Photos: Bronwyn Cosgrave, guest | Robin Kay, FDCC | Sonja Andic

Today is the ‘official’ start to Fashion Week they say, many of us in the know would say it has already started.

I am struggling to get ready for the first event of the day: the the Holt Renfrew media cocktail party. It is a bit stressful knowing you are going to be standing shoulder to shoulder with Chanel, Prada, Chloe and Balenciaga.

I attack my closet looking for designer labels with the intensity of a heat seeking missile. There are many casualties hitting the floor of my room, rejected for not having the label power I require. Must not be late is my mantra. I settle on a Costume National black top worn under a black BCBG puff jacke with a black ruffled mini skirt, a pair of two toned Chanel boots I have customized with black lace around the ankles and a midnight blue Vivienne Westwood fanny-pack accented with white stars.

Glad Rags and Hand Bags at Holts

The venue is still at Holt Renfrew, but the cocktail party has moved from its usual location upstairs to the main floor amongst the designer handbags. I may be too distracted to work. I am glad of the move, as there is more room to manoeuver around the huge shoulder bags the fashion ladies are all lugging around these days. The party is well stocked with booze, delicious hors d'oeuvres and the fashion elite of Toronto. The dress code is: a dress, a big bag and lots of black unfortunately – I am also guilty of the dressing in all black syndrome. Must be the weather or what I like to call S.F.D. – Seasonal Fashion Disorder. Over the din of clinking champagne glasses there is the requisite speech from Robin Kay, and special guest Bronwyn Cosgrave who looks very pretty indeed in a shirt from Canadian designer Erdem Maralioglu. Good for her to wear a splash of colour.

After the speeches I preen and pose for the Fashion File camera; I just can’t help myself! When a fashion week magic moment happens - Rolyn Chambers of soon to be launched YumEee! magazine gives me one of his outrageous custom-made tape recorders. Fashion File captures the moment on film and all of us gush and hug in the wake of a true fashion moment!

This gives me a high and reminds me I am on the hunt for fashion week buzz. As I mentioned yesterday, some people are saying there isn’t any excitement for the fashion week Fall 2007 collections. I ask Natalie Lecomte from Holt Renfrew her opinion on the subject and she quite forcefully begs to differ. I like it when fashion folk get feisty – that is a good sign.

Having had enough of Holts, I make tracks for Liberty Grand for the opening shows. I must get there by 8 p.m. to support the Boutique Le Trou showcase. I wish Chanel made wings!

Photos: Sonja with her new YumEee! recorder | Marlene Shiff with Club Fashion TV

On to Liberty Grand

Many people have beaten us to the venue and I end up sitting in the third row. I’m sitting in the third row; I never sit in the third row. I will not be able to see a damn thing. Forget it, I am here to support - that is the most important thing. The Boutique Le Trou show is featuring designs by Jason Matlo, Karamea, Nada, Cristina Darling, Marie Saint Pierre and Jason Meyers. It is a great show, but I wonder if the audience is asleep. Hello people make some noise of appreciation; rustle some papers, anything to let the models know you are out there!!! Stylist Sarah Jay is sitting near me and I lean over to ask her if she is sensing the apathy I am? “Where’s the buzz?” I shout at her, feeling myself getting rowdy. She just shrugs and says she feels the same. So we start yelling and hollering at the models and clapping; our own wee island of fashion mania. It doesn’t seem to be contagious.

Out of this showcase I loved the tight red leopard print dress by Cristina Darling and I totally loved the collection by Marie Saint Pierre – avant-garde black dressing up. I see Marlene of Boutique Le Trou after the show and I have never seen her look more lovely. She looks gorgeous – she has the buzz and it shows!

Next show is Mackage. I love the styling and feel terribly flattered they used me as the collection muse. All the models are sporting bobbed black wigs with a long fringe. Yes it is me! One of the models is wearing my signature look, bobbed black hair with a huge fur lapel on her coat. I am touched, thanks. I could wear this whole collection – it really says who I want to be and how I want to look. Urban, sexy, modern, femme fatale, sophisticated …all good things in my look book.

I head backstage to hang out with the models. I ask what they just thought of last shows. Did they feel any buzz? One gal says, unless you are in the biz why should you care. Hmmmm, is general admission for fashion week a good idea anyone? Is that where this comment is heading? I need more input. I spy the design duo of Common Cloth and ask them their thoughts on the lack of excitement in the air. Intelligent comments from intelligent gals. They feel that after all the international fashion weeks and Toronto’s being nearly the last one, industry people have fashion fatigue. Fashion week in Toronto should happen earlier. Toronto fashion week gets lost at the end of the line and the whole fashion scene is over-exposed by the time Toronto hits the runway.

Don't Tell My Booker After-Party

Let’s save the intellectual musing for tomorrow. It is now time to party. The opening night party Don’t Tell My Booker is getting underway. It appears that the entire entertainment district of Toronto and 905 has congregated to celebrate fashion week at the Liberty Grand. The venue is jammed to the rafters with lean, scantily clad gals and buff men covered in an extra coating of shellac. Even though I am stuck in the bottleneck of bodies cramming to get and dance, I am impressed with the large turnout, I am guessing about 2000 club kids! The event promoters have brought in heavyweight musical talent to get everyone gyrating: Grammy award winner and hip hop violinist Miri Ben Arir, hip hop harmonica by Bad News Brown, vocals by Cindy Gomez, DJ Yanik, DJ Reflex and DJ Tito. So stop thinking so hard about the search for buzz, sometimes you just put your foot in it.

See you tomorrow for more soul searching, gossip and fashion magic...

Sonja Andic

go to Day 3: The Assistant, Andy and David, & Limelight @ Maro >>