Toronto LG Fashion Week SS’12: There’s No Place Like Holts, Arthur Mendonça, Starspotting & Trendspotting

Jenn in a snakeskin print dress, black belt, and tights from H&M. Blacked wedge booties from ALDO and dark red “Sephora Rouge” lipstick from Sephora.

Monday, October 18th, 2011 was the opening of Toronto’s very own LG Fashion Week, dedicated to showcasing talent dominating today’s Canadian fashion scene from all over the nation.

In my opinion, this year’s venue, David Pecaut Square, was a beautiful spot to hold LG Fashion Week and was an upgrade from last year. Holt Renfrew set the bar high, opening the night with “There’s No Place Like Holts”; a show featuring the designs of top Canadian fashion designers Lida Baday, Jeremy Laing, Denis Gagnon, Dennis Merotto, Naked & Famous, Smythe, Twentycluny, and Wings + Horns.

Models weaving in and out of the ‘HOLTS’ large block letters down the runway @ LG Fashion Week in Toronto

Later in the night, Arthur Mendonça lit up the runway with his highlighter neon and metallic suits – my personal favourite designer of the night! His SS12 collection was inspired from Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra and was displayed in his Aztec metallics, tweed dresses, and bold jewelry. The show was a major success!

While seated during the show, I was playing a bit of “I spy with my little eye”, scoping out the front 3 rows for familiar faces. The nights’ “Spotted List” include Stacey McKenzie, Jeanne Beker, Keisha Chante, Fefe Dobson, Lisa Tant, Glen Baxter, Tommy Ton, Jay Manuel, Yasmin Warsame and Arlene Dickinson. A highlight of the night for myself, and certainly the rest of the crowd, was a special appearance from male model, Andrej Pejic.

Stacey McKenzie in IZMA fur and Fefe Dobson

“The biggest trend of the night would have to be fur. Many fashionistas sported this look throughout the night, varying from vests and scarves, to coats and dresses.”

The environment was crazed with trendy people all over the place. This made it much easier to pick out outfits and certain people that stand out amongst the rest. It also made fall trends more distinguishable. The biggest trend of the night would have to be fur. Many fashionistas sported this look throughout the night, varying from vests and scarves, to coats and dresses. International model and judge of Canada’s Next Top Model, Stacey McKenzie, wore a stunning, floor length, fur dress from homegrown designer, Izma.

The early glitches of the evening were promptly sorted out by the end of the night. The Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC) did a great job trying to communicate between the craziness and hopefully generated a system that works better for them in time for tomorrow. Although it has only been the first day, the experience of attending fashion week under media access has been amazing; however, my seating could be a little better – One day I’ll join Jeanne (Beker) in the front row…I can’t wait to see what the rest of this week brings!

This year’s fashion week theme “Canada Cool” was certainly revealed during the SS ’12 shows, reminding us of just how “cool” Canada really is!

So fitting to be unveiled around Toronto’s official Fashion Week – NOW Magazine’s (Andrew Sardone’s) annual Toronto Fashion Heroes list – in this week’s Fall Fashion Issue, complete with glossy pull-out of NOW Magazine:

“Here’s who’s changing style in the city and beyond.”

18 Waits

“It is a lifestyle which adheres just as much to Parisian cafés as it does to old English pubs, 1920s New York speakeasies, wood cabins by the lake, old upright pianos, poetry, literature, and 1970s rock and roll music.”

B Insider

HBC’s B-Insider.com blog by Christopher Sherman with editorial director Kate Corbett and executive editor Colleen Henman.

George Antonopoulos & Danier

“Calling Danier’s collaboration with George Antonopoulos a pleasant surprise is a serious understatement. Slap-across-the-face revelation is a more apt description for Object, the collection of coats, dresses and separates the seasoned stylist conceptualized for the leather retailer.”

Mercy

“Noted for their innovative use of fabrics and sentimental silhouettes, the design studio MERCY was founded in 1994. Jennifer Halchuk and Richard Lyle enjoy a symbiotic design partnership, always inspired by colour and textiles. ”

The Genteel

Fashion blog by Mona Chammas.

photo via http://www.blogto.com

Pretty Beauty & Books
“One of our favourite recent shop discoveries is Mirvish Village’s Pretty Beauty & Books (587 Markham), and not just because the boutique makeup space has a playful, whimsical look that’s a clever counterpoint to the industrial antique retail aesthetic so popular around town. Andrea Victory’s store is trailblazing a natural beauty movement by proving that you don’t need to go granola when you go green with your cosmetic choices.”

If a person (Cdn designer) has interned, worked and honed their skills abroad – does that still make them a “Canadian” designer? Technically yes, but…sort of, not really… Anyhow, such is the case with new T.O fave Calla Haynes who is a Torontonian at heart, but has lived in Paris for the past eight years working with big names like Olivier Theyskens and Nina Ricci. Now she has her own (french) line, Calla, which was presented at The ShOws two-day event this past week.

