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Toronto Fashion Week: office wear meets a Madonna cone bra at Vawkkin and Vawk spring/summer 2013

Toronto Fashion Week: Vawk and Vawkkin spring/summer 2013

Toronto Fashion Week ran from October 22 to 26, in a large—and stylishly appointed—tent at David Pecaut Square. We’re posting full galleries from the buzziest runways. It’s time to forget about the chilly weather and imagine what life (or at least fashion) will be like in spring/summer 2013.

DESIGNER
Vawk and Vawkkin, by Sunny Fong

IN A SENTENCE
Vawk and its sister label Vawkkin (now in its second season) are both helmed by Fong, a Project Runway Canada alum known for his use of diverse models and his belief that fashion is for everyone (according to him, “Vawk brings fantasy and Vawkkin brings reality”).

THE SCENE
The runway was slick with rain (or, our photographer suspected, a spilled drink), and volunteers’ efforts to mop it with T-shirts failed to prevent model mayhem. Several of the models slipped, scaring others into turning halfway down the runway. That made it hard for many guests to see the full collection: though Suzanne Rogers, Glen and David Dixon and The Bay’s Nicholas Mellamphy had a great view from their middle-of-the-runway seats, Miss World Canada Tara Teng (who of course wore her sash) may have had a tougher time from her front row spot near the end of the catwalk.

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The Goods

Designers

October 26, 2012 | 1:55 pm

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Toronto Fashion Week: Arthur Mendonça shows gorgeous saturated hues for spring/summer 2013

Toronto Fashion Week: Arthur Mendonça spring/summer 2013

Toronto Fashion Week runs from October 22 to 26, in a large—and stylishly appointed—tent at David Pecaut Square. We’re posting full galleries from the buzziest runways. It’s time to forget about the chilly weather and imagine what life (or at least fashion) will be like in spring/summer 2013.

DESIGNER
Arthur Mendonça

IN A SENTENCE
Mendonça, celebrating his tenth year at Toronto Fashion Week, is known for his luxurious, elegant womenswear—it’s the kind of clothing you could picture on Jerry Hall at Studio 54.

THE SCENE
Glen Baxter gave designer Philip Sparks a hearty hug before the show, while the Toronto Star’s Derrick Chetty coveted the free macarons (we stole an extra for him) and fashion week regulars Suzanne Rogers, Hilary Farr and Stacey McKenzie all nabbed front row seats.

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The Goods

Street Style

October 26, 2012 | 11:20 am

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Street Style: 18 looks at the runway fans at Toronto Fashion Week

By Frances McInnis | Photography by Jenna Marie Wakani

Picking an outfit to wear to a fashion show can be daunting. The industry insiders are intimidatingly chic; the disparity between the October chill and the sweltering temperature inside the tent demands multiple layers; and the bevy of street style photographers flocking the entrance raises the stakes considerably. The runway fans at David Pecaut Square this week carried it off admirably. They played with texture, draping themselves in velvet, fur, leather and denim. They displayed a range of colours and prints (apparently, the fashion elite don’t always dress in black). And, most importantly, they each showed off their sartorial point of view without fear—and with conviction.

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The Goods

Designers

October 25, 2012 | 1:20 pm

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Toronto Fashion Week: Joe Fresh delivers a crisp spring/summer 2013 collection to his adoring fans

Toronto Fashion Week: Joe Fresh spring/summer 2013

DESIGNER
Joe Fresh, by Joe Mimran

IN A SENTENCE
The buzz surrounding Mimran’s minimal but cheerful take on modern sportswear grows every season, making this the most hotly anticipated of the week’s runway shows.

THE SCENE
As expected, the social set—and society oglers—were out in force. Just before the show began, we spotted Pink Tartan designer and Mimran’s wife Kimberley Newport-Mimran and PR maven Suzanne Cohon making a last-minute dash to the bar, and Loblaw magnate Galen G. Weston sharing a joke with his wife Alexandra on their way into the tent. Once inside, the couple took a seat in a power-packed section of the front row with Catherine and David Nugent and philanthropist W. Bruce C. Bailey (who somehow managed to sneak his drink past the army of PR girls). The house cheered and whistled as model Pat Cleveland opened the show with a sashaying walk and a classic model pout—which one onlooker called “maximum fierceness.”

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The Goods

Designers

October 25, 2012 | 12:40 pm

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Toronto Fashion Week: Lucian Matis shows nipples, croc leather and bustiers for spring/summer 2013

Toronto Fashion Week: Lucian Matis spring/summer 2013

DESIGNER
Lucian Matis

IN A SENTENCE
Matis, a Project Runway Canada alum with a penchant for the daring, has both a diffusion line and this, a more mature (read: expensive) editorial collection.

THE SCENE
The crowd amassed early and we spotted Suzanne Rogers, along with CBC’s Kristine Stewart and Zaib Shaikh in the throng. One model lost a bangle on the catwalk, but MSN’s Christopher Turner snatched it up before any pileups occurred. Matis, always a showman, walked to the very end of the runway and did a slide before catching up to his models.

