Toronto L’Oreal Fashion Week, March 17-22, 2008
Fall 2008 Collections, Nathan Phillips Square

The boys of fashion week Evan Biddell, Lucien Matis and Zoran Dobric

by Rachel Schwab
In its 6th year, Toronto’s L’Oreal Fashion Week is more popular than ever and the crowds at the massive tent that’s been erected between old City Hall and the skating rink at Nathan Phillips Square proves it! Even those at the invite-only Holt Renfrew event seemed especially crammed in among the exquisitely displayed chained handbag section at the Bloor Street store (maybe it has something to do with all the full-sized TTC billboard ads around the city or the new television commercials). But its all good for the popularity of fashion week and the designers who slave to show.

My ‘fashion’ day started with a 6-minute interview on CBC Radio One’s Here and Now program. We talked a little about Torontostreetfashion.com’s beginning and how mainstream media reacts to fashion bloggers. Then it was off to the Holt Renfrew media cocktail and all its glitz and glory – there were photographers, interviews and video cameras capturing all the stylish looks of the industry’s dress up crew.

Marlene Shiff in Zoran Dobric available at Boutique Le Trou, Natalie Lecomte in Greta Constantine available at Holt Renfrew

From there, my wee entourage made it to the Joe Fresh show (knock-off, inexpensive basics that we really like) which spared no expense as NY hotshots, The Misshapes dj’d and Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha led the beauty brigade down the runway (who makes these decisions anyways??). Of course, the Joe Fresh brand makes more money than anyone else showing – so thank you Mr. Mimran for infusing some Canadian cool into the week. Can’t wait to see what your wife surprises us with at the Pink Tartan show on Thursday.

Earlier in the day my colleagues Liza Zawadzka and photographer Christina Pal made it to the Evan Biddell (Project Runway winner) show with its sustainable slant (“good potential”); the Denis Gagnon show (“the best of the day” (no surprise) and the Nadya Toto show with its contrasting textures. (A stylist afterwards was appalled at the use of crushed velvet…)

Well, tomorrow the designers in from Milan will attempt to show us how its really done, or will they?…can’t wait.

Tags: fall2008