Novel knits
Many designers featured knitwear in their collections, but in sophisticated and often unusual ways. Leah Antoinette of Elan + Castor used fine-gauge weaves of Egyptian cotton and merino wool to craft breezy, beach-appropriate ensembles, while Malorie Urbanovitch and Matthew Gallagher gave a twist to evening wear by incorporating fuzzy textures into long dresses.
Seventies redux
As seen on the international runways last month, the spirit of the Me Decade is alive and well in fashion. In Toronto, Pink Tartan, Hilary MacMillan and Rachel Sin were among those who spun the sexy styles of the era into very wearable looks. Come spring 2015, look for a variety of retro elements, from psychedelic patterns to disco diva dresses.
High contrast
A favourite combination of the style set, black-and-white schemes were realized in a multitude of ways, such as a geometric frock from BLAK.I, a two-tone shirt dress by Caitlin Power and a relaxed tunic-and-pants combo from Thomas Bálint. An antidote to the brazenly colourful collections normally shown for spring, this trend will have lovers of moody monochrome pieces rejoicing.
Winner’s circle
Alberta-born designer Sid Neigum, whose star has been on the rise since he arrived on the fashion scene in 2009, was named the winner of the Mercedes-Benz Start Up competition, taking home a cash prize of $30,000 to help strengthen business operations. Neigum, known for his highly conceptual collections, was a favourite in the competition, which was founded in 2011. His designs are stocked by boutiques in New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Seoul as well as in Toronto; in 2012, he won the Toronto Fashion Incubator New Labels competition. For his spring 2015 collection, Neigum used origami folding techniques and artful draping to give his clothes a delicate but edgy appeal.
Fit to print
Hayley Elsaesser, a Canadian-born, Australia-based women’s-wear designer, made her Toronto Fashion Week debut with a collection of eclectic, eye-popping graphic pieces. Elsaesser’s lighthearted LOLcore aesthetic has been championed by bloggers Samantha and Caillianne Beckerman, and her mid-week show was an Instagrammable feast for spectators. Having only graduated from the Queensland University of Technology in 2012, she received a warm welcome from the crowd, suggesting more adulation to come.