Thursday: Fashion Fringe

Irene Stickney of Saltwater Clothing is perhaps the most creative and inventive of them all. Anything but typical, her designs are an intriguing breath of fresh air — literally. Irene's design concepts stem from the idea of supporting sustainable fashion and promoting natural and recycled materials. A complete showstopper, her designs were absolutely stunning, enhancing the female shape while incorporating interesting cuts and seam lines.  The sweet and summer-like detailing was beautifully pulled off, leaving behind a completely feminine and sultry vibe from start to finish.  As a member of knowdresscode.com, Irene has showcased her designs on a higher platform, allowing her to gain more and more exposure. A fourth-year fashion design student at Ryerson, Irene has a bright future ahead of her.

Saltwater Clothing: Myspace.com/saltwater_21

Shannon Moulden, a recent fashion design grad of Ryerson University, showed a brilliantly executed collection as elegant and captivating as the city that inspired it — New York.  The bright lights, the people, and especially the avant-garde fashion in New York City led Shannon to begin sketching and sourcing fabric to bring her design visions to life.  Her use of texture and monochromatic colors with metallic accenting gave the garments an edgy yet ladylike effect. The flowy dresses and voluminous silhouettes shown in this collection could easily be seen gracing the pages of the leading fashion magazines in editorial spreads.  Shannon stumbled upon a fashion goldmine with this collection, and I would love to see what she comes up with next.

Cellar Door: 905-628-0363

Ryerson University produces more than its fair share of Fashion Design up-and-comers! Another recent grad, Leah Kraehling used the idea of pulling garments or fabrics out of a trunk and out of a past existence, and pushing them into a modern day wardrobe for the contemporary woman. Through visiting various New York flea markets and vintage shops, Leah made use of different fabrics and styles to recreate something modern and amazing from fashions of the past. In today's vintage saturated market, this collection provides a fresh perspective on old threads. The backless and high waisted silhouettes, along with the pleated chiffon accented with lace, belts and buckles provided an exciting experience for the audience at the Fashion Fringe show.

Leah Kraehlin : leahkraehling.com

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