Day 3 of Toronto’s LG Fashion Week and on deck was Micalla, Duy, KRANE Design, LOVAS, Comrags, ATTITUDE By Jay Manuel, and David Dixon. It’s been a bit of a challenge for me to juggle the busy fashion week schedule. There are few breaks, if any, in between shows to sit down and get some photo editing or writing done. Needless to say, it’s all there and slowly making its way onto the It’s All Style To Me Blog, Facebook Page, and YouTube Channel.
First show of the day for me was menswear and accessory designer Ken Chow’s KRANE Design. For anyone who’s been inside, the Studio is a horrible place to show at LGFW. It’s more dimly lit, packed, and overheated than a church on Easter. Catching a clear unobstructed view of urban military-inspired shirtless collection proved difficult – photographing it near impossible. « Move over, move over! » LGFW lead photographer George Pimentel would yell at the models, encouraging them to move into what little incandescent light there was as they approached the pit. A brief display of theatrics was enjoyed by all, manbags were pulled from the shadows and tossed around like footballs by the performing duo. Thanks for that, but I really don’t see how it helps me get a better view of the bags. A shame really, because Ken is one of the more successful male designers with KRANE available in specialty department stores (Barneys, Fred Segal Man, Isetan) and upscale boutiques (Delphic, les Etoffes, Gravity Pope, ODIN) across Canada, USA, and Asia.
Wesley Badanjak’s LOVAS was next up with his labour-intensive, culturally integrated women’s collection. More on that in a separate post. Joyce Gunhouse and Judy Cornish’s 27-year old label Comrags came off looking fresher than ever with youthful bold shower-curtain-chic floral prints in cool and warm colour ranges. Taking a closer look at the Wrest Collection revealed some detailed embroidery on the jet-black tights used with most of the outfits. Cable-knit tights and colourful nylons are quickly becoming the funky accessory of choice for FW11. I think I spot a trend.
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Without a doubt, the most eagerly hyped show of the day was Sears’ ATTITUDE by Jay Manuel. Earlier this month, Jay was interviewed by Marilyn Denis where he talked about being given the option to ditch the name ATTITUDE by Sears. His answer was echoed in the show’s press kit, « ATTITUDE is something we feel when we put on clothes that make us extraordinary. ATTITUDE is never about arrogance. Our outward expression is a projection of what we want the world to see. It’s a declaration of who we are. » With colour-blocked powerhouse June Ambrose at the styling helm, creative direction by Jay Manuel, and sponsored media coverage, this was an all out fashion production. Forget the raw backstage post-show press scrum, these guys threw an all-you-can-drink press party in the Studio. Almost makes you want to forgive the approximate one-hour delay. Toronto Life reported that, « the collection was fine, nothing spectacular to note, » to which some of the girls sitting next to me in the second row who were losing it in pre-orgasmic fits ecstasy may respond, « Like, OMG, WTF Toronto Life? » Yes the quality is far from Gucci, but the come on, that was a great collection of the coolest jewel-coloured 30’s flapper-inspired looks. A+ for creativity and June, your hands are gold. Your styling, the hair, the make-up – it catapulted this collection into the stratosphere.
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I felt for David Dixon who had to deal with the frustration fall out of a Jay’s delayed show and after party that monopolized the press afterwards. All he could do was sit and wait for them to finish. To add insult to injury, some idiot had started circulating tweets about the show being cancelled earlier that evening. Sweet Sixteen, was a Part I of the fashion show which celebrated looks of the label’s past 16 years. The Barbie FW09 and SS10 Hanging Gardens of Babylon were my favourties of the retrospective tribute. Part II of the show featured Dixon’s Indonesian-themed, Escape To Jakarta FW11 Collection. More a Cruise Collection than a Fall/Winter Collection? Escape To Jakarta could easily be both, featuring leopard crepe de chine, grass taffeta and digital python, mixed with boiled wools, leather sequins and ikat fabrics. « Designing this collection served as my own personal getaway. I got to escape in the luxurious fabrics, the sweeping hemlines and clean, modern silhouettes, » stated Dixon. This collection was full of incredible prints, detailed tailoring, and gorgeous gowns that can be worn either on winter holiday, or a night out on the town here at home. For more photos of Day 3 at LG Fashion Week, please visit the It’s All Style To Me Facebook Page.
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Spiro Mandylor – It’s all style to me for Luxsure