[FAT] Day 1: Do you even like fashion?!

[FAT]s fiercest model rocks a Magpie gown


Rachel with Vessna Perunovich and [FAT] photographer William Chrysler aka Zaiden

[FAT] is so cool (come a long way in three years) that Executive Director Vanja Vasic is surely giving L'Oreal Fashion Week bigwig Robin Kay a run for her money!

The vibe at the Fermenting Cellar of the Distillery District on day one (1) was slow and steady; soothingly lit with at least 10 flat screens spread around the space showing various artistic videos including Arline Malakian's 'The Gaze' and Vessna Perunovich's Midnight Marriage (who happens to be [FAT] artistic director and Vanja's mom).


Similar to foreplay if you will, the aura bred excitement with slight hestitation (likely because many of the would-be participants were at Ryerson's Mass Exodus Show); but the crowd was certainly fashionable and edgy and the models were even better, throwing runway convention aside and strutting, dancing and swaying with the flow of this alternative event.

[FAT] is art, amazingly talented musical acts and fashion; and day one showcased 12 fashion designers in three parts.

Amie Scott broke from her usual sunnyside up egg shirts and presented a dozen looks that had everyone around me in stitches (in a good way) as each look surfaced: a blood-tainted gown with a severed arm attached, a hamburger dress with fabric bun, tomato et al., and a camo-print full bustle gown. We loved the dress made with pj material with a bum-flap (what a great idea, why hasn't anyone thought of this before?!)

Wesley Badanjak (runway coordinator and designer) presented the most polished collection of the group for men and women which included tailored skinny pants and chic vests; while Magpie enchanted with full-length tie-dyed African-style dresses wound and tied with straps of fabric. For the final show, Lena Love opened for Kirsty McKenzie and was followed by a group of fabulously fierce models dressed in her mix-up of floral creations which garnered much praise from my fashion friends.

We didn't spot much fashion media in the crowd besides FAB writer Rolyn Chambers, NOW Magazine's Andrew Sardone and fashionista extraordinaire Lucinda McRuvy (maybe saving their energy for our fashion film tomorrow night?) but did hear from a source that when asked what she thought of the show, the Flare editor's assistant shrugged and scowled. No taste for art?? Our source then questioned, 'Do you even like fashion??!' We love it!