Last spring, we shot a pair of DUY frocks pulled from Delphic for a party dress story. They were a simple cut, with a low V in the front and a lower plunging neckline in the back. You could wear them backwards if you wanted to. What stood out about the dresses was the watercolour print silk Montreal designer Duy Nguyen used to add some extra oomph.
The collection he presented on Wednesday afternoon at LG Fashion Week was, unfortunately, the polar opposite of their lightness. Granted, that was spring and this was fall, but its construction and grayscale palette was a bit too weighty. What I did like was the woven shoulder detail on sweaters, a sheer pointillism print and the way lace appliqués changed the jaw lines and cheekbones of the models.
At Krane an hour and a half later, it occurred to me that since everyone and their dog seems to have bought a Canada Goose coat this winter, we should all turn our patriotic outerwear attention to Ken Chow’s collection for the coming fall. The autumn lineup includes more tailored options in waxed cotton, leather and thick Melton with shearling collars and double button details. And while you’re at it, pick up a duffle bag in supple forest green suede or a knapsack in khaki cotton.
You can really tell which front row fixtures take themselves a little to seriously at a Comrags show. As the models walk by, always with a look of complete serenity on their faces, those few editors and bloggers scrunch their noses and roll their eyes as it to say, “I don’t get it. Where are the sequins? Where is the goth? How are these completely wearable clothes FASHION?”
They’re not. They’re style. And style is in the details like the gathered shoulders and bust line on a crush taffeta dress or a floral jacquard, sometimes stitched together with its multicoloured side showing, sometime its black and ivory back. When I previewed the collection, designers Judy Cornish and Joyce Gunhouse mentioned they were still searching for the perfect finishing styling touch for the presentation. Thick wool tights with colourful zigzag stitches and mismatched shirt buttons sewn on them at the ankle did the trick.
After the grounded experience at Comrags, the overproduced Sears ATTITUDE show was a bit jarring. A mirrored black runway ran from the photo pit all the way up the catwalk, ending below a three storey, uber airbrushed photo of the line’s new fashion director, Top Model man Jay Manuel, looming over us all like an evil style overlord. The collection itself ticked all the right boxes (lots of black, layered knits, jewel tones and some great bags) but I missed the mushy moment at the end of the show when the Toronto-based Sears design team usually comes out to take their bows.
The scale of the ATTITUDE presentation also, inevitably, pushed David Dixon‘s show start time to 11 pm and that put most of the runway room in a foul mood when we were supposed to be celebrating the sweet sixteenth birthday of his line. The show started with a few archival pieces (a dress covered in porcupine pailettes from Spring 2009 Fall 2009’s frothy pink Barbie number) and transitioned into this fall’s 3D clover cocktail looks and red jersey gowns.
Thursday’s runway lineup: New names Sid Neigum and Heather Lawton in the Studio, fashion week staples Lundström and VAWK on the main stage.
