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.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Lucian Matis
“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)
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Lucian Matis
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 do without. I didn’t like it in the 90s and I don’t really like it now. I have a weird feeling about the midriff when it’s part of a 50s silhouette.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Lucian Matis
This is the most accessible Lucian Matis collections I’ve seen. Lucian is know for impeccable work and crazy dresses but they haven’t been the most accessible to the average consumer. I watched this show and saw something that many women could wear in their daily lives. Okay, maybe not the transparency and the leather. Yes, the finale crocodile embossed leather looks. Wow. Wow. Wow.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Lucian Matis
You can see the rest of the looks from the Lucian Matis Spring Summer 2013 show at World Master Card Fashion Week after the jump.
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.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Evan Biddell
“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.â€(Source:Press Release)
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Evan Biddell
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 press kit included the video and I watched it in the comforts of my home. It’s one of those tweaked classical music backed, slow mo camera, voluminous and flowing fabrics with a wind machine shorts that are hauntingly beautiful when well done. I liked it, what do you think?
aMUSE is an eclectic collection featuring pop art, leather and animal prints. Most of all, it’s classic Biddell: loud prints, architectural shapes, fringe, leather and drapey asymmetry. Rita Tesolin created the jewellery. It’s massive. After the show Evan commented on how some broke due to the weight back stage. The next day I saw Stacey McKenzie rocking one of the runway looks. She created some contraception using tape to keep them on. Oh those fashion secrets.
The collection is based on the MUSE. An individual, more refined, more grown-up club kid. Glowing skin paired with overdrawn, intense glossy red lips, creating a HUGE impact on the runway. Grace and her team used Super Stay 14HR Lipstick in Ravishing Rouge and Color Sensational High Shine Gloss in Gleaming Grenadine to create the kissable lip.(source: Press Release)
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Evan Biddell
Classic Biddell isn’t something that only gets love from me. The collection needed to be bigger and it lacked the cohesion delivered in spring summer 2011. I liked his idea of a conveyor belt runway. It screwed with some photographers through. You can see the rest of the looks from the Spring Summer 2013 Evan Biddell show at World Master Card Fashion Week after the jump.
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.
Obviously I loved the collection like everything that Jeremy does. You can see more photos from the Jeremy Laing Spring Summer 2013 collection after the jump.
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.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pavoni
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 yours for the taking…â€
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pavoni
It’s a treat to see over the top evening wear on the runways in Toronto. The dresses are expertly crafted and exquisite living up to the Pavoni name. Pavoni is peacock in Italian.
The vision for Spring 2013 is high glamour, inspired by Versailles. A makeup artist’s dream, the look was lashes, liner, contouring and highlighting. Models wore decadent gowns and lids shimmered with gold and brown hues, while pouts were perfected with Color Sensational High Shine Gloss in neutral tones.(source: Press Release)
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pavoni
I’m never in the market for an ornate gown but the cocktail dresses and gowns in good old black and embroidery heavy black and camel are looking good to me.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pavoni
See more images from the Pavoni Spring Summer 2013 show at World Master Card Fashion Week after the jump.
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)
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan
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.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan
The second, darker half of the collection featured black and gold. It reminded me of when Sandy gets into her hot leather gear at the end of Grease. When Sandy isn’t wearing leather, I picture her wearing these Pink Tartan pieces.
Maybelline New York makeup artist Grace Lee created a natural, soft look. The delicate makeup was a mix of gorgeous dewy skin and feminine pink lips – complimenting the clean, architectural lines of the collection. Kim Newport-Mimran, President and Head Designer of Pink Tartan, is always on the lookout for what is fresh, new and inspiring – so having Maybelline New York muse Charlotte Free open and close the show ensured that these three elements were brought to the runway.(source: Press Release)
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan
This was also the debut of the Pink Tartan x Aldo Rise shoes. Glad to see another Canadian in the program.
Kimberley Newport-Mimran, President and Head Designer of Pink Tartan, teamed up with ALDO to design footwear as part of the ALDO RISE program. Working in collaboration with the ALDO footwear design team, the result is a timeless yet contemporary single soled pump that hits key trends for the season. Presented in graphic black and white, the block trapeze-shaped, metallic electroplated heel adds a chic modernity to the classic leather upper and almond toe. Equally luxurious is Pink Tartan’s signature quilted clover with repeating pattern on the leather insock and lining, offering the ultimate in comfort and sophistication.
