24 Hours Magazine reported this week 'If there is one distinct Canadian style, designer Arthur Mendonca can’t spot it.' This comment seems to fly in the face of the hard-earned branding of L’Oreal Toronto Fashion Week that waves the flag “Canadian Cool”.

Yesterday, while attending the Fashion Week festivities at Muzik, your dutiful reporter wore a strict uniform of all Canadian. Uber-sexy jeans from our friends at Bully ( “Clothes to get guys laid”), a black and white knit tank top from Beata Dirycz, arm warmers from Plastikwrap clothing, and a sterling silver Life-Saver necklace by Toronto artist Mimi Shulman (tokensofgilt.com). I made it my mission to find out who else was riding the wave of Canadian Cool.

Robin Kay, dynamite ring leader of the Fashion Design Council of Canada and matriarch of Fashion Week wore a fabulous Arthur Mendonca dress, Ada Rocks ring, and Town Shoes boots.

Monica Syed, design consultant wore a stunning, assymetrical Doll Face jacket. She commented that Canada is coming into its own as a style destination and a force to be reckoned with on the international stage.

Daniel Faria, director of Monte Clark Gallery was proud to support home-grown brilliance in a Denis Gagnon shirt and Dean Horn leather cross. “I am a huge fan of Dean Horn’s, and Denis has always been one of my favorites".

"Fashion for fashion sakes” is what brought social worker Anne Marie Hasley to Fashion Week. And that fact that her daughter is a model. She feels the events need to be made less exclusive and more accessible to the general public. She wore all Canadian Club Monaco.

From south of the 49th, Amanda Kirrivan, host of Professionalrockstars.com, came to Toronto just for Fashion Week. “Robin Kay is just a tiny ball of energy and what she is doing here is nothing short of amazing… Toronto (Fashion Week) is more laid back than in New York, and the city is really putting it’s best foot foreword.” Kirrivan says that Canadian fashion uses more unique silhouettes, and is generally much less trend driven and more innovative.

I spotted Sarah Jay, one of the city's most wonderful stylists and knew I could trust her to be decked out in Can-Cool. “Once you put on a piece of Katya’s (Revenko), you never want to wear anything else. She’s my hero!” Needless to say, Sarah was wearing a Desperately Different Katya Ravenko tunic and jacket with her “used car salesman shoes.”

Canada was in full force at the J. Lindberg party at Ultra Lounge, represented by filmmaker Michelle Messina in Abstract Reality leather and Morgan top. She too will soon join the ranks of Canadian designers with the launch of her t-shirt line Fruitful Sex.

Outside I found the ever fabulous Mr. & Mrs. Von Frances, in a mix of Club Monaco and “suspenders from a street punk in Montreal”. “Canada is simply hot shit," remarked Mr. Anna Von Frances.

A buzz phrase for the night was 'soon Toronto will rival New York Fashion Week' but this reporter says, in the words of Peter Gatien, “New York ‘aint so hot anymore, Toronto is where it’s at!”

Daniel Wilson

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