LG Fashion Week in Toronto

Day 5 | March 30, 2011:
MICALLA | Duy | KRANE Design | LOVAS | Comrags | ATTITUDE Jay Manuel | David Dixon

The spotlight is on new designers on the final day of Fashion Week, and the crowd is young, fresh and hip. Klaxton Howl presents simple denim accessorized with a World War 2 vibe. Amanda Lew Kee shows promise with sexy secretary skirts and soft velvets as she struggles to balance playfulness with restraint. The Line knitwear collection has some lovely surprises, though at times the designs seem haunted by the ghost of Grandma’s afghan blanket in a pine-paneled family room. Best are sensual floor-length curve kissing crochet dresses, and anyone who has had a masked bandit break into their kitchen or garbage will find guilty delight in Line’s raccoon fur stoles and vests. It’s been an exciting and inspiring week packed with innovation and glamour. Invest to impress next fall with at least one of these hot new trends.
1./ Jewelled stockings by Lucian Matis
2./ Fabulous fringe – David Dixon and Joe Fresh re-interpret flapper chic with layers of metal and black jet
3./ Wind chimes! Crystal sings with Rita Tesolin’s dangly crystal ring, and Chloe Comme Parris’ cape swings with prisms.
4./ Summer kisses of colour. Denis Gagnon and Greta Constantine give black a kick with bubblegum pink, fushia, amethyst and garnet.
5./ Luxurious silk velvet to banish the winter blahs.

This is super cool – and totally a step forward for Canadian fashion when one of our leading shoe manufacturer/retailers – ALDO – provides an opportunity for some of our best fashion designers – Greta Constantine and DUY – to self design the footwear for their show and then have them made! Unfortunately the shoes are NOT available for purchase – but are available for editorial.

Of course this happens all over the world for many international designers, but as we all know, it’s been a struggle year after year to get mega sponsorship dollars for fashion in Canada (although Greta Constantine seems to be doing quite well!).

Greta Constantine

“Inspired by their constantly evolving world, Greta Constantine’s FW 2011 collection by Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong opens up a universe without any time and space constraints.

To create the FW 2011 ALDO collection for  GRETA CONSTANTINE, Kirk and Stephen drew their inspiration from the Russian Ballet Company and its rich Asian heritage. This invitation to travel features a collection of cosmopolitan and colourful shoes and boots, daring prints and elaborate ornaments. Wedge heel shoes, boots and ankle boots make up this deep-coloured collection (in shades of slate, anthracite, purple, cobalt blue, aubergine and black), highlighted by intricate ornaments (leather, knit, fur and melton). An opulent and precious collection, which emphasizes the talent of its designers.”

DUY

Daphne Guiness: couture collector and muse

“Titled «Long Live Daphne», Duy Nguyen’s Fall-Winter 2011 collection is a tribute to this aristocratic world figure of fashion and her eclectic and refined tastes.

This collection of elegant and slightly rebel shoes and accessories pays homage to his Muse, her sophistication and distinctive sense of aesthetics. Faithful to her vision, the various pieces of this collection integrate the elements that made Daphne Guinness famous: leather, textured materials (python, lace), prints (leopard) and fur (pony), caramel hues and dark shades (grey and black). The FW 2011 ALDO collection of shoes and accessories for DUY is an stunning blend of radical chic, flexibility and accessibility. A collection which truly combines modernism, sophistication and elegance.”

Luxury garment care retailer Rowenta – an official LG Fashion Week sponsor – is giving away a tote bag of stylish luxe goodies to one lucky Torontostreetfashion.com reader in celebration of fashion week!

Worth about $500, each professional ‘Fashion Week Survival Bag’ contains:

· Rowenta First Class Travel Iron (with vertical steam!)
· Rowenta Beauty’ Infini Pro’ Ceramic Hair Dryer
· Crease Release luxury travel kit from The Laundress
· Re-usable mini lint roller
· Sharpie non-bleed pen
· Relaxing bath salts
· Manicure touch-up
· Wrigley’s 5 gum
· J.R. Watkins Natural Apothecary lip balm

To Enter (by April 2, 2011):

• Let Rowenta know how much we ‘LIKE’ their professional products! Go to the Rowenta Facebook page and LIKE.
• AND then simply leave a comment on our Facebook Group page, letting us know what Canadian designer you love and why!

(a winner will be randomly picked and notified through FB – Happy Fashion Week!)

Rowenta Top Runway Ready Steaming Tips

• Steam garments from the inside
• Clothing with ruffles and pleats are hard to iron, but easy to steam!
• The secret to a perfect press is the setting. Let your garment cool for a few minutes after steaming to “set” the press.
• Avoid fading with dry cleaning and steam instead to refresh fabrics!

photo via boston.com

The George Brown College Fashion Management Program has over 200 students who must complete an Internship to receive their Diploma.

Hire & Train an Intern:

• In return you get 160 to 320 (or 8 weeks) of free hours of Energy, Enthusiasm and Highly Motivated individuals with the willingness to tackle any task! (although it would be really nice to offer up a small honorarium or something similar)

• These students may be integrated into the regular employee pool, assigned special projects or rotated from one department to another, completing entry level work that embraces any area of the business.

How does the process unfold?

• You contact, interview and select an appropriate candidate or candidates.
• You complete a ‘Student Internship Contact Information’ Form C and a Ministry of Education ‘Work/Education Placement Agreement/Post Secondary’ form for all unpaid placements. The student will provide these forms for you
• You complete a brief, one page assessment of the student’s performance.

Contact:
Sandra Classic
Professor- Fashion Management, George Brown College
416.415.5000 x 6480
fashionintern@georgebrown.ca

Illustrations by Darryl Graham @ Comic Con

ComicCon?  Seriously?  I’m the first to admit that a fashion journalist at a comic convention seems like a Clash of Civilizations, but there is more for the style-eye than one might think.  While my Armani jacket declined to be accessorized by a sword, (we were generously invited to join the Klingon Assault Group), there is a certain appeal to geek chic.

Molecular t-shirts and yoga pants lined with the first forty numbers of Pi add an atomic twist to a city fatigued by years of domination by Lulu Lemon, and Sick on Sin designers add whimsy to t-shirts and undies with iconic ravens and robots.   There is an entire section devoted to artists revealing some surprisingly good work.  In addition to spine-cringingly-sexist-super-babes, illustrators like Nimit Malavia create complex drawings of astonishing beauty (shown below), and Darryl Graham marries graphic style to sneakers with bespoke hand painted detailing.

All in all, ComicCon is the perfect field trip for those in need of a bit of fun and frivolity, and now I know a fleet of storm troopers sets off my grey patin leather pumps beautifully.  I think I’ll relax with a martini and my new culturally inclusive Heroes of the World comic!