All posts tagged: TEFW

Lucian Matis SS 13

TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Lucian Matis

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Lucian Matis fashion shows are just an absolute delight. Lucian gave us prints, transparency and leather for the spring summer 2013 Lucian Matis collection. The prints are lust worthy. The images chosen for the prints added depth to garments and made use of seams to create direction and structure with the print on the manipulated fabric. “I named this collection MOSAIC as it is inspired by the mosaics of Morocco in contrast with the transparency and neutrality of the papyrus,” says designer Lucian Matis of his latest collection, “I was always taken and inspired by the beauty of the Moroccan art and it’s ornate elements. Spring/Summer 2013 seemed to be the perfect timing for this inspiration.” Present throughout the collection were a mix of custom pattern designed fine cottons, silks, leather, and crocodile embossed leather (Source: Press Release) It was slowly becoming apparent that two trends were going to dominate fashion week: the Peplum and the Midriff. I love the peplum and hope it turns into a trend that sticks around. The Midriff I could …

Evan Biddell SS 13

TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Evan Biddell

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Evan Biddellwas one of my must see shows during the Spring Summer 2013 World Master Card Fashion Week in Toronto. This was my must see show of the week. I planned to drop Tuesday from my fashion week plans as it conflicted with the New Order concert but I couldn’t miss Evan. He took a break from fashion week after the amazing Kingdom collection of Spring Summer 2011. aMUSE, is the title of the Spring Summer 2013 Evan Biddell collection. “This collection isn’t about fads or colour trends, it’s about a girl and her multi-faceted personalities.” says Biddell, “her style is bipolar of sorts, she doesn’t care what other people are wearing, nor does she care if you approve of what she is wearing.”(Source:Press Release) The show began with a short film created by Evan and Atomic Clock Cinematic Arts Inc. I’m not a big fan of screening a short film before a show. It’s usually hard to see and people can only pay attention for so long when they can’t see. Thankfully the USB …

Jeremy Laing Spring Summer 2013

TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Jeremy Laing

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I’m so delighted that Jeremy Laing has fashion shows in Toronto now. Seeing his clothes in person can’t be matched, even with the great video and streaming technology that exists today. The Spring Summer 2013 Jeremy Laing collection brought me back to the mid nineties. I was in university and spending my time going to concerts and dancing at raves in front of much too loud speakers. The models walked by and Snug Industries kept popping into my head. Then the pants reminded me of the printed sarong wrap pants like the kind you could buy from a vendor at Lollapalooza in Barrie. I was having a full on 90s flashback. The sportswear theme ran strong in this collection with shapes influenced by basketball and baseball. Jeremy continued the layering theme of fall winter 2012 into spring by utilizing lightweight fabrics. Embellishments on the shoulders, flak vests and bombers gave a military/urban warrior feeling. The colour palette was called Swamp Deco because of a recent trip to New Orléans. It included a lot of slate, …

TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pavoni

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The spring summer 2013 Pavoni show was fun. I usually don’t pay much attention to evening wear and when I do my style is sleek and understated. I saw Sister Act, The Musical a couple weeks ago. That show was full of sequins. There were everywhere and the light hit them from all angles. I was memorized. A sequin/shiny switch clicked in my brain and now I’m paying attention. Designers Gianni Falcone and Mike Derderian were inspired by Le Chateau de Versailles and all the opulence of that doomed age. The guys had this to say about their inspiration: “The allure of decadence, the glamour of a time long passed… This season, “Le Chateau de Versailles” and all its opulence becomes our muse. Let this PAVONI collection whisk you away to a place where sultry lace, jewel encrusted silk, glistening gold and unbridled romance defined an era! Sneak away to the lush royal gardens to steal a kiss under the moonlight, or dance till dawn in the hall of mirrors. For tonight, the world is …

Pink Tartan SS 13

TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan

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Pink Tartan brought out the a list fashion folk. She enlisted Maybelline New York Spokesmodel Charlotte Free and Irina Lazareanu to model. Annabel Tollman, celebrity stylist lent a hand to pull the runway looks together. “This collection has been inspired by geometric shapes, sharp lines and defined angles. I have incorporated an intricate geometric cut or detail into each piece of the collection in a non-traditional manner. The end result is a collection that dynamic, exciting and ultimately Pink Tartan this season.” – says President and Head Designer, Kim Newport-Mimran (source: Press Release) The collection looked influenced by the 50s and Greaser culture. There were plenty of full skirts, sweetheart necklines and high-waisted bottoms. There were a lot of classic shapes featured but the details were in the fabric and colour choices. I enjoyed the contrast of the show. There was the first, lighter half with the delicate mint, pink, white and silver. The brocade details add some texture and uniqueness classic looks. The second, darker half of the collection featured black and gold. It …

