We navigated around Toronto Fashion Week this month; scanning the latest, freshest looks and it’s “behind the scenes” craziness — and we loved it.

So…What’s Toronto Fashion Week about?

Well, here we give you the rundown. With Canada being a hotspot location for emerging talent in the arts and entertainment industries, Fashion Week is definitely a prominent event here. The creme de la creme. Toronto Fashion Week shines a spotlight on fashion, art, and culture with a global twist.  It lasts 3 days, and of course it’s held in Downtown TO’s most prestigious and luxurious retail area of Yorkville.  Our cultural industry is growing, and it’s growing fast.

The Experience: 

If you want to see the potential future of your closet, run to FASHUNNN week. Toronto Fashion Week is a huge deal in the city — for us fashionistas and media crowd at least. The industry’s top local designers unveil their newest inspirations in Toronto’s trendy Yorkville neighbourhood. They share their high impact, conceptual garments and give you a taste of their upcoming collections. No sensory details are overlooked; from the iridescent lighting picked to reflect each collection, to the music used to set the tone. All elements in every show work simultaneously to make you really feel the vibes with a little magic.

 

The Designers: 

Pedram Karimi, the designer of a vegan inspired brand, had a creative concept centered on the wins of butterflies, and sustainability. Alongside Karimi, Creative directors Eric Richards and Rahul Madan, did a great job with their brand Wil Studios adding whimsical features to balance a fresh street style collection.

If you’re lucky, you may get to meet some designers during fashion week – like Toronto native Daniel Gregory Natale, who generously spared his limited time. Daniel talked in glowing remarks about his co-contributor and the work that went into each intricate floral headpiece. During a brief one-on-one, Daniel earnestly mentioned he didn’t want guests to feel intimidated at his show. Rather, he wants the audience to go up to the models to see the details – as he incorporated various delicate lines and several other mediums. Next up for Daniel and his collection is his debut in Paris; it truly was a pleasure to have Toronto as his first stop. Take a look at his collections on www.danielgregorynatale.com

Work It Honey 

After each runway show throughout fashion week, doors would close like clockwork & teams rushed into the RE/SET Studios hustling to set up the next runway. Sometimes, transforming the entire stage to create a whole new atmosphere. Outside this intimidate room, you could catch a glimpse of the beating heart of TFW. Makeup artists, stylists, directors, along with other industry members were buzzing around working tirelessly to get models ready, making the collections come to life.

Beyond The Runway 

Dr. Alexandra Palmer, senior curator of the ROM, broke it down for us in her “Fashion Talks” segment — one of many talks given throughout Toronto Fashion Week. Fashion is exciting, but there’s more to it than just glamour and garments. It’s about taking risks and positioning ideas; “it intercepts, pushing our world forward and moves you beyond yourself.” Dr. Palmer talked about everything from Christian Dior, who once made a dress of ribbons only to support a suffering ribbon industry, to the cultural appropriation of style. She gave a real insight into an ever-evolving industry where it’s all relative. In essence, fashion goes beyond textiles and crosses paths with architecture, politics, trade, and economics. So the next time you get dressed, remember your outfit not only reflects your individuality — but also will one-day mark your time in history.

Navigating What’s Left of September, A.K.A Fashion Month. 

Currently, the ROM is presenting an iconic Christian Dior Exhibit. In addition to that, don’t forget to take advantage of the free curated tour from “Concept To Creation”, a display showing costume design from hit blockbuster films — still running until September 30th. Although Toronto Fashion Week is over, there’s more to come. Stay tuned for Toronto Men’s Fashion week in October. If you’re a fashionista in the making, also stay tuned for the latest updates and trends on fashion weeks across New York, London, Milan, and Paris!

To find out more about Toronto Fashion Week and the latest designers, navigate the website at wwww.torontofashionweek.com.

 

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