All that geographical hubbub is why it’s almost no surprise that fashion media are praising Haynes who not only designs seasonal key pieces but also conceptualizes and prints her own fabrics, the signature of her label. (the same can be said for the other three fashion designers who’ve made their claim to fame abroad,  Todd Lynn, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Thomas Tait, all presenting at The ShOWs, part of Rogue Fashion Week in Toronto or the week before the official LG Fashion Week begins).

Back to Calla and oh so refreshing prints from her Spring 2012 collection:

images Image: Jenna Marie Wakani via >

One of my favorite sites to follow LG Fashion Week in Toronto is Peroni Moda Files by top stylist Amy Lu and photographer Kevin Gonsalves. And now, fortunately for me they’re out and about at The shOws – Toronto’s rogue “off-site” line-up of fashion shows and events produced by the clearly gutsy Paola Fullerton (she is after all, practically going up agains FDCC prez Robin Kay…)

Amazingly talented Canadian fashion designers Calla Haynes, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Todd Lynn and Thomas Tait are all part of this two-day shOws event, hosted by model Coco Rocha and held at the Ritz Carleton. More about PF here >>

Anyhow, back to Peroni Moda Files: Love this pic of Tommy Ton and Anita Clarke (and the pants!) at the Ritz.

Image by Amy Lu

CityLine has been on forever! Of course Marilyn Denis hosted the show for eternity (now she has her own great daytime show) – and now Tracy Moore talks fashion, home decor, home improvements, cooking, beauty and gardening every day during the week.

Every Friday is Fashion Friday – usually pretty good especially when someone like Sandra Pittana has styled some fabulous new “accessible” looks from some popular store – and it’s not only for suburban women!

I don’t always watch the 10 a.m show but caught some of it today with a Winners fashion show – and a David Dixon feature with his collaboration of little black dresses with The Bay (which by the way are all on sale for $105 right now!) Honestly, these LBDs look way better on and with accessories – but there’s really a look for almost everyone!

David Dixon Little Black Dress Collection at The Bay

Strapless Fit and Flare | Sleeveless Crossover | Crossover Belted Dress | Strapless Layered and more…

OK this is a Spring 2012 piece but Rad Hourani does it again with his uber-cool unisex creations. But this time it’s transformable too. Collection #8 consists of ONE garment in six fabrics that has 22 looks! (I can’t imagine how much this will cost – but with coats priced at $2000-$3000 and $500 cardigans, I don’t think it’ll ever be mine:(

I have to tell you about these shoes. And to be honest, if I wasn’t already obliged, I might keep just keep them to myself!

Unassumingly dapper, equally comfortable, priced amazingly and even ethically contrived, Urshuz is a revolutionary approach to footwear. Currently the styles available are only made in men’s sizes, but once the women’s line is launched (I hear it’s in the works and I hope it’s similar to the men’s), I’ll be joining the revolution!

Urshuz, conceived by Canadian shoe designer Grant Delgatty (K-Swiss, Vans, et al.), is an interchangeable shoe. That is, a combination of uppers and soles that you can attach or reattach to each other, creating a different shoe every time! Both uppers and soles come in a variety of colors and materials (leather, suede, jute) for you to essentially mix and match. Popular combos are a grey lace-up sneaker with a bright orange sole or a leather low-cut shoe with a ‘baltic’ blue sole – but with the creative freedom to choose your own shoe combo at a great price, you can interchange however you like!

My man received a beautiful cognac colored (sienna) leather pair of low-cuts with a co-ordinating cork sole, exactly his style! Not only do they look pricey with the premium leather and perforated lining, the ergonomic thermo plastic rubber sole is apparently “moccasin-comfy”, so he says. And the combination costs $75US! Awesome! For Christmas I’m considering the perforated white sneaker for $40 and because the sole is so comfortable, the attachable flip flop upper come summer.

“Unassumingly dapper, equally comfortable, priced amazingly and even ethically contrived, Urshuz is a revolutionary approach to footwear.”

Urshuz uppers and soles are interchangeable using a patented looping system – elastics that loop onto locking channels in the soles making it easy to attach and reattach. Once you get your groove on (using a little tool that hides in the sole), you can assemble a shoe in a few minutes. Even if you don’t want to do the labour yourself, you can get another pair of Urshuz at about $65 for top and bottom. And then, when you’ve had enough, Urshuz has a recycling program for your old soles.

In Canada, Urshuz is available in select stores in Quebec but can be easily purchased online. In the US, several Urban Outfitters are carrying the line, which means we’ll likely be hearing more about the brand. Find all stores online >

Photographer Greg Swales | Hair/Make-up Sheri Stroh | Stylist Amy Lu | Model Tara Gill

There is so much amazing talent and super awesome publications out there I can’t even begin to keep up! I was just introduced to this online and print glossy Fiasco Magazine via stylist Amy Lu at Peronimodafiles.com. The following is a shoot she styled featuring Canadian model Tara Gill in woolly scarves and cowls, knit sweaters and chunky knits like this Lucian Matis sweater dress.

There is so so much beautiful photography and professional talent in every issue of this magazine. If you have time…