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Arthur Mendonça fall 2011 collection

David Bowie may have been playing in the background but what really resonated was the sigh of relief from the crowd of about 100 as Arthur Mendonça opened his fall 2011 collection with a sleek black trench coat.



After a brief hiatus in Milan, the Brazilian-born, Toronto-based designer showed 36 looks in a pre-fashion week runway presentation held in the unfinished ninth floor salon of the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Toronto. "I learned how to put a more focused collection together with a theme and vision," said Mr. Mendonça with his mother in tow after the show.



References to Tom Ford and Yves Saint Laurent were quickly made as an homage to femme-fatale took shape with high-glamour tuxedos, lean and luxe suits for women, slinky column dresses and elegant full-length gowns.



The sharp tailored suits, shown in a variety of fabrics and styles, were the big win. Military, hour-glass and safari-style blazers were paired with high-waisted tuxedo and cigarette pants in black wool, navy wool and oxblood crepe. The much a-buzzed tuxedo for women was most on trend echoing the collections of Prabal Gurung, Jason Wu and Toronto's own Philip Sparks who showed earlier in the week.



The colour purple was shown in a mix of separates, like the monochromatic pairing of a pleated tunic with tuxedo pant, and topped with a tres chic velvet turban by Liliput. The deep violet hue, which popped up in both the Yves Saint Laurent and Versace collections for fall, was show-stopping in a long-sleeved V-neck gown which had Flare magazine editor-in-chief Lisa Tant and singer Jully Black instantly tweeting in their orders.



Finally, there was the jumpsuit. The "it" piece to any modern collection, and Mr. Mendonça's favourite look of the show, was done in black silk, strapless and tuxedo-style. His unique take was complimented by a chiffon evening cape with ostrich feathers and paired with silver cuffs by Dean Davidson. His advice to all women for fall: "Go buy a jumper. That is all."



That is all and it was all that. Congratulations to Mr. Mendonça for a seamless return and welcome home.

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