Holt Renfrew Fall Winter 2012

TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Holt Renfrew

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The tile of this post is a bit of a misnomer because Holt Renfrew didn’t show any looks from the spring summer 2013 season. Instead they opted for a showcase of merchandise Canadian and international that is available in stores now. I don’t have much to say about in general since these clothes originally went down the catwalk in March. “Tonight we’re proud to present a special take on ‘Canadian Catwalk’ — celebrating Holt Renfrew as the destination for those who love fashion”, said Alix Box, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Holt Renfrew. “Our runway showcases this unique moment in our 175 year history with an inspiring collection of contemporary and designer fashions to wear right now.”(source: Press Release) Holts opted to hold a breakfast fashion show that showcased their Canadian designer’s spring summer 2013 collections. I missed this cause it was too early in the morning, ha ha. The show had about 65 looks and they had all the best models ripping through those looks. It didn’t seem like a long …

TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Jean-Pierre Branganza

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Jean-Pierre Branganza is another ex-pat living in London. He’s the kind of designer who I could see myself dressing head to toe in (If I could afford it that is). Saying his name to anyone who asks “who are you wearing” would be a hoot too. The man has the best name. I love his angular designs rendered in bright colours. His clothing reminds me of the near future, something I always gravitate to. The Jean-Pierre Branganza Spring Summer 2013 collection was inspired by Ukrainian artist/designer Zinaida Lihacheva’spaintings “Transormation” and “Touch”.The results are bold and work very well with the Jean-Pierre Branganza aesthetic. As a fan, the collection didn’t disappoint. I want everything. Jean-Pierre’s shift dresses are always a staple in my mind but the jumpsuits and suiting looked really great. He stuck to his signature bold colour and geometric aesthetic. He is another designer who had a strong style that makes it a signature and unmistakeable. See more photos and a video from the Jean-Pierre Branganza Spring Summer 2013 show.

TFW Spring Summer 2013 РChlo̩ Comme Parris

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I just wanted to start by thanking Chloé comme Parris sarcastically for reminding me that I won’t be in L.A. this November like last year. The Spring Summer 2013 collection was a dreamy California trip. I almost expected to see a wave crash down on the opposite end of the runway. It made me miss California in a big way. The collection’s fabrics had a delicate, sun bleached feel. There was lot of flowing silk chiffon in shirts, caftans and spaghetti strap, floor grazing sundresses. Strategic thigh slits brought a bit of sex appeal to this All American Girl collection. The duo also featured their Spring Summer 2013 jewellery collection and I spotted my next set of statement earrings. The Shaped hoop earrings are just so good. The leather shorts are fantastic and have such a flattering cut.  The dusty pink leather moto jacket was another standout piece of the collection. Chloe Chloé Parris delivered another beautiful collection. I’m impressed at how Chloé and Parris have created such a focused identity for the brand. It’s …

Toronto Fashion Week’s New Players

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The Fall Winter 2012 – 2013 fashion season is approaching. The FDCC has cleaned house and the event formerly called LG Toronto Fashion Week Beauty by L’Oréal Paris is now called World MasterCard Fashion Week. Yes, one long name for another long name. I hate to say that both are kinda obnoxious but events need sponsors and that jazz. However, I also lament the lack of Toronto in the new name and with the event in general. I’ll probably go back to using TEFW (Toronto Extended Fashion Week) to describe our two weeks of fashion a season. Apparently, I called this new fashion week partnership way back in November in a drunken conversation I don’t remember when Danielle visited. “World MasterCard Fashion Week is one of the world’s most anticipated fashion events bringing together established names, emerging designers and luxury brands,” said Betty DeVita, President of MasterCard Canada. She adds, “Fashion is a key element of our Priceless Toronto and global Priceless Cities initiative. Through Fashion Week we are celebrating Toronto as Canada’s quintessential destination …

Line Knitwear Fall Winter 2010

TEFW – Line Knitwear Fall Winter 2010

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I’ve been excited for the Line Knitwear Fall Winter 2010 fashion show since I learned about it from John Muscat and Jennifer Wells. I went to the Fall Winter 2010 Lookbook photoshoot a few months back. I spend the day hanging out with the crew and getting a great preview of all the Fall merchandise. I was all over it, a full range of textures and weights in knits and the leathers jackets. The collection has all my favourite shapes and details: long, oversized, sheer, chunky and dramatic movement. All the pieces were stylish and functional. I wanted all the looks. I wanted to see which pieces they would pull and use to present as a collection. They would be presenting a single message for Line Knitwear.  They shot over 100 looks that day, it’s a lot of clothing to edit.  I was also interested to see what underpinnings they would come up with to complement. The Line Fall Winter 2010 fashion show was at The Oasi at 99 Sudbury St.  A large warehouse space …

