Toronto Fashion Week

Up-to-the-minute coverage of store openings and fashion gossip. Plus, daily finds for deal seekers

Toronto fashion week gets a new venue (for the second time in a month)

Just two weeks ago, the Fashion Design Council of Canada announced that a “trendy” warehouse would serve as the permanent home for Toronto fashion week runway shows. But this afternoon, we received a press release explaining a last-minute venue change:

Over the last decade, LG Fashion Week has experienced enormous expansion and requires a much larger canvas to articulate its vision. Our previously announced location, 30 Ordnance, was a romantic idea; however, further in-depth inspections revealed significant logistical challenges.

The new venue will be the Allstream Centre at Exhibition Place, which the FDCC says will allow for a larger media lounge, more seating, a large runway and a retail space stocked with Canadian designs.

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| 9 Comments » March 10, 2010 | 2:11 pm | Carley Fortune

Toronto Fashion Week

Greta Constantine’s fashion show is next week, collection far from ready

In yesterday’s blog entry for the Post, designers Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong of Greta Constantine offer a glimpse into their background as designers. Both were clearly brown-nosers from the start, scoring major internships while still in high school: Pickersgill with Toronto fashion label Comrags and Wong at Alfred Sung. Wong pursued his passion for fashion with veteran costume designer Susan Dicks; Pickersgill moved to Milan, working with fellow Canadians DSquared2 and British designer Neil Barret.

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| Leave a Comment » March 9, 2010 | 1:16 pm | Fraser Abe

Toronto Fashion Week

Evan Biddell’s top-secret fashion week plans

Biddell used cellphones as accessories last season (Image: Jenna Marie Wakani)

One week before LG fashion week, Evan Biddell, winning designer of the premiere season of Project Runway Canada, and his business partner, photographer Joseph Fuda, will open Oz Studio Boutique on Ossington. Biddell has commissioned well-known stylist Peter Papapetrou to help display his wares and invited media and friends to attend the March 16 opening.

But Biddell’s collection is currently absent from the fashion week lineup, and the designer has said he won’t comment on whether Oz has affected his involvement until the store opens its doors. We got in touch with the Fashion Design Council of Canada, which organizes fashion week, who told us that Biddell would be participating, but the show may not be a traditional one. Reality television alumni Lucian Matis, Jessica Biffi and Brandon Dwyer have all been slotted in for the weekly catwalk shows in the meantime, though PRC alums Sunny Fong and Jason Meyers, who both showed last season, are also absent.

• Evan Biddell sends out a troupe of intergalactic warriors for spring collection [Toronto Life]

| 3 Comments » March 8, 2010 | 9:35 am | Glynnis Mapp

Toronto Fashion Week

Greta Constantine duo heads to New York

Last season's GC show was scheduled before fashion week (Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani)

Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill, the sassy Toronto design duo behind Greta Constantine, are blogging for the National Post about their New York fashion week misadventures. In their first entry, they’re making the long drive to New York, with one stop in a town named Oneida for some Burger King, after a customs experience they liken to the movie Clueless: “Friendly, quick and painless.”

The pair, in New York to showcase 33 pieces from their fall-winter 2010 womenswear collection, promise future posts will dish about fittings and model decisions, and offer a sneak peek of their show, which they say is one of their strongest to date.

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| Leave a Comment » February 22, 2010 | 12:29 pm | Fraser Abe

Toronto Fashion Week

Our favourite looks from Toronto fashion week

This past fashion week was a parade of Project Runway contestants, bustier dresses and sheer fabrics, and now that it’s over, we’ve come up with a slide show of our favourite pieces from the collections. Check them out below.

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

: Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani

| Leave a Comment » October 27, 2009 | 11:25 am | Carley Fortune

Toronto Fashion Week

Lucian Matis proves that we all go a little mad sometimes

The opening look from Lucian Matis's spring show (Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani)

You’re right, Lucian Matis: an entire week of fashion makes us a little crazy, too.

Friday was the final night of fashion week runway shows and featured our Romanian prince of fantastical frocks, who held court with a cohesive, if sometimes precious, spring collection with jesters in tow.

Surely after days of eager crowds and poker-faced spectators we were in need of comic relief, which would explain the large watercolour clown print on the opening dress, followed by similarly relaxed silhouettes, shape-altering blouses and slim draped numbers. And if the sight of a clown hadn’t already drained the colour from our faces, Matis rendered his headgear-adorned models in hospital wall pastels, right down to the scraps of fabric that acted as bandages for his muses’ feet. No need to convince us—runway walking is a dangerous game.

