I was desperate for a line sheet at Evan Biddell‘s fashion week show.
Most of the Toronto collections thus far have been pretty straightforward. Biddell, however, is not known for keeping things simple and a catwalk cheat sheet could have helped with the long list of queries left scribbled in my notebook at the end of the presentation.
Was, for instance, the stiff, avocado coloured fabric of that first dress neoprene? And the heavy buttons on that pair of vests? Were they actually giant bolts or just fasteners shaped like oversized metal screws? And was it all a tribute to everyone’s favourite designer these days, Alexander McQueen, because the shape of a hood on a jacket in the last look reminded me a lot of the late Brit’s armadillo heels?
A press release slipped to me by the designer’s publicist at the end of the show cleared a few things up. It was indeed neoprene and those other materials were metallic pleather and cork. The collection is called “Prehistory”, which puts it thematically in step with McQueen’s aesthetic.
All questions aside, it was an inspiring lineup and a big step forward in the designer’s development. As the F-List‘s Leesa Butler said to me after the show, “Toronto is lucky to have a designer like Biddell.”
All photos by Jenna Wakani.[rssbreak]