TEFW – Greta Constantine and Erza Constantine Fall Winter 2010 – 2011

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The Audi dealership would host Kirk and Stephen once more as they presented the Greta and Erza Constantine Fall Winter 2010 – 2011 collections.  The boys seem to have great sponsors with Audi, Stolichnaya, Glaceau smartwater, ALDO, and Ame. There were no Rado wristbands when checking in this time instead I presented with a plexiglass rectangle engraved with the words “Greta Constantine” and a gold sticker with my seating assignment. It was a great touch and a nice little keepsake after the show. Paul Baik, my amazing Photographer was with me to catch-all the action. We went backstage to an unusually prepared team, it seemed they were waiting on the audience. I was in awe, where was the craziness and drama? It was none to find, only models milling around eating (yes, eating), talking and taking photos. It was a night of the urban, doomed heroes and the dark, noir dames. The collections are both urban and modern but completely divergent. Erza is your prototypical urban dweller, covered in layers of fashion forward garments. The …

TEFW – Breeyn McCarney Fall Winter 2010 – 2011

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I was in a foul mood when I arrived at the Courthouse to see Breeyn McCarney Fall Winter 2010 collection. I want – I got had been down for most of the day and I wanted to get home and fix it. Everything else was irrelevant at that point. Hard Boiled Wonderland was the name of the Fall Winter 2010 – 2011 collection. Haruki Murakami is what comes to mind when I think Hard Boiled Wonderland. I don’t think the ultra feminine style presented on the Breeyn runway had much to do with surrealist, cyberpunk literature. Breeyn had a mixture of knits, wool plaid, distressed cotton, mohair, bamboo and leather. She utilized rabbit fur, beads, leather and pearls as embellishments. The result was a cute collection of party dresses and sweaters. Lots of feminine details like bodices and corset like It was a cohesive collection for the most part. The final dress was out of place. It would have worked if it was the same colour palette as the rest of the collection. The jersey …

TEFW – Philip Sparks Fall Winter 2010 – 2011

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Didn’t get a chance to attend Philip Sparks’ Fall Winter 2010 – 2011 show? Well they have produced a great runway video of the show that includes close ups of the outfits. I’m an unabashed Philip Sparks fan so it’s pretty hard for him not to please me. I love the Philip Sparks sailor and what great models to represent him. The presentation format was excellent. I like the half runway half installation idea and it was a nice change up. The attention to detail is always excellent and the Burroughes Building once again served as a fantastic backdrop. I was so happy to see my favourite model David C from Elmer. The last time I saw him I was at Elmer Olsen’s Christmas party. David was going to Europe for the men’s collections. I told him I hoped to see him on my computer screen. I nearly spewed coffee over my monitor when he turned up in the Alexander McQueen fall 2010 collection. Holy Shit, David walked McQueen. I later found out that David …

i want: Paper Doll book by Danielle Meder

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Paper Doll book by Danielle Meder Danielle has taken her paper dolls from LG Fashion Week and turned them into a book. 15 designers, 17 paper dolls, over 60 items of clothing and accessories to play with. This is the result of a rather involved project I gave to myself to commemorate the Spring 2010 collections shown in Toronto this October. The resulting dolls are available in a book from Blurb for $42.95 USD. image:finalfashion.ca

Toronto’s Own Edition of the Fashion Week Daily

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LG Fashion Week this year featured something pretty neat. Toronto got its own edition of the Fashion Week Daily. I was obsessed with this mag when I was in NYC for the Spring 2008 collection. I’m not sure if the magazine was available anywhere else but the tents. It came out towards the end of LG Fashion Week and I was really impressed with their turnaround time. I’ve scanned the magazine, sans ads, so that you can enjoy it.

TEFW Outfits – Greta Constantine Spring 2010

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Of course I was representing Greta at their show. I wore one of the jackets from the Fall 2009 collection. I paired it with a white tank top and amazing leather leggings from Danier. I’ve been so impressed with Danier lately, they are stepping up their style game. I even bought a leather motorcycle jacket from them recently. I knew my quest for a Rick Owens version was probably years away. I wore my Luxury Rebel booties and with my purple Marc Jacobs bag. image: Jason Howlett

TEFW – Dare To Wear Love Spring 2010

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There are times when I can’t find the words to talk about a topic. It can be a fashion show, event, etc. I end up sitting on the post until it comes to me and that is why this final LG Fashion Week show review on Dare to Wear Love is so late. The Dare to Wear Love show, full of beautiful fashion, dance and music inspired by Africa. The multi-faceted collaboration is the largest public dare of the SLF’s new fundraising initiative A Dare to Remember. Recently launched, the nationwide initiative challenges Canadians to take on dares of all kinds to raise awareness and funds for the grassroots organizations in Africa that are on the frontlines of the AIDS pandemic. More than 25 top designers, including Lida Baday, Brian Bailey, Brose, Pam Chorley, Wayne Clark, Comrags, David Dixon, Evan Biddell, Farley Chatto, Greta Constantine, Izzy Camilleri, Linda Lundström, Lucian Matis, Ross Mayer, Jason Meyers, Price Roman, Mercy, Thomas Chung, Ines de Santos, Peach Berserk, Pat McDonagh, Reva Mivasagar and Ula Zukowska, have committed to …

