‘Addicted to Biddell’ Fritz Helder and the Phantoms with Biddell’s stylist Sarah Jay

This diary entry, dear readers, nearly did not happen, but through the fog of my hangover I will piece together what I remember.

The Zoran Dobric show was unique in starting precisely on time, but that seemed to be where the uniqueness ended. The show had lot of strong elements, but seemed ultimately like a Frankenstein monster made of several collections sewn together. The Issey Miyake-like architectural structures were interesting in the first part but were abandoned for hand-painted satin floaty things. There was even a jacket that looked like a pattern copy from Preloved! I loved the dropped crotch shorts and skintight Jackson Pollock pants. One of the oddest things was the music which shifted abruptly between opera and techno without the benefit of mixing or blending. Spotted Matti Bygod in the front row without his usual fashion week companion, Caitlin Cronenberg.

Raptor Chris Bosh backstage | Rory Lindo and Kelly Freeman

This season for the second time Playdead and Damzels In This Dress paired up to put on the most fun and irreverent show of the season. Damzels rocked the runway with Riot Girl attitude to burn and models fighting, smoking and cradling babies. Extra kudos to Damzels for using a plus sized model who was the hottest girl I’ve seen on the runway all week. Playdead’s show was big on theatrics but played safe on design. Their half of the show started with a terrific short film of giant headed grim reapers making clothes and having design meetings before the reapers made an appearance on the runway in person to usher in the first model. Their designs played up their strongest feature – silk-screening. Major ‘aww shucks!’ factor when the grim reapers brought out tiny little children to strut and show off their tiny little ho0dies.

Then comes Evan Biddell. I liked most of Evan’s collection and feel that he is maturing as a designer. He presented dropped crotch pants that seem to be required in every show this season and a really wonderful eyelet fabric jump suit. What I loved most is skirts for men! I myself have been rocking them off and on for years and finally menswear is coming around. Evan’s are short, denim and pleated in the back but absolutely not kilts or skorts ! I want one badly! (with the leggings from the show and maybe the tattooed model wearing them).

After Evan I took a break and brought the fabulous Vanja Vasic back to my house for a glass or three of wine and an outfit change. Two outfits for the day is a bit diva-like for a journalist, but three would have pushed me over the edge into Jeannie Beker or Robin Kay territory.

Shinan Govani at the Joe Fresh party | Elle.com’s Rachel Singer and Canadian Living Asst. Style editor Julia McEwen

After parties make fashion week survivable and are often the only place to get sustenance without it costing a limb or first born child as it does in the tent. First up last night was the Joe Fresh party where an unfortunate woman was making a scene trying to get in by screaming that she shops at Loblaws and should be allowed in. She took one look at me and said, “Well I guess I need to wear more eyeliner to get in!” Inside, I ran into Shinan Govani checking in with the Mimrans before his own party at Spice Route. Shinan and I compared notes on our Robin Kay stories and I must say I was pleasantly surprised that he reads my writing. Kim Mimran looked sleek and elegant in all black, though she said she’d been flying and driving and boating and possibly helicoptering all day and hadn’t even looked in a mirror (lucky biatch).

Then to Spice Route for Shinan’s party where things became fuzzy. Val Dooley was there sporting a new dark bob and looking every bit the icon she is, and I remember a giant, $500 bottle of Belvedere vodka. That bottle, and the Moet is why I can’t report on more, sorry kids.

Tags: danielw, spring2009