“We’ve been fans of Pink Tartan from the get-go. They’re a proudly Canadian brand that continues to raise the bar while delivering right on target. Working with Kimberly has been a genuine pleasure – she’s a class act. Her elegant taste and timeless aesthetic pushed our design team to develop a style that feels like an instant classic.†– Douglas Bensadoun, Creative Director – VP Marketing, ALDO Group.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Pink Tartan
I enjoyed this collection. I thought the mint and pink would turn me off but I’m getting softer in my old age. It’s pretty easy to buy my love with full skirts in most absolute favourite length, the Tea Length. You can see the rest of the looks from the Spring Summer 2013 Pink Tartan show at World Master Card Fashion Week after the jump.
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.â€(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 show at all. Designers featured in the show included: Dsquared2, Lida Baday, Jeremy Laing, Pavoni, Smythe, Kenzo, Tom Ford, Victoria Beckham, YSL, Alexis Bittar, Ela, Dean Davidson, Lilliput, Maryam Keyhani, Michael Kors, Van der Straeten, Lanvin, Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Prada, Rosegold, Acne, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant, Burberry Porsum, Fendi, Dolce and Gabanna, Carven, Celine, Kenzo, Canada Goose, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Phillip Lim, Rag and Bone and Judith & Charles. The models were clad head to toe in Holt merchandise.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Holt Renfrew
It was an uneventful show but I bet this gamble paid off for Holt Renfrew. I’m sure it stirred up some fashion emotions in people and I bet sales in the items featured are up. I’m kinda surprised Holt Renfrew didn’t show in season merchandise for all their runway shows. There were a lot of drool worthy items in the show and I love, love, love this Celine coat.
Photos: Paul Ross and Mirian Njoh for OPIQUE / Top of the Runway
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.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Jean Pierre Branganza
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.
TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Jean Pierre Branganza
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. TFW Spring Summer 2013 – Jean Pierre Branganza
See more photos and a video from the Jean-Pierre Branganza Spring Summer 2013 show.
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.
“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 for all things stylish. We encourage everyone to experience all that Toronto has to offer.â€
In addition to the new title sponsor, the FDCC brought in Maybelline New York as the make up sponsor. Maybelline New York is part of L’Oreal Group so this is an interesting change of brands. Torontonian, Grace Lee, Lead Make Up Artist Canada will be the head makeup guru for the week.
“I am honoured to represent this amazing brand and use my experience to forecast the beauty trends for Fall at World MasterCard Fashion Week,†says Lee. “I’m most excited about showcasing new products backstage – the looks I’ll be creating with the designers will be so accessible and affordable for the consumer. Canadians will learn firsthand how to make runway beauty wearable.â€
Finally, Redken 5th Avenue Canada is the new official hair sponsor for WMCFW. Toronto backstage team will be lead by Jorge Joao, Redken Global Performing Artist, professional hair stylist and]salon co-owner of KOI Hair Studio.
“Working with designers to create a memorable look that helps build their fashion story is key,†says Joao. “The Redken team is committed and we look forward to delivering new silhouettes, textures and styles for Canadian fashion.â€
This is some major switching of the guards happening here and I’m very curious to see what these new players bring to Toronto Fashion Week. I’m excited about fashion week again. I like this feeling.
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 underpinnings were brilliant. The models wore slouchy, sheer knit leggings and thermal underwear like bodysuits with exposed full brief panties and occasional nipple. Knits of all textures covered the shoes. There were thigh high or little booties with chunky knits or Mongolian hair. Scarves and wraps were so rich in texture they looked opulent.   I died over the cream and black long ruffled scarves again (I did it first at the lookbook photoshoot). The clothing was a display of all the different techniques Line Knitwear has to offer in a variety of sweater dresses, cardigans, scarves, ponchos, tank tops, tshirts and sweaters. The collection stuck to black, grey and crème for the most part but a few looks were in seafoam and coral. They stuck to a single print which resembled tree branches.
