All posts tagged: Toronto Fashion Week

Rita Liefhebber Fall Winter 2011 – 2012

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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 …

Greta and Ezra Constantine Fall Winter 2011 – 2012

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I had a little peek of a few items from the collection at various times prior to the show. First visit was jersey dresses and the second visit was the long melton wool kimono inspired jackets. There was talk of velvet in the studio as I swung the jacket over my shoulders. Greta in velvet, I thought, that could be interesting. Little did I know that velvet would be everywhere this Toronto Fashion Week. Kirk and I talked about the inspiration which included the Orient and a link between past and future.       The show was back at Audi. I like the venue but it’s shitty to take pictures in. Of course, torontolife.com captured the entire Greta Constantine Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection. They have a great photographer that got way better shots than me. The collection surprised me in a good way. It wasn’t just jersey dresses; Kirk and Stephen were dressing for a Canadian winter. Greta Constantine’s Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection is romantic and sultry. The colours were …

The Heart Truth Fashion Show Fall Winter 2011 – 2012

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I made a last minute executive decision to skip The Heart Truth Fashion Show. I went to see Rita Liefhebber’s Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection at Jonathan+Olivia instead. I was more intrigued with what Rita would be producing for fall. Their PR team followed up with a link to the livestream feed if you are interested in checking out the action. Canadian celebrities strutted the catwalk tonight modeling one-of-a kind red dresses by top Canadian fashion designers to raise awareness about women’s risk for heart disease and stroke at the fourth annual Heart Truth Fashion Show. “We’re reaching Canadian women with this lifesaving message: it’s time to take charge of your heart health”, says Bobbe Wood, CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. “Make healthy lifestyle choices, monitor your cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and advocate for the care you need from your doctor. And to Canadian men, we say support the women you love to protect their heart health.” Andrea Martin wearing Farley Chatto, Arlene Dickinson wearing Izzy Camilleri, Bal Arneson …

Arthur Mendon̤a Fall Winter 2011 Р2012

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Arthur Mendonça presented a very 70s Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection at the Trump Tower.  “Wow, there are a number of looks” is the first thing that popped into my head as I sat in my seat and skimmed the linesheet.   I knew Dean Davidson was one of Arthur’s collaborators but I had no idea that Liliput Hats were too.  The pairing was wonderful.  Everything worked so well together.  The makeup did the job of portraying the glamorous 70s à la Studio 54.  It was beautiful Dean’s jewellery centred on the bar shape and his signature brushed finish applied. They are minimal in style. Lilliput Hats created fedoras and lux turbans in velvet and sequined silk. Arthur often referenced with Tom Ford and YSL in the media but I think his homage to Denis Gagnon (black tux photo) is much more interesting to talk about. Now, I don’t know if it was done on purpose. It’s just the first thing that popped into my head when I saw the model walkout. I thought …

Mikhael Kale Fall Winter 2011 – 2012

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A common complaint I hear about Mihkael Kale’s clothing is wearability. I should think that after four years people would understand that Mihkael designs are not for everyone and I don’t think he will be going in a mass direction anytime soon. There are many things I can’t wear due to design, shape or price. That doesn’t stop me from enjoying them aesthetically. I like niche designers, they keep things interesting. I’ve referred to Mihkael as a designer who can throw everything and the kitchen sink at something and make it look incredible. Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 featured crystal and pearl encrusted details, chain embroidered roses and sequined bodices. There was a lot of skin in Mikhael’s collection. You’d almost think it was a spring collection. Cutouts incorporated resembled bondage to me. Amazing there wasn’t one bare midriff in all the skin. Caucasian nude fabric played peak a boo with one oxblood dress with chain embroidered roses. At first glance I thought the fabric was flesh.  Thankfully there were some coats and pants to …

Alexander Berardi Fall Winter 2011 – 2012

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I sneaked away from taking photos at the Philip Sparks fall winter 2011 – 2012 presentation to pop down to the 4th floor of the Burroughs Building to check out the Alexander Berardi Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 collection. Jessica Jensen was hosting Alexander Berardi as he showed off his fall winter 2011 – 2012 wears to buyers and media for three days in Toronto. This season’s inspiration finds its beginnings in Ali MacGraw and the 1970 hit movie “Love Story”, set in snowy New England. The Berardi girl loves the city, but she’s no stranger to laying about the fire at her country house with friends, and she needs to be ready for both worlds. Once again, Alexander has us excited for eclectic pairings of long standing fashion staples. Always classic with a modern twist, this season is about making the old new again; reinterpreting the winter jacket with special wood beading embroidery; reinventing plaid prints in modern cuts for a perfect Upper East Side school girl look; and reviving vintage knitwear for a …