TEFW – Joe Fresh Spring 2010

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It was the battle of the lower priced lines on Wednesday at LG Fashion Week. I had already seen a wonderful collection from Attitude by Sears and it was Joe Fresh turn to showcase the Spring 2010 collection. This season, Joe had Keith Richards’ daughter Theodora opening and closing the show. I have to admit I didn’t know who she was until afterwards. The colour palette was very boring to me. Lots of cream and white with yellow, blue and pink thrown in for a few looks. My pictures paid the price with this colour palette. The lighting wasn’t great if you weren’t in the front row and many of my pictures got washed out. I was screaming for something dramatic in the colour department but it never came.  The styling confused me.  Was the show a mix of underwear and outerwear? I saw bras over top of shirts and dresses that looked like shapewear, girls wearing underwear but no bottoms. Sheer shirts and jackets were a big part of his collection which I was …

TEFW – Sculptz Spring 2010

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Sculptz is a shapewear company that started in 1974 and still has a manufacturing base in the United States. They differentiate themselves from other companies with their use of bold colours and prints. They had a small show in the showroom at LG Fashion Week to preview their Spring 2010 collection.

TEFW – Katrina Tuttle Spring 2010

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Katrina Tuttle is proud that she never when to fashion design school. I would say she might want to reconsider that statement as it looked like she could use a little help in the construction side of things. Towards the end of the collection my inklings about fit and construction of the line were confirmed. In the front row you get a better look at the clothing and their imperfections. One pretty grey skirt came down the runway with zipper side completely open. The finale dress was painful to watch. The model was holding it up from falling with the sides of her arms. It looked very unnatural and you could feel the model’s anxiety of keeping the dress up. The collection was mostly a series of short cocktail dresses. I didn’t see any noticeable theme so it was a typical hodge podge of fabrics, silhouettes and garments. Katrina has a lot of potential. I saw her at FAT earlier in the year and I still stand by the unnecessary details comment I made back …

TEFW – Attitude by Sears Spring 2010

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This was the surprise collection of my time at LG Fashion Week. I really enjoyed what I saw. I had a little preview of Attitude before I left for India. I was impressed with the more fashionable direction they were moving the line in. This show at the tents blew me away with what they have in store for spring. The colour palette was simple, black, white, gray, royal blue and dashes of coral. The collection was easy relaxed sportswear with ruffles, strong shoulders, one shoulder, stripes and polka dots details. Pegged pants, boyfriend blazers, shorts, biker jackets, tops and little black dresses were the key pieces of the fashion forward, 80s influenced collection. They even threw in a couple of jumpers that were pretty nice. I’m a huge fan of the cropped pleated pant, the slouchy cardigans and blazers which had a slit detail in he back. Sears won the battle of the low priced brands for me that night. I was impressed with the collection and can’t wait for February so try this …

TEFW – Jason Meyers Spring 2010

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As I was reading the list sheet for Jason Meyers’ spring 2010 show I noticed a of couple things. He included suggested retail prices for all of his clothing. He’s launching an online store on November 1, 2009. How much taffeta was in this collection. Taffeta is one of my most hated fabrics. It reminds me of bad formal dress from grade school. I hate the way it feels and it’s draping properties. It reminds me of Barbie honestly and you all know my relationship with her. Jason’s collection was full of embellishments, some of which I didn’t see the value in. Too many ruffles of various sizes adorned clothing. I felt they distracted from the clothing and all I could remember were the ruffles. For example the first look has ruffles on both sides of the garment along with puff sleeves and a huge bow. Too many details which just lead to my confusion about the garment.  When things weren’t being over-embellished they were very body conscious, 80s influenced, minimal and short. I did like …

TEFW – Rita Liefhebber Spring 2010

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I was already home and ready to start writing when I got a message that I should head down to The Black Hoof to see Rita Liefhebber collection. I put some some relaxed clothing and my Final Fashion Dr. Martens and headed out. I was so glad I did but pissed I forgot my camera. I had to use my blackberry. The presentation was in the back room in the restaurant. There were a steady stream of people when I arrived. I learned the kitchen was making appetizers. I was in heaven as the food at The Black Hoof is amazing, a meat eater’s paradise. Finally, I made my way inside the white room. Two rows of models lined two walls. They each were wearing a different look from the collection. It was very well done. I loved the colour palette of grey, black and punches of seafoam. There were a lot of pieces I would wear from the collection including the black dress with triangle panels. This was an unexpected treat of fashion week, …