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The Goods

Designers

October 24, 2012 | 3:30 pm

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Toronto Fashion Week: Bustle’s spring/summer 2013 collection makes Hawaiian print sexy

Toronto Fashion Week: Bustle spring/summer 2013

DESIGNER
Bustle by husband and wife team Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow

IN A SENTENCE
The menswear label tends to be one of the more spectacle-filled shows of the Toronto fashion scene: last season we saw Canadian tuxedos and plenty of shirtless male models, and that was only for fall/winter.

THE SCENE
Based on the models’ hijinks, we imagine there was a Mr. Jay–type backstage telling them to “just have fun with it!” They tipped each other’s hats, chased one another down the runway and generally rabble roused. The buff (and sometimes scantily clad) dudes had some in the audience atwitter, others oohing and ahhing and probably a few making plans to dig that Buns of Steel video out of storage.

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The Goods

Designers

October 24, 2012 | 2:45 pm

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Toronto Fashion Week: Duy Nguyen triumphs at the Mercedes-Benz Start Up finalists show

Toronto Fashion Week: Mercedes-Benz
Toronto Fashion Week runs from October 22 to 26, in a large—and stylishly appointed—tent at David Pecaut Square. We’re posting full galleries from the buzziest runways. It’s time to forget about the chilly weather and imagine what life (or at least fashion) will be like in spring/summer 2013.

DESIGNER
The Mercedes-Benz Start Up National Final, featuring designs by Caitlin Power, Christopher Bates, Dreamboat Lucy, DUY, Lauren Bagliore, Malorie Urbanovitch, Nicole Campre and Pure Magnolia

IN A SENTENCE
Mercedes-Benz Start Up is an ongoing project—started by, who else, Mercedes-Benz—that connects young designers with industry insiders in a mentorship program.

THE SCENE
The room was as full as we’ve seen it this week (perhaps owing to eight contestants’ worth of friends and family—or perhaps the Mercedes-Benz team beefing up numbers). Fashion magazine editor-in-chief Bernadette Morra, Holt Renfrew’s Barb Atkin, Jeanne Beker, and erstwhile FDCC president Robin Kay were on hand to pick a winner.

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The Goods

Designers

October 24, 2012 | 1:20 pm

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Toronto Fashion Week: leopard print and a “model-go-round” at Evan Biddell’s spring/summer 2013 show

DESIGNER
Evan Biddell

IN A SENTENCE
Biddell made his reputation by winning Project Runway Canada in 2007, and cemented it in the five years since with conceptual garments featuring over-the-top silhouettes and eye-popping patterns.

THE SCENE
Guests wearing wellies (very atypical fashion week footwear) to protect from the grey weather tracked wet leaves onto the runway—luckily, Rock-It Promo head honcho Debra Goldblatt was around to push them off with her clipboard. There were a couple of departures from the typical runway show format: Biddell opted to start things off with a fashion film (which several guests further down the row craned to see), and then had his models continue to trot up and down the runway in what one fashion writer wittily dubbed a “model-go-round.”

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The Dish

Food Events

October 6, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for October 8 to 14

Magnus Nilsson, whose Fäviken has been called “the most daring restaurant in the world,” is at the Cookbook Store on Thursday (Image: Bruno Cordioli)

Monday October 8

Monday Night Dinners at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar: Every Monday night, Local Kitchen serves up a $40 prix fixe menu of Italian fare with half-price wine bottles and no corkage fee. 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700. Find out more »
Brewer’s Backyard—Torontoberfest: Brewer’s Backyard celebrates Oktoberfest for their final event of the year. Wvrst will be serving up their tasting sausages alongside beer from Beau’s. Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo Italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
Burger Mondays: Enjoy $5 burgers and $5 pints on Mondays, 5 to 8 p.m. at the Gladstone Melody Bar. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635. Find out more »

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The Dish

Food Events

September 29, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for October 1 to 7

Shuck U: Oyster 101 takes place at Hooked on Wednesday (Image: Gabriel Li)

Monday, October 1

86’D With Ivy Knight: This week, a “twisted foodie adventure” with Rodney Dangerfood, plus reinvention of the cosmo by GwaiLo cocktail queen Christina Kuypers. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Monday Night Dinners at Local Kitchen and Wine Bar: Every Monday night, Local Kitchen serves up a $40 prix fixe menu of their Italian fare with half-price wine bottles and no corkage fee. 1710 Queen St. W., 416-534-6700. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo Italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
Burger Mondays: Enjoy $5 burgers and $5 pints on Mondays, 5 to 8 p.m. at the Gladstone Melody Bar. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635. Find out more »
Grocery Innovations Canada 2012: Exhibitors and delegates from all over the country gather to discuss their plans for the coming year and the top trends that will hit aisles in 2013. October 1 and 2. Metro Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W. Find out more »

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The Hype

To-Do List

September 27, 2012 | 12:05 pm

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Nuit Blanche 2012 guide: our top 20 picks for Toronto’s seventh annual all-night art crawl

This Saturday, September 29, hordes of art lovers, all-purpose revellers and the generally curious will take to downtown for the seventh iteration of Nuit Blanche. The fun kicks off just as the sun goes down (7:03 p.m. this year), and continues until the sun rises the next morning (and if past years are anything to go by, the crowds will stay strong into the wee, wee hours). Essential provisions for the night: warm clothing (or better, layers), a little sustenance (liquid or otherwise) and this guide of the top 20 things to see, in which we translate the oft-baffling art-speak used to describe the various projects into plain old English. This year, the fest is divided into four areas: City Hall, Zone A (downtown south and west), Zone B (central downtown) and Zone C (east of downtown).

