L'Oreal Fashion Week Day 2

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

Every girls' (and many boys') dream boat, Lucian Matis presented his dramatic, yet slightly more subdued fall 2008 'black collection'. Matis, known for his 'costumey', uber-detailed and show-stopping creations focused less on color and texture this season and more on pattern-making and finishing - which, as always, makes him everyone's favorite pick of the moment! (sorry folks, he is taken!)

Lucien showed at 5, but my first event was the off-site Swaby show at the historic Berkeley Church - this is yet another very talented Project Runway Canada contestant, Shernett Swaby. (This makes five PRC designers presenting collections this week). I've said it before and I'll say it over again - when does this woman rest, what with running her Queen Street West boutique and designing intricate pieces that seriously must take dozens of interns to pull off?! While Kimora Lee is designing for Barbie (so passe), Toronto-based Swaby is sponsored by Bratz (the #1 doll) and her 'exclusive Bratz fashions' are expected to be available on these little dolls in 2009 (like Montreal designer Marie St. Pierre only a year ago). Are you kidding me? Piping, curved seams on everything, ribbons, ruffles, multiple pattern pieces... not even a Burmese sweat shop can get paid enough to re-create all this couture-like detail en masse! We'll have to see how it goes...Speaking of, I still haven't seen the new Jeanne Beker Bratz doll...

Back at the tent, I almost didn't make it to the Bustle show thanks to the 20 minute line-up at the loo. Women were darting across Queen St. to the hotel and even taking over the mens' stalls. When you gotta go, you gotta go and if I have any complaints so far...

In his fashion week blog, Andrew Sardone asks, 'Where are all the Cadbury chocolate bars?!" I was wondering the same thing all day, clearly spoiled by the limitless supply at previous fashion weeks - unfortunately Cadbury is no longer a sponsor:( Also no longer is the free-for-all stashes of L'Oreal nail polish and lipsticks...spoiled, spoiled I tell you...but back to the shows...

The fashion blogger crew in the media tent: 'geekgirl' Anita Clarke, Final Fashion's Danielle Meder, Me and TFI rockstar Carolyn Rohaly | Fashion Week DJ and TSF'er Daniel Wilson with go-go girl Sara Delaney