Mark Fast Fall Winter 2011 – 2012

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Mark Fast returned to Canada and presented a tightly edited version of his London Fashion Week fall winter 2011 – 2012 collection. This was the first time he has presented a fashion show in Canada. The fall winter collection was the debut of his collaboration with Canadian leather retailer Danier. This was one of three shows presented at the Trump Tower Toronto which is still under construction. “Things are not what they seem to be, they are mysterious and disguised. I used the energy of the movement of a wolf’s vicious anger to be projected into the cuts of knitted pieces and leather garments. I am using merino wool and elastomeric mixes in the knitted dresses. I wanted to create a softer, warmer silhouette. I also used leathers to evoke the strictness and attitude of this women”. – Mark Fast (from press release) It was a total delight to see the knitwear wizard’s collection up close. The knits are so intricate and I loved the play on textures. Wool, alpacha, merino, mohair joined with nylon, …

Philip Sparks Fall Winter 2011 – 2012

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The week before the official LG Fashion Week is always getting bigger and better. The Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 edition was packed with big names and a comeback. I dubbed the week Toronto Extended Fashion Week a few seasons back but it seems that Rogue Fashion Week has cemented itself as the name. I like it. Philip Sparks Fall Winter 2011 – 2012 kicked things off. Philip asked me participate in the show by taking photos of the action backstage and beyond. Olympus Canada sponsored the Philip Sparks fall winter 2011 – 2012 show so each insider was handed a new Olympus PEN E-PL2. (You can check out the photos on the Olympus Canada facebook page.) Regular readers know I’m a fan of the E-PL1 and it has taken many shots I’ve posted on this site. I was itching to play with the E-PL2. Philip Sparks fall winter was all about Canadian winter and activities like skating, skiing and tobogganing. The collection wasn’t new to me. I saw it in the various stages of …

LGFW Spring Summer 2011 Fashion Trends

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During LGFW I asked about trends from the Spring Summer 2011 shows. I ended up as part of this video. Sponsored Post – This is a series of posts on LG Fashion Week that are sponsored by Shick. You can explore the LG Fashion Week videos provided by Shick and Chick Advisor here.

LGFW SS11: Denis Gagnon

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Denis Gagnon never disappoints. His spring summer 2011 collection wowed the audience on Friday. It begs the question, why is Denis still showing in Canada? I really think he could hit up a capital and I hope he does. The man needs to be a household name in the fashion industry worldwide. His work makes me weep that I’m not wealthy enough to own it all. Stripes, chains, zippers and string were the major themes. Stripes can be hard to wear sometimes but Denis Gagnon strategically used angles to ensure the best possible silhouette. String is back from the previous season and thank god for that. Those looks have so much movement to them, it’s mesmerizing. All I can think about is dancing in them and how much fun it would be. It was a primarily black and white collection but there were dresses in green, blue, orange and silver. Ombre dipped string added a beautiful effect to dresses down the runway. The models weren’t very strong and you could see their hesitation with the …

LGFW SS11: Thursday Blues

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Thursday was the only day of LG Fashion Week I didn’t attend. I spend the day in New York City with some research and development folks from Intel. I was geeking out and loving it but that post will come later. There were a few collections I wanted to check out on Thursday but when NYC calls I tend to forget everything else. Most of the collections were during the day so I wouldn’t have seen them even if I was in the country. The last Baby Steinberg show I saw was for Frugal Fashion Week at the Bata Shoe Museum. I’m amazed at how she takes reusable materials and creates clothing out them. For some reason there are no photos from Schick available for Baby Steinberg so check out the photos and videos on the LG Fashion Week site. Klaxon Howl has a great collection of military clothing and it a favourite because of my love of military. I once bought a cute white sailor hat from the store. It’s one of those places …

LGFW SS11: Line Knitwear Spring Summer 2011

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Line Knitwear is branching out and it’s not all about the knits anymore. This season brings separates and dresses in fabrics like leathers and silks. Typically Line Knitwear creates knit tops and leather jackets so I was surprised at this new development. Now I’m interested to see how John and Jennifer expand this already very successful company. The knits this time around looked crocheted. Spring Summer 2011 is about sheer knits without a lot of bulk. Line is expecting the midriff to return and there were lots of cropped knit tops for that purpose. The knits were only a small part of the story this season. Line brought out some high-waisted, pleated pants, shorts and culottes in leather and suede. Cloud like prints on silk were used for relaxed, loose-fitting pants and jumpsuits. The palette consisted of muted colours and I was glad it wasn’t a total camel fest. Instead it was olive, orange and rose. I wish more designers would leave line sheets on the seats for media and guests. It would have helped …

