When you name your label Maison Matthew Gallagher, invoking the spirit of revered fashion house Maison Martin Margiela, you better have the goods to back it up. Luckily, the young Nova Scotia-born, Milan-educated designer proved worthy of the title when he presented one of the week’s best collections to a packed house last night.
Audible oohs and aahs followed the trails of Gallagher’s whimsical Italian Riviera-inspired garments down the runway. Luxe, yet seemingly effortlessly draped jumpsuits, intricate folds and textured floral prints in shades of cream, coral and ice blue showcased his immense skill.
This was only Gallagher’s second show at Toronto Fashion Week, so there was (understandably) some room for improvement. A bejeweled floral print that popped up throughout the collection more resembled gaudy wallpaper than high fashion. Also an issue was his all-white model lineup-the second we’ve seen this week.
Popular menswear designer Christopher Bates kicked off his show with an on-screen announcement that his spring 2014 collection will be sold at Holt Renfrew. What followed was slightly less thrilling, a slew of pants too tight for even One Direction and models who didn’t quite fit the clothes.
To be fair, menswear designers have a particular challenge when it comes to runway shows. It’s much more challenging to tailor a men’s suit at the last minute to fit a model than it is a woman’s dress. Still, competent model casting goes a long way towards preventing the sausage-legs look.
Outerwear favourite Mackage showed a solid collection that capitalized on the mixed materials trend. Cotton twill jackets with leather sleeves in biker, bomber and varsity styles will surely be popular consumer choices, but didn’t seem especially new. The exception to the seen-before rule was an eye-catching twill khaki jacket with shiny metallic sleeves.
Toronto Fashion Week continues through Saturday (October 26). Check back for our daily coverage.
