Toronto, the working Fashion Capital of Canada
Abdi Olow
L'Oreal Fashion Week kicked off on Monday October 22, 2007 under a series of massive white tents at Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square for the first time, following its departure from the Liberty Grand near Exhibition Place.
Produced by the Fashion Design Council of Canada (FDCC), a non-profit organization that works to promote the fashion industry in Canada, L’Oreal Fashion Week was a hit at its new home. With regard to the tents this year, FDCC President Robin Kay has said th intent was to create a venue that was “visible in the heart of our own city Toronto, the working fashion capital of Canada”.
From Project Runway’s highly guarded runway show to Paul Hardy’s spectacular showcasing on Friday, there was a lot to be admired at this year at Toronto’s L’Oreal Fashion Week. The stars, the media, and Torontonians all came out in droves to support the event. Some of Toronto’s top newspapers (Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star) and magazines (Canadian Living, Flare, Elle Canada, FASHION Magazine, More Magazine) took the front row, all hoping to get a glimpse of what the designers had to offer for Spring 2008.
The Spring 2008 forecast includes bright colours, shimmer, and silk influenced by the 60s, 40s and sport.
For five consecutive days, the tents were packed. Jeanne Beker from Fashion Television was working hard all week long, running back and forth from the runway to her set inside the tents to interview the designers right after their shows.
It looks all too easy, but its not
Guy Trebay of The New York Times once said, “When people talk about the fashion ‘system’, they generally have no idea how socially intricate that organism can be”. And he was right: most people are unaware of the monumental efforts that go into producing and staging the 15 minutes or so that all designers get in Fashion Weeks to showcase their collections to buyers, fashion editors and clients. There is the clothes aspect to consider, which are themselves products of months of decision making, manufacturing, and revisions. There is the hair aspect of fashion shows as well, which take weeks to conceive of as designers and hairdressers collaborate in order to create a look and feel that captures each designer’s vision for his/her collection. And then there is the make up, along with the casting of the models, staging and setting up of the show, and so on.
Sitting down with Joeffer Caoc and Paul Hardy, just days prior to L’Oreal Fashion Week, Gloss asked both designers what they have been doing to prepare for their shows.
Paul Hardy: “Its my fifth year anniversary for doing shows and I have been kind of busy trying to figure out how the shows should be styled and doing last minute detailing. Editing is one of the largest parts of doing a collection successfully and for this season we wanted to focus on more of the editorial pieces for the runway show and move the commercial pieces away from the show. For the collection we’re working on for Fashion Week, it really focuses a lot more on dress, novelty type pieces as opposed to the more commercial goods that we do.”
Joeffer Caoc: “For the collection we were working on for sales, it had to be done in August. For the upcoming spring show, we have been working on it for the past couple of weeks, and now it’s going down to every little fine detail, but the way that we figure it is, if you’re going to put on a show and you don’t give it your all, then don’t bother because people notice. When you see a show and people say that was really beautiful, it’s because you gave it your all.”
Highlights
For the models this year at L’Oreal Fashion Week, the Para painted slick runway did prove to be treacherous. Numerous models throughout the week endured trips and falls. Top model standouts at L’Oreal Fashion Week included the always lovely Heather Marks, Rebecca (winner of Canada’s Next Top Model), and a group of new faces making a huge impression at the runway shows that included Teisha Evanson from Next , Kate Somers from Ford, and Renee Thompson from NAM.
Iman, marking her first appearance at Toronto’s L’Oreal Fashion Week, was on hand on Monday to help open Fashion Week and introduce Project Runway Canada.
In regards to Canadian Fashion, Iman said, “Regardless of the individual designer's nationality, fashion is very much a world without borders. There is not really an English designer or a French designer - it's a designer designer. Whatever looks good here in Toronto would look good in Paris”.
Toronto’s Mayor David Miller made an unexpected entrance and helped to introduce the Indiva Show with Robin Kay. The cast from MTV’s After Show was also on hand modeling on Tuesday as well at the Bustle Show, much to the delight of many MTV fans.
On Friday, the busiest day of all for Fashion Week, the stars all came out. Gossip blogger Perez Hilton hosted one of closing festivities at Ultra Night Club in Toronto. In attendance on Friday for the closing festivities were Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter, Chantal Kreviazuk and her husband, K-OS, and Keisha Chante. The cast of Degrassi the Next Generation was also on hand at the closing night to support their fellow alum-turned-designer, Nada Yousif.
In an interview with GLOSS, Adamo Ruggiero and fellow Degrassi cast members Shena Grimes and Lauren Collins were asked what brought them to fashion: “As Torontonians that we are, it’s so great we come out and celebrate anything that is really happening in Toronto, whether it’s Toronto’s film festival or Fashion Week, as young artists ourselves and the Canadian industry being so young as well, any support that we can give to help support something that is so amazing and awesome, is what we try to do.” |
