By Hannah Yakobi, Julia Eskins, Katia Ostapets, Aleyah Solomon, Sarah Ward and Amalia Bentivoglio
Photography by Kareen Mallon
FAJO Magazine‘s team has covered the Toronto Fashion Week for many seasons, and for fall/winter 2012 collections, we decided to produce our largest report to date (four pages long!), with trends, feedback from designers and plenty of colourful photography.
Which shows were the best this season? Here are the top picks by our editorial team.
Hannah Yakobi, Editor-in-chief
Lucian Matis
Lucian Matis’ first collection was showcased off-site at the beautiful ballroom of Fairmont Royal York hotel. This was a highly-stylized, perfectly co-ordinated show with music, venue and set-up in pure “rhythm” with the actual runway presentation. The designer paid particular attention to crochet craftsmanship and used it at length in all of his pieces. Black transparent leggings, ball-like gowns, mini-gloves (a big trend this season) and plunging necklines also took centrestage. Matis continues to be one of Canada’s most talked about designers, and he deserves to be strongly praised for his execution of this collection.
Mélissa Nepton
Montréal-based Nepton themed her collection around the idea of an Ethereal Nomad, bundled up in subtle silk pieces, tunics with detachable necks and plenty of wrapping all around, models strutted down the runway in a slow and graceful manner. The colour palette centred around black, grey, white and burned brown. Nepton enjoyed experimenting with chiffon, wool, fur and jersey. “I focused on a lot of fluidity and a lot of ornamentation,” she told me after the show. “I tried to keep the look more natural, while mixing the fabrics together.”
Bustle
Undoubtedly, Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow have one of the most entertaining shows at the Toronto fashion week; theirs is always filled with props, celebrity appearances and funky music. This season was no different, with model Stacey McKenzie opening the show, clad in denim booty shorts, plaid shirt and a cowgirl hat, blowing away kisses as she walked down the runway. As always, Bustle focuses on menswear clothing that is highly wearable (cowboy and Calgary Stampede-themed this season), yet simultaneously chic (think corduroy suits). Most pieces were also accessorized with bolo ties.
VAWK and VAWKKIN
Sunny Fong and his team at VAWK took us to the future with a “sci-fi samurai”-inspired fall/winter collection. My colleagues and I agree that the floor-length golden sequined gown from this line is a must-have, as are the pieces trimmed with fox and leather. Fong was, perhaps, the most “on-trend” with what I have seen at other runways this season, with a strong focus on leather accents in his jackets and coats. This trend is going to be huge for fall: it took over the runways in New York and was occasionally present in other catwalk presentations in Toronto, although none were done as well as VAWK’s. Fong and his team also presented their new line called VAWKKIN that launched immediately after VAWK’s showcase. It was focused on “transitional pieces for the workday or weekend” and worn by “everyday women.” Great use of wool-blend fabrics made for particularly warm-looking and comfortable jackets and pants.
Joeffer Caoc
One word to describe Joeffer Caoc’s collection this season would be “elegance.” The renowned designer signals the return of peplum for fall/winter more than any of his other counterparts who showcased their collections at World MasterCard Fashion Week. Caoc titled his collection “Remix…of a few of my favourite things.” He opted for plenty of tweed, sequins and leather. Skirts that went just below the knee were particularly popular, as were oversized silk bows (tied at the back of a blouse or made from silk belts).
David Dixon
David Dixon presented a glamour-filled, feminine and very powerful collection for fall/winter 2012. Inspired by Hitchcock’s classic – The Birds – this runway was filled with feather-themed accessories and embellishments that added poise and sophistication to every piece. With a strong focus on black and white, Dixon occasionally punctuated the collection with various shades of green and turquoise. Pencil skirts, capes and peplum were popular, although dresses were in the spotlight. The designer’s fabrics of choice were chiffon, boiled wool, lace, houndstooth jacquard and embroided tulle. Dixon is a fashion veteran who is greatly admired in Canada, and his fabulous collection was greeted with a standing ovation.
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