36 Hours, 1 Hour of Sleep, and a Thrifted Outfit: My Whirlwind Trip to Vancouver Fashion Week

 Let me set the scene: I got invited to Fashion Week, and 36 hours later I was on a plane with one hour of sleep, a thrifted outfit, and my mom who hadn't flown in 25 years by my side. This trip was chaotic, hilarious, and absolutely unforgettable. Here's how it went down.

The Outfit: A Pinterest Dream Turned Sewing Machine Nightmare

Fashion Week wasn’t something I thought I’d actually get to go to, so when the invite came, I was both excited, broke and slightly scared I was falling for an internet scam. Solution? Value Village. I had this dream to make a business-inspired alternative look from Pinterest, think suit meets edgy street style. I was going to cut up pants into a top and make a skirt from a button up. Spoiler alert: that did not happen.

Between limited sewing skills and even more limited time, it quickly turned into a sewing frenzy. I cut my finger on the sewing machine (don’t worry, nothing dramatic), and stayed up until 3 a.m. working on the outfit, despite having clients at 10 a.m. the next day and a 6 a.m. flight to catch. Zero sleep.

The Flight: Flair, Overpacked Bags, and Heat Stroke

We flew Flair because, let’s be real, it was the cheapest. We didn’t pay for bags, so I crammed everything into a single orange purse. At the airport, we were those people throwing on extra layers at check-in because our bags didn’t fit. It was boiling on the plane, I thought I was going to pass out, but we made it. The flight was just over an hour and surprisingly smooth.

The Baggage Storage Scavenger Hunt

Once we landed, things got real. I had never booked a hotel before (yes, I know), and check-in wasn’t until 4 p.m. even though we got in at 6 a.m. With tote bags, shoes, and no room to freshen up, I found an app that lets you store bags around the city. I pictured a sleek locker. Nope it was the back room of a bike rental shop. My mom, understandably nervous, ended up carrying her valuables in a bag we picked up at Dollarama.

The Church Bathroom Blessing

Speaking of Dollarama, that’s where our next adventure began. We needed a bathroom desperately. The nearby church had a lovely greeter who kindly let us in. As we’re washing up, someone asks my mom if it’s our first time there. She goes, “Oh no, we’re just using the bathroom.” The lady laughed and said, “That’s so cute.” It was one of those oddly sweet moments in the middle of travel chaos.

Getting Lost Before the Cherry Blossom Festival

We took public transit everywhere, and at one point we ended up an hour away from where we were supposed to be. I panicked trying to figure out Google Maps while my mom nearly got run over because she forgot Vancouver isn't Red Deer. We sprinted across the road with seven seconds on the crosswalk timer just to catch the bus.

The Cherry Blossom Festival was worth it absolutely beautiful. Blossoms were everywhere, and there were little pop-up shops I wish we had time (and bag space) to explore.

The Hotel Drama

We finally make it to the hotel at 4 p.m. ready to get glam. But then plot twist my brand-new credit card wouldn’t activate. I was this close to tears thinking we’d have to sleep outside. After trying it four different ways and calling the bank, it finally worked. We got in, stood in the middle of the room totally exhausted, and got ready for the show.

Fashion Week: Tears, Photographers, and Unexpected Magic

We Uber to the venue because walking 13 minutes in heels wasn’t happening. We get to the ticket scanner and my phone freezes. Like, black screen, nothing works. Thankfully, my mom’s ticket worked and they let me in as her plus one.

Inside, it’s packed. I'm overwhelmed, overtired, and having a small cry at the top of the balcony. But then we head downstairs to find seats, and a photographer stops me. He poses me, snaps some photos, and asks, “Are you a model or an influencer?” I'm speechless smiling like a kid in Christmas but trying to hold my cool. I mutter something about doing nails and we exchanged socials. 

We find two great seats in the third row and enjoy the show. The designs, the energy, everything was amazing. Afterwards, we changed into casual clothes and grabbed dinner at a cute restaurant. My phone was dying, so I didn’t get many videos, but the night was perfect.

The End (Almost)

We nearly missed our flight the next morning (another chaotic story for another time), but we made it.

36 hours. 1 hour of sleep. A thrifted outfit, a Fashion Week show, and a hundred little moments that made it one of the best experiences ever.

Thanks for coming on this wild ride with me!

Want to see the outfit, the show, and all the chaos in between? Check out my TikTok or Instagram @BryonneBeauty and follow along for more beauty, fashion, and lifestyle content!