When a gospel choir hit the runway with a rousing rendition of All You Need is Love on Wednesday night, plenty in the audience were praying.
The celebratory performance following the fall/winter 2009 Joe Fresh collection not only conveyed the season's theme, "Show Love," but confirmed that Toronto Fashion Week is now about escape as much as reality. Leave the business woes for the office, the proceedings implied; inside the tents, it's now entertainment only.
The crowds in the tent at Nathan Phillips Square included bold-face names such as Laureen Harper (spotted attending the Heart Love charity fashion show) and Howie Mandel, as well as press and loyal clients. Love, though, was not enough to bring Canadian favourites like Jeremy Laing (who shows in New York) and Thien Le (who opted out) to the runway or revive the businesses of Arthur Mendonça (whose studio closed last year) and Izzy Camilleri (on indefinite hiatus).
The good news is that that the designers who did show during LG Fashion Week showed strong. Fall lends itself particularly well to enveloping shapes and structured silhouettes, and these two trends, combined with every possible variation on a black legging or "active pant," offered newness without risk.
Andy Thé-Anh
Dramatic evening dresses are the designer's core business and fall will see cascading folds of fabric and crystal-embellished straps and leggings (although you have to wonder about care instructions). There were daring pairings such as a knit jumpsuit with a fur gilet balanced by sophisticated separates in marigold orange and deep burgundy brown. In contrast to structured day dresses and blazers, coats featured wide floppy collars. The best detail: waistbands that peeked through slits, an anti-belt approach.
Comrags
Judy Cornish and Joyce Gunhouse always call to mind the aesthetic of Miuccia Prada and Consuelo Castiglioni for Marni when in fact the Toronto duo has been designing this way - say, bookishly beautiful - all along. Mismatched plaid skirts grazed the knee (worn with ankle socks and clunky Fluevog open-toe slingbacks) while lantern and untied drawstring sleeves exposed just enough forearm to be demurely sexy. In solid black, the "bag" top and dress seemed to puddle more than pleat, the result of some dexterous stitch work, to be sure. A series in gorgeous jewel tones of carnelian, emerald and dark turquoise and onyx will be perfect options for party season.
David Dixon
Dixon loves three-dimensional materials, as demonstrated in his "embroidered feather" pieces. "Crackle" is how he referred to a shiny fabric that looked as if it had been subsequently fragmented with a mallet. Darting is Dixon's strength, and a series of work-appropriate outfits in grey silk wool channelled Mad Men via 2015. A separate collection in honour of Barbie (available this fall at the Bay) was done in wearable pinks and greys; pink Betsy Johnson-esque cocktail dresses and plaid peacoats paired with lace skirts were pieces that any city chick would be proud to wear.
Greta Constantine
Stephen Wong and Kirk Pickersgill of Greta Constantine showed their collection outside of Fashion Week last Friday. The clothes were also outside their comfort zone of jersey dresses, upping the fabric quotient: Think neoprene suits, feathered jackets, liquid silver jeans and gold lamé jumpsuits. Shoulders and peplums were built out of seatbelts. There was molto mesh that achieved the same stretchy, drapy effect as jersey but in a gauzier way. Skirts were super short and pants were super space-age. "You always see the most outpouring of expression in times like these," Wong said before the show. "People are more willing to take chances; people are looking for exuberance."
Joeffer Caoc
