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Prints haven’t scared off the Juma siblings and I’m so happy about that. I ranted and raved about the Spring Summer 2011 collection. Alia and Jamil decided to do a print heavy spring collection which was something new for them. Normally, Juma is associated with neutral colours and a lot of black. It was a great pairing of silhouettes and prints. The Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection continues to hunt east for its inspiration. Tibet, Thailand & Shezhen’s local tapestry work and wildlife shaped the vibrant colour and intricate designs the duo developed for the 2011 fall winter collection. To modernize the prints, they distorted and layered them as well as added gradients of colour including midnight blue, burnt corals, olive, tangerine, nude and black. The multicoloured knits were inspired by the thick, colourful wool blankets that mountain people wrap around themselves during the winter months in Tibet.(source: press release) It’s safe to say I loved this collection from Juma as much as spring summer. I want it all. I didn’t get any photos …
Jason Morikawa is a good friend of mine. He’s also a senior buyer at Holt Renfrew. I loved his super matchy matchy LG Fashion Week outfit. It’s all about the scarf and the shirt for me. The scarf is from Paris, of course. Jason says he was channeling Dries Van Noten with this patterned scarf and floral shirt combination. I encouraged the purchase of this Prada tote. It’s a great size and has a messenger strap too. It also matches his belt. I told you he was matchy matchy.
The ATTITUDE Jay Manuel Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 started out with a video. I’m not a fan of the video before the fashion show. Rarely do they contribute something meaningful to the collection. I’ve seen a couple of good ones by Evan Biddell and I enjoyed Holt Renfrew’s for the Spring Summer 2011 season. What a difference a celebrity can make. The video didn’t sit well with me as it basically was like “hey look at how much work Jay Manuel has put into this line. He did it all by himself.”  In previous seasons, ATTITUDE would acknowledge the creative team who developed the line. I really liked that Sears acknowledged it was a team effort. Now, Sears wants us to believe Jay Manual is the sole creative force behind ATTITUDE. He even came out alone at the end of the show. In general, ATTITUDE Jay Manuel Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection was what I expected. Retail friendly trends: the 70s, military, leather and fur (both faux). Jay was also drinking the Proenza …
Izzy Camilleri and Adrian Mainella are back again for IZMA‘s 70s glam rock influenced Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection. I got more of an old Hollywood feel from the styling, hair and makeup during the show. However, the colours and jumpsuits are all 70s though. Sustainable furs used this fall winter 2011 – 2012 season included coyote, lapin (rabbit) and fox. Is it bad that I liked the non fur portion of the IZMA show more than the fur? I’m beginning to realize that I’m a traditionalist when it comes to fur. Grandma fur resonates with me than more than this modern stuff. I guess the Fall Winter 2010 – 2011 IZMA collection had just enough grandma to win me over. The Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 coats with the gold and silver detailing were marvels of construction but I they didn’t work for me aesthetically. The smaller the fur piece the more I liked it. The capelets, boleros and stoles I really liked with my favourite being the fox and organza bolero in …
I have been kinda lukewarm to Rita Liefhebber‘s last two collections. Nothing has touched the enjoyment I received from the Spring Summer 2009 collection. It had it all, a super cool presentation space in the back of The Black Hoof and lots of great food. Rita Liefhebber Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 presentation at Jonathan+Olivia almost brought me back to that Spring Summer 2009 high. It was all about the tops and jackets for me anything else barely registered. I just loved the hand crafted splatter and tie-dye which add an artistic touch to minimalist clothing. The usual winter fabrics like wool, cashmere and mohair were used. Rita also jumped on the velvet trend that everyone in Toronto is doing. The tie-dye velvet shirts are just beautiful. Rita’s inspiration was: “globular clusters, Gamma-ray bubbles, spheroid halo, local fluff”. The jackets were also standout pieces for me. The collection has a very “model off duty” look to it. You can pair pieces with jeans and boots or dress it up with a jacket and heels. I …
