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WEBITOR’S NOTE: PICTURES NOW POSTED!
Alfred Sung
“Fabulous” was the theme for this season’s L’Oreal Toronto Fashion Week and the festivities certainly opened on that note with a spectacular Alfred Sung Grace Kelly-inspired bridal collection. This was the first time the legendary designer presented at Toronto Fashion Week and he’s still at the top of his game. The mostly female audience was literally lusting after the ethereal, elegant, pure white bridal gowns. This successful opening set a high bar for a week full of fresh looks and memorable moments.
The five show-filled days of Fashion Week were full of controversy and drama as well, such as when Mango – a non-Canadian brand – had opening night honours over Canadian darling Kimberly Newport Mimran’s Pink Tartan. Many guests skipped the Mango retail show – that was a sensational showcasing of greys and dark Fall/Winter colours – in favour of the Pink Tartan after party that was on at the same time.
Pink Tartan
The Pink Tartan collection was fun, flirty and feminine. A conservative collection, the designs recalled housewives from the sixties with silk headscarves, Hermes bags and sexy swimsuits all designed for a look of a true lady of leisure.
Some highlights of the Fashion Week catwalks include:
Aqua Di Lara’s chic beachwear. Her collection of creative, fun, flirty bikinis with geometric cut-outs, funky accessories were not yet stylish but statement pieces. Her combining of colours, patterns and styles such as having double ties or belt like accents worked very well. One cut-out bathing suit had a fully worked high neck! Paired with gladiator shoes and accessories, her bare wear was designed with utmost care.
Jason Meyers
Jason Meyer’s cocktail dresses with bow ties, bubble cuts and fine pleating took the runway by storm. Colours ranged from classic black to a repeating of this past summer’s popular banana yellow and dramatic turquoise. Some dresses were sleek classical party wear whereas others were flirty micro numbers more for effect.
Nada’s collection stood out for the design house’s use of crepe silks, tie-dye fabrics and wide belts. A highlight was the gypsy wide loose pants as well as the skinny brown cow leather pants with sequins. Fabrics were draped with appealing fluidity and the pieces were wearable yet extremely chic. Although a Spring/Summer collection, boots with open toes were heavily featured. Sailor knot style straps and double wraparound ties for the dresses also were statement makers.
This year a second runway was added and Katya Revenko’s Desperately Different show was the first to test the new space out. Water was the prevailing theme of this show from the decor of glass orbs on the catwalk to the fluidity of the loose cuts and jersey fabrics. Revenko’s signature dropped crop pants were ever prevalent, along with jumpsuits and sheaths that fell at the hip.
Thien Le
Thien Le’s crushed paper designs adorning the Bay at Queen St. Windows are just another example of his versatility and talent. His much anticipated fashion show during Fashion Week lived up to expectations with its understated looks and exquisite cuts and detailing. Chic A-line dresses in either baby pink or mint green would be ideal for summer brunches and a stunning pink and lilac dress with floral design was pure magic. Le also had one of the few kaftan pieces in the entire week and like many of his fellow designers, showcased a lot of oversized bags and many of his designs included additional tie-ups for effect. The second half of his collection included elegant lightweight summer suits and lots of dresses that could easily transition from day to night. All with the background of vibrant Spanish rhythms.
David Dixon presented by the Bay featured both traditional and exotic looks. The former included burnt red and safari beige pant suits and fluid burnt red print dresses while the latter featured dramatic dresses with cracked leather or alligator prints and statement styles like candy pink cocktail dresses paired with open black satin dinner vests. A highlight of the night was the designer’s creation of a 50th birthday dress for Barbie.
Andy Thé Anh
One of the most memorable moments of L’Oreal Fashion Week was Andy Thé Anh’s thematic, stylish show which began and ended with larger than life violinist Dr. Draw dramatically playing classic rock tunes including the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Queen. Thé Anh’s collection featured lots of jersey fabrics and detailed pleating. Thick should straps were encrusted with large-sized diamontes and crisscrossed for added formality and flair. The crowd particularly enjoyed the well tailored dresses and suits that featured Thé Anh’s signature oversized flower on the waist or miniature version on the chest. Playful moments of innovative geometry and use of stitched-on heavy embellishments was also a key feature of the show. The show ended with a trio of show-stopping dresses with loose, flowing lines and diamonte necklines.
Joe Mimran of Joe Fresh, Chair of Fashion Week, wowed the audience and recruited many fans for his sleek, chic yet affordable collection that’s available at Loblaws superstores. Patent peep toe flats were paired with classic tailored pants or casual shorts and a variety of ruffle tops. There were also a fun collection of breezy dresses, all at rock bottom prices.
All L’Oreal Fashion Week images by George Pimentel Photography
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