See all our picks, starting with City Hall »

September 27, 2012 | 12:05 pm
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The Dish

Food Events

September 15, 2012 | 10:30 am

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Weekly Eater: Toronto food events for September 17 to 23

Join Ben Heaton at the Canadian Beer News dinner at the Grove on Tuesday (Image: Renée Suen)

Monday, September 17

86’D With Ivy Knight: Eat, swap and buy preserved goods, and learn about home preserving from Sarah B. Hood, author of Sure We Can, who will be available to answer all your canning questions. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo Italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
Preserving the Harvest: Chef Paula Bambrick focuses on different preserving methods, using mostly local ingredients to prepare sweet and savoury specialties like wild blueberry jam, cranberry-raspberry chutney, pickled wild mushrooms and rosemary dipping oil. Kingsway LCBO, 2946 Bloor St. W., 416-239-3065. Find out more »
Rock the Danforth—Pub Crawl: Part of the third annual Toronto Beer Week, Troy Burtch of Great Lakes Brewing Co., along with Sam Corbeil of Sawdust City Brewing and Cass Enright, founder of The Bar Towel and Brewers Backyard, will lead a pub crawl along the Danforth, stopping at five of the neighbourhood’s favourite spots. Starts at 417 Restaurant and Lounge, 417 Danforth Ave. Find out more »
Highland Park Whisky-Tasting Series: Join Highland Park ambassador Marc Laverdiere at The Caledonian for an exclusive whisky tasting. All proceeds go to support the Canadian National Trust for Scotland. The Caledonian, 856 College St., 416-547-9827. Find out more »

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86’D With Ivy Knight: TIFF Overdrive edition. Join the crew from Fidel Gastro’s as they film an episode of Rebel Without a Kitchen. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo Italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »
Feast in the East: Chef Maggie Grant demystifies Asian home cooking with a variety of simple, healthy recipes in this hands-on workshop. Menu includes miso scallops with cilantro slaw, Malaysian noodle stir-fry, Panang curry with coconut rice and banana fritters with coconut-lime ice cream. Dish Cooking Studio, 390 Dupont St., 416-920-5559. Find out more »

Tuesday September 11

Escape the City—Canoe and Beach Dining Adventure: Paddle to the island with the Culinary Adventure Company for a gourmet beach picnic. 416-565-1730. Find out more »
Food Fables from the Spice Routes: Join Smita and Sanjeev Chandra to explore how spices transformed the cuisines of the countries through which they were carried. Menu includes chicken satay skewers with peanut sambal dip (Thailand), cucumber salad (Indonesia), Malaysian chicken curry served with nasi goreng (Singapore) and stir-fried cabbage with curry leaves and coconut (India). Kingsway LCBO, 2946 Bloor St. W., 416-239-3065. Find out more »
Star-Struck Menu: In celebration of TIFF, chef Domenic Chiaromonte presents dishes honouring the favourite foods of celebrities. Menu includes Meryl Streep eggplant soufflé, Robert De Niro seared black cod with soba noodles, George Clooney chaya steak and Morgan Freeman key lime pie. LCBO Summerhill, 10 Scrivener Sq., 416-922-0403. Find out more »

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Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo Italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »

Tuesday September 4

Escape the City—Canoe and Beach Dining Adventure: Paddle to the island with the Culinary Adventure Company for a gourmet beach picnic. 416-565-1730. Find out more »

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Dinner at the Bellevue: Chef Robbie Hojilla, formerly of Woodlot and Ursa, cooks a five-course, modern Filipino–inspired feast. $35. The Bellevue, 61A Bellevue Ave., 647-340-8224. Find out more »
86’D With Ivy Knight: A preview of Savour Stratford, with complimentary samples from Château des Charmes, Mill St. Brewery, Mercer Hall, Rene’s Bistro and Monforte Dairy. A flight of cocktails showcasing Stratford mixologists will also be available. The Drake, 1150 Queen St. W., 416-531-5042. Find out more »
Piola’s Monday Night Mixer: Piola’s weekly aperitivo italiano, with cocktail and beer specials and complimentary snacks. 1165 Queen St. W., 416-477-4652. Find out more »

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All stories relating to David Pecaut Square

See all our picks, starting with City Hall » September 27, 2012 | 12:05 pm Comments

Contests

See all our picks, starting with City Hall »

September 27, 2012 | 12:05 pm
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