Fall 2013 with Rudsak / Preview Event #Stardust

A couple of days ago I had the unique privilege of experiencing Rudsak, one of Canada's premiere and most sought-after Design Houses, present their Fall 2013 Preview here in Toronto at the beautiful Templar Hotel; uniquely titled Stardust. Before I start ranting about the beauty of design and how incredible it all is, I should speak first about the impact Rudsak carries with it, and why that in itself is cause for celebration enough.

Hailing from Montréal, and ruling it, Rudsak has been an inspirationally powerful brand since it's inception almost two decades ago. Possessing an aesthetic that bases itself on rich, luxurious materials; Rudsak often manages to balances the fine line of Canadian rustic-heritage with inner-city, youthful polish. Clean lines, brilliant palettes, and an urban edge balance out a traditionally strong aesthetic of functional luggage-wear and seasonally practical outerwear. The quality of their leather, being known for the way they use it, is unmatched in our market - and you honestly can't appreciate it (which is something I quickly learned) until you see it.

The Fall 2013 Preview event I attended was guided by Matt, a representative of the iconic brand, who carefully, methodically, and passionately guided us through a variety of staple looks for Rudsak's Autumn. From the get-go I was immediately smitten by the quality of the leather. I saw Rudsak present this season at World MasterCard Fashion Week but I had no idea how incredible the pieces actually were until I saw them up close. The Moto-Jackets were fiercely cut, inky black, and detailed in a Gold Lamé-esque fabric and Faux-Pony in the most brilliantly rich Oxblood. The structured boning, clasps, and zips were an embrace of a past era - 70's disco meets 90's grunge, as Matt would say, in tandem with the line's name; Stardust. And also, quite clearly, in tandem with the 90's elements we've been seeing trend enormously in Fashion this Season.

Despite the awesome aesthetic of the Collection, I was more impressed by the amount of design intelligence. Every piece in Rudsak's arsenal of leather and coats were multi-functional and incredibly detailed - from the fabric choice to the piping to the way it's worn. They are extremely high quality and you can easily get two, even three looks from almost every one of their classic Winter pieces. Many coats were multi-layered; featuring unique button closures, texturally diverse leather, nylon, and fur; and the option of removing, adding on, or altering at least one part of the coat as you wear it. Brilliant design composition - both functional and beautiful; quality meets grace, it's really quite awesome!

One of my favourite pieces of the entire presentation was a beautifully striped, cowl-necked Winter dress. It was textured in intricately lined strips of leather with black mesh in between, but it cut and curled around the curves of the body in bold triangles and shapes, creating form through it's texture. It was a beautifully detailed pieces that you could easily dress up or down in the richest black, which was a huge palette theme for the entire Rudsak showcase. Love!

Some of the best pieces of the entire showcase were the accessories. Boasting a brilliant mix of fur lined hats, chic, iPhone sensitive leather gloves, and both wax-coated and chalkboard-finished leather satchels in the richest colours. Like we've said before, Rudsak is famous for their luggage-wear, and this season's Collection is no exception. The quality of the bags are bar-none, and yet they remain totally affordable in a high designer market. Finished cleanly or distressed, the wax-coated leathers are luxurious to the touch as well as the sight. I highly recommend investing in some of their luggage if you're being introduced to Rudsak for the first time; it will give you a sense of the quality of the leather without the price tag of a full Winter coat. But, chances are, if you love the bag as much as I know you will, you will probably get the coat to partner!

Rounding out the entire showcase was a diverse mix of new Rudsak Menswear. Matt was quick to point out that Rudsak is interested in investing more time in Menswear, which, as a person who is an advocate for the evolution of Men's Design, was thrilling for me. He presented us with more brilliant black knitwear, some of which were wax-coated in glossy finishes that mirrored their brilliant coats; as well as a unique and quality collection of powerful bubble coats and classic Moto-cuts. We were smitten from beginning to end.

