Toronto L'Oreal Fashion Week Spring 2006
Designers and Fashion Shows
Irene Stickney - Saltwater Clothing
Photo credit: James McFaull

Paul Hardy: Poetry in Motion

Gray can sometimes be wishy-washy. It is the colour of unresolved mysteries, of foggy Irish cliffs and smokey bar rooms. It is neither black nor white - it’s in-between. Not a yes or a no but a maybe. And perhaps this was Paul Hardy's intention in sending model after model down the runway in the palest ash and delicate oyster grays, draped in soft cotton gauze and slouchy jersey. Perhaps Hardy's Spring 2006 collection, entitled ‘The Emancipation of the Icelandic Ghost Pirates’ was so good because he risked saying ‘maybe’. Every outfit was a suggestion rather than a statement, with sleeves falling gracefully off of shoulders and oversized hats which looked about to topple off at any moment. Never mind the gimmicky pirate eye patches. It was more about what had just happened - or what might happen than anything we could see. Which of course, piques the imagination all the more.

Not that all that gray got boring - not by a long shot. Keeping with the season's trend towards mixing minimalism with couture-like embellishment, Hardy balanced his rainy-day palette with texture and form. Islet lace, fur capelets, metallic brocades and for a dress near the finish, a sweeping gray skirt gathered into tiers of pleated jersey gave depth to the neutral colours, which served as simply a backdrop to all the detailing. Silhouettes were long legged and relaxed, with plenty of wraps and ties with which to gather, slouch and blouse clothing according to the wearers mood, and the occasional body-hugging bustier broke up the loose jackets and tops.

For a designer who started his career with comparisons to Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney, there was considerable pressure that this season live up to to the hype. As the headliner for opening night at Toronto Fashion Week, Hardy more than stepped up to the challenge, delivering a collection which at times could have been called poetry in motion. Hardy is definitely a designer to watch, and although romantic pirates may not be for everyone, there are after all, many shades of gray.

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Paul Hardy: Poetry in Motion

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