I really enjoyed the show.  John and Jennifer received a well deserved standing O. Great models and amazing clothing you can’t go wrong. I can’t think of a better way to introduce a Canadian success story to the Toronto fashion community.  I received a copy the final lookbook a few days before the show.  It was interesting to see what wasn’t shown. The 40+ looks shown are less than half of what is available for buyers to purse.  Line also does great leather jackets. I know that Fawn carries them.
See the full collection
Photos of the Line Fashion Show Taken by Paul Baik for I want – I got www.paulbaikphoto.com
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 Erza man is casual but never unstylish. The men’s collection styling was heavily influenced by the military and soldiers. The makeup inferred a recent battle or the calm before the final push. There were multiple wars references from the civil war to WW2. I dare say there was a “suicide bomber” reference too but that could have just been my gut reaction to the hooded man wearing a black vest with multiple pockets stomping up the runway. The collection was really strong and everything seemed to fit. I normally can find some things to nitpick about, but not this time. I was most impressed with the outerwear, lots of great coats for men for Fall Winter 2010 – 2011.
The Greta Constantine woman asserted herself on Friday and made sure everyone was paying attention. The Greta girl had looks for the office, a night on the town and the fundraising gala. It was a cohesive collection of that seemed to distill the core Greta girl look ported to different fabrics. This included jerseys dresses in poly, wool and sequined jersey. Office Greta was a the series of Wool jersey pieces which provided enough structure to look boardroom ready and enough drape to be Greta Constantine. I would love to spruce up my office attire with a few of these beauties. You had your classic jersey Greta party dresses that everyone loves and craves. There was the added twist of shimmer thanks to the sequins. They looked beautiful on the runway in motion. Finally, it was party girl Greta with leather panel boot leggings paired with goat hair and fur vests. All I have to say is that I need those leather boot leggings, HOT!
Both collections presented a new maturity from Kirk and Stephen. I know it’s been said a lot but maturity is really the best word to describe it. They are really coming into stride with in finding out who Greta and Erza are? I know I’m a little bias in my love for Greta but I really believe this was the best collection I’ve seen from them to date. The Greta Constantine collection looked like money in the bank walking down that runway. There were so many wearable and beautiful pieces. I wanted it all. Erza Constantine impressed me a lot, even more so than Greta. It didn’t look like Erza’s second time around the block at all.
You can see the slideshow of the complete show and backstage photos.
Of course another great thing about a Greta and Erza Constantine show is seeing old friends and new all dressed up. I’m in way too many of these photos so please forgive me.
Let’s give you my Greta and Erza Constantine outfit breakdown: Erdem Dress, H&M tights, Dries Van Noten boots, Vintage Rattan-ish clutch
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 cable print dress doesn’t fit either, but it was my favourite piece of the collection. I was glad to see the focus there.
So Breeyn’s collection put me in a good mood. I was a well executed show and I didn’t hate the clothing. When I got home it wasn’t long before I had the site up and running again.
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 also walked for Emporio Armani. He showed me a picture of him and Giorgio Armani on his blackberry. It was so adorable.
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.
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.
For the Philip Sparks Spring 2010 show, I went with the equestrian vibe. The blazer was a find at a random vintage shop in the city. The ruffled top is from Suzy Shier, yes, that Suzy. I can’t remember the type of denim I was wearing, it wasn’t anything special. My trusty Goffredo Fantini boots pulled the look together.
Day 1 of LG Fashion Week I wore a one of a kind piece from the Spring 2008 Jeremy Laing. It was quite a hit at the Holt Renfrew Media Cocktail. I wore my Goffredo Fantini boots and some chunky bracelets, most of which are cheap except for the Marni one.
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.
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 Hoax Couture’s dare to create luxe gowns made of rich, eye-catching fabrics sourced from African communities who work with the SLF. Each designer will be asked to have their own family, friends and supporters sponsor this dare with the goal of raising $50,000 for the SLF. Jim Searle and Chris Tyrell of Hoax Couture will also personally ask the fashion community to get involved by making a donation to this cause at http://www.daretowearlove.com.
This was one of my highlights of the week. I was really excited to see what our Canadian designers would create using super colourful African prints. I walked in to find that I was placed in the front row, yay. When I got in the runway room I saw that I was sitting next to Jeanne Beker.  I was a little nervous to say the least but it was all for nothing as Jeanne wasn’t attended. I sat besides David Livingstone from The Star. I crudely introduced myself and told him I was a fan of his work. Totally lame I know, I didn’t know what to say. I will say this of David, he has the best “get the hell out of a show fast” technique I’ve ever seen. He gets full kudos for that from me.
