I had a great time at Fashion Art Toronto |FAT| last week. It was my first time at Toronto’s alternative fashion week and I really enjoyed the creativity showcased by local and international artists and designers. It was a vastly different vibe from Toronto Fashion Week – laid back, confident, open, honest, diverse and raw. I loved the energy in the room, the approachable designers and the fun, fearless fashion on and off the runway.
The 2012 thematic focus was fashionSCAPES and each night represented a different fashion landscape:
- LANDscapes: Exploring nature, texture, geography and the elements
- CITYscapes: Fast-paced, transitory, now; exploring how urban life shapes fashion
- BODYscapes: Investigating the human form; identity, sexuality and gender
- FUTUREscapes: Innovative new materials, media, technology and imagination
It was exciting heading into each night, curious to see how each theme would be interpreted on the runway. I was truly amazed by the creative, often dream-like designs, the interactive art and the fashion shows that incorporated live music and dance so beautifully. Never a dull moment – well – perhaps briefly when the power went out on Day 2.
I met some great people, participated in live art and went to some amazing after-parties, but I won’t be going through every moment here – consider this my personal highlight reel.
My favourite shows were on Day 2: CITYscapes. This theme represented the most wearable styles; while I have immense respect for the avant-garde, I tend to enjoy fashion most when I can picture myself wearing it!
I’ve been a fan of Rachel Sin for a while, pining over her collections at Homegrown Boutique in Yorkville. The show kicked-off with an amazing performance by singer Cory Lee and jumped right into tailored separates and killer dresses. This collection embodies modern and sensual sophistication with sexy cutouts, lace, sequins and fur accents in a dark neutral colour palette with pops of pastel peach and yellow. Sin embraces curves with ruching and peplums and adds wow-factor to basic black with lacy peekaboo panels. I loved the black sequin pants, the peplum dress and the basic leggings with an alluring lace tuxedo strip up each leg.
I went to the Rachel Sin after party at Bar Neon and had the chance to chat with the lovely Rachel herself. It’s clear that she’s incredibly passionate about functional, feminine and empowering fashion suitable for the workplace and beyond. She designs for the independent woman whose wardrobe is an extension of her confidence. Perhaps that’s why her style speaks so much to this Dainty Girl!
My next fave down the runway was Ottawa-based designer Paidemoyo Chideya. DeMOYO presented a conservative yet quietly edgy collection with lots of deep purple, brown, black and white. Classically elegant, these designs feature sleek lines, pleats, ruffles, popped collars and beautiful silk fabrics – focused on the beauty of the female form. The standout pieces for me included a soft silk zip-up jumper with long sleeves and a white crocheted lace dress.
I also got the chance to meet Paidemoyo Chideya (second from right) and congratulate her on another fabulous collection.
The Ego Collection by Woudenberg was another standout. Toronto-based designer Emily Woudenberg is quite the multi-tasker with her jewelry and clothing lines. She kicked off the show with a trippy, technicolour film and approached the fashion ego with a funky, androgynous collection. Models strutted down the runway in mod polyester pants, mirrored shades and signature cubic necklaces. I really enjoyed the forest green colour-blocking, leather details and the high-waisted gold tuxedo pants are officially on my wish list! The best part – Emily rocked some swagger of her own, finishing the show with an enthusiastic high-five with one of her models! Awesome!
These three designers stood out for me, but there were so many incredible shows featuring beautiful, creative and innovative fashion throughout the four days at |FAT| 2012. In addition to the runway shows, I also enjoyed the fashion films, photography, onsite art exhibitions and those at the offsite Drake Lab. The Well by Michael Boehm featuring a solid stream of black and white feathers was darkly ethereal and the interactive black light paint made it fun! I loved leaving my mark on the exhibit and watching others get creative while waiting in line for the bathroom.
My favourite installation was Gwen Brydson’s Broadcast People – hands down. I was buzzing about this before the event, but seeing it in action was astounding. Broadcast People is a live photo exhibit using wireless technology, social media and the participation of |FAT| attendees. Simply step in to the booth, press the red button and express yourself! You can see all four days of photos on Facebook or check out the compilation below. This is such an innovative and fun form of photo journalism – no wonder it’s gone viral!
Fashion Art Toronto |FAT| featured 200 designers and artists and works hard to pioneer inventive and contemporary expressions in the industry. Whew! It was a whirlwind week and I slept hard when it was all said and done! For full coverage, check out the |FAT| Blog.
Special thanks to Executive Director Vanja Vasic for putting on a great show and Media Manager Sonja Andic for my media pass and inquiries. See you again next year!
Runway Photo Credit: O McLeod – Toronto Freelance Photographer owen@thestylelense.com (website under construction)
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