Rudsak continues to be an International leader in leather design hailing from a Canadian market. I couldn't be more proud nor impressed with the aesthetic, incredible quality, and amazing functionality of their Fall 2013 Collection that continue to keep Rudsak at the forefront of amazing fashion. It was an absolute pleasure!

Visit Rudsak in Downtown Toronto at the corner of Queen & John and invest in some fantastic Winter wear today. Show your support for Canadian Fashion and Canadian talent!

315 Queen Street West

Toronto, Ontario

M52 2A4

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DylanInTheCity at The ShOws / Fall 2013 with Jeremy Laing

Jeremy Laing presented his Fall 2013 Collection at The ShOws last week here in Toronto to significant praise. As usual, Laing's presence in Toronto was greeted with enormous fanfare! And it's no surprise, because let's be entirely honest, he really doesn't need to be here at all. His success in New York is testament to that. Droves of enthusiasts and industry professionals flocked to Andrew Richard's (The ShOws Venue) in a number that easily doubled the initial capacity that day. To say we were a bit short of a room is an understatement. Nevertheless, an homage to his Canadian roots Season after Season is a wonderful touch; and it's nothing short of remarkable to see Laing's newest Collections up close as I did last week.

This Season Laing took us on a visually stunning trip; with interlaced patterns and textures, unusually balanced colours, and meticulously crafted textiles. A slight departure from his Spring Collection, which focused on sublime neutrals and gunmetal sheers; Laing's Fall  presentation featured a diverse palette of rich Blacks, bright Off-Whites, Dusty Roses and Soft Blues, with bold hits of Pantone Yellow and Gold Lamé. Colour blocking was partnered with monochromatic orthogonals (Seasonal favourite!) and heavily-textured knits through layered skirts, wide-legged, flowing trousers, and fantastic, boxed trenches.

The silhouette was chic, refined, and completely marketable though it maintained a constant value of intense, visual interest. We love Laing's use of broken lines in many of his fabrics; a pattern he photographed and repeated from a piece he adopted from a friend and local artist. "From a distance it reads as stripes." I remember Laing saying when explaining his textile choice, though up close it's noticeably broken and fractured slightly. Huge, obtuse forms were, once again, a dominant form in Laing's presentation. As usual, I'm obsessed with the way the clothing moves. Everything over-sized is hitting me just where it should this Season, as nothing says beautifully chic like the way a fantastic dress moves with almost no effort at all. But, beyond everything, I'd have to say my favourite pieces were the Gold hits; especially that amazing, baggy trench with those wide arms. Cinched just loosely enough, this trench caught the light brilliantly; it was a gem straight out of the 80's. Just perfect, wish I could sport that myself.

All in all, a great show, and a much more interesting interpretation of Fall 2013 than I initially anticipated from Jeremy Laing. Great pieces, great aesthetic!

All Photos Credit to Style.com

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World MasterCard Fashion Week / Fall 2013 Collections

World MasterCard Fashion Week is finally here! Starting tomorrow at 5:30 pm, Toronto will be privy to some of the best Fall 2013 Collections by some of Canada's most notable, talented, and iconic Designers. We are expecting a massive turn-out this year as IMG has put together (with the absorption of The Collections) an absolutely killer roster of powerhouse Fashion talent. I couldn't be more pumped for these amazing shows! Fashion Week each year is a pulsating experience; from the clothing to the people to the amazing street style; it's literally a week of pure eye candy and absolute inspiration (well, if you love Fashion as much as I do!). It's also an opportunity for us, the Industry enthusiasts of the city. Connecting with other professionals in this field is the absolute best way to push the envelope of our own passions and keep creating - whether through design, media, marketing, or any other aspect of the industry. It's one of the most precious things Fashion Week has ever given to me; the opportunity to meet people and build creative connections.

