By Violet MacLeod

Photography by Kareen Mallon and Robin Gartner

The focus for |FAT| Arts & Fashion Week 2013 was “Fashion Therapy: Drama. Craving. Crisis. Escape. Euphoria. FAJO Magazine returned this year as one of |FAT|’s official media sponsors. A transformed circus school, the venue featured high ceilings, an art exhibit and a long, white runway.

Day 1: fashion Drama

Photography by Kareen Mallon

Asphyxia’s designer, Alexandra De Francesco, did not disappoint with her line of daring designs. The models strutted down the runway to the beat of heavy bass and applause, showing the collection, which combined Victorian femininity with punk-rock edge and 1920s flapper detailing.

Leather seemed to be a popular material, reappearing on the runway throughout the night. Dianna DiNoble’s Ballerina Biker collection mixed taut leather bodices with soft, flowing fabric, creating structure yet encouraging movement. Perfectly tailored corsets were paired with fluid skirts or leather trousers.

Haphazard’s Faceless collection mixed fantasy with everyday themes; black fabric was stretched around the models’ heads to keep their faces hidden while they moved down the runway, setting an ominous tone. The line had an absence of colour, with black used as the predominant shade. One attention-grabbing piece was a dark dress with a hand-painted train that swept the runway.

Day 2: fashion Craving

Photography by Kareen Mallon

Toronto-based Kollar Clothing pened the runway show on day two. The brand presented a menswear collection with neutral tones of moss-green and gray and an overall organic look. Small, geometric print-appliqués contrasted the solid, neutral fabrics, creating a vintage vibe.

Wani by Saki Philip was inspired by the ’70s British punk-rock bands, and the collection’s pieces varied from red and black plaid to yellow cheetah prints. Philip’s line mainly consisted of dresses and included new interpretations of the high-low design.

The presentation by Montréal-based brand V-Franz focused on coats. The voluminous, large-sleeved jackets truly served as statement pieces, and V-Franz took the boyfriend jacket to a whole new level with expert tailoring and design.

Day 3: fashion Crisis

Photography by Kareen Mallon

Crisis kicked off with a runway transformation by House of Diehl, when two black umbrellas were transformed into a fierce dress. However, cloaks owned the night with sheer, knit and hooded interpretations of the garment.

Inspired by the ancient civilization of Babylon, Dystropolis by Wendy Ng showed bold, risqué designs, which used sheer black fabrics and knits extensively. The androgynous collection featured knee-length pleather skirts for men and combat boots for women.

Myles Sexton’s runway debut was edgy with a punk-chic vibe. Statement pieces included his signature eye patch. For this collection, Sexton used quartz spikes for the first time, and other materials included chains, studs and leather.

B.E. Shields chose a neutral palette of gray, black and cream. The pieces transitioned from flowing, sheer garments to thick and comfortable fabrics. Catching the audience’s attention, B.E. Shields presented a cinched waist jumper with embellished shoulders, reminiscent of the 1980’s power suit.

Day 4: fashion Escape

Photography by Robin Gartner

With the event focusing on Mexico, the highly-anticipated Mexican designers Belinda Visag and MALAFACHA were among the designers presenting their collections on day four.

This year, Mexican designer Belinda Visag returned to |FAT| for the sixth time. Her Cat Scratch Fever line was inspired by the namesake song by Ted Nugent and used a multiplicity of fabrics, including tweed, silk, lace, tulle, feathers and pearl details.

MALAFACHA debuted at |FAT| Arts & Fashion Week with voluminous shapes and statement pieces, and treated guests to flowing fabrics and graphic black and white pairings.

Du Larée by Andy Jones presented structured designs and drew its inspiration from East Indian saris. The show opened with an exotic feel, using a palette of burnt orange and red, but the collection quickly moved to a futuristic vibe with silver and blue designs.

Fashion Takes Action was an ethically conscious line created by male and female artists from across the world. It focused on casual comfort, complete with white T-shirts, paint-splattered pants, boyfriend blazers and loose-fitting dresses and vests.

Changing the tone of the night, Inna presented its line of little black dresses and took the runway by storm. Expert tailoring, sleek modern lines and leather or lace details tied the line together.

Tailoring and sharp silhouettes hit the runway for Masha by Masha Ruginets. Sheer, leather and chains were either combined or used separately in her collection to create edgy and sophisticated looks.

Montréal line Y!D.N.A by designer Andy Nguyen took over the runway with masks, hats, artificial fog, dry ice and glitter. One of the most memorable elements of the show was the black, flat hats worn by the models. The hats were covered in glitter that rained around the models as they walked down the runway. The palette was mostly neutral with white, black and tenné, but one standout piece was a floor-length, velvet blue dress with a thigh-high slit.

Wrap-up and Day 5: fashion Euphoria

Some of the key trends of this year’s |FAT| Arts & Fashion Week included cages (as accessories and elements of garments), painted fabrics, leather and sheer materials.

Other highlights throughout the week were House of Etiquette’s Filthy Gorgeous collection, which was made entirely from latex; Worth by David C. Wigley, whose men and women’s collection was inspired by selected works of Alfred Hitchcock; and Sparkle and Pomp, who presented 10 revamped bridal gowns with unique embellishments.

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