Some Thoughts on S/S 2011 LG Fashion Week

Let’s start off with something: Who actually buys and wears filmy nude clothing on a regular basis? I mean that weird non-flesh colour that is defined as ‘nude’ that doesn’t flatter anyone and makes most of us look like corpses. Yes, that shade of nude.

Thank god for colour and texture.

I’m not going to do individual reviews of the shows as others have done detailed reviews. What I want to do is just highlight some of the best work I’ve seen on the catwalk.

Best Use of Leather: VAWK

VAWK’s Sunny Fong said his collection was inspired by Africa and Spain. When I saw his collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario I thought the leather pieces were created via laser. One of the jackets had a beautiful high neck, possibly echoing the jewelry of the Maasai warriors; but the leather wasn’t cut. Stylist Tricia Campbell-Hall said the leather was actually hand-braided. The techique gave the leather jackets a cool easy feel that was perfect for spring but retained some sharpness to it thanks to the sharp lines of the jacket that followed the cut of a matador’s.

VAWK also cut what might possibly the best pair of slim black pants I’ve seen since Theory.

Colour and Stripes: Pink Tartan and LOVAS

I love anyone who opens a show with hot pink. Both Pink Tartan (by Kimberly Newport-Mimran) and LOVAS (By Wesley Badanjak) both sent colour down the catwalk.

Pink Tartan evokes a Palm Beachy seventies feel with wide-legged pants, broad-brimmed hats and stripey maxi-dresses. The seventies feel was further emphasized with the use of Hermes/Gucci-esque horsebit trim around the waist and as shoulder straps. I admit I had a Talitha Getty moment with all the caftans.

LOVAS, while not groundbreaking, was amazing. I personally don’t want fashion as art. I want fashion that I can wear and Wesley Badanjak knows how to cut for a woman (and insert a sleeve). The flirty skirts, the ruffly blouses and best of all, a well-cut suit – all were present in his collection. While I personally wasn’t a fan of the citrine-coloured outfits, Badanjak told me that they were top sellers, proving that people who critique fashion aren’t the ones who know what sells.

Jessica Jensen with Antonio Beradi

This show was a beautiful collaboration of Jensen’s leather bags and Beradi’s breezy Hampton (Or should that be Muskoka?) style. Again, easy, breezy and definitely sellable. The clothes draped over the body which is exactly what you want during spring and summer. The highlight of the was the gold paillette dress with the deep cowl neckline. It was styled with long casual yet done hair and flat sandals and was incredibly elegant considering the dress could be, as they say in Trinidad, coskell.

Paddock

Carrie Hayes is the designer behind Paddock, a new line of easy to wear but still stylish clothing. For those who know, Hayes has made her name designing dresses which use different colours and fabric inserts to create curve-flattering ensembles. With Paddock, Hayes moves away from the va-voominess of her dresses into functional clothes that takes your casual wardrobe up a couple notches. In other words, you can wear it to brunch instead of your jeans.