LGFW SS11: Jessica Jensen + Alexander Berardi Spring Summer 2011

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Handbag designer Jessica Jensen collaborated with a young New York designer named Alexander Berardi on a collection of limited edition handbags that complements his Spring Summer 2011 collection. The collaboration debuted during NYFW but Jessica and Alexander decided to show at LG Fashion Week in Toronto. Alexander Berardi was the youngest person to show at the new Lincoln Center tents this season. The inspiration for the collections was the movie Breathless by Godard. It was a nautical inspired collection with lots of Breton stripes and preppy influences. I had never seen Breathless so after the show I decided to watch the movie. I got through about 30 mins mostly focusing on the styles of the female protagonist. I thought the handbags and clothing did a very good job of conveying the style featured in the movie. I really liked the looks with the stripes.  While I’m not loving the camel colour trend it works well with the blue, white and grey colour palette. This was a well presented collaboration. Both designers complemented each other perfectly …

LGFW SS11 Fashion Press

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It’s been press crazy for my this LG Fashion Week. I love it. I was on the radio. CBC Radio One Metro Morning had me over on Monday to chat up LG Fashion Week and the industry. Guest host Karen Horsman spoke with Anita Clarke. She writes a fashion blog called ” I want, I got”. They are amazing and have made a podcast so you can listen to it. CBC Radio One Metro Morning Fashion Week SS11. I took part in a video for FASHION at Holt Renfrew’s all-Canadian show that was posted on The Globe and Mail’s website. Finally I was interviewed for a story in 24Hours Dress to impress at Toronto Fashion Week. t’s propagated over the Sun Media network and can be found on a bunch of their websites.

LGFW SS11: Pink Tartan Spring Summer 2011

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Kimberley Newport-Mimran had the 70s on the brain while designing the Pink Tartan spring summer 2011 collection. The 70s is a major trend that appeared on the runways of high fashion capitals. It resulted in a looser fit, shiny fabrics and lots of colour.   Pink Tartan used colour blocking, stripes and sheers with a 70s touch.  This is my favourite Pink Tartan collection.  It was a joy to watch.  The presentation was cute with the models taking positions on risers beside the runway after their pose. I enjoyed so many elements of this show.  The batik style prints worked well on the jacket and the maxi dress.  Jewel tone strapless jumpsuits make me very happy.  Great looks featuring shorts with cute blazers.  Amanda Laine’s outfit was my favourite on Monday at the Holt Renfrew show.  The green and black print reminds me of Proenza Schouler.  It’s amazing that the ethereal sheer tiered maxidress came in neon yellow.  I dig the neon and I’m glad Kim is too.  I want it all. I loved the leopard …

LGFW – Joe Fresh Fall Winter 2010 – 2011

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I battle the crowds and complete silliness of attending a Joe Fresh show for one reason.  Models.  It’s not for the clothing in any way shape or form.  This season Joe brought in Crystal Renn and Kirsten Owen.  I had to see Crystal Renn with my own eyes as I’ve had suspicion about this “plus size” label she has been given.  You know what people, it’s all bullshit.  Crystal Renn is a far cry from plus sized.  People who seem to think that this is a win for the average sized women seem to forget that Crystal Renn is anything but average.  This girl is a model the last time I checked.  She’s 5’10 and has all the features that required.  She’s on the edges of that bell curve and that is the complete opposite of your average person.  She is gorgeous and has great hair. Joe Fresh jumped on the fur bandwagon hard.  Of  course a lot was faux.  I thought everything was faux but the line sheet is telling me differently.  I really …

LGFW – Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010

LGFW – Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010

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The Olympus PEN died just before the Pink Tartan Fall Winter 2010 fashion show. I have no pictures and I wasn’t happy. Just another headache to deal with on Wednesday which was painful. Battling crowds and terrible entrance points into the runway room has a way of turning one into a bitch very quickly. I remembered how I spent the Spring 2010 Pink Tartan show, drinking a Peroni in the VIP area watching the show on the LG tvs. I wished for a return to those simple days. The show opened with an electric Violinist. I really don’t know what he had to do with the collection. The theme of the Pink Tartan show is aviation. The models wore aviator style hats. Winged shoes and harnesses made of fur and feathers evoked winged gods like Icarus or Mercury. There were bomber jackets of the puffy variety and ones made of leather and trimmed with fur or Mongolian fur. Shapes were generally body conscious with legging like pants and dresses. Some dresses broke from their body …