The show started with some words from the Hoax Couture boys and Stephen Lewis followed by a choir. The show started after that. It was one of those designer celeb combos that are so popular at fashion week here. There were a few models that totally hammed it up on the runway which was hilarious. I particularly liked Jully Black and Jessi Cruichshank turns down the runway. Natasha Rose had the most graceful walk as she flawlessly danced down the runway, it was quite beautiful.
25 designers presented their garments and many were true to their style, for example David Dixon, Greta Constantine, Mercy and Evan Biddell. Some designers pushed the boundaries like Izzy Camilleri, Pam Chorley and Comrags (pictured below).
I’m bias in my favourite dress because I’m a huge fan of Rose, the model. She looked amazing in Ross Mayer’s creation. I loved the head piece and colours.
We were treated to a drum performance at half time. They had colourful outfits on too.
All the looks featured will be auctioned off at a later date and the proceeds will goto the Stephen Lewis Foundation. In the meantime you can donate to the cause on the Date to Wear Love website.
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 expecting from some designers this season since it was so prevalent during fashion month.
Joe continued the horrible clog trend that Chanel started this season. I’m predicting to hit next summer hard, how awful. Most of the garments where your standard fare. Lots of separates for men and women and cute dresses.
I wasn’t a big fan of the circular applique details. I wish the shirts that incorporated this detail would use all over instead of leaving the back details free. Thankfully the jacket and skirts weren’t given the same treatment. The eyelet jacket just threw me for a loop, it seemed so out of place.
Despite a lot of the things I didn’t like there were a few pieces I really enjoyed. I liked a lot of the little white dresses especially the shirt dress versions. I enjoyed the cuffed shorts but not the bloomers. I even liked the high waisted bootie shorts in theory, I’m hoping they aren’t available for sale. I enjoyed the menswear more, it was preppy and sporty. They weren’t wearing clogs, I think that helped too.
I’m a little bias about Joe, I’ll admit it. I don’t shop there often as it’s out of my way to get to. Whenever I do, I’m disappointed in the selection as it’s never as fashion forward as it projects. I’ve never been happy with the quality, stuff falls apart or pills quickly. That being said, I’m always disappointed when I miss out on Joe gems like the white brogues from Spring 09.
Out of the battle of the lower priced lines Attitude by Sears won based on presentation for me. I enjoyed the silhouette of the clothing and the colour palette much more. In the quality battle, we’ll just have to wait until Joe Fresh and Attitude by Sears hit the store floors to choose a winner.
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.
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 then. Things like the button on the back of a collar made no functional or design sense to me.
There were a couple dresses that stood out for me in Katrina’s collection. The yellow with folder fabric detail was a favourite.
The grey dress that used buttons for pinning fabric into a slightly ruffled detail was a great use of her signature button detail.
Katrina only started her line in 2007 and it’s only taken her two years to get to LG Fashion Week. She’s a young woman at 21 and I’ll be interested to see how her career progresses and matures.
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 stuff on in the stores.
The show was well produced. I like the finale with the models wearing the great cropped pants and different black and white tshirts. The music was a lot of fun too.
Interesting developments in the line is that they have sizing that runs from 0 – 16 so that it’s available for a wide range of women. Price points are from $25 – $100. Attitude is a Canadian production using an internal design team.
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 the shorts and slim pants that used a wrinkle free linen like poly material. I would prefer real linen but I can appreciate the idea of a wrinkle free version. However, the pants and shorts were pretty tight so I can’t really see an opportunity for wrinkles to form. I didn’t like some of the shoulder detailing used but I thought the tucks in the purple bolero were an interesting detail.
I felt there was no theme running thought the collection to tie it all together. I thought Katharine Hepburn inspired the collection since the fashion show opened with a clip from one of her movies. If there was a connection, I didn’t see it in the clothing. I did see a couple of looks based off of current season Jil Sander. They were very distinct pieces when they came out in March. I thought this was an improvement on his Project Runway Canada venture which I saw last season. A move from taffeta would make me even more happy.
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, a definite highlight.
