Sonja Andic's Fashion Week - Wednesday (Envers, Andy, David D)| Thursday (Chulo Pony, Pink Tartan)| Friday (Hibebe)

Day 5 – Friday, March 17, 2006 –
HIBEBE by Salem Moussallam Show [off-site]

I Lost My Pen the Last Night of Fashion Week
I take so many taxi cabs during fashion week. Just in one now practically asphyxiated, hurrying to the HIBEBE show down at Tantric Lounge. I'm looking forward to Salem’s show, as it is off-site and sure to promise something unexpected.

The show is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. but when I arrive it is clearly not going to start on time. While waiting, I bump into some models Kamila, Shauna and Michelle and ask if I can take their photo for our ‘model blog’ on torontostreetfashion.com. They tell me they were only just looking at the site today and love it. How cute! I must remember to tell Rachel, she will feel quite chuffed with that.

Recognize some people from fashion week milling about, but overall the audience here to see Salem’s show is really different from the typical Liberty Grand crowd. The mood is decidedly more rowdy and loud: Is it Carnival? Especially now; it is 10:30pm and free drink tickets have had to be passed out to calm the beast of an audience.

The show starts 10:45 p.m. and the theme is Girl Meets Boy, Boy Meets Girl. The female and male models hit the runway totally pumped up and working it. Attitude abounds along with major ass shaking. Everyone is having a blast; the audience loves it.

The boy/girl theme translates by girls wearing men’s style dress shirts with bustiers overtop. The male models wear tight shirts, cut-off to show sexy flat tums, handbags, long necklaces and hold wee little lapdogs wearing booties [the dogs not the models]. Slogan t-shirts that say ‘sluty’ and ‘cunty’, each outfit is full on with colour, and surprise surprise Salem shows swimwear for F/W. I sort of pinch myself for a moment ....swimwear??? But then the theme and vibe is very Morgan Freechild on trashy late night soap opera sort of stuff. Salem is also channeling Gianni Versace from beyond the grave for kicks and street style inspiration. Big hair, expensive shoes, long dangly ‘I have money’ necklaces, super oversized handbags and totes, requisite exotic lapdog, sexy young hard beach worthy models exemplify the theme further. I love the silver lame bikini with hot pink trim, I really want it!

The theme holds, but the collection pieces themselves runs around too many decades and styles to create any major cohesion. But I don’t think that is what matters to Salem if I hazard a guess. I bet Salem is inspired by his friends, what people tell him they like to wear, and what he thinks looks good on the crowd he hangs with. I can tell you honestly that this show is holding my attention.

After all is done, the bar explodes with people pushing in every direction at once: to score phone numbers from models, avoid the film crew and bright lights, get out for a smoke. I ask a young blonde boy what he thought of the show and he says “Feisty”! TSF grabs Salem for to ask why he did swimwear for F/W? Basically his clients go away in the winter months and need it. So he must have some for them to buy! I hesitate and don’t get a chance to give him my swim suit order. Darn!

Photo: Jay Barrigar of the Little Black Dress Shop

Now bless Town Shoes for supplying the foot gear. That did go a long way in adding some cash/polish to the collection, as well I love the jewellery supplied by K.L. Crawford Designs. Striking use of raw materials and stones; mainly in large chunky pendants and necklaces. Also a round of applause for the hair and makeup team who outdid themselves. Great results!

As I leave the last show of fashion week I reflect back over the week. Wednesday was the night everyone had the best fun and Thursday was more laidback. Tonight it is hard to say yet, as most events are off-site [Hibebe vs RuPaul] and the fashion pack is divided up for last day events. Word on the street is that Izzy’s show was the best of the fashion week. I am thinking that I am not too tired to go out after all and I need more fashion. So I grab another taxi and head over to the Mod Club for a dose of street style.

Sonja

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