Mikhale Kale - Fall Winter 2010 2011

TFW – Mikhael Kale – Fall Winter 2010 2011

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I didn’t even know about the Mikhael Kale presentation at the Spoke Club until the day before. Thankfully a resourceful and close fashion friend alerted me to this and expertly took care of everything. Soon we were rushing out of Evan Biddel and hopping into a cab desperately hoping to make the start of the show. I only see Mikhael’s collections at the Holt Renfrew’s LG Fashion week cocktail parties. This year it became a breakfast and I was at the office in a meeting room with my lovely coworkers discussing trade processing and business scenarios. The joys of a double life. I was really disappointed that I missed the breakfast so I didn’t want to miss the Spoke Club gig either. We made it to the show in the nick of time. The runway room was tightly packed and had a raised runway. I knew my newbie camera skills would fail me again. I tried my best with the photos but being backlight and super close didn’t help me. TCHAD has some photos of …

LGFW - Evan Biddell Fall Winter 2010 - 2011

LGFW – Evan Biddell Fall Winter 2010 – 2011

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You can always expect a specific point of view from Evan Biddell. The Fall Winter 2010 collection continued with Evan’s obsession with the cocoon shape and a new fabric, cork. It was the most interesting items in the collection. He transformed cork into shorts, skirts and jackets. One jacket in particular made the wearer look like a Geiger Alien. The cork was stiff but not the point where it looked unwearable. It was more appealing to me than the PVC cocoon shapes that preceded the wave of cork pieces. Understanding that head on images would not display any volume, Evan had the models stand at the end of the runway and face sideways to the photographer’s pit.  Fall Winter 2010 wasn’t as cohesive as what I saw with Spring 2010 at OZ Studios. The 80s prints, pvc, fringe, ruffles, animal print and cork left me wondering what direction Evan was going. It was a battle between sleek bodycon and volume away from the body. The short video that preceded the runway show was random and …

Rita Liefhebber - Fall Winter 2010

Rita Liefhebber – Fall Winter 2010

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Rita Liefhebber Fall Winter 2010 collection was in a truck parked outside The Black Hoof on Dundas Street West. A group of the city’s cool kids and fashion industry types gathered as I walked up.  Like Rita’s Spring 2010 presentation, The Hoof was catering. Every once in a while someone with a tray of Hoof specialties would come out and feed the fashion folk. Too bad there was no drinking allowed on the corner. I enjoy the change of pace with fashion presentations. Rita’s idea of presenting in a truck felt much like an art installation. Many people commented about how it felt like Nuit Blanche with the group of people milling around outside the truck. The models stood between judys that look made of cellophane tape. The judys showed the collection during NYC Fall Winter 2010 market in February. The presentation was well done but it made for crappy photos for a newbie Olympus E-PL1 user. I don’t have a strong idea of the Rita Liefhebber brand. The fall collection looks like it’s moving …

Lundström & Lundström Collection Fall Winter 2010

LGFW РLundstr̦m & Lundstr̦m Collection Fall Winter 2010

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This season LUNDSTRÖM would be without it’s namesake designer. Linda Lundström left Eleventh Floor Apparel to launch her Lean Manufacturing consulting career. That would explain the distinction between Lundström and Lundström Collection. The former designed by Linda and the latter by the team. Lundström came out first with the La Parka and a few other jackets. Then Lundström Collection paraded out looks I could see on women by my office in the financial district. I heard a lot of negatives things about the show from others. It’s not my style but I think it was a success for the demographic Eleventh Floor Apparel is targeting. Juliana Schiavinatto’s (she did Line Knitwear too) styling was very good. I usually hate velvet but it was well done.  The colour, tabac is a good choice for the conservative demographic. I liked the ombre mohair jackets in black and white.  Those were the only two pieces that got any reaction me.  The fabrics sound delightful: silk, mohair, velvet, alpaca, angora and cashmere.  There is some dreaded taffeta in there …

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 …

The Tale of Two Barbies

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So, I was asked to style a Barbie doll for LG Fashion Week. I thought it would be fun so I accepted the challenge. It turned out that Barbie was an albatross. I had a bunch of ideas for Barbie swirling in my head: Give her a haircut, make her a mini me, fur, etc. It was really hard to boil it down. With the deadline soon approaching I came up with something and I thought it was pretty fucking clever. Dare to Wear Love Barbie. Here is my quote for her “I guess this is the Dare to Wear Love Barbie. I really loved the small samples of fabric that were left on front row seats at the Dare to Wear Love show last season. I collected them all. Barbie’s proportions allowed me to create the wrap dress I could never wear given the amount of material.” I made the dress (check that architectural shoulder), the necklace and bracelets. I also dyed the shoes and handbag to match.   She also got a little …