprised how easy it is these days for fashion addicts to buy British Columbian.