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| 2 Comments » October 26, 2009 | 10:16 am | Rian Ng

Toronto Fashion Week

Brandon Dwyer makes us dream of care-free days in the sun

A look from Brandon Dwyer's spring-summer collection (Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani)

Brandon R. Dwyer’s first post-Project Runway effort was one of a few truly summery collection we’ve seen this season. Almost every piece—with the exception of the bustier dress (yes, more bustiers!) and some out-of-place taffeta frocks—could be worn over a bathing suit and with a pair of flip flops, and the wearer would look effortless and fresh. The loose-fitting sheer floor-length dress at left is the perfect piece for a night out in Miami. We also quite liked his soft-handed use of teal and coral, two really flattering shades, on the knit dresses. Fashion week may have been heavily weighted with PR alumni but we don’t mind as much when they hold their own.

See the full collection after the jump.

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| 1 Comment » October 25, 2009 | 9:49 am | Carley Fortune

Toronto Fashion Week

Jessica Biffi shows legs, cleavage and ass for spring-summer

A look from Jessica Biffi's spring collection (Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani)

We have to fess up: we’ve known Jessica Biffi for several years now and rooted for her on the last season of Project Runway—so this is a completely biased report. Be warned.

With a neon spray-painted first number, black lights and hip hop blaring, Biffi presented a ghetto fabulous, club-kid friendly spring collection. We couldn’t imagine ourselves squeezing into gold bootie shorts, ultra-low bustiers (yes, those again) or hot pink sheer jumpsuits, but then again, we’re not really the type to party on Richmond Street, either. But for the legions willing to line-up behind velvet ropes on a Friday night, this is just the stuff for you. It’s also so refreshing to see a different kind of designer here at fashion week—someone clearly not interested in courting the Rosedale matron or Yorkville PYT.

See the full collection after the jump.

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| 3 Comments » October 23, 2009 | 6:36 pm | Carley Fortune

Toronto Fashion Week

Evan Biddell sends out a troupe of intergalactic warriors for spring collection

A look from Evan Biddell's spring collection (Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani)

Fashion week’s title sponsor, LG, launched its new Chocolate phone yesterday evening, moments before Evan Biddell presented his spring-summer collection, a partnership with the company. “You’ll definitely want to stick around for the show,” an LG rep told a reporter covering the launch. “We have a very strong relationship with Biddell.”

The first model stomped down the runway in a flowing black parachute dress; around her neck was a large crystal-encrusted necklace. Its biggest jewel: an LG Chocolate phone. The mobiles adorned belts, clutches and bracelets. Major points for the LG marketing team.

But enough about the phone. Biddell chucked the traditional notions of spring garb. There were no pastels here. Instead, he presented an army of space warriors, their hair moulded into aerodynamic helmets. There was a silver wrestler’s costume and some extremely wide harem pants paired with more wearable pieces—in particular, the comfy dress-like jersey jumpsuits (check out the photo to see what we mean). This is one militia with a killer uniform.

See all the looks from the collection after the jump.

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| Leave a Comment » October 23, 2009 | 11:50 am | Carley Fortune

Toronto Fashion Week

Nada channels Miss Havisham for spring

A look from Nada's spring collection (Photo by Jenna Marie Wakani)

One of the most cleverly styled shows thus far was last night’s Nada spectacle from designer Nada Shepherd. Hair was teased into oversized beehives, lace stockings were worn backward with the seams running up the front, and necks were heavy with dozens of strands of pearls tied round them with satin bows. Eyebrows were dark and pencil thin, arching high above lime green and pink lids. These women are not quite sane. They wear lingerie and pajamas all day. They are young Miss Havishams on their way to full-blown narcissistic madness. And, oh, what beautiful madness.

The clothes were very Victorian, and many belong in the boudoir. Lace was everywhere: on tanks, dresses and camisoles. It was very dramatic, but under the pounds of pearls were pieces that are meant for every day: pencil skirts, button-ups, tailored coats. The ultra-sexy plunge-neck bustier with lace underlay, however, is for special occasions only, or for ladies looking to snag a new Pip.

View all the looks from the collection after the jump.

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| Leave a Comment » October 23, 2009 | 10:10 am | Carley Fortune