That being said, I am beyond thrilled to be representing this very blog, DylanInTheCity, as Media for World MasterCard Fashion Week! So, if you're even remotely interested in up-to-the-second Fashion direct from the runways (as well as any other antics, celebrity sightings, or the best street style going down at the tents!) be sure to stay connected to any one of my major Social Media outlets!

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This year WMCFW is bringing to us over 30 shows from some of our most incredible homegrown Designers; the likes of Sunny Fong of VAWK, Caitlin Power, Rudsak, Pavoni, Lucian Matis, Pink Tartan, and Sid Neigum just to name a few. Join the movement and connect nationwide! See it all happen right before your eyes.

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DylanInTheCity at The ShOws / Fall 2013 with Steven Tai

Steven Tai was perhaps the most surprising and fascinating show to present this year at The ShOws in Toronto. Nothing short of a genius in the creation of his materials and pieces, Tai showcased an aesthetic that was seasonally sound but creatively unique, totally on-point in terms of trend but imaginatively produced, and one of the best showstoppers of both days at The ShOws.

The aesthetic of Steven Tai's Fall 2013 Presentation was fantastic. Huge, over-sized knits that were youthful, obtuse, and so 90's. Boldly geometric blocked colours, a stand-out trend among Designers all over the world this Season; as well as fantastically wide flood pants. The most impressive element of Tai's collection was his amazing use of the most unexpected material - Silicone. In a candid, post-show interview at The ShOws, Tai explained that much of the Silicone he used was meticulously manipulated and molded into shape; creating textures and forms meant to mimic the visuals of traditional fabric. But it goes much beyond that; the Silicone was also hand-treated to become an actual, bendable and sew-able material. The result? Fascinating and bold forms that glistened in bright, plastic hues - lollipop colours of the 90's re-imagined in bold, shiny shapes; adding visually stunning textural elements to some of Tai's most iconic pieces for Fall 2013.

The is another Collection where the pictures simply don't do the quality of the design justice. Some of Tai's garments, particularly the white, woven Moto jacket, were created with an incredible amount of meticulous detail. The hand-work is remarkable, and is a testament to Tai's Design skill; not only visually, but in terms of production. If anything, the entire presentation is a fantastic portrayal of Tai's potential and the amazing levels a Designer of his caliber could take his evolving aesthetic in the future.

All Photos credit to Fashion Magazine

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DylanInTheCity at The ShOws / Fall 2013 with Jean-Pierre Braganza

I had the privilege to attend one of Toronto's most anticipated and exclusive Fashion Events of the Season last week here in the city; The ShOws! A bi-yearly celebration of unique and incomparable Canadian talent; The ShOws is famous for supporting and featuring some of the most sought-after Canadian names to penetrate the International Fashion Market; displaying their Seasonal Designer Collections. The talent level is extremely high, the city is constantly abuzz, and the showrooms are obtusely full! For two days last week we were privy to 5 fantastic shows - Comrags, Jean-Pierre Braganza, Tanya Taylor, Steven Tai, and Jeremy Laing.

One of my favourite Canadian Designers of all time, Jean-Pierre Braganza, was the second to present at The ShOws last week. Featuring an incredible, diverse palette of personally created graphics, orthogonal patterns, and bright, geometric forms; it was easily one of the most impressive presentations this year.

These photos, though beautiful, do not do this Collection justice in the least. Braganza's fabirc was sublime; moving with such softness in the most brilliant forms down that Runway. Over-sized sleeves, hugely bold, blocked patterns in hints of coral, white, and teal; and a display of characteristically-Braganza painted graphics dominated his earthy, monochromatic palette. We were beyond obsessed, even moved, by some of the asymmetrical forms; cut with the hardest lines in sheen, ombré, leather, and navy. Fantastic in almost every sense; powerfully bold from beginning to end and almost too difficult to appreciate through just words alone. The majesty of Braganza takes me again, what an absolute gift to Fashion.

All photo credit goes to Toronto Life

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