Thomas Tait is one of the four designers that showcased their Spring Summer 2012 collections with the the shOws at the Ritz-Carlton. the shOws is the brainchild of Paola Fullerton.
“Our aim is to put the spotlight on Canadian Designers, Hair and Makeup Artists and Models and build a property that benefits not only our designers, artists and retailers but also our supportive sponsors, by showcasing the very best of Canadian talent at home and abroad to our media, buyers and stylists.
The purpose of The ShOws is to bring together our most talented and creative Canadian designers each season and allow them to present their collections here in Toronto to the fashion industry without incurring any production costs themselves. We want to support them here at home and give them every possible opportunity to continue to build their brands.” – Paola Fullerton, Founder & Creative Director
Thomas Tait studied at La Salle College in Montreal and then went on to graduate with an MA from London’s Central Saint Martins. He was the youngest person to do so. Thomas’s second collection is my first real exposure to Tait’s designs. I had heard his name before but was pretty ignorant to what the collection looked like.
The show started out with some Balenciaga like cocoon coats. This would be typical of his minimal design focus. Many pieces had voluminous shapes that hid the curves of the body and produced a straight line silhouette. The styling, colour palette and clothing made me think of golf and tennis for some reason. Thomas Tait had a really interesting fabric that shimmered in the light and had a bit of texture. Thanks to the internet I learned that it is a pleated jersey with a clear print and coloured foil overlay. It worked well with his neutrals of black and white as well as the pastel pink and greens that added a pops of colour.
Overall, I liked the collection. I love the minimal silhouette and the fabric treatments. Thomas Tait collaborated with Cutler and Gross on the fabulous eyewear.
Full collection photos for Thomas Tait’s Spring Summer 2012 on torontolife.com.
Image: Jenna Marie Wakani, Cutler and Gross Facebook