The first annual Week of Style was held from May 23 to 26th, 2007 in Toronto. The driving force behind the event was support for the up-and-coming talent in the style industry, both locally and globally; embracing the fact that fashion isn’t just the clothes you wear, it’s a lifestyle. The three-night event featured six fashion shows, introducing eager audiences to the best style innovators and fashion designers in Canada.
Wednesday
The Arcadian Court hosted Bambumoda, showcased eight brands said to be the next big thing in Canadian fashion. The design work of Menaz, Artful Dodger, Mooks, Obey Clothing and Lifetime Clothing focused on prevailing style movements, rather then on seasonal fashion trends.
Menaz designs is where the ‘East Meets West’, catering to the South Asian woman who wants to express herself creatively in the western world through unique fabrics and traditional Pakistani craftsmanship ( www.mehnaz.com ).
Artful Dodger is best described as a European men’s street wear line, most popular for its distressed denim and embroidered blazers ( www.artfuldodgerny.com ).
Mooks is an Australian street wear clothing label that derives its design from Japanese baseball, American athletics and skate culture. This mixing of ideas produces eccentric and unique pieces ( www.mooks.com ).
Shepard Fairey of Obey Clothing says, “My goal is to proliferate as much as I can. For me, fashion alone is elitist and boring. The sociological mixture can be an interesting melting pot. I enjoy things that cause different groups of people to mingle and exchange ideas or argue. My clothing line is designed to espouse my ideas and be intelligently irreverent. My work is a combination of fun and provocation. People tell me they get more questions about my T-shirts that anything else they wear.” ( www.obeyclothing.com ).
Lifetime Clothing combines the arts, music, skateboarding, snowboarding, world issues, and culture into each and every garment ( www.lifetimecollective.com ).
After the models had taken their final walk down the runway, one was left to question the originality of the designs. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that there will be more innovative design ideas in the shows to come.
Bambumoda (credit: Ron Louie)